Kevin

1 minute ago, UBinMD said:

Maybe he accepted a visit for free wings.

McCollum basically did 

1 minute ago, rma said:

Yeah and Temple is open. Haven't seen him linked to that job, but he was a top candidate and "rumored" to be taking the Bucknell job.

Seems to be on tour de CSA, the agency pumps up its profile and portfolio 

3 minutes ago, rma said:

Who else declined? I thought we were at 4

Unless you're considering Whitesell, which in that case is fair.

Washington, Cohen, McCollum, Calhoun, Jones

6 minutes ago, Jeseph said:

I mean we did try to land Cohen, he also mentioned Rob Jones who another said may have turned us down. Anybody with sources not named Mark Alnutt isn’t going to bat 1.000?

I’m more entertained by people with thin sources than just wallowing in Alnutt’s incompetence…

Mark Alnutt is 0-5 right now lol

4 minutes ago, ukbro00 said:

I don't really care if you block me for calling out your continued BS.

Unfortunately you wont see this, but yes, I would like you to stop posting what you hear from clearly unreliable "sources."

Alright. But I was still waiting for you to show me where I said someone was signing next week? This is the issue I'm having. If I had, I'd even understand. I posted the exact words I was given. 

Cohen wanted to take this job but we already discussed other factors why he didn't. 

Please show me or stop saying it. It's slander at this point. 

Sorry I haven't been able to lock down who they are landing with certainty. I don't even think the AD knows. There are a lot of factors he's running into right now. I'll keep it private though.

56 minutes ago, ukbro00 said:

Is that going to be official last week too?

Where did I say anyone was official next week? I was waiting for you to comment before but you ignored it. You are getting slapped with the block. 

If anyone would like me to stop posting what I hear, I will gladly do so.

Have had the name Jon Safir come up now. Diving into that now

1 minute ago, DaBulls99 said:

According to #sources it wasn’t the contract length. Others have hinted the issue, but I won’t say bc I haven’t confirmed. Also, I believe SUNY max contract length is 5 years. But maybe someone can confirm that too?

Yeah, two sides to that story between the contract length and actually moving here with his family

28 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Not at all.

This falls on the Admin.

You hire a search firm to be able to communicate prospective coaches outside of SUNY's FOIL requirements.  You use the search firm to cast a wider net.

Qualified candidates have been brought to UB.  They are looking for compensation in the range of what UB told the firm would be the target range.  Candidates have had an interest in working for UB.  

The issue is UB closing the deal.

This is on the admin for not understanding the market better.

As I said, quite literally their job is to match the pay range that the university supplies to qualified candidates, not sending Ben McCollum on a tour of Buffalo when I was told: "he might not like the weather here". 

I'm glad to hear you knock the admin though, that's not on brand for you so that's interesting. You would know and reference FOIL.

If they aren't even giving you candidates who will take your job, they are useless. 

5 hours ago, capencaper said:

Looking forward to seeing how this mess plays out. 

How much of this falls on the search firm we hired?

A lot. You pay for them to offer you candidates. McCollum was their top choice for us, and he only came out here to play nice and pump up his own stock. Calhoun did the same thing after he didn't want to deal with NIL issues like he did at YSU. 

They didn't need a search firm for Cohen or Washington. 

The point of them is to recommend qualified candidates who want to take a major job and match to the right openings. 

CSA has failed at this twice now.

4 minutes ago, rma said:

Would assume Norfolk State since he has NY ties. I wouldn't be enthusiastic about him but wouldn't hate the hire. He's at least been to the NCAA tournament which Calhoun can't say.

Yes, Norfolk State. 

I have heard the name Rob Jones tied to Buffalo but haven't been able to confirm it yet. 

Call Gerry McNamara. 

He's my current top option right now. 

1 minute ago, Big 4 Hoops Blogger said:

Hey guys,

We're back for another episode of Talkin' Big 4 Hoops tonight. John Snyder and myself will be joined by Kevin Massare around 6:30ish. We'll have a link to the live show below. You can also watch the replay of the entire episode after the fact.

We have some juicy news regarding the latest rumors surrounding the UB coaching search and give our opinions on where things currently stand.

 

Thanks, Mike! 

Tune into this one, its gonna be good. 

4 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

So who is responsible for fund raising projects for specific teams

Because those are the people who need to engage the community and alumni and fans to start NIL 

Unless I'm completely out to lunch on this, which is very possible (and likely) with all the rules associated with college athletics 

The donors/fans/university.

The coach can be involved with this. 

7 minutes ago, trueblue32 said:

UB Hires:

Whitesell: 5 years

Burke: 5 years

 

2023 Carousel Comps (that I could easily find details for):

Hodgson at Arkansas St: 5 years

Steve Lutz at WKU: 4 years

Brooks Savage at ETSU: 5 years

Tobin Anderson at Iona: 5 years

Sundance Wicks at Green Bay: 5 years

Will Wade at McNeese State: 5 years

Jason Hooten at New Mexico State: 5 years

 

I don't understand how the years is a possible hang-up. 5 years is pretty standard. If Alnutt is offering any less than 5 (maybe 4) then I understand why people are saying no. If the candidates want more than 5 years then they are not serious about getting the job

They are looking for longer. 

3 minutes ago, DaBulls99 said:

SUNY has restrictions on contract lengths. Not sure what that is, though. 

Well Burke got 5. 

Whitesell had a 5 year deal and added an extra year and money for really no reason. He was signed through 2025 season.

Whitesell's fee:

$600,000 if fired between April 6, 2021 through April 5, 2022
$500,000 if fired between April 6, 2022 through April 5, 2023
$400,000 if fired between April 6, 2023 through April 5, 2024
$300,000 if fired between April 6, 2024 through April 5, 2025

Alnutt got in his own way though too, a 500K fee, should have been 400k at least. 

1 minute ago, ub2019 said:

How much is Alnutt hamstrung by Tripathi/SUNY budget wise? 

I would assume, a lot. Factor in the 100k early extra fee on top of whatever the fee already is + search firm fees. 

Burke got 5 years and 250k - so 1.25M

Assuming UB is handing out 5 for 250k or 3 years for 400k or 1.25m to start with. 

Just now, yussi1870 said:

Longer contract seems easily solved. Are we playing hardball unnecessarily?

Not sure, but it seems like it.

12 minutes ago, C1ubP1fanaticM7 said:

I wonder what that means? 

I was just told:

Calhoun declined for NIL budget reasons

Cohen declined as he was looking for a longer contract than the original length discussed. 

23 minutes ago, clodney said:

Whitesell was not the right hire. End. Of. Story.

I've tried to get through to him for 3 years. 

12 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Ha ha.  Thanks for the complements but I am not connected to Whitesell. 

When I posted that the program was in good hands it was January 8, 2020.  That's the comment you quoted.  We had started the MAC season 0-2 and you and others like you were talking about the sky falling.  We finished 11-7 in the MAC and 148 in KenPom.  It wasn't a horrible season.  It was disappointing to lose first round as the 5 seed but it was not a horrible season.

So maybe the next season was all doom and gloom?  Well, covid did shorten the season...  But I wouldn't call finishing 2nd in the MAC, Runner-up in the MAC tournament, and playing in the NIT a bad season.  Sure, I wanted to beat Colorado State in the NIT too... but losing by two to a bubble team that makes the NIT semi-finals isn't a poor performance.  Finishing 77 in KenPom is pretty good.

And the following year?  More doom and gloom?  Well, I wouldn't call 19-11 (13-6 MAC) a poor season even if it felt that way since the team was good enough to win the MAC tournament (lost by two to eventual champion always hurts).

The program was stable and in good hands.  

Was it time for a change?  Absolutely.  But Whitesell was the right hire to make when he was hired.  And the program was absolutely in good hands in Jan 2020.

I still think you have a connection with the timing of everything. That's ok. We'll move on but I firmly believe in the connection. 

There were no results. He ended up with a 2-4 record in the tournament and went out in the first game in three of them. 

Kenpom 211 this year, lower than years under Reggie. This is also his first year without Oats' recruiting class. This was the year I knew was coming because he didn't have the recruiting chops, and struggled to fill the position. 

We may disagree on pretty much everything, but you have a very consistent 100% glass completely full mindset. You certainly do your best to polish a turd. 

1 hour ago, ukbro00 said:

Coming from the person who said Cohen would take the job and also that it would be done last week.

Not sharing information is fine. Lying is disrespectful.

On 3/18/2023 at 9:36 PM, Kevin said:

They hire them and then dont use the information they provide.

By the way, I was also told that "cohen would take the job". Unsure where he ranks on our list. 

I didn't say it was "done" what are you talking about? Lying is disrespectful. 

I don't do this much but I'm not going to be called a liar. 

Things change. I was told money/contract length could play a role in what happened. 

2 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

Whitesell was the correct hire.

You're using Kent State as your proof?  You mean you're using an example from 20 years ago, before the transfer portal was created and using that as proof that players wouldn't have left a team after the transfer portal was created making it much easier for players to transfer?  You know the players said they wanted Whitesell as their coach, right?

Buffalo didn't have an Honorable Mention All-American (Antonio Gates) that couldn't transfer (since Kent State was his fourth school) which was the key to Kent State being a top-100 program the season after Stan Heath left Kent State.  That is a pretty significant key to their program not falling off...

Of course, you continue to claim I must work for the school since I agree that it was the right call.  And as I have always told you, I don't work for the school.  Whitesell was the correct hire.  It created stability within the program.  That's what mid-majors need to build long term success.  

 

I think you do.  You signed up in the fall of 2015 right after the Oats administration took over and named Whitesell the associate head coach. Where were you during the Reggie and Bobby days? You are too educated to just randomly decide to pick up and discuss UB basketball at this level right after the Whitesell era began. You are connected to the Whitesell staff. Just own it, there is nothing wrong with it at this point. There is not a single person left that defends or thinks this was a good hire. 

Who am I allowed to use? Ohio? Boals dug that team out after their previous failed coaching hire. He's won a postseason game after Saul Phillips debacle. The team continues to invest in that program. 

5 minutes ago, dutchcountry7 said:

The program was in good hands.  This year's team didn't perform (as well as happened multiple other times over the previous few years) and it was time to make a change.  

The program wasn't ran into the ground.  No matter what you want to argue.

How was it not? Our top three choices are declining the job. They can't get a D2 coach or low-major coach to take the position. It was run into the ground with bad Xs and Os and bad recruiting and now a declining attendance base, no NIL money, and a growingly frustrated donor base. if you think Hodgson is "my boy" you might want to check with one of the biggest donor families in the community double-downing on supporting him. That might be a better place to start than your wrong claims on my affiliations. I care about what's right for this university, not a specific coach either way. 

The program was not in good hands. Allowing your players to play however they wanted in game was not in good hands. That's what lead to this thread starting. He certainly couldn't even keep his own players after Oats' initial classes. Williams/Segu had an extra year. Skogman, Fagan and Mballa left. What happened to the "he can keep people" skill? 

We know he got hired because he kept Williams and Segu. That equaled a losing MAC tournament record. Where was the supplement to Oats and Hodgson's recruiting class? Thats right, they had to forge documents under Jim to even score Mballa and fired their coach equalling NCAA penalties, on top of having a stabbing during an unsanctioned Caniusus pickup game that got a player kicked off the team. A pretty clean ship I'd say. 

No one would say this was a good or right hire. 

34 minutes ago, C1ubP1fanaticM7 said:

Maybe insultingly low offers?

This is why. This is correct from what I've heard. 

I also think there is some "well they tried for big fish" and to get us pumped when they hire someone halfway decent and be like "see they could get someone still"