Join Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter for his live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday
Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Dave Matter in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.
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Hi Dave love your coverage. Gonna miss class act and good coach CM. He pulled us out from the depths. Didn’t get enough credit for that. Would have like to see one more year. Oh well.
I have a question that’s been bugging me all year… why are guards on other teams seemingly two hand pushing boogie as he Dribbles up court, I thought many games he was getting shoved as he tried to run the offense. I get (and enjoy) a little more post physicality but top of the key two hand pushes just screamed foul to me. I’m not saying boogie is a suitable point for sec but jeez.
Also in your experience- how long will this coach.search take? -
I wouldn't expect the search to go longer than 14-21 days. Unless they're dead set on hiring someone whose team makes a deep run on the bracket.As for defending Coleman, he seemed to invite that kind of contact as he continually backed the ball up the floor instead of trying to square up and get downhill with the ball. He's just not a natural point guard at this level. The coaches didn't know that soon enough and paid the price. -
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Dave: Bruce Webber, Frank Martin, and CM all fired--that's three upstanding men who have shown the door. Do you think the NIL rules will make it easier for coaches with ethics to compete for upper-end talent or will it just be a case of those who were cheating will just spend more and find new ways to push the boundaries?
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There will still be cheating. Just because players can get endorsement deals, coaches will still find ways around the guardrails and find ways to illegally pay players. There will always be third-parties/middlemen working the system to find ways to help teams bend the rules.I think both scenarios you offer will be true: The new rules will help coaches who don't want to wallow in the mud; they'll also lead to dirty coaches exploiting the system to help their cause
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Dave,
We continue to talk expectations for MBB but all we have is what Choi said. Don't we hear the Cardinals say the same things in baseball, but then don't bother to fill glaring holes in their pitching and batting lineup? Last year is a perfect example.
It's one thing to say you're playing for championships but if you take no action then the words are meaningless.
Would MU "settle" for the results they got from Mike Anderson year in and year out? Would they rather have a program like Iowa Hawkeyes, but willing to give the HC the time to build it like they did?
What if the team won 20 games every year and finished with a .500 or better record in conference? -
This program is a long way from winning 20 games a year with a .500 record in league play. But if that becomes the norm year after year, then what eventually happens is unless you've won a national championship or make multiple Final Fours, then just winning 20 games every year doesn't satisfy the base any more. Seems like fans are getting restless at Ohio State where Holtmann has a ranked team every year, wins 20 games and makes the NCAA tourney. But eventually that's no longer good enough.
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Dave: Given what you know about the machinations at Mizzou, the huge buyout, and the fact that you have stated in various articles that there were powerful, rich boosters who wanted CM to stay, were you at all surprised that he was let go? I thought it had to be done (though I wasn't wishing for it, given the kind of man CM is), but I was still surprised given the $6 million hit.
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Dave,
I have to agree with others about CM's staff. I don't recall ever hearing of any of them being considered for others positions that would've been a promotion at another school. I don't recall any of them moving to HC positions. I mentioned a couple years ago his staff appeared to be the epitome of group think. There wasn't the assistant who was considered a great recruiter and will be a HC one day, like we heard about English at Tennessee. Those are the types who I want on my staff. Clearly I don't want to hire a new staff every year, but people like that are hungry to know and grow the game. They know things are evolving and they need to be proactive rather than reactive.
Counzo was comfortable with his staff and they were comfortable with him. Loyalty counts for something, but it also can get you shown the door if you're loyal to a fault. Times are changing but they weren't. -
I'm not sure he was comfortable with his staff. Over the years there was some frustration with the staff salary pool - not that his coaches were underpaid but that there wasn't more money available to upgrade. But if he truly believed he needed different assistants, even if he couldn't pay ideal options to add, he could have made some changes.
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He's 63, which is right in the middle of the four coaches at the best programs in the SEC: Mussleman (57), Pearl (61), Calipari (63) and Barnes (67). If Dana Altman wants to coach at Mizzou and you don't have to pay him more than $4M, you end the search. But I don't know that he's realistic by any means or if he's intent on leaving Oregon.
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I completely disagree with an earlier chatter that didn't believe a mid-major coach could jump in and turn a program into a highly competitive, annual tourney team. In fact, I'd argue that that's exactly what you want as most excellent coaches in the game began as mid-major coaches. Self went from Tulsa and made Illinois a national power after it had slipped a bit under Lon Kruger. Nate Oats is doing great work in Alabama. Thad Motta was excellent at Ohio State coming from Xavier. Mick Cronin is having great success at UCLA after years at Cincy. The list is pretty lengthy. I tend to believe that it is important for coaches to learn at a level where they'll have to teach the game well to win as they won't be able to outrecruit at mid-major level.
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While recognizing it makes your job tougher, what are you thoughts about Mun Choi insisting on secrecy and no leaks on the coaching search? Do you think that will enhance the process as coaching candidates appreciate their name not registering on the radar? Or it doesn't matter?
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It's probably in Missouri's best interest to keep a tight lid on searches. He's paying DRF $800K to hire coaches. She does't need donors and curators to run the search for her.At the same time, I do think there's value in leaking names at least to get a sense of the fan reaction.During a search at Mizzou at some point the last 20 years, an AD invited several media members for a secret off-the-record meeting to discuss potential candidates. The AD gave us the chance to float him names so he could give us his thoughts, which helped guide our coverage on who was and wasn't a viable candidate. We gave names and he either shot them down right away or indicated why he liked them. It was fascinating and incredibly helpful. He also wanted our take on some candidates, some whom we knew better than he knew.
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As someone who has been contacted by one of these search firms for a job in the past - no further comment from me - there is some value in having a firm reach out to candidates especially early in the process because it provides a buffer so ADs can deny they contacted certain coaches and coaches can deny they've been contacted by other schools. Also, the firm helps with background searches. They study contracts so they can understand buyouts and initiate the structure of an offer. They schedule the interviews, arrange the travel, etc. The AD could handle some of these tasks, but not very efficiently when she also has an athletics department to manage on a daily basis. Search firms are a bit of a racket, but they do serve a real purpose.
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Following up on MoeBerg's comment about sanctions impacting the men's basketball coach search, you answered the part about Kim Anderson, who was aware of it and still took it. However, can you mention any high profile names that might have considered the job but didn't because of the cloud?
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That search was unique. It was documented exhaustively: AD Mike Alden was allowed to pursue Gregg Marshall, but if he couldn't close the deal, university administration wanted him to hire Kim Anderson. Other coaches weren't given strong consideration. Ben Howland wanted the job but MU never got serious with him. Mike White could have been in the mix. I was later told Buzz Williams would have listened. Frank Martin would have listened. Heck, had he not just taken the Cal job, Cuonzo would have listened.
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Kim English is the only candidate we know about that folks expect to eventually be a good high major coach, an excellent recruiter, can immediately engage the donor and fan base and has a great shot of sticking around should he make good on his opportunity here. It's not often the true son is also the best shot at a home run. Aside from experience, I can't see a reason not to go that route. We can always hire another Todd Golden five years from now if it doesn't work out, right?
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What's your take on English's in-game management/calls/coaching? Granted he's only had 1 year as HC, but I'd rather not see anymore poor calls like choosing not to foul then letting the clock go down below 5 seconds giving you zero opportunity. Just like you mentioned, Avery Johnson could recruit, but it didn't transfer to the floor and outcomes.
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Tonight the lady tigers are in their first game against Drake in the WNIT. I saw where coach P said all players are available. Does that mean Aijha Blackwell and Kiya Dorroh; one who was a starter most of the year and Dorrah who came off the bench quite a bit; and SkylahTravis, a portal transfer freshman who has sat most of the season with very few minutes but arriving with a lot of promise according to Coach P who suspended all three. Dont know much about the Drake team .. but if they are tall in forwards; that has been a problem all year for the Tigers...Jayla Kelly, both Linthacums; Mica and Sarah; Travis, and Da'Necia Trusty are listed as 6'3 to 6'4 but only Kelly recently has come off the bench and even started a game or two; in which she played 5-10 minutes. All year all the "bigs" have sat while Dorrah 6'1 or a 3 point shooting guard, replaced 6'4 Williams or 6'1 Haley Frank Also now playing much but regularly, has been sophomore Aussie, Sarah-Rose Smith a 6'1 guard who when she played last year as a freshman was a very good 3 pt shooting guard and rebounder. So the question is will Coach P. have a chance to develop this corps or young ladies with height or will most of them transfer at the end of the WNIT? It should be noted that except for a few minutes to Kelly and Smith; the rest have been glued to the bench. Injuries? Redshirts? Pot?.
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Good afternoon, Dave. You mentioned at the beginning that there were systemic issues in the Missouri athletic department. Could you provide some some specifics that you have seen over the years that need to be addressed and be addressed fairly quickly to resolve the situation of ongoing turnover? Thank you
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By systemic I mean, why so much turnover and instability? How can you grow when you're constantly working under a new boss who's bringing in new people? There's not much institutional knowledge in the department right now. New blood can be healthy, but not if you're not learning from the past. Who's in charge of athletics? Is it the president/chancellor or the AD? Why four different ADs over eight years? Coaches continually getting fired by ADs who didn't hire them. It almost becomes self-fulfilling. New AD inherits coaches, lets go of coaches they didn't hire; new AD comes around, and the cycle continues.
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Thanks for your great work Dave. I think Drink’s public pursuit of a portal QB would have to undermine the confidence of Cook and Macon. I don’t know any way to view but as a statement by him that he doesn’t think either are starter material. So, if he strikes out in the portal I think he’s got a problem on his hands. What is your view. I’m also concerned that NIL and the portal are on their way to wrecking the idea is student athletes. Do you see long term danger?
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That's a risk he's willing to take because he clearly believes the greater need is adding an experienced QB. He's not naive. He understands one or both of the in-house options could transfer or at the least become unhappy if he adds a transfer.They both say they love to compete and welcome more competition to the room. We'll see.
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In 12 years at Ole Miss, he made one NCAA Tournament. Martin made two in five years. I don't understand firing Martin for Kennedy - in an SEC that's much more competitive now and will get more competitive when Texas and Oklahoma join. I like Kennedy. I just don't see how you sell that hire if you're serious about winning championships My first question for the AD would be, "How is making fewer NCAAs in more than twice as many years an upgrade from Martin?"
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Any word on Mizzou increasing investment into men's basketball to go along with the new coach? Can't help but to think that without an increase in spending the new coach would be set up for the middling results we had under Martin.
As always, thank you for doing the chat. -
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