Wish List Poll...

[Ldlane]

Having been behind the scenes during the SEC Championship year, T.R. was clearly the backbone. The players respected him, listened to him, learned from him. Moreso than anyone else on the staff including CMG.

He cried in the hallway that day when we won the title. It meant a lot to him and I have no doubt he has the knowledge and passion to come back here and be successful. (and if you know TR, comparing him to Dubose is ridiculous)

Call it whatever you want, but all this Tubby Smith, Calipari, Knight stuff is unrealistic. We will hire a young gun probably. I just think TR should get a look.

I don't think anyone doubts his passion for Alabama, but that won't get us to the NCAA tourny and championship.

 

[Quest413]

I don't post much as evidenced by my third team status....but I thought I'd weigh in on our coaching search with my own opinion...I hope we try to make a "Sabanesque" hire in basketball. Not Bob Knight or anyone retired like that...but someone along the lines of Calipari , Few , Pitino , someone of that stature and if we fail in that attempt I want the best young coach in America who will bring energy and toughness to our team....we have athletes....we just need to better use thier talents on the floor.....That's my $.02

 

[CrimsonChuck]

Here is an article on scout.com about our coaching search, although we pretty much covered everything in this thread...
Scout.com: Attention Shifts To Coach Search

The only name in his top 10 that I don't believe that I have seen here is Scott Sutton of Oral Roberts.

 

[Alasippi]

We finally learned our lesson in Football and now it's time to do the same in basketball:

Ties to the university should have no place in the evaluation process.

Find the very best coach available. If he happens to have Bama ties, so be it.
If not, it shouldn't be a factor in the decision.

I went to school with T.R. and I think he deserves an interview, but he should get the job only if he turns out to be the absolute best candidate for the job.

 

[Spot Dailey]

The last time our BB team did anything significant, T.R. Dunn was the guy in the shadows that made it happen. I think we couldn't find a better replacement than T.R.

 

[ElephanTideis]

T.R. Dunn would be a Chizik-esque hire. no thank you.

 

[RedStar]

I will say this about Calipari, he and Saban are big friends and I've definitely heard he wants out of CUSA.

The only way we get a big name coach is if the powers that be at the University step aside and give said coach full control. The only way we got Saban was by giving him the keys to the kingdom. He is the most powerful coach in football. If we want to have a coach like that in basketball, we're going to have to give them JUST as much power.

The Calipari's and Pitino's of the world will continue to be pipe dreams only as long as we let them be. If we offered 2.5 mil per year and gave absolute control to whomever took over, I don't see too many coaches being able to turn that down.

I really don't understand the T.R. Dunn movement. Why would we go after someone who's unproven? We aren't Auburn.

 

[bamasae]

I was gonna quote a couple of different posts, but I didn't want anybody thinking I was picking a fight with just them. With that said...

I think some people are getting a little silly with all the "aim-high" sorta comments. Would I love to have a Calipari or Few or Izzo or Petino? Sure. But our "commitment" to basketball is in no way comparable to football. Our facilities suck, plain and simple...spin it any way you want. Yes, I heard CM on the radio today, but he was being kind and we all know it.

Even if the power brokers found some desire to pony up for a "great" coach, I just don't see them doing an overhaul of the facilities that coach would demand.

Of the "big" names out there, we might have a shot at Tubby and maybe Mike Anderson or Sean Miller. Best case scenario in my eyes is getting someone like Grant who is willing, able and patient enough to build the program into a consistent winner for a few years and filling seats. Then getting the big dogs to buy into building the facilities to keep the coach (and program) there.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

I was gonna quote a couple of different posts, but I didn't want anybody thinking I was picking a fight with just them. With that said...

I think some people are getting a little silly with all the "aim-high" sorta comments. Would I love to have a Calipari or Few or Izzo or Petino? Sure. But our "commitment" to basketball is in no way comparable to football. Our facilities suck, plain and simple...spin it any way you want. Yes, I heard CM on the radio today, but he was being kind and we all know it.

Even if the power brokers found some desire to pony up for a "great" coach, I just don't see them doing an overhaul of the facilities that coach would demand.

Of the "big" names out there, we might have a shot at Tubby and maybe Mike Anderson or Sean Miller. Best case scenario in my eyes is getting someone like Grant who is willing, able and patient enough to build the program into a consistent winner for a few years and filling seats. Then getting the big dogs to buy into building the facilities to keep the coach (and program) there.

Facilities are certainly important, but what about the general environment for basketball around here, which has been mediocre for more than 30 years, and that's on a good night.

First C.M. built it up, then Wimp, then Gottfried for a few years. But nothing ever sticks.

That's what drove C.M. away -- not that football was king, but that he could beat two Top 5 teams back to back as he did on a road trip in '79 or '80 and come home to a half-filled Coleman. I was there, and it was humiliating to be a part of. And more than a decade later, Newton still hadn't gotten over it.

There were periods under him, Wimp and even Mark, when we drew well for a period of time. But even then, the support was never what the program deserved. Never. And the biggest culprit? The student body. Why?

Answer that question before we start throwing around names, big or small.

 

[Spot Dailey]

I really don't understand the T.R. Dunn movement. Why would we go after someone who's unproven? We aren't Auburn.

Comparing T.R. Dunn to Cheez it is ludicrous. T.R. was a winner when he played here and a winner as assistant coach. Running him down because he's a pro coach is also ludicrous. Who else was a pro coach......let's see Petino.
Nobody on your list knows the nuts and bolts of the game any better than T.R.
I'm sorry but I don't understand your disdain for T.R.

Some of you guys are name or star crazy. Bobby Knight = madness. Tubby... what an overblown joke. Some of the others are totally unrealistic.
T.R.s passion for Bama and the game makes him the perfect fit.
Comparison's to Dubose are, shall I say it? ......Ludicrous.

 

[bamasae]

I can't say I disagree with you Eyeshade. The fan base has never been solid (attendance wise) and so the commitment from an administration standpoint has been as equally lukewarm.

Honestly, I think the administration (and for the most part the fan base) just wants something they can talk about from time to time while they wait for football season. Like people who get a puppy and just stick it in the back yard so they can go play with every once in a while. They don't really want to to train it or deal with it on a daily basis...but then they can't figure out why the dog digs out of the fence and knocks over trash cans and bites the neighbor.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

I can't say I disagree with you Eyeshade. The fan base has never been solid (attendance wise) and so the commitment from an administration standpoint has been as equally lukewarm.

Honestly, I think the administration (and for the most part the fan base) just wants something they can talk about from time to time while they wait for football season. Like people who get a puppy and just stick it in the back yard so they can go play with every once in a while. They don't really want to to train it or deal with it on a daily basis...but then they can't figure out why the dog digs out of the fence and knocks over trash cans and bites the neighbor.

That's a great metaphor, SAE.

To be fair, the school kicked in some pretty serious money into the Coleman upgrade, and football money built the original venue.

And yet, 40 years since Paul Bryant brought in C.M. Newton, our basketball program is as moribund as it was under Hayden Riley. C.M. thought race was a big factor in his day. Maybe it still is. But I watch the Big 10 and much of the Big 12, and the game isn't any better, yet the arenas are packed.

Ohio State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Texas -- all big-time football schools with big-time football aspirations, and they support basketball. And most lack our basketball tradition.

So I ask again: What the hell is wrong with us? And please don't lay this all at Mark Gottfried's feet. When it comes to basketball, we've had plenty of winners, and we've never fully supported them either.

Would prospective coaches expect that to magically change?

 

[RedStar]

Comparing T.R. Dunn to Cheez it is ludicrous. T.R. was a winner when he played here and a winner as assistant coach. Running him down because he's a pro coach is also ludicrous. Who else was a pro coach......let's see Petino.
Nobody on your list knows the nuts and bolts of the game any better than T.R.
I'm sorry but I don't understand your disdain for T.R.

Some of you guys are name or star crazy. Bobby Knight = madness. Tubby... what an overblown joke. Some of the others are totally unrealistic.
T.R.s passion for Bama and the game makes him the perfect fit.
Comparison's to Dubose are, shall I say it? ......Ludicrous.

No one on my list knows the nuts and bolts of the game? I wasn't aware that Calipari and Petino were so inferior to T.R. Please forgive me.

Also if I'm not mistaken, Chizik was a proven assistant too, but as we have seen, that doesn't always translate to success as a head coach.

What I don't understand is why in the world you'd rather go after T.R. than a big name coach. Honestly, if you don't try to go after the big names, you wont get them. So what's the harm in trying? Why aim low?

 

[trample-em]

Facilities are certainly important, but what about the general environment for basketball around here, which has been mediocre for more than 30 years, and that's on a good night.

First C.M. built it up, then Wimp, then Gottfried for a few years. But nothing ever sticks.

That's what drove C.M. away -- not that football was king, but that he could beat two Top 5 teams back to back as he did on a road trip in '79 or '80 and come home to a half-filled Coleman. I was there, and it was humiliating to be a part of. And more than a decade later, Newton still hadn't gotten over it.

There were periods under him, Wimp and even Mark, when we drew well for a period of time. But even then, the support was never what the program deserved. Never. And the biggest culprit? The student body. Why?

Answer that question before we start throwing around names, big or small.

I'm with you on that, Eyeshade. I was at that game - at which we lost to Georgia - and if folks had not come in from out of town like I had from Anniston, the attendance would have been even worse.

The pattern is still in place and it is mystifying, frustrating, and downright irritating.

 

[bamasae]

That's a great metaphor, SAE.

To be fair, the school kicked in some pretty serious money into the Coleman upgrade, and football money built the original venue.

And yet, 40 years since Paul Bryant brought in C.M. Newton, our basketball program is as moribund as it was under Hayden Riley. C.M. thought race was a big factor in his day. Maybe it still is. But I watch the Big 10 and much of the Big 12, and the game isn't any better, yet the arenas are packed.

Ohio State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Texas -- all big-time football schools with big-time football aspirations, and they support basketball. And most lack our basketball tradition.

So I ask again: What the hell is wrong with us? And please don't lay this all at Mark Gottfried's feet. When it comes to basketball, we've had plenty of winners, and we've never fully supported them either.

Would prospective coaches expect that to magically change?

Oh, I would never lay this at Gottfried's feet. Although I thought it was time for Gottfried to go, I concur that even when he was winning the house was rarely packed on a consistent basis. Also, I agree Coleman isn't bad, but we have nothing much else to show for...like a practice facility.

I can't completely answer what is wrong with the fan base, although I'll take a stab. This may seem sorta abstract, I think the dynamic and perception of the product has to change; consistency would go a long way in achieving that. Race may have played a part in things of the past, but I also think there was a denial of perception: "We are a football school, basketball is for schools who can't win in football."

College basketball may have always been a big deal in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, et al, but it didn't get the national importance until CBS made "March Madness" what it is in the 80s and ESPN made it bigger with consistent coverage. Other than basketball fans (like you and I), people never bought in even in Wimp's time because we were still a "football school." I think the national exposure in the rise of "football schools" like Oklahoma and Texas and especially schools nearby like Florida and Tennessee have made some people realize, "hey, we can do this."

People like you and I may go as much as we can, but the statewide base and (more importantly) the students need a push. I think the fanbase can blossom, but I don't think anyone is going to change hearts and minds about the program with seasons that end with a first round loss in the tourney. I'm not expecting NCs (although that would be great), but we need Sweet 16s followed by an elite 8 or a final 4 followed by another sweet 16...something that shows growth and consistency.

For all the successes our program has seen, we've never made any consistent national impact. Wimp never could get us past the Sweet 16, our best run ever was that elite 8 in a season that had 16 regular season wins...followed by a 23 win season when we got put out in the first round by Wisconsin-Milwaukee. So the fan base never buys in or becomes invested long term.

It's going to take someone to do like Donovan did at Florida, stay consistent build AND grow the program. So people talk about us a lot on Sportscenter or where ever and there's a buzz that people want to be a part of. Then the students and fans don't just think in the back of their mind, "yeah, it's just basketball."

 

[KrAzY3]

We finally learned our lesson in Football and now it's time to do the same in basketball:

Ties to the university should have no place in the evaluation process.

Find the very best coach available. If he happens to have Bama ties, so be it.
If not, it shouldn't be a factor in the decision.

Agreed... here's one thing I have been a bit hung up on and if I'm wrong someone will correct me. To my knowledge Alabama has never had a head coach (or player obviously) that has ever been to the final four. This isn't Alabama football, keeping things in family means you are not dipping into a championship pedigree. It, to me would appear that you are stunting the growth of the program.

Talent is not lacking. Alabama once had 5 first round draft picks on a single team. When I mentioned that excuses were made about redshirts and so on. So? That just shows shortsighted thinking, I recall a team of freshman almost winning a championship and the future first rounders were not all freshman (Sprewell, Horry, Robinson, Caffey and Rogers). Horry has seven championships in the NBA but Alabama hasn't mustered a single one! Think about that.

Alabama needs a coach that will teach them how things should be done. That's why I think Tubby Smith would be a good fit. Is he at the absolute upper tier of the coaching ranks? I don't think so... But, if people paid attention he could show Alabama how to do things the right way. A hot shot young guy might be gone the instant a bigger program calls, someone like Tubby might be willing to finish his career at Alabama. 14 straight NCAA tournaments, he's on a 15 season streak of 20+ wins at 4 schools. And he's won a championship. Tubby has done all those things and Alabama has done none of those things. It seems to me like he'd be the perfect guy to infuse the program with the knowledge and attitude it needs to take the next step forward and start using that talent they already have and can get for better things.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Oh, I would never lay this at Gottfried's feet. Although I thought it was time for Gottfried to go, I concur that even when he was winning the house was rarely packed on a consistent basis. Also, I agree Coleman isn't bad, but we have nothing much else to show for...like a practice facility.

I can't completely answer what is wrong with the fan base, although I'll take a stab. This may seem sorta abstract, I think the dynamic and perception of the product has to change; consistency would go a long way in achieving that. Race may have played a part in things of the past, but I also think there was a denial of perception: "We are a football school, basketball is for schools who can't win in football."

College basketball may have always been a big deal in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, et al, but it didn't get the national importance until CBS made "March Madness" what it is in the 80s and ESPN made it bigger with consistent coverage. Other than basketball fans (like you and I), people never bought in even in Wimp's time because we were still a "football school." I think the national exposure in the rise of "football schools" like Oklahoma and Texas and especially schools nearby like Florida and Tennessee have made some people realize, "hey, we can do this."

People like you and I may go as much as we can, but the statewide base and (more importantly) the students need a push. I think the fanbase can blossom, but I don't think anyone is going to change hearts and minds about the program with seasons that end with a first round loss in the tourney. I'm not expecting NCs (although that would be great), but we need Sweet 16s followed by an elite 8 or a final 4 followed by another sweet 16...something that shows growth and consistency.

For all the successes our program has seen, we've never made any consistent national impact. Wimp never could get us past the Sweet 16, our best run ever was that elite 8 in a season that had 16 regular season wins...followed by a 23 win season when we got put out in the first round by Wisconsin-Milwaukee. So the fan base never buys in or becomes invested long term.

It's going to take someone to do like Donovan did at Florida, stay consistent build AND grow the program. So people talk about us a lot on Sportscenter or where ever and there's a buzz that people want to be a part of. Then the students and fans don't just think in the back of their mind, "yeah, it's just basketball."

Sound thoughts, and sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were blaming Gottfried, though I think there are some who believe he is the root cause. There are problems that predate even Mark's tenure as a player.

 

[HoggTyde]

I think Mike Anderson would be a great choice because he would lock down recruits in this state.... and it would be a drastic change of style.

I agree.

 

[graydogg85]

There are few better than Tubby Smith when it comes to technical, tactical and fundamental coaching abilities. He's essentially the polar opposite of Mark Gottfried - an extremely sound technical coach with a defensive mindset.

That being said, he's an awful recruiter. Anyone who can drain the talent pool at a place like Kentucky has serious recruiting issues.

I think the notion of Tubby is so appealing to so many of us because we've become so accustomed to watching a fairly talented team play scattershot, lackadaisical basketball with little regard for strategy, fundamentals, intensity or defense. I have little doubt that Tubby would remedy that immediately. But I'm not 100% sure that he's the answer, mainly because of the horrendous recruiting he did down the stretch at Kentucky. I would feel better if he were to bring in some ace recruiters with him on his staff. If he ends up being the guy, I won't be upset but I'm not sure he's the long-term solution.

 

[BamaBeta]

Grant would be my first. Wojo my second since he has had a great mentor in Krzykewski.