I am not trying to be an alarmist, but . . .

[TrueBlue]

You are exaggerating for effect but I get your point. Here's the deal. There have been exactly three black head coaches ever at Arkansas and two of them were fired. Jeff Long ain't going to fire the third one unless the basketball program comes totally off the rails.

PRJ understands something else a lot of you don't get. Jeff Long doesn't read message boards and he could not care less about complaints in Hogville's Jump Ball Forum.

Mike no one is saying Long reads this or any other message board. Of all people you should know not take anything personal on this board. However for you to bring up the race card makes us sound like we are still a back-woods country hick school that better not fire a black coach or we are going to have people rioting and have Al Sharpton show up at Old Main giving a speech.

Equality IS equality and a person's job performance shouldn't be heavily based on whether they are white, black, yellow, or purple. At the end of the day, if the results are not what they should be, then a person should be judged upon that and not anything else. (Results are a multitude of things: record, support, grades, donations, ticket sales) It isn't like CMA has been here for only two years. He has a 64% winning percentage and every player that was arrested is on his watch. The fans did not recruit the players or their characters. The truth of the matter is, the program is a business. If not enough butts get in the seats and the donations go down along with the record, there will be a change.

[WilsonHog]

Mike
  Serious question,  lets say the 3 players in trouble don't make it back and Arkansas wins about 14 games in year 5.  Isn't that "off the rails?" That would put Mike Anderson at 1 tournament appearance in 5 years. Isn't that enough to get fired based on Merit NOT on race? If I had given you that record in 2011 and said the new coach will have this record after 5 years. You might very well have said he'd be looking for another job.
  That is not good enough. It's not about race. It's about he can't get the job done. Most of his failings are in recruiting. Even if they get Monk, that's one player. When we went to the Final Four in 90, 94, and 95 we had a whole team of players. Not one stud and "role players.."

Context matters.

Over the last four years, we've won 18, 19, 22, and 27 games.

There is no won-loss record that will get Mike Anderson fired next spring, especially if he has to dismiss those three players.

I'll take it a step further, though. Let's say those three players are all with us, as is Kapita....and we still don't make the NCAA Tournament. In fact, let's say we don't even make the NIT.

Mike still would not be fired.

Would not happen.

[SexyBeast77]

Tom,
  That may be the case but that should not be the case.   Averaging about 19 wins(figuring in a down year this next season) and not making the Tournament is not enough to keep the job of Head Basketball Coach at the University of Arkansas based on merit. Arkansas is apparently the parent that keeps giving their kids' friend a second or third chance at a job even though they should be fired.  Shhhh, don't say it too loud, Affirmative Action.  (or Nostalgia Action or Sentimental Favorite Action)

[latrops]

You are exaggerating for effect but I get your point. Here's the deal. There have been exactly three black head coaches ever at Arkansas and two of them were fired. Jeff Long ain't going to fire the third one unless the basketball program comes totally off the rails.

PRJ understands something else a lot of you don't get. Jeff Long doesn't read message boards and he could not care less about complaints in Hogville's Jump Ball Forum.

I agree with parts and disagree with others.  First....if CMA can't be fired because of his race, he absolutely should not have been hired.  Fortunately, I don't expect that to be much of a factor should circumstances demand a "new direction".

I agree that Long doesn't concern himself with fan message boards.  He is looking at the big picture and not short term highs and lows.  That said....the program doesn't have to go completely off the rails to force a change.  Ticket sales/attendance, concessions and merchandise sales, and input/donations from those with influence all matter....and they could all do a 180 over the next couple of seasons if 2015/2016 is as bad as expected and if recruiting doesn't go as well as hoped.  I mean...if we win 16 next season and Monk picks Kentucky....I'd expect that 2016/2017 would need to be very good.  I just can't imagine much support for CMA beyond the spring of 2017 if he is coming off of back to back mediocre seasons and isn't making strides in recruiting.

[Kevin]

You are exaggerating for effect but I get your point. Here's the deal. There have been exactly three black head coaches ever at Arkansas and two of them were fired. Jeff Long ain't going to fire the third one unless the basketball program comes totally off the rails.

PRJ understands something else a lot of you don't get. Jeff Long doesn't read message boards and he could not care less about complaints in Hogville's Jump Ball Forum.

Your statement about long ain't going to fire the third one unless it completely of the rails, is exactly why I did not want Anderson hired. 

I don't see it ever getting that bad, but I don't ever see a championship either

[Letsroll1200]

Your statement about long ain't going to fire the third one unless it completely of the rails, is exactly why I did not want Anderson hired. 

I don't see it ever getting that bad, but I don't ever see a championship either

Did you expect a second place finish in the regular season last season and runner up in the SEC tournament?  Basketball is closer to a championship in the SEC than football!!! You can't knock results

[RazorPiggie]

Did you expect a second place finish in the regular season last season and runner up in the SEC tournament?  Basketball is closer to a championship in the SEC than football!!! You can't knock results

I expected to be at the top given the only good team in the league would be Kentucky. And the reason it WAS closer is because SEC basketball isn't on the same planet as SEC football in terms of power.

[Dominicanhog]

Your statement about long ain't going to fire the third one unless it completely of the rails, is exactly why I did not want Anderson hired. 

I don't see it ever getting that bad, but I don't ever see a championship either

Who did you want hired?

[Letsroll1200]

Not when you look at how good SEC football is compared to how SEC basketball isn't so good.

It'd be a different story if we played ranked teams week in and week out in basketball. We played 1 ranked SEC team last year I believe. So forgive me for not crowning Anderson the next John Wooden with a 27 win season and 1 tourney bid in 4 seasons. I expect more from our basketball program.

Arkansas basketball 6-3 on the road!!!
Arkansas basketball won 13 games in league play. The most since 93-94.
Arkansas basketball has a commitment from Juco All American
Arkansas basketball coach has lead 3 programs to the NCAA tournament
Arkansas basketball should thank God they are not like Mizzou basketball right now

[Letsroll1200]

I expected to be at the top given the only good team in the league would be Kentucky. And the reason it WAS closer is because SEC basketball isn't on the same planet as SEC football in terms of power.

I get sick of hearing about the 2 win SEC FOOTBALL team! You play who is on the schedule regardless! 27 wins

[GuvHog]

I get sick of hearing about the 2 win SEC FOOTBALL team! You play who is on the schedule regardless! 27 wins

27 wins is great and it was a wonderful season but do you honestly believe he won't get any heat if this years team finishes with 15 or 16 wins overall???

[RazorPiggie]

27 wins is great and it was a wonderful season but do you honestly believe he won't get any heat if this years team finishes with 15 or 16 wins overall???

Since his last name is Anderson,  no. He'll be here until he doesn't want to anymore which is sad.

[RazorPiggie]

I get sick of hearing about the 2 win SEC FOOTBALL team! You play who is on the schedule regardless! 27 wins

1 NCAA tourney in 4 going to be 5 years after the dumpster fire next year.

It's obvious more people love CMA than the Razorback program itself.

[Kevin]

Did you expect a second place finish in the regular season last season and runner up in the SEC tournament?  Basketball is closer to a championship in the SEC than football!!! You can't knock results

You play who you play that is what you said, well the league since Anderson got here as been a one or two team league. So he. Has come in, when the league is way down

Last year was a great year, but I think the hogs should be knocking on 27 wins, every year not once every 4 or 5

If the basketball side was as tough as football, who knows where the win total would have been

[Letsroll1200]

27 wins is great and it was a wonderful season but do you honestly believe he won't get any heat if this years team finishes with 15 or 16 wins overall???

That's a big IF!! Coach Anderson has not had a losing season since he started coaching! I have no idea of Beard or Williams will be playing this season but I believe he will. I believe in Whitt, Watkins, Durham, Bell and Hannah! Beard might not play this season

[Dominicanhog]

27 wins is great and it was a wonderful season but do you honestly believe he won't get any heat if this years team finishes with 15 or 16 wins overall???

I still think we win at least 17 games and maybe with some luck, even 19-20. .. CMA is a winner PERIOD... we'll play hard, get after peoples a$$ on defense and that keep's you in games .... it's a shame with all that has transpired, but we'll rebuild and move on, I'm positive of that.

I think by years end, we'll be talking about the great job Mike and staff did.. it's unfortunate that so many sell him and the team out before a shot is ever taken... you'd think the'yd have more support among HV with all they have accomplished. :razorback:

[Svrdhd]

Winning helps recruiting, and we were just getting the attention the program was starving for.

  The program wins steadily increased each year, and not by a game or two.
 
  The three players engaged in their own clown show isn't Mike's fault, he has earned a breather to regroup.

[Kevin]

That's a big IF!! Coach Anderson has not had a losing season since he started coaching! I have no idea of Beard or Williams will be playing this season but I believe he will. I believe in Whitt, Watkins, Durham, Bell and Hannah! Beard might not play this season
[/qu

You love him & believe he walks on water, we get it. Some of us don't share those thoughts.

Like I have said he will win enough, to keep his job, forever

[Kevin]

Winning helps recruiting, and we were just getting the attention the program was starving for.

  The program wins steadily increased each year, and not by a game or two.
 
  The three players engaged in their own clown show isn't Mike's fault, he has earned a breather to regroup.

Don't blame him one bit for those arrest

[TrueBlue]

I get sick of hearing about the 2 win SEC FOOTBALL team! You play who is on the schedule regardless! 27 wins

Nutt had a decent year every third or fourth year as well and got the proverbial "pass". We all sit around and brag about his accomplishments, don't we?

[Letsroll1200]

You play who you play that is what you said, well the league since Anderson got here as been a one or two team league. So he. Has come in, when the league is way down

Last year was a great year, but I think the hogs should be knocking on 27 wins, every year not once every 4 or 5

If the basketball side was as tough as football, who knows where the win total would have been

27 wins every year! Coach Sutton only won more than 27 games one time. Nolan won 27 or more games 4 times. If Anderson can win 27 games every year they should build a stature of him on campus. That's not being realistic!!!! How many games for football? 3

[SexyBeast77]

Last year was a great year, but I think the hogs should be knocking on 27 wins, every year not once every 4 or 5

This. The most oversold thing on Hogville is that Arkansas Basketball is "back" after a 27 win season. Um no it's not. Back would be a sustained competitive program that's either in the NCAA Tournament or competing to be in it year after year. 1 year with a high win total seems to be an outlier for the state of the program.   If we do go back to 14 or 16 wins, somewhere in there, that shows no the program is not "Back." Sorry FCJ and Breems etc.  It all goes back to the shoddy recruiting by the current regime.

[Kevin]

27 wins every year! Coach Sutton only won more than 27 games one time. Nolan won 27 or more games 4 times. If Anderson can win 27 games every year they should build a stature of him on campus. That's not being realistic!!!! How many games for football? 3

Do you want to compete with the top programs in the country?  Look at their normal win totals. Plus, I said knocking on the door.

[WilsonHog]

27 wins is great and it was a wonderful season but do you honestly believe he won't get any heat if this years team finishes with 15 or 16 wins overall???

Heat on Jump Ball? Surely. From the decision-makers? No.

[Letsroll1200]

Do you want to compete with the top programs in the country?  Look at their normal win totals. Plus, I said knocking on the door.

If Arkansas can compete with Kentucky they can compete with anybody. We have to become relevant in the conference before we focus on our national perception. There may be times Arkansas wins the regular season season title but if they can stay in the top 4 consistently than we have a shot every year.

[Otis]

Heat on Jump Ball? Surely. From the decision-makers? No.

I'm glad Tom is here to tell us what's going to happen, since obviously he has a direct Line of communication with Jeff Long and the Board of Trusteees.

[WilsonHog]

I'm glad Tom is here to tell us what's going to happen, since obviously he has a direct Line of communication with Jeff Long and the Board of Trusteees.

No direct line. Common sense. For example, I think there are a couple of angles some of you may be missing.

I don't think I've read any posts from fans who were in favor of hiring Mike but who no longer support him. To the contrary, those who don't support him now  seem to have not been in his camp from the day he was hired, for whatever reason.

Jeff Long isn't in that camp; he recommended the man be hired. That means he either personally believed Mike was the man for the job, or he listened to former players who did. You think Mike has lost their support? Do you think Jeff Long or those former players are thinking that next year is make or break for Mike? I don't, because common sense tells me not to.

Too many people confuse what they want to happen, or what they think should happen, with what is actually happening.

[Otis]

No direct line. Common sense. For example, I think there are a couple of angles some of you may be missing.

I don't think I've read any posts from fans who were in favor of hiring Mike but who no longer support him. To the contrary, those who don't support him now  seem to have not been in his camp from the day he was hired, for whatever reason.

Jeff Long isn't in that camp; he recommended the man be hired. That means he either personally believed Mike was the man for the job, or he listened to former players who did. You think Mike has lost their support? Do you think Jeff Long or those former players are thinking that next year is make or break for Mike? I don't, because common sense tells me not to.

Too many people confuse what they want to happen, or what they think should happen, with what is actually happening.

Not calling for his firing, but I believe it's unrealistic to believe we could win 15 games next year, making it 1 NCAA tourney in 5 years and not think there will be some heat on him.

[WilsonHog]

Not calling for his firing, but I believe it's unrealistic to believe we could win 15 games next year, making it 1 NCAA tourney in 5 years and not think there will be some heat on him.

The question you have to ask yourself is, "from who?"

[Otis]

The question you have to ask yourself is, "from who?"

I believe from all. Fans, AD, Board.

[Kevin]

I believe from all. Fans, AD, Board.

Not from the majority of fans or the ad

[PonderinHog]

I'm beginning to question the motives of some of the posters that have shown up in the last few days, but I'm slow.  It's probably nothing.

[Otis]

I'm beginning to question the motives of some of the posters that have shown up in the last few days, but I'm slow.  It's probably nothing.

Why's that? Because someone might have the audacity to have a different opinion than your's?

[Pancetta]

If we have a 17 win season 2016 and we don't land some awesome recruits and we don't get back to the NCAAT 2017 then JL will have discussions about expectations with CMA.  Long has repeatedly shown that he will make coaching changes if he thinks it is necessary. 

My perception is that the coaching staff doesn't establish and maintain relationships with AAU coaches and recruits in the same way that elite programs do.  Whether that is from lack of dedication to recruiting or lack of ability I don't know. 

I just hope that CMA makes all this a moot point by having a pretty good season this year and then landing some big time recruits and then going back to the NCAAT. 

[WilsonHog]

I believe from all. Fans, AD, Board.

I believe there is a path to Mike being terminated - and that it would take three consecutive losing seasons.

Mike has never had one.

[Otis]

I believe there is a path to Mike being terminated - and that it would take three consecutive losing seasons.

Mike has never had one.

The losing season part, doesn't have much bearing in my opinion.  A very soft non conference schedule can always keep most programs with a winning record. I'd be more inclined to believe a couple losing conference seasons.

[PonderinHog]

Why's that? Because someone might have the audacity to have a different opinion than your's?

I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?

[Otis]

I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?

Not at all. But there's no questioning what your motive is

[PonderinHog]

Not at all. But there's no questioning what your motive is

I'm taking a wait and see approach to next season, as well as the events of the last few days.

[WilsonHog]

The other thing to keep in mind is that every season has a narrative, and the narrative next season will be in Mike's favor.

[RazorPiggie]

Little dramatic.

I don't believe so at all.

[SexyBeast77]

The question you have to ask yourself is, "from who?"

That's very easy to say 4 months before the season starts. But when we actually have losing streaks in the midst of a down season there will be heat. When the actual 6-12 (conference) season is happening, people will not be happy.
   It's not just Lee Mayberry, Corliss, Todd Day etc. that decide if a coach stays or goes. 

[SexyBeast77]

The other thing to keep in mind is that every season has a narrative, and the narrative next season will be in Mike's favor.

So what's that narrative then Narrative lover? Prodigal son returned home, didn't recruit worth a damn, so we should have pity on him and give him more time. No thank you.

[Kevin]

If he has full roster it will be how he groomed Portia and qualls. And you cannot lose two players like that with out a down turn.

If limited roster that will be the narrative, he could not overcome all the lost personnel.

It will always be a win win for him here

[psooie]

His lackluster recruiting created the limited roster. Let's cut to the chase, the reality is the powers that be will have no negative PR rants about the state of the program. Now that doesn't mean anybody job is safe, far from it. It just means, until the time for change is needed, everything will be happy face. It doesn't take much too figure out if a change will be made. Having a minimum standard of making the ncaa tourney is a start. IF the hogs don't make the tourney in 2015 and 2016, there will be a new coach.

[WilsonHog]

So what's that narrative then Narrative lover? Prodigal son returned home, didn't recruit worth a damn, so we should have pity on him and give him more time. No thank you.

Is there a reason you're being a jerk?

The narrative will be that he lost Portis and Qualls to the draft, two more starters to criminal charges, and yet "his kids sure do are playing hard."

By the way, it's posts from you like the one above that has you on the short list for a ban every day. Then again, that's happened before and yet you still post the same way. Posters like you are what is wrong with Jump Ball. It's not what your position is about Mike; it's the fact that you can't engage is civil discussion about him.

[Porked Tongue]

The first two years are not part of the equation.  Those are given throw away years to get things correct with the APR and more.

The measuring stick started once the staff got the team up to the expectations.  The last 2 years and forward will be the determining factor.

[Mike Irwin]

Of all people you  for you to bring up the race card makes us sound like we are still a back-woods country hick school that better not fire a black coach or we are going to have people rioting and have Al Sharpton show up at Old Main giving a speech.

I never mentioned hicks, rioting or Sharpton. That's your take. I'm simply passing on what I've been told. There is a perception in college basketball circles, years after the fact, that Nolan got hosed. I hear it discussed a lot when I'm on the road covering the Hogs.

It didn't help that Heath was fired and replaced by someone who was clearly not an upgrade.

This is not a perception about the fans or the state. It's a perception about the university.

I've been told that Jeff Long and the people above him at the university are aware of it.

Nobody is saying that Mike Anderson can't be fired but if it happens it will take a lot more to do it than what we're seeing right now.

[Dominicanhog]

  I never mentioned hicks, rioting or Sharpton. That's your take. I'm simply passing on what I've been told. There is a perception in college basketball circles, years after the fact, that Nolan got hosed. I hear it discussed a lot when I'm on the road covering the Hogs.

It didn't help that Heath was fired and replaced by someone who was clearly not an upgrade.

This is not a perception about the fans or the state. It's a perception about the university.

I've been told that Jeff Long and the people above him at the university are aware of it.

Nobody is saying that Mike Anderson can't be fired but if it happens it will take a lot more to do it than what we're seeing right now.

Maybe, if Mike got fired it would be on merit... right now he's deserving of a raise not a reprimand.

[Mike Irwin]

So what's that narrative then Narrative lover? Prodigal son returned home, didn't recruit worth a damn, so we should have pity on him and give him more time. No thank you.

Clearly you are spoiling for a fight. Being familiar with the way this board is managed insulting an Administrator will probably get you banned by the guy who owns this board and pays for it so the rest of us can post here free of charge.

This is not a typical message board. When Lanny first got it off the ground he explained to me that he wanted a place for Razorback fans to offer their opinions minus the piss fight mentality often found on other boards.

From time to time a certain amount of slack is allowed when he feels people should be allowed to vent. The reason we're seeing moderators and administrators more actively involved in this forum right now is that the venting has been allowed over Kapita's eligibility issues an the three arrests. Now it's time for a return to civil discussion.