Ben Howland @ MSU

[charlestonalum]

Being written he too is gone. The SEC has gone mad this year with MBB firings. Do all schools expect to make NCAA every year? Impossible, do the math.

[Vandy187187]

its a what have you done for me lately kind of world.

[charlestonalum]

Every school that fires their coach says he didn't get us to the NCAA. The NCAA is not going to have every SEC team in the tournament because it is mathematically impossible for every team to have enough wins even counting the OOC pansies to win over 20 games. So it is unrealistic for everyone to fire their coaches when they don't make the NCAA. Now if they said we expect to be in the tournament once every 4-6 years, that might work, but not in it all the time like these AD's say when they fire good coaches. Tough situation.

[Nashmann]

Did Mizzo coach get fired too?

[commadore]

Did Mizzo coach get fired too?

Yes.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

[charlestonalum]

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Maybe it is all the years of being a Vanderbilt guy, or actually believing that Grantland Rice was right "it's how you play the game," but I still get a thrill out of just playing a great game, that sometimes we win but usually lose against all our "win at any cost - got to win" SEC brethren. I know there are some on this board that can't stand Vanderbilt's stance on athletics which I would summarize as "compete without compromise" which means we will not win every game nor go to every bowl game or tournament with the expectation we must win or else it is a failed season. Don't get me wrong, I have been to Omaha and enjoyed our national championships as much as anyone and I hope we win a bunch more, but what I admire most is the way Corbs comports himself and our team plays the game. Winning is icing on the cake, but not an absolute necessity. I agree with you, Auric, those places that define their entire happiness on how their athletic teams do will have a life littered with far more disappointments than most of us Vandymaniacs. We live by the immortal words of Emily Dickinson who penned: "success is counted best by those who ne're succeed."

[charlestonalum]

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Maybe it is all the years of being a Vanderbilt guy, or actually believing that Grantland Rice was right "it's how you play the game," but I still get a thrill out of just playing a great game, that sometimes we win but usually lose against all our "win at any cost - got to win" SEC brethren. I know there are some on this board that can't stand Vanderbilt's stance on athletics which I would summarize as "compete without compromise" which means we will not win every game nor go to every bowl game or tournament with the expectation we must win or else it is a failed season. Don't get me wrong, I have been to Omaha and enjoyed our national championships as much as anyone and I hope we win a bunch more, but what I admire most is the way Corbs comports himself and our team plays the game. Winning is icing on the cake, but not an absolute necessity. I agree with you, Auric, those places that define their entire happiness on how their athletic teams do will have a life littered with far more disappointments than most of us Vandymaniacs.
Yes, I will be rooting for the MBB, WBB teams to go all the way in the NIT and for VandyBoys to sweep the tigers this week and keep it going to Omaha- and I will be proud of the players coaches and finally our administration that supports our athletic endeavors of all our teams that compete following the rules and engaged in the greater life of the university.

[katmai]

Being written he too is gone. The SEC has gone mad this year with MBB firings. Do all schools expect to make NCAA every year? Impossible, do the math.

Howland went 0-1 in his only NCAA appearance in 7 seasons at MSU.
Frank Martin went to one NCAA (although it was a Final Four) in his 10 seasons at SC.
Cuonzo Martin was 0-2 in his two NCAA appearances, and had a losing record in his other 3 seasons at Missouri.
Tom Crean never had a season over .500 in his 4 years at Georgia and just went 6-26.
Will Wade was fired with cause.
Martin is the only one of these that you might make a case that he didn't deserve to be fired, and I am glad he isn't our coach. All the others, I would have expected Vanderbilt to fire if they had the same results.

[abvandy]

Charleston --

This is a standout among your multitude of great contributions to this forum. Thank you.

CONQUER!!..., and PREVAIL!!!

[MemorialMagic]

I understand the reasoning. I do think it is sad. All the lip service the fans and the admins pay to how much the coach cares for the kids and does things the right way. Thinking specifically about Cuonzo and Frank Martin. It really is a load of BS.

[Jason94]

Being written he too is gone. The SEC has gone mad this year with MBB firings. Do all schools expect to make NCAA every year? Impossible, do the math.

Howland went 0-1 in his only NCAA appearance in 7 seasons at MSU.
Frank Martin went to one NCAA (although it was a Final Four) in his 10 seasons at SC.
Cuonzo Martin was 0-2 in his two NCAA appearances, and had a losing record in his other 3 seasons at Missouri.
Tom Crean never had a season over .500 in his 4 years at Georgia and just went 6-26.
Will Wade was fired with cause.
Martin is the only one of these that you might make a case that he didn't deserve to be fired, and I am glad he isn't our coach. All the others, I would have expected Vanderbilt to fire if they had the same results.

100% correct. Martin is a little tough because the one appearance was a final 4, but that was 6 seasons ago and now looks like a lucky fluke. None of his others teams were that close to making the tournament. I'd say Martin is more of a case of he's not a horrible coach, but there is definitely a ceiling of where he will get your program, and that is to a pretty good level in good season.

I would hope our expectations once CJS gets his footing (as it appears he has) would be that we are in the tournament every other season on average, or at least 2 of every 5. Given that is where CKS was at when we parted ways, I'd say that is the baseline for any coach here. I don't know that we should expect to make it every season, but certainly I'd like to get to a place where we are there more often than not.

[MrMemorial]

What Pearl is doing in hoops at their fellow football schools may be causing all those schools to feel heat (justifiably or not) about it. Maybe the alums etc. are not even the ones causing the self-inflicting heat. They just feel it because they think it's the "now" thing to do.

And some people wanted to keep Bryce Drew after the worst season in SEC history.

[Vandy187187]

Bruce Pearl is a great coach. Say what you want about allegations and whatnot. True, not true, etc. But the guy wins, everywhere he goes. And nowadays with the portal and NIL, he's going to keep winning because it's legal now

[MrMemorial]

Bruce Pearl is a great coach. Say what you want about allegations and whatnot. True, not true, etc. But the guy wins, everywhere he goes. And nowadays with the portal and NIL, he's going to keep winning because it's legal now

Will Wade must be a "hipster" coach.

He did his cheating... BEFORE it was cool.

(and before it became legal and NCAA sanctioned)

[TwoSaints]

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Expectations are the root of all disappointment, and coach firings.

Maybe it is all the years of being a Vanderbilt guy, or actually believing that Grantland Rice was right "it's how you play the game," but I still get a thrill out of just playing a great game, that sometimes we win but usually lose against all our "win at any cost - got to win" SEC brethren. I know there are some on this board that can't stand Vanderbilt's stance on athletics which I would summarize as "compete without compromise" which means we will not win every game nor go to every bowl game or tournament with the expectation we must win or else it is a failed season. Don't get me wrong, I have been to Omaha and enjoyed our national championships as much as anyone and I hope we win a bunch more, but what I admire most is the way Corbs comports himself and our team plays the game. Winning is icing on the cake, but not an absolute necessity. I agree with you, Auric, those places that define their entire happiness on how their athletic teams do will have a life littered with far more disappointments than most of us Vandymaniacs. We live by the immortal words of Emily Dickinson who penned: "success is counted best by those who ne're succeed."

This week Manu Ginobili related what Gregg Popovich told the Spurs when he took them out to a restaurant immediately after their heartbreaking loss to Miami in the 2013 NBA Finals: "If this is the worst thing that happened to you in your life, you got a very lucky, blessed and fortunate life." I love that attitude.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Being written he too is gone. The SEC has gone mad this year with MBB firings. Do all schools expect to make NCAA every year? Impossible, do the math.

Howland went 0-1 in his only NCAA appearance in 7 seasons at MSU.
Frank Martin went to one NCAA (although it was a Final Four) in his 10 seasons at SC.
Cuonzo Martin was 0-2 in his two NCAA appearances, and had a losing record in his other 3 seasons at Missouri.
Tom Crean never had a season over .500 in his 4 years at Georgia and just went 6-26.
Will Wade was fired with cause.
Martin is the only one of these that you might make a case that he didn't deserve to be fired, and I am glad he isn't our coach. All the others, I would have expected Vanderbilt to fire if they had the same results.

Which Martin? Frank?