Can someone help me out with O'Koren? .... He looks like a corpse on the bench - disinterested, blank stare, aloof, blah, generally the "why-am-I-here" look....I'm sincerely not trying to be critical - just my impression of his demeanor....no enthusiasm - no passion....as a player, he was a fierce competitor, very active in his own way, very clutch at unc - as an assistant coach, he appears to be the exact opposite....I'm all ears for some insight regarding Mike O'Koren
What's up with Mike O'Koren
- Thread starter scarletintampabay
- Start date
NCAA rules prevent him from interacting with players during games. He can speak with other coaches, but cannot say a word to any players. That is a function of his position change on the coaching staff.
I don't know how a single person can effectively manage and coach a game by himself. Jordan is trying. Things like Foreman being left in the entire 1st half or not utilizing fouls to give in the end of game would not happen if there was a team of coaches working together.
This is an issue and I agree. Jordan says he wants the players to hear one voice but he needs more input from assistants during games. I did see Macon talking to a few guys during timeouts, but, for the most part they are standing around.....sometimes even looking around the arena.
I don't agree with the foul to give last game, because I'll take a team having to rush 90 feet to try to get off a 3 pointer in 5 seconds as opposed to running a set play at half court with 3 seconds.
Rice screamed at the assistant who later filed a law suit against Rice after he was seen talking to a player during a time out.
Because the assistant coach was telling the player something that contradicted what Rice had just instructed the player.
Admittedly questioned this about 100x when I was at the Minnesota game last year. Overall complete and utter silence on the bench was equally troubling.
Fig-
You've been saying this for the past 2 years and I agree 100%. It is puzzling how Eddie totally fails to use his assistants on game day.
I sit in section 114, row J and watch the bench during every time out and the assistants are involved. Eddie controls the huddle with the 5 players in the game but the other assistants are talking to players on the bench and during time outs. Coach Bhatia was very active during the Central Arkansas game calling out defense instructions. Coach O'Koren is always actively working/speaking with the officials.
I think since the his first season the assistants have been much more involved in the game.
I think since the his first season the assistants have been much more involved in the game.
jc, please don't post things like this that paint a positive picture of our coaches. All you are doing is ruining the non-stop negativity spewed by all the Rutgers basketball wannabe Red Auerbachs.
Hey Slugger - Sorry for being positive :smiley: I know it is not typical of Rutgers fans but I think Eddie has a great chance to get the job done.
I thought he screamed because Murdock was prohibited from talking to players just as O'Koren now is, apparently.
This. Though I sit in Section 203 across from the bench.
At almost EVERY time out, Macon and the little short older guy (Shoes?) confer briefly, and then at least one of them, but sometimes each of them, pull 1 player aside to talk as the player heads to the huddle. Often an assistant coach will talk to a player after they come out of the game.
This is correct- MurDICK was not supposed to talk to players that is why Rice was yelling at him. in retrospect, he should have thrown the balls at him too!
This is exactly what happened. Rice called a play coming out of a timeout, and Murdock non-verbally called another play after the ball was inbounded by us and being brought up court. When the player did what Murdock instructed him (IIRC Seagears) to do, the play, which was in the last couple of minutes of a tight game, failed, and Rice told (pronounced: yelled, in front of everyone) Murdock he'd throw him off the bench if he ever did it again. Total dysfunction.
O'Koren is engaged in the game, it's just that his role isn't to coach while the game is in progress. Eddie does 95% of it, with Van and Dalip chiming in from time to time.
I agree with Green Rice; and that's what scares me about Jordan.
I just don't know if Eddie's style will get it done
When I watch other games, you always see the assistants more involved in huddles, in the coaches ear, etc.
I am very leery about our approach.
I just don't know if Eddie's style will get it done
When I watch other games, you always see the assistants more involved in huddles, in the coaches ear, etc.
I am very leery about our approach.
So far in this thread I've learned that: the assistants never say anything, the assistants are always saying something, O'Koren should talk more, O'Koren isn't allowed to talk more, Murdock talked so why can't the rest of the assistants, Murdock wasn't allowed to talk so he got yelled at, Murdock got yelled at for contradicting the coach, the assistants don't talk to the head coach, but the assistants do talk to the head coach.
Did I miss anything?
Did I miss anything?
I guess since I started this discussion, it's time for me to comment....Unfortunately, all the contradictions have made my initial questions even more of a mystery...Maybe it's time for the media beat reporters to chime in and provide some insight...Now that's something we all should be interested in, and you know what, let's expand it a bit: What does Jordan expect from his assistants,each and every one of them - What are their roles during the game...all fair questions??????
I may be wrong but didn't Gene Keady get involved in time out's when he was in a Consulting role at St. Johns?
Jellyman - You moved from 105 to 203?
Jellyman - You moved from 105 to 203?
Yeah ... last year I only took 1 seat in Section 302 (or 301 - cannot remember what it is called), mainly to keep our 50+ year streak of season-ticket holding alive - and the points that go along with that. That was because my Dad could only go to about 4 games last year, and I was overwhelmingly busy, and not sure how many games I could go to at all (only went to about 4-5 games myself). Plus, my older son, who was most interested in going to the games was on his varsity basketball team, and essentially had games or practices 6 to 7 days a week, and was applying to colleges, so he told me he would not be able to go to any games.
It was really expensive to keep our 3 tickets in 105. In some prior years we had been able to pre-sell baskets of our tickets, but because of how busy I was, we could not even try until late in the process, so I just could not take the financial hit.
This year, my schedule has eased off, my Dad can go to 6 or 7 games and I can go to many more games. I also wanted a seat with a back for my Dad (and me, also - I am not getting younger, astonishingly enough), so I asked for 200 level seats - got 2 tickets, rather than just 1. Though I would actually be able to sell some, but that turns out to not have happened. My younger son may come to several games, but I will try to take friends to others.
I was in 105 for 2 years and the band/DJ drove my wife crazy so we moved to 102. We were there for 2 years and decided to save some money so we moved back up to 203 where I sat for about 30 years. I used to look at the back of Bruce Johnson's head and now It's Carlins.
