http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3168981
Something about this whole situation doesn't smell right. We here at The Gaucho Manifesto (read: me) want to get to the bottom of this to figure out what the hell is going on. ESPN.com is reporting (whether they're correct is another story) that Evans was given an ultimatum to resign or be fired. However, USF is saying that Evans requested the leave of absence (for the remainder of the season) on his own without any pressure from anyone.
This is still weird. Sutton was at the USF-LBSU game in Long Beach last week. He also has said that he had discussions with the USF AD a couple days ago, despite the fact that the AD said that she knew of Evans' decision this morning. I've been trying to find out if Sutton lives in the SoCal area (haven't been able to find that yet). If he doesn't, this makes the departure of Evans very suspicious.
Apparently, Sutton is not interested in taking this job on full-time, as in, coaching next season. He said that selfishly, he's trying to reach 800 wins (so people will forget about his DUI escapades while at OSU).
So, let's summarize. Sutton is using USF to get to 800 wins (he's at 798). Evans is taking a "leave of absence," but he wasn't given an ultimatum. Sutton talked to USF's AD a few days ago about the opening of the job (really, why would he lie about the conversations?). Sutton is only coaching this year. Will Evans be back next year? Who knows.
What does this have to do with UCSB? Well, this refutes the naysayers (sort of) to my suggestion that UCSB could land a "big name" coach. Before anyone jumps all over me to say that Eddie Sutton isn't a big name coach, read the rest of this.
Sutton is a big name coach who can bring instant credibility. While his image may be tarnished, I believe he's still got "it." Sutton last made it to the Final Four in 2004 with OSU. On the other hand, he's (admittedly) selfishly pursuing this position to achieve his goal of 800 wins. If he had 800 wins, would he take this job? Probably not, but that's not the point. The fact that he's taken this job, in my opinion, primarily for "selfish reasons" to get to his 800 win goal, somewhat dilutes my point, but I can make it work.
The point is that Sutton still took this job (again, in my opinion, primarily for selfish reasons). He's never been to the USF campus. They're in the middle of a 4-8 season. I'm sure Sutton will get his 800th win, but he might not get much beyond that.
If Sutton is willing to take a job at a school like USF for half a season, this is evidence supporting my point that UCSB could always land a "big fish." Sutton might not be considered a big fish in terms of coaching ability, but name alone makes him a big fish.
I've always suggested that UCSB should never accept mediocrity from it's athletic programs, especially for a school that so desperately wants to rid its party label while striving to become one of the top academic schools in the nation (it's pretty damn close to the academic goal, good luck on the partying one). If we attacked our athletic program like we attack the aforementioned "problem," we should own the Little West every year. However, the program has become an extension of its AD and administration. They've neglected to care about the program, and, in sod doing, created an environment where mediocrity is acceptable (Don't you wish you had a job like this?). So long as we make it to the Little West semis each year and don't make any negative news, who cares? We should care.
I admit, I'm becoming more of a Bob Williams' fan. He's going to have to get that NCAA Tournament berth to convert me, though. Yet, I've always felt that we need to hold his feet to the fire so that he understands we expect more of him than just a semi-final elimination every year.
The fact that USF can get Sutton (even if only for a year) convinces me that UCSB is perfectly capable of landing a "big name" coach in the event that Coach Williams can't deliver the goods. A while back (a couple of years ago), I suggested to my buddies that UCSB should go after a Bob Knight-esque coach. Someone who's taken a slight hit to their image, but who can take this program to the next level. Think about someone like Bob Huggins. I would never want Huggins (poor academic performance by his teams), but you get the idea.
All we need is one coach to convince the public that UCSB can make the tournament year after year (much like Gonzaga owns the WCC). Then, it makes it easier for the next coach to understand that he has all the resources necessary to win the Little West.
UCSB is the perfect place (except for housing prices) for a coach near the end of his coaching career or looking for somewhere with less media scrutiny. We've got a nice climate, right by the beach and a nice community, among other things.
I'm giving Coach Williams a fair shake (though he'll still get criticized when necessary) because I think he's doing a much better job than he has in the past. I'm pretty confident that his recruits are getting better and he's bringing in more talented guys than he has in the past (see: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's brother). Although we're a bit of a paper tiger this year (so far), I think 10 wins is still pretty impressive and they're finally playing more like I feel they should.
What is the point of this long, rambling post? Everyone needs to realize that we can get someone with a bigger name to UCSB and we should if the current coaching staff doesn't meet our expectations. After all, we are a school that prides itself on being top notch in everything else; location, academics, partying (whether Chancellor Yang likes it or not) and soccer. We should demand the same for basketball (for all athletics for that matter).
Let me know what you think about this. Leave a comment (or not).
1 comment:
A prime example of what you are talking about is right here at UCSB. When Coach Pimm came to SB, he was a name coach, but he was looking for a better quality of life and wanted to live in a beach community. At the time, he was the perfect hire for the program.
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