Rumors.....

[Stanley1]

Some rumors floating around that Karl Hobbs may have been offered the job today. Nothing definitive, obviously, but the rumors are out there none the less.

[Skysooner]

Karl Hobbs recently completed his fourth--and most successful--season as head men's basketball coach at The George Washington University. He guided the Colonials to a 22-8 record in 2004-05, the Atlantic 10 Conference West Division championship and the A-10 Tournament title. The last of which resulted in GW's first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 22 victories is the most since the 1997-98 season and the second-most in 50 years.

The GW basketball program has made tremendous strides under the guidance of Hobbs who has placed an emphasis on developing players in his system. None of the current Colonials were heavily recruited before they arrived on the GW campus for Hobbs' first season in 2001-02. Attendance at GW's Charles E. Smith Center has increased steadily during the past four seasons. GW played to sold-out crowds several times during the 2004-05 season and attendance for home games has increased 40% over the past three seasons as has season-ticket sales.

The Colonials also played on national television seven times in `04-05, up from just one national TV appearance in 2001-02. Regarding television coverage, DC's local cable outlet, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, began a weekly special--The Karl Hobbs Report--every Friday to update fans about the Colonials. The Washington Post, with a circulation of more than 800,000, assigned a beat writer to cover the Colonials as it became clear that GW was on its way to having a banner year.

The Hobbs era is in full swing in Washington, DC.

In his third season at GW, Hobbs led the Colonials to an 18-12 record in 2003-04, a postseason appearance in the NIT and was named the District 4 Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). GW's 18 victories and second-place finish in the A-10 West Division were both highwater marks spanning the previous five years.

Hobbs, 43, was hired on May 7, 2001, after eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Connecticut, where he earned a reputation as a top recruiter. He is credited with the recruitment and development of current Detroit Piston Richard Hamilton, as well as Khalid El-Amin and Kevin Freeman - all starters on the 1999 national champions Huskies.


In his first season as a head coach, Hobbs also proved to observers that he is much more than a talented recruiter. His frenetic, super-charged coaching style of foot-stomping and piercing whistles on the sidelines did not go unnoticed by media and fans alike. His players couldn't help but put forth the same energy and effort that Hobbs exudes on the bench and from the coaching box. At times he seemed to "will" his team to victory.

It took only one game--his first as GW's head coach--to see Hobbs' energy manifest itself in his team as the Colonials pulled out a stunning come-from-behind victory over Marshall in the NABC Classic at Kentucky's famed Rupp Arena. Trailing by 19 points early in the second half, the Colonials staged a herculean comeback aided by a defensive effort that held Marshall to just 2-for-28 (7 percent) shooting in the second half as the Colonials not only won the game but also won over the largely non-partisan crowd.

When Hobbs arrived at GW, he inherited a team with just one veteran player who had logged more than twice as many minutes as any other Colonials returnee from last season. He also inherited a schedule that, by pure coincidence, had the Colonials facing both of his former employers in back-to-back non-conference games...Boston University at Smith Center in late November followed by powerful Connecticut just four days later. Hobbs knew what he was getting into and he relished the challenge.

His first starting lineup consisted of the proven veteran in junior Chris Monroe, senior Jaason Smith who had been a role player but who would come into his own as a team leader; a sophomore shooting guard, Greg Collucci, who played just eight minutes a game as a freshman; and a pair of raw freshmen, forward Tamal Forchion and point guard T.J. Thompson, neither of whom had played in a college game.

This group came together quickly and got off to a surprising 10-5 start marked by dramatic come-from-behind victories over Marshall and Yale (in overtime), and Old Dominion and Providence on the road. But perhaps Hobbs' best coaching performance of the year came in the consolation game of the BB&T Classic at Washington's MCI Center. Following a disheartening loss to UConn and his mentor, Jim Calhoun, Hobbs' team was set to face the always very disciplined Princeton squad that had led eventual national champion Maryland for 39 minutes the night before. The Colonials took the floor against the Tigers with an air of confidence that betrayed their inexperience and repeatedly refused to allow Princeton to execute its trademark back-door cuts to the basket. The Colonials prevailed convincingly in a game that most had given them little or no chance to win.

Last season, the Colonials' eight freshmen combined to play a total of 2,954 minutes or half of the team's minutes per game. Those first-year players scored a total of 873 points (30.1 ppg) and accounted for 42 percent of the team total. Leading the way was A-10 All-Rookie selection Mike Hall whose 8.2 rebounds-per-game average tied for second-most in the league. In so doing, Hall became the first Colonials freshman to lead the team in rebounding in eight years. Likewise, classmate Pops Mensah-Bonsu's .585 (103-176) field goal percentage led the team...the first time a freshman had accomplished that feat since the 1994-95 season. The young Colonials scored an average of 71.4 points a game ranking fourth in the A-10 in scoring offense. Also, GW's +3.0 rebounding margin was third-highest in the league.

GW played a total of 14 games against opponents that advanced to the postseason, including an upset over Saint Joseph's that Hobbs points to as the biggest victory in his brief career as a head coach. The Colonials also stretched Final Four participant Texas and logged strong showings against perennial NCAA Tournament entries Connecticut and Maryland. The Colonials also went down to the wire at Xavier before a lengthy television replay was needed to decide the outcome.

The `03 season also was highlighted by GW's advance past the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time in two years. The Colonials defeated fourth-seeded Massachusetts on the road in the first round to advance to the quarterfinal round.

All this provides further evidence that Hobbs' squad has closed the competitive gap in the Atlantic 10 and is positioning itself as a contender in 2003-04 and beyond.

CBS analyst Billy Packer referred to Hobbs as "one of the finest young coaches in America." UConn's Calhoun has called Hobbs "one of the best perimeter coaches in the country."

NBA All-Star Ray Allen of the Seattle Supersonics lauded Hobbs, saying that he had a "terrific guard coach" who helped fine tune his fundamentals.

"Coach Hobbs makes you feel very comfortable and without Coach Hobbs, I would not have gone to Connecticut," Hamilton said, reflecting on his recruiting experience with Hobbs. "He's an excellent coach. When things weren't going as well as I wanted them to go and I was struggling, he would watch a lot of tape with me and bring me into the gym for extra shooting. Even when things were going well for me, he was the type of coach who really stayed on me and never wanted me to settle for anything less than greatness, and I owe a lot to him," Hamilton added.

While at Storrs, Hobbs helped coach the Huskies to NCAA Tournament appearances in six seasons, including a 75-63 second-round victory over GW in the 1994 NCAA tournament at Nassau Coliseum.

A native of Roxbury, MA, Hobbs attended Connecticut where he was a four-year starting point guard under former coach Dom Perno. Perno is now Assistant Athletic Director for Development at GW.

Hobbs played point guard for the Huskies from 1981-84 and was captain of the team as a senior in 1983-84. He never missed a game in four seasons and started 104 of 113 games. He led the team in assists for four consecutive seasons totaling 534 assists. He currently ranks fourth on the UConn career assists list. He scored 900 points (8.0 ppg) and averaged 30 minutes per game during his college career.

Hobbs, who played with Patrick Ewing and for former GW coach Mike Jarvis at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in the late '70s, helped lead his team to the Massachusetts State High School title. He was named Massachusetts Schoolboy Player of the Year in 1979-80.



Prior to joining Calhoun's staff at UConn, Hobbs served as an assistant coach at Boston University for six years (1988-93). Three of those seasons (1988-90) he was on Jarvis's staff before Jarvis left BU to come to GW. Boston University won the North Atlantic Conference title twice and advanced to the NCAA Tournament first round in two of Hobbs' four seasons in Boston. Hobbs worked with the BU guards and was heavily involved in the team's recruiting efforts.

Hobbs and his wife, JoAnn, have two daughters: RaShauna, 16, and Kaliah, 6.



Hobbs' Year-By-Year Record
(as a Head Coach) Year School W-L PCT Season
2001-02 GW 12-16 .429
2002-03 GW 12-17 .414
2003-04 GW 18-12 .600 NIT

2004-05 GW 22-8 .733 NCAA (A-10 Champs)

TOTALS 4 Seasons 64-53 .547



Hobbs' Year-By-Year Record
(as an Assistant Coach) Year School W-L PCT Season
1987-88 Boston Univ. 18-12 .600
1988-89 Boston Univ. 23-8 .742 NCAA (NAC Champs)
1989-90 Boston Univ. 21-9 .700
1990-91 Boston Univ. 18-12 .600 NCAA (NAC Champs)
1991-92 Boston Univ. 11-18 .379
1992-93 Boston Univ. 10-18 .357
1993-94 Connecticut 29-5 .853 NCAA (16)
1994-95 Connecticut 28-5 .849 NCAA (8)
1995-96 Connecticut 30-2 .938 NCAA (16)**
1996-97 Connecticut 18-15 .546 NIT (third place)
1997-98 Connecticut 32-5 .865 NCAA (8)
1998-99 Connecticut 34-2 .944 NCAA champions
1999-00 Connecticut 25-10 .714 NCAA (32)
2000-01 Connecticut 20-12 .625 NIT (2nd rd.)


Hobbs' School-By-School Record
(as both Head Coach and an Assistant Coach)


1988-93 Boston Univ. 101-77 .567 6 seasons
1994-2001 Connecticut 216-56 .794 8 seasons
2002-2005 GW 64-53 .547 4 seasons
TOTALS 18 Seasons 381-186 .672 9 NCAAs, 3 NITs

[Harry Beanbag]

There's all kinds of rumors now.

-Crean is the top choice, he has been contacted, and there is interest.

-Turgeon is the top choice and it's almost a done deal.

-Hobbs was offered the job.

:rolleyes:

[Jimminy Crimson]

PHIL JACKSON TO OU!!!!! :texan:

[SoonerShark]

PHIL JACKSON TO OU!!!!! :texan:

Jesse Jackson is a bit more likely. Inspiring halftime speeches take our program to new heights.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Stoops to Florida.....


Still I think Hobbs would be a good hire...

[CtheB]

Until I hear this from Blevins, it's all speculation. :)

[OUstud]

Hobbs would be awesome. I like how it says he is really good at developing players.

[Taxman71]

Mark Rodgers is peeking through Hobbs' bathroom window right now....confirmation coming soon. It was a #2.

[TJKDone]

To me the general feel of these rumors is positive. I don't see how Hobbs or Crean or any of the others mentioned on this thread wouldn't be outstanding coaches for OU.

Seems like you will get a good one and the battles with the roundball will continue to be great.

Hook'em

[Jimminy Crimson]

While Hobbs/Altman/Crean/Turgeon/etc would be good hires, I'd like to see if we can't get a homerun guy to come here, like a Donovan/Calipari/Pitino/Smith/etc.

Way too early to just give in and hire a guy who will come here no questions asked.

[william_brasky]

you guys, there's an Official Rumors thread in this forum.

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1274018

jeez. some people. :P

[crawfish]

You're completely wrong. It's Majerus, Joe C. just has to await approval from Norman's all-you-can-eat buffet association.

[MojoRisen]

I thought GWU won a lot more than 22-8 this year? I thought they had a record more like 27-3 ??? I guess I am hulicinating...

[Vegas Sooner]

they only had 1 conf loss

[Harry Beanbag]

I thought GWU won a lot more than 22-8 this year? I thought they had a record more like 27-3 ??? I guess I am hulicinating...


Apparently you didn't notice the 22-8 was in the 2004-05 season.

[Harry Beanbag]

While Hobbs/Altman/Crean/Turgeon/etc would be good hires, I'd like to see if we can't get a homerun guy to come here, like a Donovan/Calipari/Pitino/Smith/etc.

Way too early to just give in and hire a guy who will come here no questions asked.


I just don't see any way Donovan is leaving Florida right now for OU. Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask after his team is finished playing in the Final Four.

Calipari and Pitino told Indiana to pack sand, I'd hate to hear what they would tell Joe C.. Plus Calipari is sleazy, something the program doesn't need right now. Both of them kind of have gypsy reps anyway.

Smith is apparently listening, but will most likely do to OU what Dixon did to ASU last week.

[Ruprecht]

It's not Turgeon. We can rule him out. They'll take care of him---he doesn't want to leave, anyway.

This job has an odd combination of low support and high expectations.....

[mOUse]

Jason Skurzynski will coach OU next season!!!:P

[Ruprecht]

Who the HELL is Jason Skurzynski?

[Ruprecht]

I thought that Hobbs was a baseball player. Plus, he wouldn't fit in here because he wouldn't take the lay down money.

[Harry Beanbag]

Who the HELL is Jason Skurzynski?


Ski!!!

How old are you?

[okienole3]

Ski!!!

How old are you?

No joke. I remember the Ski's section in the program back then. It read something to the effect of "he has perfected the half-court shot against his teammates in HORSE." When I was a kid, I always wondered if they would put him in at the end of the game if they needed a halfcourt shot.

[NickZeppelin]

I've got a reliable source saying that's it's John Wooden;)

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

If Tubby takes the job someone should do an NCAA investigation on how someone as dumb as Tubby ever was Champ ;)

[Rhino]

I'm hoping it'll be Oleg Retzov.

[okienole3]

Philly radio reporting that OU has been given permission to talk to Jay Wright.

[oumartin]

you kiddin' us okienole3?

[Rhino]

you kiddin' us okienole3? Nope. The Nova boards (http://villanova.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1159&tid=71554760&sid=&style=2) are yapping about it.

Most of them think it won't happen because he signed a new contract.

[okienole3]

Nope. The Nova boards (http://villanova.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1159&tid=71554760&sid=&style=2) are yapping about it.

Most of them think it won't happen because he signed a new contract.


...what you mean. OU is one of the top-tier programs in the Big12 (still a power conference, even if this was a down year...). Sooners get a lot of attention in the State of Oklahoma, have a loyal and enthusiastic fan-base, terrific facilities & a budget larger than the GDP of most third world countries to run the program.

:D

[OUstud]

Ah, to be naive and living in Philly...

...but this guy nailed it I think: "This is where Wright wants to be. The basketball program in Norman is football's red-headed stepchild. Women's basketball might even be bigger down there. And it's Oklahoma." :mad:

[jk the sooner fan]

Hobbs would be a natural

[JohnnyMack]

Hobbs would be a natural

spek.

[sooner518]

He'll never leave there for us, but those Nova fans sure think highly of their basketball program. Kinda strange considering this is the frist year in the last 10 years that I have really heard anything about Villanova.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Jesse Jackson is a bit more likely. Inspiring halftime speeches take our program to new heights.

And shaking down "the man" for money...

[Jimminy Crimson]

Your next coach: Geno Auriemma

[AllAboutThe'O']

You know, Karl Hobbs was one of the first names that crossed my mind when I saw the first ESPN report that Sampson was gone.
After a couple of days of digestion, I'm more and more convinced that Hobbs is coming to OU.
Anyone know if George Washington has a message board?

[Jimminy Crimson]

Anyone know if George Washington has a message board?

Do they even have the innerweb in Warshington, DeeCee? :kelvin:

[TopDawg]

Anyone know if George Washington has a message board?

I don't think they even had computers back then.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

http://www.revolutionfans.com

YWIA!!!!

[Jimminy Crimson]

http://www.myspace.com/firstprez

[AllAboutThe'O']

Cute, you guys. Real, real cute.:rolleyes:

[TopDawg]

Here's their take on the issue:

http://www.gwhoops.com/default.asp?messID=16460

[Jimminy Crimson]

That is the most painful board to read EVAR! :mack:

[TopDawg]

yup

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Gopokes.com would love to beg the differ ;)

[TripleOption14]

Karl Hobbs?!?!? :rolleyes: I don't know if thats such a "great" hire. The reason GW won so many games is because they played NOBODY!!!!! Go look at their schedule. Their RPI was like in the 300's!! Its not hard to win 20+ games when your playing ZERO teams that made it to the tourney. He hasn't shown much imo.

[jk the sooner fan]

dont kid yourself boy, he'd be a wonder

[william_brasky]

that message board of theirs is retawwded.

[TripleOption14]

dont kid yourself boy, he'd be a wonder

Really?!?! Go look at GW's schedule and tell me Kelvin would not have had just a good a record. Hell, a high school coach could have put up the same record against that comp. So lets not go getting all giddy about Hobbs.The A-10 is not the conf. it used to be.......boy.

[jk the sooner fan]

Really?!?! Go look at GW's schedule and tell me Kelvin would not have had just a good a record. Hell, a high school coach could have put up the same record against that comp. So lets not go getting all giddy about Hobbs.The A-10 is not the conf. it used to be.......boy.

and the movie reference sailed right over your head

brilliant

[TripleOption14]

and the movie reference sailed right over your head

brilliant

I guess.. :rolleyes:

[jk the sooner fan]

the others got it,

you know, the movie "The Natural".....Roy Hobbs

so my first post is "he'd be a natural"

his bat was "boy wonder"

your'e ready for mensa!

[william_brasky]

nobody's ever ready for menses. :kelvin:

[TripleOption14]

the others got it,

you know, the movie "The Natural".....Roy Hobbs

so my first post is "he'd be a natural"

his bat was "boy wonder"

your'e ready for mensa!

Ah... I've never seen it all the way through. Just bits and pieces. I hear its a great movie though. I've just never been able to get into baseball in any form. Football all the way!!

[Harry Beanbag]

nobody's ever ready for menses. :kelvin:


Just add ketchup, they're magically delicious.

[jk the sooner fan]

Ah... I've never seen it all the way through. Just bits and pieces. I hear its a great movie though. I've just never been able to get into baseball in any form. Football all the way!!

baseball is the backdrop for the story, you should give it a try

great movie!

[Harry Beanbag]

Does this mean Wilford Brimley is replacing Kelvin?

[GDC]

.
Oklahoma can learn from TU, Richardson
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
3/31/2006

Nolan Richardson has not talked to anyone at the University of Oklahoma and doesn't expect to about the school's basketball coaching job.

Yet, OU can learn much about hiring basketball coaches from the experiences of Richardson and the University of Tulsa.

The first rule of hiring a basketball coach is simple. There is no magic formula.

Success can be found among experienced Division I, small college, junior college and even assistant coaches. OU football coach Bob Stoops, considered among the top handful of coaches in the nation, was an assistant with no head coaching experience when Joe Castiglione found and hired him eight years ago. Castiglione, Oklahoma's deluxe athletic director, will do the hiring to replace Kelvin Sampson, who was announced as Indiana's new coach on Wednesday.

At a press conference Wednesday, Castiglione said don't rule out anyone. That's the best rule of any coaching search. Secondly, he's not looking for a particular style.

Many Oklahoma fans have openly theorized that style of play will bring fans to the Lloyd Noble Center, where attendance has lagged behind the success of the team in recent years.

Thankfully, Castiglione squashed that idea saying it can be trouble to pick

"style over substance."

Plus, any candidate list that centers only on experienced and successful Division I coaches is misguided.

Sure, landing a Tubby Smith of Kentucky, Bill Self of Kansas or Richardson would make a big splash.

But those kind of wish lists are fantasy, not reality.

The best fit for any school can come from just about any level.

It is better to seek out the next great thing rather than go for the glitz of a golden resume.

OU is an attractive job because of the money and resources the Sooners can throw at basketball.

Yet, filling the shoes of Sampson will not be easy. Sampson won in a league loaded with high-level basketball programs such as Kansas, Oklahoma State and Texas. The Big 12 has potential nationally prominent programs at Missouri, Texas Tech, Iowa State, up-and-coming Texas A&M and an upgraded program at Kansas State.

OU went to 11 NCAA Tournaments in Sampson's 12 years.

"Consistency is the whole key to the thing," Richardson said. "Going to 11 tournaments in 12 years is really difficult. That's a great record."

But Richardson, who elevated the level of basketball at two schools, knows potential when he sees it.

"That (OU) can be a very good program," Richardson said. "You just have to find the right fit."

Richardson doesn't believe he will be on any lists in Norman but knows Oklahoma's potential to win a national title is just as good as it was when he left TU to go to Arkansas.

The Razorbacks, considered a football school, had become a national power under Eddie Sutton, who had been hired away from Creighton. But, it was Richardson who used the resources of the school and his personality to recruit at a championship level. Sutton took Arkansas to the Final Four in 1978. Richardson took the Razorbacks to three Finals Fours, winning the championship in 1994 and reaching the national finals in 1995.

Sampson has put down a solid foundation and made OU one of the most consistent winners in college basketball. That is almost identical to what Sutton did for Arkansas.

Arkansas went for a successful Division I head coach at one of the so-called "mid-majors" in this region.

To follow that model, it would seem Wichita State's Mark Turgeon and Creighton's Dana Altman are on the top of the OU list.

Richardson was not the nation's hottest commodity when Arkansas hired him away from TU. Yes, he breathed life into the Tulsa basketball program but had not won an NCAA Tournament before he moved to Fayetteville.

Richardson was the right fit. His style of play was far different than Sutton. His personality was far different. But Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles sensed the school and state were ready for such a drastic change.

Tulsa, on a smaller scale, has also fared well over the 25 years since Richardson came to 11th Street.

Richardson was not a prominent name on the candidate list. However, the possibility that Richardson would bring the national championship junior college team from Western Texas JC to TU was tempting. Those players would win the NIT his first season at Tulsa and then put TU in the NCAA Tournament the following year for just the second time in school history.

What all this means is that there is no magic pill for hiring coaches.

When Broyles hired Richardson he said "it feels right." Sometimes, a feeling is more important than a resume.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


John Klein 581-8368
[email protected]

[OUstud]

"Oklahoma, ugh!!! A Texas Joke: Why doesn't Texas fall off into the Gulf ? Because Ok------ S-----. Shame on me."

Nice editing, soldier. :stunned:

[Sooner24]

http://www.t-shirtking.com/graphics/102-01147.jpg

[Soonerpsycho]

http://x11.putfile.com/4/9019005069.jpg = http://www.cyranos.ch/patrick.gif

[AllAboutThe'O']

http://x11.putfile.com/4/9019005069.jpg = http://www.cyranos.ch/patrick.gif
Billy Donovan looks more like Eddie Munster than Jay Wright does.

[stoopified]

Jesse Jackson is a bit more likely. Inspiring halftime speeches take our program to new heights.Don't you mean depths?

[Boffingham]

Really?!?! Go look at GW's schedule and tell me Kelvin would not have had just a good a record. Hell, a high school coach could have put up the same record against that comp. So lets not go getting all giddy about Hobbs.The A-10 is not the conf. it used to be.......boy.

Just because a team plays an easy schedule, doesn't mean the coach isn't any good.

[Boffingham]

the others got it,

you know, the movie "The Natural".....Roy Hobbs

so my first post is "he'd be a natural"

his bat was "boy wonder"

your'e ready for mensa!


Wonderboy, not Boy Wonder

[william_brasky]

I preferred the Savoy Special.

[DeadSolidPerfect]

There goes Karl Hobbs, the greatest ball coach there ever was.

[william_brasky]

Pick me a winner Joe C.

[Harry Beanbag]

Bump...

[GottaHavePride]

Wonderboy, not Boy Wonder

http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/International/bnr_arch/Tenacious_D_DVD-tribute-JB-.jpg