Tomorrow if Oklahoma beats West Virginia at home. The Sooners will be #1 in the country on Monday.
When Lon was here. The fans and boosters all wanted more, we were all little spoiled brats. We won 20 games every year and usually got to the tournament, we competed in the MW conference and we were solid. Lon bridged the gap between our glorious past and the present (5 years ago).
We were all happy as pie when Lon took the job at Oklahoma because that meant we could get someone (our own guy - With UNLV Scarlet red running through his veins) who could take us to the next level. We complained that Lon golfed too much and didn't go after the big recruits. Lon had a ceiling. He capped off...that was as good as it was going to get here at UNLV. Well we got what we wanted. and look what happened... are we all part of the problem. Because, I think we were wrong? We blamed Lon as the reason we weren't more nationally relevant. Now looking back, Lon has now taken a football school with far less tradition in basketball, to the pinnacle...Meanwhile we haven't even seen a top 10 ranking, let alone a #1 ranking in over 25 years.
Lon Kruger got hired at Oklahoma 5 years ago after they received some penalties from the NCAA. Oklahoma was looking for a clean coach who could win at a decent rate and keep them out of trouble. We thought they were nuts for spending that kind of money. We said "See ya later" Lon. We weren't all that upset about it either. Actually we were rather relieved.
Last year Lon Kruger took Oklahoma to the Sweet 16, while this year he has Oklahoma in the position where they look like the best team in college basketball. 5 years ago Oklahoma opened up their pocketbooks and paid Lon over 2 million a year, a substantial raise compared to UNLV's 1.2 million. A no brainer, considering he is a Midwestern guy and is familiar with the Big 12.
We have to ask ourselves what the real problem here at UNLV is? Obviously Lon was fully capable (and still is). The guy can coach. He has won at several different programs around the country, yet here at UNLV is seemed as though he didn't have what it takes to make UNLV an elite program?
You have fans, boosters, administration, former players, regents, and media that makes this job a hell of a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Coach Rice assembled a roster full of talent this year and was all set to showcase his master plan yet in the face of adversity he crumbled and the players felt the pressure and performed far below their abilities.
More importantly than finding the right coach, I think those in charge (and yes us fans) need to look at the bigger picture and determine what it is exactly that makes UNLV such a tough place to succeed. UNLV basketball is totally different than every other coaching job in America. Unique in so many different ways, our basketball program is a reflection of the city we live in. Alumni, true pride, and school support is NOT what makes up our contingent of boosters. UNLVMBB is the ONLY game in town and people (not always the right people) want to attach themselves to "the only game in town". Those influences are never all on the same page and we have a constant division of factions. It's like a never ending civil war. The collection of prominent businessmen who are pulling the strings and providing the financial resource to pursue the best up and coming coaches in America as we speak, are the same influencing factors that are going to make that "up and coming coach" have difficulties succeeding here at UNLV.
Here ya go "Here's 2.5 million dollars a year, now go win.... however you have to do it with one arm tied behind your back".
Before we go out and spend all this money and get the best coach in the country, we need to look at what we can do to really provide a healthy and strong foundation for the next coach to operate from. Otherwise, it is just going to be more of the same. Let's fix the real problem.
When Lon was here. The fans and boosters all wanted more, we were all little spoiled brats. We won 20 games every year and usually got to the tournament, we competed in the MW conference and we were solid. Lon bridged the gap between our glorious past and the present (5 years ago).
We were all happy as pie when Lon took the job at Oklahoma because that meant we could get someone (our own guy - With UNLV Scarlet red running through his veins) who could take us to the next level. We complained that Lon golfed too much and didn't go after the big recruits. Lon had a ceiling. He capped off...that was as good as it was going to get here at UNLV. Well we got what we wanted. and look what happened... are we all part of the problem. Because, I think we were wrong? We blamed Lon as the reason we weren't more nationally relevant. Now looking back, Lon has now taken a football school with far less tradition in basketball, to the pinnacle...Meanwhile we haven't even seen a top 10 ranking, let alone a #1 ranking in over 25 years.
Lon Kruger got hired at Oklahoma 5 years ago after they received some penalties from the NCAA. Oklahoma was looking for a clean coach who could win at a decent rate and keep them out of trouble. We thought they were nuts for spending that kind of money. We said "See ya later" Lon. We weren't all that upset about it either. Actually we were rather relieved.
Last year Lon Kruger took Oklahoma to the Sweet 16, while this year he has Oklahoma in the position where they look like the best team in college basketball. 5 years ago Oklahoma opened up their pocketbooks and paid Lon over 2 million a year, a substantial raise compared to UNLV's 1.2 million. A no brainer, considering he is a Midwestern guy and is familiar with the Big 12.
We have to ask ourselves what the real problem here at UNLV is? Obviously Lon was fully capable (and still is). The guy can coach. He has won at several different programs around the country, yet here at UNLV is seemed as though he didn't have what it takes to make UNLV an elite program?
You have fans, boosters, administration, former players, regents, and media that makes this job a hell of a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Coach Rice assembled a roster full of talent this year and was all set to showcase his master plan yet in the face of adversity he crumbled and the players felt the pressure and performed far below their abilities.
More importantly than finding the right coach, I think those in charge (and yes us fans) need to look at the bigger picture and determine what it is exactly that makes UNLV such a tough place to succeed. UNLV basketball is totally different than every other coaching job in America. Unique in so many different ways, our basketball program is a reflection of the city we live in. Alumni, true pride, and school support is NOT what makes up our contingent of boosters. UNLVMBB is the ONLY game in town and people (not always the right people) want to attach themselves to "the only game in town". Those influences are never all on the same page and we have a constant division of factions. It's like a never ending civil war. The collection of prominent businessmen who are pulling the strings and providing the financial resource to pursue the best up and coming coaches in America as we speak, are the same influencing factors that are going to make that "up and coming coach" have difficulties succeeding here at UNLV.
Here ya go "Here's 2.5 million dollars a year, now go win.... however you have to do it with one arm tied behind your back".
Before we go out and spend all this money and get the best coach in the country, we need to look at what we can do to really provide a healthy and strong foundation for the next coach to operate from. Otherwise, it is just going to be more of the same. Let's fix the real problem.
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