Huse's Future

[The Butcher]

I know there has been a lot of discussion about Huse’s future as head coach… In your opinions, what does he need to do this season (if anything) to keep his job at MSU?

[Colter_Nuanez]

Unless the MSU men lose their next 9 games and miss the tournament, Huse keeps his job. A postseason berth means a new (likely just one-year) contract.

Just my prediction.

[John K]

I know there has been a lot of discussion about Huse’s future as head coach… In your opinions, what does he need to do this season (if anything) to keep his job at MSU?

In my opinion, he needs to do what he has not done during his first 6 years (with one exception in 2009), i.e. avoid the annual 2nd half swoon (which I would define as going at least 4-6 in the 2nd half of the BSC schedule, so that we finish at least .500 in conference), and winning at least one game in the tourney. If he doesn't accomplish both of those rather modest goals, then I would be in favor of cutting him loose.

[defensivearts]

I have no idea what Peter Fields and Waded Cruszado think Huse must do to keep his job. I would think finish in the top three in the conference and the top four in the big sky tourney.

That said, I think the MSU decision makers need to try something else. Huse is a good coach and a good person but the combination of him and MSU just does not seem to bare fruit. Most coaches get nowhere near this amount of time to try to get something going. Entering this year I think Huse went after whomever he could get to try and create a winner. He now has a team dominated by JC players: 6 of his top 7 scorers are JC transfers.

This issue of Huse future at MSU seems to be a dead horse that's been kicked to death. But the net-net: he needs to try something different and so does MSU basketball.

That said, this team could surprise and finish strong. However, if it were me making the decision on Huse's future it would have been made 18 months ago.

[[cat_bracket]]

It isn't like they got hammered last night. It was a road game and it went down to the wire despite the fact that they had an off night shooting. MSU has played great the last few weeks. Don't let one loss cause you tho think the whole season is ruined.

[ilovethecats]

ya, i'm not going to continue to beat this same horse. no need to. i will say that i REALLY wish our expectations for hoops was anywhere close to what they are for football...

[John K]

It isn't like they got hammered last night. It was a road game and it went down to the wire despite the fact that they had an off night shooting. MSU has played great the last few weeks. Don't let one loss cause you tho think the whole season is ruined.

It's not this one loss that has many MSU fans feeling pessimistic about the balance of the season, it's the previous 6 seasons that are making us feel that way. I hope I'm wrong, but I know i'm not alone in feeling that the EWU loss may be the opening scene in a movie that we've all seen many times before.

[aucat]

Also, I think the fact that UM men's hoops are so dominant proves that yes, dang it, you can field a strong BSC team from the state of Montana. It used to be that way in women's hoops, but at least now our Lady Cats are competing, especially against UM.

Ash certainly has come in with a successful model for building a strong football program in the BSC. Huse does seem to have a problem with continuity from season to season. I've enjoyed watching them play this year, so I truly hope we finish strong and turn this thing around. I think there have been some actual cases out there with very successful hoops programs that took a while to turn around. But it has to start at some point. I may be biased, but sometimes I think, why would a kid want to go to EWU, ISU, NCU, etc. etc. when you can come here? Even Weber State, which has fine facilities, plays in the shadow of BYU, Utah, Utah State, etc. Ditto with Portland State. The win over Weber was huge and really we had the UM game won. If we could get to that level consistently, I think you would see the arena close to full on a regular basis. I'm pulling for a strong finish to this season.

[John K]

Also, I think the fact that UM men's hoops are so dominant proves that yes, dang it, you can field a strong BSC team from the state of Montana. It used to be that way in women's hoops, but at least now our Lady Cats are competing, especially against UM.

Ash certainly has come in with a successful model for building a strong football program in the BSC. Huse does seem to have a problem with continuity from season to season. I've enjoyed watching them play this year, so I truly hope we finish strong and turn this thing around. I think there have been some actual cases out there with very successful hoops programs that took a while to turn around. But it has to start at some point. I may be biased, but sometimes I think, why would a kid want to go to EWU, ISU, NCU, etc. etc. when you can come here? Even Weber State, which has fine facilities, plays in the shadow of BYU, Utah, Utah State, etc. Ditto with Portland State. The win over Weber was huge and really we had the UM game won. If we could get to that level consistently, I think you would see the arena close to full on a regular basis. I'm pulling for a strong finish to this season.

To me, the player turnover under Huse is even a larger issue than his W-L record, with regard to the long-term future of the program. No program can hope to be consistently successful, when losing half their roster (or more) from one season to the next. It doesn't seem like hardly any of our players actually complete their eligibility at MSU. As someone else pointed out, he's also become very reliant on JC kids, which is probably not a formula for long-term success either.

[LTown Cat]

Also, I think the fact that UM men's hoops are so dominant proves that yes, dang it, you can field a strong BSC team from the state of Montana. It used to be that way in women's hoops, but at least now our Lady Cats are competing, especially against UM.

Ash certainly has come in with a successful model for building a strong football program in the BSC. Huse does seem to have a problem with continuity from season to season. I've enjoyed watching them play this year, so I truly hope we finish strong and turn this thing around. I think there have been some actual cases out there with very successful hoops programs that took a while to turn around. But it has to start at some point. I may be biased, but sometimes I think, why would a kid want to go to EWU, ISU, NCU, etc. etc. when you can come here? Even Weber State, which has fine facilities, plays in the shadow of BYU, Utah, Utah State, etc. Ditto with Portland State. The win over Weber was huge and really we had the UM game won. If we could get to that level consistently, I think you would see the arena close to full on a regular basis. I'm pulling for a strong finish to this season.

To me, the player turnover under Huse is even a larger issue than his W-L record, with regard to the long-term future of the program. No program can hope to be consistently successful, when losing half their roster (or more) from one season to the next. It doesn't seem like hardly any of our players actually complete their eligibility at MSU. As someone else pointed out, he's also become very reliant on JC kids, which is probably not a formula for long-term success either.

This, period.
I've been saying that for a long time. No successful program turns over 7-8 guys per year every year.

Also, along these same lines--assistant coach turnover.
I want badly for MSU to become relevant in men's bball with Brad at the helm, but these trends are not good.

[BelgradeBobcat]

I would say he needs to accomplish at least two of the following to earn another season:

Winning record
Beat the griz
qualify for the Big Sky Tourney
Win a Big Sky Tourney game
average 3,500 fans during conference

To earn 3 more years (one of these):

Win the Big Sky regular season title (it's probably still mathmatically possible)
Win the Big Sky tournament or
qualify for any other post season tournament and win a game
average more than 4,000 fans for the conference season

[ameriCATS]

NOTHING.

For all the same reasons mentioned before: player turnover, inconsistancy, etc. I think even if we do go on a run and some how make the NCAA tourney, it will not be because he has turned the program around or put it on the right path, it will be because of a lot of luck and benefiting from other team's misfortune's. We will than lose 4-7 guys in the off season and remain a medicore team and we will have this conversation all over again next year. It's time to let him go and bring in someone new that can begin to turn the program around.

[MSU01]

If there is another exodus of players out of the program again this year, then MSU needs to go in a different direction regardless of how many wins they get the rest of the way. Bringing in 7 or 8 new players every single year is exactly the opposite way of how you build a consistently successful program, and the constant player turnover needs to stop, whatever it takes to get it done.

[TomCat88]

If there is another exodus of players out of the program again this year, then MSU needs to go in a different direction regardless of how many wins they get the rest of the way. Bringing in 7 or 8 new players every single year is exactly the opposite way of how you build a consistently successful program, and the constant player turnover needs to stop, whatever it takes to get it done.

I was thinking about that and how in relates to teams like UK and UNC. They have high turnover with guys going to the pros and have to re-build evey other year, then there are teams that don't churn out the pro players, but keep players around and do well with seasoned guys every other year. MSU is the latter type of team, but is unintentionally using the former's template. It's just all wrong.

I'm to a point where I'd like to see a coach bring in a couple in-state guys every year and let them grow with the program. Red-shirt, sit the bench, then make a move for a starting/reserve spot as a soph-junior, gaining valuable seasoning* along the way. Then in a few years you have a team with 2-3 starters and 2-3 reserves that have been in the system and learned before they get on the floor. *These guys need to have some kind of sub-varsity-like program in place for them where they can play mock games every week as they progress through the system.

[John K]

NOTHING.

For all the same reasons mentioned before: player turnover, inconsistancy, etc. I think even if we do go on a run and some how make the NCAA tourney, it will not be because he has turned the program around or put it on the right path, it will be because of a lot of luck and benefiting from other team's misfortune's. We will than lose 4-7 guys in the off season and remain a medicore team and we will have this conversation all over again next year. It's time to let him go and bring in someone new that can begin to turn the program around.

I hate to say it, but I think i agree with you. That's why I said awhile back in another thread, that I wasn't sure whether or not our early season success would ultimately be good for the long term future of the program, because it would just give PF a reason not to make a change. And then as you said, it's likely that we'll be having this conversation again a year from now. Huse would probably already be gone, if not for us getting lucky in the tourney back in 2009, and somehow making it to the title game, after having lost our last 5 regular season games. We all wanted to believe that was a sign that the program had turned the corner and that the future was bright, and of course it hasn't exactly panned out that way.

[4everacatfan]

I have stayed off this board this season because, living in Spokane I rarely see the team much and have a hard time commenting. After watching the game against Seattle U at the beginning of the year I would have thought he was gone for sure. I was not even going to go to the game at Cheney but my wife said we r cats and we are going, so we did. I have to say it looks 100% better than the beginning of the year but still same results against a very week EWU team.

I agree that his tenure decision cannot be based on the win loss record. #1 the conference is way down in talent this year probably the worst it has been in 10 years look at all of the teams out of conference records BAD. I too believe the turnover of players he has every year is ridiculous why is it happening? Also the off court problems and the academic problems he has had the last couple of years. This has been happening since he has been looking for the quick fix at the JC level. I remember because I was one that really wanted Brad to get the job back in the day and the reason was he promised to build this program up with 4 year players and only fill in with 1 or 2 JC guys when they absolutely needed to. He has not lived up t his philosophy that he sold us all on back in 2006. As a bobcat alumni I think PF needs to go away from finding head coaches with a"connection" to MSU or Bozeman we need a new blood who does not have a connection to the past because it has not been that great the last decade.

JMHO

[lutecat]

Its hard to get excited about a team you don't know anything about because of the turnover. Most of us don't know the football players personaly, but we know who they all are. That's 22 starters plus backups and scout team players...and we know alot of their names and stories. We're excited to see if Prukop will beat out Bleskin or will TR start. I couldn't name all 5 starters.."oh hey, its, um, that one dude that is a jc transfer that I don't know the name of."

[John K]

Its hard to get excited about a team you don't know anything about because of the turnover. Most of us don't know the football players personaly, but we know who they all are. That's 22 starters plus backups and scout team players...and we know alot of their names and stories. We're excited to see if Prukop will beat out Bleskin or will TR start. I couldn't name all 5 starters.."oh hey, its, um, that one dude that is a jc transfer that I don't know the name of."

I agree. I believe all of the player turnover in recent seasons absolutely has something to do with the waning fan interest. Fans are naturally going to be more invested in their team, if they recognize some of the names from previous years. Back in the "glory days" (by MSU hoops standards), we had many players who starred for multiple seasons, i.e. Domako, the Ferch brothers, Ray Willis, and Tony Hampton from the mid to late 80's, and Sprinkle, Holmstadt, Harrison, Hatler, and Lollis from the mid to late 90's. It just doesn't seem like we've had that very much in recent seasons, with a couple of exceptions like Rush and Howard.

[CelticCat]

I'm sorry but if you can't name the 5 starters this far into the season, you haven't paid much attention.

[John K]

I'm sorry but if you can't name the 5 starters this far into the season, you haven't paid much attention.

That''s not what I was saying. My point was simply that having more roster continuity leads to better identification with the players, which in turn leads to greater fan support. I believe that having so much turnover from year to year has contributed to the decline in attendance, at least to some small degree. It may not be a huge factor, but it certainly doesn't help any, in my opinion.