Will A Coaching Change Effect A Venomous Board?

[HuskerWeatherman]

it was venomous at the end of the collier era as well.

regardless of what happens coach wise, NU has to move past the I'll support success when I see it mentality. with a new facility, perhaps new perspective can enable folks to appreciate basketball similar to the way they celebrate football. Nebraska basketball needs a re-boot, a new beginning - purge the apathy and embrace the sport first, then subsequent team success.

A fresh start almost always re-energizes a fan base that has mostly given up. So, I do feel that a new coach (combined with a new arena) would bring added interest to the program. Doc re-energized the program (and attendance did initially increase). Even Collier did. But the problem has always been maintaining that excitement from the first couple of seasons -- and that always comes down to
winning. There's not a school out there where the fans will continue fill up the bleachers if the team doesn't eventually produce a successful product.

 

[ThotDoc]

It would be nice to just be as good as St Louis, or San Diego St, or St Mary's, or Creighton, or even Colorado St (all of whom have RPIs in the Top 30 this year). Is it too much to hope for Husker Basketball to at least be as good as these schools?

Even Harvard has a current RPI of 37............oh, and today Nebraska's is 127.

 

[Skunkman1]

It will get better on here if we get a new coach, just like it is now with Baseball.


I just want a coach who can go out and get 7 footers!

 

[coherbie]

A fresh start almost always re-energizes a fan base that has mostly given up. So, I do feel that a new coach (combined with a new arena) would bring added interest to the program. Doc re-energized the program (and attendance did initially increase). Even Collier did. But the problem has always been maintaining that excitement from the first couple of seasons -- and that always comes down to
winning. There's not a school out there where the fans will continue fill up the bleachers if the team doesn't eventually produce a successful product.

not asking folks to fill bleachers, simply caring would suffice. Even this board for example, posts are pedestrian (aside from a core group of battle participants who's melee's carry over from other forums). Most blame the coach & that is certainly warranted, & by no means am I defending DS, simply saying that it doesn't stop there.

NU's hardwood challenges go deeper than simply a coach. Facility improvements will help, but roundball seems forgotten. Perhaps just my perception, but Nebraska = football (obviously), then there's football recruiting, spring football & it is the home of the college world series. Granted players like Rich King don't come around often, but I question whether BBall is even 4th on folks minds.

success certainly helps attract fans, but aside from March Madness, BBall just isn't on folks minds... I'd wager that if we were to ask 1.7 million folks in the state two words (Bo & Spencer) 90% would think Pelini and Tillman.

 

[hpride1982]

Well the only thing I hope is when the coaching change happens the Mods are a little quicker to give those posters who want to start pissing matches with other posters some needed time off. I recall in the pedia days that some of the posters were getting pretty abusive they had finally had enough and started issuing some real quick vacations and that seemed to improve things.

 

[bilsker]

I have frequented the BBall board for many years back in the old Huskerpedia days. Though I use to contribute a lot more back then (I had a desk job) and not as much now I remember the BBall board being a lot more friendly and more enjoyable to contribute to. That got me thinking, is the only reason it is so toxic and posters are so quick to attack because of the state of BBall? If a coaching change happens at the end of the season are things going to mellow here and be more enjoyable to contribute to?

All I can say is that I hope so. There are a lot of good fans on here that can offer some real intelligent posts but right now it seems everyone is so at odds that it can get down right nasty on here and it didn't use to be that way.

Any thoughts?

Maybe it will depend on who is hired?

I'm guessing though that the new coach will have mostly unanimous support....until he proves to suck as bad as Doc. Then, rightfully, it will turn again. But there will be a honeymoon period.

 

[bilsker]

Some people here seem to just want to attack. 2 are MIA so this has been a quiet week.

Laptop issues. I'm more than happy to be back and pointing out how right I was about Doc.

 

[bilsker]

I don't expect to win the B1G, but we have to get competitive enough that we start at least getting invited to the dance and then win a first round game.

Well, you can be wildly mediocre by Big 10 standards and still be in the conversation. People are still talking about NINE teams with a chance to make it. That means you ahve to include teams like Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Northwestern!

 

[bilsker]

not asking folks to fill bleachers, simply caring would suffice. Even this board for example, posts are pedestrian (aside from a core group of battle participants who's melee's carry over from other forums). Most blame the coach & that is certainly warranted, & by no means am I defending DS, simply saying that it doesn't stop there.

NU's hardwood challenges go deeper than simply a coach. Facility improvements will help, but roundball seems forgotten. Perhaps just my perception, but Nebraska = football (obviously), then there's football recruiting, spring football & it is the home of the college world series. Granted players like Rich King don't come around often, but I question whether BBall is even 4th on folks minds.

success certainly helps attract fans, but aside from March Madness, BBall just isn't on folks minds... I'd wager that if we were to ask 1.7 million folks in the state two words (Bo & Spencer) 90% would think Pelini and Tillman.

NU is going to get a natural bump in "fanbase" (i.e. those willing to go to games) just because of the new arena. There will be the curiosity factor. That's why this hire is so important. When those people show up NU needs to WIN. They need to be competitive. They need to entertain. Keep 'em coming back. Even in a football state (that will never change) basketball can be a priority during the winter months and through March. Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan...examples of "football states" that put up BIG attendance numbers in basketball.

 

[HuskerWeatherman]

not asking folks to fill bleachers, simply caring would suffice. Even this board for example, posts are pedestrian (aside from a core group of battle participants who's melee's carry over from other forums). Most blame the coach & that is certainly warranted, & by no means am I defending DS, simply saying that it doesn't stop there.

NU's hardwood challenges go deeper than simply a coach. Facility improvements will help, but roundball seems forgotten. Perhaps just my perception, but Nebraska = football (obviously), then there's football recruiting, spring football & it is the home of the college world series. Granted players like Rich King don't come around often, but I question whether BBall is even 4th on folks minds.

success certainly helps attract fans, but aside from March Madness, BBall just isn't on folks minds... I'd wager that if we were to ask 1.7 million folks in the state two words (Bo & Spencer) 90% would think Pelini and Tillman.

Winning breeds fan interest. And in Nebraska, winning breeds fan interest like almost no place else. Packed venues (sometimes record crowds) occur -- regardless of the sport -- so long as there's winning.

I'm sure we all remember NU baseball in the days of Sanders and Buck Beltzer. I remember attending games where there were not more than a couple hundred fans there. Granted, the venue sucked -- and the team was very mediocre at best. But when Haymarket Park appeared -- and Van Horn was leading his teams to the CWS -- wow -- it was amazing. And NU fans across the state could have rattled off several names of players back them -- much more than 10% of Nebraskans could do so.

And Nebraska basketball still holds the potential to be the #2 fan interest in the state -- I've seen it before. I saw it with Moe Iba, Dave Hoppen, and an NIT berth. I saw it for several years under Danny Nee.

They will care -- if you give them reason to care. But the athletic department also has to show they care about putting a quality product on the floor. The new arena and the practice facility/locker rooms are great starts. But even that will grow old with time -- unless winning comes with it.

 

[bilsker]

Winning breeds fan interest. And in Nebraska, winning breeds fan interest like almost no place else. Packed venues (sometimes record crowds) occur -- regardless of the sport -- so long as there's winning.

I'm sure we all remember NU baseball in the days of Sanders and Buck Beltzer. I remember attending games where there were not more than a couple hundred fans there. Granted, the venue sucked -- and the team was very mediocre at best. But when Haymarket Park appeared -- and Van Horn was leading his teams to the CWS -- wow -- it was amazing. And NU fans across the state could have rattled off several names of players back them -- much more than 10% of Nebraskans could do so.

And Nebraska basketball still holds the potential to be the #2 fan interest in the state -- I've seen it before. I saw it with Moe Iba, Dave Hoppen, and an NIT berth. I saw it for several years under Danny Nee.

They will care -- if you give them reason to care. But the athletic department also has to show they care about putting a quality product on the floor. The new arena and the practice facility/locker rooms are great starts. But even that will grow old with time -- unless winning comes with it.

Perfect example. NU baseball was non-existent until they started winning under van horn. Before that it was "friends and family" in the stands at the Buck. They go in the tank and people quit going.

Does anyone thing Nebraskans would be PASSIONATE about volleyball if that program wasn't a national power? Sorry ladies, but no.

Now NU will have a shiny new palace that people will want to see and a coach they still believe in (in his 2nd year). They will absolutely be packing that place initially.

 

[HuskerWeatherman]

NU is going to get a natural bump in "fanbase" (i.e. those willing to go to games) just because of the new arena. There will be the curiosity factor. That's why this hire is so important. When those people show up NU needs to WIN. They need to be competitive. They need to entertain. Keep 'em coming back. Even in a football state (that will never change) basketball can be a priority during the winter months and through March. Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan...examples of "football states" that put up BIG attendance numbers in basketball.

Yep. Just like all good businesses -- you've got to give the customers a reason to come back. That's priority number one. The timing of a new arena couldn't be better for finding a new coach as well.

Yep. Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan. Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee have all had their moments in the sun. Miami and FSU are playing quality ball right now. Florida...Notre Dame... It is possible to produce a winner -- at least on occasion -- in basketball at a football school. There isn't a major football school out there that has produced less post-season success than Nebraska.

 

[Huskerwirejay]

Laptop issues. I'm more than happy to be back and pointing out how right I was about Doc.

Not you buddy. p=ville and hborn don't come around much.

 

[coherbie]

NU is going to get a natural bump in "fanbase" (i.e. those willing to go to games) just because of the new arena. There will be the curiosity factor. That's why this hire is so important. When those people show up NU needs to WIN. They need to be competitive. They need to entertain. Keep 'em coming back. Even in a football state (that will never change) basketball can be a priority during the winter months and through March. Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan...examples of "football states" that put up BIG attendance numbers in basketball.

BIG attendance, (& population).

So is the idea to be like those examples? is Doc / (a HC) the only thing holding NU back?

is it time to make a good basketball hire, instead of a good value hire?

Doc's $900K salary in comparison to your examples:
Michigan $1.7M
OSU $2.5M
Wisconsin $2M

 

[coherbie]

Yep. Just like all good businesses -- you've got to give the customers a reason to come back. That's priority number one. The timing of a new arena couldn't be better for finding a new coach as well.

Yep. Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan. Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee have all had their moments in the sun. Miami and FSU are playing quality ball right now. Florida...Notre Dame... It is possible to produce a winner -- at least on occasion -- in basketball at a football school. There isn't a major football school out there that has produced less post-season success than Nebraska.

Iba, Nee, .... never a Husker NCAA victory. hence the venom.

whoever is next here on the prairie, better come with recruits or a plan as to how to win with a unique system.