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The Pingeton options…
Posted on: January 11, 2025 at 14:17:03 CT
bluetiger_ MU
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And no, none of them are great, because of the mess we are in, saddled with a lame duck coach just playing out the string, and crippled on the recruiting trail because no one knows who will be coaching next year, beside knowing it won’t be her.
1. Fire Pingeton now, and bring in Harper to finish the season, and give her a contract that provides her and future recruits with needed security. This only works if the choice is Harper, or someone like her who is not currently coaching. Because no current head coach or top assistant will leave their team now in the middle of the season.
Yes this would be messy. But so what? The program is a mess now. And it has several upsides. The players can get used to Harper, get to know her and her coaching schemes and styles, and be provided with some clarity regarding who they will be playing for in the future (if they stay). And it gives Harper a chance to get to know the players and evaluate them in practice and game situations, and get a feel as to which ones can contribute in the future and how. And it gives her a leg up on recruiting to meet the needs she sees. And gives potential recruits and future portal transfers clarity as to who will be leading the program here.
2. Announce now in public that this will be Pingetons final season, and that we are actively seeking a replacement for 2025-26 and beyond. Thank her for her service. Get the obvious truth right out there in the open. Allow her to finish her career here gracefully, but provide her and the players and fans with some clarity instead of going through this song and dance as if there is even a remote possibility that she will be retained.
If it is true what some have said here that several key players will leave if Pingeton isn’t let go, it provides them with some clarity and gives them incentive to stay, and hope for a future of maybe playing in the NCAA tournament sometime during their careers here (which right now is non existent). And it could bring some other potential coaches out of the woodwork who want to pursue a high profile coaching position in the SEC. Plus give potential recruits clarity who might consider us knowing she will be gone. Waiting until the end of the season could cause us to miss out on recruits even considering us. With this approach, if it’s Harper, announce it now, or at least well before the end of the season, but allow Pingeton to finish with some dignity and avoid the humiliation of being fired mid season.
3. Do the traditional thing, follow the usual course (that we seem to be on). Wait until the end of the season to announce she is gone. Have a search committee working behind the scenes (hopefully) to find the best person available to lead the program. Maybe announce the new coach the same day you let Pingeton go. The downside of course is the longer we wait, the more negative impact there is on the pool of potential coaches and recruits. More of both groups will be off the table potentially. And in that scenario even days and weeks matter, delays could hurt us. You follow this approach only if you have a significant belief you can do better than Harper.
My preference, if you can’t tell, is if we don’t think we can do significantly better than Harper, lock her in now, either as the actual coach for the rest of the season or as the coach-in-waiting. Which means, of course, that this is the last thing Veatch will do, or even consider.
Edited by bluetiger_ at 14:20:49 on 01/11/25
1. Fire Pingeton now, and bring in Harper to finish the season, and give her a contract that provides her and future recruits with needed security. This only works if the choice is Harper, or someone like her who is not currently coaching. Because no current head coach or top assistant will leave their team now in the middle of the season.
Yes this would be messy. But so what? The program is a mess now. And it has several upsides. The players can get used to Harper, get to know her and her coaching schemes and styles, and be provided with some clarity regarding who they will be playing for in the future (if they stay). And it gives Harper a chance to get to know the players and evaluate them in practice and game situations, and get a feel as to which ones can contribute in the future and how. And it gives her a leg up on recruiting to meet the needs she sees. And gives potential recruits and future portal transfers clarity as to who will be leading the program here.
2. Announce now in public that this will be Pingetons final season, and that we are actively seeking a replacement for 2025-26 and beyond. Thank her for her service. Get the obvious truth right out there in the open. Allow her to finish her career here gracefully, but provide her and the players and fans with some clarity instead of going through this song and dance as if there is even a remote possibility that she will be retained.
If it is true what some have said here that several key players will leave if Pingeton isn’t let go, it provides them with some clarity and gives them incentive to stay, and hope for a future of maybe playing in the NCAA tournament sometime during their careers here (which right now is non existent). And it could bring some other potential coaches out of the woodwork who want to pursue a high profile coaching position in the SEC. Plus give potential recruits clarity who might consider us knowing she will be gone. Waiting until the end of the season could cause us to miss out on recruits even considering us. With this approach, if it’s Harper, announce it now, or at least well before the end of the season, but allow Pingeton to finish with some dignity and avoid the humiliation of being fired mid season.
3. Do the traditional thing, follow the usual course (that we seem to be on). Wait until the end of the season to announce she is gone. Have a search committee working behind the scenes (hopefully) to find the best person available to lead the program. Maybe announce the new coach the same day you let Pingeton go. The downside of course is the longer we wait, the more negative impact there is on the pool of potential coaches and recruits. More of both groups will be off the table potentially. And in that scenario even days and weeks matter, delays could hurt us. You follow this approach only if you have a significant belief you can do better than Harper.
My preference, if you can’t tell, is if we don’t think we can do significantly better than Harper, lock her in now, either as the actual coach for the rest of the season or as the coach-in-waiting. Which means, of course, that this is the last thing Veatch will do, or even consider.
Edited by bluetiger_ at 14:20:49 on 01/11/25
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The Pingeton options… - bluetiger_ MU - 1/11 14:17:03
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