It will be interesting to see "We should get rid of Cal" UK fans react to "He got rid of us". Especially because most of said fans don't have any financial investment in buyouts.
Coaching Carousel (Basketball)
- Status
You also have to consider even if it does, how Brad would feel being like the 5th option going into a pressure cooker. If the fans already aren't thrilled wait until the first loss...
Interesting if this is the case why is he so routinely mentioned as likely to go to K State by Indy?
Trilly Donovan is just a shill for Billy Donovan, everybody knows that. He's pulling for his alter ego. /s
hooraybeer
- Pittsburgh, PA
BU’s agent is seeing dollar signs. with big name programs going big game hunting, i guarantee we will hear something about how BU is “strongly considering” moving on or even “in negotiations” with another program.
Not likely to go but more so KSU would and least try but that buy out just keeps going up
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I was browsing the Kentucky Rivals board last night before bed to see what their reactions were ... it's possibly the most active board I have ever seen, and a lot of them are fairly funny, so it makes for decent entertainment, lol. Two things stood out:
1. Their pride isn't bruised in the SLIGHTEST that Cal technically "left them," as they pretty much all wanted him gone anyway. In fact, they can't believe it worked out where they don't have to pay his buyout.
2. They nearly unanimously do NOT want Underwood, and he isn't even on some of their radars. A lot of comments about how his tenure at Illinois hasn't been anything special, and even one fan who (correctly) identified the Illinois job as a sleeping giant of sorts was met with a confident assertion that we have "always been mediocre in a bad basketball conference."
So, let's hope everyone at UK is as underwhelmed by Underwood as their fans, and we can keep him ... because he's the perfect coach for this job, and I do NOT want to lose him.
I think everyone needs to take a deep breath. We are currently talking about one of the top 10 jobs in all of US sports, and most certainly top 3 spots in all of college sports.
The discussion is that our coach is being targeted. Think about how far we have come since 2017? Brad has delivered on his promise to us.
I have absolute faith and confidence in Whitman that he will do WHATEVER it means to keep Brad. If Brad goes to UK, then we lost him because he wants to fulfill a dream of his. And if he goes to UK, I have full faith and confidence that Whitman will strike again with a great hire. He has left me no reason to believe otherwise.
I think everyone should be pretty happy right now, not scared. This is such an awesome place for our program. Let the chips fall where they may, but I am confident Brad is back and Brad uses this recognition as an opportunity to say “Illinois is the best in the country and I am going to show you why”
The discussion is that our coach is being targeted. Think about how far we have come since 2017? Brad has delivered on his promise to us.
I have absolute faith and confidence in Whitman that he will do WHATEVER it means to keep Brad. If Brad goes to UK, then we lost him because he wants to fulfill a dream of his. And if he goes to UK, I have full faith and confidence that Whitman will strike again with a great hire. He has left me no reason to believe otherwise.
I think everyone should be pretty happy right now, not scared. This is such an awesome place for our program. Let the chips fall where they may, but I am confident Brad is back and Brad uses this recognition as an opportunity to say “Illinois is the best in the country and I am going to show you why”
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Honestly, I think people just assume that since he played at Purdue, took over for Keady and has been there so long, he's a lifer and it's about more than money/a higher ceiling. However, this opens up a very interesting question I often have. Why are some schools in general considered above poaching by the media and casual fans? For example, are people going to be constantly worrying that Dusty May will leave Michigan for a Blue Blood if he kills it there? I am sure some will, but a lot of people will just assume Michigan will pay to keep him ... even though Michigan's basketball prestige isn't any better (especially currently!) than an Illinois or Arkansas, which seem to get thrown around as potential "Blue Blood stepping stones" a lot more. Why wasn't there constant chatter that Thad Matta would leave for North Carolina or something if Roy had worse health problems? Why is no one wondering if Arizona will have Tommy Lloyd poached? Why couldn't Kentucky have taken Jay Wright from Villanvoa whenever they wanted to back in the day? (Remember, 'Nova's history was INCREDIBLY similar to ours until the recent titles.) Just food for thought.
Been a busy morning for me .... As I am sure you all can imagine ...
Here's what I've been told: The UK search going beyond Donovan or Drew will be very surprising ...
If it's Drew ... Tang will be Baylor's target and I am nearly positive they'll get him ...
If they do ... I am not worried about Brad going to K State ...
Here's what I've been told: The UK search going beyond Donovan or Drew will be very surprising ...
If it's Drew ... Tang will be Baylor's target and I am nearly positive they'll get him ...
If they do ... I am not worried about Brad going to K State ...
illiniswish09
- Northwest Suburbs
Hypothetical for the insiders…
UConn wins tonight and the Brooklyn Nets call Hurley and offer him 5 yrs/40mill… He taking that?
UConn wins tonight and the Brooklyn Nets call Hurley and offer him 5 yrs/40mill… He taking that?
drsmitty74
- Rochester
$5M NIL...........wow
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Also, someone made a funny comment about the carousel going in reverse this year, haha. And I love that and definitely think this has all been weird. With that said, I think you are starting to see the death of the "traditional" job rankings. Nobody on Earth cares that Cincinnati has a very, very materially more impressive history than Texas, for example ... Texas is nearly unanimously considered the better job due to the money, facilities and recruiting footprint. I know Muss is a unique case, but we just saw a historically well-respected AND financially gifted Arkansas program lose its coach to historically terrible USC simply because the guy was ready for new scenery and wanted to be in Southern California. John Calipari's buyout kept him safe for at least a little longer if he WANTED to be at Kentucky that badly ... instead the guy took top dollar to go to a "discount Kentucky" that still has good fan support, good tradition, good facilities, good NIL ... but all dialed down a notch from UK and with less crazy pressure from the fans to never slip up.
We have already seen some historically respected programs like Utah and Cincinnati devolve into "meh" jobs due to monetary and conference factors. How long until an Arizona stuck in the Big XII or a Syracuse stuck in the ACC simply don't have the prestige they once did and even a Minnesota in the Big Ten can start competing with them SIMPLY because of the massive money pouring into these league every year??
We have already seen some historically respected programs like Utah and Cincinnati devolve into "meh" jobs due to monetary and conference factors. How long until an Arizona stuck in the Big XII or a Syracuse stuck in the ACC simply don't have the prestige they once did and even a Minnesota in the Big Ten can start competing with them SIMPLY because of the massive money pouring into these league every year??
As I reported to @illini0440 at like 9 PM last night before all the national guys got the story ...
The contract is 5 years @ 8.5 per year ... Up to 10 with incentives ...
I have been told 6 million per year NIL with ability to go higher if necessary for a game changing talent ...
OA return is on the table ... That's really all I can say right now ...
I don't want to get into details of how just yet ... Some things would have to play out ...
I'd rather have Donovan, but will he leave a job before the season is over. My understanding is he's a pretty upstanding guy.
With Drew, he's a very good coach, but I don't think he's as good as Donovan. Are his parents still in Indiana? Might be good to get back closer to home, and there's no denying that Kentucky is the top of the mountain for college basketball.
sacraig
- The desert
I'm more interested in who goes a-portalin' or reopens their recruitment as a result of this shake-up.
Hypothetically, if Illinois were in Arkansas's position, would we be able to pony up like this?
I've always thought Arkansas to be very similar to us in a lot of ways but I have a hard time believing we could/would throw around that kind of cash.
How does the Arkansas job and Illinois job compare to each other in terms of coach perceptions?
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
- Status