Now the Newark Star Ledger is reporting Cronin as a candidate for the Rutgers job. I don't see that one happening either. At least Andy Katz got the message that Mick sent that he is only interested in the Cincinnati job, PERIOD. It's a fleeting comment that is coming from a misguided reporter. At least he thought enough of our coach to write about him and consider even though he slams the university and it's conference by stating UC is playing in obscurity. If that means the NCAA tourney the last three years, then so be it.


http://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/inde...es_to.html

I hate to break it to you, but UC will be playing in obscurity for the time being. The future is unknown in terms of conference situation and nobody knows when or how it will shake out.

Rutgers has a lot of positives going for it. Fertile recruiting grounds and a soon-to-be Big Ten school. That means they'll be having a lot more money to play with in their basketball budget, facility upgrades, etc. There's really no reason a good coach shouldn't be able to turn Rutgers into a respectable program.

Do I think Cronin would be interested? No, but I'm sure a ton of other coaches would be.

"Mick Cronin

Can he be pried away from Cincinnati, where he is 204-123 for seven years and makes approximately $1.25 million a year? Yes, if he wants to coach in the Big Ten instead of whatever the league is that the Bearcats will be playing in obscurity."

Speaking of obscurity, I'm talking about covering Rutgers for the 5th best newspaper in the NY market.

But seriously, I could see a big time NE job pulling Cronin away some day, but I don't think Rutgers right now would do it.

Rutgers will be the best thing that ever happened to the bottom tier of B10 basketball. Pencil in another win for Penn State every year. This reporter's comments are laughable. Rutgers has never won in the Big East, has a poor facility, little tradition and no interest among NYC fans who mostly follow Syracuse. Maybe there's a coach in the Sun Belt Conference worthy of the job.

Rutgers basketball is the definition of obscurity. One of the absolute worst programs in all of Division 1.

(04-05-2013 07:31 AM)Racinejake Wrote:  Rutgers basketball is the definition of obscurity. One of the absolute worst programs in all of Division 1.

Why wouldn't any coach from "flyover country" be interested in a galmorous job like Rutgers? Jeesh, Rutgers finishes 3rd in New Jersey to Seton Hall and Princeton for pete's sake. OBSCURITY thy name is Rutgers.

(04-05-2013 07:12 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  I hate to break it to you, but UC will be playing in obscurity for the time being. The future is unknown in terms of conference situation and nobody knows when or how it will shake out.

Rutgers has a lot of positives going for it. Fertile recruiting grounds and a soon-to-be Big Ten school. That means they'll be having a lot more money to play with in their basketball budget, facility upgrades, etc. There's really no reason a good coach shouldn't be able to turn Rutgers into a respectable program.

Do I think Cronin would be interested? No, but I'm sure a ton of other coaches would be.

I hope you are joking. Cincinnati will be playing in American Athletic Conference next season with Louisville, UConn, Memphis, and Temple. Even without Louisville there is enough at the top of the league to keep things interesting. Even without an invitation to the ACC or Big XII, basketball will be fine. I am not sure any coach is going to touch the Rutgers job other than those looking to get back into coaching or someone dumb enough to kill their career.

Rutgers basketball was a non-factor in the Big East, they will be awful next season in the AAC, and will be near the bottom of the Big Ten the year after that.

(04-05-2013 07:52 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  I hope you are joking. Cincinnati will be playing in American Athletic Conference next season with Louisville, UConn, Memphis, and Temple. Even without Louisville there is enough at the top of the league to keep things interesting. Even without an invitation to the ACC or Big XII, basketball will be fine. I am not sure any coach is going to touch the Rutgers job other than those looking to get back into coaching or someone dumb enough to kill their career.

Rutgers basketball was a non-factor in the Big East, they will be awful next season in the AAC, and will be near the bottom of the Big Ten the year after that.

I'm certainly not joking. Next year will come and go fairly quickly, you have to look at the long term. Rutgers is in solid position right now while UC is waiting to see where they fit after the next round of conference realignment. You're focusing on the on-court performance, I'm looking at Rutgers' imminent financial upswing, strong recruiting grounds and future certainty. Plenty of coaches would love the opportunity to coach Rutgers.

Cronin's job has gotten 100x tougher since the collapse of the Big East. Not only does he have less funds to work with than most major programs, he's lost recruiting ground, certainty, and stability.

Who makes NCAA tourny first...Rutgers in B10 or UC in this cruddy conference.

Anyone who says Rutgers is certifiable.

There are already a lot of Big 10 schools that have more money and resources than UC that don't have the results Cronin has.

As long as UC is able to improve their OOC schedule in the AAC they should be fine and they should contend for the title every year.

Rutgers basketball is the definition of obscurity. Cincinnati has history and recent success on its side.

You see, a New Jersey media outlet is pumping up Rutgers basketball into something it isn't. I know that's hard to fathom since its the opposite of what happens in this town.

I just can't see this one. Not going to leave his family and daughter to go coach at a school that has rarely had any basketball success or much of a fan base, even if it is in his favored recruiting area. We should have an easy path to the NCAAs until we get out of this conference and it is not like football where it is important to be in the elite conference to succeed.

(04-05-2013 08:18 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  You see, a New Jersey media outlet is pumping up Rutgers basketball into something it isn't. I know that's hard to fathom since its the opposite of what happens in this town.

Wow,good point! well said, sad but true

Coopdaddy just like when we were in Conference USA had to battle it out with bigger conferences....but guess what...We Did....

(04-05-2013 08:32 AM)uchoops Wrote:  Coopdaddy just like when we were in Conference USA had to battle it out with bigger conferences....but guess what...We Did....

I didn't suggest otherwise. I didn't take "obscurity" as referring to UC's program, they're clearly a better program historically than Rutgers and will have much more success than them on the floor in the near future. My point was that for the time being, UC is in a holding pattern (along with UConn and others), not knowing what's going to happen next with the conference situation. While obviously posing problems, I never said Cronin won't be able to work through them. In fact, I think he will.

I merely stated that Rutgers has been given an opportunity to "fix" itself by gaining entry into the Big Ten. They have a number of positives that should allow them to build a respectable program. Will they? Who knows, but they will have a lot more money to work with than they've had in the past to build something positive.

He already indicated that he wasn't interested in the Minnesota job - also a B1G program, but with some actual recent success. Rutgers, on the other hand, hasn't even made the tourney in over twenty years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Katz needs to get a clue.

With Tim Pernetti out, what are the chances Babcock is targeted?

(04-05-2013 09:00 AM)MickMack Wrote:  He already indicated that he wasn't interested in the Minnesota job - also a B1G program, but with some actual recent success. Rutgers, on the other hand, hasn't even made the tourney in over twenty years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Katz needs to get a clue.

Yeah I don't Rutgers at all, Mick blew off Minny and Mizzou prior to that.
UK, UL, IU would probably interest him though.

(04-05-2013 09:11 AM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  With Tim Pernetti out, what are the chances Babcock is targeted?

I think this may be a better possibility than Mick going to Rutgers....

Lots of RU professors and politicians up there think that big time college sports
is a bad thing.