Big Sky Coaching Carousel

[Skippy]

It doesn't feel like things are going well up at ISU. Most available players are deciding where they will be playing next year and the majority will have made up their minds by next Wednesday. ISU has players sitting on the fence, waiting to stay or transfer. ISU has not made a hire as of this writing. It feels like their top choices have looked at what they have to offer and have pulled out. They may be scrambling right now and that is never good.

I hope they find someone willing to take that mess on. :wall:

They interviewed 13 candidates at the Final Four last weekend, then brought three finalists to campus this week. I’d expect a decision next week. Don’t know the finalists other than Gus Argenal, assistant at Nevada. Have heard Saul Phillips, who led North Dakota State to an NCAA tournament win over Oklahoma among other accomplishments, has also been involved, along with Ryan Looney, who took Point Loma to D-2 title game this year. Don’t know if Phillips or Looney made final 3, but Argenal interviewed in Poky on Tuesday.

ISU has two players in the portal right now, Boyd and Chivichyan, but both have said they are waiting for a coaching decision before deciding to transfer. If both came back and there were no other defections, ISU would return their top 8 players next year. Which would be a pretty deep and experienced team for a new coach to inherit. But there is always the possibility of turnover when you get a new coach.

 

[oldrunner]

It doesn't feel like things are going well up at ISU. Most available players are deciding where they will be playing next year and the majority will have made up their minds by next Wednesday. ISU has players sitting on the fence, waiting to stay or transfer. ISU has not made a hire as of this writing. It feels like their top choices have looked at what they have to offer and have pulled out. They may be scrambling right now and that is never good.

I hope they find someone willing to take that mess on. :wall:

They interviewed 13 candidates at the Final Four last weekend, then brought three finalists to campus this week. I’d expect a decision next week. Don’t know the finalists other than Gus Argenal, assistant at Nevada. Have heard Saul Phillips, who led North Dakota State to an NCAA tournament win over Oklahoma among other accomplishments, has also been involved, along with Ryan Looney, who took Point Loma to D-2 title game this year. Don’t know if Phillips or Looney made final 3, but Argenal interviewed in Poky on Tuesday.

ISU has two players in the portal right now, Boyd and Chivichyan, but both have said they are waiting for a coaching decision before deciding to transfer. If both came back and there were no other defections, ISU would return their top 8 players next year. Which would be a pretty deep and experienced team for a new coach to inherit. But there is always the possibility of turnover when you get a new coach.

I know at least one of your guys has a PAC12 offer on the line. Even though only two have entered the portal, I'm sure that more are thinking about it. A new coach may also send some guys packing, you never know. I'm not saying that is all a bad thing. Sometimes a shakeup is good. It just may take longer for a new coach to get things set up the way he wants. For this years recruiting, you may be counting on the transfer market and that can go a lot of ways. It could be really good or really bad, most likely somewhere in between.

No matter who is the coach, you still have the facilities problems, the fan support problems, the money problems, the remoteness problem, and a tradition problem. Any coach will be fighting an uphill battle.

 

[Skippy]

It doesn't feel like things are going well up at ISU. Most available players are deciding where they will be playing next year and the majority will have made up their minds by next Wednesday. ISU has players sitting on the fence, waiting to stay or transfer. ISU has not made a hire as of this writing. It feels like their top choices have looked at what they have to offer and have pulled out. They may be scrambling right now and that is never good.

I hope they find someone willing to take that mess on. :wall:

They interviewed 13 candidates at the Final Four last weekend, then brought three finalists to campus this week. I’d expect a decision next week. Don’t know the finalists other than Gus Argenal, assistant at Nevada. Have heard Saul Phillips, who led North Dakota State to an NCAA tournament win over Oklahoma among other accomplishments, has also been involved, along with Ryan Looney, who took Point Loma to D-2 title game this year. Don’t know if Phillips or Looney made final 3, but Argenal interviewed in Poky on Tuesday.

ISU has two players in the portal right now, Boyd and Chivichyan, but both have said they are waiting for a coaching decision before deciding to transfer. If both came back and there were no other defections, ISU would return their top 8 players next year. Which would be a pretty deep and experienced team for a new coach to inherit. But there is always the possibility of turnover when you get a new coach.

I know at least one of your guys has a PAC12 offer on the line. Even though only two have entered the portal, I'm sure that more are thinking about it. A new coach may also send some guys packing, you never know. I'm not saying that is all a bad thing. Sometimes a shakeup is good. It just may take longer for a new coach to get things set up the way he wants. For this years recruiting, you may be counting on the transfer market and that can go a lot of ways. It could be really good or really bad, most likely somewhere in between.

No matter who is the coach, you still have the facilities problems, the fan support problems, the money problems, the remoteness problem, and a tradition problem. Any coach will be fighting an uphill battle.

Always. But that is Idaho State’s lot in life. Makes us enjoy the few good seasons even more.

 

[oldrunner]

It doesn't feel like things are going well up at ISU. Most available players are deciding where they will be playing next year and the majority will have made up their minds by next Wednesday. ISU has players sitting on the fence, waiting to stay or transfer. ISU has not made a hire as of this writing. It feels like their top choices have looked at what they have to offer and have pulled out. They may be scrambling right now and that is never good.

I hope they find someone willing to take that mess on. :wall:

They interviewed 13 candidates at the Final Four last weekend, then brought three finalists to campus this week. I’d expect a decision next week. Don’t know the finalists other than Gus Argenal, assistant at Nevada. Have heard Saul Phillips, who led North Dakota State to an NCAA tournament win over Oklahoma among other accomplishments, has also been involved, along with Ryan Looney, who took Point Loma to D-2 title game this year. Don’t know if Phillips or Looney made final 3, but Argenal interviewed in Poky on Tuesday.

ISU has two players in the portal right now, Boyd and Chivichyan, but both have said they are waiting for a coaching decision before deciding to transfer. If both came back and there were no other defections, ISU would return their top 8 players next year. Which would be a pretty deep and experienced team for a new coach to inherit. But there is always the possibility of turnover when you get a new coach.

I know at least one of your guys has a PAC12 offer on the line. Even though only two have entered the portal, I'm sure that more are thinking about it. A new coach may also send some guys packing, you never know. I'm not saying that is all a bad thing. Sometimes a shakeup is good. It just may take longer for a new coach to get things set up the way he wants. For this years recruiting, you may be counting on the transfer market and that can go a lot of ways. It could be really good or really bad, most likely somewhere in between.

No matter who is the coach, you still have the facilities problems, the fan support problems, the money problems, the remoteness problem, and a tradition problem. Any coach will be fighting an uphill battle.

Always. But that is Idaho State’s lot in life. Makes us enjoy the few good seasons even more.

I love ISU fans for that very reason. I have always loved the rivalry we have with each other. I even like the road trip to Pokey.

 

[Skippy]

Argenal, Nevada, Phillips, North Dakota State/Ohio U, and Looney, Point Loma, apparently were the three finalists. Looney is in Poky today, Phillips interviewed over the weekend and Argenal last week. Would expect a decision sometime later this week.

 

[sasquatch]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

 

[oldrunner]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

The rats have started jumping off the NAU ship. Murphy saw his chance to swim to another ship and jumped. NAU and ISU are in similar situations. They are in serious need of facilities upgrades and have let things go for far too long. It's hard to recruit to a place that doesn't have a legitimate D1 court to play and practice on. There are a few programs in the BSC who are in this same situation. They need an influx of money or things are not going to get better. All the new coaches in the world can't fix what is wrong with these programs until they fix their foundation. With a good foundation they can start to build a solid program.

 

[Skippy]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

The rats have started jumping off the NAU ship. Murphy saw his chance to swim to another ship and jumped. NAU and ISU are in similar situations. They are in serious need of facilities upgrades and have let things go for far too long. It's hard to recruit to a place that doesn't have a legitimate D1 court to play and practice on. There are a few programs in the BSC who are in this same situation. They need an influx of money or things are not going to get better. All the new coaches in the world can't fix what is wrong with these programs until they fix their foundation. With a good foundation they can start to build a solid program.

Ryan Looney is planning to take ISU back to Reed Gym fulltime, which I believe is the right move. The energy level there is much better than Holt, especially when there are only 1,200 people in the stands. Long-term, I think Idaho State needs to make a commitment to Reed, invest in some improved seating, concessions and rest room facilities and try to make it the best situation they can. They will never raise the money necessary to build a new arena. The administration passed on the opportunity in the early 2000s, using money that would have built a new arena for the Performing Arts Center instead. The cost of construction has doubled since then, and there are no more "sugar daddies" available to make the kind of "lead gift" necessary to make an arena happen.

The Idaho experience is instructive. They are going to spend $80 million, including $33 million in interest to bond their new arena, which will seat 4,000 fans. This for a program that averages 700 fans a game. What an incredible waste of resources. And their athletic department is already $2 million in the red. There are a lot of athletic programs in similar circumstances in the Big Sky. Northern Colorado has been grappling with deficits recently, and even Montana, once the "showcase" program in the conference, is dealing with shrinking enrollment and the impacts that is having on student fee support.

 

[oldrunner]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

The rats have started jumping off the NAU ship. Murphy saw his chance to swim to another ship and jumped. NAU and ISU are in similar situations. They are in serious need of facilities upgrades and have let things go for far too long. It's hard to recruit to a place that doesn't have a legitimate D1 court to play and practice on. There are a few programs in the BSC who are in this same situation. They need an influx of money or things are not going to get better. All the new coaches in the world can't fix what is wrong with these programs until they fix their foundation. With a good foundation they can start to build a solid program.

Ryan Looney is planning to take ISU back to Reed Gym fulltime, which I believe is the right move. The energy level there is much better than Holt, especially when there are only 1,200 people in the stands. Long-term, I think Idaho State needs to make a commitment to Reed, invest in some improved seating, concessions and rest room facilities and try to make it the best situation they can. They will never raise the money necessary to build a new arena. The administration passed on the opportunity in the early 2000s, using money that would have built a new arena for the Performing Arts Center instead. The cost of construction has doubled since then, and there are no more "sugar daddies" available to make the kind of "lead gift" necessary to make an arena happen.

The Idaho experience is instructive. They are going to spend $80 million, including $33 million in interest to bond their new arena, which will seat 4,000 fans. This for a program that averages 700 fans a game. What an incredible waste of resources. And their athletic department is already $2 million in the red. There are a lot of athletic programs in similar circumstances in the Big Sky. Northern Colorado has been grappling with deficits recently, and even Montana, once the "showcase" program in the conference, is dealing with shrinking enrollment and the impacts that is having on student fee support.

What should be instructive is that the costs are all relative and they don't seem to go down over time. A disintegrating infrastructure needs to be dealt with. If it isn't, you lose everything. Hindsight should tell you that if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. People that care need to get the stick out of their collective butts and get things moving. I look at Sac, and the size of their community, there is no reason that money can't be raised to upgrade their campus. Granted, it is a bigger struggle at ISU, but it is not impossible to get this thing done. You just need to start the process and not stop until it is done. Apathy is what is killing you.

 

[Skippy]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

The rats have started jumping off the NAU ship. Murphy saw his chance to swim to another ship and jumped. NAU and ISU are in similar situations. They are in serious need of facilities upgrades and have let things go for far too long. It's hard to recruit to a place that doesn't have a legitimate D1 court to play and practice on. There are a few programs in the BSC who are in this same situation. They need an influx of money or things are not going to get better. All the new coaches in the world can't fix what is wrong with these programs until they fix their foundation. With a good foundation they can start to build a solid program.

Ryan Looney is planning to take ISU back to Reed Gym fulltime, which I believe is the right move. The energy level there is much better than Holt, especially when there are only 1,200 people in the stands. Long-term, I think Idaho State needs to make a commitment to Reed, invest in some improved seating, concessions and rest room facilities and try to make it the best situation they can. They will never raise the money necessary to build a new arena. The administration passed on the opportunity in the early 2000s, using money that would have built a new arena for the Performing Arts Center instead. The cost of construction has doubled since then, and there are no more "sugar daddies" available to make the kind of "lead gift" necessary to make an arena happen.

The Idaho experience is instructive. They are going to spend $80 million, including $33 million in interest to bond their new arena, which will seat 4,000 fans. This for a program that averages 700 fans a game. What an incredible waste of resources. And their athletic department is already $2 million in the red. There are a lot of athletic programs in similar circumstances in the Big Sky. Northern Colorado has been grappling with deficits recently, and even Montana, once the "showcase" program in the conference, is dealing with shrinking enrollment and the impacts that is having on student fee support.

What should be instructive is that the costs are all relative and they don't seem to go down over time. A disintegrating infrastructure needs to be dealt with. If it isn't, you lose everything. Hindsight should tell you that if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. People that care need to get the stick out of their collective butts and get things moving. I look at Sac, and the size of their community, there is no reason that money can't be raised to upgrade their campus. Granted, it is a bigger struggle at ISU, but it is not impossible to get this thing done. You just need to start the process and not stop until it is done. Apathy is what is killing you.

If you'll recall, Tingey announced about 7 or 8 years ago he was starting a campaign to build a new arena, even declared it a "top priority" for the athletic department. Seven or eight years later, no "lead gift" was identified.

I've talked to Joe Borich, who was hired to be ISU's lead fundraiser for the athletic department a couple of years ago. Nobody more engaging or enthusiastic than Joe. He has beaten every bush he can find to locate a "lead gift," with no success. It's not like folks haven't been trying to find the resources to do this.

Now if you want to do what Idaho did, which is to go into massive long-term debt to build an arena to accommodate that 700 fan average turnout, I suppose you can. To me, that makes absolutely no sense. And I'm expecting that more and more people at smaller institutions like those that make up the Big Sky Conference are going to start to say, "Tell me again why we are pouring millions of dollars into athletic infrastructure to accommodate the few hundred people who actually care about the program?"

ISU is an extreme example because of where it's located, but there are plenty of other schools in the Big Sky in similar circumstances: NAU, UNC, Portland State, Sac State, Idaho...Heck, even Weber and Montana's basketball attendance is down significantly from the "good, old days" of the 1980s and early 1990s, when it peaked. More and more, athletics at the non-Power 5 institutions are going to have to make their case for why they deserve significant "infrastructure investment" at a time when schools are struggling with declining enrollments.

 

[oldrunner]

Murphy gone at NAU. First year assistant Burcar is given the interim tag for a year, after spending the last 12 years coaching high school ball. This should be interesting.

The rats have started jumping off the NAU ship. Murphy saw his chance to swim to another ship and jumped. NAU and ISU are in similar situations. They are in serious need of facilities upgrades and have let things go for far too long. It's hard to recruit to a place that doesn't have a legitimate D1 court to play and practice on. There are a few programs in the BSC who are in this same situation. They need an influx of money or things are not going to get better. All the new coaches in the world can't fix what is wrong with these programs until they fix their foundation. With a good foundation they can start to build a solid program.

Ryan Looney is planning to take ISU back to Reed Gym fulltime, which I believe is the right move. The energy level there is much better than Holt, especially when there are only 1,200 people in the stands. Long-term, I think Idaho State needs to make a commitment to Reed, invest in some improved seating, concessions and rest room facilities and try to make it the best situation they can. They will never raise the money necessary to build a new arena. The administration passed on the opportunity in the early 2000s, using money that would have built a new arena for the Performing Arts Center instead. The cost of construction has doubled since then, and there are no more "sugar daddies" available to make the kind of "lead gift" necessary to make an arena happen.

The Idaho experience is instructive. They are going to spend $80 million, including $33 million in interest to bond their new arena, which will seat 4,000 fans. This for a program that averages 700 fans a game. What an incredible waste of resources. And their athletic department is already $2 million in the red. There are a lot of athletic programs in similar circumstances in the Big Sky. Northern Colorado has been grappling with deficits recently, and even Montana, once the "showcase" program in the conference, is dealing with shrinking enrollment and the impacts that is having on student fee support.

What should be instructive is that the costs are all relative and they don't seem to go down over time. A disintegrating infrastructure needs to be dealt with. If it isn't, you lose everything. Hindsight should tell you that if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. People that care need to get the stick out of their collective butts and get things moving. I look at Sac, and the size of their community, there is no reason that money can't be raised to upgrade their campus. Granted, it is a bigger struggle at ISU, but it is not impossible to get this thing done. You just need to start the process and not stop until it is done. Apathy is what is killing you.

If you'll recall, Tingey announced about 7 or 8 years ago he was starting a campaign to build a new arena, even declared it a "top priority" for the athletic department. Seven or eight years later, no "lead gift" was identified.

I've talked to Joe Borich, who was hired to be ISU's lead fundraiser for the athletic department a couple of years ago. Nobody more engaging or enthusiastic than Joe. He has beaten every bush he can find to locate a "lead gift," with no success. It's not like folks haven't been trying to find the resources to do this.

Now if you want to do what Idaho did, which is to go into massive long-term debt to build an arena to accommodate that 700 fan average turnout, I suppose you can. To me, that makes absolutely no sense. And I'm expecting that more and more people at smaller institutions like those that make up the Big Sky Conference are going to start to say, "Tell me again why we are pouring millions of dollars into athletic infrastructure to accommodate the few hundred people who actually care about the program?"

ISU is an extreme example because of where it's located, but there are plenty of other schools in the Big Sky in similar circumstances: NAU, UNC, Portland State, Sac State, Idaho...Heck, even Weber and Montana's basketball attendance is down significantly from the "good, old days" of the 1980s and early 1990s, when it peaked. More and more, athletics at the non-Power 5 institutions are going to have to make their case for why they deserve significant "infrastructure investment" at a time when schools are struggling with declining enrollments.

You don't need a 'lead gift' to get started. With better facilities, more people would come out and bring more money into the school. If you are proud of your school and community, start supporting it. If people don't get off their rear ends, it's going to die on the vine. Crap, have a bake sale, go door to door, sell bricks, sell pizzas, beg, barrow, but do what ever it takes. Don't wait around for a sugar daddy that may never come. Take your 1200 fans and get something going. It will be like a snowball rolling down a hill, it will get bigger and momentum will pick up, but you must start it on its way. :thumb:

 

[n.ogdencat]

Murphy has jumped ship eh? Well, the writing is on the wall. To get a contract extension/renewal he would need to win a conference title and go dancing. That isn't going to happen; last I checked Murphy still needed 2 more guys to fill out his roster. So, why not go to Arizona, make two or three times as much for a year or two and go from there. Yes, there is a great chance by the end of next year he doesn't have a job anyway, but he will make a lot more being associate head coach at a PAC-12 than being head coach at a Big Sky school. It is all financial for Murphy. Who knows what he is getting at Arizona but, right now, its pastures are greener than anything in Flagstaff. Terrible situation for Burcar to get thrown into. At least he has a year under his belt and knows the guys on his roster.

As for the facilities debate...personally, I think Bengal hit the nail on the head. Do what you can do now, and focus immediately on those things that are under your control. Yes, the Reed is a pig and anything ISU does to improve that facility is akin to putting lipstick on the pig. BUT, if it is the only option, work with what you have. Improve the bathrooms, locker rooms, and concessions (even though the LOLT is tough to pass off as a basketball facility, it is, to me, a far better option than relegating your DI team to a high school gym). For the past 15 years ISU has been doing the same things wishing for different results. Tingey also said that he only wanted games in the Reed until it became begrudgingly clear that the Reed is not the answer. Bub before Tingey tried to force the Reed over Holt issue and also lost. By going to the Reed you are wasting/abandoning a new floor and all the improvements ISU has invested in the Lolt over the past decade. Yet, what is the answer? Neither is much of an option. So, why not try the Reed again and this time put money into the facility and see what happens. ISU and UI are in tough situations. Far better academic institutions than the smurf turf, but by being in the capital and MW, all money is flowing to Boise. Idaho is desperately trying to keep up with the Jones and is only hurting themselves in the process.

 

[oldrunner]

Looks like UI is trying to get rid of their coach.

https://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/college/university-of-idaho/article231264623.html

 

[oldrunner]

Still no word out of UI. They were supposed to have a decision made by last weekend, but nothing. They really are letting this drag on. Most of the fans up in Mosco are counting him as gone. A few, unnamed, players are reported to have left or simply not shown up for the summer session.

I think it is officially time to start counting UI and NAU as bottom of the pack once again. UI fans are all butt hurt that they can't keep up with BSU. I think they should be more worried about keeping up with NAU.

 

[oldrunner]

As of a few minutes ago, the UI boards are saying that Don has now been fired. What a total dumpster fire going on at UI.

 

[oldrunner]

Here is a more official announcement on it.

https://twitter.com/ClarkTrib/status/1139678853150806016

 

[weberwildcat]

with this coaching change in winterfell, i mean moskva i think the vandals should likely still qualify for the big sky tourney. :rockon:

 

[oldrunner]

with this coaching change in winterfell, i mean moskva i think the vandals should likely still qualify for the big sky tourney. :rockon:

I've been to Moska and Misla; neither place is worth a pound of puppy shizz, IMHO. Making the BSC tourney isn't what it used to be. :lol: :yikes: :wall:

 

[oldrunner]

Oh, and BTW, welcome back Sir. :rimshot:

 

[oldrunner]

If UI doesn't take a good long look at Duft, they are fools. IMHO, he is absolutely perfect for the rebuilding of their program into something they can be proud of. Of course, knowing UI, they will make another poor choice.

Oh well. What ya gonna do, It's UI.