John Groce Officially Hired

[zippy5]

 

[LZIp]

4 minutes ago, MDZip said:

I assume it was from this story on Cleveland.com.

That's great. Thanks Illinois for paying him to coach for us!

[zippy5]

This is fun

[Let'sGoZips94]

As long as Bragg keeps his nose clean, I have no problem with him coming here - IF he comes here. Kansas is a troubled program, full of bad character that gets bailed out because of the basketball-first mentality. Maybe if he is surround with better people, he will be fine. We'll see.

 

To echo Zippy5: this really is fun. 

Edited April 7, 2017 by lilroodude

[Captain Kangaroo]

Quote

Also, it is not uncommon in the industry to deny release to any program that is believed to have tampered with (encouraged) a player to leave one program for another.

Is TDM sweating a little bit?

[morris buttermaker]

25 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

I don't really agree with that. He probably has a big built in raise after year 2

I'm sure there are bigger raises after 2 yrs... but I think Akron will be a stepping stone for coaches from here on out... I would expect Groce to be attractive to bigger programs if he has 2 solid seasons. ... bigger than what the raises probably are slatted to be.. Im fne with that, it just means you need to find another good coach... I think this is a good hire and satisfies a few things athletically and in the bigger picture-- at least for a couple years.

[zippy5]

2 minutes ago, morris buttermaker said:

I'm sure there are bigger raises after 2 yrs... but I think Akron will be a stepping stone for coaches from here on out... I would expect Groce to be attractive to bigger programs if he has 2 solid seasons. ... bigger than what the raises probably are slatted to be.. Im fne with that, it just means you need to find another good coach... I think this is a good hire and satisfies a few things athletically and in the bigger picture-- at least for a couple years.

I don't disagree with that. I thought you were suggesting the deal makes it easier for him to bolt after two years

[dre22era]

Im sorry but I am not sold on Groce and will probably never be because I know he is coming to us with one foot out the door. 

If the phone rings he is chasing the money. He is basically using us for self. This is a short term solution that will capitalize off our hard earned money 

[zippy5]

11 minutes ago, dre22era said:

Im sorry but I am not sold on Groce and will probably never be because I know he is coming to us with one foot out the door. 

If the phone rings he is chasing the money. He is basically using us for self. This is a short term solution that will capitalize off our hard earned money 

Dudes getting paid 1.7 million regardless of what he does. If he wanted to collect a paycheck he could go drink Pina coladas in Cancun and let the severance money roll in

[clarkwgriswold]

13 minutes ago, dre22era said:

Im sorry but I am not sold on Groce and will probably never be because I know he is coming to us with one foot out the door. 

If the phone rings he is chasing the money. He is basically using us for self. This is a short term solution that will capitalize off our hard earned money 

Other than a guy with a skeleton in the closet or an unusual sense of commitment, isn't that the plight of nearly every coach a school in AKron's position can expect to hire?

[dre22era]

3 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Other than a guy with a skeleton in the closet or an unusual sense of commitment, isn't that the plight of nearly every coach a school in AKron's position can expect to hire?

True but at this point I rather gamble on a coach who hasn't left the mid major level and fell flat on his face and now trying to get back vs someone who is young, hungry and trying to establish themselves. 

[clarkwgriswold]

Some of Bragg's problem's were self induced (like the drug paraphernalia) while others (the alleged battery) were not.  I don't have huge concerns.

[zippy5]

7 minutes ago, dre22era said:

True but at this point I rather gamble on a coach who hasn't left the mid major level and fell flat on his face and now trying to get back vs someone who is young, hungry and trying to establish themselves. 

So the young and hungry guy would ditch his current team for us but wouldn't leave us if he was successful? 

[dre22era]

13 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

So the young and hungry guy would ditch his current team for us but wouldn't leave us if he was successful? 

Im speaking on a young hungry assistant worthy of the position. I rather invest my money in his program compared to guy I know will be gone on the first phone call. 

To me he is the enemy. Bobcat blood. I would feel the same if we got a former Kent State coach. 

Could my opinion change? Yes of course 

[kreed5120]

Even a school like Dayton isn't above losing its coach to a bigger program. In today's world at the mid-major level if a coach stays in a place a long time it means he's doing enough to not get fired, but not enough for bigger programs to want him (look at WMU). What he had with Dambrot was the exception, not the rule. 

 

I hope Groce is at a (insert big name program here) in 5 years. That means he won at Akron and did his job.

[K92]

5 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Even a school like Dayton isn't above losing its coach to a bigger program. In today's world at the mid-major level if a coach stays in a place a long time it means he's doing enough to not get fired, but not enough for bigger programs to want him (look at WMU). What he had with Dambrot was the exception, not the rule. 

 

I hope Groce is at a (insert big name program here) in 5 years. That means he won at Akron and did his job.

Christ Almighty.  Even a school like MF Kansas isn't above losing its coach.

[dre22era]

I disagree with the logic. Being content with Akron basically being a stepping stone for coaches to move up is the wrong mentality to have. We should be more focused on building a program from a solid foundation on up. The collegiate sports climate in regards to Basketball & Football is not engraved in stone. We will remain a Mid Major as long as we all believe thats all we can be. 

 

[ZachTheZip]

47 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Other than a guy with a skeleton in the closet or an unusual sense of commitment, isn't that the plight of nearly every coach a school in AKron's position can expect to hire?

 

Groce has plenty of skeletons, but instead of the closet they're in jail.

[Zip_ME87]

44 minutes ago, ZachTheZip said:

 

Groce has plenty of skeletons, but instead of the closet they're in jail.

 

How many? What were their crimes? Sometimes you take a chance on a guy and it works out; other times it doesn't. The ones that don't work out should not discourage taking chances. You need to be smart about it, but you're going to get burned from time to time. Huggins had his problem children along the way, but he did quite well at Cincy, K State, and WVU. I'm happy to say he did so at Akron, too.

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, dre22era said:

I disagree with the logic. Being content with Akron basically being a stepping stone for coaches to move up is the wrong mentality to have. We should be more focused on building a program from a solid foundation on up. The collegiate sports climate in regards to Basketball & Football is not engraved in stone. We will remain a Mid Major as long as we all believe thats all we can be. 

 

I don't think it's resignation as much as it is reality.  If a guy is successful, he moves on from here.   Dambrot was one in a million.  I wish it was different, but it's that's the reality of the situation if you want a successful guy.  I said it last week and set some people off, but otherwise you end up with Rob Senderoff- a guy who does just well enough to not get canned but just bad enough to not get looks from more prominent programs, mired in relative mediocrity (yes people, I know they beat the Zips).

[K92]

3 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I don't think it's resignation as much as it is reality.  If a guy is successful, he moves on from here.   Dambrot was one in a million.  I wish it was different, but it's that's the reality of the situation if you want a successful guy.  I said it last week and set some people off, but otherwise you end up with Rob Senderoff- a guy who does just well enough to not get canned but just bad enough to not get looks from more prominent programs, mired in relative mediocrity (yes people, I know they beat the Zips).

Portage County loves 'em some Sendy right about now, though.

[dre22era]

We basically took the easy road and hired a familiar name which is a cop out to me.

I hope im wrong 

[ZachTheZip]

58 minutes ago, Zip_ME87 said:

How many? What were their crimes? Sometimes you take a chance on a guy and it works out; other times it doesn't. The ones that don't work out should not discourage taking chances. You need to be smart about it, but you're going to get burned from time to time. Huggins had his problem children along the way, but he did quite well at Cincy, K State, and WVU. I'm happy to say he did so at Akron, too.

 

At Illinois, he had four players arrested in one year (one was previously arrested the year before) in the 2015-2016 season.

 

http://writingillini.com/2016/03/17/illinois-basketball-kendrick-nunn-arrested/  Kendrick Nunn - Domestic Battery

http://writingillini.com/2015/08/22/illinois-basketball-darius-paul-dismissed-from-illini/  Darius Paul - Under-aged drinking and resisting arrest. Got kicked off the team. Previously arrested for vandalism, public intoxication, and resisting arrest while on a trip to France.

http://writingillini.com/2016/02/19/illinois-basketball-leron-black-arrested-now-what/  Leron Black - Aggravated Assault

https://writingillini.com/2016/03/12/illinois-basketball-jaylon-tate-arrested-enough-is-enough/  Jaylon Tate - Domestic battery

 

[LZIp]

29 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I don't think it's resignation as much as it is reality.  If a guy is successful, he moves on from here.   Dambrot was one in a million.  I wish it was different, but it's that's the reality of the situation if you want a successful guy.  I said it last week and set some people off, but otherwise you end up with Rob Senderoff- a guy who does just well enough to not get canned but just bad enough to not get looks from more prominent programs, mired in relative mediocrity (yes people, I know they beat the Zips).

I'm over the grieving stage so I am not trying to dog Dambrot here, but what exactly is he 1 in a million of? At the end of the day he left us on his own terms.. Also read something today that the only reason he didn't bolt before was because TJ McConnell transferred from Duquesne to Arizona in the offseason that they were targeting him, so take that FWIW.

Edited April 7, 2017 by LZIp

[NWAkron]

Groce is a real breath of fresh air to this program.  And our best player Jimond Ivey is obviously 100% committed to the new coach and Akron.  He's being a leader and was front row center for the new coach.  That is good for me.