Extending Cuonzo Martin - How Long?

#1
Tux

Tux

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#1
This basketball season has been crazy.

We have gone from "Let's see what Cuonzo can do" to "Let's fire Cuonzo" to the final 32 teams in the NCAA Tournament with a great opportunity to go to the Sweet Sixteen.

The bottom line is that Cuonzo Martin is going to get an extension. How long of an extension is what remains to be seen.

Dave Hart, if he believes that Cuonzo is not the man for the job in the future, can extend his contract one season and see how the Vols fare next season before trying to extend his deal or during him. I doubt that he would accept that deal and would have schools calling on him for their jobs.

If Dave Hart believes that Cuonzo can keep the program on steady ground, he could give him the 5 year extensions which allows him to recruit with confidence and be able to tell recruits that he will still be at UT when they finish playing.

I was on record, as believing that he was not the man for the job, earlier this season and doubted him at times. I still believe he is learning on the job, as all good coaches should do. He makes some big errors, but in the end, his teams gel towards the end of the season and pour the gas on and roll over opponents like tanks through and over concrete walls.

With a win on Sunday, Hart has no choice but to offer Martin a 5 year extension with a raise.

How about you? What are your thoughts?
 
#3
#3
No way a five year extension he still has two years on his contract. 3 year max extension but would be more comfortable with 2 year ext. But no increase in buy-out.
 
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#4
#4
Win or lose if this team keeps playing like it is right now then Coach Martin is the man. He'll have taken that step forward to Elite Coach and every fan should be proud.
 
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#6
#6
We should talk about this after Mercer and going forward until we lose. He won't have near the talent next year that we do this year, not even close. We have to be able to factor in that next year isn't going to be like this. I'm not a prophet; however, it's realistic.
 
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#9
#9
I think Martin leaves for another job. he wont be able to leave unless he gets fired next year. There is a good chance Tn struggles big time next year. If he is going to bolt this would be the year to do it.
 
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#13
#13
tnvols72 said:
I think Martin leaves for another job. he wont be able to leave unless he gets fired next year. There is a good chance Tn struggles big time next year. If he is going to bolt this would be the year to do it.
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I agree. I think CCM knew the talent he had going in when he took the TN job too. I predict next year will be a drop off.

In all honestly, I consider this is what we should've looked like LAST year if Maymon played.

Just because Maymon didn't play, doesn't mean he wasn't able to practice a bit and build team chemistry among players. Him and JordyMac are 5th year seniors.

J. Richardson got better because he was surrounded by better talent. It makes you a better athlete.

Next year , especially if Stokes leaves, we will have 1 remaining starter.
 
#15
#15
tnvols72 said:
I think Martin leaves for another job. he wont be able to leave unless he gets fired next year. There is a good chance Tn struggles big time next year. If he is going to bolt this would be the year to do it.
Click to expand...

Everytime I see this, I ask myself, where though?
 
#16
#16
Dougie_D said:
I agree. I think CCM knew the talent he had going in when he took the TN job too. I predict next year will be a drop off.

In all honestly, I consider this is what we should've looked like LAST year if Maymon played.

Just because Maymon didn't play, doesn't mean he wasn't able to practice a bit and build team chemistry among players. Him and JordyMac are 5th year seniors.

J. Richardson got better because he was surrounded by better talent. It makes you a better athlete.

Next year , especially if Stokes leaves, we will have 1 remaining starter.
Click to expand...

Jordan McRae is a 5th year senior? Interesting.
 
#18
#18
bleedingTNorange said:
He deserves a raise and at least a 3 year extension IMO
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Wow. All the way back to a five year deal? That's a lot man. What's wrong with 2 years to get him back to four and a nice raise?

I think if you do extend him, you've got to give him 2 years but 3 seems unnecessary unless they make the buyout smaller. Right now it is 60% of his salary x years left.
 
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#19
#19
Tux said:
This basketball season has been crazy.

We have gone from "Let's see what Cuonzo can do" to "Let's fire Cuonzo" to the final 32 teams in the NCAA Tournament with a great opportunity to go to the Sweet Sixteen.

I was on record, as believing that he was not the man for the job, earlier this season and doubted him at times. I still believe he is learning on the job, as all good coaches should do. He makes some big errors, but in the end, his teams gel towards the end of the season and pour the gas on and roll over opponents like tanks through and over concrete walls.

With a win on Sunday, Hart has no choice but to offer Martin a 5 year extension with a raise.

How about you? What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

For the part in bold: Did you see the ends of the last 2 seasons? Losses at home in the NIT.

For the underlined part: I felt the same as you, and even secretly hoped we wouldn't make the tourney, not only because I kind of thought we didn't deserve it objectively, but also because I thought a loss might lead to change. But, I think/hope we may be seeing a coach in evolution himself, and his system along with that. Pearl probably tweaked and modified his system in DII for years before he felt he had a good general formula for high success, consistently. Look at Amaker: mediocrity at Michigan, years developing the Harvard program and his system has led to two straight tourneys with wins in each. Is it possible that at Mizz St., Martin inherited talent, and their success then masked the fact that his system that he wanted to run was still being molded, and the same has been true here. We may have been seeing a team playing in a system that was constantly evolving to become better, and that has been what's led to the inconsistency we've been frustrated by and scratching out heads about.

At least, I hope. But, I'm certainly easing up on his, because the team seems to be responding to something right now, and the result has been cohesiveness, discipline, and resilience for more games in a row than we've seen before. And a Sweet 16 run will do nothing but help recruiting, which Martin has done pretty well, with Stokes and Hubbs, getting IIRC more 5* players than Pearl, and hopefully, we can get more of the 4* guys in the fold with these improving results.

So, all in all...Go Vols!
 
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#23
#23
I think CCM will get a 3 year extension and a bump in pay to ~$2million. Especially, with a win on Sunday.
 
#25
#25
I think he needs to get to the Sweet 16 to get a 2 year extension as a formality. If he gets to the Elite 8, he'll get an extension and raise.
 
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