If I have an $x budget for a coach, whether it makes sense to fire my current coach and hire a new one for $x very obviously depends on both the quality of my current coach and the value of x.
Basketball Rutgers Basketball wing Gavin Griffiths enters Transfer Portal
- Thread starter Alec Crouthamel
- Start date
That's too soft. Not to mention that eventually they'll get better, given their resources.
If we can't behead them, can we at least castrate them? Still too bloodthirsty? 😇😏
Is that the same money who secured the #2 recruiting class in the country only behind Duke? Who spent money to bring in Tyson Aciff as well? I believe we are all following.
That's probably true.
At first, I thought you were comparing and contrasting whom we could castrate. Then I got it. Had me worried there for a minute, though. 🙂
Yes it is. But in typical fashion, you're over-simplifying. Would you agree that this current recruiting class is already a sunk cost as it pertains to NIL with the money already having been allocated?
Acuff and Martini are part of this Portal season wrt any NIL. The ability (or not) to bring in a big man should give you an idea how much is left in the NIL coffers. Further you are making my point for me. Fans complaining here about how they might be better fans because they "do not tolerate mediocrity" has nothing to do with the actual performance of the team. For a team in RU's position, what is left in the NIL coffers from donor funding to help retain current players or attract more portal players......followed by recruits in the next cycle is really what matters most.
With the exception of a few teams (Duke, Kansas) everyone has down years or years where the players just don’t develop to plan. It is what it is.
24-25 season starts today.
Division, You were wrong. Go back and read your post. You never said you meant only league games !Of course he would struggle in the Big Ten for a few years with what he inherited from Eddie Jordan with a team being rated as# 279 in the country. We were one of the worst teams in the country when he was hired. Next time say you were only counting league games. Your statement never said that at all. We were one of only four league teams who won at least ten games in the Big Ten in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. I think that was pretty good.
First NCAAT appearance in 30 years. First NCAAT win in 40 years. Four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 30 years. After Pikiell the odds are FAR (far, far, far!) greater our HC will be Mike Rice, Fred Hill, Eddie Jordan-esque than getting someone better than Coach P.
A whole bunch of folks complained about Greg's coaching in his first go round. Then we hired Flood. Then we hired Ash. It sure as s--t didn't get better after Greg.
A whole bunch of folks complained about Greg's coaching in his first go round. Then we hired Flood. Then we hired Ash. It sure as s--t didn't get better after Greg.
Last edited:
You can’t take anyone who puts the first few seasons on Pike seriously - as if he inherited a blue blood that stumbled and just had to get those blue chip recruits playing well to right the ship.
FWIW, I like Hurley, but can only imagine how much more the Ledger would like (to destroy) him.
Some schools have lower aspirations than others, resulting in weaker HC hires and longer tenures, undeserved raises, etc. Ours isn’t an ‘up or out’ job in football or basketball. The Oakland coach was there 40 years with just a scant few tourney appearances. Sustained mediocrity is also good enough at RU, just in a tougher conference. It is what it is.
Did you even read what Fluox explained to you? It has nothing to do with “accepting mediocrity”. Our starting point was a 7 win team. Pike came in after a successful showing at a midmajor and led the team to the tournament twice (technically fielded a good enough team 3 times), made the NIT once and still won 15 games this past year (more than double the wins he inherited). That’s not a resume of a “mediocre performing coach”.
What Fluox is saying is there flat out isn’t a coach out there with a more appealing resume than Pike’s available at a remotely comparable price point. To get to the same price point, we’d basically just be hiring exactly what Pike was before coming to Rutgers. Maybe we could get someone like the Florida Gulf Coast or Oakland coaches who had a team get hot in the tourney for a game or two, but so what? It’s a complete gamble and more likely to be unsuccessful and lead Rutgers back into dark times than be a home run hire. Any proven major conference coach with a semblance of recent success would cost way more than Pike’s current salary.
I wasn’t commenting on Pike, his salary, cost to replace, etc. I’m saying the university is much more accepting of mediocrity than some other places. No perennial bowl program with high expectations would ever have given Schiano or someone with a similar history an 8 year contract and then an extension following a 7-6 season. I’m stating the obvious to many, but some don’t understand. Pike isn’t going anywhere. He’s been good enough.
And again, they'd cost more than just the coach's salary. In theory RU could put up that money. Again, in theory. What RU can't put up even in theory is the NIL money that will be needed to be competitive. Without that no good coach will come being set up to fail regardless of the salary.
We know you hate Schiano but this is a basketball forum and comments about him are misplaced here. Regardless of your views on Schiano and how they may tie in to Rutger’s hiring policies in general, Fluox’ point supersedes. This isn’t Rutgers specific. See how Collins has remained at NW through additional rough patches after his first NCAA stretch? Any non-blue blood would be in the same predicament. For better or worse, it makes business sense to retain Pike as the coach to achieve the best possible results for RU basketball within realistic confines of our budget. It would take a good number of bad consecutive seasons before the seat would get hot for this reason.
I love Pikes. He is the best and my favorite but if you think the Ledger would want to destroy Hurley you haven’t watched the Hurley love fest the last month.
There's a difference between "look at this successful Jersey guy that someone else is paying" and "this is the person we're paying millions for" - no doubt in my mind that the Ledger would give him far different treatment as the head coach of Rutgers versus the head coach of Connecticut.
the SL sports writers love Pike. The reporters that do the investigative journalism and write the rinse-and-repeat budget articles and scandal monger are different people. And 100% they would be delighted to take down any high profile person at RU.
Like when he pushed Spencer.
As UConn coach “Hurley brings Jersey Intensity to UConn”
As RU coach: “your tax dollars at work, unhinged RU coach attacks player during game”
Followed by a week of Politi pile ons.
This is, in a nutshell, almost without fail, Rutgers' behavior when making decisions regarding our Jekyll/Hyde relationship with our desire to be a "big time" athletic program. We have lucked out a couple times in my 50 years at this (Phil Sellers commitment, the B1G invite) but generally RU will attempt to make decisions, facilities or personnel, on the cheap. For whatever reason, state environment or institutional culture, it is who we are. I'm still trying to figure out Ace's sudden early commitment lol...I am hoping his initial decision and unwavering loyalty are indications of just how special a young man he is! Sorry for prattling on here. Go RU!
Last edited:
Glad to see others instantly make the same point I was going to make:
If there is a Hurley love fest going on at the SL you can absolutely guarantee that their attitude towards Hurley would have been VERY DIFFERENT if he was RUs coach. 1000%
The cynic inside me thinks that their Hurley love fest is really a backhanded F U to Rutgers. In fact I’m pretty certain of it.
Sounds like a few people on this board
Didn’t you know - it’s about Pike being an epic failure in failing to retain a 28% 3 point sharp shooter who only logged 17 mpg. Some of our fans proclaim isn’t leaving for an easier path to playing time and instead is seeking out a more competitive program.
Why do we keep using NIL as an excuse in a year where we bought and paid for the #2 recruiting class in the country? We continue to pay in the portal as well. If Pike is “the guy” and wins at a high level the NIL money will continue to grow. Crucial year for the coach.
Look at what UK had this year. It doesn’t always translate to a final 4 type year.
He was going to play high minutes here next year. Pike showed you his guys in the big ten tournament with that ridiculous starting lineup. Maybe the young man is seeking a more offensive minded coach who is able to get him looks inside on 35 ft?
No way - he showed you which guys he knew were gone. There’s a big difference. The season was over. He knew Oskar, Hyatt, Noah, Austin we’re gone for sure. Probably knew about Simpson too. Had made a decision.
He could not guarantee big minutes to Gavin or anyone on our current team besides J will absent major improvement. Next year is too important.
Agreed and they threw Calapari out the front door. My point was stop with the NIL excuse that’s all.
He started the guys he wanted next year and sent a message to the rest that it was time to move on. Pike realizes the terrible look of Gavin’s first year and transfer . He was going to play big minutes and would be competing/splitting time with Martini.
FIFY.
To me, the gauge is how our team fares in Big Ten play. Great teams have an off game or two…and those that happen in March isn’t the body of work.
Agree to disagree! You give minutes to your (guys)team next year in a big moment to gain experience that you hope manifests in the following year.
