We're officially doomed

[carolinaspider]

Exactly. And add how outdated our offense is and how our defense leaves our guys on the wrong end of mismatches. We do not play an exciting brand of basketball. We play not to lose, even though we lose a lot, instead of playing to win. But, sman seems to think having AA show guys around makes all of our issues go away, and will attract all these guys here, as if no other A-10 teams have guys on the all freshmen team, or even better, all A-10 teams or veteran leaders from winning teams, to show transfers around.

Mooney will not change the system he has even though it is no longer effective. We know he is stubborn and has not
matched his players well into the system used. He has at least allowed a faster pace of play with AA but has not figured anything out on defense. Tired of excuses and not taking responsibility.

 

[Ferrum Spider]

More Mooney, more problems.

 

[MrTbone]

what he runs isn't that difficult (imo) or antiquated. I think he often recruits the wrong type of player for the stuff he wants to run, and doesn't adjust what he runs for the personnel he recruits.

Both of which are amazing statements. Why doesn’t Hardt see this?

 

[KE Spider]

Whew. Been busy. Got behind on the board. Took awhile to wade through the 13 pages of this thread.

Lots of interesting conjectures re NIL, University thinking, etc. etc.

Seems a number of red flags have been evident for many years:

CM is not a stellar recruiter (far more misses than hits).
CM has never mastered substitution patterns, they are not fluid based on the game, but rigid.
CM's preferred brand of basketball is soft and easily exploited by an astute opposing coach.
CM is among the worse in game coaches on the hardwood today.

The program cannot reach it past glory with him at the helm regardless of how much money is thrown at it.




BTW: IMO Hardt isn't as inept as some suggest. Knows sports. Spent a lifetime around it. Knows what success looks like. Knows what failure looks like. Only reasonable explanation is his hands are tied. He can't be that blind to the miserable state of MBB.

 

[Spiderguy]

Whew. Been busy. Got behind on the board. Took awhile to wade through the 13 pages of this thread.

Lots of interesting conjectures re NIL, University thinking, etc. etc.

Seems a number of red flags have been evident for many years:

CM is not a stellar recruiter (far more misses than hits).
CM has never mastered substitution patterns, they are not fluid based on the game, but rigid.
CM's preferred brand of basketball is soft and easily exploited by an astute opposing coach.
CM is among the worse in game coaches on the hardwood today.

The program cannot reach it past glory with him at the helm regardless of how much money is thrown at it.




BTW: IMO Hardt isn't as inept as some suggest. Knows sports. Spent a lifetime around it. Knows what success looks like. Knows what failure looks like. Only reasonable explanation is his hands are tied. He can't be that blind to the miserable state of MBB.

100% agree on CM points.

I'm still not sure hands tied on Hardt is only reasonable explanation. Maybe or maybe not. There might be more, but unfortunately we'll probably never know beyond a doubt what the heck is going on to give such an appearance of incompetence or indifference. ???????????????

 

[Spider17]

Now this is wishful thinking but do you think our admin could wait for something like this before announcing a coaching change with Mooney? If waiting 2-3 weeks would lower his buyout considerably.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2032516403753005303

 

[*23*]

100% agree on CM points.

I'm still not sure hands tied on Hardt is only reasonable explanation. Maybe or maybe not. There might be more, but unfortunately we'll probably never know beyond a doubt what the heck is going on to give such an appearance of incompetence or indifference. ???????????????

Right, if it is strictly that PQ is tying his hands, them damn man have some self respect, because you now look like you don't care about mens hoops at all. And that you are just sitting watching this slide. If that is not the case, that is certainly the vibe you give out to the fans.

 

[SFspidur]

Pitt AD letter about bringing Capel back for another year. Agree or disagree with the decision, at least he laid out the situation and didn't just give a "yep, he'll be back" as if it was a foregone conclusion like Hardt apparently did.

From The Desk of Athletic Director Allen Greene (March 13, 2026) - Pitt Panthers #H2P

Panther Nation,

pittsburghpanthers.com

 

[Eight Legger]

Wow, what a letter. And what a concept — honesty! Never seen anything close to that from anyone at UR.

 

[vt4700]

Pitt AD letter about bringing Capel back for another year. Agree or disagree with the decision, at least he laid out the situation and didn't just give a "yep, he'll be back" as if it was a foregone conclusion like Hardt apparently did.

From The Desk of Athletic Director Allen Greene (March 13, 2026) - Pitt Panthers #H2P

Panther Nation,

pittsburghpanthers.com

Inexcusable for Hardt not to send something like this out. He needs to say he knows the last 2 seasons are unacceptable and have been way below what we are looking for.

 

[Eight Legger]

I guess we should give him some time…he’s probably learning how to use ChatGPT and by next week he’ll have figured out how to get it to write an email for him.

 

[MrTbone]

Pitt AD letter about bringing Capel back for another year. Agree or disagree with the decision, at least he laid out the situation and didn't just give a "yep, he'll be back" as if it was a foregone conclusion like Hardt apparently did.

From The Desk of Athletic Director Allen Greene (March 13, 2026) - Pitt Panthers #H2P

Panther Nation,

pittsburghpanthers.com

That’s the kind of open comms that our athletics department really struggles with. It would be nice for Hardt to do something comparable.

In particular, I loved this:

“Chancellor Gabel has said on many occasions that Pitt Athletics serves as the front porch of Pitt and we are grateful that the University is invested in our success.”

If we believe in that at UR, we sure don’t act like it.

 

[MrTbone]

I guess we should give him some time…he’s probably learning how to use ChatGPT and by next week he’ll have figured out how to get it to write an email for him.

“Hi Claude, write me a letter to alumni that tells them why I’m bringing back a coach for no defensible reason.”

 

[Spider17]

Pitt AD letter about bringing Capel back for another year. Agree or disagree with the decision, at least he laid out the situation and didn't just give a "yep, he'll be back" as if it was a foregone conclusion like Hardt apparently did.

From The Desk of Athletic Director Allen Greene (March 13, 2026) - Pitt Panthers #H2P

Panther Nation,

pittsburghpanthers.com

This is what leadership looks like. Meanwhile at UR we have a leadership school for goodness sake and no one in our administration seems to act like one! Maybe we can use some of that NIL money for Hardt to get credits to take some classes.

As fans we are asking for the absolute bare minimum and we can’t even get that. They continue to let us down time and time again and it’s exhausting.

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

They simply do not care. As a result, there is no internal pressure on anyone to put out such a statement. (a statement that would be accompanied by a tweet with 3 misspellings/factual errors, no doubt.)

 

[*23*]

Dear Fans, Alumni, and Supporters,

We understand that our recent decision to bring back our head basketball coach has raised many questions. We want to address those concerns candidly and explain the circumstances that shaped this decision.

First, the landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically in recent years. The emergence of NIL opportunities has fundamentally altered recruiting and roster retention. Unfortunately, our current NIL resources remain limited compared with many of our competitors, which has made it significantly more difficult to attract and retain top talent.

Second, the game itself continues to evolve rapidly—from style of play to analytics to roster management. Like many programs navigating this transition, we are still working to adapt to these changes in a way that positions our program for long-term stability.

Recruiting has also become more challenging. Traditional high school recruiting is now only one part of roster building, and we acknowledge that we have struggled to consistently bring in the level of talent our fans expect.

The transfer portal has further transformed how teams are built. Managing the portal effectively requires new strategies and infrastructure that we are still developing as a program. We recognize that this has impacted our ability to reload our roster quickly.

Scheduling has presented additional obstacles. Several programs have been reluctant to schedule games with us, particularly in non-conference play, which has limited some opportunities to strengthen our schedule and national profile.

Finally, we recognize that fan engagement plays a meaningful role in the success of any program. Attendance, atmosphere, and overall support can influence recruiting, morale, and the visibility of the program. We know there is work to do on all sides to rebuild that energy and connection.

Bringing back our coach reflects a belief in continuity while we address these broader structural challenges. We know progress will take effort from the entire community—administration, coaching staff, student-athletes, alumni, and fans alike.

We appreciate your passion and continued support as we work to move the program forward.

Sincerely,
The Athletic Department

 

[Spider17]

Dear Fans, Alumni, and Supporters,

We understand that our recent decision to bring back our head basketball coach has raised many questions. We want to address those concerns candidly and explain the circumstances that shaped this decision.

First, the landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically in recent years. The emergence of NIL opportunities has fundamentally altered recruiting and roster retention. Unfortunately, our current NIL resources remain limited compared with many of our competitors, which has made it significantly more difficult to attract and retain top talent.

Second, the game itself continues to evolve rapidly—from style of play to analytics to roster management. Like many programs navigating this transition, we are still working to adapt to these changes in a way that positions our program for long-term stability.

Recruiting has also become more challenging. Traditional high school recruiting is now only one part of roster building, and we acknowledge that we have struggled to consistently bring in the level of talent our fans expect.

The transfer portal has further transformed how teams are built. Managing the portal effectively requires new strategies and infrastructure that we are still developing as a program. We recognize that this has impacted our ability to reload our roster quickly.

Scheduling has presented additional obstacles. Several programs have been reluctant to schedule games with us, particularly in non-conference play, which has limited some opportunities to strengthen our schedule and national profile.

Finally, we recognize that fan engagement plays a meaningful role in the success of any program. Attendance, atmosphere, and overall support can influence recruiting, morale, and the visibility of the program. We know there is work to do on all sides to rebuild that energy and connection.

Bringing back our coach reflects a belief in continuity while we address these broader structural challenges. We know progress will take effort from the entire community—administration, coaching staff, student-athletes, alumni, and fans alike.

We appreciate your passion and continued support as we work to move the program forward.

Sincerely,
The Athletic Department

I’ll vouch for you to be the next AD!

 

[Spider17]

Are we in the same boat as Pitt but to a lesser extent?

https://twitter.com/x/status/2032526414633640285

 

[whampas]

They simply do not care. As a result, there is no internal pressure on anyone to put out such a statement. (a statement that would be accompanied by a tweet with 3 misspellings/factual errors, no doubt.)

You know what? This season and Hardt's announcement pushed me over the edge. I simply don't care either, not even enough to tell the whole bunch to stick it where the sun doesn't shine.

 

[Wood Hall]

Another example of why you don't give out long-term contracts. How long are we going to continue to pay for Jim Miller's stupidity?