Billiken Victory Fund

[GOSLU68]

Everyone agrees Ford is a very good recruiter. We are not missing out on some “local” or alum Coach who might recruit better. Ok take away the Covid year and take away the “situation” year and forget what big bruits we had poised to put as at the top of the A-10. That leaves you with five years and barely a large enough sample considering how far down Crews had taken us. The only thing Crews had going for him was Majerus seeing something that he felt worthwhile saving.

The struggle to the top of the A-10 has similar schools with some pretty good coaches. I think we stand a better chance for a solid future with Ford and a better chance of him wanting to stay with the facts that we are willing to pay Ford and he

has a lot of emotional ties to his own program with SLU. When he was younger he made UMass a competitor and bolted for a big state school. Maybe we are a better fit for him than a football school.

I think Ford has the best rapport with local coaches of anyone in my 60 years watching 

the SLU program. I like our chances for good basketball with Ford. Let us step up and support the victory fund.

[GOSLU68]

Brutes not bruits

[majerus mojo]

19 hours ago, Schasz said:

If the current AD made the hire at the conclusion of this season 7 would seem fair. That's what Ford has been given to produce only 1 NCAA trip to date in year 7. It's only a crap shoot (win A-10 Tourney) to have a chance for 2 in 7 years. Count me on someone net betting on that happening.

 

17 hours ago, dlarry said:

if they were outside the bubble when the shutdown but trending in the right direction I don’t think we should count that as a tournament team. 
They were not high enough in NET when the season ended so I consider that a miss. 
 

I don’t disagree but I also think it’s a real roll of the dice hoping to win the A10 tournament every year. 

 

15 hours ago, Soderball said:

Ford has been here for like 7 years now. You hang on this one year, which hit every program, like it's some kind of holy grail. Ford is who he is, and is who he has been for his entire coaching career. Move on.

 

15 hours ago, wgstl said:

Ya I can want ford gone, but still get excited every game and want to win every game. I don’t hate ford, I just feel confident we can replace him with someone better 

Love to see you guys have made it to the BVF thread TYFYS

[wgstl]

9 minutes ago, majerus mojo said:

 

 

 

Love to see you guys have made it to the BVF thread TYFYS

Well considering there was talk about giving money while fords the coach.. 

[Billiken Rich]

14 hours ago, dlarry said:

This.

I get why some people want to keep Ford around.

He’s going to win 20 games.

He will have them in contention for the the NIT most years.

He will finish top half of the A10 most years 

He is great with the fans and media 

He’s seems like a good guy.

What I don’t get is how most of the people who want to keep him don’t understand how anybody would want him gone. They are completely blind to all of his faults.

It really amazing to see. 

 

I understand how people could want Travis gone.  My thought is that he's an excellent recruiter and good not great coach. You only need to look a few miles west of us to find a program that has run through years of being irrelevant due to bad coaching hires.   They may have made a good choice finally but the road was pretty damned ugly.  I don't want that.  I've been alive long enough to remember Crews.  Is it too much to ask to know who we, realistically, are going to replace Travis with?  Chris Beard isn't coming here.  I want to know who is, before we dump the best recruiter we've had in my lifetime........

[cheeseman]

3 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

I understand how people could want Travis gone.  My thought is that he's an excellent recruiter and good not great coach. You only need to look a few miles west of us to find a program that has run through years of being irrelevant due to bad coaching hires.   They may have made a good choice finally but the road was pretty damned ugly.  I don't want that.  I've been alive long enough to remember Crews.  Is it too much to ask to know who we, realistically, are going to replace Travis with?  Chris Beard isn't coming here.  I want to know who is, before we dump the best recruiter we've had in my lifetime........

OK let say your post is totally 100% dead on then answer me this - Why has he not recognized his faults and hire a coach who knows the X and Os but who also knows he is best situated as an assistant.  Other schools do it but for some reason Ford has not done so at least for now.  VA did it with Sodie as an example.  

[Lord Elrond]

56 minutes ago, wgstl said:

Well considering there was talk about giving money while fords the coach.. 

So you are saying that the BVF should not give any money to a men’s basketball player as long as Travis Ford is the head coach?  What should they do with the money instead?  Give it to players on the men and women’s soccer teams? Use it to help the new Volleyball Coach get the best of the best volleyball players in the nation? Some other sport they should support? Or just announce they are holding on to all money received pending a decision to change the men’s basketball team head coach?

NIL and who’s the coach should be two completely separate discussions. We will need to spend that money to get men’s basketball players regardless of who is coach.  The alternative is to immediately apply for NAIA membership.

[Billiken Rich]

23 minutes ago, cheeseman said:

OK let say your post is totally 100% dead on then answer me this - Why has he not recognized his faults and hire a coach who knows the X and Os but who also knows he is best situated as an assistant.  Other schools do it but for some reason Ford has not done so at least for now.  VA did it with Sodie as an example.  

That's a good question.  I've said before that I'd hire Brad as a defensive coordinator.  Ford Stuen seemed like the guy who'd mention to Travis that xyz player has been sitting on the bench too long after playing well earlier.  He hasn't been replaced either.  Again good not great.  A coordinator position would be a good move for the AD to require if Travis' seat is indeed becoming hot. 

I know it's a bit unfair to ask who Travis' replacement would be if we jettisoned him.  It's really easy to poke holes in possible candidates.  Chris Beard (not coming,) Porter Moser (bleh,) name your up and coming assistant, (huge gamble.)  I do want to know we're getting more than we're giving up......

[wgstl]

3 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

So you are saying that the BVF should not give any money to a men’s basketball player as long as Travis Ford is the head coach?  What should they do with the money instead?  Give it to players on the men and women’s soccer teams? Use it to help the new Volleyball Coach get the best of the best volleyball players in the nation? Some other sport they should support? Or just announce they are holding on to all money received pending a decision to change the men’s basketball team head coach?

Did not say that at all. Read what I replied too. 
 

im 1000000% for giving BVF right now 

[Lord Elrond]

5 minutes ago, wgstl said:

Did not say that at all. Read what I replied too. 
 

im 1000000% for giving BVF right now 

Agreed, NIL is a game we have to play right now if SLU is going to stay in Division 1, there’s no choice. Choosing not to be part of that is a slow death spiral, regardless of who we get as head coach.  I’m good with getting a new coach at this point, but the trade off is money raised for a buyout of the head coach is money that will not be spent on a NIL deal for players and the risk that next years recruits will head somewhere else, not to mention it might mean current players leaving via the transfer portal.

[dlarry]

58 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

I understand how people could want Travis gone.  My thought is that he's an excellent recruiter and good not great coach. You only need to look a few miles west of us to find a program that has run through years of being irrelevant due to bad coaching hires.   They may have made a good choice finally but the road was pretty damned ugly.  I don't want that.  I've been alive long enough to remember Crews.  Is it too much to ask to know who we, realistically, are going to replace Travis with?  Chris Beard isn't coming here.  I want to know who is, before we dump the best recruiter we've had in my lifetime........

That’s fair. 

[Lord Elrond]

18 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

That's a good question.  I've said before that I'd hire Brad as a defensive coordinator.  Ford Stuen seemed like the guy who'd mention to Travis that xyz player has been sitting on the bench too long after playing well earlier.  He hasn't been replaced either.  Again good not great.  A coordinator position would be a good move for the AD to require if Travis' seat is indeed becoming hot. 

I know it's a bit unfair to ask who Travis' replacement would be if we jettisoned him.  It's really easy to poke holes in possible candidates.  Chris Beard (not coming,) Porter Moser (bleh,) name your up and coming assistant, (huge gamble.)  I do want to know we're getting more than we're giving up......

and that’s why I’m also good with keeping Travis if that’s what gets decided. There is no guarantee with a new coach, you can wander through the basketball wilderness through many coaching changes before you find success. The logic that says use any buyout money you get for a new coach for NIL deals for players makes a lot of sense. And no, I don’t think we get the money for both.

[Schasz]

If Ford's recruiting is so fabulous (I'm not completely buying into) then he's shown time and time again he doesn't coach it up. That is the other part of a HC's job. One thing to get the talent another to know how to motivate and coach it up. His results speak for themself one NCAA Tourney appearance, and it took the miracle in Brooklyn to get that. Well it will take another miracle to get another one this year. 

[cheeseman]

1 hour ago, Schasz said:

If Ford's recruiting is so fabulous (I'm not completely buying into) then he's shown time and time again he doesn't coach it up. That is the other part of a HC's job. One thing to get the talent another to know how to motivate and coach it up. His results speak for themself one NCAA Tourney appearance, and it took the miracle in Brooklyn to get that. Well it will take another miracle to get another one this year. 

This is my point - I am ok with him being here next year given all the $ and contract issues to move on but we can not continue to have the same results.  If this is going to be our situation with Ford then we have to not be afraid to dare to do better eventually.  I have no interest in giving money to the BVF if it will just continued to be squandered by a guy who can't get it done.  I hope Ford is reading the board - I know he probably is not - but he has to know what people are thinking or else nothing improves.  I was a bit heartened by his seemingly change in posture on the use of the portal and the fact that he played other people last night to get some defensive results - in the past he would have not done that.  Maybe he is feeling a bit of the heat so to speak.

[dennis_w]

Who is the best coach in the A-10?

[Billiken Rich]

54 minutes ago, Schasz said:

If Ford's recruiting is so fabulous (I'm not completely buying into) then he's shown time and time again he doesn't coach it up. That is the other part of a HC's job. One thing to get the talent another to know how to motivate and coach it up. His results speak for themself one NCAA Tourney appearance, and it took the miracle in Brooklyn to get that. Well it will take another miracle to get another one this year. 

I don't think anyone is happy with the way this year has played out but I do not think it is disputable that Travis is the best recruiter we've had.  For whatever reason he has not been able to put together a top 10-25 team.  Obviously that's where Billiken fans want and expect to be.  Not sure I include you in that group.  In any case Travis is on a shortening timetable for greatness.  I won't be this year or even next but I don't see him here in 5 years if he hasn't made a tourney run......

[DOC]

4 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

I don't think anyone is happy with the way this year has played out but I do not think it is disputable that Travis is the best recruiter we've had.  For whatever reason he has not been able to put together a top 10-25 team.  Obviously that's where Billiken fans want and expect to be.  Not sure I include you in that group.  In any case Travis is on a shortening timetable for greatness.  I won't be this year or even next but I don't see him here in 5 years if he hasn't made a tourney run......

If Billiken fans expect a consistent top 10-25 team then they’re clueless. We should aspire to be a top 20-40 program that finishes at or near the top of the A10. 

[almaman]

On 2/18/2023 at 12:16 PM, dlarry said:

Why does it have to be immediately?

Im more than happy with bringing in a guy who brings a system and builds a team that fits his system. 

 

That Brad fella had a pretty good system from the Bennett coaching tree.

[dlarry]

27 minutes ago, almaman said:

That Brad fella had a pretty good system from the Bennett coaching tree.

 

He sure did. That defensive system helped win a national Championship at Virginia. 

Unfortunately  he couldn’t bring in enough talent to win like that here. He also struggled with finding an offensive system.
 

I’m happy Soderberg found a place where he is successful. He seemed like a good guy.
If they make a coaching change hopefully it works out better than Soderberg did. 

[almaman]

he's still there correct?

[dlarry]

He’s their director of scouting 

[Billiken Rich]

2 hours ago, DOC said:

If Billiken fans expect a consistent top 10-25 team then they’re clueless. We should aspire to be a top 20-40 program that finishes at or near the top of the A10. 

Talking about once not every year.....

[DOC]

34 minutes ago, Billiken Rich said:

Talking about once not every year.....

My bad. 

[Cowboy II]

11 hours ago, cheeseman said:

OK let say your post is totally 100% dead on then answer me this - Why has he not recognized his faults and hire a coach who knows the X and Os but who also knows he is best situated as an assistant.  Other schools do it but for some reason Ford has not done so at least for now.  VA did it with Sodie as an example.  

-not to intrude on your discussion but do you think he would listen?

[Slu let the dogs out?]

9 hours ago, DOC said:

If Billiken fans expect a consistent top 10-25 team then they’re clueless. We should aspire to be a top 20-40 program that finishes at or near the top of the A10. 

Agree. And Ford has literally never accomplished any of those (top 40, top 25, at or near the top of A10) in 7 years at SLU. And before someone responds with “Finishing 4th is near the top” I’d just like to remind you that SLU plays in the A10, not the Big East. Finishing 4th in this version of the A10 (sans Xavier, Butler, etc) will yield an at-large bid maybe once every 15-20 years? We actually have a decent shot at 3rd this year (which I would consider near the top of the A10). A year in which the A10 is a one-big league.