Arkansas Key to SEC Revival, As Well As Top Coaching Destination

[hogwood]

During last night's game a commentator was talking about how the SEC can get back to being a 5-6 bid conference every year like they were in the 90's. He said that the programs at Arkansas and Tennessee were vital to that equation. He also said that after KY and FL, AR and TN were the next best coaching opportunities in the conference because of tradition, fan base, facilities, and the fact that they both are not overwhelmingly football schools such as LSU, AL, or the MS schools.

[Atlhogfan1]

Heard it.  Nothing enlightening although a good reminder of what Arkansas basketball is capable of being. 

[Razorod]

Heard it.  Nothing enlightening although a good reminder of what Arkansas basketball is capable of being. 

Yes indeed. Even though I would place it potentially as 2nd behind only Kentucky. With the right coach, Arkansas can be a regular top 10-15 team in that tier of schools right below the "bluebloods." Hopefully, Anderson is the right coach.

[HognitiveDissonance]

Yea, I said that a while back (that most pundits, etc. consider Ark a Top 3 job in the SEC, even today) and naturally somebody started arguing with me. The usual Anderson posse.

So I threw it back at them and asked 'so you would really rather coach hoops at places like Alabama, Miss St, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, etc.

Response? Crickets.

[ShadowHawg]

Yea, I said that a while back (that most pundits, etc. consider Ark a Top 3 job in the SEC, even today) and naturally somebody started arguing with me. The usual Anderson posse.

So I threw it back at them and asked 'so you would really rather coach hoops at places like Alabama, Miss St, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, etc.

Response? Crickets.

So where were all these coaches when we hired Heath and Pel?

Altman is a heck of a coach and he fled this job.

This can be a great job, but we weren't even up to date in terms of facilities until a year ago.

I still think there is great potential here but this was a disaster after Pell and we lagged behind in terms of facilities. MAYBE needs to establish us as a tourney regular and we will be off and running. If he doesn't, there still won't be big name coaches beating down the doors to coach here despite our potential.

[Razorod]

So where were all these coaches when we hired Heath and Pel?

Altman is a heck of a coach and he fled this job.

This can be a great job, but we weren't even up to date in terms of facilities until a year ago.

I still think there is great potential here but this was a disaster after Pell and we lagged behind in terms of facilities. MAYBE needs to establish us as a tourney regular and we will be off and running. If he doesn't, there still won't be big name coaches beating down the doors to coach here despite our potential.

There is great potential here and Anderson is potentially the coach to restore the image and prestige of the program. He has a wonderful opportunity to confirm he is the right coach this year and next.

[hogwood]

There is great potential here and Anderson is potentially the coach to restore the image and prestige of the program. He has a wonderful opportunity to confirm he is the right coach this year and next.

I do think we are an attractive program and have all the right intangibles to be a top program in the SEC, but I also think coaches are deterred from coming here and wanting to stay due to all the drama and pressure surrounding the program. When I look at the Anderson era I don't necessarily see a coach that will take us back to getting into the title game, but I see a coach who is dedicated to our program and getting us back to consistency and stability. I think that he can make this program desirable again, revive tradition, and get us some good wins we can be proud of while at it. After he's done here I think we'll be in a much better place than we would have if we just keep firing and hiring coaches every 5 years.

[Arthur pigby sellers.]

You guys also leave out that this state is producing some pretty good basketball talent. Just look at the current recruiting pipeline we have set up. 
This is a much better situation than we have in football where we are clearly an underdog to our SEC breathren

[FineAsSwine]

You guys also leave out that this state is producing some pretty good basketball talent. Just look at the current recruiting pipeline we have set up. 
This is a much better situation than we have in football where we are clearly an underdog to our SEC breathren

Recently, the state has been producing a lot of high major basketball talent and we can see, based off of early commitments, the bball Hogs have been the beneficiaries.

The football team has serious issues in recruiting compared to number of SEC worthy high school recruits being produced as compared to other SEC schools, this is a fact.

In terms of the quality of instate recruiting, the two aren't really comparable at all. Both have had high profile defections of instate talent but even there, the situations aren't comparable.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I do think we are an attractive program and have all the right intangibles to be a top program in the SEC, but I also think coaches are deterred from coming here and wanting to stay due to all the drama and pressure surrounding the program. When I look at the Anderson era I don't necessarily see a coach that will take us back to getting into the title game, but I see a coach who is dedicated to our program and getting us back to consistency and stability. I think that he can make this program desirable again, revive tradition, and get us some good wins we can be proud of while at it. After he's done here I think we'll be in a much better place than we would have if we just keep firing and hiring coaches every 5 years.

This

[The Boar War]

Yeah I heard him say that.  He confused me when he said Tennessee wasn't really a football school.  Kind of have to take whatever else he says with a grain of salt.

As for Arkansas I think we are in the top 3 just behind Florida.  Given a few years of top 2 finishes we could overtake them for second place.  The key (as always) is to win with any kind of consistency.

[Atlhogfan1]

Yeah I heard him say that.  He confused me when he said Tennessee wasn't really a football school.  Kind of have to take whatever else he says with a grain of salt.

As for Arkansas I think we are in the top 3 just behind Florida.  Given a few years of top 2 finishes we could overtake them for second place.  The key (as always) is to win with any kind of consistency.

I think what he was saying was Tenn and Ark aren't so heavily slanted to football that we ignore basketball.  Tenn has good basketball history.  They'll support a winner.  Football comes first.  But compared to the rest of the SEC outside of UK, their basketball pedigree and interest is good.  Tenn is 5th in the SEC in NCAAT appearances(UK, Hogs-yep still second in spite of the 20 year hole, Mizzou, LSU). 

[MemphisBossHog]

Yeah I heard him say that.  He confused me when he said Tennessee wasn't really a football school.  Kind of have to take whatever else he says with a grain of salt.

As for Arkansas I think we are in the top 3 just behind Florida.  Given a few years of top 2 finishes we could overtake them for second place.  The key (as always) is to win with any kind of consistency.

back when Ark joined the SEC and Nolan had things rolling, there was KY and AR and then the rest. Even the KY fans were taken aback at how Hog fans traveled to SEC tournaments.  (there is still no one even close to Big Blue Nation as far as the SEC Hoops go.  Its really quite impressive when you go to an SEC tournament and Big Blue Nation descends upon the venue. Ark was the only fan base that came close)

  FLA wasnt even close. Eddie Sutton had built Ark, Nolan had taken it to new heights and FLA wasnt even in the running as far as SEC hoops was concerned.  Then Billy Donovan had a great run at FLA and ARK took several steps back because of.......well.......Nolan's feud with Frank B, Stan Heath, John Pelphery. 

If Mike were to do what we all want him to do and restore ARK to where it used to be, it will be KY then Ark then everyone else.

[MemphisBossHog]

So where were all these coaches when we hired Heath and Pel?

Altman is a heck of a coach and he fled this job.

This can be a great job, but we weren't even up to date in terms of facilities until a year ago.

I still think there is great potential here but this was a disaster after Pell and we lagged behind in terms of facilities. MAYBE needs to establish us as a tourney regular and we will be off and running. If he doesn't, there still won't be big name coaches beating down the doors to coach here despite our potential.

Whatever was the reason for Altman fleeing the scene 1 day after taking the job?  What did he see that scared him so?  Was it lack of talent?  Was the APR of the basketball team?  I know Bud Walton at that time was state of the art but were the rest of the basketball facilities not up to par?  I just never really knew why he did such an about face and went back to Creighton.

[PonderinHog]

Whatever was the reason for Altman fleeing the scene 1 day after taking the job?  What did he see that scared him so?  Was it lack of talent?  Was the APR of the basketball team?  I know Bud Walton at that time was state of the art but were the rest of the basketball facilities not up to par?  I just never really knew why he did such an about face and went back to Creighton.

Grades was bad.  Reel bad.

[HognitiveDissonance]

So where were all these coaches when we hired Heath and Pel?

Altman is a heck of a coach and he fled this job.

This can be a great job, but we weren't even up to date in terms of facilities until a year ago.

I still think there is great potential here but this was a disaster after Pell and we lagged behind in terms of facilities. MAYBE needs to establish us as a tourney regular and we will be off and running. If he doesn't, there still won't be big name coaches beating down the doors to coach here despite our potential.

We don't know who put their hat in the ring. It's not public information.
I would submit, though, that I don't really look at the 'names' who are interested. Ark is a top-tier job in this league, we agree, but though has always had the most success with identifying and hiring the guys 'before' they became household names. Eddie. Nolan. Frank. McDonnell. Guys you've never heard of. You're not likely to lure an established coach from where he's at anyway.

[HognitiveDissonance]

Whatever was the reason for Altman fleeing the scene 1 day after taking the job?  What did he see that scared him so?  Was it lack of talent?  Was the APR of the basketball team?  I know Bud Walton at that time was state of the art but were the rest of the basketball facilities not up to par?  I just never really knew why he did such an about face and went back to Creighton.

I don't believe it was one thing.
People like to paint the picture that it was solely because he learned of something AFTER accepting the job that made him change his mind.
But his entire family and in-laws were in Nebraska. He was torn between leaving them or staying at home.
He's also not the only coach to take a job then change his mind. Billy Donovan did same thing with Orlando Magic once.
We're just speculating why he did what he did.

[ShadowHawg]

We don't know who put their hat in the ring. It's not public information.
I would submit, though, that I don't really look at the 'names' who are interested. Ark is a top-tier job in this league, we agree, but though has always had the most success with identifying and hiring the guys 'before' they became household names. Eddie. Nolan. Frank. McDonnell. Guys you've never heard of. You're not likely to lure an established coach from where he's at anyway.

I agree that we have had our most success with up and comers but we have also had serious struggles with them.

I think the biggest mistake made was handing a coach with only 1 year of experience the keys to a monster, which is what our program was a the time we hired Heath. An established guy was what we needed. Hindsight

I agree about this being a top tier program as well, but for me, Altman was the truest indicator of their being some serious issues with the program. I don't know what they were either, but it's not like he went back and became a lifer at Creighton either.

[Atlhogfan1]

Altman didn't flee the job.  He ran from the situation.  I think this is a big difference. 

The Heath hiring time was very unique. 

The Heath-Altman-Pel event was as unique but with different circumstances.  It took a lot of 'screw' ups in that scenario to end up where we did with Altman bolting and Pel being hired. 

Neither of these situations IMO are close to indicative of what the Arkansas job is.  Not saying this to put pressure on Anderson. 

[PORKULATOR]

I've always heard from Ucky fans that the SEC is at its best when Arkansas is good. I feel like we help with credibility for the conference as well. When Arkansas is top 2-3 in the SEC, we put 6 teams in the tournament.

[Razorod]

Altman didn't flee the job.  He ran from the situation.  I think this is a big difference. 

The Heath hiring time was very unique. 

The Heath-Altman-Pel event was as unique but with different circumstances.  It took a lot of 'screw' ups in that scenario to end up where we did with Altman bolting and Pel being hired. 

Neither of these situations IMO are close to indicative of what the Arkansas job is.  Not saying this to put pressure on Anderson. 

Very good way of putting it. You could also add Gillispie's name + Broyles "lame duck" status as AD to the mix with regard to the unique situation that hire was made in.

Funny, we haven't had a "normal" hiring situation during the last three transitions:

Nolan's public tirade/lawsuit + feud with Broyles/White definitely impacted the decision to hire Heath;

Broyles' lame duck status as AD + terrible academic situation led us to the hiring of someone/anyone who would take the job--Pelphrey

The pressure to rectify the situation with Nolan strongly influenced the hiring of Anderson.

Hopefully, we've got it right now and we can enjoy basketball once again (once we get past this weekend ).

[Atlhogfan1]

Very good way of putting it. You could also add Gillispie's name + Broyles "lame duck" status as AD to the mix with regard to the unique situation that hire was made in.

Funny, we haven't had a "normal" hiring situation during the last three transitions:

Nolan's public tirade/lawsuit + feud with Broyles/White definitely impacted the decision to hire Heath;

Broyles' lame duck status as AD + terrible academic situation led us to the hiring of someone/anyone who would take the job--Pelphrey

The pressure to rectify the situation with Nolan strongly influenced the hiring of Anderson.

Hopefully, we've got it right now and we can enjoy basketball once again (once we get past this weekend ).

We haven't.  Haven't had it since Frank pursued Rollie and ended up with Nolan. 

[FineAsSwine]

Altman didn't flee the job.  He ran from the situation.  I think this is a big difference. 

The Heath hiring time was very unique. 

The Heath-Altman-Pel event was as unique but with different circumstances.  It took a lot of 'screw' ups in that scenario to end up where we did with Altman bolting and Pel being hired. 

Neither of these situations IMO are close to indicative of what the Arkansas job is.  Not saying this to put pressure on Anderson.

This made me laugh out loud.

[Atlhogfan1]

This made me laugh out loud.

Why?  Because I feel it necessary to do a disclaimer here to not upset the kids?

[26.2Hog]

Whatever was the reason for Altman fleeing the scene 1 day after taking the job?  What did he see that scared him so?  Was it lack of talent?  Was the APR of the basketball team?  I know Bud Walton at that time was state of the art but were the rest of the basketball facilities not up to par?  I just never really knew why he did such an about face and went back to Creighton.

I think after he reflected on the GPA situation, he scare.   Also, after watching John White hogging the spotlight at the announcement ceremony with his ultra long, crazy "tour of the SEC" speech, Altman had to be rolling his eyes.  Then that night after having dinner with the doofus White, he realized he would be working for a goofy university president that would screw around with the athletic department.  White was enough to give anyone the heebie jeebies.

Plus, relocating his family at that time  . . .

Just a combination of things.

[HognitiveDissonance]

John White had the midas touch when it came to meddling in athletics.

Everything he touched turned into a muffler.

[Dominicanhog]

This made me laugh out loud.

yeah, me too... Ol Johnny One Note just can't help himself, can he?