http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15035722/jamie-dixon-leaving-pittsburgh-panthers-take-tcu-horned-frogs-job

I'm torn on this, I was never in the Dixon hate club, but also 13 years with 11 tournaments and only getting past the 2nd round twice is a lot of average.

I don't know that Pitt can do better is my fear, we aren't a top tier school, so we aren't going to attract a big name coach and don't attract top level talent, but I guess at some point you have to be willing to try so I'm ok taking the buyout for him and moving on.

For Dixon TCU is his alma mater, but it feels like the easy way out. Take a lot of money to go to a school with a very low bar. They haven't made the tournament in 18 years, so if he can get there a few times he will be a huge success. I guess it's a good move for all sides involved.

I think Dixon is underrated-- Pitt isn't exactly a destination, and considering TCU doubled his salary, they don't seem like they're ready to bust their wallets open wide.

I've heard the Millers referenced, but LOL @ the idea that Sean Miller would leave Arizona... and I'm not convinced Archie would leave Dayton for Pitt when he can stay and wait for the job he wants.

Yeah, I don't know what to think. It's probably dark days ahead for Pitt.

and lol at dark days at Pitt

They had a coach that made the tourney 11 times in the last 13 years. This is a school that went to the tournament a *total* of 15 times before Dixon. They haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2009, but they've only ever been there 7 times, 3 of which were under Dixon.

He's had a Top 25 offensive efficiency team in those 11 seasons, and he's had three Top 5 offensive efficiency teams. His system is slow-tempo (and slow-tempo teams are especially vulnerable in the tournament, imo), but it's kept Pitt tourney-bound, even in an ACC that has become increasingly challenging and will only continue to get more so.

Basically, one could argue that, at age 50, he's one of those Bo Ryan efficiency guys whose teams always play well but carry the stigma of "they've never been to the Final Four"... until, of course, they do. Most every strong coach has carried that stigma until he didn't.

Not that I think Jamie Dixon is a Bo Ryan caliber coach, necessarily. I just think he's being woefully underrated by Pitt, and a consistently winning atmosphere, even without a Sweet 16 in a while, is really hard to come by, especially in tough conferences like the Big East and the ACC.

I think what doomed Dixon more than anything is his inability to recruit NBA caliber talent. Not only is that how you make a run in the tourney, but it's also what leads to more great players.

The few All Americans we got either transferred or didn't work out. You can put some of that on Pitt not being appealing, but at the same time is it less appealing than a school like Wisconsin? The best 2 players we have had under 13 years of Dixon were 2nd round draft picks.

Overall though, I think we may run into a Pitt football situation where fans wanted Wannstedt gone and thought they could just attract a higher caliber coach but then couldn't. We are not a destination job for anyone, nor good enough historically to demand more than being consistently good. Sometimes though you just have to move on when all parties seemed to have soured on each other.

http://www.cardiachill.com/2016/3/20/11273112/what-if-hypothetical-coaching-candidates

I like Kevin Willard, really our only other alum with head coaching experience and a proven good recruiter, though he doesn't have long term success anywhere.

I think you'll hear a bunch of mid major names like Ben Jacobson of N. Iowa, no Pitt connections but he's probably ready for a big 6 job.

But for now it'll be all Sean Miller all the time until he officially says no.

That guy really had Cuse's number. So glad to see him gone.

Probably a good time for both sides to move on. I hope he does well at TCU. Always liked Dixon. He was quite a photogenic yeller on the sidelines.

I don't know enough about college basketball coaches to have an opinion on who I'd like to see Pitt get, or even go after. The current administration brought in Narduzzi, and that guy is practically the mayor of Pittsburgh in less than a year. Maybe they'll find a basketball coach who can fire up the program like Narduzzi has done.

Just saying.

>http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15035722/jamie-dixon-leaving-pittsburgh-panthers-take-tcu-horned-frogs-job
>
>I'm torn on this, I was never in the Dixon hate club, but also
>13 years with 11 tournaments and only getting past the 2nd
>round twice is a lot of average.

don't think that is quite fair...13 of 13 is a record that a bunch of better known coaches couldn't match, especially at Pitt, moreso now that they have to play an ACC schedule and travel. Postseason hasn't been spectacular, but average...c'mon

this is probably his last job then he's gonna be an espn talking head.

that is the ashiest looking motherfucker ive ever seen

dude always looks like he just stepped off the slopes and caught hte nastiest wind burn

Not wasting any time, we all knew he was #1 dream coach, but didn't expect an offer a day later.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/03/22/sources-pitt-offers-head-coach-job-to-arizonas-sean-miller/

What was looking like a relatively tame coaching carousel might not be if this Arizona job opens up.

Basically we just called him and offered him the job without him even wanting it and he said no

>Not wasting any time, we all knew he was #1 dream coach, but
>didn't expect an offer a day later.
>
>http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/03/22/sources-pitt-offers-head-coach-job-to-arizonas-sean-miller/

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15077267/former-vanderbilt-commodores-coach-kevin-stallings-hired-pittsburgh-panthers-replace-jamie-dixon

Sure let's hire a mediocre coach from a mediocre big 5 school who was about to be fired and buy him out from his contract.

That'll fix it and build excitement