Richard Pitino Jr is the next head coach.

[GoMuskies]

Imagine how much more cut like a diamond Smydra would have gotten if he was being paid.

[MuskiePimp23]

Serious question because I don't know the answer...has there ever been a coach return to a school and matched or improved the second time there? Small sample size, but Miller, Matta, Dave Leito all had less success when they returned.

I think Miller's second stint was a major disappointment. With that said the last 3 years were a lot better than Steele and they were also better than Miller's first 3 years at X. I guess it's about how you define success. Miller also won 3 NCAA games in 3 years including getting to a Sweet 16. So he won more games than Pitino has in 13 years and also took a team to the second weekend. Miller also had the Sweet 16 team with Steeles players + Souley Boum.

[xuphan]

I think Miller's second stint was a major disappointment. With that said the last 3 years were a lot better than Steele and they were also better than Miller's first 3 years at X. I guess it's about how you define success.

Welcome coach! Now hit the portal. Gotta buy a whole new team in the next couple of months.

[Strange Brew]

Imagine how much more cut like a diamond Smydra would have gotten if he was being paid.

:). Wow, that’s one from the lore chest annnd thank you for the laugh.

[MuskiePimp23]

Spot on D-West with every one of your points. I'm not sure Point #4 is registering fully enough around here. In this new era of big money, high pressure, transitory basketball, it just seems that a younger, full-of-energy, talented coach is what is needed. I would have been fine had the decision been about Mack. I'm actually ecstatic that Greg went with Richard Pitino. The 42 years old thing coupled with his deep experience and recent resume at UNM seals it for me. I'm not suggesting that any coach is over the hill once they hit 50, but I just feel that the passion and energy level will be fully present in someone in their 40's who otherwise eats, breathes and sleeps college basketball.

It's rather ridiculous to factor Pitino's Minnesota experience into this. It's a backwater B1G job, and he went into it when he was 30 years old. MN had funding issues for basketball when he was there. They play in a building that is close to 100 years old - it opened the same year as Schmidt Memorial Fieldhouse (1928). It's last major renovation was in 1950. It makes Hinkle look nice.

One other thing. Whether you believe it or not - and you should believe it - this move is going to present a unique and wild marketing/PR opportunity for Xavier. The television executives behind our media agreement are salivating over this news. We just blew up their inventory pecking order. National Fox broadcasts for this coming year probably had UCONN, UCONN and UCONN at or close to the top of their scheduling list. Not anymore. When these two go at each other in MSG and the Cintas Center, national interest will be in play.

Hiring Pitino was a masterstroke by Greg.

Richard Pitino succeeding at Xavier, coupled with the changing landscape of college basketball, especially on the funding advantages side, should advance our standing. The glass is very much half full.

Who cares about how old someone is? How old was Shaka when he took VCU to the Final Four? Wasn't Brad Steven's early 30's when he took Butler to back to back championship games? All age tells me is he's more likely to leave for a bigger program with success versus Mack who's been to a bigger program and wants to come home, take X to new heights and eventually sail off into the sunset to become a bass masters champion.

[94GRAD]

Who cares about how old someone is? How old was Shaka when he took VCU to the Final Four? Wasn't Brad Steven's early 30's when he took Butler to back to back championship games? All age tells me is he's more likely to leave for a bigger program with success versus Mack who's been to a bigger program and wants to come home, take X to new heights and eventually sail off into the sunset to become a bass masters champion.

If he leaves for a better program, that means we had some great seasons as fans. When he leaves, we will get the next up-and-coming coach to shepherd us forward!

[bleedXblue]

Who cares about how old someone is? How old was Shaka when he took VCU to the Final Four? Wasn't Brad Steven's early 30's when he took Butler to back to back championship games? All age tells me is he's more likely to leave for a bigger program with success versus Mack who's been to a bigger program and wants to come home, take X to new heights and eventually sail off into the sunset to become a bass masters champion.

He said that 8 years ago and promptly dumped us at the height of the program

[Xville]

I’m not concerned with coaches leaving any more. If they do great of course they are going to leave if a bigger job opens up. X just have to keep pushing forward and hiring the right guys. Would some continuity be nice? Sure, but I’m not naive anymore to this. There are only so many unicorns out there… few, weight, Bennett, McDermott. I’m just not going to count on getting one of those anymore. Can’t trust Mack’s word or anyone else’s.

I just hope pitino does great things in the time that he is here. Let’s fucking go!

[FishingXfan]

My take. I’m loving the Pitino hire more and more. Sure, I was all in to bring Mack at first. Safety, familiarity, nostalgia. Then as being a X fan @ heart, I think of the way he ran off and broke my heart when everything was going so good I thought. X doesn’t want to look like the guy who takes the cheater back every time they say sorry then only to leave again. I like the fire now. Hopefully he can bring Dent with him.


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[MHettel]

I’m not concerned with coaches leaving any more. If they do great of course they are going to leave if a bigger job opens up. X just have to keep pushing forward and hiring the right guys. Would some continuity be nice? Sure, but I’m not naive anymore to this. There are only so many unicorns out there… few, weight, Bennett, McDermott. I’m just not going to count on getting one of those anymore. Can’t trust Mack’s word or anyone else’s.

I just hope pitino does great things in the time that he is here. Let’s fucking go!

It’s the constant resetting that is the problem. We have a mini set back each time one of these guys leave. Let’s just imagine a world where miller never left the first time. Would we have a Final 4 banner? Gotta think maybe/probably yes. We were rolling. He leaves and we get a hiccup. Mack left some players for Steele but no recruits. Steele fumbled it away. Steele left Miller a veteral team that just won the NIT and Claude as a recruit. Miller is leaving nothing. Those little setbacks just add up.

You mentioned Few and Wright. What did those guys have in common?