KSUFans Archives
Sports => Frank Martin's OOD sponsored by the "Angriest Fans in America" => Topic started by: michigancat on March 07, 2006, 04:19:20 PM
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Assuming he wants the KSU job, what should he say to impress KSU fans, presidents, and athletic directors?
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I want to build a smart, fast, disciplined team that constantly competes for championships.
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I want to build a smart, fast, disciplined team that constantly competes for championships.
He can't use that. I already copyrighted that.
KSU and I are fighting over it.
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Host: Coach, you left Cincinnati on less than good terms. There were legal problems...there were personal problems. Would a school be taking a chance in hiring you?
Huggy Bear: I've obviously had difficulties in my personal life in the past. I've made some poor choices...but one of the good things about America is that it's a place for second chances. I want to get back into coaching. It's what I love. I want to coach. I want to work with the kids. I want to win. I've learned from the past...I've sat out for a year...I'm ready to get back onto the court.
Host: Coach, what about your reputation for recruiting and playing thugs and ignoring academics?
Huggy Bear: My goal and my job is to win basketball games, and to do it in the context of a university setting. My teams play hard, play tough defense. If that makes them thugs, then so be it. Soft players don't win championships. As far as the academics go, that's something that's been blown out of proportion by the way the NCAA keeps its records. I've had many players go to the league and have successful careers...they're counted against the graduation rate. If you look at the past [however many] years, I think, there are [number] players who graduated. Obviously, there's academic goals there that the school has and now the NCAA has, and accomplishing those is going to be an important part of putting yourself in a position to win games and win championships.
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Any thoughts on "fit" or the perception that he's a "city guy"?
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Any thoughts on "fit" or the perception that he's a "city guy"?
I wouldn't call myself a "city guy." I'd call myself a "basketball guy." Look, I was born in a small town in Ohio. I've coached at little schools, I've coached at big schools. I've won everywhere I've gone. I'm looking for a place I can win. You can win at K-State. There's tremendous talent around Kansas...talent in Kansas, at the jucos...unbelievable talent down the street in Texas...and, to tell you the truth, I can recruit from anywhere in the country. Kids want to play for me, they want to play at a big-time program, they want to play on TV, they want to play for championships. They can get all that at K-State. I think it's a great fit. K-State wants to win. I want to win. We're a match.
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Baggy, you're my goddam hero.
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Pick me.
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Seriously, if Huggins answers the questions with that much humility I'll be surprised. I don't think Huggins is a prick, but I don't think he believes he did that much wrong at Cinci. We'll see.
I was impressed with Lowery today, even though it was a lot of coach-speak. I think he has a great chance to be the next Sampson, and don't throw out some crud about Sampson's grad rate. Sampson is one heck of a coach regardless.
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I was impressed with Lowery, too.
Of course, you'd be hard pressed to find a D1 coach that sounds like an idiot on the radio.
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Whose style in the Big 12 sounds a lot like Lowery's?
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Whose style in the Big 12 sounds a lot like Lowery's?
Billy Clyde.
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Baggy, you're my goddam hero.
When you get hired by 14588 to teach Lance Harris how to shoot the ball, just hire me as your agent. :)
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KK: "Bob, how do you feel about competing w/a historical giant down the road? Would this drive you away from a...POSSIBLE job at a school like Kansas State?"
????
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I don't think Huggins is a prick, but I don't think he believes he did that much wrong at Cinci.
If you read "his" answers above carefully, you'll see he doesn't admit to doing much wrong at Cinci. The closest he gets is to say "poor choices," which refers, of course, to the DUI. As far as his kids being thugs or having academic problems, he dismisses the first as being that they play hard, and the second he blames on the NCAA.
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KK: "Bob, how do you feel about competing w/a historical giant down the road? Would this drive you away from a...POSSIBLE job at a school like Kansas State?"
Well, Kietz, Eddie Sutton has done a great job down at Oklahoma State. But if you look at how they've won, it's been the same way I win...they recruit players who play hard...a lot of transfers who didn't fit in at other schools, kids with a chip on their shoulders...they go out and play tough defense. We're going to do the same thing at K-State. Defense, defense, defense.
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Actually ,you can also make a case that the offense hasn't improved and has held us back too.
Think of how many games could have been won down the stretch .
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Kietz: "Coach, the program at Kansas State was been doormat for some 20 years now. How does a coach change the mindset of the players, fans and administrators when it comes to basketball? Would you accept the lower expectations? I guess what I'm trying to ask "Huggs"...is..how does one change the "Culture" if you will, surrouding the program so the people involved don't feel embarrassed to say, Hey...Kansas State Basketball; how bout it?"
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Take your time "Huggs"
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Take your time "Huggs"
Sorry...I was just grabbing a bourbon and coke to enjoy during the interview here...
Kietz: "Coach, the program at Kansas State was been doormat for some 20 years now. How does a coach change the mindset of the players, fans and administrators when it comes to basketball? Would you accept the lower expectations? I guess what I'm trying to ask "Huggs"...is..how does one change the "Culture" if you will, surrouding the program so the people involved don't feel embarrassed to say, Hey...Kansas State Basketball; how bout it?"
I don't see lowered expectations among the players, the fans, or the administrators at K-State. If there were lowered expectations at K-State, I wouldn't have been contacted about this job, because I have one expectation: winning. K-State expects to win and to win big, and they expect their coach to accomplish that. K-State hasn't met their expectations over the past decade, and they've tried some changes, and that's why they're looking at making a change now. K-State has players that want to win and can win. K-State has alumni that want to win and they've communicated that to me, and, frankly, they're willing to put substantially more than just words behind that desire. K-State fans are ready to win, ready to be a factor in this conference and on the national scene. I'm a guy that can get them there.
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"Huggs" you've been great today. Stay on the line so we can hook you up with a dinner for two at "zonorosa's" (sp?). How does that sound buddy?
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"Huggs" you've been great today. Stay on the line so we can hook you up with a dinner for two at "zonorosa's" (sp?). How does that sound buddy?
Is he paying?
I'm quite certain you'd have a hard time trying to buy fries for two at MickeyD's.
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I'm certainly looking forward to hearing this interview.
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I'm certainly looking forward to hearing this interview.
The transcript isn't enough for you?
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I say if Huggins doesn't work out, we just hire slimz.
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Slimz, that was outstanding.
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Sick....or hungover?
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"Huggs" sounded great!
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Okay, I'll admit it. Anyone other than Huggins and I'll be disappointed. I'm prepared for that though. I'd also have to lay off my Timmy-bashing if he DID hire him. I can accept that.
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What did Huggy Bear say?
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Sick....or hungover?
You're sick for suggesting he's anything but sick.
Sick in the head.
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um, huggy bear you still there?
can you pleas explain the difficulties you dealt with recruiting to UCINN, and especially why your recruiting efforts appear to have peaked about five years back? also, please comment on the challanges of recruiting to KSU, and your plans and expectations for bringing in the kind of players that could compete at a high level in the big 12.
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um, huggy bear you still there?
Yeah...I've had the flu the past couple of days, so I'm taking some "cough syrup" and trying to fight it off...
can you pleas explain the difficulties you dealt with recruiting to UCINN, and especially why your recruiting efforts appear to have peaked about five years back? also, please comment on the challanges of recruiting to KSU, and your plans and expectations for bringing in the kind of players that could compete at a high level in the big 12.
I don't know that I had any difficulties that any other Top 25 program doesn't have. It's pretty easy to recruit when you win ballgames. Kids want to win. I don't think I've had any dropoff in recruiting. I mean, I've been out of a job for the past year, and I've kept recruiting, in preparation for my next job. I don't need to stockpile a bunch of guys to get a job. (http://ucbearcats.blogspot.com/2005/11/recruiting-in-huggins-immediate-future.html) I'm recruiting now because I want to, so I can win immediately wherever I go. Wherever I go, I expect to bring some highly-ranked kids with me. OJ Mayo...he's ranked #1 by a lot of people in the 2007 class. Billy Walker, Herb Pope. I got these guys to put their plans on hold for me without a school. If getting the highest-ranked kids to want to follow you somewhere is "dropping off," then I guess I'm guilty.
As far as KSU goes, I don't see any different challenge there. They've brought in good kids over the past few years...Cartier Martin's the latest. I think earlier in this interview I talked about everything that KSU has going for it in terms of being attractive to kids. They're already competing at a high level, they're just having trouble winning. With my system, and a couple of more kids, this program's gonna be a force in the Big XII, year in and year out.
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