Mississippi State done. Early retirement for Ben if he doesn’t get San Diego.
Ben Howland out
- Thread starter BballinsiderfromPitt
- Start date
If he wants San Diego I hope he gets it. JD did a GREAT job at Pitt, but no one is more responsible for the turn around of Pitt BB than Ben. JD took what Ben built (he played a big part as an assistant) and helped take it to another level. But the hardest part (especially back then without the portal) was building what Ben did in the Big East.
Not trying to turn this into a JD vs Ben debate as they are the 2 greatest coaches in Pitt history. But Ben turned around the program and is the best Pitt BB coach IMO.
Not trying to turn this into a JD vs Ben debate as they are the 2 greatest coaches in Pitt history. But Ben turned around the program and is the best Pitt BB coach IMO.
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Ironic that Ben came here with a “Recruit to Shoot” philosophy, then adapted to the what would work in the Big East.
And now, we really do need the “Recruit to Shoot” approach.
Go Pitt.
And now, we really do need the “Recruit to Shoot” approach.
Go Pitt.
They are two of three greatest coaches in Pitt history, Doc Carlson may squeeze out a number 2, depending on your metrics.
Doc Carlson won 2 national championships and 4 EIC titles (in its seven years of competition), took Pitt to its only final 4 (although it obviously didn't mean quite what it does today), and played in another defacto national title game against LSU. One of the first coaches every to play a inter-regional schedule, he was innovative in many different ways including the much copied figure 8 offense. He is one of only two Pitt people in the Naismith Hall of Fame and coached Pitt's only other inductee who is also Pitt's only ever national player of the year. Stayed on too long and didn't adapt to an evolving game (also somewhat also the victim of the 1940s sports de-emphasis that claimed the football program), but he still was .597 lifetime at Pitt in 32 seasons (.701 in the EIC). He was also a three sports athlete and an All-American end who played on Pop Warner's 1916 national title team.
Everyone else is only in the discussion for #2 until they earn otherwise.
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Hire him ASAP.
Carlson was before anybody’s time. Anybody presently living that is.
Buzz was a lot of fun but had like two good years out of about 8 or so. I saw my first Pitt basketball game at Fitz FH in like '74- '75 when Pitt upset #6 Marquette with Bo Ellis(?) who fouled out. This was a couple of years before he and Marq. won their natty in like '77 . It must of been a Wednesday night game because the next day at work was a looong day if you know what I mean.
P.S. For those too young to know, before so much TV, the games were almost all played on Wednesday and Saturday.
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I went to that game also. I was a sophomore living near Shadyside. A buddy of mine who was a big college hoop fan forced me to go. That was my first Pitt hoop game.
Fun, fun times, I had several buddies who were just graduated at the time , not married yet, and I would go down to Oakland to meet them, but usually not on a week night because I got up for work early.
Was there also , nothing better than beating Al McQuire too !
The Pete even at its best never came close to the FH when it was rocking . Tiger Paul was worth the price of admission.
