Perfect Time to Blow it Up

[MolivaManiac]

I know this is a stretch, but suppose Hardt was actually a shrewd negotiator and gave CM 2 more years in the off-season ... while not actually increasing the buyout to get out of the contract if he wanted to.

In a reasonable negotiation process with a coach that hadn't danced in 9 years and team expected to be a monster about to lace em up, you might give those couple of years extension to convey stability to recruits ... and then ink the long-term extension after the monster team performs as expected?

Really, how does Hardt save any face whatsoever if we're headed into ANOTHER rebuild with the incumbent?

 

[spider23]

Makes sense, but Hardt seems like a hide under desk with the lights out kind of leader. Now if PQ can tell him to do it....

 

[712_VT]

There is no better time to blow it up than now. Keeping Mooney just guarantees more of the same but honestly not sure if he can even get his team back to the brink of the NCAA’s. He has to have lost a lot of credibility in recruiting given his track record of the last ten years. Blowing this thing up will breath new life into the program, may not be pretty the first few year but who knows. Maybe whoever the new coach is brings in some big time transfers and gets this thing going very quickly. With the right hire I don’t think it will take very long to turn it around here. The only thing though is I’m not sure I trust Hardt to make the new hire, very afraid it would just be Nathan davis.

 

[Spiders10]

Hardt & JOC, March 2019

Question: Will Coach Mooney return for the 2019-20 season?
Hardt: Yes, Coach Mooney will return as our head men’s basketball coach for the 2019-2020 season.

Question: Who made that call?
Hardt: I made the call that coach Mooney will return for the 2019-2020 season. These decisions are critically important and they can’t be made in a vacuum, so after consultation with the university’s leadership, coach Mooney will continue to lead the Spider basketball program.


Question: What are the expectations for the men’s basketball program moving forward?
Hardt: The expectations that coach Mooney and I discuss on a regular basis are for our basketball program to compete at the highest level. After several years with no NCAA tournament appearances, coach Mooney and I have talked about our strong desire to return to the NCAA tournament. Coach Mooney and I share a sense of urgency, and we are on the same page in terms of expectations for the program. In that regard, we are both committed to working hard and doing everything we can to make sure that Spider success on the hardwood happens sooner rather than later.

 

[Spiders10]

Off-topic, but interesting

Brown out as Albany hoops coach after 20 years

Will Brown is out as Albany's men's basketball coach after 20 years, saying the mutual agreement to part ways was "extraordinarily difficult."

www.espn.com

 

[32counter]

We all got a glimpse tonight of 21-22 with Blake and Grant effectively sidelined.With Gilyard and Cayo gone we have a big problem Houston.I worry about Burton staying with a sub.500 team with a ton of pressure/responsibility placed on shoulders to carry the team.He will be overused which will cause diminished production.

 

[SpiderK]

We all got a glimpse tonight of 21-22 with Blake and Grant effectively sidelined.With Gilyard and Cayo gone we have a big problem Houston.I worry about Burton staying with a sub.500 team with a ton of pressure/responsibility placed on shoulders to carry the team.He will be overused which will cause diminished production.

Agreed

 

[GKiller]

I know this is a stretch, but suppose Hardt was actually a shrewd negotiator and gave Mooney 2 more years in the off-season ... while not actually increasing the buyout to get out of the contract.

In a reasonable negotiation process with a coach that hadn't danced in 9 years and team expected to be a monster about to lace em up, you might give those couple of years extension to convey stability to recruits ... and then ink the long-term extension after the monster team performs as expected?

Really, how does Hardt save any face whatsoever if we're headed into ANOTHER rebuild with the incumbent?

I have brought this up on board b4. Yes only way it ever made any sense. Although I’ve been told by a few others on here that good buyouts do not exist even though they in fact do.

we had all the leverage. What u post is actually reasonable and has occurred in similar situations. It gives the public view of stability for recruiting, Moon probably thinks 20-21 is a lock for bid and he then keeps getting paid & even parlays it into bigger deal.

But where this is lost is “shrewd negotiator”.

 

[Eight Legger]

I actually think this is exactly what happened. Mooney had no leverage when it came to the extension. He was coming off back to back 20-loss seasons. Yes he turned it around last year but that wasn't enough to get his way in a multi-year extension. You can be sure there were school-friendly terms on it.

Now the question is, will Hardt actually do something about it or just kick the can down the road like everyone else seems to?

 

[Spiders10]

That is a critically important decision, so he'll have to consult with university leadership. Just to make sure the decision isn't made in a vacuum, he'll cross i's and dot t's by getting final approval from PQ. Then he'll pass along Paul's decision on Bob Black's radio show.

Brought in to be a spineless PR yes man and contribute zilch to the growth of Spider Athletics.

 

[712_VT]

That is a critically important decision, so he'll have to consult with university leadership. Just to make sure the decision isn't made in a vacuum, he'll cross i's and dot t's by getting final approval from PQ. Then he'll pass along Paul's decision on Bob Black's radio show.

Brought in to be a spineless PR yes man and contribute zilch to the growth of Spider Athletics.

I would guess that more than likely we get some statement from Hardt along the lines of; “We are very proud of the job coach Mooney has done in a very challenging season that is unprecedented in the history of college basketball. We got a massive upset win on the road at Kentucky, one of the premier college basketball superpowers and followed that up with the first postseason berth in 4 years in the NIT. We are behind coach Mooney and believe he is the man for this job and will continue to lead us to compete for an A10 title and postseason berths.”

This coming situation is all too predictable.

 

[SFspidur]

Hardt/Queally ain't going to blow it up...COVID and injuries will be the justification for keepin' on keepin' on.

 

[Spiders10]

2017 - We're young
2018 - Future is bright
2019 - Best class ever
2020 - COVID (get out of jail free card)
2021 - COVID AND Injuries
2022 - We're young
2023 - Future is bright, best recruiting class ever coming in

Anyone paying attention? The guy is a snake oil salesman

 

[ur2K]

Now do 2012-16

 

[MolivaManiac]

Now do 2012-16

I don't recall where the puzzle pieces go, exactly, but you had Ced Lindsay's knee injuries and a slippery A10 logo on the Brooklyn floor.

We surely were YOUNG for a few years after the KA/Harp cycle.

 

[MrTbone]

Coming off back to back 20-loss seasons, John Hardt intimated that we need to make the tournament in the next two years. We haven’t made the tournament.

One might argue (reasonably) that we would have made it last year, but excepting that, John Hardt will have zero credibility if he retains CM after this year.

It’s time.

 

[712_VT]

Now do 2012-16

2012: we’re rebuilding (may have actually been the one legitimate excuse)
2013: were young
2014: Lindsay’s injury derails the end of the season (I think we get in the dance if Lindsay stays healthy tbh, that team was pretty good)
2015: we had a slow start but got going too late
2016: not sure what the excuse was, we had a pretty senior laden team.

 

[Ramtasticles]

Alright because I care about her more than my own self I am gonna post on my mom's behalf, she's a spider I'm a ram. She was upset enough to text me after the game tonight and tell me she screamed so loud at the tv, and was so pissed off she has indigestion and wanted to puke. Whole time I was talking with her when I phoned back, she was upset enough to be choked up. For real. She's 76 with a heart condition now, new pacemaker and lives alone. Season ticket holder for a long time, longer than most seeing this have been fans. She won't post on sports forums but I called her offering optimism, telling her about VCU's run when Weber went down, that it could be done, but truth be told, yeah, something has to be done to keep people like her happy with her team.

There, I said it.

 

[I-M-UR]

Now do 2012-16

Why.....

 

[GKiller]

Coming off back to back 20-loss seasons, John Hardt intimated that we need to make the tournament in the next two years. We haven’t made the tournament.

& I was told he more than intimated in private settings.

 

[SpiderFan]

The good thing is we'll know pretty quickly as we'll be out of the A10 tourney by Thursday and the season will be over.

 

[712_VT]

I really thought Mooney would be gone after the 2019 season but I was dead wrong about that. I don’t see any way he is gone after this year but hoping I’ll be dead wrong again.

 

[Eight Legger]

This season was the basketball gods telling Hardt "enough." Whether it's bad luck, injuries, covid, shitty coaching, lack of effort by players or whatever other excuses you want to make, it's not working. Everything is stale and broken. Start over.

 

[spider23]

Good point SpiderFan. I am starting to have some optimism based on Gkiller's posts. But who knows. I am still super worried that Hardt will completely botch this hire. I do agree that there are a ton of good candidates out there.

 

[712_VT]

Good point SpiderFan. I am starting to have some optimism based on Gkiller's posts. But who knows. I am still super worried that Hardt will completely botch this hire. I do agree that there are a ton of good candidates out there.

If Mooney is fired Hardt’s candidates will be Nathan Davis, Nathan Davis, and Nathan Davis. Dave Paulsen might get an interview.

 

[spider fan]

Alright because I care about her more than my own self I am gonna post on my mom's behalf, she's a spider I'm a ram. She was upset enough to text me after the game tonight and tell me she screamed so loud at the tv, and was so pissed off she has indigestion and wanted to puke. Whole time I was talking with her when I phoned back, she was upset enough to be choked up. For real. She's 76 with a heart condition now, new pacemaker and lives alone. Season ticket holder for a long time, longer than most seeing this have been fans. She won't post on sports forums but I called her offering optimism, telling her about VCU's run when Weber went down, that it could be done, but truth be told, yeah, something has to be done to keep people like her happy with her team.

There, I said it.

Your mother totally rocks!

 

[8legs1dream]

I could see him reaching out to Jeff Neubauer to gauge interest as well.

 

[spider23]

VT and 8LEGS, you are making me sick. I have heard him talk about being impressed by Paulsen's strong voice way too many times. If the next guy is someone of that ilk I will seriously check out of Spiders basketball. And will hope that 4700 and the Mooney guys haunt this board for the entire regime.

 

[spider fan]

But Paulsen has the magical experience of being at Bucknell.....and knowing Hardt....................uggghhhhh....................

 

[GKiller]

Good point SpiderFan. I am starting to have some optimism based on Gkiller's posts. But who knows. I am still super worried that Hardt will completely botch this hire. I do agree that there are a ton of good candidates out there.

You can be sure there were school-friendly terms on it.

If we also have school friendly terms on the contract then it is an absolute no brainer. Although we SHOULD have school friendly terms on the last extension I'm not convinced we do. So sorry 23 I don't want to give you too much optimism. On the 1 hand it's basically unfathomable that he can survive again given our results, our resources, the emphasis we put on hoops, and the fact we're in a high level league. But Covid and his contract r what saves him. But u can't keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, at some point u bite the bullet, that's what I don't respect. If UR lets him coach next season when we all know we'll be bad just so they can make the firing more PR friendly with it coming off a losing season instead, that I can't respect. And it would say a lot. If u sign someone to a contact you have to be willing to get out of it.

 

[97spiderfan]

Yes, now is the perfect time to pull the plug. All of the teams major contributors, except Tyler, are leaving and the cupboard is largely bare. I have seen NOTHING since Hardt arrived that would leave me to believe that he is here other than to keep the ship afloat and flush with money. We have an organizational culture that is resistant to change, highly insular and its main and overriding concern is keeping coffers full, which apparently PQ does.

Would suggest that after the season mercifully ends later this week, that we all e-mail Mr. Hardt our thoughts. I doubt it does much good but got to make your viewpoint known.

 

[Eight Legger]

All I can think is that Hardt literally had 100% of the leverage when he gave the extension. What was Mooney going to do, leave for a better job that paid him more money? HAHAHAHA

The extension allowed him publicly to tell recruits he would be here for four years. That's it. He would have stayed even without an extension because he had no better options. He knee it and Hardt knew it. It was window dressing. Hardt did it so as not to hurt the program, not as a way to cede any type of power to Mooney.

Privately, even Hardt isn't stupid enough to give up something meaningful when he doesn't have to. He left himself plenty of ability to get out of this if he wants to.

Without the extension, Mooney would have one year left. That's much more doable if you want to make a change.

 

[GKiller]

Would suggest that after the season mercifully ends later this week, that we all e-mail Mr. Hardt our thoughts. I doubt it does much good but got to make your viewpoint known.

Better off doing it now imo. With a few exceptions these things start brewing earlier, if there was going to be a possible change. And at same time u r still allowed to hold out hope for the miraculous A10 tourney title, even though a mercy killing is now expected.

 

[GKiller]

Privately, even Hardt isn't stupid enough to give up something meaningful when he doesn't have to. He left himself plenty of ability to get out of this if he wants to.

Are you sure he's not stupid enough?

Otherwise you are exactly right...in theory. That's our problem. In theory not practice is how we roll. Or another way to describe it....

BIG HAT NO CATTLE

 

[SpiderGuy]

Coming off back to back 20-loss seasons, John Hardt intimated that we need to make the tournament in the next two years. We haven’t made the tournament.

One might argue (reasonably) that we would have made it last year, but excepting that, John Hardt will have zero credibility if he retains CM after this year.

It’s time.

I agree with what you say, but either expect the usual string of excuses or maybe about as much transparency with the future of the program as we got with the failed Covid protocols this season. I'd love to be surprised by real game changing & management decisions coming out of Hardt & Co, but I've come to expect as much out of him as I do with Mooney allowing rebounding & defense.

 

[97spiderfan]

Remembering the letter that Dan Palazzo wrote defending the Mooney regime and how he lamented just wait until these kids are Juniors and Seniors and then watch out. Perhaps, Mr. Palazzo should stick to political science, since his basketball program prognostic abilities seems a bit sketchy.

Supporters of Spiders coach Chris Mooney combat 'negative commentary' with letter sent to AD

Proclamations of support for University of Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney grew Tuesday night, when a letter composed by a longtime political science professor at the school and signed by

richmond.com

 

[SpiderK]

Remembering the letter that Dan Palazzo wrote defending the Mooney regime and how he lamented just wait until these kids are Juniors and Seniors and then watch out. Perhaps, Mr. Palazzo should stick to political science, since his basketball program prognostic abilities seems a bit sketchy.

Supporters of Spiders coach Chris Mooney combat 'negative commentary' with letter sent to AD

Proclamations of support for University of Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney grew Tuesday night, when a letter composed by a longtime political science professor at the school and signed by

richmond.com

Geez, meteorologists, economists and astrologers are more accurate than political scientists.

 

[MolivaManiac]

Remembering the letter that Dan Palazzo wrote defending the Mooney regime and how he lamented just wait until these kids are Juniors and Seniors and then watch out. Perhaps, Mr. Palazzo should stick to political science, since his basketball program prognostic abilities seems a bit sketchy.

Supporters of Spiders coach Chris Mooney combat 'negative commentary' with letter sent to AD

Proclamations of support for University of Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney grew Tuesday night, when a letter composed by a longtime political science professor at the school and signed by

richmond.com

This is what it all boils down to with UR Athletics, right? Is Dr. Dan's "Vision" of what UR Athletics is and 'can be' our reality?

If so, let's make that jump to the Patriot League. If not, let's stop confusing people by saying our goal is to compete for Championships when it clearly is not.

 

[Eight Legger]

Poor us, it's so hard to compete! We have hard courses! (Crap, so does Davidson... They finished third). We have a tiny student body! (Damn, Davidson's is smaller...) We are not located in a major urban hub! (Oh shit, Bonaventure is in the middle of nowhere and won the league...). Uhhh, it's... hard to get kids to come here because the... weather is so bad! (What?) Well I mean we don't have a big, beautiful arena like... Bonaventure and LaSalle do! (Just stop talking). And it's not like we can compete without a brand new state of the art practice facility! (Damn it!)

Also, I mean, we had to deal with covid all year! (You mean like all 340+ other programs did?)

 

[ChoppinBroccoli]

Remembering the letter that Dan Palazzo wrote defending the Mooney regime and how he lamented just wait until these kids are Juniors and Seniors and then watch out. Perhaps, Mr. Palazzo should stick to political science, since his basketball program prognostic abilities seems a bit sketchy.

Supporters of Spiders coach Chris Mooney combat 'negative commentary' with letter sent to AD

Proclamations of support for University of Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney grew Tuesday night, when a letter composed by a longtime political science professor at the school and signed by

richmond.com

Was that letter ever published in full?