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Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:23 pm
by charlestonalum
We almost got him way back...

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:48 pm
by commadore
charlestonalum wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:23 pm We almost got him way back...
Instead we got Richard Schmidt, who set the program back 10 years. It pains me to even type that man's name.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:17 pm
by charlestonalum
It was Roy Kramer who is responsible.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:27 pm
by LawoftheWest
Please, someone remind me what occurred for us not to hire K. I read the story some time ago and forgot.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am
by commadore
Schmidt was a former Louisville (Ballard?) High school coach. He was an assistant at UVa who was pretty good at the time. Also, there was a five star player from his former school who would commit to wherever he went, named Miller. Kramer chose him over Coach K. Miller committed and with Charles Davis and Mike Rhodes on the team, we looked to be really good. Schmidt, however didn't like our 10-3 start where we averaged 90+ a game and benched our top two players, Davis and Rhodes. After that, his star recruit, Miller, became the main scorer on a team that averaged less than 50 a game and went 3-10 the rest of the way. At the SEC tourney that had just started back, he was wildly booed upon introduction and Davis and Rhodes got standing Os. We made it to the semis where we simply ran out of gas. Schite, I mean Schmidt was fired and Newton was hired. Davis and Rhodes graduated as the 3rd and 1st all time scorers despite being benched most of the season and Miller transferred. He left us with as little talent as we had had until Drew left us with nothing. Coach K went to Duke and had a dislike for Vanderbilt ever since. And that, is the rest of the story.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am
by mathguy
Whatever.

A - a long time ago.

B - while clearly Coach K would have been a better hire than Richard Schmidt, it is not at all clear he would have become "Coach K" if we had hired him. Does anybody think the Vanderbilt of the 80s and 90s, you know, the same admissions department/administration that rejected Ron Mercer's application and refused to pony up to pay Eddie Fogler, would have given Coach K the keys to the kingdom the way Duke did? This is a footnote, but there is no reason to think we'd have 5 nationals titles like Duke if only...

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 11:28 am
by vandy05
mathguy wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Whatever.

A - a long time ago.

B - while clearly Coach K would have been a better hire than Richard Schmidt, it is not at all clear he would have become "Coach K" if we had hired him. Does anybody think the Vanderbilt of the 80s and 90s, you know, the same admissions department/administration that rejected Ron Mercer's application and refused to pony up to pay Eddie Fogler, would have given Coach K the keys to the kingdom the way Duke did? This is a footnote, but there is no reason to think we'd have 5 nationals titles like Duke if only...
There is not much reason at all to think we would've turned into Duke. I wonder if Coach K really does continue to hold a disdain for little old Vanderbilt. That would be Michael Jordan level of petty.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:43 pm
by charlestonalum
commadore wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Schmidt was a former Louisville (Ballard?) High school coach. He was an assistant at UVa who was pretty good at the time. Also, there was a five star player from his former school who would commit to wherever he went, named Miller. Kramer chose him over Coach K. Miller committed and with Charles Davis and Mike Rhodes on the team, we looked to be really good. Schmidt, however didn't like our 10-3 start where we averaged 90+ a game and benched our top two players, Davis and Rhodes. After that, his star recruit, Miller, became the main scorer on a team that averaged less than 50 a game and went 3-10 the rest of the way. At the SEC tourney that had just started back, he was wildly booed upon introduction and Davis and Rhodes got standing Os. We made it to the semis where we simply ran out of gas. Schite, I mean Schmidt was fired and Newton was hired. Davis and Rhodes graduated as the 3rd and 1st all time scorers despite being benched most of the season and Miller transferred. He left us with as little talent as we had had until Drew left us with nothing. Coach K went to Duke and had a dislike for Vanderbilt ever since. And that, is the rest of the story.
Not quite the whole story I have heard: Kramer offered job to Coach K who was at Army where he played for Bobby Knight. Coach K told Coach Kramer he wanted the job, but said his wife needed to come and see Nashville and Vanderbilt before he would take the job. Kramer said he had to decide without the spousal visit. Coach K said no deal, and Coach Kramer hired Schmidt and the rest is as Commodore tells it.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:59 pm
by commadore
charlestonalum wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:43 pm
commadore wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Schmidt was a former Louisville (Ballard?) High school coach. He was an assistant at UVa who was pretty good at the time. Also, there was a five star player from his former school who would commit to wherever he went, named Miller. Kramer chose him over Coach K. Miller committed and with Charles Davis and Mike Rhodes on the team, we looked to be really good. Schmidt, however didn't like our 10-3 start where we averaged 90+ a game and benched our top two players, Davis and Rhodes. After that, his star recruit, Miller, became the main scorer on a team that averaged less than 50 a game and went 3-10 the rest of the way. At the SEC tourney that had just started back, he was wildly booed upon introduction and Davis and Rhodes got standing Os. We made it to the semis where we simply ran out of gas. Schite, I mean Schmidt was fired and Newton was hired. Davis and Rhodes graduated as the 3rd and 1st all time scorers despite being benched most of the season and Miller transferred. He left us with as little talent as we had had until Drew left us with nothing. Coach K went to Duke and had a dislike for Vanderbilt ever since. And that, is the rest of the story.
Not quite the whole story I have heard: Kramer offered job to Coach K who was at Army where he played for Bobby Knight. Coach K told Coach Kramer he wanted the job, but said his wife needed to come and see Nashville and Vanderbilt before he would take the job. Kramer said he had to decide without the spousal visit. Coach K said no deal, and Coach Kramer hired Schmidt and the rest is as Commodore tells it.
Whatever the whole story is, I think we can all agree Kramer was an idiot.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 2:24 pm
by Georgiadore
Duke played at Vanderbilt Coach K's first year - they had Kenny Dennard and Gene Banks - Duke won a very close, fun to watch game - 72-69.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 2:25 pm
by AuricGoldfinger
Interestingly, Vanderbilt was one of the first teams he played when he started at Duke, a 72-69 OT win for the Devils in December 1980.

The following season, 1981-82, Vanderbilt had a memorable 2OT win in Durham, 76-75, in the season opener. That was Phil Cox' first game as a Dore and he scored 30, before the three-pointer.

Vandy went 2-5 overall versus K while he was at Duke, but hasn't played since 1996.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 3:21 pm
by charlestonalum
mathguy wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Whatever.

A - a long time ago.

B - while clearly Coach K would have been a better hire than Richard Schmidt, it is not at all clear he would have become "Coach K" if we had hired him. Does anybody think the Vanderbilt of the 80s and 90s, you know, the same admissions department/administration that rejected Ron Mercer's application and refused to pony up to pay Eddie Fogler, would have given Coach K the keys to the kingdom the way Duke did? This is a footnote, but there is no reason to think we'd have 5 nationals titles like Duke if only...
Mathguy we will never know. Vanderbilt might have fired him if he had the same record at VU as he did in his early years at Duke who was very patient with him. It certainly can be argued that if we wouldn't keep Fogler we might not have kept Coach K.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:22 pm
by mathguy
charlestonalum wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 3:21 pm
mathguy wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Whatever.

A - a long time ago.

B - while clearly Coach K would have been a better hire than Richard Schmidt, it is not at all clear he would have become "Coach K" if we had hired him. Does anybody think the Vanderbilt of the 80s and 90s, you know, the same admissions department/administration that rejected Ron Mercer's application and refused to pony up to pay Eddie Fogler, would have given Coach K the keys to the kingdom the way Duke did? This is a footnote, but there is no reason to think we'd have 5 nationals titles like Duke if only...
Mathguy we will never know. Vanderbilt might have fired him if he had the same record at VU as he did in his early years at Duke who was very patient with him. It certainly can be argued that if we wouldn't keep Fogler we might not have kept Coach K.
Exactly my point.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:45 pm
by commadore
Still, I doubt it would have been in the shape it was when schmidt left.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:28 pm
by charlestonalum
commadore wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 5:45 pm Still, I doubt it would have been in the shape it was when schmidt left.
We all agree on that

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:44 pm
by cdores
charlestonalum wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:43 pm
commadore wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 7:33 am Schmidt was a former Louisville (Ballard?) High school coach. He was an assistant at UVa who was pretty good at the time. Also, there was a five star player from his former school who would commit to wherever he went, named Miller. Kramer chose him over Coach K. Miller committed and with Charles Davis and Mike Rhodes on the team, we looked to be really good. Schmidt, however didn't like our 10-3 start where we averaged 90+ a game and benched our top two players, Davis and Rhodes. After that, his star recruit, Miller, became the main scorer on a team that averaged less than 50 a game and went 3-10 the rest of the way. At the SEC tourney that had just started back, he was wildly booed upon introduction and Davis and Rhodes got standing Os. We made it to the semis where we simply ran out of gas. Schite, I mean Schmidt was fired and Newton was hired. Davis and Rhodes graduated as the 3rd and 1st all time scorers despite being benched most of the season and Miller transferred. He left us with as little talent as we had had until Drew left us with nothing. Coach K went to Duke and had a dislike for Vanderbilt ever since. And that, is the rest of the story.
Not quite the whole story I have heard: Kramer offered job to Coach K who was at Army where he played for Bobby Knight. Coach K told Coach Kramer he wanted the job, but said his wife needed to come and see Nashville and Vanderbilt before he would take the job. Kramer said he had to decide without the spousal visit. Coach K said no deal, and Coach Kramer hired Schmidt and the rest is as Commodore tells it.
So if the story of our attempt to hire John Wooden after his first year at Indiana State in 1947 is true, then there is an ironic similarity. Then, it has been said, Wooden's wife came to Nashville, decided she didn't like it, so he turned us down and stayed there another year before going to UCLA.

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:47 pm
by mathguy
cdores wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:44 pm
charlestonalum wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:43 pm Not quite the whole story I have heard: Kramer offered job to Coach K who was at Army where he played for Bobby Knight. Coach K told Coach Kramer he wanted the job, but said his wife needed to come and see Nashville and Vanderbilt before he would take the job. Kramer said he had to decide without the spousal visit. Coach K said no deal, and Coach Kramer hired Schmidt and the rest is as Commodore tells it.
So if the story of our attempt to hire John Wooden after his first year at Indiana State in 1947 is true, then there is an ironic similarity. Then, it has been said, Wooden's wife came to Nashville, decided she didn't like it, so he turned us down and stayed there another year before going to UCLA.
You know, I heard that in 1890, Dr. James Naismith ws offered a job at Vandy too, but his wife insisted it was too far a trip in the Horse and Carriage from where they were living in Massachusetts. One year later he invented basketball and the rest is history...

Re: Coach K to retire after next year

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:50 pm
by Go Vandy!
Even before even that, the WBB program missed out on a nationally known (at the time) female coach with no SJW connotations.
https://flintstones.fandom.com/wiki/Coach_Pebbles