Not a CSH fan

[PitBull]

heath may not take us to the final four but will will get to the post season (BE,nit poss ncaa) and we will have a talent upgrade.

so the next coach in 4 yrs will have more to work with.

This job will be more attractive during heaths trenure IMO.

I agree.  I think Stan will get us dancing, but probably not into the sweet 16.  I just hope we can get attendance back up in the Sun Dome and get our program back to some respectability.

[Triple B]

We are new to the Big East and we just plucked a coach from a good SEC school.

To be entirely accurate, we plucked a coach from the unemployment line... and I couldn't be happier.

[Don Toro]

But I also believe we all need to be less sensitive about what people think, it's an opinion, everyone has one...

Oh man, you are asking the impossible. According to everyone here any given radio/tv guy is a "(insert school name here) homer" when having a dissenting opinion on USF. But, that's why I like this board, lots of passion.

[Bullpride08]

the only thing i fear with Stan Heath is that he could be a Ron Zook: a good (not great) coach who followed a legend and couldnt fit the bill of a school with high expectations.  like zook, heath is an amazing recruiter but couldnt get it done in conference.

No way, before UF Ron Zook had never held a major coaching job and was basically a lifetime assistant.  Heath in his first year as a HC took Kent State on a magical run in the Tourney, they went 30-6, and made the elite 8, actually just barely getting beat by IU.  The furtherest a MAC team had advanced in 30 years, and the most wins.  The team was .500 before he arrived, and his recruiting prowess brought in one major impact JC for that year, and a good freshman that contributed and helped to lead that nucleus to a magical season.  You've got to be a **** good coach to do that.

Nolan Richardson's last year they went like 13-17 but keep in mind 8 wins occurred before December and the poverbial SH** hit the fan.  THe team dissembled, Nolan cracked, and things fell into the toilet.  To put it to you this way Heath's first year he played with only 7-8 players ala CRM's first season.  Also, he only returned one starter, and one of the previous year's top 7-8 players.  There wasn't much to work with, and he goes 9-19, then immediately 12-16 the following year, then 18-12 and an NIT, then 22-10 and an NCAA Tourney, then 23-11 and an NCAA Tourney bid.

The negatives he lost in the first round both years, yet he had some tough draws getting an ultra hot Bucknell squad, and USC squads.  Some say he should have accomplished more with all the McD AA, and NBA players, but guys bolted early on him like Brewer and he really hadn't built time to create a nucleus to build around.  Some say this year was disappointing, yet outside of the SEC they still beat WVU, Marist, SIU, and Oral Roberts in OOC games, and lost to Texas, TTech, and Missouri so they didn't run from a challenge with a SOS in the mid-20's.

The mitigating factors are he had lots of stars jump to the NBA early, he also had some injury issues.  Lest we forget that the past two years UF has risen to greatness, let alone LSU's, and Bama's resurgence in the West.  In one of the top 4 toughest conferences to go to three straight post-season and building for future is a feat and the sign of a good coach.  It takes time to build a program that each year will go deep into the tourney.  Most felt next year he was returning almost all his starters and would have made a serious run....remember that because that's what coaches do.  By the following year if he had taken that senior ladened team with Steve Hill, Townes, Thomas, and Weems plus freshman sensation Beverely, deep into the tourney and gone something like 28-6 with a Sweet Sixteen trip or better would we all be saying the same thing.

That's right Stan was returning his top 9 scorers this year, and most were seniors.  He was poised for a BIG year next year.  Had they had a big season Stan either signs a huge extension with ARK or he leaves and is way, way out of our league.  We caught him at the right time, and given the senior ladened team, and no coach insight, you look ARK looks pretty **** stupid for firing Heath?  Especially if their star freshman sensation Beverely departs because of it.   If I am a HC candidate I'd jump to ARK right away because what Heath has built there and sitting waiting in the wings is an immediate winner.

The guy can coach, recruit, and develop.  I think if he had one more year at ARK we would have seen Stan at his best, and that team would have done some great things and made Stan Heath untouchable by USF standards...you got a glimpse of how hot they were running through the SEC Tourney absolutely crushing Vandy, USC, and streaky MSU before falling to UF...and yes they lost to USC in the first round but look at USC...coached by Tim Floyd.  Depending on what side of the fence your sitting is how you think of ARK's firing of Stan, for a USF fan it was brilliant, I mean as a school we couldn't have gotten any luckier.  He had built that program in five years to a perennial NCAA Tourney team again, and one on the brink of a big season.  He can do it, and with relative ease.

[Joe]

I think Heath is a great hire, but I hope our fans have patience. There is a major difference between a program ranked 8th all time recently (Arkansas) and USF.

Patience everyone, he will work out GREAT

[Triple B]

More from Todd with 2 D's...

Strongest statement

Local and national radio personality Todd Wright, on BayNews 9's The Sports Connection, talking about USF hiring Stan Heath as basketball coach: "This was a real opportunity for them and they flat-out, absolutely blew it. Stan Heath will be gone in four years. No NCAA Tournament bids. No sellouts. [highlight]There's no buzz about him at all.[/highlight] ... I just think it's a terrible hire for USF."

I just don't get it. Does he really think there would have been more "buzz" with the hiring of a freaking assistant from Florida than a head coach with a recent Elite 8 appearance, 20 win seasons in the SEC and a proven recruiter??

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/09/Sports/Shooting_from_the_lip.shtml

[He Who Knows]

I like Todd a lot but his opinion on this is incredibly short sided.  He brings up the better facilities at Arkansas yet neglects three things.  1)  Both Heath's teams and his coaching improved every year.  2.)Great facilities do not guarantee great recruits. (see UK the last few years)  3)  Heath was a victim of the keystone cops that run the Razorbacks athletic department and the university as a whole.  As someone else stated Heath was returning his top NINE scorers from this past season, not top 5 or top 6 top NINE.  The athletic department got greedy, thought they were getting Gillispie and got caught holding their jock.  Maybe Pelphrey pays off for them but maybe he plateaus and maybe the players who by all accounts were loyal to Heath dont adapt to his style.  Todd does a good job with most things but is WAY off base with this one.