Bearcat2012
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Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketb...g4htij6uew
There were many terrific Coach of the Year candidates for Sporting News to choose among this season. Tony Bennett dominated the ACC at Virginia and the Cavaliers ended the regular season as a unanimous No. 1 in the AP poll. Chris Holtmann took over Ohio State in early June and led a team picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten to a top-3 finish. Rick Barnes was derided by many as the Texas program faded in his final seasons with the Longhorns, then rejuvenated the Tennessee Volunteers and, in his third season, shared a Southeastern Conference championship.
MORE: Sporting News' 2017-18 college basketball All-Americans
What separated Cronin from these other deserving candidates, though, was the separation Cincinnati endured from the power-conference ranks in the early part of this decade. The Bearcats had entered the Big East Conference in 2005-06; by 2009 their football team had gone undefeated and won the league, and by 2012 the basketball team played in the Big East Tournament championship game.
Before the end of that calendar year, it was over. The Big East made the controversial (and not unanimous) decision to grant Tulane membership, and the conference’s basketball-first schools had seen enough.
Cincinnati was left in a league with no established brand (the American?) and whose only other basketball powers were Louisville, Memphis and Connecticut. Louisville split as soon as the ACC offered membership. And, has anyone seen Memphis or UConn lately?
No? Because that’s how hard it is on the other side of that dividing line. In basketball, there’s the Power 5 (and one), and there’s everybody else. Standing above everybody else this year was Cincinnati, which finished the American regular season with a 27-4 record and the American championship clinched with the victory at Wichita.
“We worked so hard to get to the point where we played for the Big East championship,” Cronin said. “And now you’re not just recruiting saying, ‘We play in the Big East.’ Now you’re saying, ‘We played for the championship.’
“Right when we were really getting ready to use it in recruiting, the league fell apart.”
MORE: Villanova's Jalen Brunson is Sporting News' college basketball Player of the Year
This was not his first immense challenge of his tenure at Cincinnati, though, or even the most daunting. When Cronin took over in the spring of 2006, the Bearcats had only one returning scholarship player on the roster. Because of transfers and players not graduating consistently, the program was on Academic Progress Rate (APR) probation, looking at the possibility of losing postseason play and practice time and possibly even restrictions on how many non-league games it could schedule.
He had to build a roster capable of competing, at some level, in one of the best leagues in college basketball, and every player he attracted had to be capable of graduating. Even if he could have gotten one-and-done types, he could not have accommodated them because there was no dispensation then for players who left early. Cincinnati needed every APR point it could get
more...
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketb...g4htij6uew
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03-08-2018 11:40 AM |
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AndShock
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Like the pick, don’t like the reasoning. Congrats to Cronin regardless.
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03-08-2018 11:43 AM |
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C0|db|00ded
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Good for Mick!
T
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03-08-2018 11:43 AM |
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Stickboy46
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 11:43 AM)AndShock Wrote: Like the pick, don’t like the reasoning. Congrats to Cronin regardless.
Agreed. Great job but the explanation is just ... odd.
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03-08-2018 11:44 AM |
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C0|db|00ded
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 11:44 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote: (03-08-2018 11:43 AM)AndShock Wrote: Like the pick, don’t like the reasoning. Congrats to Cronin regardless.
Agreed. Great job but the explanation is just ... odd.
They're the only power program in the AAC to survive after the breakup of the Big East. Pretty clear to me. There's no mention of us because we're part of the new story surrounding the American.
T
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03-08-2018 11:47 AM |
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Stickboy46
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 11:47 AM)C0|db|00ded Wrote: (03-08-2018 11:44 AM)Stickboy46 Wrote: (03-08-2018 11:43 AM)AndShock Wrote: Like the pick, don’t like the reasoning. Congrats to Cronin regardless.
Agreed. Great job but the explanation is just ... odd.
They're the only power program in the AAC to survive after the breakup of the Big East. Pretty clear to me. There's no mention of us because we're part of the new story surrounding the American.
T
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I've just never seen a multi-year reasoning for giving someone a yearly award. Yet again, absolutely deserved the award, but don't understand the whole "you got left in a crappy conference years ago and you won a bunch of games in said crappy conference so you are the Coach of the Year" argument
(note: I don't think it's a crappy conference but that's what their explanation was basically saying. )
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03-08-2018 11:50 AM |
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HuskyU
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Fine with the award, but there's a lot of dumb in their explanation.
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03-08-2018 11:50 AM |
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Weatherdemon
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 11:50 AM)HuskyU Wrote: Fine with the award, but there's a lot of dumb in their explanation.
This
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03-08-2018 11:58 AM |
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bearcatmark
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
I never liked the insistence that it is a "one year" award. Obviously the focus should be on that specific team and the coaching job done with that team, but I think talent identification and development should absolutely be considered. People undervalue developing talent and great talent evaluation in these awards. UC isn't built on prized recruits. This season is a tribute to the program Mick has built and this is a well earned honor.
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03-08-2018 12:09 PM |
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WstateU
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(This post was last modified: 03-08-2018 12:16 PM by WstateU.)
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03-08-2018 12:14 PM |
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geef
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
As others have said, odd reasoning. It reads like more of a lifetime achievement award. Regardless, I'm happy for Mick.
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03-08-2018 12:17 PM |
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Huskypride
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
congrats to mick
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03-08-2018 12:35 PM |
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Tiger1983
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Congrats to Cronin. It is a well deserved honor.
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03-08-2018 12:38 PM |
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Stookey57
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Congratz to Mick guys been through a lot
Sent from my SM-J700T using CSNbbs mobile app
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03-08-2018 12:39 PM |
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shock
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Congrats Mick on your induction to the Sporting News Coach of Fame
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03-08-2018 12:50 PM |
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Def Berkkat
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
Thanks for the recognition... I guess. Makes the rest of the conference sound like the equivalent of Lloyd Christmas, though. Kind've takes the fun out of it.
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03-08-2018 01:08 PM |
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UConnHusky
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
In my opinion, Mick won't stick around for much longer. It seems like every year he threatens to leave Cincy and interviews with some lesser basketball school just to get more money. After this season, however, he will get sniffs from the P5 schools. Mick is too smart to turn down the opportunity and money that comes with those jobs.
Does anyone else agree with my prediction or know how much Mick's buyout at Cincy is?
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03-08-2018 02:20 PM |
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Bearcats#1
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 02:20 PM)UConnHusky Wrote: In my opinion, Mick won't stick around for much longer. It seems like every year he threatens to leave Cincy and interviews with some lesser basketball school just to get more money. After this season, however, he will get sniffs from the P5 schools. Mick is too smart to turn down the opportunity and money that comes with those jobs.
Does anyone else agree with my prediction or know how much Mick's buyout at Cincy is?
He could certainly leave...Ohio State is paying their newly hired coach $7m/year....so yeah, there are schools out there paying THAT much for a basketball coach.
I will say Mick is a Cincy guy, born and raised and a UC grad. Also, he has split custody of his young daughter, Sammi. She is the pride and joy of his life. If he takes another job, he will have to leave that.
He could. I'm just saying, the man has some roots here and also a daughter he cherishes so it won't be just any P5 job. It would have to be something major...Kansas, or some such. He won't leave here for like Kstate or Illinois, etc.
in my opinion
I wonder about UofL though...ACC school, he was an assistant there and its close to Cincy (daughter). That one scares me the most.
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03-08-2018 02:33 PM |
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UConnHusky
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 02:33 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote: (03-08-2018 02:20 PM)UConnHusky Wrote: In my opinion, Mick won't stick around for much longer. It seems like every year he threatens to leave Cincy and interviews with some lesser basketball school just to get more money. After this season, however, he will get sniffs from the P5 schools. Mick is too smart to turn down the opportunity and money that comes with those jobs.
Does anyone else agree with my prediction or know how much Mick's buyout at Cincy is?
He could certainly leave...Ohio State is paying their newly hired coach $7m/year....so yeah, there are schools out there paying THAT much for a basketball coach.
I will say Mick is a Cincy guy, born and raised and a UC grad. Also, he has split custody of his young daughter, Sammi. She is the pride and joy of his life. If he takes another job, he will have to leave that.
He could. I'm just saying, the man has some roots here and also a daughter he cherishes so it won't be just any P5 job. It would have to be something major...Kansas, or some such. He won't leave here for like Kstate or Illinois, etc.
in my opinion
I wonder about UofL though...ACC school, he was an assistant there and its close to Cincy (daughter). That one scares me the most.
The daughter info is key. I agree that he won't go far because of her. As you say, Louisville is close enough to be a worry, but I don't think he would do that. Would a die hard Cincy guy go to an old rival like Louisville and risk permanent hatred from the Bearcat fanbase? Probably not. You guys are safe.
I wish our coach was a flight risk. Not even D-III schools would take Ollie, though.
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03-08-2018 02:40 PM |
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Bearcats#1
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RE: Mick Cronin - Sporting News Coach of the Year
(03-08-2018 02:40 PM)UConnHusky Wrote: (03-08-2018 02:33 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote: (03-08-2018 02:20 PM)UConnHusky Wrote: In my opinion, Mick won't stick around for much longer. It seems like every year he threatens to leave Cincy and interviews with some lesser basketball school just to get more money. After this season, however, he will get sniffs from the P5 schools. Mick is too smart to turn down the opportunity and money that comes with those jobs.
Does anyone else agree with my prediction or know how much Mick's buyout at Cincy is?
He could certainly leave...Ohio State is paying their newly hired coach $7m/year....so yeah, there are schools out there paying THAT much for a basketball coach.
I will say Mick is a Cincy guy, born and raised and a UC grad. Also, he has split custody of his young daughter, Sammi. She is the pride and joy of his life. If he takes another job, he will have to leave that.
He could. I'm just saying, the man has some roots here and also a daughter he cherishes so it won't be just any P5 job. It would have to be something major...Kansas, or some such. He won't leave here for like Kstate or Illinois, etc.
in my opinion
I wonder about UofL though...ACC school, he was an assistant there and its close to Cincy (daughter). That one scares me the most.
The daughter info is key. I agree that he won't go far because of her. As you say, Louisville is close enough to be a worry, but I don't think he would do that. Would a die hard Cincy guy go to an old rival like Louisville and risk permanent hatred from the Bearcat fanbase? Probably not. You guys are safe.
I wish our coach was a flight risk. Not even D-III schools would take Ollie, though.
He did once already lol. He was an assistant under Huggins and left to be an assistant under Pitino. He is BFF with Rick. So the rivalry thing won't stop him.
I wonder if he is going to see what happens to the program. If they get obliterated, he probably won't take it over. If they get a slap on the hand, he may. He is EXACTLY what UofL needs....great coach who does things the right way. If UofL hires a coach I will sleep easier...but for now that one is on my radar and I'm concerned.
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03-08-2018 02:43 PM |
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