Buffalo did the right thing to sign Nate Oats to a five year extension at $600,000 per year. Buffalo poised for an even better season next year losing one player from 9 man rotation. Money well spent....this is great for MAC Basketball because it should attract better coaching to the conference. Plus UB should be planning a more difficult schedule next year that should also help out the MAC because they'll win some of those games.

Arizona better not look past them, because Buffalo can win this game if Clark is Hot!!!

Nate Oats was coach of Romulus High just 5 years ago! Would power 5 teams play Buffalo knowing they will be good? Michigan will not play EMU anymore.

(03-13-2018 11:26 AM)fanfrompowellspub Wrote:  Nate Oats was coach of Romulus High just 5 years ago! Would power 5 teams play Buffalo knowing they will be good? Michigan will not play EMU anymore.

Exactly. They will have difficulty getting games against some teams. That's what aggravates me about Michigan. They will not risk a loss that looks bad against a mid-major. It's all about protecting their image and their money.

Add this to the list that the NCAA needs to fix but won't.

Powell's Pub! Used to hang out there back when it was George's.

Well I'm glad Buffalo has spare money in their athletic budget because their football team is dismal. I don't think EMU could afford $600,000 per year.

I think if our football program continues to improve and attendance along with it there will be more overall $$$ for everyone in the EMU Athletic Department.

Dear WoodenNickle,
It didn't dawn on me (fanfrompowellspub) until you mentioned George's Huron Inn. Many of my fraternity brothers used to go there all the time when it was George's. Sorry, I didn't mean to veer off the subject thread.

(03-13-2018 11:02 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Buffalo did the right thing to sign Nate Oats to a five year extension at $600,000 per year. Buffalo poised for an even better season next year losing one player from 9 man rotation. Money well spent....this is great for MAC Basketball because it should attract better coaching to the conference. Plus UB should be planning a more difficult schedule next year that should also help out the MAC because they'll win some of those games.

Arizona better not look past them, because Buffalo can win this game if Clark is Hot!!!

If I've learned anything from being a fan of MAC sports, it's that extensions mean absolutely nothing. The buyout is what is important, and I'm not sure on the details of this one. There is a large pay gap between the MAC and the P5 conferences. He may not go anywhere this offseason, but with the team he has coming back next year, there's little doubt in my mind that a bigger school will buy him out if he finishes strong.

But if he shocks the world and knocks off Arizona and their all-world big man, then we can probably wave good bye. The fact remains, that we will always be a stepping-stone conference, and that's fine. As long as we keep finding quality replacements.

(03-13-2018 11:02 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Buffalo did the right thing to sign Nate Oats to a five year extension at $600,000 per year. Buffalo poised for an even better season next year losing one player from 9 man rotation. Money well spent....this is great for MAC Basketball because it should attract better coaching to the conference. Plus UB should be planning a more difficult schedule next year that should also help out the MAC because they'll win some of those games.

Arizona better not look past them, because Buffalo can win this game if Clark is Hot!!!

Eastern has committed every Wooden Nickle it has on FB. Not an old penny left for MBB or WBB.

(03-13-2018 12:42 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(03-13-2018 11:02 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Buffalo did the right thing to sign Nate Oats to a five year extension at $600,000 per year. Buffalo poised for an even better season next year losing one player from 9 man rotation. Money well spent....this is great for MAC Basketball because it should attract better coaching to the conference. Plus UB should be planning a more difficult schedule next year that should also help out the MAC because they'll win some of those games.

Arizona better not look past them, because Buffalo can win this game if Clark is Hot!!!

If I've learned anything from being a fan of MAC sports, it's that extensions mean absolutely nothing. The buyout is what is important, and I'm not sure on the details of this one. There is a large pay gap between the MAC and the P5 conferences. He may not go anywhere this offseason, but with the team he has coming back next year, there's little doubt in my mind that a bigger school will buy him out if he finishes strong.

But if he shocks the world and knocks off Arizona and their all-world big man, then we can probably wave good bye. The fact remains, that we will always be a stepping-stone conference, and that's fine. As long as we keep finding quality replacements.

Sam truer words about the MAC contracts have never been spoken. Murphy's buyout is just $210K, an amount which is a nothing burger to a Power 5 program. Creighton's is less than $500K which might be perceived as lower relative to the superior earnings power in football. Ask Western how that long term contract and raise worked with PJ Fleck when Minnesota came calling.

Hawkins at Western BB and Solich with Ohio FB are the anomalies that all conference schools would like to have. Actually MAC athletic directors have an incredibly hard job. They have a far smaller pool of applicants with college experience and if they hire a dud, they are stuck with him until the contract expires due their lack of financial resources to buy a contract out. Of course you can't cry for AD's too much as they like to follow the money and migrate to P5 schools as well. (Smith and Lyke)

If I remember correctly, Murphy gets a year added to his contract AND the price of him leaving goes up.

Murphy's contract is golden handcuffs. EMU and Murphy are joined at the hips.

(03-13-2018 06:15 PM)emu steve Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Murphy gets a year added to his contract AND the price of him leaving goes up.

Murphy's contract is golden handcuffs. EMU and Murphy are joined at the hips.

Steve I just reread the contract and here is what I gleaned. Keep in mind I have no professional legal expertise but it is pretty straight forward as written

1) The 20 win season this year automatically extends his term two more seasons beyond this one as you have correctly stated.

2) His penalty for leaving prior to contract end is his "base salary" that is defined as $210,000. There is no additional cost for him to leave at any time over another. He does get an additional $10K bonus each year for staying employed, however.

Now it gets interesting:

The CIT or CBI tourney invite earns him a $7,500 bonus.
Each win in the tournament earns him another $2,500.

While he has already earned another $25K in bonus (20-24 wins), winning another four games would increase that payment to $30K due to exceeding 25 wins.

So if we to win the tournament this would be Murph's additional income.

Tournament appearance $ 7,500
Five tourney wins at $2.5K each 12,500
Incremental bonus for >25 wins 5,000

So in other words Murphy can make $25,000 if we could win this tournament. Like it or not this is what it is.

(03-13-2018 07:33 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(03-13-2018 06:15 PM)emu steve Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Murphy gets a year added to his contract AND the price of him leaving goes up.

Murphy's contract is golden handcuffs. EMU and Murphy are joined at the hips.

Steve I just reread the contract and here is what I gleaned. Keep in mind I have no professional legal expertise but it is pretty straight forward as written

1) The 20 win season this year automatically extends his term two more seasons beyond this one as you have correctly stated.

2) His penalty for leaving prior to contract end is his "base salary" that is defined as $210,000. There is no additional cost for him to leave at any time over another. He does get an additional $10K bonus each year for staying employed, however.

Now it gets interesting:

The CIT or CBI tourney invite earns him a $7,500 bonus.
Each win in the tournament earns him another $2,500.

While he has already earned another $25K in bonus (20-24 wins), winning another four games would increase that payment to $30K due to exceeding 25 wins.

So if he we to win the tournament this would be Murph's additional income.

Tournament appearance $ 7,500
Five tourney wins at $2.5K each 12,500
Incremental bonus for >25 wins 5,000

So in other words Murphy can make $25,000 if we could win this tournament. Like it or not this is what it is.

Good info.

Fans need to remember that EVERY press release for games. Will say Eastern Michigan won X games, including advancing to... in the CIT.

This is how programs are sold to media, fans, and recruits.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/march-sadne...32135.html

Rob Murphy is number 3 all time in basketball wins at EMU. 3! Braun had 185. Rynearson had 160. Murphy has 128. How did this happen?

(03-15-2018 10:58 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  Rob Murphy is number 3 all time in basketball wins at EMU. 3! Braun had 185. Rynearson had 160. Murphy has 128. How did this happen?

Good coaches grow, succeed, and move on to a bigger school. Murphy has been 0.500 in conference and won a lot of preseason games against lesser opponents.

looks like Iona is using a match up zone vs. Duke and are close in the 1st half against a "NBA team."

(03-15-2018 01:17 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(03-15-2018 10:58 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  Rob Murphy is number 3 all time in basketball wins at EMU. 3! Braun had 185. Rynearson had 160. Murphy has 128. How did this happen?

Good coaches grow, succeed, and move on to a bigger school. Murphy has been 0.500 in conference and won a lot of preseason games against lesser opponents.

Lest we forget he was almost hired away to be an assistant for the Orlando Magic after his first year.

It's just wild and frankly a credit to him - on some level.

(03-15-2018 02:50 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(03-15-2018 01:17 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(03-15-2018 10:58 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  Rob Murphy is number 3 all time in basketball wins at EMU. 3! Braun had 185. Rynearson had 160. Murphy has 128. How did this happen?

Good coaches grow, succeed, and move on to a bigger school. Murphy has been 0.500 in conference and won a lot of preseason games against lesser opponents.

Lest we forget he was almost hired away to be an assistant for the Orlando Magic after his first year.

It's just wild and frankly a credit to him - on some level.

Super: "Less dunks":

https://twitter.com/EMUHoops/status/974120054404141057

I can hear Luckey now: Move JT4 to SG. :)

https://twitter.com/J_T_IV2/status/974038601867714562

(03-15-2018 10:58 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  Rob Murphy is number 3 all time in basketball wins at EMU. 3! Braun had 185. Rynearson had 160. Murphy has 128. How did this happen?

First of all the amount of games played has steadily increased over the years allowing Murphy the chance to win more. And yes Murphy plays a soft schedule.

I was driving the fire Murphy bus at midseason but have since tempered my position. Do I think he could develop young players better? Yes I think he pulls Groce, McAdoo and Ellison far too quickly when they make a mistake, thus they play tentatively. Do I think he could switch out of the zone occasionally and confuse the opponent? Hell yes! Do I think he makes intelligent adjustments at halftime? I was pissed early in the year when we squandered leads but since then we have acquitted ourselves well in the second half. We seem to play better with a small lead or deficit than with a large lead at half.

Still my two largest issues with Murphy have been his lack of campus involvement and his teams not playing to their potential. As far the potential issue, I must admit that Rob recruited those Hi-Po athletes, something that Ramsay, Boone and Barnes could not do. Also he has made a family decision to maintain his principal residence in New York State which will not allow him to devote what I consider adequate time to promote the program as he should. Could we do better? Perhaps, but he is the most successful coach since Braun for sure.

On a side note I drove by the Convo and Rynearson last weekend to see if there was any progress on new construction and I saw nothing going on. It looked like a ghost town. There was just one guy walking into the Convo working at 11:00 on his day off. Chris Creighton.