Why is Miller interviewing???

[gmartin]

I am a big supporter of Curt Miller and he has done amazing things for our campus, community and conference but there is one thing I want everyone to think about. I understand when a coach feels it is in his best interest and the best interest for his family to move on. Heck, if the Steelers called me and wanted me to work in their front office with 3x a salary increase I too would leave my position with the Colts and leave. A pay raise of 3x your current salary, a better conference (and NM or UCLA would be a step up, don't kid yourself) and nicer weather, everyone on this site would jump at that opportunity and your not being honest if you say you wouldn't consider it. But the question I have is, Why is Curt Miller interviewing at FOUR different schools???? I can see him being interested in one, but to interview with FOUR makes me think that he isn't happy here any longer at BG, or the athletic department is screwing him over or there is some other reason. Also, if he is truly interested in FOUR other schools, that means BG would be fifth on his list right now. True, Curt may be back at BG next year but will his heart be back in BG. I will always consider him a Falcon but where will his mindset BG. How will the players react to him interviewing at four other schools?? Curt will either be back in BG next year or at CAL and my gut feeling is that he will be at CAL but if he is back how will the players respond? And on his twitter page Coach Miller did say the players are working out but he didn't say much more than that. Read into that how you may.

[Falconboy]

Yeah, I find it a bit odd too to say the least. Who knows what it could be but I guess we'll find out soon enough whats's goin on. I want Miller to be our coach but not if he's not into it, but haven't seen anything to suggest from the past that Miller is unhappy here.

[HoopsFan]

A. Maybe he likes to travel
B. Maybe he's trying to get GC to cough up a raise

[gmartin]

I am just afraid, and I hope this isn't the case but you see it at other places, but the players lose confidence and focus if they know their coach is looking elsewhere. I have no problem with Miller wanting to better himself, but when numerous interviews at numerous schools occurs it just seemd things aren't as 'peachy' as you may think. I agree this could be a ploy to get more money out of the athletic dept and boosters but it has backfired at other schools. When Dakich came back our men's team went downhill fast. Look at how MSU suffered this past year after all the talk of Izzo leaving for the Cavs and then he decided to stay. The players lost confidence in their coach. I can list 5 other coaches who were almost out the door and stayed and the program just wasn't the same. I am a big supporter of Curt and wish him nothing bet the best as he definitely deserves it and because of that I think something else is going on that we are not aware of. Maybe he thinks he deserves a bigger raise! And GC, Miller should be the highest paid coach in the MAC, no questions asked.

[threestooges]

I am a big supporter of Curt Miller and he has done amazing things for our campus, community and conference but there is one thing I want everyone to think about. I understand when a coach feels it is in his best interest and the best interest for his family to move on. Heck, if the Steelers called me and wanted me to work in their front office with 3x a salary increase I too would leave my position with the Colts and leave. A pay raise of 3x your current salary, a better conference (and NM or UCLA would be a step up, don't kid yourself) and nicer weather, everyone on this site would jump at that opportunity and your not being honest if you say you wouldn't consider it. But the question I have is, Why is Curt Miller interviewing at FOUR different schools???? I can see him being interested in one, but to interview with FOUR makes me think that he isn't happy here any longer at BG, or the athletic department is screwing him over or there is some other reason. Also, if he is truly interested in FOUR other schools, that means BG would be fifth on his list right now. True, Curt may be back at BG next year but will his heart be back in BG. I will always consider him a Falcon but where will his mindset BG. How will the players react to him interviewing at four other schools?? Curt will either be back in BG next year or at CAL and my gut feeling is that he will be at CAL but if he is back how will the players respond? And on his twitter page Coach Miller did say the players are working out but he didn't say much more than that. Read into that how you may.

First of all, my gut feeling is that he will not be at Cal, but instead will be back at BG. That having been said ...

He interviewed at two schools that I know of - New Mexico and Cal. I love BGSU, but (as gmartin basically said) New Mexico and Cal are both better jobs than BGSU. He had no contact with UCLA, from what I can tell. The UNM and Cal jobs happened to be open at the same time, and he had the chance to interview at both. I refuse to believe that he interviewed with FOUR schools. And, just because he did not get the UNM job (and probably won't get the Cal job, IMO) does NOT mean that he has lost his love of BG. When the 2011-12 season rolls around, he will be fired up and ready to go.

/soapbox alert/
Also, as we all know, the guy is one of the best coaches in MAC history. He inherited a program that was in the outhouse and led it to the penthouse. He's been here 10 years, in a league where no one in any of the major sports -- except the occasional Bob Lindsay -- stays 10 years any more. The guy can do whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned. He owes BGSU nothing, and we should thank the Basketball Gods for every day that he is our coach.
/getting off my soapbox now/

[Flipper]

I agree with threestooges 100%...

[MacGuy]

Doubt he would get the Cal job. The UCSB head coach has been very successful, knows the west coast and has been a Cal assistant. All things being equal, a women will get the job.

[fredthefalcon]

Doubt he would get the Cal job. All things being equal, a women will get the job.

These are my thoughts as well. Of the last seven major college women's head coaching hires, six went to women. Not saying that's a bad thing but I think ADs are more comfortable with hiring a woman coach for women's basketball,volleyball, softball etc. if the candidates are nearly equal.

[Class of 61]

As to Curt interviewing at more than one place, I think, and I could be wrong, that this is really the first time that some "power" conference teams have come after him to begin with. (NM isn't in a "power" conf., but still considered an upgrade from the MAC).
He could also be looking at a "rebuilding" year for the Falcons, figures he's had four postseason slots in a row with the current seniors, and might be also disgusted that the MAC is still being considered a ONE BID conference, even for the women... I'll buy the guys, but the women's programs in the MAC have definitely risen... see UT,EMU,CMU,Akron,Kent! To me, they shouldn't be in a one bid situation.
And of course, there's always the money issue...he truly deserves to be the highest paid coach in the league, and for that matter, on the BG campus, based on RESULTS.

[HoopsFan]

While it may be true that Miller's success should be rewarded, there are people who wouldn't cross the street to see a Women's BB game. (ref: Bill Frack).

If the men's record was the same as the women's, you already know what the attendance difference would be. Up until the 3rd or 4th Orr season, the men were still beating the women in attendance. Of course the men had a head start, they were playing in 1910 something and the women didn't start until 1970 something

HoopsFan

[BGSUE]

Heard no raise in last four (4)years
contract language extends itself for success in East, tournament or NCAA but no new money As Freak said also trying to win lottery to give like Frack did but to the Women's program and the coaches.
Guess we should pass the hat at each game or get a group together to pool their money & see what we total
if he wants to blow this pop stand, then it will occur
behind the people who choose to remain whom ever they are...players move on, so do coaches
This fan's sticking around to see what happens next.

[nwofalconfan]

First of all, the comparison with Dakich is not equal...he actually accepted the job, and then changed his mind. And the Izzo/MSU situation was not as simple as you make it sound. From what I have heard and read, certain players had issues that would have existed regardless.

Players know that if they go to a good mid-major program, with a good coach, then that coach will be in demand for other programs...this is not the first time it has happened and it won't be the last. I have confidence that, if he remains the HC at BG, then he will give it the same commitment that he has in the past.

[MarkL]

Any chance that he is just now getting high levels of interest from bigger schools? After that great run from the 04-05 season to the 06-07 season, ADs could say that he happened to be lucky enough to have Mann, Hoenneger, and the rest of those players all in one class and that he would never hit that level of success again / never be lucky enough to have that many high caliber players at once again. Fast forward a few years and he's been the the NCAA tournament twice in a row along with winning all of those MAC regular season titles, proving that he is a consistent winner as a coach, not a coach who happened to have all the stars line up at the right time.

Just a thought.

[Dayons_Den]

Leverage.

[transfer2BGSU]

Any chance that he is just now getting high levels of interest from bigger schools? After that great run from the 04-05 season to the 06-07 season, ADs could say that he happened to be lucky enough to have Mann, Hoenneger, and the rest of those players all in one class and that he would never hit that level of success again / never be lucky enough to have that many high caliber players at once again. Fast forward a few years and he's been the the NCAA tournament twice in a row along with winning all of those MAC regular season titles, proving that he is a consistent winner as a coach, not a coach who happened to have all the stars line up at the right time.

Just a thought.

Great thoughts.

In the men's game, how many one-dance wonders are gobbled up by the big boys and given multi-million dollar, multi-year contracts and then released when they don't repeat the "magic"?

Stan Heath comes to mind. So does Jeff Capel.

Curt Miller is a proven commodity.