WHO replaces White?

Mediocrity will bring about apathy. I'll be honest, I pretty much stopped watching Mike White's Gator squads a couple of years ago. It was too frustrating to me to watch on offense. It seemed we stood around a lot to this layman's eyes. I don't mind a guy missing a good look at all, heck even miss a bunch of open looks, but if the offense doesn't work to get guys open or worse, run out of time on the shot clock, then something is wrong. I know that's probably a gross exaggeration especially since I haven't watched more than a couple of minutes of Gator BBall over the last year.

I don't dislike Mike White, just sometimes a change of scenery helps both school and coach. To think fans "pushed" White away is laughable to me. Seven years at one place with a downward trend given some of the talent means it was in his best interest to move on if an opportunity popped up.

 

Rick has been my first choice for some time now. This program will not
become irrelevant when he is around.

Need name recognition, cred with agents and handlers and the ability to recruit
the best talent. We've been lacking this for awhile. Rick would bring that back.

 

I don’t think it’s a huge reach at all. He probably has developed more players into pro-level players than any college coach out there since his arrival at Montverde. Some of Montverde’s teams could have beaten the Gators. The uncertainty with him is whether he can recruit at the college level the way he coached at Montverde.

 

Doug McDermott from Creighton would be a great choice. I don’t think he will leave but I’d like to think his agents already been contacted.

Boyle is someone that could make the jump. I don’t see this ever happening but he could do it.

 

I mentioned McCasland back on page 7, brother

for me he's in the "cautiously optimistic about their hire" group of guys along with coach Grant, Mark Pope, etc. I'm not as familiar with Linder and Golden though, so I defer to your expertise there.

another guy that I think ought to get some consideration in that same group, if we're looking at coaches outside the major conferences, would be Niko Medved - he's done a nice job improving both Furman and Colorado State from humble beginnings. Looks like CSU just signed him to an extension this week to try to hold off the poachers they know will be sniffing around, though, so I dunno how that would affect him as a possible candidate.

 

I really like McDermott and would love it if UF went after him. He's also got a commitment from Mason Miller for the BlueJays next season, so that would be a nice bonus if Mike's kid ended up coming here along with him.

 

I keep hearing Chris Holtmann from Ohio State come up with other potential jobs. Any word on him here?

 

He seems to be under some pressure there, I know I've seen his name come up on hot seat lists. He's probably looking for a lifeboat.

 

I want BD as HBC, MM as assistant coach.

 

Just hope our AD makes the right choice and recruiting picks up because in losing MW we may have guys looking at the transfer portal.

 

It strikes me that much is being said about fans running a coach out of Gainesville due to unrealistic expectations, or fans wanting a coach gone if he loses one game. Please.

It goes without saying (even though I am about to say it) that Florida is a big-time program. If we hire a coach in the "home run" tier, then he will be used to winning and fan base expectations. There is a reason a lot of coaches stay in the profession for many years, and the same reason that many mid-major coaches and assistant coaches want to coach at a big-time program: it is in their blood. I sincerely doubt a big-time coach is going to worry about fans' expectations and use that as a reason to NOT come here. A big-time coach is used to winning, and used to fan expectations, and welcomes them.

I hope the administration goes after a home-run hire, a big name. I hope the program will become the program we all want it to be: successful, respected, feared by the rest of the SEC, and one in which we can all be proud. It can happen, without a doubt.

 

and quoting myself....if the right mid major guy ends up at Florida....cough cough Matt Mcmahon.........I think that's a win.

 

I hope we don't hire anyone from Billy's coaching tree. I don't want anyone to think that we will keep them around for 7 years because they are a nice guy and a mediocre coach. Hiring someone with ties to UF will allow them the benefit of the doubt and extra years if they are just average.


I want someone salty, with a burning desire to win.

 

What is the obsession with taking coaches who have won nothing or not even been a part of a winning program just because they have had a modicum of success at the current programs they are at? That seems to be the case with the interest in coaches from Virginia Tech, Baylor (although Baylor has had success recently), Gates, Golden, Konkol, McMahon, Wes Miller, Oats, and Richey. We tried that with White and it failed. We tried that with Billy and it succeeded, but Billy was a protege of a Hall of Fame two-time national champion coach that you say we won't touch even in the era of NIL. I think that is bad business. The SEC is saturated with Hall of Fame coaches who literally coached Mike White into the concession (excuse the pun) stands for popcorn game after game year after year. We can't afford at this juncture to allow another coach to intern at our expense. 7 years is enough. White had 6'2" guards routinely guarding 6'9" power forwards. Are these new upstarts going to have 270 pound 6'8" forwards trying to play the point? We can't afford to take that chance. We need a coach who knows that you have to bring length as well as exceptional ball control into the SEC to have a chance at winning. White never got the memo.

I can understand why we, given our past transgression with the NCAA, would shy away from Pitino, but clauses can be built into the contract for salary forfeiture for any violations that are sustained against the university. I think Pitino would be willing to defer salary in a balloon payment clause contingent upon the program passing several years of audits and reaching certain ethical metrics (i.e. graduation). With NIL, it would appear that blatant cheating is negated by legitimate opportunities for athletes to get compensated. So a coach's past transgressions should not be an impediment to hiring.

 

This is quite the rant.
But it doesn’t change the fact that we won’t hire any of the guys on your list.
And again- Pitino is retiring at Iona.

 

Without Pitino, there is no Billy. So there must be good in the man. Sometimes you have to walk on faith that after 7 years of torture because let's face it- that is what is was, that God will give us someone who no matter what his past was, will restore us to prominence. If any coach in Division 1 can do it and do it quickly, it is Rick Pitino. The banners in the rafters would wave upon his hire, but they would for Grant also.

 

You would rather have Pitino over Scott Drew? I don't even really see how Baylor can be included in this list considering they are the reigning NCAA champion.

 

I agree with the sentiment but cannot include Drew and Baylor. He’s had major success and won a freaking title. He is a grand slam hire.

 

Yeah, like what? I'd take Drew's resume at UF in a heartbeat