HOOPS: Rick Majerus and the historical record of Utah's tradition: Why "high player turnover rate" hysteria is the proverbial tail wagging the dog....
Posted By: Seattleute
Date: Monday, 8 April 2002, at 10:35 a.m.
The other day Legal Ute responded to attacks on Majerus for his high "player turnover rate" in part by referencing Majerus' success in comparison to his prdecessors. I though I'd take it a step further and analyze Majerus in the context of the historical record. Pardon me if I got any minor details wrong. I have been a fan since, at age 9, my father took me to a game at Einer Nielson Fieldhous in 1967. Everything below is from the top of my head. The Utes won the NCAA title in during the war years in 1942. But I have picked 1961, about 40 years ago, as the beginning of Utah's modern basketball tradition, partly for lack of readily information (in my head).
I think you will find that while Utah also owes its strong tradition to two other very good coaches, Majerus stands way, way out in a class by himself both in terms of success on the court (I have paid special attention to the various coaches' success against BYU for obvious reasons), and his palyers' academic excellence. To be fair I have analyzed each coach's high and low points and reasons for leaving Utah.
JACK GARDNER, 1953-71
High Points: Final Fours in 1961 and 1966. All-American Billy "the Hill" McGill. Standouts Jerry Chambers (Final Four MVP), Mike Newlin (Utah's best NBA player until Tom Chambers), Walt Simon (Miles' father) and Merv Jackson (Utah Stars star). After putting Utah basaketball on the map, masterminded financing and even design and construction of the Huntsman Center ("The House that Jack Built"), still one of the best college arenas in the country and a symbol of Utah's commitment to hoops.
Low Points: Seven straigh losses to BYU, 1964-67. In fact, "the Fox" continuously struggled to get a handle on the Utes' greatest and most despised rival. His final game as Utah's coach was a devastating loss to BYU in the House that Jack Built, getting clobbered in what was effectively the WAC champioinship game. Utah and BYU entered the game tied for first and Utah was heavily favored, playing on its new home court, with a senior laden team including Newlin and another All-WAC, Ken Gardner (no relation). BYU was lightly regarded early in the season, but with a big Euro sopomore, Kreshimir Cosic, surprised everybody. I was 12 and cried my eyes out. Never won a WAC title (the WAC was formed in about 1968).
Why he left: It's a little remembered fact that Gardner was forced out, resigning under pressure, after the crushing loss to BYU at the end of 1971. I still remember the Deseret News headline the day before his resignation was announced, "Jack Gardner Under Fire." He was a longtime family friend and he called my father and personally told him he had been effectively fired. We were outraged.
BILL FOSTER, 1971-74
High Ponts: Brought 2 guard Luther "Ticky" Burden and big man Mike Sojourner with him when he came from Rutgers. Burden would go on to become an All-American. Sojourner, a Philadelphia native, was, as far as I can tell, the most sought after out of state recruit the Utes ever signed. I still remember a piece on him in a Street & Smith's article titled "15 Freshmen of Influence." As sophomores under Foster they made it to the NIT champioship game back when the NCAA field was only 32, with only one entrant per conference. Upset BYU in the Huntsman Center in 1973 (Cosic then a senior), keeping BYU from its third straight WAC title, sort of avanging 1971.
Low Points: His first year he had a dismal, losing season, twice getting wiped out by BYU. Ute fans got on him for his half court game, taking the "Runnin" out of "Runnin' Utes." No WAC title.
Why he left: After the NIT in 1974, Foster got out while the gettin' was good, heading for Duke. Sojourner split too, to the Atlanta Hawks.
JERRY PIMM, 1974-83
High Points: Pimm, Gardner's and Foster's long-time faithful assistant who chafed at having been passed over for Foster, quickly proved he was the man for the job. NCAA appearances in 1977 (the first since the Final Four in '66), 78, 79, 81 and 83. Outright WAC title in 1977 (Utah's first ever) and shared titles in 81 and 83. Sweet 16 appearances in 77, 78, 81 and 83. In '83 he upset strong Illinois and UCLA teams in the tournament. Standouts Judkins, Vranes, Chambers, and Jonas; Vranes an all-American. In '76 he beat no. 4 ranked UNLV in pre-season (UNLV avanged the loss in a close tournament game and went to the Final Four) with future NBAers Reggie Theus and Glen Gondrezek. That same year he beat No. 2 ranked Kentucky (Givens, Phillips, Robey) in Rupp Arena to win the Kentucky Classic. Owned BYU from 1973, through 1977, winning nine straight. Class guy who the press adored until 1982, when it turned on him. Tied BYU for the WAC title in 83 with a triple overtime upset win in the Marriott Center which caused Frank Arnold to go bananas at his team, prompting BYU to fire him. (Pimm, also a family friend, brought me on as a manager in 1976, and my brother in '77.)
Low Points: Losing season in 1981-82. With two future NBA lottery picks on his front line (Vranes and Chambers) for four years he could muster only one shared WAC title (with Wyoming), and in 1980 missed the tournament. Only beat BYU once in Vranes and Chambers' last three years (BYU had future NBAers Danny Ainge, Fred Roberts, and Greg Kite). During his only losing season in 1981-82, a disgruntled assistant (Tracy Tripuka) went to the press, claiming that Pimm had cheated him out of promised pay for helping with Pimm's camp, and hilighting players' low graduation rates. This triggered a smear campaign by Deseret News columnist Lee Benson. Struggled at recruiting. May have owed his best years to a stroke of good luck. BYU's coach Glen Potter (who had a poor eye for talent and squandered Cosic's last year, his first) passed on Judkins, a devout Mormon and standout at Highland High, offering no scholarship. Pimm snapped him up. Judkins pursuaded his cousin Vranes to come to Utah and Chambers, also a Mormon, came becausue of Vranes, a McDonald all-American.
Why he left: Soured by the bad publicity in 1982, fans' ingratitude, and with a bare cupboard after 1983, Pimm took a lesser job at UC Santa Barbara in 83, near his home town. He had several successful years at UCSB, challenging Tark's UNLV teams for the Big West title and appearing in the NCAA tournament various times.
LYNN ARCHIBALD, 1983-89
High Points: ? I suffer from being somewhat of a fair weather fan and was finishing law school and starting my career at the time, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the Utes under Archibald (the Hoyas were a lot more fun to watch at that time). All I can come up with as a high point is one NCAA appearance in 1986, losing to North Carolina in the first round. Fairly successful at attracting African American recruits, primarily JC's and prop 48's. Kelvin Upshaw.
Low Points: Teams were mediocre or terrible virtually every year.
Why he left: Fired in 1989.
RICK MAJERUS, 1989-present
High Points: Final Two in 1998, creaming no. 2 ranked and defending champ Arizona and No. 1 ranked North Carolina to reach the title game. Elite Eight in 1997; Sweet 16 in 1991 and 1996; NCAA tournament appearances in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002. Eight WAC or MWC regular season titles (six outright), three WAC tournament titles. In 1999 the only WAC team ever to go undeafeated in the conference, going 21-0 including the tournament. Better than .800 winning percentage. Finished no. 2 in regular season polls in 1997 (AP) and 1998 (CNN/USA Today). Four 30-win seasons. Consensus all-Americans Keith Van Horn and Andre Miller. NBAers Van Horn, Miller, Doleac, and Hanno Mottolla. 13-8 against BYU. A favorite of the National press chorps, bringing fame to the Utes. Though clearly he believes in his heart of hearts the state is whacky in many ways, always speaks highly of it when it counts, as during the Olympics. Consistently high graduation rate and of players on academic all-American teams. Best recruiting class ever in 2002.
Low Points: High player turnover rate (many including myself don't agree). 14-14 season Van Horn's freshman year in '93-94. Lost to Notre Dame in the '92 NIT Final Four because he went into a rage at the refs and threw his clip board, attracting two technicals late in a close game. Promiscuously available to other schools looking for caoches in 1995-99. Missed the 1989-90 and 200-01 seasons due to health problems.
So there are the facts. Now how important do you think high player turnover is (particlarly when he just had his best recruiting year)? To be brutally honest I glean two points from the above: First, Majerus has given Utah its best years by a wide margin; second, Ute administrators and fans tend to be ingrates who don't know how good they have it (particularly considering how isolated and wierd a place Utah is located in), and proabably deserve much less than Majerus.
Good trip down memory lane. Some comments.
Posted By: L.A.
Ute!
Date: Monday, 8 April 2002, at 11:00 a.m.
In Response To: HOOPS: Rick Majerus and the historical record of Utah's tradition: Why "high player turnover rate" hysteria is the proverbial tail wagging the dog.... (Seattleute)
I don't recall seeing any posts here that could be fairly described as part of any "hysteria." Re-read my posts and UtahFanSir's and Gilly's for some thoughtful takes on the attrition issue. I don't think anyone has directly responded to most of the points made in those posts, except to say, "Shut up, he's been successful."
Also, I think every poster on the subject (except for the trolls, maybe, but I haven't read their posts) has expressed admiration and support for Majerus. I certainly feel that way. That does not mean he is infallible.
His unparalleled success has brought happiness to me beyond my wildest Ute fan dreams. Many, many others feel the same way. That doesn't mean that they are "ingrates" simply because they express discomfort about the attrition rate.
And frankly, that's all I've seen expressed on the board about that issue-- discomfort. The attrition rate is potentially a sign of bigger problems. Loyal fans hope there are no such problems, or that they are getting resolved if they exist. This board is a place to air out fans' concerns, that's all.
Go Utes! Go Majerus!
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