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Odd that the new 32 million dollar Stroh Center hasn't helped the attendance, talent or coaching?

I can't begrudge a kid wanting to play with his brother. I'd probably do it if I could. We'd be the shortest, slowest and oldest backcourt in college basketball.

Linvingston wrote: "Dambrot seldom challenged himself or his team with his schedule" Seems like an unbefitting article since Dambrot is packed and gone. I could have respected it, if he were still actually coaching at Akron.

I agree with you on it's important to get the correct coach rather than doing it quick. My point was that if anyone wants to coach in this region of the country as a head coach, we're the only one in the state now, and possibly of the adjacent states as well. My comments were meant to be as a positive, not a negative. This opening is only three days young. It'd be foolish to hire someone this quickly. I think going to Arizona is a brilliant idea. You can have as many interviews as you want in a day compared to having to wait for them to get into town to have maybe two or three in a day. It will be a very productive weekend for us in Arizona, that's for sure.

Yeah I don't like ruling out everyone that has ever coached with him. I'd look outside anyone that was on the 2016-2017 staff though

The 1500 hardcore fans will consistently go to the games regardless of who the opponent is. They even enjoy attending the exhibition game because it allows a sneak peak at the freshmen who will redshirt for the year. They enjoy seeing Big Dog dunk over a 5-8 kid from Malone because Dog is a good kid and he wears the right jersey. When we play Coppin State, hey, it is a D1 win. But there are only so many of those fans. For the average fans, they want to be entertained. They want to see competitive basketball where the game goes down to the last play... not a game where the outcome is known even before tip off. Few years back, attempting to defend his scheduling strategy, Dambrot said stuff like: we will never get an at large bid, the OOC doesn't really matter, and the only games that matter are the 3 in Cleveland. Fans pick up on that. People don't want to go to games that do not matter. Kent games always mattered, OU games always mattered. And the numbers show that.

I am in total agreement with Balsy on this topic. As you might know, I am a UA employee but an Ohio University alumnus and fan. I love following the Bobcats and Zips but cannot defend any MAC school's continued financial escalation in this losing war. These institutions exist to educate students and we are diverting precious funds from that mission to feed the egos of a VERY small group of alumni, trustees, etc.

I don't want to go Charlie Coles heavy, but heavier than what we've gotten. Charlie Coles had them run the gauntlet before MAC play.

I'm just curious as to what everyone else thinks. I kind of liked the old Charlie Coles way of scheduling OOC opponents for Miami. They got beaten up and bruised playing those high level P5 teams and also sacrificed total wins for the season, however they were really prepared for tournament play whether it be MAC Tourney or NCAA Tourney. What would you think of hiring a coach with that type of philosophy?

I'm sure we can debate HOW MUCH athletic success influences prospective students. That would be a better debate. But it would indeed be wrong to conclude that they don't influence anyone.

If we're losing coaches every 4-5 years to better jobs, that means we're doing something right. When we want to fire a coach 3 years into a 5 year deal but can't because we can't afford his buyout plus pay his replacelant, that's when we'll have a problem.

Any coach we hire will leave us at first chance. We need to get over that. A coach moving up will leave the program in a better place. It happened in VCU, Dayton, Xavier, Butler. Why not Akron? My dream coach will be someone who would coach here for a few years and do amazing things and get poached by Syracuse or Duke in 2022.

That would be a plus for me. I really don't want to to see any of the old regime. As for Groce(which is a pipe dream) , the players would at least know he has the ability to get them where they want to be. And I'm so, so happy that Wilson is making this choice and not Scarborough.

Wishing coach Dambrot the best of luck. I hope I am wrong but I do not see him being able to make Duquesne an A-10 power house. I feel that being top 3 in the A-10 is much tougher than winning the MAC in a down year.

Oh totally understand that, which of course is part of the problem of "keeping up with the joneses". When are Universities going to wake up to it? I know I may seem like a walking contradiction to a lot of people here. I'm the biggest supporter of Terry Bowden. So I guess I'm trying to be as transparent as I can; I absolutely love the Zips, but I can't necessarily justifiy...or allow decision makers to justify...these decisions without being extremely critical of them. It is the people who care about something most that need to be the most critical of it. I've also been disillusioned a bit. When is enough, enough?

Swear we beat Arkansas, USC, Oregon State (in front of Obama), Penn State, and Mississippi State just to name a few.

K's right. So Herb Page gets paid 5 grand less than Dambrot was making, and gets to play golf all day? And besides Clark wanting to learn fencing, I'm pretty sure I'd take a couple grand less to learn how to teach women to row a "boat".....

UNC Asheville played UT Martin in the 1st round of the CIT this year. UNC Asheville was the overall #1 seed for the tourney. UT Martin was up 25 at halftime!!!!! UT Martin had far superior talent and Anthony Stewart can really coach. I'll take Stewart over McDevitt, plus Stewart is from Akron.

Let me rephrase my post. I don't think McDevitt would go to the extreme that Charlie Coles did, but if you see the schedules I posted above, I think that was a good balance. He's closer to scheduling OOC opponents like Coles than Dambrot, which I think is good for our program.

UNC-Asheville's schedule the past four years(the years McDevitt's been the head coach there) along with some notable games: 2013-2014: http://uncabulldogs.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=126 @ Kentucky, @ Duke 2014-2015: http://uncabulldogs.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=129 @ Wake Forest, @ South Carolina, 2015-2016: http://uncabulldogs.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=132 @ Tennessee, @ Texas A&M, vs Drexel, vs Middle Tennessee, @ Georgetown 2016-2017: http://uncabulldogs.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=134 @ VCU, @ Georgia, @ Kansas, @ Ohio State, vs Siena, vs UNC-Greensboro

That's why McDevitt is my top choice. If you skip to 27:00 in this clip (http://www.hipcast.com/podcast/H1tJ6XnG), this guy is not afraid to bulk up on OOC opponents like Charlie Coles did at Miami. Interview was 29 days ago.

I'm with you. It's a mistake to characterize someone's coaching status based on how the team performed in a few games, when the other 100+ games of their tenure told a different story. Even blind squirrels sometimes find a nut. And sometimes even a bad coach's team records a timely series of wins. Remember, that team was also a point away from being eliminated in regulation in the first round of the MAC tournament, and got beaten by double-digits at home a few days before that on their Senior Night. Just saying.

I don't think that is such a big deal. I want to hire the correct coach, I think that is more important. This is from yesterday's PD article by EA.... Akron AD Larry Williams, "I do want to move forward as fast as possible." With that in mind, Williams said he will be off to the Final Four in Arizona to do more of the search and possible interviews. "We'll get a lot of activity done there,'' he said. I think that is a good idea.

It isn't. Even using your example: $300,000 Lost in Revenue from all those things. With previous coach you paid $600,000, pay the next one $250,000 (saving $350,000). Um now you're in the hole $50,000, as opposed to in the whole $300,000 with a successful coach. The University would probably be better off taking that $50,000 a year and play powerball. At least that way they might actually gain money as opposed to constantly pissing it down the toilet and spouting bullshit about some magical benefit that it has for the University (which it verifiably and observationally does not). I made this graph for the attendance thread I started. Yes, the Trend is upward after all this success that we've had. But even this raw data disproves your contention We went to the NCAAA tournament in 2009, 2010 we had a DECREASE. There are years we had an increase of the average 200-300 people. Assuming $10 a person...300 increase per game...16 home games...a $48,000 increase in revenue. I mean, compared to what you pee down the drain on the program, that's not a justifiable reason IMHO. It's bullshit clear and simple. But someone's gotta justify it right! Culture of Resume-Building. It literally doesn't add up for a school like Akron. To be a successful program (20+ wins a season) we pee hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars down the drain that IS NOT recouped due to increased student enrollment (which hasn't increased) or Season ticket holder sales/donations etc. If you simply cut the damn program you're actually better off financially, like that's objectively true. The University SUBSIDISES the program because it doesn't raise enough on it's own. That's objective fact, and objective fact for most mid-major universities. So those defending the spending jump to arguments over "exposure!" and "increased applications" things that aren't monetarily quantifiable in reality. They avoid assigning $ amounts or talking any financial numbers because they know how bad it looks. If you added up the $100s of millions of dollars that Universities get in subsidies (student fees) in order to support programs that can't support themselves on their own...I HIGHLY doubt that you can find $100s of millions of dollars of actual benefit. I like college athletics. I love the Zips. But don't pee on my shoes and tell me it's raining. College athletics is a shell game of smoke-and-mirrors where a lot of people make a lot of money, and must spew bullshit in order to justify the system. I personally don't care for bullshit and call it out whenever I encounter it. Net Gain my ass. Sorry I don't agree with the people who make the "net gain" argument to justify their own positions.

We could definitely do worse than bringing in the groceries

I want a guy who gets us to the next level and then realizes once we are there that we can continue to grow and that most potential moves become lateral or so close to it that it may not be worth uprooting everything. I know that is a pipe dream for a mid-major but I do think it is the ideal. That being said in a normal scenario we are nowhere near being in position to keep a successful guy for over a decade like we just did. The only hope of anyone coming in and challenging Dambrot's longevity and/or wins record would have to be an alum of the school that never wanted to leave or someone who views the Akron area as home and doesn't want to move away.

The real problem is coaches are grossly overpaid at the mid-major level. Bowling Green's basketball coach who came in with 0 prior head coaching experience is making $450k to coach one of the worst teams in the MAC in front of an average attendance crowd of 1,606 fans. If anything he's providing that university negative equity.

$365,000 http://www.newsday.com/sports/college/stony-brook/stony-brook-men-s-basketball-coach-jeff-boals-contract-worth-more-than-1-875m-1.11793870

The current staff. There is no upside for Boals to come. He just has to keep winning where he is and the next big job will find him. I don't see Paris as head coach material. Great recruiter though.

It's easily justifiable if it is determined to be a net gain. I don't see how its really debatable. Cheaping out and spending 250k on a coach who sucks and in turn losing 300k in season ticket holder revenue/donations/general admin sales/vendors/etc is not justifiable.

Unless you are actually the president of the University in disguise, you need to stop worrying about their money. Basketball and Football are the public face of the University, NOT the EJ Thomas Performing Arts whatever. Take a look at what out of State tuition costs. It is a question of where they spend the money, not a question of having money. The cost of a basketball head coach is a drop in the bucket.

I feel the same way... Others on here have voiced their concern about this. I see the positive about someone doing a good enough job to move up and onward!

Nick McDevitt is still my top choice. Matt Figger was another of my top choices, but he just got hired as head coach at Austin Peay. Baker Dunlevy was my top choice, but he got hired by Quinnipiac before ours opened, so it never was a possibility anyway. If not McDevitt, my next choice would be Lamont Paris. Travis Steele at Xavier too. I want to try and stay away from major power assistant coaches like Jerrance Howard at Kansas. Hard to tell if a move from a penthouse to townhouse would go well(P5 to mid-major analogy if anyone doesn't get it).

I think you missed my point.

I do think Groce would be GREAT! Should be our top choice. I'm not so sure that Cleveland State "passed" on Jent. Maybe he didn't apply or maybe he declined. Cant go by what these twitter feeds claim to know. This HighMajorScoop has McFadden for every opening. Buddy system... ... I'm not opposed to him, but c'mon man! Be right once! I'm not opposed to "outside" hire. I think we are all kind of wanting something new.

2017 Ben Jobe Award will be announced at the Final Four this weekend in Phoenix, Ariz. Anthony Stewart is one of 21 on that list. The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top minority coach in division I men's basketball.

I've been wondering why so many people on this board have mentioned McFadden, but I don't think Terry's name has been mentioned one time. He's definitely the more experienced of the two.

After reading the last 2 pages What in the world is going on in here? NIT? Potatoes?

That list is revolting.

Being a huge Browns fan, I have always hated Pittsburgh. But losing all these guys to Pitt area schools is adding a whole new level of hatred.

Fans they are.... fanatics they are not. Since you chose to single them out.... The way I see things, Morris & Balsy are fans that care about the athletic programs and the school. To me, they have opinions that are outside of athletics and more of a whole school approach. You are a fanatic and walk with blinders and look past the facts. I wish ZNO was full of posters like Morris & Ballsy and would love to see the ones who just spew nonsense "go away." But that's what makes ZNO entertaining.

Thanks Balsy for saving me from typing most of that.

I agree with about 90% of this. The exceptions being schools like Gonzaga or VCU who break through from being a nobody to being a household name. Those schools are too far and in between for schools to be spending what they do to "Keep up with the Jonses". Coaches, not just basketball and football but non-revenue as well, are grossly overpaid. Some states have enacted legislation that restricts how much state schools can subsidize athletics and despite being an Akron sports fan, I'd support similar type legislation to get passed in Ohio.

They will spend the money. A good hoops team attracts students, teachers and benefactors. Cheaping out would be a very poor business move. The issue here is not money, it is finding a quality coach who can at least keep us at the KD level.

Exactly. Given our opponents and the JAR, 99% of the people at Akron basketball games are total die hards who truly bleed blue & gold. The other 1% probably saw relatively slow basketball, against a team they'd never heard of, while torturing their backsides on wooden bleachers and won't be in a hurry to return.

Skip, Skip, Skip. . . I love football too, but c'mon. This was the 2nd bowl Akron had ever made in its FBS history. A terrible program had just gotten out of the worst hole (3-33) of its sad history. Of course people were excited to show up at a bar and watch. It also probably didn't hurt that it was on December 22. People were already out shopping. The Potato Bowl wasn't a whole lot different than the Go Daddy Bowl that the MAC Champ BG Falcons went to. The disparity in bowls between the top of the MAC and an also-ran isn't much, whereas the difference between the basketball tournaments is huge. But other than the NY6 games, they are all NIT, CBI, CIT. They totally don't matter to anyone other than the players, the players' parents and football fanatics. There just happens to be a lot more football fanatics than basketball fanatics. I mean, my goodness. I watched NM/UTSA in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl and loved it. Great game. On the other hand, once the Zips are done playing basketball, I am done watching basketball. I appreciate your passion for Zips football, though.

So, where are your numbers on the percentage of those seats that have been filled in the last 1, 5, 10 years (average attendance)?

Don't you think he bought the worst house on a good street in an upper middle class neighborhood and is leaving one of the nicest houses in a lower middle class neighborhood? The A-10 isn't what it used to be since Temple, Xavier & Butler left. It is interesting to me to hear people questioning KD's departure because of the difficulty in winning at Duquesne in that conference and then read that what Akron needs to do is to get into a conference like the A-10. News flash, everybody. . .Duquesne can win in that conference a helluva lot easier than Akron could ever win in that conference. A cash-poor public school that plays FBS football is never going to have the money to compete at that level. Never. We are broke. The level of discontent with the MAC has reached a level of self-loathing with some folks. The only hope Akron ever has of leaving the MAC is if football would get good enough to actually get to the top of this conference, stay there for about 10 years and develop somewhat of a following. Then your prize is maybe getting an invite to CUSA.

Im shocked at how much people are Defending the current state of the MAC

A trusted source has told me that Jojo ran a 4.35 and a 4.21, jumped 34" and benched 225 sixteen times at the pro day. The numbers should be posted after all schools finish their pro days.