Coach DeCuire to Cal?

[citygriz]

I grew up a Montanan, and dearly love the place and its people. If you've ever read John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley," about his trip around the country with his dog Charley, you know that Montana was Steinbeck's favorite state. Here's what he said about it:
"The next passage in my journey is a love affair. I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it."
In my life, I have found Montana to be an international passport: I am always meeting Montanans wherever I go, and it's almost like meeting members of the family. Often we have friends of friends. Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex I have ever run into, even in the many states that in my estimation are far inferior. It's like the glass is always half empty for Montanans--ever the "flyover" mentality. No matter the people are the best anywhere, the scenery is incomparably beautiful, and I for one was the beneficiary of a fabulous public education in the state. Nope! Any time an up-and-coming coach lands in Montana, we not only don't expect him to stay, we're almost eager to see him move on. And of course, we're happy to supply any number of reasons he should.
And that's an attitude I've never understood about Montana. With so much going for it, I simply can't understand why we don't fight for what we have, rather than always giving away our most valuable resource: Human talent.
Go figure.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

I read something on ESPN a few weeks ago saying that the bean counters in charge at Cal were notoriously cheap, the cost of paying to end the contract early vs waiting another year was too high. I dont remember the author but his take was they would take the cheapest course, wait another year until the end of Jones' contract and then make the move to a new coach.

Cal ends skids, stuns Washington
Darius McNeill scored 19 points and Connor Vanover scored 18 on Thursday night to help California end a 23-game losing streak in Pac-12 Conference play with a 76-73 victory over conference-leading Washington at Berkeley.
The Golden Bears, 6-22 overall and 1-15 in the Pac-12, had lost 16 consecutive games overall and hadn't won a conference game since Feb. 3, 2018, when they defeated Oregon State.
This was by far the biggest win in coach Wyking Jones’ two years at Cal and could quiet calls for him to lose his job.
The Huskies (22-6, 13-2) had won 15 of 16 games and still ended up clinching the outright regular-season conference championship when both Oregon State and Arizona State lost.
David Crisp scored 32 points to lead Washington.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Where do you live ?

Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex

 

[Gaeilge1]

Very well said Citay! Unfortunately history has proven otherwise. I am not so certain that money is always the primary catalyst behind a successful coach's decision to leave, particularly at UM. While this is a great institution it is a mid-major institution with all the pressure and expectation of a top 5 program!! After a time that has to erode all of the more subtle attributes that are offered here. Another thing that Montana just can't offer is prestige. I don't care who you are, at some point as a competitive coach with a modicum of success here you are going to want to test those proverbial waters. If you had the chance to go to either Duke of Cal which would you take? For that matter, if the choice was between Cal & Stanford which one would you rather be at?

A coach making $300K here a year would have to make 2 to 3 times that to enjoy the same lifestyle in the Bay area.

I think Travis will be leaving at some point, but I'm not so certain that an offer from Cal this year will be the catalyst. Travis has time, stability, and enough talent coming back that he does not need to jump at the first prime offer that comes his way!

 

[PlayerRep]

DeCuire would be crazy to turn down any Pac-12 job. Because he was at Cal as a top assistant, the Cal job seems made for him. He'd hit the ground running. I assume he's likely to be gone after this season.

 

[rocklobster]

DeCuire would be crazy to turn down any Pac-12 job. Because he was at Cal as a top assistant, the Cal job seems made for him. He'd hit the ground running. I assume he's likely to be gone after this season.

I agree PR. He was up for that job after Coach Montgomery retired, and Martin was chosen over him, because they wanted a name instead of a an assistant coach. Well, they screwed up, and Coach DeCuire has all of the leverage now. I imagine the powers that be in Cal are rueing the decision they made with Martin over DeCuire. I love Montana. I grew up here and have lived here my entire life, but as difficult as it might be for Coach to leave Montana, coaching at Cal is a huge job as far prest goes...oh and $700,000 more a year makes a difference. People can use the old argument of look at the talent we have coming back, and you choose to live in Montana with all its grandeur and all that. In the end, what do these coaches all have in common?:
Heathcote
Brandenburg
Montgomery
Merrill
Taylor
Krystkowiak
Tinkle
They all left. For their professional careers. It didn’t mean they didn’t love Montana, but realistically, it was time for them to move on-for themselves and their families. If Montana could pay $1,000,000 a year, Travis could stay, and turn Montana into Gonzaga 2.0, but the board of regents won’t do that. Randy Rahe in Weber makes more than Coach DeCuire. Whatever happens and decision he makes, he’s made an incredible difference at Montana, and as much a I’d like to see him stay, I hope succeeds because he’s a great coach and a better man.

 

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

God I hope not!! Trav loves to win and Cal will be a tough place to win, even in the weak Pac 12. Good school, but they don’t care much about basketball. Not much of a sports fan student body. Alumni love football though. Would it be almost impossible to turn down 1 million plus? Of course, but I’d love to see him take Montana to an elite level first..... a Gonzaga level. He’s young and the money will be there for the right job. Got to think that’s not the one. Also this team isn’t going anywhere after these seniors graduate. A lot of talent and hard working kids are ready to keep GRIZ basketball at the top and advance in the tourney.

I hope your right!!!

The drop off next year won’t be as steep as many expect. Anybody who has seen even a little bit of the incoming recruits knows that all 3 could be instant impact makers. Plus Miller being eligible, and the return of Pridgett, Falls, Anderson,and Manuel will be huge next year.

Totally agree. Dorsey might be back next year as well which would be a huge boost. Fans are just now seeing what he is capable of.

That's assuming a majority of the recruits stay if TDC does indeed move on.

 

[goatcreekgriz]

I grew up a Montanan, and dearly love the place and its people. If you've ever read John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley," about his trip around the country with his dog Charley, you know that Montana was Steinbeck's favorite state. Here's what he said about it:
"The next passage in my journey is a love affair. I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it."
In my life, I have found Montana to be an international passport: I am always meeting Montanans wherever I go, and it's almost like meeting members of the family. Often we have friends of friends. Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex I have ever run into, even in the many states that in my estimation are far inferior. It's like the glass is always half empty for Montanans--ever the "flyover" mentality. No matter the people are the best anywhere, the scenery is incomparably beautiful, and I for one was the beneficiary of a fabulous public education in the state. Nope! Any time an up-and-coming coach lands in Montana, we not only don't expect him to stay, we're almost eager to see him move on. And of course, we're happy to supply any number of reasons he should.
And that's an attitude I've never understood about Montana. With so much going for it, I simply can't understand why we don't fight for what we have, rather than always giving away our most valuable resource: Human talent.
Go figure.

You make some good points, but I disagree with the “collective inferiority complex” supposition. What I see and feel is a sturdy sense of humility honed by the extremes we sometimes endure. The weather over the last month, for example, comes to mind. Montana does lack capital, which puts us at a disadvantage in supporting education, including coaches’ salaries at public universities. When one of our coaches leaves for more money elsewhere, I prefer to thank them for their effort here and wish them luck. I wish we could keep all of the good ones (including our children who leave for better opportunities), but it’s not the end of the world when they go. Thanks, Travis, for all you have done for Griz hoops. Now I need to plow some snow.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

Where do you live ?

Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex

He lives in the citay.

 

[citygriz]

I grew up a Montanan, and dearly love the place and its people. If you've ever read John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley," about his trip around the country with his dog Charley, you know that Montana was Steinbeck's favorite state. Here's what he said about it:
"The next passage in my journey is a love affair. I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it."
In my life, I have found Montana to be an international passport: I am always meeting Montanans wherever I go, and it's almost like meeting members of the family. Often we have friends of friends. Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex I have ever run into, even in the many states that in my estimation are far inferior. It's like the glass is always half empty for Montanans--ever the "flyover" mentality. No matter the people are the best anywhere, the scenery is incomparably beautiful, and I for one was the beneficiary of a fabulous public education in the state. Nope! Any time an up-and-coming coach lands in Montana, we not only don't expect him to stay, we're almost eager to see him move on. And of course, we're happy to supply any number of reasons he should.
And that's an attitude I've never understood about Montana. With so much going for it, I simply can't understand why we don't fight for what we have, rather than always giving away our most valuable resource: Human talent.
Go figure.

You make some good points, but I disagree with the “collective inferiority complex” supposition. What I see and feel is a sturdy sense of humility honed by the extremes we sometimes endure. The weather over the last month, for example, comes to mind. Montana does lack capital, which puts us at a disadvantage in supporting education, including coaches’ salaries at public universities. When one of our coaches leaves for more money elsewhere, I prefer to thank them for their effort here and wish them luck. I wish we could keep all of the good ones (including our children who leave for better opportunities), but it’s not the end of the world when they go. Thanks, Travis, for all you have done for Griz hoops. Now I need to plow some snow.

Great post. Plow that snow!

I wish I could plow some brains. On the Board of Regents.

Montana may not have the corporate money of other states, but neither is it a one-legged street beggar. The post-war economic boom in this country produced a lot of fortunes, and Montana alums got their share. (In a post about a year ago, I listed several--and my list was hardly conclusive.)

Pay a coach a million a year? Splash in the pan! If we didn't have this huge road block at the Board of Regents, a collection of regressive minds determined to keep the Griz and the Bobcats at equally mediocre levels. What other state limits what a school can pay its coaches?

A winning basketball program, especially one of the quality that DeCuire is building at Montana, would be a bonanza, not only for enrollment in Missoula, but for the entire state. Even the Bobs would benefit since a rising tide lifts all boats. We could do for the state of Montana what North Dakota State's football team has done for North Dakota. It's all within reach, despite what all the Chicken LIckens on this Board keep repeating, ad nauseum.

The Big Sky is not falling!

And we should be reaching for the stars....

 

[citygriz]

Where do you live ?

Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex

He lives in the citay.

That's right. Not The Town.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

That is it, he lives in SF. One of the largest collection of self-absorbed, i-know-best people. :lol:

Where do you live ?

Just the other day, I met a banker at Wells Fargo who is good friends with Will Cherry. He says Cherry loves Montana, and goes back frequently. I believe the state remains a magnet for anybody who ever lived there.
And yet Montanans are possessed of the the greatest collective inferiority complex

He lives in the citay.

That's right. Not The Town.

 

[grizpack]

So if Coach moves on, who is next??? Anyone the heir apparent???

 

[citygriz]

That is it, he lives in SF. One of the largest collection of self-absorbed, i-know-best people. :lol:

Where do you live ?

He lives in the citay.

That's right. Not The Town.

Yup. Some truth to that. Self-absorbed, i-know best people.

Also true: Changing the world. Twitter, Lyft, Uber, Craig's List, Instagram, Airbnb, DropBox, Yelp, Square, Pinterest, Salesforce. All companies invented here, all companies based here. No connection to Silicon Valley. Were they all in Missoula! We'd pay our coaches out of petty cash.

 

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

So if Coach moves on, who is next??? Anyone the heir apparent???

Coach Cobb would be my guess if they end up offering someone on the current stafff.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Despite all of those positive things there is a severe problem downtown from homeless Human waste. Saw the city spray Market Street sidewalks down several mornings, and Had to walk around used needles and excrement. So, Not everything is so wonderful.

Also true: Changing the world. Twitter, Lyft, Uber, Craig's List, Instagram, Airbnb, DropBox, Yelp, Square, Pinterest, Salesforce. All companies invented here, all companies based here. No connection to Silicon Valley. Were they all in Missoula! We'd pay our coaches out of petty cash.

 

[GrizLA]

Despite all of those positive things there is a severe problem downtown from homeless Human waste. Saw the city spray Market Street sidewalks down several mornings, and Had to walk around used needles and excrement. So, Not everything is so wonderful.

Also true: Changing the world. Twitter, Lyft, Uber, Craig's List, Instagram, Airbnb, DropBox, Yelp, Square, Pinterest, Salesforce. All companies invented here, all companies based here. No connection to Silicon Valley. Were they all in Missoula! We'd pay our coaches out of petty cash.

That is definitely true. And, Los Angeles leads the nation in the numbers of homeless people and the numbers of jobs created since Obama's second term. It is not something Angelinos are proud of but it is a mixed bag of political moves and simply humanistic values. The homeless in LA number over 45,000 and are seen everywhere living in parks, and freeway underpasses. Most are from somewhere else which our police had social workers admit. Cold weather states and Southern states send many to LA or San Diego, where they receive money grants, sometimes cell phones, medical care, etc. The real problem is growing beyond the Calif state lines and moving soon to Montana and other states that were immune because of the changes the country is just beginning to feel. Robotization is erasing high income jobs, including accounting, law, medicine. Federal immigration policies are destroying the traditional relationship of growers to workers so some farmers, dairymen, and ranchers can no longer find the help they had. So, as fast as LA and San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco create jobs, other old ways are disappearing. The societies evolving are not meeting the demands and dealing with the changes. But none of that has anything to do with UM sports or arts presentation, both of which have untold wealth to tap and exploit. The football team, when it was successful, drew a lot of positive attention to the state but I am not sure it was taken advantage of as some states, like South Carolina or Oklahoma do. Basket ball can do the same but the communities have to be willing to welcome changes and people from across the world. I grew up in Butte, when it was fairly well known city, and as well as a welcoming city to foreigners. I don't know if that still exists. I transferred into UM as a sophomore and did not find UM that welcoming, so, upon graduation, I left for Calif and NY. These places are dynamic in their way which is not Montana's way. They are liberal and financially successful while Montana swings from moderate to arch conservative and the values of education seem to be under emphasized. At least on the higher edu. level. Athletics ate UM can bring good students from around the country, if they are not priced out of the ordinary cost. Cut the cost of out of state students and you will have the means to raise academic requirements to enter. Balance. Pay the key personnel the going rate of state universities and break the chains that link UM to MSU. This is a complex world and to compete, you must offer the students more than what most do. Success breeds success. One of the saddest facts I know of Montana history is that the world's greatest orchestra, the LA Philharmonic was founded and financed by Butte money that could have accomplished similar things in the Treasure State. Now, I read of América's wealthy buying highly desirable properties that they are fencing in, just like in Calif and elsewhere. So much will be lost unless the new billionaire residents support or fund the infrastructure to make the universities and the rest, the best they can be.UM cannot rely upon the largesse of the Washington family forever.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Bears win again. :shock:

at California 76, Washington State 69: Darius McNeill scored 17 points to lead four California players in double figures and the Golden Bears (7-22, 2-15) won back-to-back games after a school-record 16-game losing streak.
CJ Elleby had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Robert Franks added 18 points and 12 boards for Washington State. The Cougars (11-18, 4-12) have lost four of five.