E-mailed 4/5/11
To cap off my last foreseeable e-mail, I'll return to a quote from Rock M Nation: “…the fanbase is demoralized (and when the insecure Mizzou fanbase gets demoralized, it gets embarrassed ... and when it gets embarrassed, it gets angry).” Demoralized. Embarrassed. Angry. Think it over. That has to be what we're all feeling right now. Its what I'm feeling right now. And I'm pretty sure its what the majority of the rest of the fan base is feeling.
Last night I was real angry. I watched the Mike Alden show last night and was so mad I was going to start off today saying I've switch sides from Alden defender to Alden antagonist. Last night was, at best, amateurish and insincere and at worst was sleazy and filled with outright lies. It was the definition of a shit show. To watch in horror for yourself, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkjkqEFFE6U
Then the press conference today happened and Alden led off with Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, and Excellence and the responsibility of leading an athletic program at the premier land-grant institution in the state. I then felt pretty stupid for my anger the night before. I then felt pretty stupid for feeling pretty stupid because its clear this is one of the worst decisions--regardless of the values based reasons behind it--made by a major athletic program in recent history. Then comes the demoralization and a possible realization: maybe its true and we aren't a major athletic program. Maybe Haith is the best we can get...not just an odd Alden hire. Cue the embarrassment. And a few hours later cue the anger.
As McKernan (St. Louis radio personality) says: "At this point, whether Missouri fans---myself included---agree with this hire or not, it's obviously not going to change. That doesn't mean the incredibly odd move of hiring someone with the resume of Haith is forgotten...at all. But, cheering for Haith's failure if you're a Missouri fan is like claiming to be a proud American...but then hoping a president fails. To me, that seems rather odd. So, I'm excited to see what Haith is able to pull off. He's got his work cut out for him." (Full story here: http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/McKernan/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6416/Timmys-Tidbits-The-insideSTL-Family-Expands.aspx ... interesting last line: "Two ways to know whether or not he's got some game off the court before the team even takes the floor? 1. Keep the Presseys in Columbia 2. Get Otto Porter to Columbia."
So today and the days after will be all about reconciliation: at the feelings within ourselves and our feelings toward each other.
The link today's press conference is here: http://www.mutigers.com/allaccess/?media=240489 From it some things are clear:
(1) He's won over the team
(2) He's won over most of the media who are glad he has...say...a personality and is...say...willing to talk to them. Stark contrasts from the previous coach.
(3) He's probably not going to fall flat on his face...immediately. The guy's pretty savvy. Combine that with a good roster that is already in place and he'll do decent enough not to get run off for at least three years.
Speaking broadly, reconciliation of the fan base will be between two big groups, those who hate Alden, and those who don't. I'll end as I started, with the links from each of those camps. BUT, if you read no other link, read this one: http://www.rockmnation.com/2011/4/5/2090070/frank-haith-what-to-expect A great overview by Rock M Nation. While they fall into the "stand by Alden" group it gives those who love him, and those who hate him, insight into his process. The key conclusion: "For that reason, if this makes sense, I admire this pick more than I like it. We'll find out if it was a good choice soon enough, but it sure was a brave one. It shows extreme confidence in the potential of both Frank Haith and the Missouri athletic department as a whole."
Links for those that love and trust Alden:
(1) As mentioned, from Rock M Nation: http://www.rockmnation.com/2011/4/5/2090070/frank-haith-what-to-expect
(2) A blast from the past from the Trib...outlines what Alden was looking for in a coach and ultimately he delivered on each point perfectly. So why is everyone so surprised by this hire? http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/03/23/missouri-athletic-director-mike-alden-gave-his-plans-missouris-search-its-next-mens-basketball-coach/
(3) From rivals.com, an interview with the head of canesports.com. Premise: hey, this guy ain't that bad: http://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1207844
Links for those that hate Alden, all this values talk, and everything he stands for:
(1) From the KC Star. Basic premise, we've seen this all before. Why can't he seem to get this right the second time around? http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/04/2775625/mus-alden-faces-controversy-again.html
(2) From the KC Star. The meat of the article: "With most hires, the question is whether the new guy is the right guy. With this hire, the question is whether the new guy can do enough to fight through a fan base that is convinced he’s the wrong guy." Full article: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/04/2776458/haith-hullabaloo-all-on-aldens.html
Doug's take:
I think its cute when Haith says things "This is my destination job" and "I'm not Mike Anderson." It shows how out-of-touch he--and Alden who has to be the one coaching him at this point--is with the fan base. Trust us: WE KNOW. We know you wont get hired away by another school and we know you aren't the same coach as Anderson (at this point you might be qualified to be an assistant on his staff). But our fan base's anger towards him also shows how out-of-touch we are. If he hadn't coached at Miami and was "on the market" this off-season as a head coach, its pretty clear the list of candidates to take over Anderson would have went, in order, something like this:
(1) Painter
(2) A bunch of people we couldn't ever get: Stevens, Buzz Williams, etc.
(3) Mick Cronin
(4) Frank Haith
(5) Everyone else on the previous list
That wouldn't just be our list, it would be anyone's list who had an opening. Unless you are into Lon Kruger (looking at you OK), which I am not. The problem is that isn't how things played out. Haith did coach at Miami and didn't do a good job at that. The ACC is tough, but guess what, the Texas State Football Championship League is also very tough (at least in basketball) and if he can't win there, he can't win here. Blaming his losses on the fact he was at Miami is a fatal flaw. What that would do is basically say, "Instead of our coach making our program better, our program is going to make our coach better." Not a recipe for success. Neither is hiring the recently fired, and even more terrible, OU head coach to lead your staff: http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2011/04/05/jeff-capel-headed-to-missouri-to-assist-frank-haith/
But there is also, underneath all of that, quite a bit of hope and promise in the Haith hire. You just have to work to find it. Needless to say, I haven't fully reconciled.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
The only thing worse than hiring Frank Haith? At this point NOT hiring Frank Haith.
E-mailed 4/4/11
Quite a few twists and turns today on a story that was considered rather dead. Here is what we know:
(1) Board of Curators has to vote tonight via conference call at 7:45 pm about the terms of Frank Haith's contract. They are involved because it is (a) longer than five years, and (b) has a large buyout clause (everyone is guessing). Final terms aren't known at this time.
(2) Asshat Curator David Wasinger, whose term expired in January but hasn't been replaced yet because the Missouri Senate is running so smoothly, goes on a little personal media tour in Missouri today telling folks he has the votes on the Board and its 50/50 if Haith gets confirmed tonight or not. (3) Voice of Reason and current Curator, Wayne Goode, responds in the press to the Columbia Tribune that "its not the Curators job to hire head coaches" sending a salvo back toward Wasinger and his fellow asshats.
As if the whole situation didn't look bad enough already, this makes it look markedly worse. Wasinger is a self-centered prick and my guess is he has NO votes lined up behind him. If Haith does not get confirmed tonight, basically, no one other than Kim Anderson will agree to coach at Mizzou. Alden will be put into a position where he can't hire another head coach (who would trust him and agree to terms?) and he'll basically be out as Athletic Director, much to the merriment of many Mizzou "fans" (term used loosely). Asshat Wasinger basically opened up the flood gates by telling all fans dissatisfied about the Haith hire to contact the Board and quite a few mindless souls did (one example here: http://www.mizzourahblog.com/2011-articles/april/open-letter-against-frank-haiths-hiring.html). Evidently he thinks that hiring should be done by committee and the committee should be any citizen with access to an e-mail account.
Being spun into all this is English and Bower's decision to declare to the NBA draft but not hire agents. Basically, if you think you can play in the NBA and you are a junior you are nuts if you don't declare for the draft, go through the motions, and then withdraw when you get an unfavorable draft position. That's what both are doing. The announcement today had nothing to do with the Haith announcement.
If you see anyone who tries to connect the two or mentions anything about how we missed our chance and should have hired Cuonzo Martin, punch them as hard as you can in the throat.
What will happen:
I don't see the Board rejecting the hire. What I do see is a really awkward press conference in the future where Alden gets put on the spot about how he missed with Painter and had a horrible back-up plan. Its going to be interesting to see how he tries to justify hiring the coach that is just sitting a few feet away from him. Also interesting: how exactly will Haith sell himself to Missouri fans. Pinkel was taken aback when a reporter asked him how he would succeed at Mizzou when so many others have failed. He finally said, my system works. Haith, unfortunately, can't say that.
Quite a few twists and turns today on a story that was considered rather dead. Here is what we know:
(1) Board of Curators has to vote tonight via conference call at 7:45 pm about the terms of Frank Haith's contract. They are involved because it is (a) longer than five years, and (b) has a large buyout clause (everyone is guessing). Final terms aren't known at this time.
(2) Asshat Curator David Wasinger, whose term expired in January but hasn't been replaced yet because the Missouri Senate is running so smoothly, goes on a little personal media tour in Missouri today telling folks he has the votes on the Board and its 50/50 if Haith gets confirmed tonight or not. (3) Voice of Reason and current Curator, Wayne Goode, responds in the press to the Columbia Tribune that "its not the Curators job to hire head coaches" sending a salvo back toward Wasinger and his fellow asshats.
As if the whole situation didn't look bad enough already, this makes it look markedly worse. Wasinger is a self-centered prick and my guess is he has NO votes lined up behind him. If Haith does not get confirmed tonight, basically, no one other than Kim Anderson will agree to coach at Mizzou. Alden will be put into a position where he can't hire another head coach (who would trust him and agree to terms?) and he'll basically be out as Athletic Director, much to the merriment of many Mizzou "fans" (term used loosely). Asshat Wasinger basically opened up the flood gates by telling all fans dissatisfied about the Haith hire to contact the Board and quite a few mindless souls did (one example here: http://www.mizzourahblog.com/2011-articles/april/open-letter-against-frank-haiths-hiring.html). Evidently he thinks that hiring should be done by committee and the committee should be any citizen with access to an e-mail account.
Being spun into all this is English and Bower's decision to declare to the NBA draft but not hire agents. Basically, if you think you can play in the NBA and you are a junior you are nuts if you don't declare for the draft, go through the motions, and then withdraw when you get an unfavorable draft position. That's what both are doing. The announcement today had nothing to do with the Haith announcement.
If you see anyone who tries to connect the two or mentions anything about how we missed our chance and should have hired Cuonzo Martin, punch them as hard as you can in the throat.
What will happen:
I don't see the Board rejecting the hire. What I do see is a really awkward press conference in the future where Alden gets put on the spot about how he missed with Painter and had a horrible back-up plan. Its going to be interesting to see how he tries to justify hiring the coach that is just sitting a few feet away from him. Also interesting: how exactly will Haith sell himself to Missouri fans. Pinkel was taken aback when a reporter asked him how he would succeed at Mizzou when so many others have failed. He finally said, my system works. Haith, unfortunately, can't say that.
Coaching Search Debrief: You gotta have Haith
E-mailed 4/4/11
Doug's Commentary:
In graduate school my friend Marcus and I would often talk about one of our professors and try to understand in our minds how she had "blown up." One day she was a hall director working in a nondescript residential high rise in the mid-west. She was clearly very smart, methodical, dedicated to students, and had an incredible worth ethic. But when it came down to it she was in the same position as tens of thousands of other people nation-wide, a position that many consider the lower rung of working in higher education. Then one day she decides to ask students questions about their life and track those answers not only over their four-six years at the University, but after they get out of college. She doesn't know if she will find anything, but figures its worth a shot. She found something. The students experiences and stories were all remarkably similar in terms of their development. All of the stories, layered over each other, formed a pattern. She wrote, plainly, clearly, and methodically about these patterns. Now she gets annual offers of more money to leave her current university and come run another university's higher education department. She's blown up. She not a different person now than the she was the day before thought up this research project. She didn't create a new form of research, nor did she really create new theories...she simply recorded what others were telling her and found patterns in the stories. She's no smarter now than she was before the project launched. She is perhaps better informed. The point is this: she's still the same person as she always had been but is now getting much different results.
Perhaps a sports analogy is more appropriate: Albert Pujols. He's had the same swing his entire life before he was drafted. He got it in high school and kept it with him in Community College. In 1999 in the 13th round with the 402nd overall pick, the Cardinals selected José Alberto Pujols Alcántara. In 2001 Pujols was invited the major league camp in spring training not to compete for a starting spot or even to try and earn a spot on the team as a bench player, instead the Cardinals wanted to give them the opportunity to get to know the major league players. The plan was to send him down to the minors for 1-2 more years and prefect his defensive skills, most likely as a catcher. That spring on a warm sunny day in Florida, veteran IN/OF Bobby Bonilla who the Cards had signed to be the regular third basemen for the upcoming season, heard a pop and felt a burn and came up hobbling. He had torn his hamstring and ended his career but in a circle-of-life type moment another career was born. Later that day Tony LaRussa told Pujols to take ground balls at third base with IF instructor Jose Oquendo. 10 years on Pujols has put together one of the best if not the best decades in the history of professional baseball. Because someone blew out his hamstring, someone else blew up. Pujols was no better or nor worse of a player before or after he was drafted. He went to bed with the same skills before Bonilla popped his hammy and woke up with the same skills the day after he took those first grounders.
People in MLB went a bit nuts wondering how the hell they missed a player like Pujols and how he fell past every team multiple times to the 402nd pick. The problem was some people had seen Pujols, in particular Fernando Arango (great story here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6189583). He tried like hell to get Tampa Bay to draft Pujols because of what he saw in him at the time: the clean smooth swing and the reaction of the ball "jumping" off his bat. Its the same swing and same action Pujols produces today as he murders NL pitchers day in and day out. Arango's problem wasn't that he wasn't respected--he was. It wasn't that he wasn't persuasive--he was. It wasn't that he hadn't had a great career--he had. It was that he wasn't the decision maker. All he could do is report what he saw, he couldn't pull the trigger.
Last night Mike Alden pulled the trigger because no one stood in his way. He was the decider and he decided on Frank Haith. It was clear that he and the rest of his search committee saw something and in the coming days they will make their case for what they saw. Some will believe them and some won't. But this much is true: Haith is the same basketball coach today as he was Saturday. He'll also be the same a year from now after his first season at Mizzou has ended. I'm interested in hearing Alden's case for the hire. I'm only assuming it will lead with a few of his pillars that he mentioned in press conference after Anderson's departure and has worked with Pinkel to build the football program on. In some of those Haith grades out very well: morals, ethics, and academics. He manged to coach at the U and not get involved in scandals or get put on probation. He also graduated 21 out of 22 (depending on your math, it could be 20 out of 21) seniors under his watch. Both are very important. What's also important is your ability to coach. Ethics, standards, and academics are on a sliding scale from very high to very low. So is the ability to coach and run a program. Those two scales aren't inner-related.
You don't have to choose one over the other. You can find a coach (i.e. Painter) that has both. The question because can you hire a coach that has both. And, if you can't, how far down on each scale do you go? Its clear Mike Alden, who has one bad hire (Snyder) and many good ones under his belt, went out on a limb and favored ethics, standards, and academics over demonstrated production as a coach.
When Fernando Arango finally got his bosses to bring Pujols in for a pre-draft workout, his swing and body type then were the same as his swing and body type now. Arango felt he saw what he always had: a gifted athlete and power hitter who will hit 40+ home runs in the major leagues multiple times in his career. His bosses saw no such thing. They passed. Albert blew up. Frank Haith is no better of a coach now as he was last week. The question for Alden and anxious Mizzou fans everywhere is: 10 years on, in which direction will Frank Haith have blown up.
Quick Reactions:
Dan Patrick, former ESPN Anchor: "Hire is uninspiring."
ESPN.com's Pat Forde: "If Missouri has really hired Frank Haith, Mike Alden better have the Explanation of The Century."
CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel: "And this, people, is why I said NC State was a better job than Mizzou. Because Yow > Alden. It matters."
CBSSports.com's Garry Parish: "Really, Missouri?"
SI.com's Seth Davis: "I like Frank Haith and have been impressed by him, but this is one of the most perplexing hires I've seen in a long, long time."
More from Davis: "First Mike Alden flies to Florida and gets played by Matt Painter. Now he is going to introduce a coach who is 23 games under .500 in conference."
ESPN's Doug Gottlieb: "Good morning, tweeps. Sorry, Mizzou fans. The Frank Haith hiring was not a bad dream."
St. L Post Dispatch Vahe Gregorian: "But by the time all was said and done late Sunday night, MU had set its aim so off the radar that the college basketball world could only say... huh?" Also called it a "curious hire."
St. L Post Dispatch Brian Burwell: "The coach from the University of Miami is not the sort of hire who will win the news conference, not after so much buzz over the past two weeks about Painter, Smith and even the one-in-a-million dreams of Smart. But that is what makes the Haith hire so intriguing. Alden has staked his legacy on this move, because he knows that Tigers fans with stars in their eyes will greet Haith with a lukewarm reception. But think about it for a moment. Haith went to an impossible job at Miami and made something of it."
St. L Radio Host Tim McKernan: "At first, I thought it may be a joke on the part of a national website. But, then Joe Walljasper, a columnist with The Columbia Daily Tribune, tweeted that he had it confirmed. And then Gabe DeArmond of insideSTL and PowerMizzou.com. And then Vahe Gregorian of the Post-Dispatch. And then a bunch of national guys. And, it began to become real. And real confusing."
Link if you still don't know who the hell Frank Haith is:
http://www.rockmnation.com/2011/4/4/2089851/meet-your-new-mizzou-basketball-coach-frank-haith#63098098
Links if you want to feel better about life:
Big 12 Hoops: http://www.big12hoops.com/2011/4/4/2089593/breaking-frank-haith-missouri-miami Premise: The U sucks ass as a basketball school. His W/L was deceiving records. He'll do good/great at Mizzou.
ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6119933 Premise: Coach K loves Coach Haith! (which probably also includes loving to beat him twice a year)
Links if you are going to get through your Monday by being irate about the Haith hiring:
CBS Sports: http://gregg-doyel.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/5881996 Premise: Everyone in Miami is happy andMizzou got nervous and hired the person that would say yes.
Rivals.com: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Irate-Missouri-fans-blindsided-by-hiring-of-Miam?urn=ncaab-wp1785 Premise: Not everyone's upset about the Haith hiring. Miami fan's are ecstatic!
Sun Sentinel: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2011/04/hyde_haith_did_um_a_favor_by_t.html Premise: Not everyone's upset about the Haith hiring. Miami fan's are ecstatic!
Link if you are interested in the Painter non-hire and subsequent media mistakes:
From the BoCoMo Trib: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/apr/03/high-tech-rumor-mill/?sports
Summary:
Fans are pissed and national media are pretty much making fun of us--openly. Citizens of the Great State of Missouri seem to hate two people at lot: Tony LaRussa and Mike Alden. Its perplexing at best. Both put people in the seats by creating exciting products and both recently have won quite a few games. Days like today make them hate Mike Alden even more. He's no dummy, he knows this. He knows he took a risk. He has to be pretty confident in why he took the risk. I believe in the "dance with who brung ya" philosophy in life. Alden has earned the right to be proven wrong.
All that being said, I'm not optimistic. I think at best Haith grades out at Anderson's level and probably grades out a good bit below. I don't see him taking us to the next level of consistently winning Big 12 minus 2 championships and finally getting that elusive Final Four appearance.
Doug's Commentary:
In graduate school my friend Marcus and I would often talk about one of our professors and try to understand in our minds how she had "blown up." One day she was a hall director working in a nondescript residential high rise in the mid-west. She was clearly very smart, methodical, dedicated to students, and had an incredible worth ethic. But when it came down to it she was in the same position as tens of thousands of other people nation-wide, a position that many consider the lower rung of working in higher education. Then one day she decides to ask students questions about their life and track those answers not only over their four-six years at the University, but after they get out of college. She doesn't know if she will find anything, but figures its worth a shot. She found something. The students experiences and stories were all remarkably similar in terms of their development. All of the stories, layered over each other, formed a pattern. She wrote, plainly, clearly, and methodically about these patterns. Now she gets annual offers of more money to leave her current university and come run another university's higher education department. She's blown up. She not a different person now than the she was the day before thought up this research project. She didn't create a new form of research, nor did she really create new theories...she simply recorded what others were telling her and found patterns in the stories. She's no smarter now than she was before the project launched. She is perhaps better informed. The point is this: she's still the same person as she always had been but is now getting much different results.
Perhaps a sports analogy is more appropriate: Albert Pujols. He's had the same swing his entire life before he was drafted. He got it in high school and kept it with him in Community College. In 1999 in the 13th round with the 402nd overall pick, the Cardinals selected José Alberto Pujols Alcántara. In 2001 Pujols was invited the major league camp in spring training not to compete for a starting spot or even to try and earn a spot on the team as a bench player, instead the Cardinals wanted to give them the opportunity to get to know the major league players. The plan was to send him down to the minors for 1-2 more years and prefect his defensive skills, most likely as a catcher. That spring on a warm sunny day in Florida, veteran IN/OF Bobby Bonilla who the Cards had signed to be the regular third basemen for the upcoming season, heard a pop and felt a burn and came up hobbling. He had torn his hamstring and ended his career but in a circle-of-life type moment another career was born. Later that day Tony LaRussa told Pujols to take ground balls at third base with IF instructor Jose Oquendo. 10 years on Pujols has put together one of the best if not the best decades in the history of professional baseball. Because someone blew out his hamstring, someone else blew up. Pujols was no better or nor worse of a player before or after he was drafted. He went to bed with the same skills before Bonilla popped his hammy and woke up with the same skills the day after he took those first grounders.
People in MLB went a bit nuts wondering how the hell they missed a player like Pujols and how he fell past every team multiple times to the 402nd pick. The problem was some people had seen Pujols, in particular Fernando Arango (great story here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6189583). He tried like hell to get Tampa Bay to draft Pujols because of what he saw in him at the time: the clean smooth swing and the reaction of the ball "jumping" off his bat. Its the same swing and same action Pujols produces today as he murders NL pitchers day in and day out. Arango's problem wasn't that he wasn't respected--he was. It wasn't that he wasn't persuasive--he was. It wasn't that he hadn't had a great career--he had. It was that he wasn't the decision maker. All he could do is report what he saw, he couldn't pull the trigger.
Last night Mike Alden pulled the trigger because no one stood in his way. He was the decider and he decided on Frank Haith. It was clear that he and the rest of his search committee saw something and in the coming days they will make their case for what they saw. Some will believe them and some won't. But this much is true: Haith is the same basketball coach today as he was Saturday. He'll also be the same a year from now after his first season at Mizzou has ended. I'm interested in hearing Alden's case for the hire. I'm only assuming it will lead with a few of his pillars that he mentioned in press conference after Anderson's departure and has worked with Pinkel to build the football program on. In some of those Haith grades out very well: morals, ethics, and academics. He manged to coach at the U and not get involved in scandals or get put on probation. He also graduated 21 out of 22 (depending on your math, it could be 20 out of 21) seniors under his watch. Both are very important. What's also important is your ability to coach. Ethics, standards, and academics are on a sliding scale from very high to very low. So is the ability to coach and run a program. Those two scales aren't inner-related.
You don't have to choose one over the other. You can find a coach (i.e. Painter) that has both. The question because can you hire a coach that has both. And, if you can't, how far down on each scale do you go? Its clear Mike Alden, who has one bad hire (Snyder) and many good ones under his belt, went out on a limb and favored ethics, standards, and academics over demonstrated production as a coach.
When Fernando Arango finally got his bosses to bring Pujols in for a pre-draft workout, his swing and body type then were the same as his swing and body type now. Arango felt he saw what he always had: a gifted athlete and power hitter who will hit 40+ home runs in the major leagues multiple times in his career. His bosses saw no such thing. They passed. Albert blew up. Frank Haith is no better of a coach now as he was last week. The question for Alden and anxious Mizzou fans everywhere is: 10 years on, in which direction will Frank Haith have blown up.
Quick Reactions:
Dan Patrick, former ESPN Anchor: "Hire is uninspiring."
ESPN.com's Pat Forde: "If Missouri has really hired Frank Haith, Mike Alden better have the Explanation of The Century."
CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel: "And this, people, is why I said NC State was a better job than Mizzou. Because Yow > Alden. It matters."
CBSSports.com's Garry Parish: "Really, Missouri?"
SI.com's Seth Davis: "I like Frank Haith and have been impressed by him, but this is one of the most perplexing hires I've seen in a long, long time."
More from Davis: "First Mike Alden flies to Florida and gets played by Matt Painter. Now he is going to introduce a coach who is 23 games under .500 in conference."
ESPN's Doug Gottlieb: "Good morning, tweeps. Sorry, Mizzou fans. The Frank Haith hiring was not a bad dream."
St. L Post Dispatch Vahe Gregorian: "But by the time all was said and done late Sunday night, MU had set its aim so off the radar that the college basketball world could only say... huh?" Also called it a "curious hire."
St. L Post Dispatch Brian Burwell: "The coach from the University of Miami is not the sort of hire who will win the news conference, not after so much buzz over the past two weeks about Painter, Smith and even the one-in-a-million dreams of Smart. But that is what makes the Haith hire so intriguing. Alden has staked his legacy on this move, because he knows that Tigers fans with stars in their eyes will greet Haith with a lukewarm reception. But think about it for a moment. Haith went to an impossible job at Miami and made something of it."
St. L Radio Host Tim McKernan: "At first, I thought it may be a joke on the part of a national website. But, then Joe Walljasper, a columnist with The Columbia Daily Tribune, tweeted that he had it confirmed. And then Gabe DeArmond of insideSTL and PowerMizzou.com. And then Vahe Gregorian of the Post-Dispatch. And then a bunch of national guys. And, it began to become real. And real confusing."
Link if you still don't know who the hell Frank Haith is:
http://www.rockmnation.com/2011/4/4/2089851/meet-your-new-mizzou-basketball-coach-frank-haith#63098098
Links if you want to feel better about life:
Big 12 Hoops: http://www.big12hoops.com/2011/4/4/2089593/breaking-frank-haith-missouri-miami Premise: The U sucks ass as a basketball school. His W/L was deceiving records. He'll do good/great at Mizzou.
ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6119933 Premise: Coach K loves Coach Haith! (which probably also includes loving to beat him twice a year)
Links if you are going to get through your Monday by being irate about the Haith hiring:
CBS Sports: http://gregg-doyel.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/5881996 Premise: Everyone in Miami is happy andMizzou got nervous and hired the person that would say yes.
Rivals.com: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Irate-Missouri-fans-blindsided-by-hiring-of-Miam?urn=ncaab-wp1785 Premise: Not everyone's upset about the Haith hiring. Miami fan's are ecstatic!
Sun Sentinel: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2011/04/hyde_haith_did_um_a_favor_by_t.html Premise: Not everyone's upset about the Haith hiring. Miami fan's are ecstatic!
Link if you are interested in the Painter non-hire and subsequent media mistakes:
From the BoCoMo Trib: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/apr/03/high-tech-rumor-mill/?sports
Summary:
Fans are pissed and national media are pretty much making fun of us--openly. Citizens of the Great State of Missouri seem to hate two people at lot: Tony LaRussa and Mike Alden. Its perplexing at best. Both put people in the seats by creating exciting products and both recently have won quite a few games. Days like today make them hate Mike Alden even more. He's no dummy, he knows this. He knows he took a risk. He has to be pretty confident in why he took the risk. I believe in the "dance with who brung ya" philosophy in life. Alden has earned the right to be proven wrong.
All that being said, I'm not optimistic. I think at best Haith grades out at Anderson's level and probably grades out a good bit below. I don't see him taking us to the next level of consistently winning Big 12 minus 2 championships and finally getting that elusive Final Four appearance.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Who?
E-mailed 3/3/11
If you're asking yourself: Who? You're right in-line with all local and national media. Sports reporters are scratching their heads on this one.
I'd say there is a chance this isn't true, but everyone national and local has called it.
Since I didn't know who Haith is, I'm assuming some of you don't, either. Here goes: he's the head coach (term used loosely) at the U of Miami. While there he's never finished better than 5th in his league (the always tough ACC). In 7 years at Miami, he is 23 games under .500 and has one NCAA tournament win.
In my last email I said I'd rather have the team's academic adviser take over as Head Coach before I hired Steve Alford. To put this in perspective, I'd gladly pay Aldord $2.3 mill a year not in total salary but MORE than whatever we're paying Haith. This makes it very hard to be an Alden defender.
From an Alumni, ESPN reporter Pat Forde: If Missouri has really hired Frank Haith, Mike Alden better have the Explanation of the Century.
Monday just got a whole lot worse.
If you're asking yourself: Who? You're right in-line with all local and national media. Sports reporters are scratching their heads on this one.
I'd say there is a chance this isn't true, but everyone national and local has called it.
Since I didn't know who Haith is, I'm assuming some of you don't, either. Here goes: he's the head coach (term used loosely) at the U of Miami. While there he's never finished better than 5th in his league (the always tough ACC). In 7 years at Miami, he is 23 games under .500 and has one NCAA tournament win.
In my last email I said I'd rather have the team's academic adviser take over as Head Coach before I hired Steve Alford. To put this in perspective, I'd gladly pay Aldord $2.3 mill a year not in total salary but MORE than whatever we're paying Haith. This makes it very hard to be an Alden defender.
From an Alumni, ESPN reporter Pat Forde: If Missouri has really hired Frank Haith, Mike Alden better have the Explanation of the Century.
Monday just got a whole lot worse.
Getting Close?
E-mailed 4/3/11
Here's what is know:
(1) Board of Curators are holding a 7:45 pm meeting Monday night. Starts out as open door meeting, they "will entertain" the motion to close the meeting. Sources say the Curators have announced they are talking about personnel decisions and contract terms.
(2) No comment (as of yet) from MIZZOU athletics.
(3) New Mexico newspapers cite three different coaches at Final Four who say Steve Alford has signed on to be next MIZZOU coach.
(4) Alford was considered when we hired Anderson.
(5) Alford directly told a New Mexico newspaper that neither he nor his agent have been contacted by MIZZOU.
(6) The UM System has an open position of President.
My take: who the hell knows what is happening Monday night. It's most likely to do with the System Presidency. That being said, it's around the start time of the Final Four and all press will be focused on the game. That would allow the vote to happen and reports wouldn't surface about the coach until Tuesday when we'd be allowed to announce.
Alfred said he hasn't been contacted by MIZZOU but don't put too much stock in that answer: he's a known liar. He's also a middle-of-the-pack, at best, coach. After leading the Mighty Southwest Missouri Teacher's College Bears for several years before "pulling an Anderson" and saying he was going to be there long term before leaving to go to Iowa after he was passed over to be Bob Knight's successor at Indiana (he went there and was a star). After middling around Iowa for several seasons he was in the process of getting fired when he quit and took a job at New Mexico.
The problem with hiring a young coach from a mid-major conference is that you don't know if he can make the jump and perform in a power conference. Maybe he can, maybe he can't. The problem with hiring Alfred is that we know he can't perform in a power conference.
In other news the academic adviser for the basketball team is the new interim Head Coach. I'd be in favor of keeping her on over hiring Alfred as she at least has a 50/50 shot at making the leap and being successful.
Let's hope tomorrow night we celebrate a new UM Systems President.
Here's what is know:
(1) Board of Curators are holding a 7:45 pm meeting Monday night. Starts out as open door meeting, they "will entertain" the motion to close the meeting. Sources say the Curators have announced they are talking about personnel decisions and contract terms.
(2) No comment (as of yet) from MIZZOU athletics.
(3) New Mexico newspapers cite three different coaches at Final Four who say Steve Alford has signed on to be next MIZZOU coach.
(4) Alford was considered when we hired Anderson.
(5) Alford directly told a New Mexico newspaper that neither he nor his agent have been contacted by MIZZOU.
(6) The UM System has an open position of President.
My take: who the hell knows what is happening Monday night. It's most likely to do with the System Presidency. That being said, it's around the start time of the Final Four and all press will be focused on the game. That would allow the vote to happen and reports wouldn't surface about the coach until Tuesday when we'd be allowed to announce.
Alfred said he hasn't been contacted by MIZZOU but don't put too much stock in that answer: he's a known liar. He's also a middle-of-the-pack, at best, coach. After leading the Mighty Southwest Missouri Teacher's College Bears for several years before "pulling an Anderson" and saying he was going to be there long term before leaving to go to Iowa after he was passed over to be Bob Knight's successor at Indiana (he went there and was a star). After middling around Iowa for several seasons he was in the process of getting fired when he quit and took a job at New Mexico.
The problem with hiring a young coach from a mid-major conference is that you don't know if he can make the jump and perform in a power conference. Maybe he can, maybe he can't. The problem with hiring Alfred is that we know he can't perform in a power conference.
In other news the academic adviser for the basketball team is the new interim Head Coach. I'd be in favor of keeping her on over hiring Alfred as she at least has a 50/50 shot at making the leap and being successful.
Let's hope tomorrow night we celebrate a new UM Systems President.
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