forums

Who Would Be "Mario Cristobal" Of Basketball Hire?

Trav said:
For those who remember, Pitino was ready to jump in to replace Leonard Hamilton when Michael Jordan poached him to the NBA. But Hamilton handpicked Perry Clarke and Paul Dee said sure whatever. (And he came just cheaper)
Click to expand...
I thought one of his assistants leaked Pitino’s name to get him out of the running and the deal collapse before Hamilton picked Clark?
 
Advertisement
hotshot said:
I don't want Larranaga or Martin. As for the latter, he's been very average with the Gamecocks. Two good years out of nine. Grant's fine but isn't gonna immediately have anyone that excited. No big splash, for sure (if that's important in these heady times of Dan and Mario).
Click to expand...

I think there are better options than Martin as well, but at this point I’d take him over Larranaga. Don’t think any of the coaches I mentioned could do any worse than what we’ve seen the last 3 years
 
Last edited:
wspcane said:
I thought one of his assistants leaked Pitino’s name to get him out of the running and the deal collapse before Hamilton picked Clark?
Click to expand...
Miami offered Pitino the job back in 2000 but he was still with the Celtics and declined at the time. Don’t think he’d turn them down if they were to offer it again
 
Last edited:
King of Allapattah said:
Miami offered Pitino the job back in 2000 but he was still with the Celtics and declined at the time. Don’t think he’d turn them down if they were to offer it again
Click to expand...
Understood all of that. My recollection was we had a deal in place to hire him from the Celtics but he wanted it to stay under wraps. One of Hamilton’s assistants leaked it for whatever reason (step up from Ham, wanting to choose successor, I don’t know) and the deal collapsed because of that.
 
King of Allapattah said:
If we're going to go after a local guy, I think there's no question that had this been 5 years ago, Frank Martin would be the guy that many would be clamoring for. However, Frank and the Gamecocks have been in a downward trajectory since that Final 4 team in 2017. Another local name who many around here like is Anthony Grant. And although he may not have the resume or some of the same success Martin has had overall, Grant has seen his stock take an uptick in recent years.

Considering both guys are of the same age, if TNM were to go the local route, I think it'd be 50-50 between these two names. I'd probably give Martin the slight edge because of the Columbus crew effect (strong ties to Miami High).

Whichever the case -- whether it's Pitino, Grant or even Martin -- I think change would be better.

GO CANES!!!
Click to expand...

Frank Martin is a mediocre coach.
Yeah, he has the quote game down and strikes the menacing Tony Montana look on the bench, but there is no substance to his work.
He sux and I hope we never consider him.
 
Advertisement
King of Allapattah said:
I think there are better options than Martin as well, but at this point I’d take him over Larranaga. Don’t think any of the coaches I mentioned could do any worse than what we’ve seen the last 3 years
Click to expand...
Everything you said is true but IMO you don't wanna conduct a coaching search with that extremely "low bar" mindset. That's sort of how and why this program has too often floundered since 1985.

We need the "new" thinking to take hold at UM where basketball is concerned, backed up with real money, the way it has unfolded this past week with the football program. Not the same amounts obviously, but ... need to set the bar high when we do seriously look.
 
Trav said:
For those who remember, Pitino was ready to jump in to replace Leonard Hamilton when Michael Jordan poached him to the NBA. But Hamilton handpicked Perry Clarke and Paul Dee said sure whatever. (And he came just cheaper)
Click to expand...
Actually, it got leaked that Pitino was interested and it all blew up. He was still under contract with the Celtics. If I remember the thought that it was Dwight Freeman. I know he wanted desperately wanted the job. It should have gone to Stan Jones, but he left with Leonard. I do remember Leonard was behind the Perry Clark hire.

Pitino may be at Iona, but the NCAA is not done with Louisville. It is quite possible Pitino will be smacked with a show cause when all said and done.
 
Last edited:
hotshot said:
Everything you said is true but IMO you don't wanna conduct a coaching search with that extremely "low bar" mindset. That's sort of how and why this program has too often floundered since 1985.

We need the "new" thinking to take hold at UM where basketball is concerned, backed up with real money, the way it has unfolded this past week with the football program. Not the same amounts obviously, but ... need to set the bar high when we do seriously look.
Click to expand...

Agreed. However, I'm not so sure that our new AD will be looking to replace Larranaga any time soon. That certainly wasn't my take listening to his introductory press conference yesterday. :6fps6:
 
King of Allapattah said:
Agreed. However, I'm not so sure that our new AD will be looking to replace Larranaga any time soon. That certainly wasn't my take listening to his introductory press conference yesterday. :6fps6:
Click to expand...
I have the same concern. He's stuck with Brad Brownell - through thick and (mostly) thin - 11 years at Clemson. Almost as if he didn't really care how the hoops program was going. And Larranaga has done a lot better overall at UM than Brownell has at Clemson.

Football at Clemson, like here, is definitely king. Hope we're wrong.
 
Advertisement
wspcane said:
Understood all of that. My recollection was we had a deal in place to hire him from the Celtics but he wanted it to stay under wraps. One of Hamilton’s assistants leaked it for whatever reason (step up from Ham, wanting to choose successor, I don’t know) and the deal collapsed because of that.
Click to expand...
Think this is indeed the way it went down. History of our program changed by an internal leak. What might have been!!
 
Advertisement
Advertisement
The answer is there isn't a Mario Cristobal type of hire out there for Miami. There isn't anyone with ties to the area for basketball that is as qualified as Mario was for football.

I would look hard at Niko Medved at Colorado St. Furman was in bad shape when he took that job over and he got them to a place where they became one of the best programs in the SoCon while Wes Miller, Mike Young, and Steve Forbes were still coaching in the league. And Furman has remained a good program in that league since he has left, even though they haven't gotten over the hump of getting to the tournament yet. Only spent one year at Drake, but he got them their first winning conference record in a decade the year he was there, and Drake was certainly in a better place after he left than before. Then at Colorado St., he took a program that cratered under Larry Eustachy and has turned them into the best team in the Mountain West by year four. No tourney appearances yet (just missed last year), but that will change this season.

And if you want an example of his coaching:
 
Advertisement
Back
Top