We need a "splash" hire for BB

by **ponyinNC** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:36 am

I'm sorry, but there is no other way to get people excited about SMU basketball right now. A splash hire is also the only way we get noticed by the greater Dallas community. Usually, I would say winning cures all, but we had 20 wins last year and I doubt anyone outside of pf.com even noticed. Maybe it was because most of our wins came against horrible competition, but I digress.

We are going to have to PONY UP and go to the $1.5-2MM range if we seriously want to compete in the new Big East.

Check this list of highest paid coaches and see what we will need: http://basketball.about.com/od/coaches/a/coach-salaries.htm

by **LHS81** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:43 am

The one coach on the list whose salary is shocking is Mark Turgeon. Compared to the other coaches listed, he hasn't accomplished anything to justify a $2.5 million dollar a year contract.

by **Mustangs_Maroons** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:20 am

I think a good basketball coach can turn a BB program around fairly quickly. Unlike in football, you don't need a 50+ man roster. With a few stud players and some complementary players you can build a good team. This opportunity can be enticing for a good coach that wants to get paid well and be involved in the BE.

by **StallionsModelT** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:41 am

We can't dole out 2M a year for a basketball coach. We just don't have that kind of cash. The only way is if David Miller or some other mega-boosters agree to band together like the CoC did for June Jones. However, the same people who ponied up to get Jones are likely the same people we'd be asking to pony up again to get a "splash" BB coach. That seems unlikely to happen.

by **ponyinNC** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:51 am

take a loan against future Big East money

by **1983 Cotton Bowl** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:15 pm

Totally agree that this BB program definitely needs a splash hire. But the money piece is a lot more complicated than I think most people want to admit. Orsini already has the COC on the hook for June Jones and his staff (a $10+ million dollar commitment). Plus there are the facilities upgrades that we've already tapped the big boosters for (Moody $40 million) or are going to have to soon in order to bring our athletic department up to a BCS level (IPF, improvements to and possible expansion of Ford, MARKETING DEPARTMENT, recruiting budget, new tennis facilities, etc.). Consider also the amount of booster money that has recently gone into the Crum Center, the school of Education, academic support for student-athletes, etc. That's another several million dollars.

On top of all of that, the Athletic Department is running a structural deficit and Orsini's marching orders from Turner and the Board are to get that turned around (and rightly so). So that means the money for a new BB coach likely won't come from the current budget and it seems unlikely that we can count on applying future BE revenues to a huge BB coach salary.

So Orsini has to go back to the boosters one more time and sell them on the idea of another COC multi-million dollar commitment. Not saying it can't be done. Orsini has been amazing at putting things like that together so far. But donor fatigue is a real issue. . .even at SMU. There are only so many times you can go to the well before people start saying no.

by **ponyinNC** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:43 pm

thanks for the perspective 83...hadn't thought about donor fatigue and other spending.

However, I thought moving to the Big East was supposed to include a much bigger payday for us. If we cannot compete with the coaching salaries in the Big East, why are we even joining?

Examples of Salaries in Big East: (just base salary, not including other bonuses)

Pitino - $4MM
Boeheim - $1.2
Huggins - $1.7
Wright - $2MM
Dixon - $1.1

by **StallionsModelT** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:45 pm

Boeheim only makes 1.2M? That ain't too bad.

by **StallionsModelT** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:54 pm

Could we pay enough to lure Wojo away from Coach K at Duke?

by **1983 Cotton Bowl** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:02 pm

"thanks for the perspective 83...hadn't thought about donor fatigue and other spending.

However, I thought moving to the Big East was supposed to include a much bigger payday for us. If we cannot compete with the coaching salaries in the Big East, why are we even joining?

Examples of Salaries in Big East: (just base salary, not including other bonuses)

Pitino - $4MM
Boeheim - $1.2
Huggins - $1.7
Wright - $2MM
Dixon - $1.1"

I think this is what makes it such a difficult issue. You're right that at this point we are totally uncompetitive with the top BE programs in terms of coach salary. If we want to consistently win in the BE that's going to have to eventually change. The question is, is that a change we can make right now? How do we make the math work to close the gap? My only point is that it may not be as easy as Orsini just waltzing up to the doners for another $10 million commitment.

You're also correct that the BE will mean a lot more revenue for the department. But it sounds like that money is already spoken-for when you talk about: (1) eliminating the athletic deficit (currently around $5 million per year); (2) creating a marketing department; and (3) upgrading facilities. The BE will be a big jump in revenue, but its not SEC money.

If I had to guess, I would think that a BB coach search (with associated fundraising) is exactly what Orsini did not want to have to get into this year. If he can't get the donors on board, then we may have to ride Doh for another year simply as a math issue. Personally, I think its time to make a change if financially possible. But you can only do what you can raise the money to do.

by **smubrooks** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:21 pm

I could see SO putting it off 1 more year due to finances

by **RGV Pony** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:23 pm

If only Kelvin sampson wasn't so tainted.

#Theus2smu

by **SMU Football Blog** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:27 pm

Anybody other than Bill Self will suck and be a failure by our administration to show true commitment. Mike Krzyzewski Might also be acceptable, but how much does he really recruit Texas and he is too old.

by **PonyKai** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:27 pm

Reggie Theus, come home.

by **LA_Mustang** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:39 pm

Mustang_Maroons wrote:I think a good basketball coach can turn a BB program around fairly quickly. Unlike in football, you don't need a 50+ man roster. With a few stud players and some complementary players you can build a good team. This opportunity can be enticing for a good coach that wants to get paid well and be involved in the BE.

You make a good point. It is riduclous to automatically assume we will get our teeth kicked in the first three years in the BE. I trust that SO is smart enough to know we have to get a Big East quality coach in here, soon. If we can keep all of our current freshmen and this year's commits, we have a talented base that could become a competitive team in the BE with a stud or two recruited by our new coach. There is a lot of work to do but IMO, the SMU job is going to be a pretty attractive one based on our conference, nice young players, fertile recruiting base, Moody renovations and of course, the salary. No doubt, this coaching decision will be HUGE. I hope they make a wise choice.