I want Nolan back, seriously think about it

[hview]

No way, Nolan has burned to many bridges!!

[BigHog396]

I want Nolan Richardson back as head coach and I am being serious.
Here are the reasons why:
1. BWA would definitely be sold out, fan enthusiasm wouldn't be a problem
2. He is already getting $500K/year, even with a salary of $2 million, we would be saving some coin. 
3. He STILL lives in Fayetteville
4. Nolan could take this team (with Beverley) and make them a legit Final 4 team next year. 
5. This would fix a lot of problems that happened in the past on both sides

I am on the Nolan for coach bandwagon, climb aboard


GO HOGS GO!!!

1.  BWA would NOT be full... It wasn't when Nolan left.  You may very well see even FEWER tickets sold due to pissing off even more fans.  Fan enthusiasm wouldn't be a problem... What are you smokin'?
2.  He will only be getting the $500K for one more season.  Why would we want to pay him $2 million to come in and screw the program again?
3.  Who cares if he still lives in Fayetteville!  Well, one thing about that... It should PROVE to any casual observer that NO ONE ELSE wanted him, so why would we.
4.  Nolan didn't do $hit in his last 7 years in Fayetteville, so how exactly do you get the bright idea that he could make this current group a Final Four contender, much less participant?
5.  This would simply cause an even more vicious divide amongst the Razorback fanbase!  Very, very few people would want this to begin with, and the vast majority would likely be ready to burn down the BAC.

Get over yourself, and your love affair with Nolan.  Wake up and realize that he was one of the best when he still had a fire to win, so he could prove his critics wrong, and that he lost that fire once he got his ring in '94.

[BigHog396]

I want Nolan back, and he will fill up seats. He'd be fired up and he'd win.  He made the program what it is today.  Everybody needs to just calm down and realize he's one of the best out there still.  I'll always be a Nolan fan.  His outspoken nature combined with his abilities to motivate and fire up a team are legendary.  I want him back as a coach, hands down.

When are you going to get it through your thick skull, that Nolan DID'T MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATIONAL POWER... SUTTON DID!

Now, if you are saying Nolan made the program what it is today... A program that hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since '96, a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament 5 of the last 12 years, a program with a basketball arena that was likely well below 50% full on average this season, and a program that has basically lost all of the national respect that it enjoyed from the late-70's through the mid-90's... then I guess you are right.

[PIGINAPOKE]

I moved here in 94 in time to catch the magic of this team. From watching UCLA live so many times I thought "Where in the hell did this team come from" Nolan had them flyin. With the demise of the Nutt era and basketball over the the time since Nolan has left, It is sad to see this school sink so low in such a short time.

[hawgsav1]

I want Nolan back, and he will fill up seats. He'd be fired up and he'd win.  He made the program what it is today.  Everybody needs to just calm down and realize he's one of the best out there still.  I'll always be a Nolan fan.  His outspoken nature combined with his abilities to motivate and fire up a team are legendary.  I want him back as a coach, hands down.

When are you going to get it through your thick skull, that Nolan DID'T MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATIONAL POWER... SUTTON DID!

Now, if you are saying Nolan made the program what it is today... A program that hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since '96, a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament 5 of the last 12 years, a program with a basketball arena that was likely well below 50% full on average this season, and a program that has basically lost all of the national respect that it enjoyed from the late-70's through the mid-90's... then I guess you are right.

It's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power.  Yes sutton was a good coach, but the way he left Arkansas to crawl off to Kentucky, leaving his team and his fans and his supporters in disgrace...yes, Sutton made it what it was today.  When Nolan came in, making the Final Four his 5th year, having to deal with the death of his daughter.  Look at the records, Nolan far surpassed anything that Sutton did.  Yes, NOlan slacked off towards the end, but if he puts his mind to it, he'll be back.  You are blinded by your hate of Nolan and you're putting Sutton on a pedestal he doesn't deserve to be on.

[BigHog396]

I want Nolan back, and he will fill up seats. He'd be fired up and he'd win.  He made the program what it is today.  Everybody needs to just calm down and realize he's one of the best out there still.  I'll always be a Nolan fan.  His outspoken nature combined with his abilities to motivate and fire up a team are legendary.  I want him back as a coach, hands down.

When are you going to get it through your thick skull, that Nolan DID'T MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATIONAL POWER... SUTTON DID!

Now, if you are saying Nolan made the program what it is today... A program that hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since '96, a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament 5 of the last 12 years, a program with a basketball arena that was likely well below 50% full on average this season, and a program that has basically lost all of the national respect that it enjoyed from the late-70's through the mid-90's... then I guess you are right.

It's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power.  Yes sutton was a good coach, but the way he left Arkansas to crawl off to Kentucky, leaving his team and his fans and his supporters in disgrace...yes, Sutton made it what it was today.  When Nolan came in, making the Final Four his 5th year, having to deal with the death of his daughter.  Look at the records, Nolan far surpassed anything that Sutton did.  Yes, NOlan slacked off towards the end, but if he puts his mind to it, he'll be back.  You are blinded by your hate of Nolan and you're putting Sutton on a pedestal he doesn't deserve to be on.

Sutton made the Final Four in his FOURTH season, after taking over a program that had been NOTHING for the 30 years prior to his arrival.  Nolan came in and took the program to the Final Four in his FIFTH season, after taking over a program that had been in the national spotlight for about 10 years.  Boy, that really supports your argument.

Sutton's winning percentage while at Arkansas was .776, Nolan's was .697.  That one really supports your argument about Nolan being a better coach too, doesn't it.  So why don't we look at their records while at Arkansas then, since that is your argument (by the way, it is always smart to look at those before you start making ridiculous claims).

Sutton-
Number of losing seasons:  0
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'77 - 1st Rd (Total of 32 teams), 18th -- SUTTON'S THIRD SEASON
'78 - Final Four (won the 3rd place game), 5th
'79 - Elite 8, 5th
'80 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 20th
'81 - Sweet 16, 20th
'82 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 12th
'83 - Sweet 16, 9th
'84 - 1st Rd (Total of 53 teams), 7th
'85 - 2nd Rd, (25th ESPN poll).

Now for Nolan-
Number of losing seasons:  2
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'88 - 1st Rd no ranking -- NOLAN'S THIRD SEASON
'89 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'90 - Final Four, 7th
'91 - Elite 8, 2nd
'92 - 2nd Rd, 9th
'93 - Sweet 16, 12th
'94 - National Champions, 2nd AP - but there is no way I am counting that one
'95 - NCAA Finals, 6th
'96 - Sweet 16, (18th ESPN poll)
'97 - None
'98 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'99 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'00 - 1st Rd, unranked
'01 - 1st Rd, unranked
'02 - None

So tell me again how Nolan "far surpassed anything Sutton did."?  Looks to me like Nolan took over a program that hadn't finished a season unranked in the 9 seasons prior to him taking the helm, where Sutton took over a has-been, and quickly brought them back to national prominence.  So tell me again how "it's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power."?

Based on their coaching tenures/records at Arkansas, anyone with a lick of mathematical sense (or common sense for that matter) can quickly see that you are the one that is blind to the facts.  Sutton turned our program into a National Power, and Nolan continued that tradition for about 10 years.

I loved having Nolan as our coach from the late-80's through the mid-90's, but anyone that was around then could easily tell you that once he got "his" National Championship he simply quit putting out any effort.  If he would have continued recruiting and coaching with the same fire he had prior to '94, the man could have easily surpassed the run Duke has had for the last 20 years.  If he had maintained that fire, we likely would have been to numerous additional Final Fours, and maybe even had a couple of additional National Championship banners to hang in the rafters of Bud Walton Arena.

The FACT is Nolan quit.  He tried to coast based on our National Championship and took it easy after that.  You saw what he could still do in '00 with the run through the SEC Tournament, but he only got that fire back for that one weekend when he knew it was win or get fired.  My entire problem with Nolan is the fact that he quit on US, and because of that we are in the situation we are in today.  Hell, if he would have just retired and turned the reigns over to MA in the late-90's, we might still be a national power today.  The man let HIS ego ruin a 20 year tradition of greatness because he believed everything should be given to him after winning the National Championship.

[LL COOL HOG]

I want Nolan back, and he will fill up seats. He'd be fired up and he'd win.  He made the program what it is today.  Everybody needs to just calm down and realize he's one of the best out there still.  I'll always be a Nolan fan.  His outspoken nature combined with his abilities to motivate and fire up a team are legendary.  I want him back as a coach, hands down.

When are you going to get it through your thick skull, that Nolan DID'T MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATIONAL POWER... SUTTON DID!

Now, if you are saying Nolan made the program what it is today... A program that hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since '96, a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament 5 of the last 12 years, a program with a basketball arena that was likely well below 50% full on average this season, and a program that has basically lost all of the national respect that it enjoyed from the late-70's through the mid-90's... then I guess you are right.

It's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power.  Yes sutton was a good coach, but the way he left Arkansas to crawl off to Kentucky, leaving his team and his fans and his supporters in disgrace...yes, Sutton made it what it was today.  When Nolan came in, making the Final Four his 5th year, having to deal with the death of his daughter.  Look at the records, Nolan far surpassed anything that Sutton did.  Yes, NOlan slacked off towards the end, but if he puts his mind to it, he'll be back.  You are blinded by your hate of Nolan and you're putting Sutton on a pedestal he doesn't deserve to be on.

Sutton made the Final Four in his FOURTH season, after taking over a program that had been NOTHING for the 30 years prior to his arrival.  Nolan came in and took the program to the Final Four in his FIFTH season, after taking over a program that had been in the national spotlight for about 10 years.  Boy, that really supports your argument.

Sutton's winning percentage while at Arkansas was .776, Nolan's was .697.  That one really supports your argument about Nolan being a better coach too, doesn't it.  So why don't we look at their records while at Arkansas then, since that is your argument (by the way, it is always smart to look at those before you start making ridiculous claims).

Sutton-
Number of losing seasons:  0
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'77 - 1st Rd (Total of 32 teams), 18th -- SUTTON'S THIRD SEASON
'78 - Final Four (won the 3rd place game), 5th
'79 - Elite 8, 5th
'80 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 20th
'81 - Sweet 16, 20th
'82 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 12th
'83 - Sweet 16, 9th
'84 - 1st Rd (Total of 53 teams), 7th
'85 - 2nd Rd, (25th ESPN poll).

Now for Nolan-
Number of losing seasons:  2
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'88 - 1st Rd no ranking -- NOLAN'S THIRD SEASON
'89 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'90 - Final Four, 7th
'91 - Elite 8, 2nd
'92 - 2nd Rd, 9th
'93 - Sweet 16, 12th
'94 - National Champions, 2nd AP - but there is no way I am counting that one
'95 - NCAA Finals, 6th
'96 - Sweet 16, (18th ESPN poll)
'97 - None
'98 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'99 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'00 - 1st Rd, unranked
'01 - 1st Rd, unranked
'02 - None

So tell me again how Nolan "far surpassed anything Sutton did."?  Looks to me like Nolan took over a program that hadn't finished a season unranked in the 9 seasons prior to him taking the helm, where Sutton took over a has-been, and quickly brought them back to national prominence.  So tell me again how "it's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power."?

Based on their coaching tenures/records at Arkansas, anyone with a lick of mathematical sense (or common sense for that matter) can quickly see that you are the one that is blind to the facts.  Sutton turned our program into a National Power, and Nolan continued that tradition for about 10 years.

I loved having Nolan as our coach from the late-80's through the mid-90's, but anyone that was around then could easily tell you that once he got "his" National Championship he simply quit putting out any effort.  If he would have continued recruiting and coaching with the same fire he had prior to '94, the man could have easily surpassed the run Duke has had for the last 20 years.  If he had maintained that fire, we likely would have been to numerous additional Final Fours, and maybe even had a couple of additional National Championship banners to hang in the rafters of Bud Walton Arena.

The FACT is Nolan quit.  He tried to coast based on our National Championship and took it easy after that.  You saw what he could still do in '00 with the run through the SEC Tournament, but he only got that fire back for that one weekend when he knew it was win or get fired.  My entire problem with Nolan is the fact that he quit on US, and because of that we are in the situation we are in today.  Hell, if he would have just retired and turned the reigns over to MA in the late-90's, we might still be a national power today.  The man let HIS ego ruin a 20 year tradition of greatness because he believed everything should be given to him after winning the National Championship.

I didn't read all of your post but a National Championship and returning to the finals the next season trumps Suttons record.  Sorry!!

[BigHog396]

I didn't read all of your post but a National Championship and returning to the finals the next season trumps Suttons record.  Sorry!!

Try reading it then.  The argument isn't who was the better coach... it was who turned us into a national power.  It is simple.  We were a national power before Nolan arrived.

[WhiteyDog]

Arkansas missed the boat when they didn't give Mike Anderson the opportunity when he definitely deserves it but then went out and hired a black coach, when no one else would come on board, just to say that it wasn't a black and white thing.  I hope that they do get to hire a big name coach and that he falls on his a$$ and make the firing of a decent and great coach, Heath and Nolan, something that will stick with them for a long, long time.

Nolan missed the boat.  He is the reason his longtime loyal assistant does not have the Arkansas job.  It is unfortunate he did not show Mike the same kind of loyalty he was shown all those years.  Nolan is a racist self centered egomaniac.  Tell em Buenos Dias for us down in Mexico.

[badbeagle]

I would prefer to keep the tanks off of campus.

[threeNout]

Realisticaly, he is probably the biggest name coach we could get, certainly the only coach we could get who has won a NC.

BWA would most definitley be full for the first year at least, but if recruiting started to suffer again, it could be another downward spiral.

With all of Nolan's quotes of the last few weeks, he has probably correctly characterized the goings on of the basketball program, but what he has not done, which would help him immensly, is to admit the program had started to suffer under his guidance, talk about why it happened, and/or display some sort of regret over how things went down. That would go a long way to patching things up with some of the fan base.

As for me, I'd love to see him back. If the question is which coach could get the most out of next year's team, I'd have to think Nolan would do as good as anyone else mentioned, and would bring back much needed excitment to the BB program.

I'd be for it, a simple 1 year at a time contract for Nolan, if
the big fish get away. I'd rather have NR than Rick Majerus

[BigHog396]

Realisticaly, he is probably the biggest name coach we could get, certainly the only coach we could get who has won a NC.

BWA would most definitley be full for the first year at least, but if recruiting started to suffer again, it could be another downward spiral.

With all of Nolan's quotes of the last few weeks, he has probably correctly characterized the goings on of the basketball program, but what he has not done, which would help him immensly, is to admit the program had started to suffer under his guidance, talk about why it happened, and/or display some sort of regret over how things went down. That would go a long way to patching things up with some of the fan base.

As for me, I'd love to see him back. If the question is which coach could get the most out of next year's team, I'd have to think Nolan would do as good as anyone else mentioned, and would bring back much needed excitment to the BB program.

I'd be for it, a simple 1 year at a time contract for Nolan, if
the big fish get away. I'd rather have NR than Rick Majerus

Are you insane?  If Nolan were brought back, you wouldn't see 10,000 season tickets sold next year.  That bridge has been burned.  You would see most season ticket holders drop their donations and tickets, and would basically be dropping a nuclear bomb on BWA.

This whole line of thought is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen on this board.  Do you people not realize that the fanbase was completely fed up with him when he was shown the door?  What do you think they are going to feel like after him sitting on his lazy ass and getting $3,000,000 from us for the last 6 years?  Give me a darned break!

[hawgsav1]

I want Nolan back, and he will fill up seats. He'd be fired up and he'd win.  He made the program what it is today.  Everybody needs to just calm down and realize he's one of the best out there still.  I'll always be a Nolan fan.  His outspoken nature combined with his abilities to motivate and fire up a team are legendary.  I want him back as a coach, hands down.

When are you going to get it through your thick skull, that Nolan DID'T MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATIONAL POWER... SUTTON DID!

Now, if you are saying Nolan made the program what it is today... A program that hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since '96, a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament 5 of the last 12 years, a program with a basketball arena that was likely well below 50% full on average this season, and a program that has basically lost all of the national respect that it enjoyed from the late-70's through the mid-90's... then I guess you are right.

It's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power.  Yes sutton was a good coach, but the way he left Arkansas to crawl off to Kentucky, leaving his team and his fans and his supporters in disgrace...yes, Sutton made it what it was today.  When Nolan came in, making the Final Four his 5th year, having to deal with the death of his daughter.  Look at the records, Nolan far surpassed anything that Sutton did.  Yes, NOlan slacked off towards the end, but if he puts his mind to it, he'll be back.  You are blinded by your hate of Nolan and you're putting Sutton on a pedestal he doesn't deserve to be on.

Sutton made the Final Four in his FOURTH season, after taking over a program that had been NOTHING for the 30 years prior to his arrival.  Nolan came in and took the program to the Final Four in his FIFTH season, after taking over a program that had been in the national spotlight for about 10 years.  Boy, that really supports your argument.

Sutton's winning percentage while at Arkansas was .776, Nolan's was .697.  That one really supports your argument about Nolan being a better coach too, doesn't it.  So why don't we look at their records while at Arkansas then, since that is your argument (by the way, it is always smart to look at those before you start making ridiculous claims).

Sutton-
Number of losing seasons:  0
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'77 - 1st Rd (Total of 32 teams), 18th -- SUTTON'S THIRD SEASON
'78 - Final Four (won the 3rd place game), 5th
'79 - Elite 8, 5th
'80 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 20th
'81 - Sweet 16, 20th
'82 - 1st Rd (Total of 48 teams), 12th
'83 - Sweet 16, 9th
'84 - 1st Rd (Total of 53 teams), 7th
'85 - 2nd Rd, (25th ESPN poll).

Now for Nolan-
Number of losing seasons:  2
NCAA Tournament history & final AP rankings:
'88 - 1st Rd no ranking -- NOLAN'S THIRD SEASON
'89 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'90 - Final Four, 7th
'91 - Elite 8, 2nd
'92 - 2nd Rd, 9th
'93 - Sweet 16, 12th
'94 - National Champions, 2nd AP - but there is no way I am counting that one
'95 - NCAA Finals, 6th
'96 - Sweet 16, (18th ESPN poll)
'97 - None
'98 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'99 - 2nd Rd, 17th
'00 - 1st Rd, unranked
'01 - 1st Rd, unranked
'02 - None

So tell me again how Nolan "far surpassed anything Sutton did."?  Looks to me like Nolan took over a program that hadn't finished a season unranked in the 9 seasons prior to him taking the helm, where Sutton took over a has-been, and quickly brought them back to national prominence.  So tell me again how "it's nonsensical to think Sutton made this program into the national power."?

Based on their coaching tenures/records at Arkansas, anyone with a lick of mathematical sense (or common sense for that matter) can quickly see that you are the one that is blind to the facts.  Sutton turned our program into a National Power, and Nolan continued that tradition for about 10 years.

I loved having Nolan as our coach from the late-80's through the mid-90's, but anyone that was around then could easily tell you that once he got "his" National Championship he simply quit putting out any effort.  If he would have continued recruiting and coaching with the same fire he had prior to '94, the man could have easily surpassed the run Duke has had for the last 20 years.  If he had maintained that fire, we likely would have been to numerous additional Final Fours, and maybe even had a couple of additional National Championship banners to hang in the rafters of Bud Walton Arena.

The FACT is Nolan quit.  He tried to coast based on our National Championship and took it easy after that.  You saw what he could still do in '00 with the run through the SEC Tournament, but he only got that fire back for that one weekend when he knew it was win or get fired.  My entire problem with Nolan is the fact that he quit on US, and because of that we are in the situation we are in today.  Hell, if he would have just retired and turned the reigns over to MA in the late-90's, we might still be a national power today.  The man let HIS ego ruin a 20 year tradition of greatness because he believed everything should be given to him after winning the National Championship.

Ok, I'll bite.  First off, there is no reason you can discount the national championship and him returning to the finals.  I will agree that Nolan didn't seem to put as much effort later in his career after the championships.  Sutton's winning percentage was higher than Nolan's but that was because the SWC was a weak basketball conference.  By the way, to clarify my original statement, I didn't say that Sutton did not turn it into a national power.  I said that Sutton was not the only thing that turned us into a national power.  During Sutton's years, teams from the SWC made the Final Four only 4 times, and Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon team has 3 of them.  Sutton has 1.  (Note: The SEC made 6 during Sutton's tenure, and those are spread among LSU, Georgia, and Kentucky).  During Nolan's tenure, the SEC made the Final Four a total of 10 times.  Nolan had 3 final fours, a championship, and a championship runner up.  The fact is, when it comes to basketball, polls don't mean squat and Tourney success means everything (e.g. think Kentucky 2004, unbeatable and even after losing to Marquette still had the best record yet Syracuse won the championship).  Nolan had more success in the tournament, and this was when the tournament was EXPANDED to 64 teams.  Yes I agree that later he quit and his tirade was disgraceful to everyone involved (though he had a point having to deal with idiots like Wally Hall insulting him all the time while other people sit there and put Sutton on a pedestal like a god).  However, he didn't want to be fired and no one can deny that (when he said "pay me my money and I'll go" he said that if others didn't want him there he would go, not that he wanted to go).  Now Sutton's "crawling off to Kentucky" comment was one of the most disgraceful things I have every heard and far surpasses anythinng that Nolan ever did.  Sutton was a great coach and I'll give you Sutton's worst teams were much better than Nolan's worst teams.  However, Nolan reached much higher heights and deserves the credit for what he did.

[HarrisonHog]

They used to beg people to come to basketball games, even give tickets away for free.  Then Eddie Sutton showed up..............

[BigHog396]

Ok, I'll bite.  First off, there is no reason you can discount the national championship and him returning to the finals.  I will agree that Nolan didn't seem to put as much effort later in his career after the championships.  Sutton's winning percentage was higher than Nolan's but that was because the SWC was a weak basketball conference.  By the way, to clarify my original statement, I didn't say that Sutton did not turn it into a national power.  I said that Sutton was not the only thing that turned us into a national power.  During Sutton's years, teams from the SWC made the Final Four only 4 times, and Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon team has 3 of them.  Sutton has 1.  (Note: The SEC made 6 during Sutton's tenure, and those are spread among LSU, Georgia, and Kentucky).  During Nolan's tenure, the SEC made the Final Four a total of 10 times.  Nolan had 3 final fours, a championship, and a championship runner up.  The fact is, when it comes to basketball, polls don't mean squat and Tourney success means everything (e.g. think Kentucky 2004, unbeatable and even after losing to Marquette still had the best record yet Syracuse won the championship).  Nolan had more success in the tournament, and this was when the tournament was EXPANDED to 64 teams.  Yes I agree that later he quit and his tirade was disgraceful to everyone involved (though he had a point having to deal with idiots like Wally Hall insulting him all the time while other people sit there and put Sutton on a pedestal like a god).  However, he didn't want to be fired and no one can deny that (when he said "pay me my money and I'll go" he said that if others didn't want him there he would go, not that he wanted to go).  Now Sutton's "crawling off to Kentucky" comment was one of the most disgraceful things I have every heard and far surpasses anythinng that Nolan ever did.  Sutton was a great coach and I'll give you Sutton's worst teams were much better than Nolan's worst teams.  However, Nolan reached much higher heights and deserves the credit for what he did.

You misunderstood what I was saying about the '94 season.  I am saying I am not counting the #2 ranking we got from the AP.  We were the Champs, and that should have been a #1 even after the loss to Kentucky in the SECT.  I was not in any way saying I was not counting the NC, so sorry if I made that comment a little confusing.

But the point still remains.  Nolan didn't come here to rebuild a long forgotten program.  When Sutton arrived, we had not been anything for the last 30 years.  He turned in a winning season EVERY year he was here, and HIS teams turned us back into a national power.  Nolan only continued that tradition.  He did elevate it to the crown jewel for one year, but he quit coaching after that.

The whole point is... it would be suicide for our program to bring him back.  The man has been retired for 5 years, and as far as I and many others are concerned he really retired about 10 years ago.  Nolan is the single person responsible for allowing our basketball program to fall to the depths that it has fallen to since '00.  Why on earth would we want to bring back the person responsible for the downfall of what was one of probably the top 5 programs in the nation from '78-'95?

[hawgsav1]

I agree with the whole he slacked off argument.  However, the question is whether you believe he learned his lesson about slacking off and whether you want to give him another hance.  Nolan is the only coach to have ever taken us to the top, which is why I support him so.  I believe if he came back that he would be fired up enough to recruit hard and coach hard (I personally believe he would and I believe he wants to come back, so I wouldn't mind giving him another chance).  Remember his words after Broyles was fired.  He said to have hope and that we can bring people back to regain that hope (I don't remember the entire interview and I haven't been able to find all of it online).  By the way, I do appreciate the spirited debate, though we do disagree.

[Bosston]

I agree with the whole he slacked off argument.  However, the question is whether you believe he learned his lesson about slacking off and whether you want to give him another hance.  Nolan is the only coach to have ever taken us to the top, which is why I support him so.  I believe if he came back that he would be fired up enough to recruit hard and coach hard (I personally believe he would and I believe he wants to come back, so I wouldn't mind giving him another chance).  Remember his words after Broyles was fired.  He said to have hope and that we can bring people back to regain that hope (I don't remember the entire interview and I haven't been able to find all of it online).  By the way, I do appreciate the spirited debate, though we do disagree.

Once a quitter, always a quitter.

Seriously, the guy accomplished more than any other coach here. But he managed to tear it all down in a couple of venom filled seasons. I think at best, when we get another AD, he can at least be friends again. He has no business every being an employee again.