I think we would have been better with Mullins this year because the team would have had some continuity instead of patching a team together in a month. None of the guys that transferred out are making me feel regret though. I will say, I think we had the inside track on All Wright if Mullins stayed which stings a little.
We likely would have been a middle of the pack Valley team though in year 6 with 0 postseason tournaments in any of those years (not even an NIT with Marcus Domask, Lance Jones, Ben Coupet, and Xavier Johnson).
Mullins didn’t have a single recruit b/c he was on a contract year and given no extension, he was going to have to go heavy portal for that last year coaching for his job. He also had jack shit for NIL budget, so who knows how that would have gone. He needed an extension at the beginning of the year to have a chance and the Chancellor killed that. I’m not debating whether or not that was the right call just the reality of the situation.
Mullins had plenty of faults, as you would expect for a first time head coach. His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
I think most of us would agree that he really needed someone in the consigliere role sitting alongside him.
His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
I think most of us would agree that he really needed someone in the consigliere role sitting alongside him.
He needed experience. HC too soon in his career. And would he have listened to an experienced assistant?
As far as I could tell, huge difference between his use of assistants and Nagy's. I much prefer how SN is doing it.
Mullins didn’t have a single recruit b/c he was on a contract year and given no extension, he was going to have to go heavy portal for that last year coaching for his job. He also had jack shit for NIL budget, so who knows how that would have gone. He needed an extension at the beginning of the year to have a chance and the Chancellor killed that. I’m not debating whether or not that was the right call just the reality of the situation.
Mullins had plenty of faults, as you would expect for a first time head coach. His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
Mullins wasn't much of a recruiter. Let's not pretend a contract extension was the reason. I doubt the Chancellor thought he should go for some petty reason.
First time I heard that we had a chance at All Wright. That would have been great.
Mullins didn’t have a single recruit b/c he was on a contract year and given no extension, he was going to have to go heavy portal for that last year coaching for his job. He also had jack shit for NIL budget, so who knows how that would have gone. He needed an extension at the beginning of the year to have a chance and the Chancellor killed that. I’m not debating whether or not that was the right call just the reality of the situation.
Mullins had plenty of faults, as you would expect for a first time head coach. His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
Mullins wasn't much of a recruiter. Let's not pretend a contract extension was the reason. I doubt the Chancellor thought he should go for some petty reason.
First time I heard that we had a chance at All Wright. That would have been great.
In one breath you say he isn’t a good recruiter and in the next you complain he couldn’t win with all these all conference players that he recruited…I’m not here to rehash this debate, just stating the situation.
If Nagy walked into a mess which is debatable who created the mess also if it was a mess could we have more facts not just an opinion and by the way I would rather have last year than this year
So now Nagy created the mess? Ridiculous. I personally think Nagy did a good job under difficult circumstances and is a far better and wiser coach than his predecessor. If he can recruit, we will be tough in the next few years.
Last years team was painful to watch most of the time, SLU blowout excepted . If that team lost XJ 3rd game of the year, they would have been lucky to win 6-7 games. XJ was the only excitement in that group.
This years team was only sometimes painful to watch. Most of the time after the 0 - 5 MVC start, they were much more exciting. Compare that MVC tournament win over InSU to last year's loss to a bad UIC team.
we are all thrilled with the 86-85 win over the 9th seeded sycamores. not sure it moves the needle much over the 84-82 double OT loss to the 11th seeded flames. but if there is some big comparison there for you, go ahead.
Bryan Mullins coaching this year was not gonna beat drake. Scott Nagy coaching the previous years was not gonna beat drake. neither bob knight nor Mr. woodcock coaching the salukis the past few years was gonna beat drake. but I am open to a knight vs woodcock comparison if it gets us off Mullins vs Nagy.
personally, I would rather have a beer with woodcock. but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Well if you think the Ind. State game, which was a great basketball game by two evenly matched teams, was anything like our feckless performance against a bad, 4 - 16 UIC team, you probably prefer the 3 yards and a cloud of astroturf to a wide open spread offense in football. You're welcome to it.
Do you know who allowed the fewest points and scored the 3rd fewest in the Valley this year?
They were pretty fun to watch.
We were #8 of 12 teams in scoring offense - Indiana State was #1. Drake had the best D. Out of conference doesn't count because of the differences in schedule.
As far as criticizing Nagy, it's his first year so I'm taking a wait and see, but I sure saw some things I liked and saw nothing I hated. Loved the offense when we played with energy. Loved the straight talk from the coach. Loved the use of the assistants, blah, blah.
After that initial 0 - 5 MVC, thought this team really improved with the exception of a game or two where we disappeared (at Ind. State)
But let's face it, you have to recruit good players. If we can do that and keep them in this pro basketball era, we can be good. Not sure a poor state school can keep up with private schools like Bradley, Drake, Belmont in the money game.
The mess was created not inherited
Mullins didn’t have a single recruit b/c he was on a contract year and given no extension, he was going to have to go heavy portal for that last year coaching for his job. He also had jack shit for NIL budget, so who knows how that would have gone. He needed an extension at the beginning of the year to have a chance and the Chancellor killed that. I’m not debating whether or not that was the right call just the reality of the situation.
Mullins had plenty of faults, as you would expect for a first time head coach. His biggest issue in my eyes was not having an experienced coach on his staff to help him through those growing pains (like a Rodney Watson or Hawkins). I don’t know why…that still dumbfounds me.
Mullins wasn't much of a recruiter. Let's not pretend a contract extension was the reason. I doubt the Chancellor thought he should go for some petty reason.
First time I heard that we had a chance at All Wright. That would have been great.
In one breath you say he isn’t a good recruiter and in the next you complain he couldn’t win with all these all conference players that he recruited…I’m not here to rehash this debate, just stating the situation.
Well then state the truth. He lost out on recruit after recruit.
He didn't recruit Jones. Hinson did. An assistant had recruited Domask at a different school - UW Milwaukee I think and Domask backed out of N. Kentucky after the coach left. Lucky one there.
The one really good player he got from the portal was XJ, but he really did not utilize his scoring until his last year when Jones and Domask left and he had no choice.
Don't forget he blew a chance to tie for the MVC by playing small, slow, can't jump D'Amico at center while Rupert sat on the bench.
Really one of the worst offensive coaches in the MVC. Pretty good on the D side.
I'm done talking about it except to say that if people had criticized Mullins in year 1 the way they have criticized Nagy, this board would have crucified them.
I'm willing to give Nagy a couple of years to see what he can do.
Nagy's gonna get 4 years unless he quits whether we like it or not. Next year is gonna have to be much better though. If they're under .500 again next year or worse, we're in big trouble.
@mr_woogers there are at least a handful of people on this board that knew that, including myself. All Wright is most likely a Saluki if Mullins is as here. We might’ve been terrible regardless, but we will never know that. That’s why some of us were advocating for a short 2 year extension and throw a competitive NIL budget at Mullins and see where it went. That didn’t happen, and that’s fine.
But to act like Mullins couldn’t recruit AND coach, and Nagy deserves to be defended regardless of how awful we were is ridiculous. This team was well paid and we got 8th. Mullins’s last team got 6th and wasn’t paid hardly anything.
All Wright and Kennard Davis alone might’ve been good enough for 8th place. That’s not even mentioning that AJ Ferguson is probably here as well.
I agree with all who said Mullins needed some experienced assistants. I think staffs need to have a mix if possible. I am also not sure it was a good idea having his brother as his top assistant. I hated seeing him not be successful enough to keep his job. Loved him as a player and know he loved SIU. It just didn’t work. Wish him nothing but the best.
I am hopeful for the future with the staff we have. We will be renewing our season tickets and will enjoy meals at Italian Village or Midland Inn and other area eateries.
Nagy's gonna get 4 years unless he quits whether we like it or not. Next year is gonna have to be much better though. If they're under .500 again next year or worse, we're in big trouble.
This summarizes it succinctly and perfectly. The Nagy haters need to get it through their heads that the only way he's sent packing before four years are up is if they cash in their 401Ks and IRAs and put it toward a buyout fund because SIU simply cannot afford on its own to pay off multiple years of his contract. I agree, though, that this offseason is critical and he must show progress next year by finishing solidly above .500 (something like 17-16, which I think would have been attainable this season with a healthy Elliott, would not be good enough). If there's another 14-19 season? He turns 60 in June 2026, and at that point or maybe after Year 3 he might decide on his own that he doesn't want to do this any longer, especially given the how the college basketball landscape has changed.
