Avery Johnson, is he the answer?

[Jamos]

As I look back over the past six years of the Grant regime I have been asking myself what kind of coach will it take to turn the program around. I know we all have different reasons of who would be the best next hire for Bama but what are we looking for out of that coach that can get instant results for the team.

I've complained for quite a while about the lack of fan support which I think is a huge factor in how the team performs. Most everyone says that just win some games and that will do the trick and I can't argue with that but winning games for a new coach isn't always that easy unless he is taking over a program that is already loaded with talent. Alabama is not loaded with talent but they do have some decent players but not good players. This may be because of the way they have been coached by CAG and another coach could make them look totally different, which would be good if that is the case.

Auburn hired Bruce Pearl at the start of this past season and he inherited an empty cupboard of players. Pearl is known for his on and off the court antics that creates a lot vigor with the fans and players. This guy will try anything to impress someone and he's a master at it. This type of behavior got him some decent players this past year at Auburn and he packed the fans in for the home games as well. They didn't win all their games but he paved a road for the years ahead for their program which is a plus for a new coach. Pearl has earned a lot of support with his antics in just his first year there but now he has to sustain it.

When I read up on Avery Johnson and learned of his outgoing demeanor, I got very excited because an exciting coach is something that Bama fans haven't seen since Wimp was there. Everyone that describes Johnson describes him as being fun loving and exciting to be around plus he knows the game of basketball having been an excellent player and coach. I can see an instant grab of the fans for Johnson, as Pearl did at Auburn, which I think is the first thing that needs to happen for the new coach. If he can put the fans in the seats, the good recruits will come.

Now to the question, is Avery Johnson the answer for the Bama basketball woes? I say yes he is. There is more to building Bama's program back than just coaching and I think he has that charisma that can work for him on and off the court. I'm looking forward to meeting him and his staff.

Now we need his signature on a contract. RTR!!

[bamaphil]

I'm excited.  I think he has the personality to build excitement around the program and the basketball knowledge and coaching ability to actually put a good team on the floor.  People are questioning whether or not he'll be able to recruit, but with that personality and years of experience plus connections in the NBA, I don't think he's going have trouble convincing quality prospects to come to UA. 

We won't know for a year or two, but I have a feeling he's going to do well.

[KoKoPuf]

I have my doubts, I thought he did a poor job with the Mavs and a lousy job with the Nets. Would have preferred a proven winner.

[Marshal Dillon]

I have my doubts, I thought he did a poor job with the Mavs and a lousy job with the Nets. Would have preferred a proven winner.

He won 67, 61, & 51 regular season games 3 years in-a-row for Mavs. Winning 60 games in NBA is like winning 26/27 in college in regular season. Winning 50 is a solid year in NBA. The Nets are an absolute disaster. I'm not sure what to expect at the college level, but his personality is more suited to college than the NBA IMHO.


 

[Chechem]

I'm willing to welcome Avery Johnson, and hope for the best.  I'd never heard of him, so I have nothing for comparison.

I wasn't around for Wimp, but was for CM Newton.  CM was reserved, but we fans went crazy with the success.  A good coach doesn't need to be outgoing to fire everyone up.  He just needs to be a winnah!

Hoping Avery is a Winnah.

 

[Marshal Dillon]

As I look back over the past six years of the Grant regime I have been asking myself what kind of coach will it take to turn the program around. I know we all have different reasons of who would be the best next hire for Bama but what are we looking for out of that coach that can get instant results for the team.

I've complained for quite a while about the lack of fan support which I think is a huge factor in how the team performs. Most everyone says that just win some games and that will do the trick and I can't argue with that but winning games for a new coach isn't always that easy unless he is taking over a program that is already loaded with talent. Alabama is not loaded with talent but they do have some decent players but not good players. This may be because of the way they have been coached by CAG and another coach could make them look totally different, which would be good if that is the case.

Auburn hired Bruce Pearl at the start of this past season and he inherited an empty cupboard of players. Pearl is known for his on and off the court antics that creates a lot vigor with the fans and players. This guy will try anything to impress someone and he's a master at it. This type of behavior got him some decent players this past year at Auburn and he packed the fans in for the home games as well. They didn't win all their games but he paved a road for the years ahead for their program which is a plus for a new coach. Pearl has earned a lot of support with his antics in just his first year there but now he has to sustain it.

When I read up on Avery Johnson and learned of his outgoing demeanor, I got very excited because an exciting coach is something that Bama fans haven't seen since Wimp was there. Everyone that describes Johnson describes him as being fun loving and exciting to be around plus he knows the game of basketball having been an excellent player and coach. I can see an instant grab of the fans for Johnson, as Pearl did at Auburn, which I think is the first thing that needs to happen for the new coach. If he can put the fans in the seats, the good recruits will come.

Now to the question, is Avery Johnson the answer for the Bama basketball woes? I say yes he is. There is more to building Bama's program back than just coaching and I think he has that charisma that can work for him on and off the court. I'm looking forward to meeting him and his staff.

Now we need his signature on a contract. RTR!!

Have to disagree with that statement. I think we have some talent, but no head coach to develop it. Hale, Tarrant, Levi, Taylor, Norris, maybe Coleman & Kessens have solid potential. Bobby Knight thought Shannon Hale had tremendous potential. If Johnson can tap this potential (minus Levi), we can have a good season. Hope I'm right.


 

[Marshal Dillon]

Heard on TV that Johnson signed a 6 year deal for $17 million. That's around $2.8 mil a year. I'm sure there are incentives in the contract.



 

[Catch Prothro]

Alabama is not loaded with talent but they do have some decent players but not good players. This may be because of the way they have been coached by CAG and another coach could make them look totally different, which would be good if that is the case.

Have to disagree with that statement. I think we have some talent, but no head coach to develop it. Hale, Tarrant, Levi, Taylor, Norris, maybe Coleman & Kessens have solid potential. Bobby Knight thought Shannon Hale had tremendous potential. If Johnson can tap this potential (minus Levi), we can have a good season. Hope I'm right.

Isn't "not loaded with talent" pretty much the same thing as having "some talent?"   

No doubt there is "some" talent, but as we discussed ad nauseum during the season, what was missing: (a) someone to effectively run the point (Johnson was an NBA point guard, I expect this to change through recruiting and player development), and (b) a dominant BIG guy (might need recruiting on this, CAG couldn't find a decent Big).

[pmull]

We have some good players but we do not have any great players. We do not have anyone on the team that even deserves a look by a NBA scout. I do not think the talent level is so bad we can not compete next year. We have Taylor, Kessens and Hale under the basket. Taylor needs to continue to improve and CAJ needs to light a fire under Hale and Kessens. They do not play hard enough IMO. We have a good group of guards. Norris can turn into a dependable small forward. We lost our two leaders so someone will have to step into that role. I would like to see it be a healthy Ricky Tarrant. CAJ needs to get the most out of what we have until he can recruit his own guys.

Cecil Hurt said CAJ will do more to promote our basketball program in 15 minutes than CAG did in 6 years. I agree with Jamos that fan support is very important. I think home court advantage is more important in basketball than any other sport. We need  a strong student section and fans that will cheer for the team. You could hear a pin drop in Coleman the last few years. I hope CAJ uses his smile and personality to his advantage. I want him to get out and meet high school and AAU coaches and develop relationships. I hope he does WJOX and Finebaum radio interviews once or twice a week. I want to see him on the local sports news ever night. There are a lot of different ways to create a buzz. I want him to use them all.

I am fired up. I think this is a great hire. I expect CAJ to be a coach that both the players and the fans can relate to.

[ricky023]

We have some good players but we do not have any great players. We do not have anyone on the team that even deserves a look by a NBA scout. I do not think the talent level is so bad we can not compete next year. We have Taylor, Kessens and Hale under the basket. Taylor needs to continue to improve and CAJ needs to light a fire under Hale and Kessens. They do not play hard enough IMO. We have a good group of guards. Norris can turn into a dependable small forward. We lost our two leaders so someone will have to step into that role. I would like to see it be a healthy Ricky Tarrant. CAJ needs to get the most out of what we have until he can recruit his own guys.

Cecil Hurt said CAJ will do more to promote our basketball program in 15 minutes than CAG did in 6 years. I agree with Jamos that fan support is very important. I think home court advantage is more important in basketball than any other sport. We need  a strong student section and fans that will cheer for the team. You could hear a pin drop in Coleman the last few years. I hope CAJ uses his smile and personality to his advantage. I want him to get out and meet high school and AAU coaches and develop relationships. I hope he does WJOX and Finebaum radio interviews once or twice a week. I want to see him on the local sports news ever night. There are a lot of different ways to create a buzz. I want him to use them all.

I am fired up. I think this is a great hire. I expect CAJ to be a coach that both the players and the fans can relate to.

I agree with you pmull. I do not want to be the Kentucky of football. I think we should win NC's in all sports. I remember the year that Fla. won the BB championship and football championship. Spurrier and Donovan I believe. I think the mindset that CAJ will bring will be a whole different world. RTR!

[Marshal Dillon]

We have some good players but we do not have any great players. We do not have anyone on the team that even deserves a look by a NBA scout. I do not think the talent level is so bad we can not compete next year. We have Taylor, Kessens and Hale under the basket. Taylor needs to continue to improve and CAJ needs to light a fire under Hale and Kessens. They do not play hard enough IMO. We have a good group of guards. Norris can turn into a dependable small forward. We lost our two leaders so someone will have to step into that role. I would like to see it be a healthy Ricky Tarrant. CAJ needs to get the most out of what we have until he can recruit his own guys.

Cecil Hurt said CAJ will do more to promote our basketball program in 15 minutes than CAG did in 6 years. I agree with Jamos that fan support is very important. I think home court advantage is more important in basketball than any other sport. We need  a strong student section and fans that will cheer for the team. You could hear a pin drop in Coleman the last few years. I hope CAJ uses his smile and personality to his advantage. I want him to get out and meet high school and AAU coaches and develop relationships. I hope he does WJOX and Finebaum radio interviews once or twice a week. I want to see him on the local sports news ever night. There are a lot of different ways to create a buzz. I want him to use them all.

I am fired up. I think this is a great hire. I expect CAJ to be a coach that both the players and the fans can relate to.

Wow! I had not heard that, but it's dead-on accurate. When Cecil Hurt is ripping a Tide coach, it must be bad.

[N.AL-Tider]

We have some good players but we do not have any great players. We do not have anyone on the team that even deserves a look by a NBA scout. I do not think the talent level is so bad we can not compete next year. We have Taylor, Kessens and Hale under the basket. Taylor needs to continue to improve and CAJ needs to light a fire under Hale and Kessens. They do not play hard enough IMO. We have a good group of guards. Norris can turn into a dependable small forward. We lost our two leaders so someone will have to step into that role. I would like to see it be a healthy Ricky Tarrant. CAJ needs to get the most out of what we have until he can recruit his own guys.

Cecil Hurt said CAJ will do more to promote our basketball program in 15 minutes than CAG did in 6 years. I agree with Jamos that fan support is very important. I think home court advantage is more important in basketball than any other sport. We need  a strong student section and fans that will cheer for the team. You could hear a pin drop in Coleman the last few years. I hope CAJ uses his smile and personality to his advantage. I want him to get out and meet high school and AAU coaches and develop relationships. I hope he does WJOX and Finebaum radio interviews once or twice a week. I want to see him on the local sports news ever night. There are a lot of different ways to create a buzz. I want him to use them all.

I am fired up. I think this is a great hire. I expect CAJ to be a coach that both the players and the fans can relate to.

I agree with you pmull. I do not want to be the Kentucky of football. I think we should win NC's in all sports. I remember the year that Fla. won the BB championship and football championship. Spurrier and Donovan I believe. I think the mindset that CAJ will bring will be a whole different world. RTR!

Actually Preacher, it was Urban Meyer and Billie Donovan.  I agree though, Bama shouldn't discriminate against basketball by not winning a NCAA championship there as they have in pretty much all other sports...

[McBaman]

Don't want to rain on the parade here, but I will wait to see how the team plays next season.  Not just the W-L record, but how they are playing.  I thought we needed a coach...
[1] Who was a proven successful head coach and who knew how to run a program.  CAJ has had some success as a HC, just not in college.  But running a program involves a lot more than coaching.

[2] A coach who can develop players.  I have no idea how he will do with this but it will be a critical success factor.

[3] Good recruiter.  He has no track record so who knows?  Will mamas and poppas be willing to trust their kids to his care?

[4] Good game day coach.  I would think this would be one of his strong points.

There is a lot of positive feeling from this hire and kudos to CBB for making a decision that has brought some enthusiasm back into the BB program.  But good feelings/emotion will only last so long.  What then?  Lots of unknown.

[Jamos]

There are a lot of questions about what he brings to the table but I think if you read up on his resume you will find most of the answers. There's no doubt he will go through a learning curve his first year but I've been told that when you feel you don't know the job well enough you surround yourself with knowledgeable people. I think his choice of  staff personnel will be critical for him but I'm sure he will be getting some good advice from others on this issue and these others aren't just newspaper writers, CAJ seems to have much love from some of the best in basketball.

Anyway it is exciting for me because I was really down in the dumps with Bama basketball at the end of this season. Hopefully the program will grow to another level with CAJ and as Cecil Hurt wrote, it will definitely have to be better than the past 6 years.

[Chechem]

There are a lot of questions about what he brings to the table but I think if you read up on his resume you will find most of the answers. There's no doubt he will go through a learning curve his first year but I've been told that when you feel you don't know the job well enough you surround yourself with knowledgeable people. I think his choice of  staff personnel will be critical for him but I'm sure he will be getting some good advice from others on this issue and these others aren't just newspaper writers, CAJ seems to have much love from some of the best in basketball.

Anyway it is exciting for me because I was really down in the dumps with Bama basketball at the end of this season. Hopefully the program will grow to another level with CAJ and as Cecil Hurt wrote, it will definitely have to be better than the past 6 years.

Me too, J.  I'm ready to watch Bama basketball up to par with expectations...

 

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