Mike Neighbors Officially Named new UA Women's Basketball Coach(Merged)

[tophawg19]

just add an additional 3000 fans per game and you are looking at a million dollar increase . Add in the additional money for making the NCAA tourney , while not as great as the men's it is significant money. Start winning and fans will come in large numbers which means more boosters making donations . It's quite possible to make it profitable if it becomes a winning program. Look at how many women's products are on the market. Sponsorship's should be easy to get with wal mart so close especially.

[Porked Tongue]

just add an additional 3000 fans per game and you are looking at a million dollar increase .

Let me know when you get 3000 more fans per game for 14 games at an average ticket price of $25. 

That's some serious projections.

I'll grant you some residual revenue will occur from other sources but it's never been enough to balance it all even when Blair was here.

In 2014-15, the budget was $3.3M for women's basketball.  It's going to be over $4M now. Let's not even entertain it will ever be even.

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/pdf/athletics/2014-15/annual-report.pdf

I'm all for it happening, but I don't by a penny valued stock for a nickle on the hope it's worth a dime.

It's nice to have dreams.  I hope it all happens the way you and others surmise.

[Porked Tongue]

Here's a more recent one:

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2015/12/23/razorback-athletics-make-top-20-dollar-wise

$3.5M Expenditure

$65,000  Revenue !!!!

[tophawg19]

next question is how much of the Razorback Foundation donations are for women. and how much that increases with a quality program and salesmanship

[ricepig]

next question is how much of the Razorback Foundation donations are for women. and how much that increases with a quality program and salesmanship

We just had a salesman, let's try a coach this time. As far as donations tied to the Women's program, it isn't huge, but it was enough to get some attention back in November.

[Porked Tongue]

next question is how much of the Razorback Foundation donations are for women. and how much that increases with a quality program and salesmanship

Changing gears?

It's not that much but it's some.

I've made my point.

[tophawg19]

nope . i see a ton of marketing opportunities with a big name coach .

[grayhawg]

I'll take Mike Neighbors but would prefer Vic Schaefer.

[ricepig]

just add an additional 3000 fans per game and you are looking at a million dollar increase . Add in the additional money for making the NCAA tourney , while not as great as the men's it is significant money. Start winning and fans will come in large numbers which means more boosters making donations . It's quite possible to make it profitable if it becomes a winning program. Look at how many women's products are on the market. Sponsorship's should be easy to get with wal mart so close especially.

You've never bought a ticket to a women's game, have you? Children get in free, and adults pay about $5 most of the time. There's a reason that ticket revenue was listed at $65,000 for the season, do the math.

[psycHOGlogist]

TIFWIW - and this is this person's first ever tweet, so it may be worth nothing:

https://twitter.com/TristenGArnold/status/846551687632433152

(Also: "high source" -- who at the UA is smoking the doob these days? lol)


Sorry folks - the tweet got deleted. Will post a screen grab below.

[psycHOGlogist]

[Porked Tongue]

The girls were talked to today.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Tristen Arnold is going to lose all credibility with me if this is wrong

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

The girls were talked to today.

What was their mood after the talk

[Porked Tongue]

You've never bought a ticket to a women's game, have you? Children get in free, and adults pay about $5 most of the time. There's a reason that ticket revenue was listed at $65,000 for the season, do the math.

Attendance 31,500
Revenue $65,000

$2.06/ticket

[Porked Tongue]

What was their mood after the talk

Only know it was going to happen.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

So I went to Huskyville.net to see if anyone there was talking about it. Unfortunately I learned after my first post that Huskyville.net is not a sports message board.

[Hogtied85]

The girls were talked to today.

So who will be the coach at Arkansas. So an announcement is coming very soon.

[psycHOGlogist]

Tristen Arnold is going to lose all credibility with me if this is wrong

ROFL. Yup.

[Birminghog]

I hope Jeff Long is proving the baylor coach a place to land after all of their problems.  Kim Mulkey should be our target but I doubt Long and pull it off

Please, Lord - no.

[Hogtied85]

The girls were talked to today.

How was the vibe with the girls?

[Pork Twain]

Don't ya'll think it would be hard to leave what he's built at Washington??

I think that people give this line of thinking too much weight.  Sure leaving what you built can be difficult, but for the right job and pay, people will walk away from almost anything.

[flippinhogmana]

I dont look for this to drag out much.  It could possibly come today, or maybe tomorrow.  I dont think they would have taken the occasion to talk to the girls unless they had something to tell them about a new coach.  I also dont think they would have given them an update like 'sorry girls, we swung big and missed'.  Their twitters might be interesting if I wasn't sure they were compelled to silence until the official announcement.

[riccoar]

Surely if Mississippi State can pay their coach $665K before incentives, Arkansas can jump in that same water too.  I don't doubt the revenue drag there, but after Dykes, I gotta believe you go big to undo damage.

[jackflash]

if  we want to have a woman basketball program we are going to have step up

[jackflash]

my vote goes for  Kim Mulkey we know she can recruit. she won't come cheap. will take at least a 1 million to 1.5 to get her.  Birminghog what you got agianst her.

[hoglady]

if  we want to have a woman basketball program we are going to have step up

That's pretty much it right there.

[hoglady]

Please, Lord - no.

Why??
I remember watching her play point guard for La. Tech - she's been an outstanding coach at Baylor and built a top program from not much.
Her entire life has been devoted to women's basketball.

[psycHOGlogist]

While not denying that she's a good coach, I am with Birminghog when it comes to Mulkey. No, thanks.

Good coach, pretty awful person. Not (just my personal viewpoint) someone I want as a role model for our players.

[GoPigs69]

While not denying that she's a good coach, I am with Birminghog when it comes to Mulkey. No, thanks.

Good coach, pretty awful person. Not (just my personal viewpoint) someone I want as a role model for our players.

I agree 1000% - she would be a horrible choice.  Yes, she wins.  Not much good I can say about her other than that.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

While not denying that she's a good coach, I am with Birminghog when it comes to Mulkey. No, thanks.

Good coach, pretty awful person. Not (just my personal viewpoint) someone I want as a role model for our players.

Yep, Coach Vic, Mike Neighbors, much better choices overall than Mulkey.  She and Baylor are a great fit why take her away from that.

[hawg1221]

If it's Mike Neighbors, is he a good recruiter? I read that when he was hired in 2013, he retained the previous coaches' class of commitments, which according to the Seattle Times, was ranked #11 nationally with 3 4 star recruits, including the all time NCAA scorer in Kelsey Plum. So, I was wondering how much talent at UW is he responsible for. Just curious.

[hogsfan31]

I hope Jeff Long is proving the baylor coach a place to land after all of their problems.  Kim Mulkey should be our target but I doubt Long and pull it off

Not no but hell no, and I used to be a Kim Mulkey fan when she was at LaTech. Not impressed with her antics anymore, and it has nothing to do with her latest rant about Baylor. She's done well at Baylor, she would not come here anyways.

[hogsfan31]

While not denying that she's a good coach, I am with Birminghog when it comes to Mulkey. No, thanks.

Good coach, pretty awful person. Not (just my personal viewpoint) someone I want as a role model for our players.

I'm with this viewpoint as well

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

If it's Mike Neighbors, is he a good recruiter? I read that when he was hired in 2013, he retained the previous coaches' class of commitments, which according to the Seattle Times, was ranked #11 nationally with 3 4 star recruits, including the all time NCAA scorer in Kelsey Plum. So, I was wondering how much talent at UW is he responsible for. Just curious.

I've read that he was a good recruiter. Don't ask me where because I've read several things about him recently.  That just sticks in my mind.  I think he would do great recruiting here given the fact that he rose through the high school ranks.  Also seems to be a good talker and relates well to the kids and parents.  Read that on a recruiting visit a recruits brother was playing his guitar so MN asked to borrow it and started playing. 

[psycHOGlogist]

If it's Mike Neighbors, is he a good recruiter? I read that when he was hired in 2013, he retained the previous coaches' class of commitments, which according to the Seattle Times, was ranked #11 nationally with 3 4 star recruits, including the all time NCAA scorer in Kelsey Plum. So, I was wondering how much talent at UW is he responsible for. Just curious.

Great questions, and honestly it's difficult to say with 100% certainty. When McGuff left UW for Ohio State, Plum had signed, but asked for (and was granted) a full release. Neighbors recruited her back and got her to stay (he had been one of the primary recruiters for her to start with). So, you could say that Neighbors actually should get credit for recruiting Plum. Neighbors also saw something that others did not in Osahor, who ended up leading the nation in rebounding.

His 2015 class was small, but included McD's All-American Deja Strother, 5-star post.

His 2016 class included four 4-star players and was the #18 class in the country.

His 2017 class is small (just 2 players in early signing), so not highly ranked, but includes the #55 player in the country, 4-star point guard Kierra Collier from Missouri (I believe she has already enrolled at UW), and another 4-star forward from Cali (those ranking are from ProspectsNation; ESPN says both those players are 3-stars). So, I'd say he's a pretty good recruiter, generally.

[psycHOGlogist]

Read that on a recruiting visit a recruits brother was playing his guitar so MN asked to borrow it and started playing. 

That was a very cool story - read it, too. Here: http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/inside-the-wacky-world-of-mike-neighbors-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-uws-coach/

Honestly, I think he sounds awesome. Smart, even a bit wonky, innovative, relaxed, and relatable.

So pretty much the Anti-Jimmy Dykes.

[hogsfan31]

nope . i see a ton of marketing opportunities with a big name coach .

This, Miss St has done this with Schaefer and the fan support this year has been great at Miss St. Leah Beasley and their marketing department has done a great job with this. I wouldn't mind having Beasley at Arkansas for marketing. Really great at what she does.

[hogsfan31]

if  we want to have a woman basketball program we are going to have step up

Yep

[ricepig]

The girls were talked to today.

Hey, you said girls, which is plural, so that's got to be good......right??

[hawg1221]

Great questions, and honestly it's difficult to say with 100% certainty. When McGuff left UW for Ohio State, Plum had signed, but asked for (and was granted) a full release. Neighbors recruited her back and got her to stay (he had been one of the primary recruiters for her to start with). So, you could say that Neighbors actually should get credit for recruiting Plum. Neighbors also saw something that others did not in Osahor, who ended up leading the nation in rebounding.

His 2015 class was small, but included McD's All-American Deja Strother, 5-star post.

His 2016 class included four 4-star players and was the #18 class in the country.

His 2017 class is small (just 2 players in early signing), so not highly ranked, but includes the #55 player in the country, 4-star point guard Kierra Collier from Missouri (I believe she has already enrolled at UW), and another 4-star forward from Cali (those ranking are from ProspectsNation; ESPN says both those players are 3-stars). So, I'd say he's a pretty good recruiter, generally.

Okay. Thanks for the info. From what you say, he sounds like a pretty good recruiter to me.

[Sow’sEar]

Been away from my computer/phone today.  Just got on to see if the Neighbor's deal had been done yet.

A reliable source tells me he was meeting with Long this last weekend.  Was hoping it would be done by now, makes me wonder if it will happen. 

[psycHOGlogist]

The longer it goes, the more I wonder, too.

[BWS]

Its probably likely that we'll hear something next week after the Final Four. No need to rush this decision.

[Scott7703]

The longer it goes, the more I wonder, too.

I'm told not to worry but every day that goes by and there is no announcement I begin to worry more.

[Porked Tongue]

Its probably likely that we'll hear something next week after the Final Four. No need to rush this decision.

Seen this point made before.  It's a non-starter.  Coaches get hired as fast as they can as recruiting and staffing options slip by the day.

That "wait to hire" is a MLB thing.

[BWS]

Seen this point made before.  It's a non-starter.  Coaches get hired as fast as they can as recruiting and staffing options slip by the day.

That "wait to hire" is a MLB thing.

Most new coaches don't finalize a staff for about a month or more after they're hired. We don't have much a recruiting class to salvage anyway. Pretty much all of the 2017 talent has already been signed and early signing period for 2018 is still about eight months away. I'm not saying we should wait till June to make a hire, but I feel for the long-term its important to make sure they get the right hire. I think its already a forgone conclusion that 2017-18 season is going to be a rough year regardless of how long the coaching search is.

[psycHOGlogist]

There is a spring signing period for WBB that starts April 12 - this is when most JUCOs and other recruits who did not commit in the fall (a small group this year) sign their NLI's, so there is definitely work to do for next year.

[LadybackBBFan]

Its probably likely that we'll hear something next week after the Final Four. No need to rush this decision.

Disagree, Spring signing period is only a couple of weeks away.

[Inhogswetrust]

Don't ya'll think it would be hard to leave what he's built at Washington??

No. A LOT of people change jobs when they have built something successful.