Niko to Colorado State

[Jasper]

I don’t know this for a fact but I would say Niko had an attachment to Furman he didn’t have to Drake...it wasn’t the same there as it was here...he got pretty close to the seniors at FU and that type of dynamic was harder to duplicate at Drake right away.

New movie: "Day 2: Rise of the Apologists"

He left FU abruptly for a job that not even 12 months later he was looking to jump from. He wasn't attached enough to stay long enough to coach that class in what turned out to be their last game of the season.

More likely, he was at FU as long as he needed to be. As soon as he changed from an unproven HC commodity to a somewhat proven HC commodity, he was looking to parlay it into a move into the next HC salary bracket.

I don't think he owes FU anything. It was a mutually beneficial transaction. I think it was more the shock of the revelation that we're (well) below Drake on the salary totem pole.

I also get it from a career standpoint. I've left a job in less than a year to take an opportunity that gave a 50% raise in base salary, but I didn't recruit any 18-year-olds to join me at the first job. (BTW, Uncle Sam takes most of that raise.)

I get that these guys work for a long time to get a break and then they need to make hay before the sun sets. As long as he's honest during recruiting about his career aspirations, then it's probably acceptable. (However, I doubt that any current Drake recruits were told "I may not be here by the time you arrive on campus later this year". The AD hung him out to dry, not a show of appreciation).

Just don't play it as leaving for a special place. ("It's not you. It's me") Be honest.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up. That's the way the game is played and Niko played it well. He made a solid contribution to Furman and Furman gave him a solid HC resume. All is fair. That's life in the wonderful world of mid major basketball with a very few exceptions. Get 3 or 4 years out of a good, young coach - lose him to a higher level of pay - bring on the next hotshot. The most important person in that scenario is the AD who has to choose "the next best coach in the universe". That taint easy. I expect to see Niko in the Big 10 one day. Shalom, young man.

[soconjohn]

Like I said...I could care less about Drake or what Niko did to them...they didn’t have a problem snatching him from us....and as for the money...Furman has the money to pony up to what Drake has to offer...if not that is pitiful...however I also understand the dynamic of football and Drake has a program that is non-scholarship, which probably means they can pay their b-ball coach more....that’s life.

[Fessor]

I don’t know this for a fact but I would say Niko had an attachment to Furman he didn’t have to Drake...it wasn’t the same there as it was here...he got pretty close to the seniors at FU and that type of dynamic was harder to duplicate at Drake right away.

New movie: "Day 2: Rise of the Apologists"

He left FU abruptly for a job that not even 12 months later he was looking to jump from. He wasn't attached enough to stay long enough to coach that class in what turned out to be their last game of the season.

More likely, he was at FU as long as he needed to be. As soon as he changed from an unproven HC commodity to a somewhat proven HC commodity, he was looking to parlay it into a move into the next HC salary bracket.

I don't think he owes FU anything. It was a mutually beneficial transaction. I think it was more the shock of the revelation that we're (well) below Drake on the salary totem pole.

I also get it from a career standpoint. I've left a job in less than a year to take an opportunity that gave a 50% raise in base salary, but I didn't recruit any 18-year-olds to join me at the first job. (BTW, Uncle Sam takes most of that raise.)

I get that these guys work for a long time to get a break and then they need to make hay before the sun sets. As long as he's honest during recruiting about his career aspirations, then it's probably acceptable. (However, I doubt that any current Drake recruits were told "I may not be here by the time you arrive on campus later this year". The AD hung him out to dry, not a show of appreciation).

Just don't play it as leaving for a special place. ("It's not you. It's me") Be honest.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up. That's the way the game is played and Niko played it well. He made a solid contribution to Furman and Furman gave him a solid HC resume. All is fair. That's life in the wonderful world of mid major basketball with a very few exceptions. Get 3 or 4 years out of a good, young coach - lose him to a higher level of pay - bring on the next hotshot. The most important person in that scenario is the AD who has to choose "the next best coach in the universe". That taint easy. I expect to see Niko in the Big 10 one day. Shalom, young man.

If you piss off enough people on the way, you'd better be a helluva coach. He may be or may grow into one, but I haven't seen anything from Niko yet to make me think he's an elite head coach.

[Fessor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... poNoqIet0Q

[Paul C]

I think it sucks for Drake.

I’m sure Niko doesn’t feel all warm and fuzzy about it. This probably isn’t how he wanted it to happen.

But this is probably one of his dream jobs and I wish him much success.

[Paul C]

It's also a lesson, or reminder, of where the FU is on the totem pole of NCAA BB HC'ing jobs. (Breast implants anyone?)

No matter what cup size you choose there’s always gonna be girls with bigger boobs.

Elevating our pay scale might allow us to keep one coach, one time, but after that we’d be right back on the merry go round.

Instead of sayin “we only pay $250 and lost a coach for $400” we’d be saying “we only pay $400 and we lost a coach for $700”.

[Monday]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... poNoqIet0Q

Watching NM talk about the importance of character makes me wonder if during Larry Eustachy's intro presser he talked about the importance of sobriety.

CSU probably bought it, too.

[Fessor]

It's also a lesson, or reminder, of where the FU is on the totem pole of NCAA BB HC'ing jobs. (Breast implants anyone?)

No matter what cup size you choose there’s always gonna be girls with bigger boobs.

Elevating our pay scale might allow us to keep one coach, one time, but after that we’d be right back on the merry go round.

Instead of sayin “we only pay $250 and lost a coach for $400” we’d be saying “we only pay $400 and we lost a coach for $700”.

You just need a salary that will attract best coach in SoCon, not in the country.

[Jasper]

I don’t know this for a fact but I would say Niko had an attachment to Furman he didn’t have to Drake...it wasn’t the same there as it was here...he got pretty close to the seniors at FU and that type of dynamic was harder to duplicate at Drake right away.

New movie: "Day 2: Rise of the Apologists"

He left FU abruptly for a job that not even 12 months later he was looking to jump from. He wasn't attached enough to stay long enough to coach that class in what turned out to be their last game of the season.

More likely, he was at FU as long as he needed to be. As soon as he changed from an unproven HC commodity to a somewhat proven HC commodity, he was looking to parlay it into a move into the next HC salary bracket.

I don't think he owes FU anything. It was a mutually beneficial transaction. I think it was more the shock of the revelation that we're (well) below Drake on the salary totem pole.

I also get it from a career standpoint. I've left a job in less than a year to take an opportunity that gave a 50% raise in base salary, but I didn't recruit any 18-year-olds to join me at the first job. (BTW, Uncle Sam takes most of that raise.)

I get that these guys work for a long time to get a break and then they need to make hay before the sun sets. As long as he's honest during recruiting about his career aspirations, then it's probably acceptable. (However, I doubt that any current Drake recruits were told "I may not be here by the time you arrive on campus later this year". The AD hung him out to dry, not a show of appreciation).

Just don't play it as leaving for a special place. ("It's not you. It's me") Be honest.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up. That's the way the game is played and Niko played it well. He made a solid contribution to Furman and Furman gave him a solid HC resume. All is fair. That's life in the wonderful world of mid major basketball with a very few exceptions. Get 3 or 4 years out of a good, young coach - lose him to a higher level of pay - bring on the next hotshot. The most important person in that scenario is the AD who has to choose "the next best coach in the universe". That taint easy. I expect to see Niko in the Big 10 one day. Shalom, young man.

If you piss off enough people on the way, you'd better be a helluva coach. He may be or may grow into one, but I haven't seen anything from Niko yet to make me think he's an elite head coach.

I agree with that assessment. Niko has shown competence , not brilliance. I remember Jay Wright when he was at Hofstra. They were a historically 3rd tier basketball program in the New York area and he made a big splash with them for a few years - even knocking off some of the local big boys and making a few appearances in the NCAA tourney. Before his first HC job, Jay had been an assistant at Nova and UNLV. That is a much better resume than Niko's for instance. He was very much in demand and when Villanova came calling, he got the job. The rest is history. Jay Wright was and is brilliant and you are correct IMO that Niko has not reached that elite level. but he appears to be on the right career path and only time will tell.

[paladinfan12]

Tough break for Drake, hopefully they pocketed a nice buyout like we (hopefully) did last year.

Niko posted a few things on twitter where you could read into his mixed feelings about this move. Can't blame the guy for taking the unquestionably better job. I'm sure it was a really tough choice for he and his family, but opportunities like this one don't come along very often.

I'll always root for Niko as a thanks to what he did for our program. Maybe one day when he's the head coach of Indiana or some other prominent midwest school he'll encourage one of his assistants to take the FU job, send some transfers our way, or come stop by and coach a clinic when he and is wife are back in Greenville for a weekend.

[furpep]

Don't know if anyone has posted this link. AD is not a happy man. Can't blame him if this is what went down in the timeline.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 451503002/

[tya1]

Here is a take from the Colorado side.

LINK

Secret weapon for coaches looking to move - learn the school fight song.

[The Jackal]

Like I said...I could care less about Drake or what Niko did to them...they didn’t have a problem snatching him from us....and as for the money...Furman has the money to pony up to what Drake has to offer...if not that is pitiful...however I also understand the dynamic of football and Drake has a program that is non-scholarship, which probably means they can pay their b-ball coach more....that’s life.

That’s part of what is missing from some of these arguments. If Furman gave no football scholarships, I bet we could throw more money into men’s basketball.

A lot of these top quality mid-major programs (Villanova excluded) don’t play scholarship football.

[tya1]

Drake has named a new head coach - Darian DeVries, currently an assistant at Creighton.

[FUBeAR]

If Furman gave no football scholarships...