Texas job/Sean

[muskieman]

i'm leaning towards the camp of NOT hiring Mack.

some reasons why:

1. he left us just like MIller did, yet we brought Miller back anyway as well. maybe learn from our mistakes in the past.

2. I understand Mack is a good coach and seems like an "easy" choice, but just because it's easy doesn't mean it's RIGHT.

3. I think it's time for new blood in the athletic dept itself. not sure who has the checks and balances to hire/fire but I think it's time for Greg Christopher to GO. he wants to be a university president somewhere (maybe X when our current president leaves/moves on/is fired/etc.) we need a REAL AD whose only focus is the athletic dept and isn't some vice president of community relations of whatever the hell he is.

4. I don't know who we could get but there's gotta be someone impressive enough to hire that outweighs all the past negatives of bringing Mack back to X. - Prosser at Winthrop could be ready? not sure we want to go asst coach route in this at all. but there's gotta be a mid-major guy who's done well that's ready to jump.

either way, if they hired a search firm then MAYBE it ISN'T going to be the quick hire of Mack like we thought.

who knows.

I was a Chris Mack guy, but I am leery about rehiring him. If he didn't have connections to Cincinnati and Xavier, would he be considered now?
Will we be looking at Thadd next? I know X likes to look at past coaches and assistants, but there are NBS assistants who have ties to Xavier, like Posey and Love I am sure there are young coaches who might embrace what the college landscape is going through and who are hungry to make a name for themselves. Then there are older coaches that might settle down at a Xavier rather than persude every new job every years. Hey, Mark Schmidt of St. Boniventure was an X coach and has done a good job there for quite a few years.

Lastly, maybe Xavier needs to look at what we are doing and how our approach might be better than it has been in the last decade in coach retention. I don't want to hear the quote fool me once, etc., when our new coach, like Mack, chances his mind about this being a destination job that in one to three years jumps at the next "big" bucks job. Chris has been at Charlston for how many years?

The allocation of resources will always be a concern with various factions of the university fighting for dollars, and now might be the time to review which programs add to the pot instead of just using resources with little to no return on investment. Xavier is in an era that might mean its demise if the stewardship of this University is not the best it can be. We saw it in the 70s, and it wasn't until we got a superstar like Hoff that things began to turn around. Today's university is bloated with expensive professors and staff making big bucks while not providing a return on the investments of students and alums.

The university has hired a search team, and I hope they were not hired to rubber-stamp a guy with an easy name but who will not move the needle forward and is a carpetbagger.

I will give any coach hired the benefit of the doubt, but I will be wary until he has brought X back to a position in the Big East of a contender every year. HIRE McDermott away from Creighton!

[longliveskip]

i'm with you on all this, MM.

what I would really like, IF they hire Mack, which i'm hearing is more and more likely, will someone PLEASE have the guts to ask him at his opening press conference "What do you say to a good portion of Xavier fans who are skeptical or have doubts about bringing you back as the HC coach at X based on the circumstances of how you left X the first time, how things kind of fell apart at U of L, and given how they've basically just been through ANOTHER rehire who left AGAIN?" I'd love to hear an HONEST answer on this, and would hope it would be something like:

I can see why fans would feel this way and i'm not gonna sit here and promise to be at Xavier forever or the rest of my career, but I will promise to make Xavier basketball something special, something fans can be proud of, a program that will compete for BE championships and hopefully make deep NCAA tourney runs.

i'd be happy with that answer. don't promise to be here forever like Miller did and then leave. just promise to do your best to leave the program better than when you got here if you do leave (and don't leave THE WAY you did the last time)

I respect the hell out of Will Wade for just being honest/transparent with his players. he told them he was going after the NC State job. he told the media when they asked then got berated for being honest. if you don't want the typical BS answer from coaches then just don't ask the question. at least he was out in front of it and honest and not doing shady behind closed doors deals, etc.

either way, I will root for Xavier basketball but college hoops is just in a different era right now. hold on to yer butts.

[Xavier2005]

IMHO only, Xavier had a great season and was a number 1 seed for March Madness.......Mack appears to have been interviewing with Louisville and or accepted the job, during March Madness......thus he may have already checked out with Xavier and was just looking to move on during March madness...maybe??? if so, do not want him back, will leave X again, the first bigger deal he gets? go for Luke Murray....reward Murray.

[muskieman]

The Coach, who will not be named, wore a Texas Orange suit at his introduction today. One Xavier fan questioned how long it takes to tailor a suit like the one he wore.

He recycled some of his worn-out cliches and including his "All-in" “We need an incredible home court at Texas”

[ChitownSteve]

As I stated in a post many pages ago, a re-hire of Coach Mack is, for some, more controversial than the re-hire of Coach Miller was. Not so from my perspective (Miller told the team he was staying and left; his buddy, Mr. “Vacated Two Final Four appearances” Calipari (yes, you are known by your friends) convinced him to leave and Miller’s cutting anti-Xavier “Buick” remark were all awful. Yet, I thought Miller was the right hire upon return. Like many, fooled.

For those continuing their antagonism against Coach Mack for heading to Louisville, consider the following key facts and differences:

- Coach Mack stayed 9 seasons at Xavier, tied with Coach Gillen for the most since long ago two coaches concluded doing so in the 1920’s, 30’s, early 40’s. Miller’s two stints only combined for 8 years. Was I pleased with Mack’s departure? No, however, Mack tied with Gillen in the longest stint of successful coaching. Gillen’s ended in 1994 and NCAA had much less movement back then. Mack’s 9 years mitigates against being a called a “job-hopper.”
- Some note they are miffed that he deserted the only #1 Seed X has ever had. Heck, Mack is the only Coach who ever earned the #1 seed. He earned it with his own ballplayers. Get him back on the sideline! Plus, Miller left a Sweet Sixteen team which had Final Four written all over it for the next season. When Miller left, Derrick Brown decided to leave and head to the NBA, hurting the 2010 team. Even without Brown, that squad made the Sweet Sixteen with Mack at them helm. With Brown …. likely even a better result would have occurred.
- X fans have no compunction of poaching other Head Coaches and yet believe such will not continue to occur to our own.
- Note whether it be Luke Murray (who I am fine with) or some other person (yet to here a suitable other name on this Board, happy to elaborate on each, should you wish), if they are successful as a Xavier coach they will be gone within 4 years, 5 tops.
- Coach Mack’s return to Cincinnati, and some actually hold that further against him because he left his hometown, strengthens the thought he will outlast anyone else if hired. He wants to return and already tied the modern day Xavier longevity record. What seems to be conveniently forgotten or unmentioned is Mack had a real family reason to accept the Louisville offer. Everyone knew that was the one and only place he might likely depart, should that opening occur. Wonder how some on this Board would decide if their spouse was pushing them to accept a job in her hometown?

There is no perfect hire. I respect other’s opinions and thoughts. Only hoping the above could put some context to visceral arguments being made against Coach Mack. This is not like being previously jilted by a girlfriend. This is a business decision being made by Xavier. Facts and context must be in the forefront.

[Anti-Homer]

As I stated in a post many pages ago, a re-hire of Coach Mack is, for some, more controversial than the re-hire of Coach Miller was. Not so from my perspective (Miller told the team he was staying and left; his buddy, Mr. “Vacated Two Final Four appearances” Calipari (yes, you are known by your friends) convinced him to leave and Miller’s cutting anti-Xavier “Buick” remark were all awful. Yet, I thought Miller was the right hire upon return. Like many, fooled.

For those continuing their antagonism against Coach Mack for heading to Louisville, consider the following key facts and differences:

- Coach Mack stayed 9 seasons at Xavier, tied with Coach Gillen for the most since long ago two coaches concluded doing so in the 1920’s, 30’s, early 40’s. Miller’s two stints only combined for 8 years. Was I pleased with Mack’s departure? No, however, Mack tied with Gillen in the longest stint of successful coaching. Gillen’s ended in 1994 and NCAA had much less movement back then. Mack’s 9 years mitigates against being a called a “job-hopper.”
- Some note they are miffed that he deserted the only #1 Seed X has ever had. Heck, Mack is the only Coach who ever earned the #1 seed. He earned it with his own ballplayers. Get him back on the sideline! Plus, Miller left a Sweet Sixteen team which had Final Four written all over it for the next season. When Miller left, Derrick Brown decided to leave and head to the NBA, hurting the 2010 team. Even without Brown, that squad made the Sweet Sixteen with Mack at them helm. With Brown …. likely even a better result would have occurred.
- X fans have no compunction of poaching other Head Coaches and yet believe such will not continue to occur to our own.
- Note whether it be Luke Murray (who I am fine with) or some other person (yet to here a suitable other name on this Board, happy to elaborate on each, should you wish), if they are successful as a Xavier coach they will be gone within 4 years, 5 tops.
- Coach Mack’s return to Cincinnati, and some actually hold that further against him because he left his hometown, strengthens the thought he will outlast anyone else if hired. He wants to return and already tied the modern day Xavier longevity record. What seems to be conveniently forgotten or unmentioned is Mack had a real family reason to accept the Louisville offer. Everyone knew that was the one and only place he might likely depart, should that opening occur. Wonder how some on this Board would decide if their spouse was pushing them to accept a job in her hometown?

There is no perfect hire. I respect other’s opinions and thoughts. Only hoping the above could put some context to visceral arguments being made against Coach Mack. This is not like being previously jilted by a girlfriend. This is a business decision being made by Xavier. Facts and context must be in the forefront.

Great post.

I agree with much of your post, but I still think Miller's hire was a great one. Unlike virtually all here, I hold no animosity towards Miller. I think he came back thinking he would stay but received an offer from a school with unlimited resources, which, theoretically, makes it easier to win an NC. As I've said previously, if Claude wanted to come back, I doubt there would be anyone who would say no. I know it's different bc SM left 2x, but if Claude left 2x and came back, I'd still take him.

X's program was at an inflection point in '22, and SM, losing his best player in mid-season, still led them to a SW16 and another Tourney win this year. The train is back on the tracks.

I also don't necessarily think a coach who has great success will leave within 5 years, but if so, I believe the odds are much with Mack. He left reluctantly, after a phenomenal record of 8 Tourney appearances, 1 E8, 3 SW 16s, in 9 years. Also, especially in this era, if you need a hired gun to restore or maintain excellence, you take it.

I completely agree with your statement of "- X fans have no compunction of poaching other Head Coaches and yet believe such will not continue to occur to our own." Ironic pearl clutching.

[Anti-Homer]

Anti-homer. here is the Miller salary article.https://www.sportskeeda.com/college-bas ... y-contract

KR,

I would bet this is the 1st time anyone heard of the rag Sportskeeda. From ChatGPT:

Sports Mag covering a variety of int'l sports based out of India
Content is more fan-oriented and sometimes clickbaity.
Not considered a primary or “authoritative” news source like ESPN, The Athletic, or BBC Sport.

So, he makes $5M a year, and after making about $60M cumulatively from X and AZ in 15 years of coaching, his net worth is only $10M? Did he invest in Mman's flying car startup?

I'll bet it is closer to $3.3M base with modest incentives.

Well, this didn't age well. It turns out Miller's base was $4.5M last year. Kudos to KR. I also reiterate my confidence in saying that their NIL was $3.5M, and a donor was going to ante up another $1-2M to convince SM to stay. You can bet Mack will get assurances of a healthy NIL.

[yellow20xd]

I was surprised to see Miller leave... But his 3 years here weren't a resounding success story... He took Travis Steeles team to the Sweet 16. Recorded the first losing season since the 90's. Then needed a late surge to make the First 4 this year... Is the program better today than the day Miller took over? Barely. Depending on who's hired Xavier could be in for some lean years... Get out the checkbook boys... Dan