Gary Parrish

Memphis definitely IS a mid-major program...now.

With Calipari, you played with the big boys.  Without him, you will fade away into insignificance once again.  You had a nice run, but it's over.  You know it as well as everyone else does, but your denial is understandable.

Memphis is not a mid major program BUT we happen to be in a cupcake conference.  And you are right.  I don't think that RC and company had their feelers on in terms of knowing what basketball coaches really think.  I was wondering how they thought they were going to steal away a BCS coach with credentials to come and play for a team that has been gutted and  with fans that would still have very high expectations even after the coach cal hangover.

Let's face it...the last 4 years have been absolutely wonderful but you have to think that if you aren't winning 30 games in a season that the fans would eventually be screaming foul, no matter how big the name would be. 

I don't think Memphis went after Miller (they have the money of a major) but even if they had, I don't think they would have talked him into coming...then again, I was surprised that Miller left Xavier for any school.

Pastner should be a good fit.  He knows the program and knows the kids who are currently playing. His father happens to coach in Texas at an AAU school. 

Unlike a big name coach who would have their own set of assistants to bring with them, Josh will get to choose his own..which could mean hiring the coach for that community college in Florida (which would bring in the two juco players in) as well as Henry's father (as in Xavier Henry..you know..the #1 recruit).

The returning players would most likely be comfortable with his running the show and there is another rumor that Bovic, another one of Cal's assistants may be hired to handle the x's and o's part of the job.

Memphis may not have Cal but they could very easily have a good team next year that could be competitive.

I agree with you.  We needed to make a move and after the heavy hitters proved to be uninterested, this is a hire that will keep the fans engaged.  If we do get Henry for Director of Basketball Operations and the others being mentioned, we will have a good enough team to make a good run in CUSA and get a decent seeding in the NCAA tournament.  That is significantly better than I thought we were going to be last week.

Ughh when did Memphis not become a mid-major program??  They play in a conference that gets one automatic bid.  Memphis is a mid-major on steroids, spoiled with goodies like an NBA facility.  If Memphis isn't a mid-major why is Miller at Arizona instead of Memphis?  Because a move from a comfortable mid-major to one rebuilding is a lateral move.  That and the next coach doesn't know if he'll live up to the hype.  That is why the coaching search was so hard.

Speaking of the coaching search I said this in a blog comment the other day, I said why doesn't Memphis go into the assistant coaches of their school, if not one from a power conference.  That is how mid-majors get coaches.  They promote assistants, then when they do well they get offered a job at a power conference school.  I don't know why Memphis thinks they're better than all the other mid-majors.  Thats like the girl who thinks she's better than all the other freshman because she has bigger breasts and puts out. Get over yourselves.

Ole "Copy" Katz is at it again.  Taking the credit for someone else's story....Gary, you should go over to him at the game tonight and punch him in the face. 

Hey augst589..  "We all thought that Pastner needed a few more years..." We? what do you have a mouse in your pocket? LOL BTW i know it take a while for news to travel to MT but Memphis is NOT a mid-major program..

I may be one of the few who actually like this.

WOW!...get someone young who is actually hungry and has fire in his belly insread of paying $3-4 million/yr on an ex-NBA coach/current analyst who has zero recruiting experience and would likely bolt for the next NBA position offered him. It sounds like the whole Avery Johnson thing was another ruse.

Local news is reporting that Carl Henry might also be part of the staff...interesting. I know that while package deals are within the rules, the NCAA sort of frowns on it. After what has happened to the Tigers over the last week, I could care less. I'm not saying that the hiring of Henry thus securing both Xavier and C.J. is even going to happen, but there's hope. That would be the first couple of dominoes to fall. After that, let's see what other recruits and current players decide the stay.

I think it's a good hire!...as long as Pastner can coach as well as he can recruit!

 HOLY COW!!!!   We all thought that Pastner needed a few more years....then, again, Memphis is considered a mid-major program.  Does this bring Memphis down to the level of the rest of C-USA??  From what I've heard of Pastner, he will be good--but will he be good now?  On the other hand, Capel was 27 when VCU hired him and I think he's still in his 30s now.  Age is relative and sometimes irrelevant.  Pastner has been involved in scouting and coaching since he was 13.  He may be a diamond in the rough.  I'm just glad that Arizona got Sean Miller.

 Thanks Cat- It's a gamble but I think it's a good one especally if he brings in a quality X & O assistant. Good luck w/ Miller, he's a good one.

 As an Arizona alum, I think Josh will eventually be a fantastic head coach.  If Miller had turned us down, I would have hoped Josh would get the UA job.  He is a top-knotch recruiter and he will be a quick learner.  Best of luck to Josh and Memphis!