Who to replace Hopkins?

[Donn Beach]

I don't think it be changing his mind, he supports NIL, but like I said there's the issue of reform, I get the impression it's a mess now, everyone seems to be looking to congress to fix it, as opposed to the NCAA.

From how I read it the issue with coaches is stress. That's the reason football coaches are jumping to the NFL. I'm thinking basketball coaches don't have the same avenue available.

In any event, with Few, my guess if this stuff were to add up, it be more likely he retires than switches schools

Terms of replacing Hopkins, think that be a younger upward mobile guy. I'd look at the smaller schools who coach seems a hot prospect, Joe Pasternack, Bucky McMillan, Dusty May

[Michael K.]

I don't think it be changing his mind, he supports NIL, but like I said there's the issue of reform, I get the impression it's a mess now, everyone seems to be looking to congress to fix it, as opposed to the NCAA.

From how I read it the issue with coaches is stress. That's the reason football coaches are jumping to the NFL. I'm thinking basketball coaches don't have the same avenue available.

In any event, with Few, my guess if this stuff were to add up, it be more likely he retires than switches schools

Terms of replacing Hopkins, think that be a younger upward mobile guy. I'd look at the smaller schools who coach seems a hot prospect, Joe Pasternack, Bucky McMillan, Dusty May

So, there was no stress before NIL and transfer rules, but now there are transfer rules and NIL, and the coaches have too much stress, but the things aren't related? When coaches left before, they went to the booth. Now? They go to the NFL or take a lesser job. That isn't wanting out of coaching, that is wanting away from knowing you have to recruit not only new kids, but your own kids every year. And no matter how good you are at it? Someone might have more money to give them. Sorry, I have an idea there are plenty of schools with boosters willing to pay more than Gonzaga. It is a legitimate concern, IMO.

[D-train]

Just thinking about boosters. Millionaires and Billionaires so focused on winning they are willing to just give money away with zero possible return other than winning more games. Then contrast that with John Stanton's mindset. The massive difference is the investment in payroll is highly like to result in more wins AND higher revenues...

[Donn Beach]

I don't think it be changing his mind, he supports NIL, but like I said there's the issue of reform, I get the impression it's a mess now, everyone seems to be looking to congress to fix it, as opposed to the NCAA.

From how I read it the issue with coaches is stress. That's the reason football coaches are jumping to the NFL. I'm thinking basketball coaches don't have the same avenue available.

In any event, with Few, my guess if this stuff were to add up, it be more likely he retires than switches schools

Terms of replacing Hopkins, think that be a younger upward mobile guy. I'd look at the smaller schools who coach seems a hot prospect, Joe Pasternack, Bucky McMillan, Dusty May

So, there was no stress before NIL and transfer rules, but now there are transfer rules and NIL, and the coaches have too much stress, but the things aren't related? When coaches left before, they went to the booth. Now? They go to the NFL or take a lesser job. That isn't wanting out of coaching, that is wanting away from knowing you have to recruit not only new kids, but your own kids every year. And no matter how good you are at it? Someone might have more money to give them. Sorry, I have an idea there are plenty of schools with boosters willing to pay more than Gonzaga. It is a legitimate concern, IMO.

Coaches are more frequently making lateral moves and taking lesser job titles, sometimes leaving millions of dollars on the table either to escape college football or take less-stressful roles

That was what I meant, the stress of dealing with the new rules. That to me was what the article is about. There's nothing there about switching schools to find more boosters, its getting out from under the stress.

[Donn Beach]

I posted a podcast of a guy that knows basketball, is familiar with the Gonzaga program, knows Mark Few personally, where he discusses not only this seasons performance but says it probably is the beginning of a slide towards mediocrity and he states what he thinks is causing it. Him and the co-host both say, he works the portal, has NIL money. The issue he sees is Few losing his assistant Tom Lloyd. The conduit to the overseas talent he's been winning with. So there you have a reason brought up by someone a lot more familiar with the program than we are and nobody has commented.


He also brings up Few being renowned for his work life balance. His fishing is important to him, as is his family. Says he wouldn't be surprised if he retires at the end of the season to spend more time on those things. I doubt moving to another school to find richer boosters is high on his to do list

They finished off the season pretty well. Big win against saint Marys. That should ensure a tournament invite.

Few on his tournament streak being in jeopardy. I don't think he stresses

I don’t follow that stuff because it’s just amateurs,” Few said. “Amateur hour. I’m 60 now, so I don’t have to deal with that stuff. I love these guys, and I’ll help them. We’re going to hopefully get better and play better next week. Play my pickleball and get out with my dogs and call it good.”

[Donn Beach]

I wonder if his opinion on that has changed at all. I think most rational minds would agree that there needs to be some regulation on the NIL payouts as well as transfer portal.

Yeah, he was there complaining about the current situation. I wasn't familiar with this at all. A lot of it seems to be about having a uniform system across the country. Now it's every state with it's own set of rules. Read what Few says, he talks about Gonzaga being at a disadvantage with it's size. It's a given he has to compete against larger schools, he's been pretty good at that. But what he's complaining about is them having to compete against schools with an advantage of a more generous set of NIL rules

Speaking at a hearing regarding athletes’ rights convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Few said that a system without a federal law to protect the recruiting environment could lead to “disastrous” consequences.

Few on his situation at Gonzaga

Few said that when he first started working at Gonzaga in 1990 as a graduate assistant, the athletic department was facing such a dire financial situation that it considered dropping down a division or reducing the number of sports offered. There are rules in place, Few said, that allow a place like Gonzaga to have a chance to compete with the bluebloods, such as the same scholarship limits.

Neighboring states having laws that put money in athletes’ pockets while his state doesn’t would not give the Zags that same chance, he argues.

“In some ways, it’s impossible to project. But in many ways it isn’t,” Few said. “It will never be the same. We recruit nationally, even internationally. To not have the ability to compete on some sort of a level playing field with people who can provide monetary gifts, endorsements, things like that — it would put us at a disadvantage that we couldn’t make up.

“The story of Gonzaga playing in two national championship games would never have happened if this was around prior.”

Just realized, he began his coaching career at Gonzaga as a graduate assistant, he's never coached anyplace else. Kinda the opposite ofJedd Fisch. Again I'm gonna guess he retires as the coach of Gonzaga.