And that is a problem. Circling back though to my first point in all of this, is that when Hardt has been placed with the decision to hire a coach for our sports team, he’s done a really good job. If he were to make the decision to hire our men’s basketball coach without any external influences (I.e. Queally) I think he’ll do a good job given his track record so far.
Oh I’m on record that there is nothing that will dislodge him other than himself. I can see pressure from “someone” at some point but even then it’ll be CM retiring.
How much of this lack of firing do you think is on Hardt, influence from Queally, or byproduct of a University that does not emphasize athletics as much as we all wish it would?
How many of the 10 sports where we finished 1st or 2nd do you follow or care about? Are any of them more impactful or valuable to the university than basketball?
This we can agree upon. Giving complete control of your MBB to your biggest donor is not healthy, in fact it is harmful. Very much akin to the Dallas Cowboys with Jerry Jones. Dallas is rarely terrible because of Jerry's money/Dallas status but they will never be great either because of his influence in the operations side of things. Just as with us, our program with the financial resources that Queally (and others) and the financial status of the University as whole, we are always going to be one of the better funded A-10 programs, but because we don't let our professional athletic leadership make personnel decisions, we are a 55% winning program.
Btw, I failed to answer the question. I think this is 100% on Hardt. Using your own contact’s sources, he had the green light to terminate him in 2022. I doubt that is purely conditioned on parameters that are set by some kind of Opus Dei cabal. Hardts call, he just is unwilling to make it, for whatever reason.
I really take offense to this actually. I think the kids HAVE competed all year, I agree with that actually. I like the investment that I see from guys like AP, Dusan, Walz... and even GWIII. But, I think it's a really ignorant take to come in and say "it felt like we didn't compete tonight".
Yea, it’s not like CM is wanted by any other program.
Great point, I see many coaches take this on themself. Does moon? I honestly don't know - I don't waste my time as he never says anything.
As many have mentioned on here before. Mooney has taken away all basketball instincts from the players.
Wow, have accused him of being asleep in his office, but this is next level stuff here.
Did we not play hard as Mooney said? I don't know. I will say VCU played harder than us at all times.
I have and spoken to him several times.
I am not going to discuss all of these points again, but backtracking to me here seems to have negative connotation. I based my thought process of what information I have before me and am willing to amend what I say after hearing people out and whether I agree with their points or not.
Men's basketball is without question our #1 priority as an athletic department. I bring up the points of these other hires because with other data of coaching hires, to smaller degree of importance, he has done a solid job. The alternative would be wanting or thinking Hardt will do a good job of hiring our men's basketball coach without any evidence of other hires in Richmond. At least now, there is some indication that he would do a good job with that. So in a way, he should be judged off field hockey and baseball hires to trust him enough to do basketball. But your right that his legacy as AD will be more of his advancement of basketball than the other sports.
Even baseball that didn't have a winning season, still improved enough to make A10 finals in year 1. We have a great class coming in too. I don't expect immediate turn arounds, just that he and field hockey has done a good job. I will amend - or backtrack if that's how you like to put it - if in the next few years he does a very poor job.
Like I said to 97, if Queally has too much influence on these types of decisions, that is not a good thing. We should all be appreciative of his financial support for facility upgrades, NIL, etc. but he should not be impacting decision making at that level in my opinion. Part of it is reality of college athletics, part is probably UR not wanting to alienate him as donor, and part is university culture/philosophy towards athletics. If we had more big time donors or there was more pressure of success, then I think circumstances will be different. Still, with whatever hands tied decision making Hardt has done with hiring new coaches, he's done a good job in my opinion.
Personally I follow all of them and do care as a Spider alum and fan. But I get your point. I, like many others here, are not spending our time talking about our golf team.
This is Hardt's retirement gig. Just getting enough money to upgrade the Beach House and then him and the Ms. can retire travel the word.
Keith Gill remote worked the AD job before remote work was a thing. So, if Hardt shows up to the office more often than not, that just there is doing more than Gill could muster for us.
