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Poll: IF we miss the tournament, is it time to fire Pike?

Fire Pike?

  • Yes, immediately

  • No, let the new AD decide after one more season

  • No, he has earned the right to finish out his contract or leave on his own terms


Results are only viewable after voting.
this was supposed to be the big year that Pike’s been building us up to… and if it’s a failure, people wanna give him two more seasons to prove what exactly? we know exactly the coach he is no matter the level of talent on his team
 
Liked him as he was a brad underwood disciple from the area. Id like to run a brad underwood type system.

where ok state finished under boynton vs where RU finished under pike

Boyton
17-18: 59
18-19: 83
19-20: 53
20-21: 33
21-22: 34
22-23: 46
23:24 117

Pike
16-17: 135
17-18: 130
18-19: 78
19-20: 28
20-21: 38
21-22: 77
22-23: 39
23-24: 100

But anyway, theres a guy closer who I think would do a better job here. Mitch Henderson. And yes, I think hed leave his alma matter and drive 20 minutes up the road for a 4X pay raise
I think Henderson is a good coach. He also has 2 NCAA teams in 13 years in the Ivy League. He hasn’t had to manage the transfer portal or NIL at a level close to the power conferences. And you think he can jump into the B10 and be a sure-fire upgrade to Pikiell. Ok.
 
this was supposed to be the big year that Pike’s been building us up to… and if it’s a failure, people wanna give him two more seasons to prove what exactly? we know exactly the coach he is no matter the level of talent on his team

Here's what I'm asking if I'm a candidate and how college coaches look at things:

-They just fired this guy? He's the only guy to do it here. He got burned by an injury (and still finished over .500 and squarely on the buble) and the portal.
-How long of a leash will I get?
-Yeah, we was able to get the two big guys, but it looks like may he didn't have enough cash to grab a good supporting cast. Why do I think I will get any support? Particularly with such a big personality leading the football team?

So, I think, if you're an AD, you probably give Pikes a leash. If he fails this year, the fans are going to turn on him and he's going to have it tough. But at the very least, you're willing to give a candidate time to figure it out even after a colossal disappointment.

No one is going to listen to me, I get it. People just want to fire and start over again, but sports is not like working in finance, particularly college sports. No one wants to walk away from a good coach who has represented the university well with wins and big moments. It's a different time, but Bob Wenzel got 5 LOSING seasons before he got canned after what he did here. Pikes gets two more at least.
 
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I think Henderson is a good coach. He also has 2 NCAA teams in 13 years in the Ivy League. He hasn’t had to manage the transfer portal or NIL at a level close to the power conferences. And you think he can jump into the B10 and be a sure-fire upgrade to Pikiell. Ok.
I think hes proven to be a better coach than pikiell. I personally think his top assistant brett mcconnell is better than pikiell as well but i doubt that hire would ever happen until he gets HC experience himself

1) mitch is 2-0 vs pike, both neutral courts
2) mitch beat us with zach martini playing the whole game last year. Pike cant even figure out how to get martini an open shot
3) mitch runs an offense
4) mitch put on a clinic vs pike both years and especially last week

And again, I’m not saying hed be the #1 candidate, rather than a candidate.
 
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Here's what I'm asking if I'm a candidate and how college coaches look at things:

-They just fired this guy? He's the only guy to do it here. He got burned by an injury (and still finished over .500 and squarely on the buble) and the portal.
-How long of a leash will I get?
-Yeah, we was able to get the two big guys, but it looks like may he didn't have enough cash to grab a good supporting cast. Why do I think I will get any support? Particularly with such a big personality leading the football team?

So, I think, if you're an AD, you probably give Pikes a leash. If he fails this year, the fans are going to turn on him and he's going to have it tough. But at the very least, you're willing to give a candidate time to figure it out even after a colossal disappointment.

No one is going to listen to me, I get it. People just want to fire and start over again, but sports is not like working in finance, particularly college sports. No one wants to walk away from a good coach who has represented the university well with wins and big moments. It's a different time, but Bob Wenzel got 5 LOSING seasons before he got canned after what he did here. Pikes gets two more at least.
Most of these arent really valid concerns of legitimate candidates. Its not like were trying to hire away john cal from arkansas or nate oates from bama. We’d be looking to hire a top flight assistant at another top school or a top mid major coach on the come up.

1) pike aint getting fired for at least 2 more seasons and which time a prospective coach would be thinking, “well shit, only 1 tourney win got this guy 11 years and made him a top 20 paid coach in america. The bar is extremely low here, incredible opportunity with job security.

2) how long of a leash will be dictated in buyout terms. If the contract is 5 years for $15-18 mill (likely) then if you get fired after 1 year, you get paid $18mill and are probably jumping for joy.

3) rev share will now be available. We couldve gotten/did get supporting pieces via portal, we had the money. Those pieces are just not being used as our coaching staff after 9 years still doesnt believe in running perpetual offensive sets.

I think youre living in a bubble if you dont believe that pike being given 11 years before being fired would be a turnoff to prospective candidates. Itd in fact be an asset. Your fathers Rutgers didnt have

1) top 20 pay nationally
2) top 5-10 practice facility nationally
3) top tier revenue share
 
Most of these arent really valid concerns of legitimate candidates. Its not like were trying to hire away john cal from arkansas or nate oates from bama. We’d be looking to hire a top flight assistant at another top school or a top mid major coach on the come up.

1) pike aint getting fired for at least 2 more seasons and which time a prospective coach would be thinking, “well shit, only 1 tourney win got this guy 11 years and made him a top 20 paid coach in america. The bar is extremely low here, incredible opportunity with job security.

2) how long of a leash will be dictated in buyout terms. If the contract is 5 years for $15-18 mill (likely) then if you get fired after 1 year, you get paid $18mill and are probably jumping for joy.

3) rev share will now be available. We couldve gotten/did get supporting pieces via portal, we had the money. Those pieces are just not being used as our coaching staff after 9 years still doesnt believe in running perpetual offensive sets.

I think youre living in a bubble if you dont believe that pike being given 11 years before being fired would be a turnoff to prospective candidates. Itd in fact be an asset. Your fathers Rutgers didnt have

1) top 20 pay nationally
2) top 5-10 practice facility nationally
3) top tier revenue share

Sir, I am taking the premise of the thread which is that Pikes would get fired after this season. First, it's not happening. Second, if he was fired after this season, I think it would be hard to hire a quality coach. Yes, let's talk again in 2 more years.
 
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Sir, I am taking the premise of the thread which is that Pikes would get fired after this season. First, it's not happening. Second, if he was fired, I think it would be hard to hire a quality coach. Yes, let's talk again in 2 more years.
Yeah he no doubt at least gets a minimum of two more seasons after this before his termination would be considered
 
Sir, I am taking the premise of the thread which is that Pikes would get fired after this season. First, it's not happening. Second, if he was fired after this season, I think it would be hard to hire a quality coach. Yes, let's talk again in 2 more years.
I wouldn’t want a coaching candidate who thinks that 2 tournament appearances in 9 years earns you the job security of a university professor. The right coach should/would not care all that much about what happened with Pike.
 
I wouldn’t want a coaching candidate who thinks that 2 tournament appearances in 9 years earns you the job security of a university professor. The right coach should/would not care all that much about what happened with Pike.

Well this has been proven wrong time and time again in college sports and how this job is looked at in the coaching circles and how Pikes is looked at. But hey it's a message board and we've talked in circles over and over. You want to fire him. Got it. He won't be fired.
 
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Yes, the program will be set back a decade,
Unfortunately I think he will end up coaching next year, things will cascade from this season making next year even worse, last place Big 10
New AD will have his opportunity to make a big hire
 
It's not the conference. It's the school name. Sorry, we haven't had enough success to can our most successful guy in 30 years even if this season turns into a colossal failure and then expect someone good to take the job.
You are talking about 30 years of being in the A10, coming into the, Big east as an after thought red headed step child, can’t compare the past to the present
The only north east Big 10 (super conference) team.
The job is so different for soo many reasons including a weakened Georgetown, Syracuse
The Big east in general
 
Well this has been proven wrong time and time again in college sports and how this job is looked at in the coaching circles and how Pikes is looked at. But hey it's a message board and we've talked in circles over and over. You want to fire him. Got it. He won't be fired.
I only want him fired if we fail to make the tournament this year (a nationally embarrassing outcome). Although, as I mentioned, I’m not entirely opposed to giving him one more “prove it” year under the new AD. If he can’t get us back to the tourney this year or next, I just don’t see why we should keep him beyond that point.
 
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Pike deserves a shot to try to recruit, develop and coach in this new NIL world.
 
No, my argument is if we fire our coach after this season (which was the original point of this thread), the next guy is going to have a ton of demands and my question is... if we can't meet those demands, do we end up not getting a good coach. And it's not coaching or assistant coaching salary I'm talking about. Because if Pikes got fired after this season, the basketball world will likely side-eye Rutgers (again) and the good people won't want the job. In two years, we can talk...

Money talks
 
I only want him fired if we fail to make the tournament this year (a nationally embarrassing outcome). Although, as I mentioned, I’m not entirely opposed to giving him one more “prove it” year under the new AD. If he can’t get us back to the tourney this year or next, I just don’t see why we should keep him beyond that point.



He has already earned next year..its not up for debate

We can quibble on what happens afterwards but its hard to see him not getting 2 more seasons after this one
 
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You guys are off your rockers thinking he is getting 2 more seasons after this year. After we miss the dance this year, the pressure on him will be enormous to deliver because the fail will be spectacular national news and will be a historic fail in CBB. No way it's 2 more seasons.

He won't recover unfortunately and I like him a lot.
 
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You guys are off your rockers thinking he is getting 2 more seasons after this year. After we miss the dance this year, the pressure on him will be enormous to deliver because the fail will be spectacular national news and will be a historic fail in CBB. No way it's 2 more seasons.

He won't recover unfortunately and I like him a lot.

Right now he has no boss! No AD, no president even.
 
Hopefully it doesn’t come to this but with the portal and how easy it is to get out of a LOI, things could get Louisville bad.
 
He has already earned next year..its not up for debate

We can quibble on what happens afterwards but its hard to see him not getting 2 more seasons after this one
Has not earned next year! Pike set a standard and he is missed that standard multiple years in a row. His teams have fallen off 5 years straight. He had more eyes on him and the program this yearand is crumbling under the pressure.

No coach or basketball person is watching saying Pike is a good coach. No offensive plays or resemblance of competence. Rotations are a mess, lack of Big ten players. They are watching 2 elite talents in a complete dumpster fire.

Next years roster does NOT have 2, and u could argue any D1 Big ten players on the roster.

Pikes Done!
 
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Has not earned next year! Pike set a standard and he is missed that standard multiple years in a row. His teams have fallen off 5 years straight. He had more eyes on him and the program this yearand is crumbling under the pressure.

No coach or basketball person is watching saying Pike is a good coach. No offensive plays or resemblance of competence. Rotations are a mess, lack of Big ten players. They are watching 2 elite talents in a complete dumpster fire.

Next years roster does NOT have 2, and u could argue any D1 Big ten players on the roster.

Pikes Done!

Next year could be full circle from where he started. will be ugly
 
Next year could be full circle from where he started. will be ugly
On the plus side, when we bring someone in, because of the portal, etc it should be easier to rebuild. Next year will probably be tough, but with the right hire we should bounce back
 
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We need a coach who can somehow work with NIL and get players. Secondary to that is basketball strategy. Player development coaches like Pike are for mid-major teams now. Pike is a square peg in a round hole here.
 
We need a coach who can somehow work with NIL and get players. Secondary to that is basketball strategy. Player development coaches like Pike are for mid-major teams now. Pike is a square peg in a round hole here.
I still think you can be a “player development” coach and build within. And then supplement that talent with the portal. Take a look at Northwestern and Iowa. They’re built from within. The issue is, Pike HAS to identify B1G talent. He has to get guys like Myles Johnson, Ron Harper, Montez Mathis, Caleb, etc. he just flat out didn’t do it for 3+ years
 
Man all this is sad. I love Pike. I love what he built here. I hate that we're even talking about it.
It appears he has reached his apex. At best he is an average recruiter and a poor game day coach. He become in love with certain players and refuses to give some an opportunity. How he continues to use Martini is beyond my comprehension.

The past several years were very average and there is no indication this will change. Portal use has been poor. If you accept mediocrity Pike is your guy. I would like to see making the tournament more than once every ten years.
 
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