Contract extension for Marty Simmons

[Cdizzle]

Myself I just get tired of the piling on UE - the suggestion that UE fans don't want to win or we are satisfied

The fact that many UE fans think extending Simmons at this time more than proves the point. It's not piling on if it's rooted in facts.

Feel free to send letters to the UE Athletic Department and UE Admin. or better yet the MVC Commissioner to demand that UE and the other 7 dwarfs of the MVC (in your eyes) play only top 40 teams from P5 conferences.

Thanks for the hyperbole. The facts are not hyperbole, though they seem so in the other direction. Over the past 5 years, UE's NonCon SOS has averaged 271, with a high of 233 5 years ago. With what everyone knew would be competitive and in 2016 perhaps even at-large candidate teams, those numbers were 312 and 313 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. That's in the bottom 11% of all non-conference schedules in D1 college basketball last year. When you are in the bottom 15%, you are trying to be there. It didn't accidentally happen and everyone you thought was going to be great just happened to suck that year.

No one is saying Evansville should have the #1 NonCon SOS (your hyperbole). No one is even saying no Valley teams should ever have a SOS in the range Evansville has had the past 5 years. There can be a place for a pretty crappy schedule when a new coach is rebuilding a program and trying to build a winning culture.

Everyone is saying don't tout win totals against abysmal schedules that resulted in no meaningful post-season invitations as reasons for coaching contract extensions in year 10.

The fact is, regardless of the name of the institution, that sort of policy hurts the league. That 313 boat anchor weighs down the entire league. It eliminates a good team like 2016 Evansville from at-large consideration before the season begins. It hurts the RPIs and SOS of other league teams. Which can hurt their ability to get into the tournament, or get a decent seed if they do. Which can hurt said teams ability to win games in the tournament. And at this point, after years of several teams using this policy, winning said games in the tournament is pretty much the only possible way to build any reputability for the league.

A contract extension in this scenario is 100% the Evansville administration saying "we approve of the direction of the program and are not able or willing to change it in order to make improvements." And that flies directly in the face of any conference that is trying to be worth a damn. Which can be very frustrating to fans of other teams in such leagues. But, perhaps as much as Evansville appears to not give a damn, so too has the league thrown in the towel on ever being relevant again. Their actions would seem to indicate that is the case.

[glm38]

A NOW DELETED POST BY Ace75 BEING QUOTED

I'll put it this way for you Evansville has more history in its left nut than Northern Iowa will ever have. Wait till Jake leaves and you'll be the cellar dweller again in *edited out the vulgarity slame at Cedar Falls*

Well, Evansville has 47 seasons of D1/highest level basketball compared to 36 for UNI.

In 47 D1 seasons Evansville is 663-545 (54.9%) an average of 15.4 wins per season
In 36 D1 seasons UNI is 575-513 (53%) an average of 15.9 wins per season

In 47 D1 seasons Evansville had 5 NCAA appearances
In 36 D1 seasons UNI has 8 NCAA appearances

In 47 D1 season Evansville has 1 NCAA win
In 36 D1 seasons UNI has 5 NCAA wins

In 47 D1 seasons Evasvillle has been in the top 25 0 times
In 36 D1 seasons UNI has been in the top 25 3 times at the end of the season (and a few other times in season)

In 47 D1 seasons Evansville has won 20+ games 11 times
In 36 D1 seasons UNI has won 20+ games 11 times

You were saying? Kudos for the D2 success. Turns out, that's the only place you can find it. Feel free to go back.

Also, why did you delete your post? Because you knew a reply like this was coming? Is it because people thought UNI would fall apart when Mc$ left and it didn't happen? Likely it's blind jealousy

I deleted it because I chose to take the high road and post something else. It's not jealousy I can tell you that. There is no one in the Valley that is Jealous about Northern Iowa.

No one in the Valley is jealous of UNI? That's ludicrous. Everyone except WSU should be jealous of UNI's success over the past 10 years. I would be ecstatic if the Bears were at that level.

[Wufan]

Perhaps Evansville is hedging their bets. Perhaps they gave him a three year contract extension with a super cheap buy-out clause.

[Ace75]

Perhaps Evansville is hedging their bets. Perhaps they gave him a three year contract extension with a super cheap buy-out clause.

Marty is very passionate about our program. If they told Marty to leave I'm sure he would leave and they wouldn't have to buy him out. He wants nothing more than to turn this program around. I don't agree that he is the one but that's for another argument. Your one of the few on this board that I respect. It's hard for me because I have seen what this program can do. Hell we got rid of Jim Crews after a couple .500 seasons. Then our athletic director gave Merfeld another three years and bolted under pressure. Only to have to buy out 2 years of his contract. I really don't think this team will finish 9th this year. There is talent but we'll have to see how he uses it.

[Wufan]

Perhaps Evansville is hedging their bets. Perhaps they gave him a three year contract extension with a super cheap buy-out clause.

Marty is very passionate about our program. If they told Marty to leave I'm sure he would leave and they wouldn't have to buy him out. He wants nothing more than to turn this program around. I don't agree that he is the one but that's for another argument. Your one of the few on this board that I respect. It's hard for me because I have seen what this program can do. Hell we got rid of Jim Crews after a couple .500 seasons. Then our athletic director gave Merfeld another three years and bolted under pressure. Only to have to buy out 2 years of his contract. I really don't think this team will finish 9th this year. There is talent but we'll have to see how he uses it.

I agree that Marty loves Evansville and wants to be the guy that takes them to the next level, but why did he interview elsewhere?

[sixth ace]

Perhaps Evansville is hedging their bets. Perhaps they gave him a three year contract extension with a super cheap buy-out clause.

Marty is very passionate about our program. If they told Marty to leave I'm sure he would leave and they wouldn't have to buy him out. He wants nothing more than to turn this program around. I don't agree that he is the one but that's for another argument. Your one of the few on this board that I respect. It's hard for me because I have seen what this program can do. Hell we got rid of Jim Crews after a couple .500 seasons. Then our athletic director gave Merfeld another three years and bolted under pressure. Only to have to buy out 2 years of his contract. I really don't think this team will finish 9th this year. There is talent but we'll have to see how he uses it.

I agree that Marty loves Evansville and wants to be the guy that takes them to the next level, but why did he interview elsewhere?

Maybe he was going to get an extension and he wonder what his value was worth. Perhaps someone suggested not to wait for the University to act. Perhaps???/

[Ace75]

Perhaps Evansville is hedging their bets. Perhaps they gave him a three year contract extension with a super cheap buy-out clause.

Marty is very passionate about our program. If they told Marty to leave I'm sure he would leave and they wouldn't have to buy him out. He wants nothing more than to turn this program around. I don't agree that he is the one but that's for another argument. Your one of the few on this board that I respect. It's hard for me because I have seen what this program can do. Hell we got rid of Jim Crews after a couple .500 seasons. Then our athletic director gave Merfeld another three years and bolted under pressure. Only to have to buy out 2 years of his contract. I really don't think this team will finish 9th this year. There is talent but we'll have to see how he uses it.

I agree that Marty loves Evansville and wants to be the guy that takes them to the next level, but why did he interview elsewhere?

I think he interviewed because he knows a lot of people aren't happy. I would say it's probably 50-50 on people that support him probably worse than that.

[uniftw]

In my work e-mail this morning was an interesting photo that seems to fit this discussion

image1.png (177.15 KiB) Viewed 2405 times

[acesfool]

20 wins sure isn't what it used to be, beat a couple D3 teams, 4 or 5 SWAC teams, and go 500 in a much weaker MVC and you are almost there. This doesn't even include an bigger schedule or those buy in tourneys that we are famous for.

[acesfool]

In my work e-mail this morning was an interesting photo that seems to fit this discussion

image1.png

I hope Marty isn't trying to make that jump.