Some of the replies on this thread have me shaking my head.
Did KD accomplish the ultimate goal of an NCAA Tournament run? He did not. But that doesn't mean he didn't move this program forward in a major way.
In 12 seasons under Coleman Crawford and Dan Hipsher, the Zips had 3 winning records. Dambrot's teams had a winning record in each of his 13 seasons.
In the 12 seasons prior to KD, they were 1-7 in the MAC Tournament with 5 years where they didn't qualify. The furthest they made it was the Quarterfinals. Under Dambrot, the Zips made it to the Semi-Finals 12 out of 13 seasons and the final in 9 of 13 seasons.
In 37 years of Division I play, the Zips have made it to 4 NCAA Tournaments. 3 of those happened under Dambrot.
To say he didn't elevate this program to much higher levels than where it was when he took over is just stubborn.
Listen, I'm bummed KD left. I loved the stability, I enjoyed a lot of the kids he brought into the program, and I loved putting Saturday at The Q in my calendar every year. I also know how many unnecessary roadblocks were put in his way by others at UA, and how frustrating that was. I also know how much his father means to him, and how much Duquesne means to his father. I wasn't happy with his choice, but I can respect it.
I'm just not sure why we can't be appreciative of what KD did here in elevating the program to a consistent winner while at the same time being excited for John Groce potentially taking us to that next level that KD couldn't. I'll be hoping for the best for KD and his staff at Duquesne, so long as we're not playing each other or battling for a recruit.