Under contract until 2029-30! Gave him a 3 year extension when he had 3 years left after the 2023-24 season.
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Somebody should be fired for that. Thatās astoundingly stupid.
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And the ranking of longest serving ACC Menās Basketball coaches now goes:
Brownell ā Keats ā Capel ā Young
Like, what the actual f**k?
They kinda got suckered into buying at the top. He was coming off his best year and I guess they maybe were worried someone would poach him? I dunno.
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Keatts no longer active so its actuallyā¦
Brownell (15 years)
Capel (7 years)
Young (6 years)
Forbes (5 years)
in 2021, this is what it looked likeā¦
Jim Boeheim, 46 years
Mike Krzyzewski, 41 years
Mike Brey, 21 years
Leonard Hamilton, 19 years
Roy Williams, 18 years
Tony Bennett, 12 years
Jim Larranaga, 10 year
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Wake would have a decent lead on Texas Tech if they could make:
- A free throw
- A layup
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I have no idea where to post this incredible story of the mascot fight between the Cal Bear and the Stanford Tree, but since it happened at a basketball game between our now-ACC brethren I picked here.
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Halfway there
The ACC has lost a bunch of one and two point games that would have lifted the conference creds if won. Feel like the conference is stronger this year, but the record isnāt going to show it unless we win some of these games.
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Funny enough their womenās program is in even worse shape, just lost to a Division III team (Scranton). Maybe their football success (Narduzzi isnāt going to win the CFP but heās a great fit for the school and has them bowling basically annually) has bought hoops breathing room, but they do need to reset things at the Pete. Probably another year away from being willing to stomach Capelās buyout.
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Itās funny because Pitt fans also by-and-large want to move on from Narduzzi, but feel stuck with the buyout.
I think theyāre sort of crazy, heās kept them more relevant than they should be. But I guess as a fan, you have to experience the bad losses and losing streaks that have occurred to keep them from being double digit winners.
Would be hilarious if Capel outlasts Narduzzi.
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Pitt football has a hard ceiling because of their geography and conference alignment. Good players in their region want to play in the B1G. Thatās only going to get worse as the conference resourcing disparity intensifies. Of course a B1G invite isnāt coming, PSU wonāt allow it. Some players to like going to school in a city instead of a college town, which helps of course. But at the same time theyāre in a pro town with relatively little local fan support, playing in a pro stadium 10 miles from campus. So theyāre capped as an 8-9 win team most years. They just need to accept that.
Hoops has a higher ceiling. Letting Dixon go 10 years ago was a mistake. He couldāve had a Brownell like tenure once he figured the ACC out. The Capel situation reminds me of our Mox situation, heās clearly an improvement over the dumpster fire coach prior (Kevin Stallings) and is a likable enough guy, but canāt get over the hump to be a consistent winner. They need their own Pat Kelsey, young exciting mid major winner with a clear vision.
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Pitt playing at Acrisure Stadium isnāt ideal, but itās only 4 miles/10 minute drive from campus, so no need to exaggerate the distance. Also, it was purpose built by the city for both the Steelers and Pitt, so theyāre considered equal tenants. Itās not like Pitt is renting the stadium from the Steelers.
Agree with your other points though, Pittās never going to outrecruit Penn State and Ohio State located on either side of them, so theyāre fighting for the best of the remainder along with West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse and sometimes Virginia.
Itās a tough spot. Itās a midwestern football school or northeastern basketball school in a lower mid Atlantic-centric conference.
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Very much agree on all points, just noting that I think this is even a dramatic understatement of his performance. Said above, but heās put in a full 7 seasons and been to the NCAA tournament just 1 time - as a play-in game participant. Even Boston College would at least consider firing a guy who made the tourney once in 7 seasons. He has no conference regular season or tournament titles either, so not like thereās some other successes being ignored. He barely has an overall winning record (51.6%) and in conference is sitting at 41%. Definition of mediocrity.
For a place with the recent history of Pitt (all that Big East success) itās just unfathomable to me this is at all acceptable. Not saying they should have a crazy high bar or expect to win the ACC, but at least making the tournament every couple of seasons if not more consistently is a base level expectation. He had one half decent season and they screwed the next several years by giving a completely unnecessary extension. Itās malpractice. (I mostly care because I think too many ACC programs are being run so poorly and itās hurting all of us)
Dixon could see where the program was headed as an ACC member and he took the first good opportunity he had to leave. Under Dixon and Howland they recruited the Northeast heavily, especially the NYC area. They could sell frequent opportunities for their friends and families to watch Big East games on TV and in person and the BE tournament at MSG. Then going to the ACC, they lost all of that and now had no good recruiting areas.
It shouldnāt matter as much these days and it can be overcome, but Pitt hasnāt been able to adapt to be any more than a mid conference, tournament every few years level of team.
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God remember when there was smoke around us hiring Capel for a week or two last season?
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Dixon would have stayed but the job at his Alma mater opened upā¦ donāt follow your heart for a job - follow your head.
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WAKE FOR THE WIN
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Rodney Rogers passed. Sad news
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Rodney Rogers is one of my all-time favorite ACC players. He was so clutch when he played for Wake. One of the best. Very sad.
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