Boylen

[UtahDan]

I propose a stipulation: Jim Boylen is a nice guy. Stipulated. Let it be a continuing, indefinite stipulation come what may. Now no one ever has to bring that up again. Deal?

This should take care of the irrelevant arguments for retaining him.

Drum and I were talking about this last night. We are already at rock bottom and the last two times out (granted as a MWC team) we didn't exactly have lots of attractive options at coach. What if firing Boylen this off season makes potential hires think we are too impatient and it scares off the guy that will deliver us from the ninth circle of hell?

Would one more year be such a big price to pay when we are in something like a five year rebuilding mode anyway?

[SeattleUte]

Drum and I were talking about this last night. We are already at rock bottom and the last two times out (granted as a MWC team) we didn't exactly have lots of attractive options at coach. What if firing Boylen this off season makes potential hires think we are too impatient and it scares off the guy that will deliver us from the ninth circle of hell?

Would one more year be such a big price to pay when we are in something like a five year rebuilding mode anyway?

Lavin has turned around St. John's in 1-2 years. Right now SJ is NCAA tournament bound with about the best recruiting class in the Big East.

If Hill thinks waiting will get a better coach maybe he should wait, but I don't know how he can know such a thing. I don't know why the world would hate us for firing him after 4 years with the program in this condition, including the attrition and all the JUCOs

[Flystripper]

Fairly obvious considering they have to play each other probably twice more. I think he's basing it upon their current record and really hasn't thought through the fact that no 3 or 4 loss MWC team would ever get a 2 seed.

He uses his statistical S-curve rankings for seedings. I have not looked to see how it is calculated, but I believe it does not factor in what will happen but only facors in what has happened.

[Blueintheface]

He uses his statistical S-curve rankings for seedings. I have not looked to see how it is calculated, but I believe it does not factor in what will happen but only facors in what has happened.

Santa Claus approach. Got it.

[DrumNFeather]

Drum and I were talking about this last night. We are already at rock bottom and the last two times out (granted as a MWC team) we didn't exactly have lots of attractive options at coach. What if firing Boylen this off season makes potential hires think we are too impatient and it scares off the guy that will deliver us from the ninth circle of hell?

Would one more year be such a big price to pay when we are in something like a five year rebuilding mode anyway?

I just keep wondering who would be interested in this job that has solid experience and cache to get the ticket buying public interested in Utah basketball.

[LA Ute]

I just keep wondering who would be interested in this job that has solid experience and cache to get the ticket buying public interested in Utah basketball.

I hope SU puts in his resume. He's our only hope.

[Flystripper]

I just keep wondering who would be interested in this job that has solid experience and cache to get the ticket buying public interested in Utah basketball.

There are guys out there who are interested and have decent to good experience, but there probably are not many guys out there that the fanbase will go ga-ga over.

The ticket buying public ultimately will be interested in wins. That's the bottom line. Who cares if the guy makes a splash as an exciting hire as long as he delivers? A good PR hire only guarantees short term dividends. Boylen was a good PR hire. Rose was not. Who would you rather have as your coach?

Utah needs to find the guy who will bring wins. All of the other stuff is not really important.

[DrumNFeather]

There are guys out there who are interested and have decent to good experience, but there probably are not many guys out there that the fanbase will go ga-ga over.

The ticket buying public ultimately will be interested in wins. That's the bottom line. Who cares if the guy makes a splash as an exciting hire as long as he delivers? A good PR hire only guarantees short term dividends. Boylen was a good PR hire. Rose was not. Who would you rather have as your coach?

Utah needs to find the guy who will bring wins. All of the other stuff is not really important.

I can agree with that totally. But when you hear names like Theus or Gillespie, it makes you wonder what will drive the decision. Wins? Tickets? both?

[Top Ute]

I can agree with that totally. But when you hear names like Theus or Gillespie, it makes you wonder what will drive the decision. Wins? Tickets? both?

I don't think anyone within a million miles of making a decision has ever mentioned Theus or Gillespie. Those names are internet message board wet dreams (I'll be the first to admit that I was the one that supplied the titillation or repulsion, depending on your POV, over Theus). And if I had to make a guess, Hill won't get within a million miles of a coach with such strong ties to scandal-ridden programs.

[Blueintheface]

Utah vs AFA. Helen Keller vs Rick Majerus.

[DU Ute]

Boylen? Over.

[LA Ute]

Boylen? Over.

My guess is that he feels fairly resigned to his fate. That's good and should make for a smooth, acrimony-free transition. Time to look to the future.

[DU Ute]

My guess is that he feels fairly resigned to his fate. That's good and should make for a smooth, acrimony-free transition. Time to look to the future.

I would like to see him given one more year. I don't think the players have given up on him and he is such an amazingly good guy. I'm proud that he has been our coach.

[SeattleUte]

I would like to see him given one more year. I don't think the players have given up on him and he is such an amazingly good guy. I'm proud that he has been our coach.

Barf. Give me a break. Is this becaue he's been buying pizza for you Utefans scofflaws?

A DI head coaching job is no place for charity. This should have nothing to do with how much people like him. He's not your local YMCA director. I see being a DI basketball or football head coach a lot like being a fortune 500 CEO or big studio movie director. There are millions and millions of dollas at stake. A lot is expected, the potential rewards are huge, and the number of aspirants waiting in line for the kind of opportunity you have are legion. Being a big time head coach is among the rarest of privileges. Boylen will not wind up on the street. He will go off and get a very good job.

But "he's a nice guy" is a totally moronic consideration for this kind of a job. You're a moron, DU! STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT A NICE GUY HE IS, IT DOESN'T MATTER. Boylen has embarrassed me, not made me proud.

I defended Whit after Vegas 27 Utah 0; it was on the merits; I felt he'd shown tons of potential and that the program was in the long run in good hands. I defended Majerus to the bitter end. But I don't see that Boylen has anything like the goodwill Whit had after the Vegas debacle. Frankly, he seemed all wrong to me from the beginning. I winced when he talked about 20 championships or whatever; he seemed kind of a bufoon. Katy called it from the start. I'm not sure what Hill thought he was doing. He must have been pretty desperate.

But what really clinches it for me is the attrition. I was not troubled by Majerus' attrition because he had a program. We've got a bunch of JUCOS playing ward ball and one freshman recruit in the pipeline, while losing to San Diego and Oral Roberts, on a neutral court and at home. Check out those two teams' records. The MWC wins have been specious. Utah has not beaten a good team in I don't know how long. It's a disaster, but the worst part is anticipating the future.

If you want to make yourself sick consider where we were two years ago and where Air Force was, and which program has more means to success in big time sports.

[DU Ute]

Come on, SU. Boylen's enthusiasm and love of the U isn't a trivial thing. I don't think he should stick around just because of that, but if we are going to fire someone who is so dedicated to the school only two years removed from a conference championship it had better be because we are getting a big name coach to replace him. At this point I don't see that happening. Do we really want a revolving door of coaches who are only given 4 years to succeed?

Maybe my appreciation of a loyal, hard working coach makes me a moron. Maybe your failure to appreciate these qualities makes you an ass. Who's to say?