JUST SAY NO TO BRANDIN KNIGHT

[Z #2]

Brandin Knight. Great point guard. Led Pitt to a great many wins. Tenacious. Good coach for recruiting.

AND...... like many of you, I have NEVER seen him whisper into Jamie's ear anything about strategy on the court! In fact, he looks like a deer in the headlights as a coach on the floor. He has been usurped in influence on the floor by Mike Rice, Barry Roherson (2X), Marlon Williamson ~ all who will be or have been HCs in the NCAA ~ long before Brandin Knight.

THINK BIG TIME PITT AD. IT'S TIME TO STOP THE YINZING AND MAKE A SPLASH HIRE. The list is plentiful.

 

[vegasgreed]

he has no shot. only the dumb people are clamoring for him.

 

[drgags]

Here is a question. If your splash guy is not there do you give BK a year at interim. Incentive contract. .???

 

[levance2]

I'm not advocating for Knight, I think he'd be a disappointing choice, but most of your facts are wrong. Brandin is frequently the most animated coach on the sideline, and has been reported as very instrumental in practice and prep. His position was lower in the order than Rice, Slice, and Herrion, so of course they had more input. I'm not sure how you could argue Smoke was better or higher than Knight on Dixon's staff.

Knight also had the opportunity to join Rice at Rutgers (might have even been for their top asst position) and rejected the offer to stay. If he weren't a Pitt alum, I'm sure he'd have moved out and up long ago. Unfortunately for him, that is why I think he's the wrong choice this time. He has nothing but Dixon's results to show for his work. I'd love to see him kept by the new HC, or spend 5 years somewhere else. I think he'd be a great option for Pitt whenever our next HC is gone.

 

[levance2]

Here is a question. If your splash guy is not there do you give BK a year at interim. Incentive contract. .???

I'd rather take a gamble on Knight than gamble on some low-major coach with a good year or two on his resume. However, given the events of the past week and the bravado of Barnes, settling for Knight would be a failure.

It's also potentially unfair to Knight. Knight is the kind of guy who could be a Pitt HC for decades, if he's prepared for it. It's hard to tell if he's ready for that chance because he's only ever worked for Dixon, and for better or worse, has only Dixon's record to show for it. If he had worked under someone else for a few years, or had some success at RMU, for example, he'd be an obvious top candidate.

 

[Pitt79]

Then why let Dixon go? Going with Knight would be like when Phil Bengston took over for Vince Lombardi, keep the same system in place, run by a lesser coach? If part of the reason that the AD said he wanted a new coach was to go to a new more up tempo, recruit friendly system, why would you keep a guy who has been mired in this system for almost 20 years as both player and coach? I thought the whole point of this change was to NOT have continuity, but to have change?

 

[Z #2]

Here is a question. If your splash guy is not there do you give BK a year at interim. Incentive contract. .???

Nope

 

[Z #2]

I'd rather take a gamble on Knight than gamble on some low-major coach with a good year or two on his resume. However, given the events of the past week and the bravado of Barnes, settling for Knight would be a failure.

It's also potentially unfair to Knight. Knight is the kind of guy who could be a Pitt HC for decades, if he's prepared for it. It's hard to tell if he's ready for that chance because he's only ever worked for Dixon, and for better or worse, has only Dixon's record to show for it. If he had worked under someone else for a few years, or had some success at RMU, for example, he'd be an obvious top candidate.

Brandin: Great player, good recruiter, but let's think about the "small point guard" mentality that is no longer the way to go in college hoops. Personally, you have to prove your winning pedigree. I personally love the Old Butler Coach with the Celtics. But Archie Miller is a winner. Give him the ACC Platform and he'll win. Gary Parrish article on the 10 replacement possibilities has atleast 8 great picks.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Then why let Dixon go? Going with Knight would be like when Phil Bengston took over for Vince Lombardi, keep the same system in place, run by a lesser coach? If part of the reason that the AD said he wanted a new coach was to go to a new more up tempo, recruit friendly system, why would you keep a guy who has been mired in this system for almost 20 years as both player and coach? I thought the whole point of this change was to NOT have continuity, but to have change?

And you know he'd keep the same system how, exactly? He's his own man I'm sure. Maybe he would. Maybe not. But you don't know. And it's not likely anybody on this board knows either.

 

[Z #2]

Then why let Dixon go? Going with Knight would be like when Phil Bengston took over for Vince Lombardi, keep the same system in place, run by a lesser coach? If part of the reason that the AD said he wanted a new coach was to go to a new more up tempo, recruit friendly system, why would you keep a guy who has been mired in this system for almost 20 years as both player and coach? I thought the whole point of this change was to NOT have continuity, but to have change?

Great example: the Packers. This isn't like the Howland departure. Good post.

 

[Swervin27]

Our AD couldn't possibly hire Knight, he'd be massacred by the boosters and media.. It might or might not be a good decision, but it won't happen.. I like BK, think maybe he could be a good coach but would be worried he be a disciple of Dixon, which honestly, im not reall interested in seeing for the next 5 years. If we wanted Dixon ball, we'd have just kept Dixon..

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

So if we can't get Sean Miller, we should accept Brandin Knight. What constitutes a lower level coach? Butler? Been to 2 more national title games than Pitt has. Beat us.

Where do you think a lot of these coaches come from? We aren't North Carolina, we aren't going to pull Kansas's coach.

 

[Pitt79]

And you know he'd keep the same system how, exactly? He's his own man I'm sure. Maybe he would. Maybe not. But you don't know. And it's not likely anybody on this board knows either.

What would he do? It's ingrained in his brain, repetition since the day he arrived on campus.

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

And you know he'd keep the same system how, exactly? He's his own man I'm sure. Maybe he would. Maybe not. But you don't know. And it's not likely anybody on this board knows either.

So he's played in one style his entire adult life, and coached in the same style his entire coaching career....What on earth would make you think he'd totally change all of that???

"Hey I've been doing one thing for +10 years, and have zero.zero experience in anything else, hire me to run a major conference program among multiple hall of fame coaches..."

Yea.....right.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

So he's played in one style his entire adult life, and coached in the same style his entire coaching career....What on earth would make you think he'd totally change all of that???

"Hey I've been doing one thing for +10 years, and have zero.zero experience in anything else, hire me to run a major conference program among multiple hall of fame coaches..."

Yea.....right.

I have never suggested they hire him. I don't expect you to search the board for it so hopefully you'll take my word. I've said a few times I don't want him as head coach.

I just laugh when people make these types of declarations. Nobody has any idea what Knight's style would be. That's all.

 

[Pitt79]

So he's played in one style his entire adult life, and coached in the same style his entire coaching career....What on earth would make you think he'd totally change all of that???

"Hey I've been doing one thing for +10 years, and have zero.zero experience in anything else, hire me to run a major conference program among multiple hall of fame coaches..."

Yea.....right.

If he became coach, I can't see anything changing. Hiring him would be the logical thing to do if you felt like "we want continuity, we want to continue what Jamie did", that's not what Barnes said in any of his interviews, he said the opposite of that. He said specifically, " we want an up tempo system that attracts more recruits".

 

[Gep Dawg]

I think he would be a great hire. People said the same stuff about Dixon and he turned out great. Plus having been a player not that long ago he can definitely relate to young men on his staff in a way an older coach can't. Anyway we didn't let go of Jamie Dixon he clearly wanted to leave and if wanted to stay he would still be here.

 

[Piranha]

I think he would be a great hire. People said the same stuff about Dixon and he turned out great. Plus having been a player not that long ago he can definitely relate to young men on his staff in a way an older coach can't. Anyway we didn't let go of Jamie Dixon he clearly wanted to leave and if wanted to stay he would still be here.

When Dixon was in the #1 seat we were coming off a Sweet 16 and the program had a lot of positive momentum. With Knight in the #1 seat our program has gone backwards and fan interest has declined. Two completely different scenarios.