Success Begats Coaching Opps .....

[Taj79]

.. I see where the UAB AD is confirming that Auburn has asked for and received permission to talk to Mike Anderson, UAB Head Coach, about their opening. This is where one needs to worry about what course fate will have for your head coach .... when success gets them to the Sweet Sixteen.

While I am sure we are all proud and happy with the last two years, I don't believe anyone will come a calling for Brad until he experiences this or maybe the Thad Motta syndrome .... getting to and surprising all in the Big Dance.

[TheA_Bomb]

My uncle, who is like the B-Roy of 4 different Auburn message boards, told me that unconfirmed reports are that AU offered Anderson $1.2 mil for an 8 yr. deal. They are just concerned he may not take it due to impending sanctions. I think it is strange that AU expects some tough sanctions and SPUMAC doesn't when the infractions seem to be more widespread at SPUMAC.

Anyway, Matta has had success before with X and I think he will stay. Anderson should go to Auburn but I am an AU fan and biased.

[STLBlazer]

Why should Anderson put himself in this situation:

1. Basketball is definitely not king at AU

2. AU is currently on ACADEMIC probation and is about to be hit HARD with athletic probation

3. AU's basketball program doesn't have the tradition nor success that UAB's has had/have

4. AU is in a small country town

5. Trustees run the show down there and show no loyalty to employees (see Tubberville)

6. Auburn still won't be able to compete with Kentucky, Miss St in basketball

Positives for UAB:

1. Returning players

2. Sweet 16 momentum

3. Basketball reigns at UAB

4. No probation

5. What's good for UAB is good for Bham. Anderson can become a powerful man in Birmingham if he were to stay

6. UAB is willing to offer up to $750,000 yr which is quite a bit for a second year head coach

7. UAB isn't run by its trustees

8. UAB has a president and an AD....Auburn has interim at both positions

9. He's from Birmingham and has family there

10. There could be serious backlash from political/corporate power in Bham if he were to leave UAB

11. His chances of dominating in CUSA are much better than his chances of dominating the SEC at Auburn and if he were to dominate at AU then nobody would care

[Taj79]

... is shining through! And, quoting from Seinfeld again, "... not that there's anything wrong with that!"

The listed reasons for staying are compelling ... of course, why folks do this over that is beyond me. All I was trying to point out is that any coach wanting to move on has to have that springboard event that makes him desirable. Brad does not have it; others do. Mike is one of them. Thad is another. You see what happened for both the Texas A&M and Utah openings.

I only used Mike as the example to downplay some of our folks who think Brad is a hot commodity right now. He's done a nice job but he won't become "hot" until he goes a lot higher. No disses to the UAB folks.

[Billiken Law]

Anderson should go to Auburn but I am an AU fan

>and biased.

No way. Anderson would end up like Melvin Watkins, who bailed on his alma mater, Charlotte, and ended up a failure and fired at Texas A&M. Basketball will never be bigger than football at Auburn and he'll never be given the resources to approach football. Bobby Louder, the booster who runs Auburn athletics, won't allow it. Going to Auburn would be career suicide for Anderson.

[Billikens_Fanatic]

People in Alabama like football? I had no idea. :-) Of course basketball will never be bigger than football at Auburn, in the state of Alabama, or anywhere in the south. Yet other SEC schools like Florida, Miss. St., and Alabama have managed to field good basketball teams. If Mike Gottfried can take football-first-school Alabama to the Elite 8, there's no reason to think that Anderson can't take Auburn that far.

The question is can Anderson lure in good recruits with C-USA falling apart? Just because Auburn basketball will never be bigger than Auburn football doesn't mean that Auburn basketball won't be bigger than UAB basketball when C-USA has nobody but UAB and Memphis. Maybe Anderson should stay, but you could hardly blame him if he goes to the bigger stage and jumps C-USA's sinking ship.

[3star_recruit]

Apparently Rick Barnes at Texas and Mike Brey at Notre Dame are also committing career suicide.

[Billiken Law]

no, those programs had shown a history of competiveness in the past before those 2 coaches took their respective jobs. Auburn has not, plus they are facing sanctions at this time.

[STLBlazer]

Will be okay after a few years.

Several teams have already stepped up and hired new coaches, pretty good ones at that:

1. Houston - Tom Penders

2. SMU - Jimmy Tubbs

3. Southern Miss - Larry Eustachy (everyone deserves a second chance)

...then you have

4. UCF - NCAA 2004

5. UAB - Sweet 16 2004

6. Memphis - NCAA 2004

7. Tulsa - always good but had an off year

Now that those schools have stepped up I honestly believe the others will follow suit. CUSA as it is now wasn't given much of a chance to begin with and unfortunately we are just now seeing what it is capable of doing.

Every team CUSA loses, with the exception of USF, is good at basketball and has a strong program. It will be hard to replace it but we will be okay in the long run.

[Basketbill]

nm