Gottfried to UCLA Is In The Rumor Mill

The rumor mill for coaching changes is already cranking up for the offseason, and on that State fans might find interesting is this: per multiple sources, UCLA head coach Ben Howland has been notified that he will be terminated, and one of the names already being floated around is NC State head coach Mark Gottfried:

UCLA Set To Fire Howland

UCLA is set to fire men’s basketball head coach Ben Howland on Sunday, reports Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com.

Howland’s job status with the team was at risk when the team lost 83-63 to No. 11 seed Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.

When asked about his job security after the loss, Howland didn’t have much to say.

“I have no comment. Anything in reference to any questions concerning my job status, I just want to talk about the fact that I am so proud of these kids,” he said.

So where does the Gottfried connection come in? Andy Glockner, the college basketball writer for SI.com:

glockner-tweet

Glockner did add a few minutes later that he doubted it was going to happen, but at the same time, he did take the time to share what he’d heard, so we may assume it come from at least semi-credible sources:

glockner-tweet-02

Make of it what you will, but given the fact that Gottfried has taken a near-dead NC State program to the NCAA’s two years running and has incoming recruits to the program that should set it up for sustained success, it’s easy to see why his name would be in the mix, especially at a school where he was once an assistant coach.  Time will tell what may or may not come of this.

ACC & Other Mark Gottfried NC State NCS Basketball

159 Responses to Gottfried to UCLA Is In The Rumor Mill

  1. Rick 03/24/2013 at 10:08 AM #

    “In the end, we are in good shape with him. I have never argued otherwise.”

    I will take your word for it. You are taken off my “no read” list. I know that makes your day 😉

  2. Pack Mentality 03/24/2013 at 10:13 AM #

    The people on here who are b***hing about Gottfried being a bad coach are ignorant douchebags. He’s in his 2nd year and turned the culture of the program around completely. We are pissed that we didn’t reach our potential of what could have been with this team. It hasn’t been since V was here that an NCAA loss caused such gnashing of what could have been as opposed to feeling that we reached our maximum potential. He ha the recruits and young guys on the team to build on success. I have not seen any laziness from his recruits either.

  3. Cardiac95 03/24/2013 at 10:21 AM #

    I don’t think Gott will be in the top tier of high profile coaches they’ll go after… even though he’d probably be a better fit for them than most of the guys that’ll be on that list. Programs like that always seem to go for the “name” over the “fit”…

    But all that said… if Gott were to land that job, we’re in MUCH better shape that we were two years ago… Hope it doesn’t come to that though…

  4. wufpak77 03/24/2013 at 10:25 AM #

    no way he leaves,,,,he is a superb recruiter,,as evidenced in this and next yrs class. we are set up to be VERY good soon. the strategy of getting 4star recruits that stay 3 yrs minimum with a sprinkle of the 5 stars ala “cat” is exactly what u need to have sustained success. this is and has been the formula for kansas and mich st. patience folks,,,,we’re gonna be really good 2 yrs from now!!

  5. freshmanin83 03/24/2013 at 10:27 AM #

    I hope we do not get on a coaching carousel. Two straight NCAA appearances with one a sweet 16 is nice. Like everyone else I want State to do better in conference and out. Does it mean you want to run him off if you question some of his decisions?

  6. wufpup76 03/24/2013 at 10:27 AM #

    ““If Gott leaves we’ll get Sean Miller this time anyway so we’re good.”

    Really?”

    Pretty sure this was said tongue planted firmly in-cheek. 🙂

    And Wulfpack – I’m on everyone’s ‘do not read’ list – but I just keep coming back for more hahaha 😉

    Anyhoo, I don’t *think* this will happen – but at the same time I’m contemplating sending an e-mail to D. Yow to reassure that not all of us are reacting the PP way … Though I can’t seem to find a way to dignify that. This is crazy. Why are we so crazy?? Ehhhh …

  7. redcanine 03/24/2013 at 10:35 AM #

    If he stays, our recruiting will just keep getting better and better.

    Can you imagine Gott at the dinner table with a 5* kid and his parents, ensuring them of his commitment, while slyly mentioning that he turned down UCLA? I bet the sales pitch would be incredible.

  8. freshmanin83 03/24/2013 at 10:44 AM #

    wufpup76 just tell her that many are not getting all PPed up. If it was good enough for the leader of the free world well, then maybe it is dignified enough for an e-mail? : )

  9. 13OT 03/24/2013 at 10:57 AM #

    In today’s LA Times, the article “Ben Howland’s status up in the air” drew various comments from readers (KNX Radio and Yahoo Sports are reporting that Howland will be out today). The article itself said that Howland’s buyout would be $2.3 million and that UCLA is focusing on Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, and an un-named former NBA coach.

    The comments generally were supportive of Howland’s 10-year tenure at UCLA, but many were angry at AD Dan Guerrero. Several also didn’t want Smart as their next coach, noting that he’d never won his own conference. Some (like me) simply don’t think Stevens will leave Butler.

    The most interesting comment came from tlmucla33. It said:

    “Howland’s coaching style has not changed from the style that made Luc Richard M’bah a valuable NBA player or Kevin Love a beast of a rebounder and NBA all star. What has changed is the type of athletes Howland recruited. In his first four years, he reruited athletes that he could teach to play basketball the right way. The recruits were physical, but not as skilled. They came to UCLA because they wanted to work hard and learn.

    After Kevin Love, Howland recruited 5 star recruits that were not as athletic. They were at UCLA hoping that they could get one or two good years and then turn pro. They thought they were already ready for the NBA.

    Howland will not be unemployed for long. He will wind up at a lesser school in a major conference (I predict NC State will be looking for a coach) and he will make that school competitive.”

  10. wolfpup44 03/24/2013 at 11:02 AM #

    I assume Got will leave in the short term. Too many rumors and complaints about his off the court issues. He has proven he is not much of a game coach. He is a long term risk. If he leaves without any resistance then it confirm the administrations feelings about what kind of person he is. We need to focus on how effective Yow is as an administrator. I question hiring Got after is problems in Alabama. She drove O’Brien out, and although he had some rough patches, we still have a tough time recruiting against the SEC and the sorts like CU and UNC and that must be taken into account. If Got wants to go let him, then we should focus on Yow and how well she is doing. We keep saying we are a major program, but here we are with a basketball program 20 years into a slump and with our 4th coach since Valvano……and one more comment while I am alert….Yow’s handling of the O’Brien departure of having no head coach for the bowl game assuring a loss, hiring a coach that little or no resume for big time recruiting. Dan Patrick summed it up about Doerner is probably kicking himself jumping the State job so quick. He would have been a top choice for UW. Everything happened so quick I wonder if Yow was in a rush to have a coach in place. I guess we will see. No bueno.

  11. doug 03/24/2013 at 11:05 AM #

    KEEP GOTT!!!!

  12. DrWuffette1day 03/24/2013 at 11:14 AM #

    Gott is here for another 20 years. 🙂

    I do shake my head at some of the criticisms of Gott and the talk of disappointing seasons. Do you remember where we have been the past 25 years and including the last 5 of 7 as cellar dwellers of the conference? The last week in Feb, we were in the hunt for THIRD place after beating both the blues at home and almost Miami.

    Ironically, most of the negatives have to do with complaints long associated with the Lowe program with Lowe players. At season’s end, I’m ready to see those players go. ALL of them. (Yes, still not over Friday.)

    WBS, Buckets and Purvis showed more leadership than any of the Lowe players who should have been stepping up. Maybe that accounts for some of OUR chemistry issues. Problem is that Lowe players play for themselves and that includes my favorite player. Pathetic.

    For the past 2 years, Gott has done FANTASTIC with this collection of players. Overachiever- he is.

    Agree with comments that Gott would take the job if offered (who wouldn’t) and yes, we need to pony up more money for him if needed.

  13. Wufpacker 03/24/2013 at 11:15 AM #

    “and one more comment while I am alert”

    No offense, but that ship seems to have sailed. You seem to be bitching about Yow’s hiring of an “underqualified” Doerner (sic), then cite Dan Patrick as saying he would have been a top choice for UW?

    So is it Patrick that’s the idiot for saying that? Or is it UW for possibly having been targeting such an underqualified guy?

    I’ll presume both since your post seems to indicate that you believe everyone is a screw up.

  14. MCWolf 03/24/2013 at 11:17 AM #

    I can’t imagine that Gott is not still very loyal to DY. I mean he was plucked from basketball irrelevance just 2 years ago and handed top 25 talent and top facilities. An I missing something? Are there bigger issues going on than 1 or 2 difficult to coach/motivate players?

  15. TMD11 03/24/2013 at 11:17 AM #

    Gottfried isn’t going to UCLA – where does this nonsense get started…because somebody starts throwing out names every time a prominent position comes available in college basketball…?
    We like Gott, he likes us, the program is going in a great direction. The ACC is a far better conference to coach in than the PAC-12. Yes, UCLA was magical in the Wooden era…but then Wooden was a rare and superior coach with superior big men.
    Gott can do the same here.

  16. Adventuroo 03/24/2013 at 11:21 AM #

    gaylaNCSU said….

    “Contract at NCSU currently through 2018, (automatically extended 2 years with NCAA bid) worth $49MIlLION and has $4.5Milion buyout – be surprised if UCLA offered that kind of stability, not to mention Gottfried has a family that’s just settled in here, and cost if living in LA MUCH higher”

    I have the original contract and also the revised addendum that he got 9/12/12.

    Annual Salary – $750K
    Supplemental Compensation – $450K
    Contract was extended in 2012 to terminate in 2018
    Raise or increase in Supplemental – Sept 12 – $750K or total NOW of $1,200K

    Current Salary – $750K + $1,200K = $1,950K

    Bonuses or incentives – NOT GUARANTEED
    Academic Achievement – $750K MAX or 12 @ $62.5K
    Competitive Achievements – Same as above.

    In order for Coach to get the Competitives, he would have to win the regular season ACC, ACCT, and the Final Four…

    Therefore, there are FIVE (5) years left. He is GUARANTEED 5 X $1,950 or $9,750K – NOT $45 Million.

    Even if he won the final four the next four years and the boys won all the academic trophies, it would only be $1,500K per year or an additional $7,500K….for a combined $17,250K.

    Anybody want some odds on THAT bet.

    So the entry about the contract is totally overstated….

    As to the OTHER issues……there are high level sources that would indicate that things are not as they seem….HOWEVER…I repeat….HOWEVER…..these are only rumors from a rival board(s) BUT some folks who SHOULD know ( at high and low levels) have expressed some concerns ………

    SO…If UCLA came calling…..Then I WOULD NOT ASSUME that he would turn them down….

    Only time will tell.

    I am a BIG fan of Coach G. I am very optimistic that all the rumor is just jealous and malicious blogging from our rival fans….BUT if there is any substance……I’ll bet that Bobby Lutz will STILL be on the bench next year and be calling the shots….and we could do a LOT worse. Lutz is brilliant….and a square shooter.

    We really should have expected this since Coach did not get his next next ride ticket punched….

  17. DrWuffette1day 03/24/2013 at 11:25 AM #

    Wow- not a good in-game coach. Have you forgotten Lowe’s magic index card, which he wrote down substutions and key matchups and was completely inflexible? Do you remember the timeouts where he spent most of his time talking to his 4 assistant coaches and a trainer before talking to the team for the last 20 seconds? The crazy body gestures and the incessant whistling.

    Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten THIS year’s games with Duke, Clemson, UNC, etc? Just WOW.

    We’ve come so far after 5 years of Lowe and we have don’t have a bench of woodchoppers with a proven ineffective offense. 2 years of success does not erase 15+ years of suctitude. Talk about short-term memories.

    I can not believe Gott has done in TURNING around this sinking ship of a program. We were beyond horrible. We weren’t even Coastal Division material. We weren’t even YMCA material.

    This is not to say Gott doesn’t have his own set of problems (which we all have a right to our opinions and discussion, ex. defense) but I’ll take them any day of the week over what we’ve had to deal with previous coaches. IMHO, some of us need a serious reality check.

  18. EasternWakeWolf 03/24/2013 at 11:27 AM #

    My grandmother used to say that there were people here on earth that the angels in heaven couldn’t come down here and make happy. But it’s hard to believe there are so many!

  19. TMD11 03/24/2013 at 11:29 AM #

    Money isn’t effecting change in the college coaching ranks…just ask Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, and a couple of others who turn it down
    Coaches want the right place, right chemistry, improved teams/success, and full support from administration with a comfortable financial package. These breed success, Gott is enjoying that success at NCSU.

  20. wolfpup44 03/24/2013 at 11:30 AM #

    Wufpacker, where there is smoke there is fire. Trust me, what got Gottfried’s fired at Alabama is a character flaw. Too many people know him. As far as Doerner , he had a long standing relationship with the UW AD, and they were noted to be very close while he was at UW and after. Know the the AD, know the program is always an in. O’Brien had a tough job and a lot of support, good character too. We should worked harder to make his job easier. I still think Lowe needed some more time. Changing out coaches does not bring results. Regarding that everyone is a screw up, I haven’t met you so I can only speculate, but you are doing a bang up job!

  21. Wufpacker 03/24/2013 at 11:31 AM #

    Heh heh.

    Suctitude.

    Nice one.

    😀

  22. TMD11 03/24/2013 at 11:34 AM #

    I guess the Georgetown, Kansas State, New Mexico, and Wisconsin fan bases are all clamoring about inept coaches and change after unexpected losses in the NCAA….
    No, they’re not.

    The glass is half-full at NCSU…not half-empty.
    Some of our fans need to open eyes.

  23. Wufpacker 03/24/2013 at 11:35 AM #

    @wolfpup44…pardon me if your opinion of me means little to me. Swing and a miss pardner.

    And when you can’t spell the man’s name right twice, even after I subtly pointed it out, strike two.

    Given your comments re: Lowe and TOB, (seemingly in rebuttal to what I said even though I mentioned neither of them), I think you just went down swinging there champ. Lowe needed more time and TOB needed an easier job….holy shit.

    My one hope is that you’re some sort of non-humorous parody poster. Otherwise, you’re just mentally challenged I’m afraid.

    But if the incoherence fits….

  24. WolftownVA81 03/24/2013 at 11:37 AM #

    As disappointed as I am about the season, it’s only Gott’s second year and after cooling down for a couple days, I can see some real positives that came out of this year. He deserves our full support for a minimum of two more years and I hope we have the chance to give it. However, I never fault people for improving their own situation as long as they are up front about it (don’t claim you’re staying one day and announce your departure the next). Regardless, I trust we are in good hands with DY.

  25. Wulfpack 03/24/2013 at 11:45 AM #

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