Posted by 2bounce on 4/4/2013 3:17:00 PM (view original):
I think Minnesota got what they wanted. They needed a veteran coach to come in to pick the program up off the mat, and add some integrity and credibility. Now they bring in a young up-and-coming coach. But it is has it's risks. The school has shown it is very impatient and wants to be at the top no matter what the cost. If young Patino doesn't do better than Tubby, he may not last long, which will cast another black eye on the program. If he is successful, he will probably use this program as a stepping stone.
i feel like minnesota will give him time to prove himself. in 6 seasons, if they are crap, then yeah - i think hes gone. on some gophers board, a couple dudes were saying they will know from this first class if they got an upgrade or not - that sounds crazy to me - hes got ONE season in his life as a head coach. when you hire someone that young, it seems you have to expect it to take some time, for them to get ramped up. wonder what they are gonna pay him?
the other thing is, im sure little rick will be getting some advice from daddio. slick rick maintains a high degree of control at louisville (and his other coaching gigs), and pretty much seems to get what he wants. i would think he would be advising his son to push for a practice facility and bigger commitment/support from teague and the minnesota boosters, for the basketball program, as a condition of his acceptance of the job. with more support, i see no reason minnesota cant grow into a michigan state (eventually), or at least, a wisconsin. kids these days seem to have short memories. if little rick gets the support from the staff and is doing a good job, im not sure he would want to just jump somewhere else - he would be hailed as a hero for thing like a sweet 16 and such, and if he rebuilds minnesota in a major way, that could really open the door for him to get a top notch job afterwards - i dont see much advantage to jumping to a slightly better situation and having to "start over", or if they are in good shape, you dont really get the "savior" credit.
i dont know much about him though... his personality could have a huge impact on what he'd do. does anyone know if he got his dad's ego? love for the limelight? does he have an abnormally high number of mirrors in the house?