Kevin Keatts Hired

By now, everyone in the SFN community is aware that Kevin Keatts is our new men’s basketball head coach.

Obviously, only time will reveal if Keatts proves a great hire. But today — without being privy to the details — the optics on this suggest Keatts is a solid hire.

If nothing else, credit Yow with the efficient hiring of one of our three realistic targets — Archie, Wade, Keatts (we were always priced out of Marshall) — within 24 hours of him being available. Moreover, the hire has been universally praised nationally, which is important to shifting the perception of our program towards the positive.

All indications suggest (for whatever the reasons) Archie was not interested, and Wade would meet with his alma mater if they’re ready to replace Brownell. So Keatts was hired quickly and drama-free before he could meet with any number of others — LSU or Illinois, for instance.

Contrast that to the previous searches in 2006 and 2011, both of which dragged into April and ended, after public spurnings, with the hiring of coaches not even on our target list, and a general negative perception nationally about the state of our program. Also consider the many moving pieces that begin in earnest as teams are eliminated this weekend — any of which could have impacted a result.

But I will admit, there’s a part of me that will miss the too-familiar dumpster fire of a tragedy that could’ve been with a protracted coaching search ending with Seth Greenburg or Dan Dakich.

About LRM

Charter member of the Lunatic Fringe and a fan, loyal to a fault.

Coaches Kevin Keatts

Home Forums Kevin Keatts Hired

Viewing 11 posts - 151 through 161 (of 161 total)
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  • #122004
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    If Coach KeatTs is good enough for the retired pig farmer, he should be good enough for all of us. We should be grateful to him.

    #122005
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    ^^ Perhaps.

    But we was rejected by the beloved, and that’s a fact.

    Good for Wendell.

    Let’s see if he gets some return on the fortune he’s put into State ball.

    #122008
    Rick
    Keymaster

    expect to be called an idiot too.

    Name number three.
    Hypocrite much?

    Ah you edited out the snowflake name calling .. good for you

    Yes I have been bad about retaliating like this in the past and i am trying to avoid calling people names. So I changed it, unfortunately I wrote it in the first place.

    I have edited several of my posts for this very reason.

    #122017
    TheAliasTroll
    Participant

    We just hired a CAA/High school coach

    It’s not a lecture, it’s fact. No one on here can even budge the needle to get their voice heard about the coaching hire (that’s a reference to how audio was once measured for the uninformed). The powers that be aren’t going listen to some who is a keymaster on a web discussion board. While DY can and does answer emails from concerned fans at the end of the day someone with the moniker of TheAliasTroll may as well live on Mars, your narrative is NOT going to make a hill of beans to the administration of NC State. If your name happens to end in Murphy and you have a ton of bucks then they listen. Money talks, BS walks. Thems the rules. You don’t control their pay you don’t control their ear, EVER! So, little does it matter what any opinion on here is, it’s just noise, and far below the threshold to be heard.

    No clue what that means or why that was directed towards me. I’m just pointing out a FACT that we just hired a CAA/High School coach. Meanwhile our rivals down the street are about to hang another banner. Never once mentioned I was running for NC State president or anything.. at least not that I recall.

    #122025
    YogiNC
    Participant

    Because I wasn’t lecturing, only stating the facts. The collective WE on any of these boards have absolutely no say in any of this. WE aren’t in charge, WE don’t have the big donor bucks. WE are just noise, and far below the threshold to be heard or taken seriously, no matter how important WE think our opinions are.

    Smarter than the average bear

    #122033
    ryebread
    Participant

    Packi broke the news to me that we’d hired Keatts. He can attest that I was upset for 10 minutes because it wasn’t Archie. Getting turned down by the girl next door that you were best friends with for years because she’s now the next head cheerleader kind of hurts. I’ll admit it.

    Then I thought about my opinions prior to the hire. If there was no 2 line, or if they all turned us down, then I was happier with Keatts than Wade. I think Keatts can work, and I think he’ll bring a style of play that is exciting to watch. This is really about entertainment after all. I’m genuinely looking forward to next season and am closely watching how we assemble a staff and the late season recruiting.

    I can completely understand how some are upset with the hire. I view it as 10x better than Gott or Sid. With those two, I knew we were screwed from the second we made the hire (again Packi can validate this), but with Keatts I just don’t see the same black clouds. Keatts may not work and statistically he’s more apt to be gone in 7 years than to be here, but I do see some rays of sunshine poking through in a way that hasn’t been there since “the letter.”

    I also totally get it from Murphy. He’s obviously dumped a ton into NC state athletics with little real return. If State were coming to the well with me, after the last two hiring fiascos, you’d be sure I’d have to be very comfortable with that hire before agreeing to put any more good money after bad.

    #122035
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    WOW….go out and burn some powder this afternoon and this place lights up hotter than my barrel.

    Laddies, what did you give up for Lent….tolerance? Still 20 odd days to go….it might get wicked.

    If I read the landscape here, and this might sound critical, as Yogi points out….we do NOT move the needle….(VU was the measure of DB’s). Too much time at WKNC and not enough studying.

    I posted a “business model” about how much it would cost to 1) Fire Gott; 2) kick up the pay to $3 – $4 Million; 3) Increase concessions (as Ticket prices were already going UP and UP) to cover the increases for Assistants…

    It got flamed to the point that the sprinklers were almost activated….and I have high temperature heads in them.

    I GOTT the most distinct feeling that a lot of folks did NOT purchae LTR’s and were not getting “thank you” emails from Bobby Purcell and the WPC and that few went to BB games as I was asked for “trip reports” from PNC.

    Mr. Retired Swine Magnate is a very congenial and well respected business man that “Built it on his ON….if you get my drift”. He has been generous to NCSU. Yet, he is treated like a “Lottery Winner” and some seem like the distant cousin of the Ex Gardener’s old GF. THEY want NOT a piece of the pie, but the RIGHT to Tell Mr. Magnate HOW to spend his money and what he SHOULD do. Trust me….he has his own ideas and also gets input from folks that he considers as “trustworthy and wise”. THEN he weighs the facts and makes a sound decision. NOW, with regard to AD Yow, she has the same traits….with a bit quicker wit and perhaps a bit more confidence. BOTH would be interesting to work FOR….and a young up and comer could learn a lot and pick a lot worse “mentor”.

    CD has in insight into the intersanctum of WP Athletics. I tend to think that he is correct. When Herbie decided to go WEST, Mr. Fowler told him to close the door behind him and did NOT encourage him to stay. Other than being boring and also no “game savy”, Herbie did a good job. Was consistent….but never creative. We paid $150K for the Princeton Offense. We also hired consultants to come in and “coach” the coaches. Our coaches barely understood it. Herbie, the brain, DID. Our players were stymied as they were “traditional” and also “had their own moves”. DES was dictatorial and actually suppressed MJ’s skill set.

    When the natives got restless and the drums of “We HATE HERBIE” got louder, Herbie got out and there was NO attempt to counter or keep him. THAT is how I read John Miller’s comment.

    Ad Yow supports her coaches as LONG as they are winning. In some cases, she give them more latitude that they should have had….but she will tolerate mediocrity. Most of her hiring, after the Shaka SNAFU, has been pretty good.

    She got blindsided by Shaka’s 6 months PG wife and I THINK (based on her emails to ME….not the “Oh Woe Is Us” email, that she was totally floored and really did not have Plan C. But, in the wee hours of the AM, she said that she was working on a solution and it would be announced early in the AM and that we would improve.

    In reality….we did….but we leveled out….then dropped…..make the “One Last Chance” change and got worse.

    BINGO….out your GO, Mr. GOTT (Sort of the SAME speech that Elizabeth delivered).

    The theme here seems to be….No ONE but Marshall or Archie is acceptable….even though we KNOW that Archie was NOT INTERESTED. SO, like our government (under BOTH parties), the solution….THROW $$ at it.

    NOW, who here wrote AD Yow and volunteered to make a LARGE donation. I actually did the reverse. I did NOT purchase my Reynolds tile and told her and Bobby exactly WHY….I have supported a LOT of programs….but will hold off a bit to see how K2T2 works out. BUT, I am refining the “Tile Text”. Maybe I will use my handle rather than name.

    On Friday, I THOUGHT that folks would remember their family and friends and step BACK from the ledge and accept reality. Seems like Snowflakes are NOW getting triggered by things that most folks dismiss as “internet rumors”.

    WRAL is running a special on K2T2. I like him. I like Debbie. I SHOULD have taken a 12 X 12 photo of ORW out this afternoon and used THAT for my target. Might have improved my “shooting eye”….

    Being an NCSU fan reminds me of the Eagles Lyric.

    Good NIGHT said the NIGHT MAN…you can check out anytime you want, but your can NEVER leave this place…

    #122037
    pakfanistan
    Participant

    Packi broke the news to me that we’d hired Keatts. He can attest that I was upset for 10 minutes because it wasn’t Archie.

    Literally speechless. Sounded like he got gut punched and the wind nocked out of him. It was hilarious.

    #122056
    ryebread
    Participant

    Packi broke the news to me that we’d hired Keatts. He can attest that I was upset for 10 minutes because it wasn’t Archie.

    Literally speechless. Sounded like he got gut punched and the wind nocked out of him. It was hilarious.

    When it was announced that Matta was coming back I thought we were in really good shape with Archie — right up until IU came open. It took me by surprise and that stung because I had hoped we’d had it locked in (as some were rumoring). I thought Archie was the top line candidate who would come to this job, he’d only come here BECAUSE he was an alum and that we might have finally been proactive enough to get it done.

    I wasn’t as surprised that Archie ended up at IU. I think there were a lot of NC State fans discounting BECAUSE he was an alum. They had him lower on their board than college ADs because everything at or associated with NC State must obviously be bad. In reality, Florida made a run at him and Calipari had said that Kentucky should hire him when he left (I heard that out of Cal’s mouth on a radio interview). He was also rumored at Louisville, and some other big jobs had him as their potential target. With the senior class leaving this year, it was time to get out so if it wasn’t us or Ohio State, then it was IU.

    When it looked like IU might be going with Alford I thought Archie would be holding pat. When that didn’t happen, it looked like Archie. I was never impressed with Alford at Iowa and still remember that eye gouging game in the ACC/Big10 challenge. In 14 seasons at Iowa and New Mexico, Alford never made a Sweet 16. He’s made it 3 times with UCLA, but that’s also with UCLA. Alford was smart not to move, because UCLA is a better job. IU got lucky in that they ended up with a better coach as well. Archie gets a seat at the big boy table and will have enough money for life out of one signature (or maybe done 15 times in triplicate). Good for him. That’s the definition of win/win/win. The only one who lost there may have been UCLA.

    For NC State, we’ll wait and see if Charlie Brown is going to actually kick the football this time. We’ve got a better chance this time than with Lowe or Gott. Gott’s initial success shows that even an above average coach can do very well given what we have to offer. Lowe proved that even a terrible coach at NC State can recruit consistently in the top 20.

    I won’t be writing any revisionist history praising Sendek. He was and still is the divisive coach in my lifetime of NC State fandom and he intentionally fanned the flames. Here we are 11 years later still debating him, and thinking he may have had some part in poisoning the well for an alum who might be interested in coaching here. He will go back to HWSNBN in my book.

    #122064
    eas
    Participant
    #122121
    WataugaWolf
    Participant

    I never believed that A. Miller was the heir apparent nor the savior of our basketball program simply because he played here and had some success at Dayton.

    Understanding the reality of where our basketball program has fallen to, I believe Kevin Keatts is a very good hire for us. The players have met him and are excited. NCSU leadership is excited about him. The fan base should get behind the coach and the team and get excited about our future success.

    I see a brighter future for the Pack and I’m encouraged that we will return to one of the top basketball programs in our conference.

    Positive Mental Attitude. It’s that simple.

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