Disappointed ... A couple realizations of CC's retention

[Sec.112]

The more things change at NU, the more they stay the same.

There's $30M(COVID 2021)-$50M (2020) coming in before donations, tickets, NCAA tourney money and football. But NU doesn't want to take even the slightest money hit. It blows my mind how short-sighted that obvious financial decision is. I wonder how much the pretty-clear throw-away season will reduce other revenues?

However, the decision disappoints me more for two more reasons:

1) Maybe it's just a recency bias in me. But it sure seemed like there were more quality, experienced coaching possibilities out there that NU might have had a decent shot with:

Mark Turgeon - Reportedly, he had enough of the pressure at Maryland. What better answer than NU? He's rumored for KSU, Missouri and Rhode Island. So it seems like he was in the ballpark.
Chris Mack - Things ended badly at Louisville, but it's been proven that fan base is nutty. If I'm Gragg, I'd love to hear the discussion of what happened. Need to rehab your career? Welcome to NU!!
Thad Matta - Another rehab whose name is all over the place. Pass a physical and stress test, and I'm in! And I'm always stunned he's only in his mid 50s.
Bruce Weber - I admit he's long in the tooth, but he knows how to get it done in a P6 conference with less-than talent. And now he'll be another year older next year.
John Beilein - I know, I know. It's a dream - especially now. But his Cleveland contract demonstrated one thing: He can be lured by money. He's the oldest of this list, but that's a guy I have no problem WAY overpaying for.

Before someone barks that these are the old guys, every one of them has multiple Sweet 16s and a host of tourney teams. And all of them except Mack have done it as head guys at multiple schools.

Yes, I can see Gates, McCausland and Anthony Grant as more than flavors of the year. But I think the old guys have the experience NU needed to get this going long term. I think a decent AD could have swayed one of these guys to rehab NU and their career.

2) The other realization ... if NU has no problem suffering through another mediocre year to save a few bucks, there's NO WAY they're paying real money for anybody with experience to come in here while they still have two years on CC's contract.

Start scouting the mid-majors boys. D*mn,

 

[JournCat]

With no disagreement on the above points, I’d add a third: Football is king. We have to get football right, which means a renovated Ryan Field and setting aside any future buyout money for Jim O’Neil, who I keep forgetting survived the season somehow. Those struggles protect CC.

 

[TheC]

One exuberant donor and us crazies on these boards aside, NU doesn’t really care about major athletics. That is what’s clear to me.

 

[NUChicago]

Gragg played the cards he was dealt, and me thinks if he had his pick CC would be gone. This is bigger than the AD here and clearly indicates to me priorities. Next season we will have another crap year, fire CC and bring in someone who needs to rebuild. I wonder if the whole NIL situation has soured the NU brass on athletics?

 

[GatoLouco]

The more things change at NU, the more they stay the same.

There's $30M(COVID 2021)-$50M (2020) coming in before donations, tickets, NCAA tourney money and football. But NU doesn't want to take even the slightest money hit. It blows my mind how short-sighted that obvious financial decision is. I wonder how much the pretty-clear throw-away season will reduce other revenues?

However, the decision disappoints me more for two more reasons:

1) Maybe it's just a recency bias in me. But it sure seemed like there were more quality, experienced coaching possibilities out there that NU might have had a decent shot with:

Mark Turgeon - Reportedly, he had enough of the pressure at Maryland. What better answer than NU? He's rumored for KSU, Missouri and Rhode Island. So it seems like he was in the ballpark.
Chris Mack - Things ended badly at Louisville, but it's been proven that fan base is nutty. If I'm Gragg, I'd love to hear the discussion of what happened. Need to rehab your career? Welcome to NU!!
Thad Matta - Another rehab whose name is all over the place. Pass a physical and stress test, and I'm in! And I'm always stunned he's only in his mid 50s.
Bruce Weber - I admit he's long in the tooth, but he knows how to get it done in a P6 conference with less-than talent. And now he'll be another year older next year.
John Beilein - I know, I know. It's a dream - especially now. But his Cleveland contract demonstrated one thing: He can be lured by money. He's the oldest of this list, but that's a guy I have no problem WAY overpaying for.

Before someone barks that these are the old guys, every one of them has multiple Sweet 16s and a host of tourney teams. And all of them except Mack have done it as head guys at multiple schools.

Yes, I can see Gates, McCausland and Anthony Grant as more than flavors of the year. But I think the old guys have the experience NU needed to get this going long term. I think a decent AD could have swayed one of these guys to rehab NU and their career.

2) The other realization ... if NU has no problem suffering through another mediocre year to save a few bucks, there's NO WAY they're paying real money for anybody with experience to come in here while they still have two years on CC's contract.

Start scouting the mid-majors boys. D*mn,

Young up and coming coaches are attractive as every program dreams of landing the next Izzo. The lifer that just keeps winning. But the reality is that, even when they are successful, it's very rare to see them sticking around for a long time. That's for the blue bloods.

I'd be ecstatic if I woke up to the news Turgeon was our new coach.

 

[mcgurgmv]

The more things change at NU, the more they stay the same.

There's $30M(COVID 2021)-$50M (2020) coming in before donations, tickets, NCAA tourney money and football. But NU doesn't want to take even the slightest money hit. It blows my mind how short-sighted that obvious financial decision is. I wonder how much the pretty-clear throw-away season will reduce other revenues?

However, the decision disappoints me more for two more reasons:

1) Maybe it's just a recency bias in me. But it sure seemed like there were more quality, experienced coaching possibilities out there that NU might have had a decent shot with:

Mark Turgeon - Reportedly, he had enough of the pressure at Maryland. What better answer than NU? He's rumored for KSU, Missouri and Rhode Island. So it seems like he was in the ballpark.
Chris Mack - Things ended badly at Louisville, but it's been proven that fan base is nutty. If I'm Gragg, I'd love to hear the discussion of what happened. Need to rehab your career? Welcome to NU!!
Thad Matta - Another rehab whose name is all over the place. Pass a physical and stress test, and I'm in! And I'm always stunned he's only in his mid 50s.
Bruce Weber - I admit he's long in the tooth, but he knows how to get it done in a P6 conference with less-than talent. And now he'll be another year older next year.
John Beilein - I know, I know. It's a dream - especially now. But his Cleveland contract demonstrated one thing: He can be lured by money. He's the oldest of this list, but that's a guy I have no problem WAY overpaying for.

Before someone barks that these are the old guys, every one of them has multiple Sweet 16s and a host of tourney teams. And all of them except Mack have done it as head guys at multiple schools.

Yes, I can see Gates, McCausland and Anthony Grant as more than flavors of the year. But I think the old guys have the experience NU needed to get this going long term. I think a decent AD could have swayed one of these guys to rehab NU and their career.

2) The other realization ... if NU has no problem suffering through another mediocre year to save a few bucks, there's NO WAY they're paying real money for anybody with experience to come in here while they still have two years on CC's contract.

Start scouting the mid-majors boys. D*mn,

Agreed - $$$ is one NU's biggest advantages with the Ryan Family and wealthy boosters. I feel like NU could seriously be a major NIL player if we wanted to be in football and basketball. And certainly paying for good coaches seems to be doable. For a school that has hundreds of millions in donations for new facilities, it seems rather odd that we are extending Collins over 3 or 6 or 9 million.

 

[wildelk2]

Gragg played the cards he was dealt, and me thinks if he had his pick CC would be gone. This is bigger than the AD here and clearly indicates to me priorities. Next season we will have another crap year, fire CC and bring in someone who needs to rebuild. I wonder if the whole NIL situation has soured the NU brass on athletics?

 

[wildelk2]

What happens if we make the NIT not the NCAA? If we played (and won) the games against DePaul and Directional State Low Major, the two covid canceled games, we'd have gone 17-16. And that may happen next year; then what?

 

[GatoLouco]

What happens if we make the NIT not the NCAA? If we played (and won) the games against DePaul and Directional State Low Major, the two covid canceled games, we'd have gone 17-16. And that may happen next year; then what?

Then you wake up and go have a chat with the mad hatter.

 

[NUChicago]

What happens if we make the NIT not the NCAA? If we played (and won) the games against DePaul and Directional State Low Major, the two covid canceled games, we'd have gone 17-16. And that may happen next year; then what?

Gone. NCAA or bust. Based on what I have seen, this is an unlikely probability.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

What happens if we make the NIT not the NCAA? If we played (and won) the games against DePaul and Directional State Low Major, the two covid canceled games, we'd have gone 17-16. And that may happen next year; then what?

Well, lets be realistic here...

For us NOT to make the NIT this season is pretty damning.
We gave away two Big Ten games, maybe 3.
We gave away the game against Wake Forest.

Should have been an absolute layup to make the NIT.

We did struggle with layups, though.

 

[Styre]

What happens if we make the NIT not the NCAA? If we played (and won) the games against DePaul and Directional State Low Major, the two covid canceled games, we'd have gone 17-16. And that may happen next year; then what?

We would not have made the NIT had we played and won those games.

 

[Gladeskat]

Gone. NCAA or bust. Based on what I have seen, this is an unlikely probability.

Based on what I've seen, this is a very real possibility. Even bet-worthy!

 

[NUChicago]

Based on what I've seen, this is a very real possibility. Even bet-worthy!

This did not age well, and I am glad to be wrong.

 

[TheC]

This did not age well, and I am glad to be wrong.

Don't worry about it. I imagine 90% of us thought the same thing.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Coach Collins is great and Ggarg is a genius for having him fix his issues

 

[TheC]

Coach Collins is great and Ggarg is a genius for having him fix his issues

He should tell Braun to start winning too!

 

[NJCat]

He should tell Braun to start winning too!

They must have had that Zoom meeting last week......

 

[zeek55]

Don't worry about it. I imagine 90% of us thought the same thing.

Yeah I'll fess up to being part of that group; did not think CCC would be able to earn an extension and have the equity to go through another rebuild, but he and the team pulled off a stunner of a season.

 

[mickbula]

Watching the game in sacramento was ethereal as we beat boise st.. I am hoping we can now make the tourney again this season AND pull off a stunner of a postseason and advance further and further....