Cowduck wrote:I think there are several things you are overlooking:
1. Altman's last 4 seasons at Creighton featured a conference record of 47-25, one regular season championship, never lower than 4th, and postseason every year. It might not have been the peak of his tenure, but it was pretty impressive.
That was in the MVC. And he's not the only example of a coach that actually succeeds in more than one place.
2. Kent's last 4 seasons featured a conference record of 29--43. More damaging is that the last 3 years were 18-36 in conference play. This is at a job, that despite the historic lack of success, is now easily a top half job in its league (which Wyoming is not, especially now) due to the influence (even if perceived) of Nike. The facility investment, budgets, etc. put them in the top tier of the PAC-10, yet he couldn't win consistently. He had two-three really good years (01-02, 06-07, and 99-00), one conference title (02) and then a lot of mediocrity. His profile looks to have more in common with Steve McClain than Billy Gillispie. Keep in mind this isn't the ACC or Big East we are talking about, but rather a league (PAC-10) that has finished behind the MWC in RPI ratings on more than one occasion.
Not disputing that Kent's teams struggled at the end of his tenure. But that job was nothing before Kent took over - exactly one NCAA tourney appearance between 1961-2000. Really, Oregon's basketball tradition over that stretch probably wasn't even as strong as Wyoming's. Also, to compare McClain's resume at the time he was hired to Kent's now is laughable. McClain had never been a head coach above JuCo level.
3. Off the court issues. You never know what to believe, but Kent comes with some baggage (all of the recruiting rumors from the Hairston/Porter recruitment, the personal life issues, etc.). It might all be total crap, but it's out there.
I'm pretty sure that whatever connections to Worldwide Wes Kent had are no longer a factor. Personal life issues are there but they are also present with everyone's favorite candidate.
4. On a more personal level, I don't ever remember thinking Kent's teams looked particularly fundamentally sound. I saw a very loose style of ball with relatively high turnover rates. Good talent level (up until the last few years) and intensity (again, until the last few years), but not the consistent fundamental play that I would look for. If anything, I always thought Kent's program was a rich man's version of Steve McClain's. I could be wrong on this, but that's my perception and I know it is shared by others.
I think you are wrong about this. I attended a couple dozen Duck games in three years. He prefers his teams to get out in the open court and run, and that does produce higher turnover rates. But coaches who play uptempo can usually live with more turnovers, because it's a natural byproduct of that style of play. His halfcourt offense is considerably more sophisticated than the dribble-drive oriented offense McClain installed. McClain promised to play a running game as he was a Billy Tubbs disciple but his most successful teams didn't really rely on the fast break. Playing a fastbreak/secondary break style offense does not have to be mutually exclusive with "strong fundamentals."
Seriously, Cowboy Nation, answer me these two questions:
1. Who has Wyoming ever hired to coach men's basketball with a resume as strong as Ernie Kent's?
2. Who, besides Gillispie, is a realistically obtainable coach with a resume as strong as Ernie Kent's?
I fear we allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good around here a little too often.[/quote]
Sorry but we are looking for a coach, which should me an ability to coach. That's a strike against Kent, whose players never got better.
He was a good recruiter when he had World Wide Wes at his side, and when he had Knight's money from Nike. Knight's money dried up after a little event in Mexico that . ... well.
Who has a stronger resume than Kent? Try Dunlap and Shyatt and Dooley.
And if you don't believe the rumors about his off court antics maybe you should see if you can get copy of divorce papers and see why the wife told him to hit the road.
