DiderotsGhost
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It seems like there are very polarized views on Cuonzo here at VN. UT sports elicits a lot of passion, and perhaps that's why. However, examining Cuonzo's three years from a more rational perspective, I think the real conclusion should be that he's a reasonably good, up-and-coming coach that simply could not handle the environment in Knoxville.
Unrealistic expectations. First off, it's difficult to deny that UT fans set completely unrealistic expectations. In spite of his success, Bruce Pearl left a mess when he left that probably turned off a lot of better coaches. Cuonzo came into a difficult situation and did a pretty good job right from the start. He had not a single losing season and nearly made the NCAA tournament in his first two years, before finally getting in the third.
Fan hostility was unwarranted. There's the old saying, "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." That said, the outright hostility towards Cuonzo that began almost the moment he took the job was excessive. The "Bring Back Bruce Pearl" petition was a completely idiotic exercise that was unlikely to result in any good. It's one thing to be critical of the coach; it's quite another for a large amount of fans to directly lobby the university to essentially "overthrow the coach." THERE IS NO COACH IN AMERICA THAT WOULD'VE BEEN HAPPY ABOUT THAT! And while Cuonzo can take the heat, imagine if your his kid and that's what you hear about every day is how much Knoxville wants to run your father out of town.
Cuonzo was Good, Not Great. At 63-41, with one Sweet Sixteen run, and one NCAA appearance, Cuonzo was good, but not great. He's still a very young coach and has time to grow into a "great coach." But let's be honest, if we were rating all 14 SEC coaches based on what they've proven thus far, Cuonzo would be somewhere between #6 - #9.
Cuonzo Didn't Fit in Knoxville. I've said that the fan expectations were too great and the hostility unwarranted, but that said, Cuonzo never fit in Knoxville. It's true Vol fans have been a bit over-the-top, but you have to know that the fans are passionate in the SEC and it can be a double-edged sword. For the right coach, that passion can be a huge plus (certainly Butch Jones and Bruce Pearl seem to thrive in it). For the wrong coach, that passion can be a huge distraction. Cuonzo never really embraced "the university". He was just a basketball coach. And I don't think he liked dealing with the other aspects of being at UT.
Cuonzo Can't Do PR. At a place like Knoxville, you have to be able to do PR and speak to the fans. Bruce Pearl did it and Butch Jones does it. Cuonzo hated that. He wanted to be no more than a basketball coach, and I think Cal-Berkeley is a much better fit for him in that regard.
Cuonzo Would be Better in the NBA. Some might laugh at this, but Cuonzo seems like he'd be a much better NBA coach than college coach. Fan expectations are high in the NBA, as well, but it's a basketball-first environment. His defense-first style would do well in the Association, and he wouldn't have to deal with the issues he seems to hate about the college game (e.g. the PR, recruiting, speaking to the fans, etc.). I'm actually wondering if that's Cuonzo's real goal and one of his reasons for moving to Berkeley. In Berkeley, he'll have more visibility from NBA teams, since Golden State is close by.
Look Back Fondly on Cuonzo. He's not Lane Kiffin. He stayed here for three years and found it wasn't a good fit for him. He did a lot of good stuff, built up character in his players, and cared about the community. It just wasn't what he wanted and difficult to blame him for pursuing a situation that suits him better. I wish him luck.
Hart Did the Right Thing. I think Dave Hart's done a spectacular job as AD. He was left a mess by Hamilton, who exhausted the AD's resources. Hart has mostly turned things around. The Cuonzo situation was tough, but Hart stood in support of him, and offered a reasonable (but not over-the-top) raise given what we've seen thus far. Franky, I give Hart an "A" thus far in his tenure. (Of course, he has a big hire coming up.)
Don't Listen to Media BS; UT is an Attractive Job. The hit piece on ESPN yesterday was completely unwarranted. The fan support at UT is one of the things that makes it so attractive to the right coach. If you come to Knoxville and succeed, you'll be treated like a hero. The pay is good and you have access to some great recruiting markets. But it's not a place you can expect to hide from the press and the fans.
Overall, I can say I'm a bit mad at UT fans that went to ridiculous extremes and made Cuonzo feel unwelcome. But even if the "Bring Back Pearl" thing never happened, Cuonzo never seemed like a great fit here. In a sense, I'm unhappy that he's leaving b/c he's obviously a good coach, but in another sense, it's possible that it could all work out for the best.
Here's to hoping we get a coach that has a good basketball mind and that embraces the university and the Knoxville community. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't get another Buzz Peterson.
Unrealistic expectations. First off, it's difficult to deny that UT fans set completely unrealistic expectations. In spite of his success, Bruce Pearl left a mess when he left that probably turned off a lot of better coaches. Cuonzo came into a difficult situation and did a pretty good job right from the start. He had not a single losing season and nearly made the NCAA tournament in his first two years, before finally getting in the third.
Fan hostility was unwarranted. There's the old saying, "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." That said, the outright hostility towards Cuonzo that began almost the moment he took the job was excessive. The "Bring Back Bruce Pearl" petition was a completely idiotic exercise that was unlikely to result in any good. It's one thing to be critical of the coach; it's quite another for a large amount of fans to directly lobby the university to essentially "overthrow the coach." THERE IS NO COACH IN AMERICA THAT WOULD'VE BEEN HAPPY ABOUT THAT! And while Cuonzo can take the heat, imagine if your his kid and that's what you hear about every day is how much Knoxville wants to run your father out of town.
Cuonzo was Good, Not Great. At 63-41, with one Sweet Sixteen run, and one NCAA appearance, Cuonzo was good, but not great. He's still a very young coach and has time to grow into a "great coach." But let's be honest, if we were rating all 14 SEC coaches based on what they've proven thus far, Cuonzo would be somewhere between #6 - #9.
Cuonzo Didn't Fit in Knoxville. I've said that the fan expectations were too great and the hostility unwarranted, but that said, Cuonzo never fit in Knoxville. It's true Vol fans have been a bit over-the-top, but you have to know that the fans are passionate in the SEC and it can be a double-edged sword. For the right coach, that passion can be a huge plus (certainly Butch Jones and Bruce Pearl seem to thrive in it). For the wrong coach, that passion can be a huge distraction. Cuonzo never really embraced "the university". He was just a basketball coach. And I don't think he liked dealing with the other aspects of being at UT.
Cuonzo Can't Do PR. At a place like Knoxville, you have to be able to do PR and speak to the fans. Bruce Pearl did it and Butch Jones does it. Cuonzo hated that. He wanted to be no more than a basketball coach, and I think Cal-Berkeley is a much better fit for him in that regard.
Cuonzo Would be Better in the NBA. Some might laugh at this, but Cuonzo seems like he'd be a much better NBA coach than college coach. Fan expectations are high in the NBA, as well, but it's a basketball-first environment. His defense-first style would do well in the Association, and he wouldn't have to deal with the issues he seems to hate about the college game (e.g. the PR, recruiting, speaking to the fans, etc.). I'm actually wondering if that's Cuonzo's real goal and one of his reasons for moving to Berkeley. In Berkeley, he'll have more visibility from NBA teams, since Golden State is close by.
Look Back Fondly on Cuonzo. He's not Lane Kiffin. He stayed here for three years and found it wasn't a good fit for him. He did a lot of good stuff, built up character in his players, and cared about the community. It just wasn't what he wanted and difficult to blame him for pursuing a situation that suits him better. I wish him luck.
Hart Did the Right Thing. I think Dave Hart's done a spectacular job as AD. He was left a mess by Hamilton, who exhausted the AD's resources. Hart has mostly turned things around. The Cuonzo situation was tough, but Hart stood in support of him, and offered a reasonable (but not over-the-top) raise given what we've seen thus far. Franky, I give Hart an "A" thus far in his tenure. (Of course, he has a big hire coming up.)
Don't Listen to Media BS; UT is an Attractive Job. The hit piece on ESPN yesterday was completely unwarranted. The fan support at UT is one of the things that makes it so attractive to the right coach. If you come to Knoxville and succeed, you'll be treated like a hero. The pay is good and you have access to some great recruiting markets. But it's not a place you can expect to hide from the press and the fans.
Overall, I can say I'm a bit mad at UT fans that went to ridiculous extremes and made Cuonzo feel unwelcome. But even if the "Bring Back Pearl" thing never happened, Cuonzo never seemed like a great fit here. In a sense, I'm unhappy that he's leaving b/c he's obviously a good coach, but in another sense, it's possible that it could all work out for the best.
Here's to hoping we get a coach that has a good basketball mind and that embraces the university and the Knoxville community. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't get another Buzz Peterson.
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