Jump to content

Love & Haith


brianstl

Recommended Posts

Maybe Frank Haith isn't a feel good story.

You’re probably going to see a lot of Frank Haith over the next couple weeks, so let me give you a primer on what you’ll learn about Missouri’s basketball coach.

With a resume that would be generously described as modest, Haith was something like the 28th choice when Missouri had to replace Mike Anderson in April, or so the legend goes. The hire wasn’t criticized as much as it was lampooned. Frank Haith? The guy who was one more mediocre year from getting fired at his last job? That Frank Haith?

Fast-forward a year, and Missouri is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and Haith is being pushed as the national coach of the year. This will be sold to you as evidence of vindication, one of those March feel-good stories you should embrace.

I’m here to tell you there’s another side to that story, and it’s sickening. Because when I see Frank Haith, I don’t see a coach who turned around anything at Missouri. I see the luckiest person in his profession, and not just because he inherited a roster with seven seniors that literally any competent coach could have taken to the NCAA tournament. No, much more impressive than anything Haith did on the court this year is the way he spent six months floating above the chaos his regime left behind at Miami.

If Haith deserves an award for anything, it’s the all-time con job he’s pulled by diverting attention from what’s been going on at his former program, even though by all rights of fairness Miami and Missouri should be inseparable. Miami wasn’t just mediocre under Haith. It was, we now know, mediocre and dirty. And only one part of that equation is suffering the consequences.

http://www.thedaily....ken-column-1-3/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Although the man who replaced him in Coral Gables, Jim Laranaga, should be counting his lucky stars as well. Going from a floundering CAA school in Fairfax to the Gables is nothing short of a major upgrade in scenery. I'm not sure he was the best coach for the job at the U, but he probably has 4-5 more years of coaching left in him, so it was a good stepping stone to a retirement condo in Dade Co.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate Mizzou, but it seems to me that this author has an axe to grind. He also lost some credibility saying a 19-12 Miami team deserved to be in the dance.

That being said, the jury is still out on Haith. Obviously this year's success bodes well, but he inherited a fairly loaded roster (not deep, but five extremely talented players). I think what he does next year with a completely new team and more of his own recruits will be more telling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He inherited a loaded team and just didn't screw it up. Some people think he should be national coach of the year for that. They play a 7-man rotation, 5 of them are seniors. Good luck next year.

We shouldn't try to get a series started with Mi$$ouri anymore, because we'll surely have the better team for the next couple years. What do we have to gain by playing them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate Mizzou, but it seems to me that this author has an axe to grind. He also lost some credibility saying a 19-12 Miami team deserved to be in the dance.

That being said, the jury is still out on Haith. Obviously this year's success bodes well, but he inherited a fairly loaded roster (not deep, but five extremely talented players). I think what he does next year with a completely new team and more of his own recruits will be more telling.

The writer didn't come off all that great on 590 this morning. He didn't seem all that bothered by Calapari, while really upset by Haith.

That said, without 3 different players receiving multiple game supensions Miami would have been a tournament team. It really isn't fair that Haith is paying no price for multiple players receiving improper benifits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The writer didn't come off all that great on 590 this morning. He didn't seem all that bothered by Calapari, while really upset by Haith.

That said, without 3 different players receiving multiple game supensions Miami would have been a tournament team. It really isn't fair that Haith is paying no price for multiple players receiving improper benifits.

Dan Wolken is from Memphis, so that may explain his attitude towards Coach Cal.

I still can't believe that Haith is going to escape all punishment from his time at Miami. It is a bit unbelievable. Currently, I think Majerus has more NCAA infractions than Haith.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The writer didn't come off all that great on 590 this morning. He didn't seem all that bothered by Calapari, while really upset by Haith.

That said, without 3 different players receiving multiple game supensions Miami would have been a tournament team. It really isn't fair that Haith is paying no price for multiple players receiving improper benifits.

Agreed. You never know. Maybe he'll get Kelvin Sampsoned.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe Frank Haith isn't a feel good story.

http://www.thedaily....ken-column-1-3/

He's certainly done a lot better with the roster than his predecessor. The real story might be that Mike Anderson is an over-rated and over-paid coach. Time will tell with Haith. If he's in the NCAAs after year 3 we'll have some idea about his ability.

In any case, why worry about what's going on at Mizzou on the eve of our biggest game in over a decade?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's certainly done a lot better with the roster than his predecessor. The real story might be that Mike Anderson is an over-rated and over-paid coach. Time will tell with Haith. If he's in the NCAAs after year 3 we'll have some idea about his ability.

In any case, why worry about what's going on at Mizzou on the eve of our biggest game in over a decade?

It was a big college basketball story this morning on twitter and the radio. I like to talk about college basketball and this story has local interest. Should we just not talk about it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He inherited a loaded team and just didn't screw it up. Some people think he should be national coach of the year for that. They play a 7-man rotation, 5 of them are seniors. Good luck next year.

We shouldn't try to get a series started with Mi$$ouri anymore, because we'll surely have the better team for the next couple years. What do we have to gain by playing them?

Time will tell about Haith, but Anderson did much less with essentially the same roster plus Bowers last year. What Haith and staff (his staff should get a lot of credit) is quite remarkable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Allegedly.

nothing allegedly about it. 3 players had to sit out games.

Time will tell about Haith, but Anderson did much less with essentially the same roster plus Bowers last year. What Haith and staff (his staff should get a lot of credit) is quite remarkable.

Haith deserves the credit for what he has got out of this team. Anderson would't have done the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a big college basketball story this morning on twitter and the radio. I like to talk about college basketball and this story has local interest. Should we just not talk about it?

Whatever floats your boat. I'm more interested in the Tiger team that's a little farther down the Mississippi right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan Wolken is from Memphis, so that may explain his attitude towards Coach Cal.

I still can't believe that Haith is going to escape all punishment from his time at Miami. It is a bit unbelievable. Currently, I think Majerus has more NCAA infractions than Haith.

Buying a player a lunch to console him over the death of his father is a lot different than giving a kid an envelope stuffed with $100 bills and an open tab at Mangos on South Beach. Frankly, I'm stunned Haith has yet been required to respond for the alleged wrong doings at the U.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Anderson would not have done the same with this team"

Why not? He recruited the players. I think Mizzou would have been at least as good this year if Anderson were still there.

"Haith got more out of the roster than Anderson"

Last year Mizzou played 1, senior, 6 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 1 freshman. This year they played 5 seniors, 1 junior, and 1 sophomore. Unless they're lazy and don't care, every player should be expected to improve every offseason. The players have the same names on the back of the jerseys, but they are different players and a different team from year to year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Anderson would not have done the same with this team"

Why not? He recruited the players. I think Mizzou would have been at least as good this year if Anderson were still there.

"Haith got more out of the roster than Anderson"

Last year Mizzou played 1, senior, 6 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 1 freshman. This year they played 5 seniors, 1 junior, and 1 sophomore. Unless they're lazy and don't care, every player should be expected to improve every offseason. The players have the same names on the back of the jerseys, but they are different players and a different team from year to year.

Anderson got outcoached quite a bit. He only had one strategy, and his opponents figured them out. Do you think there is a dramatic shift is a player's ability from junior to senior year?

Your really think Anderson would have coached that bunch to a #2 seed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Anderson would not have done the same with this team"

Why not? He recruited the players. I think Mizzou would have been at least as good this year if Anderson were still there.

"Haith got more out of the roster than Anderson"

Last year Mizzou played 1, senior, 6 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 1 freshman. This year they played 5 seniors, 1 junior, and 1 sophomore. Unless they're lazy and don't care, every player should be expected to improve every offseason. The players have the same names on the back of the jerseys, but they are different players and a different team from year to year.

Players don't normally improve that much from junior to senior seasons. And Anderson had Bowers, which was a huge advantage over not having Bowers.

No way Anderson would have accomplished the same thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buying a player a lunch to console him over the death of his father is a lot different than giving a kid an envelope stuffed with $100 bills and an open tab at Mangos on South Beach. Frankly, I'm stunned Haith has yet been required to respond for the alleged wrong doings at the U.

Oh I agree. Hopefully you didn't think I was implying Majerus was more corrupt than Haith. I said that to point out how ridiculous it is that Haith is getting away with what went on at Miami.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem. And once this NCAA investigation is completed, Mizzery may find themselves with Kelvin Sampson II and Jim Tressel II. Actually, Sampson, the idiot, got canned for repeating the violations at Indiana that got him trouble at Oklahoma. Some guys never learn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Players don't normally improve that much from junior to senior seasons. And Anderson had Bowers, which was a huge advantage over not having Bowers.

No way Anderson would have accomplished the same thing.

For one thing English would not have played if Anderson had stayed. He said he would have left. The players would not have been as close. Next year they could be almost as good if not better if the transfers and freshmen they have coming in are as good as advertised. They have one big guard coming in who is reported to be a super player.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...