New Coach?

[Flipper]

I think a high degree of social media engagement is important...and essential...in building interest in the program with current and potential students in general, not just potential student athletes. How else are you going to reach them in large numbers?

[dforde]

Looks like a great hire. Has a ton of international kids on his SUU roster, 5-6 kids from Australia alone.

[hammb]

Nobody is measuring the value of a coach based solely on twitter followers. I actually took the follower count as just something interesting, but the volume of his tweeting absolutely has value, IMO.

I've always believed that the head coaches at BGSU need to act as a face of the program. We do not have built in fan following or student support. In the days of Urban Meyer and Dan Dakich this was bringing pizzas to the dorms and rallying greek support. Now a lot of that engagement can and does happen in social media.

A coach will always be judged firstly on wins and losses, and no social media usage is probably not going to directly lead to wins. But with the kids that he'll be recruiting to come here I think it'd be pretty foolish to say it's meaningless. Just looking through his recent tweets putting highlight videos, supporting the other teams in the department, etc. I like to see that. I also like to see a willingness to sit down and have discussions with media (be it podcasts, students, whatever). I think all of these things lead to more engagement with the program, they lead to more fans in the seats, and they are a part (perhaps a small part) of resurrecting this program.

[mbenecke]

The WBGU “Morning Show” is reporting that there will be a press conference to introduce the new hire tomorrow.

[Hdog]

This is a good hire. Could end up being a great hire. Just by listening to him talk about the details I can tell he is intense, focused, urgent, smart, and competitive. He will demand playing basketball the same way. We've all been around guys like this and can tell within the first few interactions they have high standards. I expect the same from Todd Simon. Bravo BGSU

Here is one podcast I listened to coach Simon talk. Impressive.

https://youtu.be/bAhzYMaMOFc

This was recorded before start of 2021-22 season when SUU finished with 23-12 record, their second best in program history I believe. Included in those 23 wins were two against MAC schools - 14 point win vs BGSU and a 4 point win vs Kent State in post season CIT

Roll along!

[jpfalcon09]

Official announcement from the athletic department:

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2023/3/15/ ... coach.aspx

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

10 days from the official announcement of Huger's firing to the official announcement of Simon's hiring. That's pretty good.

[maskedopining]

This is a good hire. Could end up being a great hire. Just by listening to him talk about the details I can tell he is intense, focused, urgent, smart, and competitive. He will demand playing basketball the same way. We've all been around guys like this and can tell within the first few interactions they have high standards. I expect the same from Todd Simon. Bravo BGSU

Here is one podcast I listened to coach Simon talk. Impressive.

https://youtu.be/bAhzYMaMOFc

This was recorded before start of 2021-22 season when SUU finished with 23-12 record, their second best in program history I believe. Included in those 23 wins were two against MAC schools - 14 point win vs BGSU and a 4 point win vs Kent State in post season CIT

Roll along!

I just listened to this and it’s excellent insight into his approach. The offensive approach is going to be about getting into offense quickly, spreading the floor and filling the lane with dribble penetration and cuts to specific zones of the floor with shooters filling in behind the drivers and cutters. All based on triggers the defensive looks give you.

This is almost exactly what Nate Oats used to shred the MAC at Buffalo. Also, loved the part where he talked about how he adapted this approach for when he took over there and had less players with his preferred skill sets on the team.

Man…super impressed with this guy! Let hope it all works out!!

[Hdog]

This is a good hire. Could end up being a great hire. Just by listening to him talk about the details I can tell he is intense, focused, urgent, smart, and competitive. He will demand playing basketball the same way. We've all been around guys like this and can tell within the first few interactions they have high standards. I expect the same from Todd Simon. Bravo BGSU

Here is one podcast I listened to coach Simon talk. Impressive.

https://youtu.be/bAhzYMaMOFc

This was recorded before start of 2021-22 season when SUU finished with 23-12 record, their second best in program history I believe. Included in those 23 wins were two against MAC schools - 14 point win vs BGSU and a 4 point win vs Kent State in post season CIT

Roll along!

I just listened to this and it’s excellent insight into his approach. The offensive approach is going to be about getting into offense quickly, spreading the floor and filling the lane with dribble penetration and cuts to specific zones of the floor with shooters filling in behind the drivers and cutters. All based on triggers the defensive looks give you.

This is almost exactly what Nate Oats used to shred the MAC at Buffalo. Also, loved the part where he talked about how he adapted this approach for when he took over there and had less players with his preferred skill sets on the team.

Man…super impressed with this guy! Let hope it all works out!!

It really is an excellent listen. He appears to get everything about running a program.

At the end of podcast he gets into developing relationships with players. He appears as passionate and "real" about that as with Xs and Os.
I also like his philosophy of how he uses practice time with all [or almost all] of the time competing, with much less emphasis on rote drills. He talks about keeping extensive stats on these practices and coaching both individual player and team corrections off of that on a daily basis. It just sounds to me he leaves "no stone unturned". A guy who wants to be elite.

[Falconwriter]

10 days from the official announcement of Huger's firing to the official announcement of Simon's hiring. That's pretty good.

This tells me the new AD truly does get it. College basketball these days is so much about the portal (keeping your own players and finding others that can help). Delaying the hire would have put BG at a big disadvantage right from the start of his tenure.

[Falconwriter]

10 days from the official announcement of Huger's firing to the official announcement of Simon's hiring. That's pretty good.

This tells me the new AD truly does get it. College basketball these days is so much about the portal (keeping your own players and finding others that can help). Delaying the hire would have put BG at a big disadvantage right from the start of his tenure.

[Flipper]

Or the AD had it in mind that he would be looking to hire him if an opening occurred. People didn't much care for Christopher, but he was smart enough to spot Dave Clawson while he was at Richmond and had him in mind when Brandon was dismissed. This could be a similar scenario

[Diemilkweed]

Simon is clearly gunning for a P5 job eventually. I'd LOVE to be a stepping stone in getting him there. If he does for us in 5 years what he did for Southern Utah, we should make the dance and he should move onward and upward.

If he does that, then he ALSO leaves us as a more desirable position to find the next climber so maybe we can actually have some continued success.

[mbenecke]

Simon is clearly gunning for a P5 job eventually. I'd LOVE to be a stepping stone in getting him there. If he does for us in 5 years what he did for Southern Utah, we should make the dance and he should move onward and upward.

If he does that, then he ALSO leaves us as a more desirable position to find the next climber so maybe we can actually have some continued success.

100% this. If he can raise our program to the level that he gets a great P5 job, it means we had massive success here as a team. We desperately need that.

[guest44]

Has anyone seen a time for the press conference?