UAF hires Jimmy Dykes

So Dykes was an assistant coach at UALR?

(03-30-2014 11:27 AM)TroJams Wrote:  UAF hires Jimmy Dykes

Wow. He's been one of the best commentators on TV, both in football and basketball for some time. It might be this would help him stay home more with his family. It will be interesting to see how he does.

So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

(03-30-2014 05:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

That's a hire completely out of left field.

(03-30-2014 07:18 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 05:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

That's a hire completely out of left field.

Frank Broyles would not hire a coach who did not have head coaching experience. Long just hired a guy who was an assistant at UALR 25 years ago. I actually really like Jimmy. But this is the type hire I could see University of Central AR making but not UAF.

(03-30-2014 05:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

Good one Mickey. Haven't seen that one used before. By the way, I'm glad too that Foley isn't good enough to coach in Hoof Heaven. Other than that, I'm happy for Jimmy Dykes. I think he's a nice guy, and I would think he knows his basketball, and may make a good coach. He's been an assistant, but coaching girls may be a new challenge. Hope he does well.

(03-30-2014 11:01 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 05:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

Good one Mickey. Haven't seen that one used before. By the way, I'm glad too that Foley isn't good enough to coach in Hoof Heaven. Other than that, I'm happy for Jimmy Dykes. I think he's a nice guy, and I would think he knows his basketball, and may make a good coach. He's been an assistant, but coaching girls may be a new challenge. Hope he does well.

I never met Jimmy, but I've always thought he seemed like a very nice person and very knowledgeable about basketball. But taking over a major D1 women's program with very little experience, and that many years ago. I'm trying to think of a situation at UALR to which we could compare it.
Maybe move forward twenty five years. Ted Crass has been doing TV commentary, and his only coaching experience is as a graduate assistant at UALR, and we name him women's head basketball coach. That's about the most far fetched thing I could think of at the moment. Maybe someone can come up with a better comparison. Walk on player, out of game for 25 years and comes back as women's head coach. Was Jeff Long drinking at the time he made this decision? Jimmy might do great and I hope he does but you have to admit it's got to be the strangest hire in history.

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

Its an unwritten policy. UAF Never hires someone with ASU ties...ASU never hires someone with UAF ties.

Pretty much been that way ever since we had the audacity to become an FBS football program.

(03-30-2014 11:29 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I never met Jimmy, but I've always thought he seemed like a very nice person and very knowledgeable about basketball. But taking over a major D1 women's program with very little experience, and that many years ago. I'm trying to think of a situation at UALR to which we could compare it.
Maybe move forward twenty five years. Ted Crass has been doing TV commentary, and his only coaching experience is as a graduate assistant at UALR, and we name him women's head basketball coach. That's about the most far fetched thing I could think of at the moment. Maybe someone can come up with a better comparison. Walk on player, out of game for 25 years and comes back as women's head coach. Was Jeff Long drinking at the time he made this decision? Jimmy might do great and I hope he does but you have to admit it's got to be the strangest hire in history.

It's a different hire for sure, but Jimmy Dykes was not a GA, or at least not the entire time of his coaching. He worked for a couple of pretty good coaches. Being around Sutton for a number of years is a pretty good endorsement. Since he wasn't playing much, I'm sure he was observing what was happening on the court and in the huddle during time outs. I've always been impressed with his commentary, and I guess ESPN was too since they kept him around when they could have used the name brand former stars to do the commentary. He may be a bust. There are a lot more mediocre to flat bad coaches that come along than good to great ones.

I've read that Billy Martin when he wasn't playing, or when he was playing and not batting or getting ready to hit, sat right by Casey Stengel in the dugout to listen and observe what was happening. He turned out to be a better manager than he was a player.

(03-30-2014 11:29 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 11:01 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 05:43 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 01:27 PM)RBL Wrote:  So UAF does hire people that worked at UALR, just not ASU.

But he played for the Razorbacks. But not much!

What a bizarre hire. Just glad they kept their hooves off Coach Foley.

Good one Mickey. Haven't seen that one used before. By the way, I'm glad too that Foley isn't good enough to coach in Hoof Heaven. Other than that, I'm happy for Jimmy Dykes. I think he's a nice guy, and I would think he knows his basketball, and may make a good coach. He's been an assistant, but coaching girls may be a new challenge. Hope he does well.

I never met Jimmy, but I've always thought he seemed like a very nice person and very knowledgeable about basketball. But taking over a major D1 women's program with very little experience, and that many years ago. I'm trying to think of a situation at UALR to which we could compare it.
Maybe move forward twenty five years. Ted Crass has been doing TV commentary, and his only coaching experience is as a graduate assistant at UALR, and we name him women's head basketball coach. That's about the most far fetched thing I could think of at the moment. Maybe someone can come up with a better comparison. Walk on player, out of game for 25 years and comes back as women's head coach. Was Jeff Long drinking at the time he made this decision? Jimmy might do great and I hope he does but you have to admit it's got to be the strangest hire in history.

I have to amend this post after reading his resume this morning. He had pretty good experience as an assistant coach at quite a few places, but had never been a head coach, nor a women's coach. Still a strange hire, but I guess the Ted Crass comparison wouldn't be valid. I hope he has great success.

I agree that hiring of Dykes to coach Womens BB does not appear to be normal. No experience as a Had Coach? The only reasoning I can think of is that since he has made a name for himself on ESPN it will help in recruiting. And maybe he can hire the assistants to do most of the coaching. It will be interesting thing to watch.

I do not understand this hire. I simply cannot believe there were NO coaches with a better resume interested in the job.

(03-31-2014 01:32 PM)ez272 Wrote:  I do not understand this hire. I simply cannot believe there were NO coaches with a better resume interested in the job.

There had to have been more coaches with better credentials that would have liked to have come to Arkansas. I know of one with better credentials, but hopefully he wasn't interested in it or thank God they weren't interested in him. This deal may be like the Malayasian Airliner, and we'll never know what happened.

(03-31-2014 02:12 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(03-31-2014 01:32 PM)ez272 Wrote:  I do not understand this hire. I simply cannot believe there were NO coaches with a better resume interested in the job.

There had to have been more coaches with better credentials that would have liked to have come to Arkansas. I know of one with better credentials, but hopefully he wasn't interested in it or thank God they weren't interested in him. This deal may be like the Malayasian Airliner, and we'll never know what happened.

The hire was pretty much of a publicity stunt, just like us hiring Sidney and UCA hiring Corliss. No way in hell Frank Broyles would have ever done anything like this. Doesn't mean it can't work. It is certainly bringing a lot of press to the women's program up there, something that hasn't happened in years. I'm sure Jimmy will bump up season ticket sales significantly next season. Will he win basketball games? That is the million dollar question. We all know what the answer to that question would be if they had come down and hired a certain coach in LR. He would have sold some extra tickets, too (probably not as many as Jimmie) and he would have been much less of a risk. Jimmie is a good looking and personable guy. Will that help recruit lady basketball players? I really don't know, but maybe it will. No doubt Long could have brought in an experienced women's coach with a good resume. It is a rather gutsy hire, with a chance at a big reward. The risk is actually rather minimal, since no one cares about women's basketball up there right now anyway. I assume that the 500 fans that typically showed up last year, will show up next season. But you will add a bunch of folks that like Jimmie and will want to see how he does.

Jimmy Dykes’ UA Deal Worth $450,000 Per Year For 4 Years
...and according to the article he worked at Sacramento State and not Arkansas State

(03-31-2014 06:56 PM)TroJams Wrote:  Jimmy Dykes’ UA Deal Worth $450,000 Per Year For 4 Years

Wow. Half a million bucks for a guy who has never been a head coach and hasn't coached in over 20 years. This could be career suicide for Jeff Long if folks actually cared about women's basketball. I doubt he is worried about that. He'll be gone long before Jimmie finishes his contract if Beliema doesn't turn football around in the next couple of years.

(03-31-2014 01:32 PM)ez272 Wrote:  I do not understand this hire. I simply cannot believe there were NO coaches with a better resume interested in the job.

Sometimes the best coach isn't the best coach for a particular situation.
Jeff Long obvious feels this was the right choice after talking with five or six other possibilities. I think Jimmy's visibility nationally could help tremendously in recruiting. He's a very energetic, likeable personality, and he's had enough coaching experience as an assistant to make the leap.
He might not be the right choice for some programs, but he probably is for Arkansas. I know MJS won't like this, but Mike Anderson is the perfect coach for the Hogmen, or the Gutterhogs as he likes to refer to them.
There might be coaches better than him, but not for the Razorbacks.