Sorry, just saw how long this is but couldn't help it.
I'm just a long time fan, never played the game, and don't know as much about the game as many people on this site. I've read all the hosannas for Hurley the past couple months and frankly wasn't sure about him in spite of so many people saying he's a good coach, able to recruit and how much his players love him. My doubts were based on the way they finished their season with a senior laden roster and it was disappointing to see how they struggled to beat OK, a team that did not deserve to be in. They also struggled mightily two years ago (17 and 15 in 2015-16) when E.C. Matthews was out for the year. Does Hurley get a pass for a bad year when his best player was out? I'm not defending Ollie due to injuries, but Hurley shouldn't get a pass either.
As I thought about it after today's game though, I was more positive about him because he's done well at Rhody, and at UConn would benefit from much better facilities and resources, coach in a better league and also have the aura of UConn's four championships to help him with recruiting. Plus, he has eight years experience as a head coach and has twice rebuilt programs............then I watched Buffalo dismantle Arizona.
Buffalo did it convincingly, going away, and Nate Oats (the head coach) was fired up at halftime saying they should have had a ten point lead instead of two (due to turnovers) and said we ought to win because we're just as good. He didn't give the polite first national TV interview. He was bold and he was right. They won by 21 and looked as if there was no doubt they would. The players were tough, prepared and confident and played that way the whole game.
A few days ago someone mentioned Nate Oats and I looked him up on Wikipedia and saw he's in his third year, now makes $355,500 per year, and had a rough start when he took over as head coach because Bobby Hurley took the second leading scorer to AZ ST when he left and the MAC player of the year was dismissed from the team along with two others for stealing $650 from football players.
His first two years he had winning seasons in the MAC (third each year), and overall, and this year had a major breakout finishing 15-3 (first) in the MAC and is now 27-8 overall. They lost at Cincinnati in November by six, and at Syracuse (by seven) and at Texas A&M (by sixteen) in December, so they weren't blown out, as badly as UConn repeatedly was, in any game this year. Meanwhile, Rhody lost at home to St. Joe's by 26.
So what, you might say. Oats is doing it with Bobby Hurley's players.......but no, that's not the case. Three of his four best scorers are underclassmen and the fourth is a transfer from Missouri who played for him in Detroit when he was a high school coach. Bobby hired him at Buffalo after watching him coach a number of games when he was recruiting EC Matthews for Rhody and he was given the head coach job after two years when Bobby left.
What about the future? Can he recruit? Well, he has two commitments for 2018 so far, a point guard from Orlando and a small forward from Napa, CA. The point guard is a three star with 20 offers, including USF, UCF, Florida State, New Mexico and ECU. The small forward is a four star with 18 offers, including GA Tech, Marquette, Minnesota, NC State, Pitt, Providence, Rhode Island, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Temple, and VA Tech. I guess he can recruit even at Buffalo with only three years experience in a mid-level league with facilities not likely matching those at UConn.
Why waste time chasing Hurley for $3 million? Maybe Oats is the next JC..............
I'm just a long time fan, never played the game, and don't know as much about the game as many people on this site. I've read all the hosannas for Hurley the past couple months and frankly wasn't sure about him in spite of so many people saying he's a good coach, able to recruit and how much his players love him. My doubts were based on the way they finished their season with a senior laden roster and it was disappointing to see how they struggled to beat OK, a team that did not deserve to be in. They also struggled mightily two years ago (17 and 15 in 2015-16) when E.C. Matthews was out for the year. Does Hurley get a pass for a bad year when his best player was out? I'm not defending Ollie due to injuries, but Hurley shouldn't get a pass either.
As I thought about it after today's game though, I was more positive about him because he's done well at Rhody, and at UConn would benefit from much better facilities and resources, coach in a better league and also have the aura of UConn's four championships to help him with recruiting. Plus, he has eight years experience as a head coach and has twice rebuilt programs............then I watched Buffalo dismantle Arizona.
Buffalo did it convincingly, going away, and Nate Oats (the head coach) was fired up at halftime saying they should have had a ten point lead instead of two (due to turnovers) and said we ought to win because we're just as good. He didn't give the polite first national TV interview. He was bold and he was right. They won by 21 and looked as if there was no doubt they would. The players were tough, prepared and confident and played that way the whole game.
A few days ago someone mentioned Nate Oats and I looked him up on Wikipedia and saw he's in his third year, now makes $355,500 per year, and had a rough start when he took over as head coach because Bobby Hurley took the second leading scorer to AZ ST when he left and the MAC player of the year was dismissed from the team along with two others for stealing $650 from football players.
His first two years he had winning seasons in the MAC (third each year), and overall, and this year had a major breakout finishing 15-3 (first) in the MAC and is now 27-8 overall. They lost at Cincinnati in November by six, and at Syracuse (by seven) and at Texas A&M (by sixteen) in December, so they weren't blown out, as badly as UConn repeatedly was, in any game this year. Meanwhile, Rhody lost at home to St. Joe's by 26.
So what, you might say. Oats is doing it with Bobby Hurley's players.......but no, that's not the case. Three of his four best scorers are underclassmen and the fourth is a transfer from Missouri who played for him in Detroit when he was a high school coach. Bobby hired him at Buffalo after watching him coach a number of games when he was recruiting EC Matthews for Rhody and he was given the head coach job after two years when Bobby left.
What about the future? Can he recruit? Well, he has two commitments for 2018 so far, a point guard from Orlando and a small forward from Napa, CA. The point guard is a three star with 20 offers, including USF, UCF, Florida State, New Mexico and ECU. The small forward is a four star with 18 offers, including GA Tech, Marquette, Minnesota, NC State, Pitt, Providence, Rhode Island, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Temple, and VA Tech. I guess he can recruit even at Buffalo with only three years experience in a mid-level league with facilities not likely matching those at UConn.
Why waste time chasing Hurley for $3 million? Maybe Oats is the next JC..............
