We should have made Hurley

[Wanstash21]

Correct. He got fired because of what a mess UConn was in when he left. What Hurley is doing given the state of that program is amazing. He’s gonna win multiple titles there.

Sounds like you’d rather have a Shaka Smart type year then go to the Final Four and probably win the national title with a lot of your team returning and bringing in a top 5 class. Not me

he deserves a ton of credit for the job he's done there .. but he is losing his top player and we'll see what Sanogo does. I won't pretend I know his roster so maybe he has some guys itching to step up, but Jordan Hawkins is going to be very tough to replace

 

[pittchagg]

Hurley’s building a monster at UConn. I think he knew that it would be easier to build a monster at UConn than it would be at Pitt, which is why he turned down more money from Pitt to go to UConn.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

he deserves a ton of credit for the job he's done there .. but he is losing his top player and we'll see what Sanogo does. I won't pretend I know his roster so maybe he has some guys itching to step up, but Jordan Hawkins is going to be very tough to replace

He has the #4 class in the country coming in and they’ll be a top option for every top portal player. He built a monster

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

College basketball rankings: UConn, UCLA lead way-too-early top 25 for 2023-24 season | Sporting News

Our way-to-early Top 25 is a week early, and the favorite entering this year's Final Four is the preseason No. 1.

www.sportingnews.com

Final four, probably national champion and #1 preseason next year with a top 5 class coming in. Dude is a top 5-6 coach in the game.

This has nothing to do with Capel or Pitt. You can admit he’s phenomenal

 

[nycpanther98]

College basketball rankings: UConn, UCLA lead way-too-early top 25 for 2023-24 season | Sporting News

Our way-to-early Top 25 is a week early, and the favorite entering this year's Final Four is the preseason No. 1.

www.sportingnews.com

Final four, probably national champion and #1 preseason next year with a top 5 class coming in. Dude is a top 5-6 coach in the game.

This has nothing to do with Capel or Pitt. You can admit he’s phenomenal

Easily the best team I have seen play this year.

 

[Pitt2009]

Pitt should’ve hired Hurley when Dixon left in 2016. I know he was on the list, not sure how serious a candidate though.

 

[Wanstash21]

College basketball rankings: UConn, UCLA lead way-too-early top 25 for 2023-24 season | Sporting News

Our way-to-early Top 25 is a week early, and the favorite entering this year's Final Four is the preseason No. 1.

www.sportingnews.com

Final four, probably national champion and #1 preseason next year with a top 5 class coming in. Dude is a top 5-6 coach in the game.

This has nothing to do with Capel or Pitt. You can admit he’s phenomenal

both can obviously coexist .. I'm not sure why some people have to bash Hurley in order to praise Capel. I've been the most outspoken about supporting Capel than everyone on this board... that doesn't mean I won't say Hurley is killing it at Uconn .. it's ok to recognize that lol ..

idk where you stand on this, but I think Pitt fans overrate how good this job is .. or was when Dixon left .. as well as when Stallings was fired .. I don't think too many guys were banging down the door to come here. It was an ACC job but where would you put it on a tier list?

I don't believe Hurley was ever a serious option .. interest may have been one way .. I don't think that interest was ever reciprocated... kinda like Nate Oats .. I remember his name floating around on here .. in what world would that dude move from Buffalo to come to Pittsburgh? just doesn't make sense... yet fans on here think we should've hired him... trust me, if we could've hired, we would've.

 

[Pitt2009]

both can obviously coexist .. I'm not sure why some people have to bash Hurley in order to praise Capel. I've been the most outspoken about supporting Capel than everyone on this board... that doesn't mean I won't say Hurley is killing it at Uconn .. it's ok to recognize that lol ..

idk where you stand on this, but I think Pitt fans overrate how good this job is .. or was when Dixon left .. as well as when Stallings was fired .. I don't think too many guys were banging down the door to come here. It was an ACC job but where would you put it on a tier list?

I don't believe Hurley was ever a serious option .. interest may have been one way .. I don't think that interest was ever reciprocated... kinda like Nate Oats .. I remember his name floating around on here .. in what world would that dude move from Buffalo to come to Pittsburgh? just doesn't make sense... yet fans on here think we should've hired him... trust me, if we could've hired, we would've.

I feel like Jeff Capel vs Nate Oats is revisionist history. Capel had a track record of success at a P6 school and spent half a decade on the staff of the greatest coach ever. Nate Oats had a great 2017-18 season but basically took Bobby Hurley’s team and won the conference.

I’m still not totally sold on Oats. Let’s see how he does when they don’t have the top recruiting class in the nation.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

both can obviously coexist .. I'm not sure why some people have to bash Hurley in order to praise Capel. I've been the most outspoken about supporting Capel than everyone on this board... that doesn't mean I won't say Hurley is killing it at Uconn .. it's ok to recognize that lol ..

idk where you stand on this, but I think Pitt fans overrate how good this job is .. or was when Dixon left .. as well as when Stallings was fired .. I don't think too many guys were banging down the door to come here. It was an ACC job but where would you put it on a tier list?

I don't believe Hurley was ever a serious option .. interest may have been one way .. I don't think that interest was ever reciprocated... kinda like Nate Oats .. I remember his name floating around on here .. in what world would that dude move from Buffalo to come to Pittsburgh? just doesn't make sense... yet fans on here think we should've hired him... trust me, if we could've hired, we would've.

I don’t think Pitt is a great job. It’s a mid level ACC job. At the time of Jamie’s departure, there were better coaches interested including Matt Painter who reached out.

Oats and Hurley weren’t realistic options. They priced themselves out of Pitt

 

[pittchagg]

both can obviously coexist .. I'm not sure why some people have to bash Hurley in order to praise Capel. I've been the most outspoken about supporting Capel than everyone on this board... that doesn't mean I won't say Hurley is killing it at Uconn .. it's ok to recognize that lol ..

idk where you stand on this, but I think Pitt fans overrate how good this job is .. or was when Dixon left .. as well as when Stallings was fired .. I don't think too many guys were banging down the door to come here. It was an ACC job but where would you put it on a tier list?

I don't believe Hurley was ever a serious option .. interest may have been one way .. I don't think that interest was ever reciprocated... kinda like Nate Oats .. I remember his name floating around on here .. in what world would that dude move from Buffalo to come to Pittsburgh? just doesn't make sense... yet fans on here think we should've hired him... trust me, if we could've hired, we would've.

I think Hurley probably would have been our coach if UConn wasn’t able to cobble together the upfront cash to fire Ollie. That was a big question at the time. To their credit, they were able to get it done.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I feel like Jeff Capel vs Nate Oats is revisionist history. Capel had a track record of success at a P6 school and spent half a decade on the staff of the greatest coach ever. Nate Oats had a great 2017-18 season but basically took Bobby Hurley’s team and won the conference.

I’m still not totally sold on Oats. Let’s see how he does when they don’t have the top recruiting class in the nation.

Hurley got the Buffalo job because of Oats. Oats told EC Matthews to go to Rhode Island, which elevated Rhode Island and helped Hurley get the Buffalo job. Then he hired Oats, he helped him build the team, then he and shark took it, ran with it and created a great program at Bama.

What will be interesting to see is how he does without giving Shark a hit list of recruits to target and him knocking them off like a honey do list.

 

[Wanstash21]

I feel like Jeff Capel vs Nate Oats is revisionist history. Capel had a track record of success at a P6 school and spent half a decade on the staff of the greatest coach ever. Nate Oats had a great 2017-18 season but basically took Bobby Hurley’s team and won the conference.

I’m still not totally sold on Oats. Let’s see how he does when they don’t have the top recruiting class in the nation.

they have the 14th class coming in .. even if he doesn't land the top HS kids, he's going to kill it in the portal. I don't see a scenario where Oats doesn't have a loaded team.

He's won the SEC twice already.

 

[Pitt2009]

Hurley got the Buffalo job because of Oats. Oats told EC Matthews to go to Rhode Island, which elevated Rhode Island and helped Hurley get the Buffalo job. Then he hired Oats, he helped him build the team, then he and shark took it, ran with it and created a great program at Bama.

What will be interesting to see is how he does without giving Shark a hit list of recruits to target and him knocking them off like a honey do list.

Had no idea! Thanks for the insight.

 

[PittPharm2002]

My money is on PittPoker suggesting it.

No doubt
Double down is always the guy

 

[greekpanther]

I remember back then that Pitt offered a good amount more and he took that back to UConn they upped their offer to Hurley and he took the job. Still below Pitts offer. I don’t think he had any interest in coming to Pitt

Closer to his New Jersey roots and connections.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

THEYRE IN THE FINAL FOUR. Who gives a shit what they finished in the regular season lol.

He took over a program Ollie left a mess.

In the Big East, which has proven to be a better conference than the ACC, he has finished 3rd, 3rd, 4th, has a final four, 3 tourneys and has a top 5 class coming in.

Ignoring his biggest accomplishment of going to the final four and being the title favorite and then reloading to try and discredit him is hilarious. He’s 102-55 at UConn and it’s only that bad because of the mess Ollie left.

He’s a fantastic coach, program builder and has built a monster that will most likely win multiple national titles starting with this year.

For once I have to agree with you , UConn was a mess and what he’s done is remarkable. His team looks like the national champs .

Hurley was never coming to Pitt , let’s not forget no one wanted to come to Pitt and Heather pulled JC out of nowhere .

 

[PittPoker]

I feel like Jeff Capel vs Nate Oats is revisionist history. Capel had a track record of success at a P6 school and spent half a decade on the staff of the greatest coach ever. Nate Oats had a great 2017-18 season but basically took Bobby Hurley’s team and won the conference.

I’m still not totally sold on Oats. Let’s see how he does when they don’t have the top recruiting class in the nation.

Oats is a much better coach than Capel c'mon man.

 

[PittPoker]

For once I have to agree with you , UConn was a mess and what he’s done is remarkable. His team looks like the national champs .

Hurley was never coming to Pitt , let’s not forget no one wanted to come to Pitt and Heather pulled JC out of nowhere .

I still think he might have come to Pitt if UConn didn't match any offer or make the offer very worth his while.

 

[Pitt2009]

Oats is a much better coach than Capel c'mon man.

I think that’s still TBD. Capel’s first 7-8 years as head coach is pretty equal to Oats’.

 

[PittPoker]

I think that’s still TBD. Capel’s first 7-8 years as head coach is pretty equal to Oats’.

Um no its not.

 

[Pitt2009]

Um no its not.

Good point, Oats has never gotten to the Elite Eight.

 

[Chescat]

For once I have to agree with you , UConn was a mess and what he’s done is remarkable. His team looks like the national champs .

Hurley was never coming to Pitt , let’s not forget no one wanted to come to Pitt and Heather pulled JC out of nowhere .

He's done a great so far
at UCONN. They had
gone downhill a bit, and
they wanted Hurley. As
far as Pitt is concerned,
they would have had to
come up with big $$$ to
outbid UCONN. It took
him two years to get
that program on track,
and , then in years 3, 4,
and 5 back in the NCAA's.
Look where they are
now. He's a Jersey native
outta the Hurley family
coaching tree. His father
is a Jersey coaching
legend. His roots in
coaching are east coast,
Wagner, Rhode Island,
and now UCONN.

Given all that, why would
he come to Pitt, which at
the time was a disaster.

 

[USAF Phantom]

He's done a great so far
at UCONN. They had
gone downhill a bit, and
they wanted Hurley. As
far as Pitt is concerned,
they would have had to
come up with big $$$ to
outbid UCONN. It took
him two years to get
that program on track,
and , then in years 3, 4,
and 5 back in the NCAA's.
Look where they are
now. He's a Jersey native
outta the Hurley family
coaching tree. His father
is a Jersey coaching
legend. His roots in
coaching are east coast,
Wagner, Rhode Island,
and now UCONN.

Given all that, why would
he come to Pitt, which at
the time was a disaster.

I think it’s been well reported that we outbid uconn—maybe they slapped some performance incentives to sweeten the pot

 

[USAF Phantom]

FYI
When he arrived in March 2018, Hurley signed a six-year contract calling for roughly $2.75 million per year, a base salary of $400,000 and a supplemental salary, for speaking engagements, fund-raising and other university tasks, of $2.35 million, which is increased each year by an amount from $50,000 to $150,000.

Hurley exercised an option in 2019 to extend the agreement one year when UConn came under NCAA sanctions held over from Kevin Ollie’s time as coach. In March 2021, Hurley and the university agreed on a two-year extension, which pays $2.9 million through 2027.

 

[pittchagg]

FYI
When he arrived in March 2018, Hurley signed a six-year contract calling for roughly $2.75 million per year, a base salary of $400,000 and a supplemental salary, for speaking engagements, fund-raising and other university tasks, of $2.35 million, which is increased each year by an amount from $50,000 to $150,000.

Hurley exercised an option in 2019 to extend the agreement one year when UConn came under NCAA sanctions held over from Kevin Ollie’s time as coach. In March 2021, Hurley and the university agreed on a two-year extension, which pays $2.9 million through 2027.

We signed Jeff for $3.5ish, so I’m pretty confident that $3.5 is essentially what we offered Hurley.

 

[USAF Phantom]

We signed Jeff for $3.5ish, so I’m pretty confident that $3.5 is essentially what we offered Hurley.

So, all the discussion on this thread regarding Pitt going cheap is not correct

 

[Chescat]

So, all the discussion on this thread regarding Pitt going cheap is not correct

Pitt tried to get him,
and apparently they
werent cheap about it.
Again, east coast guy,
wanted to stay east
coast, and chose UCONN
and its high level bball
program over Pitt. It's really
pretty obvious to me,

Just my two cents

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

an offer he couldn’t refuse. He’s a Final Four caliber coach.

Oats wanted $4 million. It would have taken a minimum of $5 million for Hurley, maybe more

 

[Ski11585]

Um no its not.

First 8 years definitely are pretty similar. Oats has a couple more regular season conference titles but Capel has the deeper Tourney run.

 

[OAKLAND'S FINEST]

I don’t agree with this notion that UConn was many steps above us at the time of the hire.

We beat that ass a lot over a 10-12 year span and had a better record than them the last 10-12 years of the old Big East. Big sample size of being right there or better.

They leave and proceed to lose around 14-15 games a year on average for the next 5/6 years. Not too different than us. I may have gone entire years at that point without thinking of UConn basketball.

It’s very true that we fell off a cliff around 2017. But that could very well have been seen as an anomaly still when he was hired.

So sure, we were horrible up until 6 months ago…but let’s not let that cloud the proceeding 15 year period to when Hurley took that job. Our standing as a program diminished in the period after that.

They won the national championship in 99 04 11 and 14 and we’ve never made a final four. I think they are a superior program to us. Yes we had our moments against them but overall they are without a doubt the superior program historically.

 

[Ski11585]

They won the national championship in 99 04 11 and 14 and we’ve never made a final four. I think they are a superior program to us. Yes we had our moments against them but overall they are without a doubt the superior program historically.

Yeah. They’re poised to win their third natty with their third coach in the last 19 years. Not sure why they aren’t more frequently considered a blue blood.

They’re getting to the same place as LSU football. Doesn’t matter how good a coach actually is. He will win at least one natty.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yeah. They’re poised to win their third natty with their third coach in the last 19 years. Not sure why they aren’t more frequently considered a blue blood.

They’re getting to the same place as LSU football. Doesn’t matter how good a coach actually is. He will win at least one natty.

They are in that next category with MSU, UVa, UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga, etc

 

[Pitt2009]

They are in that next category with MSU, UVa, UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga, etc

Id categorize as (probably missing somebody):
1) Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, UNC
2) Indiana, UCLA
3) Nova, UConn MSU, Arizona, Louisville, OSU, Michigan

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Id categorize as (probably missing somebody):
1) Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, UNC
2) Indiana, UCLA
3) Nova, UConn MSU, Arizona, Louisville, OSU, Michigan

Dont agree at all with IU. Not even sure they are with UConn, Nova, etc anymore.

 

[Pitt2009]

Dont agree at all with IU. Not even sure they are with UConn, Nova, etc anymore.

I understand your argument for UConn and Nova and you’re probably right. Move Indiana down. Don’t understand your argument for UVA and Gonzaga.

 

[Ski11585]

Dont agree at all with IU. Not even sure they are with UConn, Nova, etc anymore.

I don't think Nova belongs on that tier. I think they were a product of Wright. Not the school itself being a blue blood. UCONN has done it across three coaches now, including two after the legendary coach stepped down.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I don't think Nova belongs on that tier. I think they were a product of Wright. Not the school itself being a blue blood. UCONN has done it across three coaches now, including two after the legendary coach stepped down.

Agree about UConn, Nova but Nova is still there until they play their way off. I put UVa there because they are a product of Bennett. Maybe the best regular season coach in NCAA history

 

[Pitt2009]

I don't think Nova belongs on that tier. I think they were a product of Wright. Not the school itself being a blue blood. UCONN has done it across three coaches now, including two after the legendary coach stepped down.

I definitely agree that Nova’s best years came under Wright. However, they also won a national championship under Massimino and made a final under Kraft.

 

[DanMarinoFan1970]

We made him a great offer , he choose them over us but we gave him a good offer. I think as you do a very good coach , they are back.

We went to the Xavier game in Greensboro, good time with TD-0U812 and his kids, I know Miller is a lightning rod here but I wish things were different when we were going to bring him back in 18 I think. He is also a very good coach

 

[PittPharm2002]

We made him a great offer , he choose them over us but we gave him a good offer. I think as you do a very good coach , they are back.

We went to the Xavier game in Greensboro, good time with TD-0U812 and his kids, I know Miller is a lightning rod here but I wish things were different when we were going to bring him back in 18 I think. He is also a very good coach

He wasn’t interested in pitt then or now
His miserable hateful old man confirmed that -
They view pitt beneath sean and Archie for that matter