The Lon Kruger Entry
Coaching Update coming later today/tonight.
We will have a more comprehensive coaching update coming later this evening. But, over the weekend, the name Lon Kruger popped up on quite a few radars, so we thought that we would dedicate an entry to Kruger. (If you are going to leave comments in this entry, please note that this is not the “Whitt” or “Haith” or “Gillispie” entry; it is the Kruger entry).
The names that have recently risen to the public’s eye – PJ Carlisemo, Mike Brey, Lon Kruger – indicate to us that the search is clearly looking at more established coaches that may be ready for a change. State has to be careful not to be fooled into taking someone else’s problem or be sucked into helping a coach “reset his clock” as his time at his current institution may be on shaky ground. (We don’t think that this is the case with Kruger)
This does not mean that the search will necessarily choose to go in the direction of the more established names. We think that the strengths and weaknesses of these types of names are probably being weighed against the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates in the “up-and-comer” category.
Kruger’s UNLV Biography has a very nice synopsis of his experience.
This NBA biography of Kruger‘s most recent time with the NY Knicks supplements some of that information.
If you take a step back and look at the resume, we think that Kruger has almost everything for which Lee Fowler is looking:
* 5+ years of national experience
* NBA experience (as a head coach)
* Final 4 appearance
* successful stints in the Big 12 (at the time the Big 8), SEC and Big 10.
There is more going on here, however. UNLV’s Athletics Director is Mike Hamrick (Biography). You remember Hamrick from his days of driving ECU’s Athletics program into the ditch that Terry Holland is doing a great job filling.
Hamrick is doing the same at UNLV. Take a look at this editorial from the school newspaper after Hamrick got a contract extension and raise:
UNLV athletics doomed to failure until 2010
By: The Editorial StaffThis week, at the Board of Regents meeting in Reno, UNLV Athletic Director Mike Hamrick received a big pay raise and the Runnin’ Rebels didn’t even make the NIT.
The contract ensures that even the next president, who will be Hamrick’s boss, cannot choose a new director. How does UNLV justify giving the athletic director a pay raise and a contract extension through 2010 after the lack of success of UNLV sports under Hamrick?
Logic follows that only an athletic director who puts together at least a few winning programs deserves to get more money. This is exactly why UNLV will never have winning programs. UNLV gives people jobs who can’t perform at a competitive level.
The bottom line is that we are not winning where it counts, and the man running the show is being rewarded for it.
And people think that State fans are tough?
UNLV is not a good basketball program WITHOUT cheating. The entire program has been in shambles since Tark left, and we’re hearing that Kruger doesn’t feel that UNLV has what it takes to become really good because of a lot reasons, not the least of which is its bad conference.
Las Vegas is glamerous to many, but it is not an attractive destination to the parents of recruits. Tark made it by taking good players who had NO OTHER choice in their college destination. UNLV doesn’t recruit those types of players anymore.
Kruger wanted to get back into college coaching, and UNLV gave him a job. We don’t think Kruger wants the job of trying to rebuild UNLV. And, we don’t blame him. He has succeeded in three of the five best conferences in the country and therefore feels like he deserves a shot in a legitimate major conference.
He fefinitely wants OUT of UNLV, but he needs to be careful because he is starting to enter “Larry Brown” territory with the reputation of becoming a true job hopper. Ironically, Kruger was rumored to be in talks with Arizona State that may have fallen through because of his buyout at UNLV that is speculated to be around $1.5 million.
We could do worse than Kruger, no doubt. In the end, it may end up being a decision with which most fans are also wrestling – the allure of the “young up-and-comer” vs a name like Kruger.
We will have more on Kruger as the day develops. In the meantime, the following are some links that you may enjoy:
* November 23, 2004: The Re-Builder
* Failure isn’t a word in Lon Kruger’s vocabulary
* Mar 11, 2006: Kruger Denies Interest in Other Jobs
We invite you to discuss Lon Kruger in our comments section. We also would welcome any true insight or old articles that you can find related to Kruger’s personality, coaching philosophies, and recruiting.
The more I learn about Kruger, the more I like.
Looks good, but how’s it east coast recruiting?
Other than his short job stints, the other negative (if you can call it that) that’s been consistently pinned to Kruger is that his personality and connection to the fan base is more dry and PC than Sendek’s.
SFN: We hear that it is dry and PC…but not more than Sendek’s. Could anything have been more dry and PC than Sendek’s? Does it matter if the guy wins more than Sendek?
“He appears to slightly favor his right hip, as if from injury. Nothing major, he said. Just a herniated disk from back in the day, and a couple of back surgeries.”
Cool….He can join the all back injury team with K and Roy.
Whew, I hope not!
“Other than his short job stints, the other negative (if you can call it that) that’s been consistently pinned to Kruger is that his personality and connection to the fan base is more dry and PC than Sendek.”
Anyone done some research on this matter? It this is true then………..
Last I checked, NC State was not Last Chance U. Nor was it Rebuild Your Name U. Lon hasnt been able to recruit well enough to beat Air Force. C’mon.
SFN – He’s been at his job for two years – one full recruiting year.
If Lon Kruger is hired, he will be known as Herb part deux within 2 years.
The things listed about him on the packpride site and on the http://www.firekruger.com/ make me think he and Herb may have some connecting branches in the ol’family tree, not a bad thing in its entirety, unless you actually want a program to elevate and compete/win against top tier opponents
Someone will have to purchase the http://www.firekruger.com/ domain if he gets hired. The email to contact the admin is:
Administrative Contact:
St.Marie, Robert rebelrobert@cox.net
3666 McKinley Ave.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
United States
(702) 375-5049
Looks like we would be going from one poop storm to another in this case. The last thing we need is Herb Ball Part II.
Dry personality and all, we could do MUCH WORSE than Kruger. He’s a “name” coach with a wealth of experience and considerable success at several different levels. If Gillispie truly is off the table, Haith is nixed by the Gentleman’s agreement, and Tim Floyd is not a candidate, I think Kruger is my top choice.
That FireKruger website is absurd, and we aren’t going to harp on it much here. That website is nothing more than one guy’s opinion that offers not one compelling reason to Fire Lon Kruger.
Jeez, people. The guy has only been there for two years. There isn’t one ounce of detail, specifics, etc in the whole website. Look at what the author admits -
“Lon Kruger was the wrong guy for UNLV Basketball from day one. Kruger does not have the support in this community and he will never receive the support from this community to be successful on a National level.”
From “DAY ONE”? And “NEVER” have the support of the community? Yep. You guys sure are referencing an open-minded, intelligent, detailed opinion that basically says, “Fire the guy because I don’t like him and because we will never have support”.
That “site” wanted to hire Bob Huggins, and you are referencing it as legitimate?
That “site” has a message board of porn attached to it, and you are referencing it as legitimate?
I don’t think anyone actually thinks the site is legitimate, but his record speaks for itself. Barely over .500 at Florida, Illinois, K State, UNLV – bad record in the NBA – short stints everywhere. UNLV is not getting many top recruits, what makes anyone think he’d get guys to compete with Duke and UNC? I do not think he’s a short term, mid-term, or long term solution.
Bob Huggins would have been an excellent hire for them or the Pack.
They have some valid points in the assessment of his coaching style. I didnt notice the porn references, wasnt really looking for porn this morning. I will have to go back and check later..LOL
My point was he sounds a lot like herb from the personality and coaching style. So, just after he is hired, someone should go ahead and buy the domain for later use. They even have the silkscreen for the tshirts ready
so it looks like his son is a redshirt junior at Arizona State University. Do we know of anyone else that’s associated with that place????
Does this pose some sort of conflict of interest?
Doubtful, but interesting nonetheless.
his record speaks for itself. Barely over .500 at Florida, Illinois, K State, UNLV
Hate to mess this up with facts and all, but 335-247 is 58% winning percentage at Pan-American, Kansas State, Florida, Illinois (after NCAA violations), and UNLV.
You are probably to young to remember this, but Florida used to SUCK. Absolutely suck.
We find it hard to criticize a guy for winning conference championships and making the final four at a list of schools that is far from impressive. The best schools on the list (Illinois) was also a re-building job after Henson (and NCAA problems).
We aren’t proclaiming this guy to be the savior, but we do think that his record deserves some respect and some perspective.
“Kruger wanted to get back into college coaching, and UNLV gave him a job. ” = desperate
“We don’t think Kruger wants the job of trying to rebuild UNLV. And, we don’t blame him. ” = Doesn’t finish what he starts ( He had heard of UNLV and knew the history BEFORE he took the job)
“He has succeeded in three of the five best conferences in the country..” (.500?)
“…and therefore feels like he deserves a shot in a legitimate major conference.” He LEFT the jobs he was succeeding at, why?
SFN: He LEFT the jobs where he was succeeding for better jobs (Illinois> FL > KSU > Pan American) until he reached the pinnacle of the NBA where he got a FAT contract that paid him $10 million. Did you really need someone to explain that to you?” You are obviously looking for reasons not to like him. That’s your choice. But, we don’t call leaving an assistant position with the Knicks for a head coaching position with UNLV “desperate”.
19 years as a head coach – 1 Final Four, 11-9 in the NCAA tourney 7-8 if you take out the Final Four year, only one other sweet sixteen, 3 first round exits, and 4 second round exits, and that’s an improvement over the last 5 years??? Plus, if he did take us to the Final Four or beyond, which is what we’d want, history tells us he’d leave for a “better” offer! I think we’re talking about Kruger only to make the eventual choice look better. No way he’s a step up from Herb!
SFN: We are getting real close to invoking the “quality clause”.
“If you take away his best performance?” Classic!!
19 years as a head coach at rebuilding projects that he took to previously un-achieved heights (KSU / UF) and he gets criticized for the success?
I must admit I find it perplexing that there is suddenly a Kruger press going on.
Anyone who takes risks is going to have some mistakes. He sounds like a winner to me.
I would much rather go with a unproven, but promising coach from a smaller school or mid major than a slightly above average mediocre coach. I’ll support whoever we choose, but this would not be a good hire.
Nothing here to get me excited AT ALL.
Next…
I can promise you that GT fans weren’t excited when they hired some no name from Sienna college 7 years ago (or whenever they hired Hewitt). But the risk had its rewards. And from what we know about Hewitt now, I’m sure he wasn’t a hard sale once GT talked to him—they just had to take that risk by going to a less experienced coach from a small school. I don’t mind a learning curve with a new coach as long as it continues to improve on all levels each year and doesn’t plateau off without significant accomplishments.
Agreed… if we have to gamble on a coach, I hope we at least gamble on a young guy on the way up than an older guy on the way down. It just doesn’t make sense to anything else.
I’d much rather take my chances on Gillispie, who appears to be a rising star, than Kruger, whose best days are probably behind him.
Look at the record.
His best year at K State was his second. He went 25 – 9, 11-3 and finished 2nd. The next year he finished 3rd. His fourth and last year he went 17 – 15, 7 – 7, and finished 4th.
At UF his fourth year (29 – 8, 12 – 4 and a trip to the Final Four) is the only year there that I would consider successful. Two years later he was 12 – 16, 6 – 10 and gone to Illinois.
At UI his second year he was 23 – 10, 13 – 3 and tied for 1st in the conference. The next year it was 14 – 19, 3 – 13 and sole possession of 11th (In fairness I think there were some probation / recruiting restrictions that may have contributed). The next year he was 22 – 10, 5th in the conference and gone to the Hawks.
I think I may have been at the game he won in Atlanta. Does anyone know where Freddie Kruger is?