Coaching changes

Moooooo said:
As I posted a few days ago, Aston's contract runs through 08/31/2020. That date always struck me as odd considering the hoops season pretty much ends no later than 03/31 unless you are playing in the Final Four. And, she was hired in like April, I believe, so why those "extra" months were padded on is strange to me.
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Great find Mooooo!
 
Aug. 31 is the final day of the State of Texas fiscal year, but don't necessarily know if that matters for coaches. Sept. 1 is a new year for insurance benefits and a new year for some state retirement funds.:texasflag:
 
UTSUgrad said:
Aug. 31 is the final day of the State of Texas fiscal year, but don't necessarily know if that matters for coaches. Sept. 1 is a new year for insurance benefits and a new year for some state retirement funds.:texasflag:
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Yeah, I understand that the end of August represents the end of the academic calendar year (after summer school sessions). But, Fall semester begins in late August; so, some overlap.

Regardless, that is the date her contract ends.
 
Hopefully all of this gets addressed by the end of the week and hopefully CDC is getting ready to contact Adia Barnes about the position and Aari McDonald just announced she will be returning next season so hopefully her coach accepts the job and she follows right along with her. A lot of hope in my thinking but hookem:hookem:
 
So, if you look at the options (regardless of COVID-19):

- Extend Aston for one year; then you are right back here again in 12 months with the same exact decision to make
- Extend Aston for two years; don't see what that accomplishes other than paying her for an additional 24 months
- Extend Aston for three years; have her last two seasons warranted that extension/raise? No, IMO.
- Extend Aston for four years; that helps with stability (in recruits' eyes), but then you commit yourself to guaranteed buyouts (if her contract is like Shaka's) if things don't improve after one or two more seasons

- Part ways with Aston and hire a new head coach
 
On Second Thought Ep 175: ESPN's Jake Trotter: Is it all on Baker Mayfield in Cleveland?; Shaka's back but what about Karen Aston? | Hookem.com

Podcast discussion on Aston begins at the 50 minute mark (edit 41:30 minute mark). Cedric Golden and Kirk Bohls both believe that CDC should bring Karen back; their logic is that she has won more than Shaka, and he gets to come back. But, they don't talk at all about the direction Karen's program is trending the last couple of seasons; and, that her greatest achievements are 3-4 years ago.

 
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Moooooo said:
On Second Thought Ep 175: ESPN's Jake Trotter: Is it all on Baker Mayfield in Cleveland?; Shaka's back but what about Karen Aston? | Hookem.com

Podcast discussion on Aston begins at the 50 minute mark. Cedric Golden and Kirk Bohls both believe that CDC should bring Karen back; their logic is that she has won more than Shaka, and he gets to come back. But, they don't talk at all about the direction Karen's program is trending the last couple of seasons; and, that her greatest achievements are 3-4 years ago.

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I think you meant 40 minute mark.

Listened, and I have the same gripes I always have with kirk and ced when they cover a WBB topic. They didn't have a firm grasp of the facts (not sure when her contract was up, the direction of the program or the landscape of the B12 on the WBB side etc) and the equivalency they tried to equate between the two bb programs was intellectually dishonest at best. Not wanting to spend $50 million ($10m buyout + new 5 year deal for a new staff) to replace a flailing mbb coach should have no impact on what happens w/ the wbb team. Karen has had more time, and more success but the fact remains that the situations are different and fairness does not = equality. KA's situation should be judged solely on her merits, her contract situation and the direction of her program.

To me, giving her a two year extension is almost assuring me that she will be around for the next 5-10 years. Because if we find ourselves in the midst of a mbb search next year or the year after AND God forbid we have to make a major change on the FB or BB side of the house in the next 2 years (which is a real possibility) then a multimillion dollar WBB coaching change becomes the lowest of priorities.

Sufficing it to say, if we are ever going to make a change.....NOW IS THE TIME. Otherwise we can strap it in for another 5+ years
 
utfannforlife said:
I think you meant 40 minute mark.

Listened, and I have the same gripes I always have with kirk and ced when they cover a WBB topic. They didn't have a firm grasp of the facts (not sure when her contract was up, the direction of the program or the landscape of the B12 on the WBB side etc) and the equivalency they tried to equate between the two bb programs was intellectually dishonest at best. Not wanting to spend $50 million ($10m buyout + new 5 year deal for a new staff) to replace a flailing mbb coach should have no impact on what happens w/ the wbb team. Karen has had more time, and more success but the fact remains that the situations are different and fairness does not = equality. KA's situation should be judged solely on her merits, her contract situation and the direction of her program.

To me, giving her a two year extension is almost assuring me that she will be around for the next 5-10 years. Because if we find ourselves in the midst of a mbb search next year or the year after AND God forbid we have to make a major change on the FB or BB side of the house in the next 2 years (which is a real possibility) then a multimillion dollar WBB coaching change becomes the lowest of priorities.

Sufficing it to say, if we are ever going to make a change.....NOW IS THE TIME. Otherwise we can strap it in for another 5+ years
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Yes...the trajectory of the program. I found it especially RIDICULOUS for them to mention how Celeste and Charli were returning and that KA should be given time to see what she can do with them. Uhhh, we've already seen what she can do with top talent... a roster full at that... underachieve! Their remarks showed they either aren't paying attention to the WBB program and/or just don't care about it.
 
Something Bohls said stood out to me -- that Del Conte is "very hesitant to talk on the record" about Aston. Could mean nothing; could mean something. To me, it means the media has asked about Karen's future at Texas, and he refused to discuss it. It indicates that he is keeping his thoughts on Karen's future very close to the vest; just don't see this playing out in an extension for Karen.
 
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utfannforlife said:
I think you meant 40 minute mark.

Listened, and I have the same gripes I always have with kirk and ced when they cover a WBB topic. They didn't have a firm grasp of the facts (not sure when her contract was up, the direction of the program or the landscape of the B12 on the WBB side etc) and the equivalency they tried to equate between the two bb programs was intellectually dishonest at best. Not wanting to spend $50 million ($10m buyout + new 5 year deal for a new staff) to replace a flailing mbb coach should have no impact on what happens w/ the wbb team. Karen has had more time, and more success but the fact remains that the situations are different and fairness does not = equality. KA's situation should be judged solely on her merits, her contract situation and the direction of her program.

To me, giving her a two year extension is almost assuring me that she will be around for the next 5-10 years. Because if we find ourselves in the midst of a mbb search next year or the year after AND God forbid we have to make a major change on the FB or BB side of the house in the next 2 years (which is a real possibility) then a multimillion dollar WBB coaching change becomes the lowest of priorities.

Sufficing it to say, if we are ever going to make a change.....NOW IS THE TIME. Otherwise we can strap it in for another 5+ years
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This is LSU’s athletic department and gives you a pretty good idea of the way Texas’ also looks.
 
Moooooo said:
On Second Thought Ep 175: ESPN's Jake Trotter: Is it all on Baker Mayfield in Cleveland?; Shaka's back but what about Karen Aston? | Hookem.com

Podcast discussion on Aston begins at the 50 minute mark (edit 41:30 minute mark). Cedric Golden and Kirk Bohls both believe that CDC should bring Karen back; their logic is that she has won more than Shaka, and he gets to come back. But, they don't talk at all about the direction Karen's program is trending the last couple of seasons; and, that her greatest achievements are 3-4 years ago.

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No no no and no.

Shaka's and Karen's situations are not analogous. How hard is that to understand? Shaka has two years and 10-ish million dollars left on his contract. Karen doesn't. Or should I say Karen't.
 
Adia Barnes is who I am rooting for. Sadly I am expecting some players to transfer now that Aston is gone. I just hope it's not charli collier or celeste taylor.
 
I take no pleasure in being right here because I think like most coaches, KA is a fantastic person and a great leader of young women. And she’s done real yeoman’s work in terms of getting the program back to consistent national relevancy. I believe 5 or 6 out of her 8 seasons we finished in the top 25. Considering where the program was at the time of her hire, that is worthy of some admiration.

That being said, Texas should compete with Baylor year in and year out. Idc who the coach is, but when you know the game is a foregone conclusion year after year.....it’s time to move on. And I don’t think anyone can argue that the trajectory of the overall program was trending downward. This at least gives the a fighting chance at avoiding a top to bottom rebuild.
 
kurupt said:
Welp, I was totally wrong. Let the speculation begin.
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Yeah, it happens. We all read the tea leaves differently. There were just so many more clues pointing to Karen not being extended than there were to her being extended.
 
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Jacob Johnson said:
Adia Barnes is who I am rooting for. Sadly I am expecting some players to transfer now that Aston is gone. I just hope it's not charli collier or celeste taylor.
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I think any coaching change always comes with the risk of triggering transfers.

Charli and Celeste are the two returning starters and obviously the pieces around which next year's team would be rebuilt. Benzan and Ortiz also figured to be important additions. I sure hope they let the hiring process play out and that they give the new HC a chance to win them over.
 
Moooooo said:
Yeah, it happens. We all read the tea leaves differently. There were just so many more clues pointing to Karen not being extended that there were to her being extended.
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Until covid struck, I was about 90% certain she was a goner. After March 12, that dropped to maybe 60%. I was legitimately afraid that the pandemic may have saved her job. tbh I'm glad that wasn't the case after all.

One thing I'll say, he sure took his sweet time. If the hiring process is similarly deliberate, it might be July before we know who the next head coach is.
 
HnH said:
I think any coaching change always comes with the risk of triggering transfers.

Charli and Celeste are the two returning starters and obviously the pieces around which next year's team would be rebuilt. Benzan and Ortiz also figured to be important additions. I sure hope they let the hiring process play out and that they give the new HC a chance to win them over.
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Agree completely. All I ask is that they give the new HC a chance as I know it will be a big name coach. I have full faith in CDC in his hiring process as he knows what to do to get big names. We all see how that worked out for the softball program :hookem:
 
Jacob Johnson said:
Adia Barnes is who I am rooting for. Sadly I am expecting some players to transfer now that Aston is gone. I just hope it's not charli collier or celeste taylor.
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Conversely, maybe (hopefully) we will see players STAY as a result of the coaching change.
 
Jacob Johnson said:
Agree completely. All I ask is that they give the new HC a chance as I know it will be a big name coach. I have full faith in CDC in his hiring process as he knows what to do to get big names. We all see how that worked out for the softball program :hookem:
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There’s about 5 or 6 that would be big names and you can probably cross half off the list immediately. Out of the 5 or 6 Walz is the only one that I think might move.
 
kurupt said:
There’s about 5 or 6 that would be big names and you can probably cross half off the list immediately. Out of the 5 or 6 Walz is the only one that I think might move.
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There's one or two "big names" I am hoping we can persuade. There are also a couple of not so big names mentioned on this board that I like... especially Adia Barnes
 
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kurupt said:
There’s about 5 or 6 that would be big names and you can probably cross half off the list immediately. Out of the 5 or 6 Walz is the only one that I think might move.
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I will gladly take Walz. His recruiting level is one of the best and he is clearly doing something right because not many players transfer from his program. Can't say the same for Aston
 
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