Martin has EARNED an extension and a raise

#26
#26
There has never been a coach at my university that I did not want to succeed. The more likeable and the greater integrity the person makes me want him or her to succeed even more. At the same time, we should expect our coaches goals always to be SEC and national championships. We are Tennessee.

We should also recognize that every year is not a championship year and there are years when expectations should be lower. Vols fans are not patient or tolerant for that matter. And sometimes that lack of tolerance goes too far.

When it comes to Coach Martin, we need to look at where he is at the end of the season. In basketball, the season is not over until you lose in the SEC tournament with a record that doesn't quality for the NCAA and, of course, your season is not over after that until you lose in the NCAA tournament. Some fans seem to forget that.

Never in the course of this season did I make any absolute judgment regarding this coach or this team. The season was not over. Were there disappointing times. Of course. I saw a coach and a team that was disappointed as well. I did not want either Coach Martin or the potential success of team thrown under the bus while the bus was still moving. I went to as many games at TBA as I could to show support for he team as well as supporting the Vols when they were in Nashville.

The success that Coach Martin and the team are having right now is what we all wanted for this time in the season. And they are where we would want them to be. Some of us are saying our mea culpas.

I think Coach Martin deserve huge credit. I believe he deserves a bonus and a raise for a job well done. For those of us in the business world, an exemplary job during the year merits a bonus and an appropriate salary adjustment. But, I don't think it deserves a contract extension. From a business perspective, Tennessee has been too loose with its contract extensions and it has cost us greatly. The idea to defer payments with contract extensions hoping to never have to pay caught up with Tennessee having multiple coaching positions turning over at the same time. I would prefer Tennessee to pay coaches more for jobs well done than place the university at financial risk by extending contracts all the time. I don't recall the terms of Coach Martin's contract but it probably stipulates what he might expect as a bonus for certain achievements but probably not specify a salary. At some point in his tenure here, UT may want to extend his contract but I don't ever think it should be more than a rolling one year extension based upon performance, regardless of who the coach is. My opinion.

And to the Martin bashers. The season has had its twists and turns. I held out hope that the team would improve over the season and make it to the NCAA tournament and was willing to wait to see if it happened. And it did. We all have the right to express our opinion and at times, disappointment. However, I feel that many people went too far with their venom and attacks on Coach Martin and even the players. Yet look around. If the Vols were undefeated like Wichita State, we wouldn't be any farther along in the NCAA tournament than we are now.

It's Mercer pay back time with interest. GBO!!
 
#27
#27
Probably_in_Class said:
Are we really rewarding 1 tournament appearance and a round of 32 win with a raise and extension? Are our expectations that low? Let's see what he can do next year without Maymon, McRae and maybe Stokes. Then, we'll talk extension.
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If we keep CCM, don't make him a Lame Duck. He can't grow the program if we put him in a box. Extend him and pay him or cut him free at season's end.:rock:
 
#28
#28
tnwayback said:
If we keep CCM, don't make him a Lame Duck. He can't grow the program if we put him in a box. Extend him and pay him or cut him free at season's end.:rock:
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Cut him after this season? Reread the post on the top of this page.
 
#29
#29
You guys need to be careful what you ask for because there is not a line of great coaches lined up to coach at Tennessee! We have a good one whose only going to get better!
 
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#31
#31
One year extension & no raise until the end of next year, so we can see how recruiting turns out this year & how we perform on the court after this year. Making the tourney once every THREE years isnt good enough for an extension or raise IMO.

Edit: I do think a bonus is in order though.
 
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#32
#32
At this point, there is no way you fire him. He has not coached well in game at times this season for whatever reason. Could not motivate the players or X and O's or timeouts or whatever else you could see that many complained about. It was like he was a dead man walking. Regardless, he has a chance to be sweet 16 or even better. You always judge by results. If CCM and UT had won 25 games this year despite any short comings in game, no one would've been concerned about time outs ect. Winning is what fans want to see.

If he can get another win and then perhaps more wins, guess what will happen next? He will be able to recruit better just because he shows he has WON. CBJ is a great recruiter but to keep it going he has to eventually WIN. If CCM get the players, he can win regardless. Plenty of "good" coaches out there who are good because they WIN and not because they draw up the greatest plays every game.

He gets you to the sweet 16 and you give him a two year extended contract and he must go get some players. At that point, he WINS then he could be here a long time because he should be able to recruit to a school like UT with a sweet or elite run.

As a Tech fan, I have seen them lose to UConn in the championship game. Afterwards, the program went downhill with a bad coach. Hope that doesn't happen here. But, if he wins one more game, you have to give him the extention and a chance to succeed or fail.
 
#36
#36
Martin did just enough so far to keep his job with raise and extension. Its like having a guy at work that goofs off all year then comes up with a good idea in the December meeting and receives a huge bonus and salary increase. Its the way the ball bounces sometimes. He is the coach going forward so pay/contract him accordingly.
 
#37
#37
There you go...getting a lucky draw and playing a few good games makes up for 2 nearly unwatchable years.

People have the memory of a goldfish.
 
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#38
#38
IPleadInsanity said:
Martin did just enough so far to keep his job with raise and extension. Its like having a guy at work that goofs off all year then comes up with a good idea in the December meeting and receives a huge bonus and salary increase. Its the way the ball bounces sometimes. He is the coach going forward so pay/contract him accordingly.
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Hmm, I guess it depends on the job then. What's the goal? In basketball the goal is to be playing your best going into March. If the goal of the job is to come up with the best idea, and the guy comes up with the best idea, I'm not sure why this is a bad thing.
 
#39
#39
Specs said:
There you go...getting a lucky draw and playing a few good games makes up for 2 nearly unwatchable years.

People have the memory of a goldfish.
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So, does getting lucky and getting a good draw one year make up for post season failures in the past? If you only beat one team seeded below 10 to get to the Great 8, should that count?
 
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#40
#40
Specs said:
There you go...getting a lucky draw and playing a few good games makes up for 2 nearly unwatchable years.

People have the memory of a goldfish.
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No, some of us just deal with realities. If we make it to the Sweet 16, do you think we should fire him? Can you imagine the stampede of awesome coaching candidates that would be lining up to coach at a place that just fired a guy who had one of the deepest runs in school history?

If you don't fire him, do you believe that we should let him enter into next season without an extension? Do you realize how hamstrung the staff would be in recruiting if the admin showed that little confidence in them?

It's easy to throw stones at people who have to actually make decisions, but when you actually weigh the facts, sometimes you have to make tough calls.

Let's hear your alternate plan.
 
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#41
#41
I can't sit here and lie and say I didnt want Bruce back. I was devastated on Tuesday. But now that we have had our tourney run and Bruce is gone I have this conclusion. Bruce is like your first true love. All you remember is the good times. Try as you may, you never quite get that love out of your system. However, that doesn't mean you can't find someone else. CM has done enough to stay. We won't ever forget Bruce, but I am learning to love Cuonzo. We should offer and hope he accepts an extension.
 
#42
#42
drewtigeralum said:
Hmm, I guess it depends on the job then. What's the goal? In basketball the goal is to be playing your best going into March. If the goal of the job is to come up with the best idea, and the guy comes up with the best idea, I'm not sure why this is a bad thing.
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It might also be a good idea as a goal to beat inferior teams in the preseason, attempt to win the SEC championship and gain a high seeding in the NCAA to increase your chances of advancement? If the goal is simply to play well in March let everyone know so we can buy our March tickets.:yes:
 
#43
#43
You have to extend him 1 year obviously. A raise is ridiculous.

The best thing is for Martin to make a run and take an offer for another job.
 
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#44
#44
drewtigeralum said:
Hmm, I guess it depends on the job then. What's the goal? In basketball the goal is to be playing your best going into March. If the goal of the job is to come up with the best idea, and the guy comes up with the best idea, I'm not sure why this is a bad thing.
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On the one hand you've got the better part of three seasons of lackluster performance. Balance that against a nice run against some non tournament teams, an okay SEC tourney showing, being one of the last in with a play in bid (a bid that you probably only got because it was such a down year in the SEC) and a favorable bracket. I see where you're coming from but to me this is EXACTLY like Fulmer's 2007 season minus the off the field issues. The smart play is to give the bonus and defer contract talk as long as possible. If they resign him now they're going to have to pay based on what AU did for Pearl and frankly that's too much for Cuonzo.
 
#46
#46
Specs said:
You have to extend him 1 year obviously. A raise is ridiculous.

The best thing is for Martin to make a run and take an offer for another job.
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A raise is ridiculous?

So you can honestly say you think Martin is the 12th best coach in the SEC?
 
#47
#47
IPleadInsanity said:
It might also be a good idea as a goal to beat inferior teams in the preseason, attempt to win the SEC championship and gain a high seeding in the NCAA to increase your chances of advancement? If the goal is simply to play well in March let everyone know so we can buy our March tickets.:yes:
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I'm assuming the goal is to win every game, but that's the other teams goal as well. Sometimes you win games you shouldn't, and sometime you lose games you shouldn't. The goal is to make and play well in the tournament.
 
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#49
#49
bleedingTNorange said:
A raise is ridiculous?

So you can honestly say you think Martin is the 12th best coach in the SEC?
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He's had a lot more to work with than many other coaches.

He's a chronic under performer. If the best we can do with the talent this team has if make the play in, after missing completely last year, he's closer to 12th than he is to 1st.
 
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#50
#50
Specs said:
He's had a lot more to work with than many other coaches.

He's a chronic under performer. If the best we can do with the talent this team has if make the play in, after missing completely last year, he's closer to 12th than he is to 1st.
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A chronic under performer?

He out performed expectations year 1, so right there is a good example that you have no idea wtf you're talking about.
 
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