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Jai Lucas set to become next men’s basketball coach

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TwentySix said:
He won 4 D2 national titles and has them 26-3 in year 1 without any notable returning players. What’s your point.
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It's DRAKE...isn't that obvious?

It's not like it's Cleveland State or James Madison or Loyola Chicago or Murray State or Chattanooga...
 

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With due respect to the well-made points and lack of enthusiasm by many, we are gonna need a barrel of top-notch talent with good chemistry and attitude coming here, to prosper. Our basketball NIL is not exactly "beyond compare".

As a (new or portal) recruit, hearing "wow, the Miami fanbase is extremely optimistic and expecting great things with the new hire" might sway me in a close-call selection. But you'all (and u know who you are) go on incessantly harping on the disappointing hire. It's getting old and isnt helpful.
 
jkdood said:
With due respect to the well-made points and lack of enthusiasm by many, we are gonna need a barrel of top-notch talent with good chemistry and attitude coming here, to prosper. Our basketball NIL is not exactly "beyond compare".

As a (new or portal) recruit, hearing "wow, the Miami fanbase is extremely optimistic and expecting great things with the new hire" might sway me in a close-call selection. But you'all (and u know who you are) go on incessantly harping on the disappointing hire. It's getting old and isnt helpful.
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First we have to have fans that actually show up to games. Then we can worry about what the fans are saying.

None of this fan talk makes any difference whatsoever in recruiting (other than more fans writing big NIL contribution checks).

We hired a coach that is gonna be 100% dependent on NIL $$$$$ to succeed.

Hope the guys behind the hire (not Rad) deliver the $$.
 
AmherstCane said:
First we have to have fans that actually show up to games. Then we can worry about what the fans are saying.

None of this fan talk makes any difference whatsoever in recruiting (other than more fans writing big NIL contribution checks).

We hired a coach that is gonna be 100% dependent on NIL $$$$$ to succeed.

Hope the guys behind the hire (not Rad) deliver the $$.
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It’s going to take a massive influx of NIL to make this successful
 
gacaneaddict said:
Can't believe DRAD looked at Pitino and Lucas, and was like nah I'll pass on a proven NCAA tournament coach for a total wildcard.

Disaster. If Miami actually had a big bball knowledgeable fanbase they would be marching at the WAT demanding DRAD hire the proven coach. No we got all the young minions running around excited over a total disaster of a hire.
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I respect your viewpoint on this subject but I don't understand how you view Richard Pitino Jr as a proven NCAA tournament coach when Richard Pitino Jr has been coaching for 13 years and make the NCAA tournament 3 times with 1 NCAA tournament win.
I respect that that is your opinion of a proven NCAA tournament coach.
However, after 13 years, you are correct, he is proven. He has proven himself to be exactly what he is. As Bill Parcells once said "You are what your record says you are."
With the proven track record of Richard Pitino Jr, I completely understand how Dan Radacovich choose Jai Lucas.
Dan knows and accepted what Richard Pitino Jr has proven himself to be.
 
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TheOriginalCane said:
It's DRAKE...isn't that obvious?

It's not like it's Cleveland State or James Madison or Loyola Chicago or Murray State or Chattanooga...
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Hiring McCollum, a guy that has won BIG at every stop would require an AD that was willing to do some research and bring a legit package to the negotiating table. Even if Miami was to chase after Chris Jans, Shaka Smart, or a variety of other coaches who would possibly be receptive to the Miami sales pitch, it would require an AD that was doing more than collecting a paycheck. Rad is a less dweeby Blake James, but a dweeb nonetheless.

Lucas may work out, the issue is that Miami didn't have to hire him right now. You could have conducted a legit search, and if you end up with him, then it is what it is. This "We have to hire this dude right now" nonsense is just that. Rad took the lazy, cheap way out, and is hoping that a first time HC, with little experience outside the blue blood bubble is going to be able to succeed at a school where you won't have unlimited resources and support.

Honestly, I feel for this guy, because he may have taken a job where he may be setup to fail. Miami basketball NIL is competitive not overwhelming, and that is an issue, especially if you want to consistently beat out blue bloods for high end talent.
 
JZCane0825 said:
So give me names. Who is 'proven and experienced' that actually would be interested in the job?

Richard Pitino is thought to have been the runner up and is plenty proven but he's just as polarizing here as Lucas is.

Chris Jans' name was thrown around but he isn't leaving a $4+ million a year gig in the top basketball conference in America. Chris Beard's only move out of Oxford would be for the Indiana job. The rest of the top coaches at high majors aren't leaving their current jobs to take this one.

Virginia, who just won a national championship a few years back, appears to be focused on the head coaches at VCU and Vanderbilt, respectively, with the latter just having been hired from James Madison. Solid coaches, yes,but far from proven.
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Solid coaches, with a track record of success, AS HEAD COACHES. That's the issue. It's tough to predict what an assistant will do, once they get the big job. It's more of a crapshoot, and as a coach finds himself, it's a lot easier to do that when you aren't in a major conference. These midmajor guys, they may ultimately fail(A lot of coaches do), but at the very least, you can justify the hire.
 
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Da_Lucky_One said:
I respect your viewpoint on this subject but I don't understand how you view Richard Pitino Jr as a proven NCAA tournament coach when Richard Pitino Jr has been coaching for 13 years and make the NCAA tournament 3 times with 1 NCAA tournament win.
I respect that that is your opinion of a proven NCAA tournament coach.
However, after 13 years, you are correct, he is proven. He has proven himself to be exactly what he is. As Bill Parcells once said "You are what your record says you are."
With the proven track record of Richard Pitino Jr, I completely understand how Dan Radacovich choose Jai Lucas.
Dan knows and accepted what Richard Pitino Jr has proven himself to be.
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13 years doesn't say anything about who Richard Pitino could become. Do you know how many teams Coach L put in the NCAA tournament in his first 13 years of coaching? 1

He got his first final 4 after nearly 20 years of coaching. Saying Pitino can't or won't get better makes no sense.
 
AmherstCane said:
First we have to have fans that actually show up to games. Then we can worry about what the fans are saying.

None of this fan talk makes any difference whatsoever in recruiting (other than more fans writing big NIL contribution checks).

We hired a coach that is gonna be 100% dependent on NIL $$$$$ to succeed.

Hope the guys behind the hire (not Rad) deliver the $$.
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if some of the (NIL writing) fans keep hearing all the gloom and doom and bashing about the hire they may put their checkbooks away. just stop the **** negativity enuff is enuff
 
JZCane0825 said:
Ah yes, another one of those. Also, Caputo or a mid major coach like Bucky McMillan would have been the 'easy way out' as you say.
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At the very least, Caputo and McMillan have some experience as head coaches. HUUUUUUUGE difference between being a DOBO or 2nd assistant and the head man. Again, I hope Lucas proves me wrong , but would've much rather had someone with experience at the helm. Despite with how things ended, I'd say the experience our last head coach had coming in certainly came in handy.
 
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JZCane0825 said:
So give me names. Who is 'proven and experienced' that actually would be interested in the job?

Richard Pitino is thought to have been the runner up and is plenty proven but he's just as polarizing here as Lucas is.

Chris Jans' name was thrown around but he isn't leaving a $4+ million a year gig in the top basketball conference in America. Chris Beard's only move out of Oxford would be for the Indiana job. The rest of the top coaches at high majors aren't leaving their current jobs to take this one.

Virginia, who just won a national championship a few years back, appears to be focused on the head coaches at VCU and Vanderbilt, respectively, with the latter just having been hired from James Madison. Solid coaches, yes, but far from proven.
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I've got no clue who's interested in the job. All I know is that no serious basketball program, let alone a high major in the ACC would hire a relatively unproven and inexperienced coach to be their head man. I would have no problem if this hire were done in another month or two, once all avenues have been exhausted. Not trying to be funny but there are high school coaches who have better resumes than what Jai has at this point. Based off merit, there's no reason why at this point in time we should be settling. I understand if we're heading into April or May and a bunch of better candidates have turned us down. But to settle on an inexperienced and unproven guy in February seems desperate to me. Either a bunch of guys already told us NO, or DRad **** the bed once again.

One more time, I hope I'm wrong. GO CANES!!!
 
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jkdood said:
With due respect to the well-made points and lack of enthusiasm by many, we are gonna need a barrel of top-notch talent with good chemistry and attitude coming here, to prosper. Our basketball NIL is not exactly "beyond compare".

As a (new or portal) recruit, hearing "wow, the Miami fanbase is extremely optimistic and expecting great things with the new hire" might sway me in a close-call selection. But you'all (and u know who you are) go on incessantly harping on the disappointing hire. It's getting old and isnt helpful.
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I hear ya, but doubt any kids are basing their commitments off of what some fans are saying on message boards. I've seen a lot worse things being said on social media.
 
HurikaneMarc said:
13 years doesn't say anything about who Richard Pitino could become. Do you know how many teams Coach L put in the NCAA tournament in his first 13 years of coaching? 1

He got his first final 4 after nearly 20 years of coaching. Saying Pitino can't or won't get better makes no sense.
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On top of which...the Pitino-haters are talking about "thirteen years" while ignoring the fact that Pitino has New Mexico firmly in the mix for his FOURTH trip to the NCAAs. So, I don't know, but suddenly his career accomplishments become 33% better if he has 4 NCAA bids instead of 3 in his "thirteen years"...
 
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Da_Lucky_One said:
I respect your viewpoint on this subject but I don't understand how you view Richard Pitino Jr as a proven NCAA tournament coach when Richard Pitino Jr has been coaching for 13 years and make the NCAA tournament 3 times with 1 NCAA tournament win.
I respect that that is your opinion of a proven NCAA tournament coach.
However, after 13 years, you are correct, he is proven. He has proven himself to be exactly what he is. As Bill Parcells once said "You are what your record says you are."
With the proven track record of Richard Pitino Jr, I completely understand how Dan Radacovich choose Jai Lucas.
Dan knows and accepted what Richard Pitino Jr has proven himself to be.
Click to expand...
I'm not a big Pitino, Jr. fan, nor am I saying he's the second coming. However, don't agree that his coaching career or trajectory should be based solely off his first 12 years as a head coach. There are a number of college coaching greats whose careers didn't take off until much later in the process.

For some perspective, aside from his last 2 years, I think Coach L while at Miami was one of the best college coaches in the country, but it took him 13 years to get to his first NCAA Tournament bid. Pitino did it in his 4th year. If you compare, Coach L's first 12 years with Pitino's, it's pretty evident who's had the better start to their careers.
For all intents in purposed, the great Nick Saban was swimming in mediocrity before he got the job at Bama. Imagine, if Alabama hadn't hired Saban because of his first 13 years.

Again, I'm not advocating for Pitino to get the job, but I think it's a bit short sighted to negate some of his past success and base his future path solely off his first 12 years as a head coach.
 
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King of Allapattah said:
I'm not a big Pitino, Jr. fan, nor am I saying he's the second coming. However, don't agree that his coaching career or trajectory should be based solely off his first 12 years as a head coach. There are a number of college coaching greats whose careers didn't take off until much later in the process.

For some perspective, aside from his last 2 years, I think Coach L while at Miami was one of the best college coaches in the country, but it took him 13 years to get to his first NCAA Tournament bid. Pitino did it in his 4th year. If you compare, Coach L's first 12 years with Pitino's, it's pretty evident who's had the better start to their careers.
For all intents in purposed, the great Nick Saban was swimming in mediocrity before he got the job at Bama. Imagine, if Alabama hadn't hired Saban because of his first 13 years.

Again, I'm not advocating for Pitino to get the job, but I think it's a bit short sighted to negate some of his past success and base his future path solely off his first 12 years as a head coach.
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Agreed.

Context must be considered. We've got posters who will **** all over UM's Bill Foster and Leonard Hamilton for "lack of success", without considering what it was like to revive UM hoops after a 14-year dormancy, then play as an independent, then join the toughest basketball conference in America. And to do that in under 10 years before the arrival of NIL and the Portal.

Clearly, Pitino did not vibe with Minnesota. He had good years before and after Minnesota, but Minnesota has been half of his career, so that tends to "bring down the average".

We have some weird porsters...
 
The thing I can’t really understand is that Duke, one of the teams favored to win the NC this year, did the same thing when Scheyer replaced the irreplaceable coach K. They had a little bit of a dropoff last year and right back on top this year. And people are talking like Lucas is the big reason for some of their top recruits.

Duke and Miami are of course different from an optics point of view but there was a chance thaf Scheyer would fail in his first coaching gig as well.

My point is there isn’t anything more we can do than give the guy a chance and try as fans to help him succeed. At least he has top experience in his past.
 
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