The guy deserves his own thread. For starters:
The guy deserves his own thread. For starters:
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
What started me thinking about this thread was the question of whether Larry might be interested in the Texas job (I don't think so) and if not, what jobs would Larry leave Utah for? He does seem happy at Utah, and he's not the sort of coach (cough-cough rick majerus cough-cough) who will entertain discussions with every big program that bats its eyelashes at him. Still, there are probably jobs out there that he simply could not say no to. Which ones are they? My nominees:
Indiana
North Carolina
Duke
UCLA? (Not too sure about this one.)
Am I on track? Any others?
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Sand Diego State?Originally Posted by LA Ute
USC?
Washington?
Stanford?
Not sure there are that many
Larry (and his wife) have talked about how they both want to stay put for a while after moving every 1.5 years on average.
The house they just moved into this year, as the photos of the team in the theater room, is quite impressive from what I'm told. Indoor basketball court for starters.
Larry also has made it known he really loves the mountain west. And I'm guessing he's been pretty smart with his NBA cash as well.
I'm sure there are "dream jobs", everyone has them, but I'm not sure it'll be a big list for him.
I don't think USC or Washington would be on his list. Stanford would probably be seen on equal footing as Utah by him. Perhaps San Diego St. because it's such a great town - they loved living there. What I've learned is that if it were up to Larry he might retire here. Larry's wife is the one with a little wanderlust. She does love SLC and I think they are here for at least another three to four years. If/when they leave it won't just need to be an incredible offer at a top institution. I don't know that even that will be enough for Larry. It will take his wife telling him she wants a change.
It is wildly presumptive to think any of those schools would ever have Larry on their radar. The Carolina Family would revolt, and likely Duke as well, what with the legions of qualified alumni they have.
I'm just spitballin'. From what I've heard it is a short list, whatever schools might be on it.
Stanford would be painful to see happen.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I've read that if Indiana moves on from Tom Creen, Brad Stevens is their target.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
Further response to SCPat: I'm not saying which schools would offer Larry, just wildly speculating about what kind of job it would take to get him to leave. This is what fans do in the off-season. Within a few weeks we'll be talking about the details of the U's Under Armour deal.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
San Diego St is one I would keep an eye on. I know Larry still has a place there and loves San Diego (who doesn't?). Steve Fischer obviously doesn't have a lot of time left before he retires, so I could see them making a strong push for Larry in a couple years.
If UCLA or Arizona ever came knocking I'm not sure Larry could say no. I couldn't see him bolting for any other Pac-12 job, but Stanford or Washington would be possible. Stanford will be looking for a coach next year, so maybe they come after Larry. Possibly Washington as well. Those jobs (along with Cal and Oregon) are the next tier (after UofA and UCLA) in terms of best coaching jobs in the conference.
SDSU could never match Utah's salary, and the cost of living is sky-high. The Aztecs only become an option if the ice is thinning quickly under Larry and he pre-emptively strikes to keep from being fired. As things stand, he would be taking about a 50 percent paycut to coach at Fisher's salary (COL increase estimate included). And Brian Dutcher, a longtime Fisher foot soldier, is officially the coach in waiting. Not happening.
UCLA and Arizona are so entrenched with Alford and Miller and the rest of the league offers nothing significantly better.
Sorry, but I cannot hide my disdain for this topic. Discussion of hotels and airfares to LA for next year's Rose Bowl would serve a better purpose.
Last edited by SoCalPat; 03-31-2015 at 09:37 AM.
I think Larry has a chance to build at Utah something like what Arizona has. Not exactly like it, but in the same category. My hope is that, barring some weird derailment along the way, he'll stick around and try to do that.
Just for grins, here is how the new basketball facility looks today:
UtahBasketball1.jpg
In the upper right here is Larry's top floor corner office from outside:
UtahLarryKOffice.jpg
I think that if Utah regularly has winning seasons this facility will be a significant boost to recruiting. The future looks promising.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Here are the only jobs that I think would pull him away...
1) UCLA: One of only a handful of true blue blood jobs, and probably the only one west of the Rockies.
2) Arizona/Gonzaga: These are probably the only two western programs clearly better than Utah *today*. I suspect Arizona will keep that status. Gonzaga is an interesting case. They have more momentum than us right now (my '99 me is beside himself at this fact), but I think Utah has a higher ceiling than Gonzaga, and Gonzaga has a deeper floor than Utah. "Buyer beware" to anyone taking the Gonzaga job after Few.
3) Cal or Stanford. If these guys come calling, I think he has to at least think about it.
4) Western NBA teams with good reputations for upper management: San Antonio, Utah, Portland, maybe Phoenix.
5) The Lakers. (I put them on their own line due to the upper management comment above. They've slipped in this category, but their legacy and cache more than make up for it).
6) University of Montana. This is my longshot pick. At some point you've made enough money and you can set your life on knocking off your bucket list. Yes, he's "been there and done that" with the Griz, but I still think deep down that this is his dream job. He strikes me as the kind of guy who would buck conventional wisdom and go back to his roots to build that program up as high as possible before he retires.
Otherwise, here's to a long and successful career for Krystko in SLC. And for that matter, while I want Connor to achieve whatever professional goals he has, I hope he's part of this program for at least a couple more years before he moves on. I think he probably deserves more credit than he gets for Krystkow's program's success.
Last edited by FountainOfUte; 03-31-2015 at 11:40 AM.
Let's keep in mind that Utah should be/will be - maybe already is - the third-best job in the Pac-12 for men's basketball. The athletic department's goal, backed by a strong donor base, wants to be consistently in the top three in men's basketball. Goal accomplished in 2014-2015 and certainly attainable in 2015-2016. A more competitive league next season may mean a top 5 finish but top three is attainable and is becoming an expectation.
Along with that goal is a willingness to pay at a corresponding level.
My point, Washington, Stanford and Cal may come after Arizona and UCLA; but include Utah with Arizona and UCLA (or at least third when discussing the first tier in the Pac-12).
Another factor to consider is this job became a lot better after going through the wash with Giac and Boylen. What I mean is nobody wants to follow a legend as the constant scrutiny and comparisons are off the charts. Heck we still compare this season and Larry to the Majerus golden days. Suppose we got Kodiak instead of Giac and he did what he did this year immediately (let's just pull the players in the squad out of the mix for a minute). We'd probably be speculating on whether Majerus would have gotten the team past the sweet 16.
I think Larry has created a niche here, he has the facilities he needs and some momentum behind him. Personally I wouldn't want to leave for slightly greener pastures after the hard work has finally started to pay off. Plus I think basketball is much different than football as far as climbing the ladder goes. You can get to the national championship from the MWC. You can get to the championship if you are Butler or Gonzaga.
From there it just becomes pay, facilities and ease of recruiting. If you are comfortable where you are, and if you feel like you can get to the championship from where you are, the need to change is decreased.
Dead solid perfect.
Actually, this video is wrong. It is supposed to be pronounced SHISH-KO-VI-AK.
I just happened to catch this interview last week. Jump to the 13:10 mark to hear it from the man himself. He has a lot of fun with it.
I thought the same thing when I saw the video but was too lazy to get into the weeds of Polish name pronunciation. I can't make heads not tails out of Polish pronunciation. For example, I once had a colleague named Kadzielski. We called him ka-JEL-skee. The correct pronunciation is something like kaz-JIN-skee.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
We manage a football team full of Poly tongue twisters, a center who has a name with no R's in it that rhymes with Turtle and you can't manage polish?I thought the same thing when I saw the video but was too lazy to get into the weeds of Polish name pronunciation. I can't make heads not tails out of Polish pronunciation. For example, I once had a colleague named Kadzielski. We called him ka-JEL-skee. The correct pronunciation is something like kaz-JIN-skee.
LOL. Poly names can be written out phonetically so we have a chance to pronounce them somewhat correctly. Polish names have two pronunciations -- the Americanized one and the Polish one. The way the names are spelled gives you no clue as to what the Polish way is.We manage a football team full of Poly tongue twisters, a center who has a name with no R's in it that rhymes with Turtle and you can't manage polish?
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
fortunately it does look like Utah is grooming Tommy Connor to be Utah's basketball successor. Something that Majerus was simply to insecure to ever let happen.
When Krystko leaves at least there appears to be a plan in place.
Chris Hill's legacy will be grounded in a strong, sustainable hoops program.
But, but...GiacoBoylen!
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
It's not a chapter that can be ignored in Hill's bio. If anything, it provides a blueprint on how not to run a basketball program. Hill probably learned more from that time period than any other. It should've been a real eye-opener to him.
I think we're almost out of the hole created by previous coaches. While next year isn't make-or-break for Larry by any stretch, I think it will be a good indicator as to the overall health of the program. Results and interest combined, this year should not be the high-water mark under Larry. There's room for improvement, and part of that can be seen in the enthusiasm for a team that may or may not make the tournament, especially if Poeltl declares.
I agree. It is probably wise to remember that Bogut carried Giac to a Sweet 16, Boylen earned a 5 seed on the backs of a strong senior class. Larry will now need to prove that this is not a similar flash in the pan driven by having two future NBAers on the roster.
Of course it should not be ignored, but by no means should it be the most prominent feature of his historic tenure at the U. All one has to do is look at where Athletics was at the U. when he started in 1988 and where it is now. No, he did not personally make all the good things happen, but it all happened under his stewardship. The guy's been phenomenally successful and Utes fans have been lucky to have him.
As far as what Hill learned about "running a basketball program" (which the AD does not do, the coach does; and BTW Hill knows an awful lot more about running an intercollegiate athletics department than anyone on this board knows or has ever known, by multiple factors) my relatively educated guess is that he learned to trust his own instincts when hiring coaches rather than to rely on the strong endorsements of highly-respected basketball coaches like Mark Few (Giac's ardent advocate) and Tom Izzo (Boylen's ardent advocate). I hope Chris writes a memoir. It would be interesting.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Another perspective: Delon and Jakob did not just fall into Larry's lap. Some of Larry's critics were pooh-poohing Poeltl's signing, saying we shouldn't expect much. No one knew who Delon was when Larry signed him. So let's give the guy credit for being able to find talent.
That said, I agree that LK has to keep building this thing. I'm optimistic based on what he has shown and the program's enhanced stature and new facilities.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I agree with everything you say. Larry has done well at building his roster with few missteps along the way (first year excluded). I was not arguing against Larry, just playing devil's advocate. If Utah basketball is truly "back" then we must see some sustainability beginning next year.
Nobody here knows crap about what Shystko would or would not do with any particular job opening.
But, its fun to read anyway. Thanks.
“Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman
"You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb
"Three-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle the most versatile, and maybe most intelligent, safety in the game." -- SI, 9/7/15, p. 107.
True. I don't think he knows himself. Neither would most of us, usually, in our own situations.
Last edited by LA Ute; 04-02-2015 at 05:05 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
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