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This. A lot of talk about how wonderful Charleston is but not enough about what he has in Akron. - Basically a lifetime contract. The only way he would ever lose his job here is if he did something immoral off the court. - One of the best NIL budgets in the conference, a NIL Collective that has grown considerably in it's participation and impact in recent years, and a great relationship with the person who leads it. - Excellent relationships in the community he has built over many years. - A history of consistent winning gping back 20+ years surely recognized by potential recruits. - A proud tradition of success for players post-graduation playing professionally. I'll also push back on the "he's done all he can do at Akron" stuff. We were in that game with Texas Tech until it unraveled with a few minutes left. We almost beat UCLA. The MAC was a two-bid league for the first time in a long time. There's a lot of momentum here to keep climbing.

His daughter is only 9 or 10 so the empty nester thing isn't bearing down on him quite yet.

I often wonder how much of this stuff is spread by agents and friends of the "candidate."

How funny that USF wanted Groce and then settled for Mack. And then CoC gets USF 1st choice to replace Mack. It’s honestly a bit of a head scratcher. And this timeline makes me think Groce is leveraging these offers to hopefully get Akron to commit more money. my prediction is he Stays!

If this happens (and I still think it's a big "if") I agree I would full much better about it if Ford becomes the new HC. He would have player and alumni buy-in, support from Wentz/FTR, give us continuity, and would already have a relationship with existing recruits.

Should this turn out to be true, I'm actually excited for all parties. For Groce, Charleston is beautiful and I think that would be a big draw as he gets up there in age. CofC is similar to Akron/MAC and he should be able to continue down a dominant path in a different conference. There's no football to detract from his available resources. For Akron, I love the idea of Ford as our HC. Keep in mind the first ever assistant Groce hired was Chris Holtmann. Ford joined the staff the following year and has been with Groce ever since. If Ford is anywhere near Holtmann as a HC, we'll be just fine. LCJ's support for Ford is everything I need to know, in addition to Bud Wentz being a big Ford believer. To boot, this is really going to tick off the Ohio fans who have wanted Ford for years. When Buffalo lost Hurley, they got Oats who ended up being even better. Here's to hoping we're on the same trajectory. GO ZIPS!

It would be nice if any of the large corporations in the area could chip in as well

That's the thing though, is he really better positioned at Charleston to get to the dance and not get out classed? CoC's record in the tournament is 1-7 with that win coming in 1997. Hofstra got whacked by alabama this year, and last year the CAA champion UNCW lost to Texas Tech in round 1. In 2023 Charleston went 31-3 and got a 12 seed and lost. This is just too similar of a program for this to make sense

This is what I imagine as well. Any pay bump he or his staff might get would likely be offset by COL increase. It's probably more about revenue share and NIL commitment. If he leaves for CoC it's probably because he thinks he can turn them into a Utah State with a $2-$3M NIL budget, but feels he took Akron as far as he could given the financial constraints.

I imagine Groce is more interested in Akron’s overall commitment to advancing the program. Not necessarily his personal salary. He’s not a martyr by any stretch, but I bet he’s more frustrated with getting to the NCAAT and being out classed by so much every year. The NCAAT really matters to Groce, the staff and Wentz.

@dirty-sanchez-thighmaster is listing Bobby Hurley and Keith Dambrot as leading candidates to replace Groce.

It doesn't look great, obviously, but I don't consider Groce gone until someone credible confirms it. Right now, we know: - He was a finalist at Butler, per the IndyStar - He was rumored to have been offered the USF job, but they moved on when he wouldn't commit - He is the top target at Charleston, but both sources - Jeff Goodman and Jeff Borzello - qualified their reports by saying a deal wasn't done, with Borzello adding "steps remain for both sides in the next 24 hours" Now, I'm not saying this is what is happening here, but just last year Rob Senderoff (a close friend of Groce's) was reportedly close to leaving Kent for Fordham, only to stay put with a new contract and increased commitment to the basketball program. Why would Groce not take the USF job if it was truly about the best chance to win? Why would these reports come out today that it was close but not done, right as speculation was increasing that it was done? I'm just saying...let's let this play out.

Nice to be courted and see what’s out there. Makes requests to Goodrich credible.

The threat is absolutely real. If it wasn't, Groce/his team could've squashed the rumors. Now, whether or not that turns into reality, we will see.

Oh for sure, don't get me wrong - I get all of the non-financial reasons he would do it. I would do it if I were in his position. He loves Akron basketball. I was just responded to someone saying he may stop if he isn't getting a financial return.

Local station in Charleston quoting the AD as saying no offer has been made to Groce (also a hilarious pronunciation of "Akron")

You can’t even write off NIL donations, correct?

lots of dime store psychology in this thread

It's not sustainable to rely on one guy to fund our entire program and get nothing in return but a 3peat hat or courtside seats. Financially minded people, specifically rich folks, all want to see money come back to themselves at some point.

I'm a Penguins fan. In 2007, they were on the verge of moving to KC before a new arena was finally delivered in Pittsburgh. Not that we're getting an arena out of this, but if Groce leveraged some other jobs to get some extra staff and NIL money, I'll happily deal with the emotional rollercoaster this week

100% agree. He hasn’t done anything to squash the speculation. After almost a decade, maybe he decided it’s time. If so, what a run it’s been. Charleston is a beautiful place. If he goes, I wish him well. If he stays, that would be great. Simple as that.

F*ck this guy

He wouldn't find himself in a better position to win an NCAA game. Charleston is one of the few places he should leave for. At his age and close to being or is an empty nester, living somewhere like Mt. Pleasant could be awesome. I'm in Charleston at least once a month. With the kind of money he probably has, the lifestyle could be great.

To each his own, but I moved from Akron to Dallas (with a few stops in-between) and I would take Akron winters over Dallas summers any day of the week. Further, I *miss* "real" winter. The approximately 1 time a year snow accumulates here, I can't wait to get outside and hear my feet crunch in the snow and smell the cold air - all of the sensations I miss and feel "right" to me. Now, some people absolutely hate the kind of winters Akron has even if they grew up in it (sounds like maybe that number includes you?) But Groce, who by the looks of it has only spend four years of his life in a "nicer" climate than Akron, might not be one of them. I'd be really surprised if weather is anything but the most minor of factors in his decision.

The more I look at Charleston, the more I feel it's pretty darn similar to Akron. - One bid league - Similar conference strength: CAA - 15th NET, MAC - 17th NET - Similar NCAA Tournament seeding: CAA seeds, last 5 years: 16, 15, 12, 13, 14 MAC seeds, last 5 years: 13, 13, 14, 13, 12

He could always stay and keep trying. Also, I don't think he's gonna have a better chance to win in the NCAAT at "College of Charleston".

Noticed Groce's buyout is only $350K. For comparison Mack's at CoC was $1.5M, which was reduced to $1.3M by USF agreeing to a home & home. That seems like a very low sum for a coach that would be on the short list of a lot of coaching searches.

Have you seen his record at Duquesne? He's not been bad, but it's hard to get excited about his performance. Also, if LBJ was going to be a benefactor for his friend wouldn't we already be seeing that take place at Duquesne?

Sort of. There is a Woke left and a Woke Right. Both run deep within American politics which is why we are living in dangerous times. Both utilize Maoist tactics but attach American characteristics to their arguments. Both are focused on group politics and fitting each of us into one of two groups. We are a country founded on the rights of individuals. The entire Bill of Rights is geared to the individual being protected from the state. This horse's ass running for the Republicans is trying to fit Ohioans into his world view. We don't need one university in NE Ohio, we need many with competing ideas which will strengthen each other. I can't believe this is the party of Ronald Reagan that I grew up with. It's a crying ass shame.

100%. If the reports are true, why wouldn’t he have taken USF? CofC isn’t anywhere near as good of job as that with the money they are putting into sports.

I wasn't going to go too deep into personal politics with my post, but what you say is definitely true. It is astounding and sad to me. Thanks for being a voice of reason.

Good news. Bad news. Good news, I haven’t heard anything more about over-inflated basketball balls. Bad news, the horn was stuck for a long time during the Illinois vs Iowa game. 🙄

I took the time to read it. He basically lumps in Akron with Kent and Central State. Then he talks about getting programs to make schools central to one field of study. Think we aren't at or near the top of his list? This guy will gut Akron down to a shell of itself and what will follow will be the elimination of sports at Akron and Kent. If you care about UofA, you will vote for his opponent and let things play out for four years.

I dunno man. This doesn't feel lateral to me, but a slight step down. The Coastal is just as much a one-bid league as the MAC is, and he'd be moving from an elite mid-major to a pretty good mid-major. Yes, it does seem like CofC can pay him more, but I dunno...is this really the first time in his tenure someone has offered him more money to go elsewhere? With Dambrot, it was "I want to coach in a league that can get more than one bid," but assuming a) Groce doesn't feel that way and b) he isn't a lot more bullish on the CAA than I am, I really don't understand why he would do this. I've always sort of thought that I'm not going to hold it against an Akron coach if he leaves for a high major, but for the second time in a row (if it happens), this is not that, and just like I rooted against Dambrot and Duquesne I'm gonna root against Groce and CofC if this comes to pass.

You think you all are going to get rid of me that easily. Ha!! I’m not enjoying this situation one bit, but will address my fandom if or when something comes of it. Go Zips!!

All you had to do is watch his obnoxious mother in the stands to know that Blyden was out for himself on the court. He was never going to stay a second year. The Zips current coaching staff interviews the recruit's family as well. You don't see Zips' parents acting like fools and seeking attention.

With the redshirt symbol to boot!

It started off on Thursday's and then other conferences started doing it and the NFL. We moved to Tuesday / Wednesday and others play some on those night but its been primarily the MAC. The NFL is experimenting with a Wednesday game this year and has expressed an interest in moving some more games during the week. This will end up burying some these games any way when it gets to this. You add this to viewer fatigue and this model could add more harm over time. Having a 3rd of the schedule on days fans can't attend in person has become a tough sell.