@jayballer73 You know I agree with you on the risk. Regardless of some who minimize it, the volatility with the NCAA stuff creates a very heightened risk.
We can attract an excellent coach. But that is even a riskier proposition. Odds are really strong in my opinion that we get something less than Self.
Do we trust Long to make the right hire? I donāt. He could have some personal tie to a coach that could send the program in a tailspin. The KU admin. could push the wrong ādiversityā hire. Even the perceived right hire could be wrong. I think Beard from TT would be perfect. But I thought EJ would be a lights out PG too. Point is, sometimes things we really believe donāt play out the way we expected. We could hire Beard and his wife hates it here, or one of his kids becomes ill, or he clashes with the AD. Whatever.
This is very dangerous business.
Great programs can become average quickly. Remember when UNC made some bad hires before Roy? Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty? Doherty hovered just above .500.
Look where UCLA and Indiana have gone. Look where UK went before Cal. And the UNC reference before Roy. All blue bloods. Look at UConn now.
Self is the greatest coach in KU history. This entire NCAA stuff and itās possible impact is really unnerving. We donāt want to lose Self at pretty much any cost, in my opinion.
Odds are strong, that if we do lose Self, we move backwards.