Pelphrey Can Speak Now...

[Joe]

IF USF WAS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE GIG, THEN WHY THE HELL ARE ALL THESE FORMER BIG EAST COACHES WANTING TO COACH USF??? Joe, stop being so **** down on this program. You need to have much better faith than that. USF is a big opportunity for any coach to become a legend in the warm weather of Florida. How can anyone sit there and say that USF is not an attractive job??? We are in the freakin BIG EAST for crying out loud.

Gillen (who was run out of Virginia) and Jarvis (who got St. Johns into a world of probation). Both are guys who are starving for coaching jobs at this point.

Ya, we're in the Big East, but we spend almost 1/2 of the money that average of the remaining 15 teams spend. We're not in a recruiting hot bed. Our fans don't care about the program. Football is the biggest sport at the school. We have no basketball tradition.

Since when has speaking the truth been so terrible? The reality is this is going to be perceived as a tough job, in a tough situation, without the funding that other schools are willing to give to the program.

How can you really say this is an attractive job for any big name coach at this point? We'll get a good coach, but it will not be some big name that you're hoping for because most coaches know that this gig is going to be one of the toughest in the country. We're at a severe disadvanatge.

[Knight_Light]

IF USF WAS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE GIG, THEN WHY THE HELL ARE ALL THESE FORMER BIG EAST COACHES WANTING TO COACH USF???  

Because they are currently unemployed in the coaching ranks for either running a program into the ground or breaking NCAA rules violation and putting their former school on probation?

Then again...I could be wrong.

PS. Plus...they all  know the new compensation package for the USF Coach will probably be up to  3 times more than what RMC was making, which wouldn't be so bad.

[Bull Matrix]

KL,

Bingo about the compensation package!!!!! That is what I am talking about. We can afford a Hobbs who is more proven then some of those SUNBELT coaches right now. USF might as well take Kirk Speraw from UCF if all you are looking for is a program that made the NCAAs in a small conference. Plus Speraw was an assitant at UF if that makes you more happy.

[Bull Matrix]

And let me state that I never said USF would get a big name. A big named coach to me is a Pitino, Boheim, Calhoun, Coach K, Roy Williams. Those are big name coaches that I know USF does not have a shot at. Karl Hobbs is not that big of a name right now, but I think he is further along then Pelphrey. I guess you can say that I am more sold on Hobbs right now than USA's coach. If we dont get a Hobbs or a Ford than we can look at the SunBelt coach.

[Triple B]

I mean it's so easy to make the dance when your in a 13 team league that is guarenteed only one bid...

C'mon, Joe, we've gone over this. This not an arguing point. Who's the coach at Liberty? Maybe we should go after him... What about Speraw? Look at his success in the crap leagues over the last couple of years. Pelphrey's resume is only a tad better than Mac because he went to the NCAA's ... but Mac did win his NIT game.

This would not be an upgrade.

(If Pelphrey went to the NCAA's with an at large bid, i apologize for the analogy)

[Joe]

Ok Trip so your telling me guys like Mike Brey (Delaware); Jay Wright (Hofstra); Billy Donovan (Marshall); Bruce Pearl (UW-Milwaukee); etc, Shouldn't have been hired by their institutions because they only had minor success at low majors? (Marshall was in the Southern COnference)

RMC was selected by Lee Roy Selmon because he had recruiting ties to Florida. Two years before RMC got to WMU they were in the tournament and they had winning seasons for 7 of the 9 years before RMC. I didn't think that the time that he was particularly an impressive candidate.

Pelphrey is considered by most to be a future great coach. He's given South Alabama their 1st back to back 20 win seasons since the late 80s.

Recently **** Vitale stated: "Who is ready to make a name big time? Some names to keep in mind: Karl Hobbs, George Washington; Mark Turgeon, Wichita State; Jim Christian, Kent State; Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois; John Pelphrey, South Alabama; Jeff Capel, Oklahoma; Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State; and Todd Lickliter, Butler."

Is he my 1st choice? No. That would be Hobbs. However, I'd be very happy if we got Pelphrey.

[Held_AccountaBull]

hiring pelphrey would be a mistake

[Brad]

... so your telling me guys like Mike Brey (Delaware); Jay Wright (Hofstra); Billy Donovan (Marshall); Bruce Pearl (UW-Milwaukee); etc, Shouldn't have been hired by their institutions because they only had minor success at low majors? (Marshall was in the Southern COnference).

My only comment on that is schools like Florida, Tennessee, Notre Dame and even Villanova have the resources, tradition, facilities and financial backing to set-up for success a guy from a small school.  And if he doesn't work out, they simply replace him - buying him out doesn't stir a second thought.

In our case, we'd take a virtual no-name from a small school and ask him to lead what should be a big school (in a tough conference) with only the resources and suport of a communty college.

The unproven coach has a much higher chance of succeeding on the big stage at schools like Florida, Tennessee, etc.   Not sure the same formula would be in play at USF completely.

[Joe]

I think it's a tough road no matter who you bring here, I just don't believe Pelphrey won't be an upgrade.

As for Pelphrey being a no name, I have to disagree, he's long been tabbed as the next great coach in college basketball. The thing is he's only 38, so his age has been a bias.

[Brad]

I'm not against Pelphrey...I just had to insert my feeling on how the larger, established programs have more resources available - including the fact they are easier to recruit to - and can certainly take greater risk than a program like ours.  Pelphrey may be good.  But a program that can only accept little risk may be better suited going for a more proven commodity that the fan base, donors, and sponsors can relate to.  Someone that can build a program sorely in need of renovation from image to facilities to travel to the media.