I 100% agree with every word of this. Dr. W and other members of the administration are definitely NOT cut from the same cloth as Merten and Cabrera as it pertains to athletics and its role in university branding. They're both fans and realists; I can tell you that they know George Mason is better when men's basketball is better.
Fair point, Jim, but it's still a much better job and conference than Mason and the A10. I think the one thing that helped mid-majors in the past in scenarios like ours was the penalty of players having to sit a year when transferring. Kim might have have been enticed a few years ago to stay here to start what he finished, but now with the new rules he can take the better job and bring his entire team with him. There really was no downside to taking the Providence job, and there really was no upside to him staying at Mason.
Modern coaching is all about the move up. I had no doubt English would leave first opportunity and I think everyone including him, were probably surprised how fast it came. Once you make that move...you are set for life financially whether you win or lose. And you will always get to coach again.
F him, he gone.
Again, i don't begrudge or blame him either. ... but... i DO think there's potential downside - as there is with ANY new job, and he might very well come to regret it. All the green he'll be making in Rhode Island sure does make that grass look more appealing right now, but he's going to be swimming in a much bigger ocean with a lot of equally equipped (and funded) sharks. Not a lot of margin for error. And considering the fact that his new boss is STILL whining like a scorned ex-girlfriend about Georgetown poaching Cooley, he's going to be "fun" to work with if there are any less-than-ideal seasons.
The only downside is the very real risk that he’s not ready, finds himself in over his head and gets dumped after 3-4 years and has to drop back down a level (like Shaka did) to rebuild his career.
This gets back to my point though that one or two posters on here will say things like this every year like clockwork.
You're not wrong, and I suppose I could end up being another one of those people. I can only trust what I'm being told from folks who'd know.
They better find a whole lot of God
I don't think you (or anyone else) is lying to us. I just think the University loves having some "plan" in their back pocket to point to and when it inevitably doesn't get done they can go "well we were very close but blah blah blah". I mean, they had all the renders and mockups done on a new soccer stadium and then just absolutely bottled the deal with DC United.
Also just wanted to note Kim clearly wasn’t recruiting like a guy who was looking to jump ship this offseason. He hit the portal hard the first 2 cycles to quickly elevate the overall talent in the program, but he’s definitely not taking the whole team with him to Providence — none of the 4 incoming freshmen were Big East-caliber recruits, they’re developmental prospects. Honestly it wouldn’t shock me if Josh and Justyn are the only ones who go with him
My girls play travel soccer and have played/practiced on Segra a few times. They actually prefer the HS or parks and rec fields. The only thing they like is the "cool" factor of playing on the same field as the Washington Spirit and Trinity Rodman. But that aside, you just feel like everything was done on the cheap because it's not an aesthetically pleasing facility at all. I think their "locker rooms" are legit cargo/storage containers right now. Don't even have concessions; they bring a few food trucks and local brewery on site for games. So yeah, not sure it's a facility we'd have been proud to have on Mason land.
Yeah but compared to Mason Stadium? The turf may be bad but I played on the field at Mason Stadium and even though it was grass, it was like trying to dribble on a WWI battlefield. Literally anything is better than Mason Stadium. It's embarrassing.
I think there is a real possibility this could happen, which is why he maybe saw this as his window to jump at the first opportunity that presented itself. We made some positive strides this season, but I think everybody agrees the 20 wins and 5th place finish were also a mirage in a very down, one-bid A10.
Lol we have high school bleachers in a high traffic area. Such a bad look. Obviously a partnership would've shaken out differently than that group going it alone. Not saying it would've been amazing. Also the AD had no way of knowing Segra wouldn't pan out.
They can promise not being in Baltimore at the very least.
Not that it matters now, but I think that’s why Kim asked for a 2-year extension — it would’ve provided some additional job security in the event we took a step back next season. Again people can disagree on whether that would have been warranted, just saying it’s not indicative of a coach with one foot out the door.
