Kyle Neptune Fired; Villanova Job Open

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Kevin Ollie got 6 years to prove he was worthy of being Jim Calhoun's successor at UConn. Kyle Neptune only got 3 years to prove he could be Jay Wright's worthy successor from Villanova:

Sources: Neptune dismissed as Villanova coach

Villanova has fired men's basketball coach Kyle Neptune after three seasons, sources confirmed to ESPN.

www.espn.com

I kind of feel sorry for Neptune, although one could argue his teams underachieved. But they were not terrible and we may have needed more time to see how he could work the portal over time.

 

[the Blades]

FWIW...2 Pitino's in Big East ?

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Philadelphia isn't that far from New York City so this move makes a lot of sense. Richard is now closer to and gets to see his father a couple games every year. He did a nice job with New Mexico and should be able to keep Villanova competitive.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Meanwhile Luke Murray is a candidate for the Xavier job, as is their homegrown retread, Chris Mack:

Here are some coaches who could replace Sean Miller as Xavier men's basketball coach

Xavier is searching for its next head coach after Sunday's news that Sean Miller is headed to Texas. Here are some candidates.

www.cincinnati.com

 

[the Blades]

candidate for the Xavier job,

FWIW...2 Pitino's in Big East ?

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

There is a suggestion in this report that Xavier settled for "sloppy seconds" after "favorite" Chris Mack turned them down and announced his return to Charleston:

Sources: Pitino set to leave Lobos for Xavier job

Xavier is expected to hire New Mexico's Richard Pitino as its next head coach, sources told ESPN on Tuesday night.

www.espn.com

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

If in fact Villanova made an offer to Pitino Jr., I am curious why he would have taken Xavier over Villanova. If everything else is equal including NIL money, you take Villanova over Xavier every day of the week. I am guessing everything else was not equal. It's a step up from New Mexico, but not really a huge one when one considers the plight of these Catholic schools. Time will tell if he should have waited for a P4 offer to come his way. If it was me, unless I am being offered guaranteed money, 6 years and a competitive level of NIL, I am staying put at New Mexico until a P4 offer comes my way.

 

[the Blades]

Kevin Willard....

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

He is going from a P4 to the Big East? Are you kidding me? Why?

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Kevin Willard....

View embedded media

I am not hearing this reported anywhere else except this one source. I would have thought this would be out all over if Willard told his players. Methinks this is fake news......it also makes no sense to go from Maryland to Villanova in the current landscape of "P4 and everyone else". Willard isn't stoopid.

 

[the Blades]

Let the rumors continue....

 

[the Blades]

Also: "For us to be really successful, x, y and z need to change," Willard said earlier this week, per Yahoo Sports. "First and foremost, I need to make sure where we are with NIL and rev share... Over the past two years, we've been one of the worst, if not lowest with NIL the past two years." Well yeah. seeing that Maryland's biggest booster Kevin Plank ( of Under Armor) has had his net worth plummet from about 6 Bil to 1 Bil and been involved in a questionable development project in Baltimore.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

It sounds like Willard is confused about a lot of things, but one thing he should not be confused about is the overall revenue of a P4 school vs. stepping down to a Catholic school that doesn't play D-1 football. I really don't know what he is thinking, but he should leave Maryland if he has a better offer, and Villanova isn't where he should go based on what he is looking for.

He needs to talk to his agent, and learn some facts of life.

I would also note I have heard lots of bitching and moaning by many coaches about their school's NIL commitment. I don't think anyone is ever going to be satisfied unless their school is at the top. How did they land a kid like Queen with no NIL? Queen is a top 10 NBA Draft pick who will likely go before his former teammate Liam McNeeley. That a high school team had 3 top 12 NBA picks is pretty sick.

Is all of this posturing for an extension???

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

After a week of rumors about taking the Villanova job, Willard finally took it:

Sources: Maryland's Willard takes Villanova job

Kevin Willard, who led Maryland to the Sweet 16 of this season's NCAA tournament, has accepted Villanova's offer to become the program's head basketball coach, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

This after lots of bitching and moaning about Maryland's NIL commitment. I still believe that for Willard to take what appears to be a step down from the P4 to the Big East, at a time when many on this board are screaming P4 and leave the Big East or bust, there has to be more to this story that we do not know.

 

[the Blades]

This after lots of bitching and moaning about Maryland's NIL commitment.

Talk about an alternate universe in this NIL era and who is paying what ???. Regarding the Hurley's buddy and Bobby's former asst.... Is Nate thinking in this report that Maryland hoops might be better than Bama's.....WTF !

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Oats is probably pissed that the NIL money is all being used on football. But this is what you sign up for when you are basketball coach at a national powerhouse football school. Same thing with Ohio State and Georgia. The NIL money goes to football first. Maryland's basketball NIL might suck (according to Kevin Willard), but it's not because football needs most of it.

BTW I recently heard UConn has a $7 million basketball NIL budget for next season, and the upper division 1 average ranges from $5 million to $10 million. I would love to know where Maryland's and Alabama's NIL fall in that range. All of this stuff should be more public than it is now. For transfer portal recruits to be shown the money, they need to know where the money is at.

 

[the Blades]

Oats is probably pissed that the NIL money is all being used on football...... All of this stuff should be more public than it is now. For transfer portal recruits to be shown the money, they need to know where the money is at.

Obviously there are 2 things at play here. First is the House settlement and revenue sharing, which at one point the DOE, was trying to force a title IX split for all genders and all sports. That has now been debunked, last I read. So unequal is now the case. As it probably should be, since non-revenue sports are just that and college sports has unfortunately evolved into a pro model.

Secondly NIL would seem to be at the behest of whoever pays for such marketing deals for such athletes at any school. If Nike wants a deal with Paige (signs with Nike) for instance.

Then we have others ( donors) funding "NIL deals" which would seem to go to whatever sport or priority that individual picks. I know at Uconn, lead donor Mike Burton played FB and it's his donation sport of choice. His group has given enough to Uconn FB NIL, to put it near the top of the G-5 and ranked #18 and #34 nationally in Rivals transfer portal signings in the last 2 years.

2024 All Teams Football Transfer Team Rankings

2024 all-teams football transfer team rankings by Rivals.com

n.rivals.com

So the NIL donor issue and then revenue sharing splits seem seperate, but still alot to unpack, in regards to who will pay to whom.... for what, when and where. In any event for Uconn a P-4 level TV deal seems the only path to lighten' the AD's finacial situation in this New Money Era heading our way.

 

[the Blades]

I still believe that for Willard to take what appears to be a step down from the P4 to the Big East, at a time when many on this board are screaming P4 and leave the Big East or bust, there has to be more to this story that we do not know.

Me thinks too, especially when Yahoo comes out with a new article now calling the Big East a " mid-major", emphasizes that nothing but P-4's made it to the sweet sixteen and then this .......

"Many believe that the power conferences will use their influence to alter governance and championships as a way to combat any basketball spending disparity.

“What does our future state of being look like that might allow a non-FBS school to outspend [a power conference school] in basketball?” asked one Division I conference commissioner. “I don’t think that future is going to exist. They have the control and they’re going to stop that from happening.”

 

[the Blades]

All of this stuff should be more public than it is now. For transfer portal recruits to be shown the money, they need to know where the money is at.

I just checked out Zanetto's new podcast you mentioned. He covered alot on the NIL/ Rev sharing stuff I had mentioned in another thread, which we'll know about more on April 6. He also mentioned as I said in the post above that if things don't work for certain P-4 "Footballers" benefit, across the board ( hoops & FB mix), expect lawsuits so they can pay even more. ( think the Dodgers in MLB )

" the reported House settlement revenue sharing at $20 mil a year per school being talked about. I'd say most of the private Catholics are gonna have a big problem going forward (this July) in funding this which will become a huge problem ( retaining coaches, paying players etc.) for most of the Big East."



Also mentioned was Uconn seems to be in front of it and the Storrs Central NIL collective who takes sports specific donations. Which is partially correct but donations must now go directly to Uconn, which the collective announced earlier this year. Said Sean Miller might be bringing his Xavier team to Texa$ with him and mentioned St John's big money booster. Thinks Georgetown can play at this NIL level too. While obviously Nova stepped up by bringing in Willard. But mentioned 7 mil for Uconn BB alone or any Big East schools BB program might not be the case with all these schools other sports.

IMHO, I just don't think the PC's, Seton Hall's, Butler's, Depaul's will be able to keep up going forward. They may have to drop down a level or opt out, like has already been happening . ( NCAA First Four- St. Francis who beat CCSU in the NEC Championship is dropping to D-3, entire Ivy league, etc.) Still so much to unpack, but the pro sports type complete split ( minors and majors) is getting closer.

So this might be a perfect situation for the Big East's big 4. With an east coast add for Uconn and the ACC that would be a homerun.

 

[the Blades]

P-4 would help as DB makes the case

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Kevin Willard Hammered For Criticism of Maryland:

Willard downplays flak: 'Time everyone moved on'

New Villanova coach Kevin Willard said he was aware of the criticism he received since leaving Maryland but said, "I just think it's time that everyone moved on."

www.espn.com

 

[the Blades]

Kevin Willard Hammered For Criticism of Maryland:

I guess Buzz didn't get his memo, LOL ! ( or he just likes moving alot, Marquette to VA Tech to TEX Tech...now...)

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

It also seems like SEC to Big 10 is a step down. But like Oats at Alabama, Buzz is operating at a football-first school that only a few years ago spent an absurd amount of money ($75 million) buying Jimbo Fisher out of an absurd contract that they gave to him in the first place.

Texas A&M to spend more than $75 million to fire football coach Jimbo Fisher

The buyout amount is the largest in college sports history.

www.texastribune.org

Buzz, like Oats, may feel neglected and deserving of more attention and more money to their basketball programs. Which they see as being treated like the poor cousins at the dinner table.

 

[the Blades]

It sounds like Willard is confused about a lot of things,

If any of this is even partially true the he certainly is confused....