Report on Coach Wardle

[BUSongwriter]

Ha! Great minds thinking alike at the same time, Chibearsfan!

[Da Coach]

One other thing in the "let's keep it real" department. While Coach Wardle is building something great here, and I hope he stays for years to come, the fact is his team has not finished higher than fifth place in the MVC during his four years here....

Yes, I agree. And I do not think Wardle's overall coaching record is likely to draw offers from high-majors just yet. But note the real improvement we have seen each year at Bradley under Wardle. Compare with the 4-year tenure of the previous coach, which was celebrated by our local media. In his 4 seasons as head coach, Geno never finished higher than 7th place. He never came close to a .500 MVC record (Wardle has already had .500 MVC records the last 2 seasons). Geno never had a single season that he did not play on Thursday in St. Louis. Wardle has skipped Thursday the last 2 years, he has won at least 1 game in the tournament in 3 of his 4 seasons, and has a winning overall record in the MVC Tournament (5-3) in his 4 years including a championship. And in his 4th season, Geno was a distant 10th place (14 games behind the leader), while in Wardle's 4th year he is the MVC Champion. So considering where we were at the start of Wardle's tenure, and how he has accomplished all this with late recruiting cycle & leftover recruits in 2015, we need to keep things going and I expect to see further improvement.

[Dub]

One other thing in the "let's keep it real" department. While Coach Wardle is building something great here, and I hope he stays for years to come, the fact is his team has not finished higher than fifth place in the MVC during his four years here.

I get what you're saying, and I basically agree. I was speaking to a friend this weekend about what it would take to get him interested in Bradley again, and he said we need to win the regular season 2-3 seasons in a row before he looks at tickets again.

However, ask Drake and Loyola what finishing first in the regular season got them.

In our league right now, the #1 measurement of success prior to the true "post season" is winning the valley tourney, which he/we did. The rest of the regular season is positioning to support your conf tourney seed, and your potential seed in the NCAA.


What Bradley did this season is extremely difficult to do, and I don't want that to get lost.

[egib52]

b
Fred Hoiberg was signed by the Bulls thru 2020 at $5 million per year - so unless he negotiated or negotiates a full buyout -
he might just not want to work at Nebraska for $2 million until 2020.

Just to clarify as part of Hoiberg's buyout any money he makes just reduces the Bulls obligation by that much. So if he makes $2M the Bulls owe $3M.

[patrick_o'brian]

Purely speculation and trying to connect dots, but I just read an article from yesterday at 4pm in which BIll Moos, Nebraska AD stated that "he has a Top 3". He also stated that "all 3 have been contacted and there is no front runner". Does this Bracketgurus report mean that Coach Wardle is in the Top 3? Or is this source not credible? I'm hoping for the latter.

Oh well, we just need to hit this Powerball, donate, and keep Coach Wardle here. LOL!!!

[tornado]

well, I don't think you can believe anything you hear in these coaching hire situations...
I still laugh when I think about Mike Cross saying we were right where we wanted to be even after almost a DOZEN of the best candidates
came and/or interviewed and learned how it was gonna be and what would be expected of them and then they turned and left even tho
the salary offer here was TWO to THREE times what they were currently earning. Then later when Geno was hired, Cross made the comical statement that Geno was the ONLY candidate that was seriously considered and offered the job.

[Da Coach]

Purely speculation and trying to connect dots, but I just read an article from yesterday at 4pm in which BIll Moos, Nebraska AD stated that "he has a Top 3". He also stated that "all 3 have been contacted and there is no front runner". Does this Bracketgurus report mean that Coach Wardle is in the Top 3? Or is this source not credible? I'm hoping for the latter.

Even if the report is credible, the statement does not say that Wardle is among those "Top 3" candidates.
But I believe none of what is being said publicly by Nebraska and the media means much.
Here is what Fred Hoiberg himself said earlier today-

https://twitter.com/MHoiberg/status/1110886780910424065

MayorHoiberg @MHoiberg

Mr. Moos and myself have had discussions and I am feeling very confident that I will soon be in the head coaching position at the #UniversityofNebraska and we will start our journey to give this great University and fans what they deserve, and this my friends are WINS! #GBR

7:50 AM - 27 Mar 2019


Other sources report that Nebraska and Fred Hoiberg already have an agreement in principle, but the official announcement may be delayed pending how far Michigan State goes in the NCAA Tournament. Hoiberg's son plays on the Michigan State team.
I think Bradley fans can rest easy.

[Chibearsfan10125]

Unless he just started it today, that doesn’t appear to be Fred’s official twitter. There is no blue check mark and that account only has 2 posts. Plus I can not imagine any coach saying anything about a coaching job until it is official.

[Da Coach]

Unless he just started it today, that doesn’t appear to be Fred’s official twitter. There is no blue check mark and that account only has 2 posts. Plus I can not imagine any coach saying anything about a coaching job until it is official.

You are correct. Thanks for noting that, and sorry I fell for it without a closer look. That is clearly not Hoiberg's own personal twitter, and appears to be a phony one just started in the last day or two.

Here is Hoiberg's real twitter, and he has not tweeted in several years-

https://twitter.com/ISUMayor32

[Go_Braves]

I get what you're saying, and I basically agree. I was speaking to a friend this weekend about what it would take to get him interested in Bradley again, and he said we need to win the regular season 2-3 seasons in a row before he looks at tickets again.

However, ask Drake and Loyola what finishing first in the regular season got them.

In our league right now, the #1 measurement of success prior to the true "post season" is winning the valley tourney, which he/we did. The rest of the regular season is positioning to support your conf tourney seed, and your potential seed in the NCAA.


What Bradley did this season is extremely difficult to do, and I don't want that to get lost.

I totally agree with you Dub.... That is exactly what Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson also knows and never really states. Ben is an incredible coach and at the beginning of the 2018-19 season had a relatively new rag-tag team - that Ben over the course of the season continued to tweak all the way up to the MVC tournament. Ben knew that the top 6 - 7 teams in the MVC were all capable of winning it all - that there was so much parity that your bracket in the MVC tournament didn't mean that much so long as you only play 3 games the tournament weekend. Winning the regular MVC season conference title is nice - Winning the MVC tournament is a lot nicer with the post game national media coverage, automatic NCAA bid - and all the school and fan excitement. There was never previously a MVC tournament 6th seed playing a 5th seed for the Valley tournament title. That says it all right there. Continue and improve throughout the regular season and "do not" finish in the bottom 4 of the regular season standings - then you have a chance.

[Tommy]

Two things:
1. I agree with Dub
2. I hate Twitter

[tornado]

These guys think Hoiberg won't decide until he's done following his kid play for Michigan State - https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...ed/3286109002/

[basketball nut]

I agree. This is a compliment to Coach Wardle, but I think the chances are he will stay at Bradley.
I think Hoiberg will still end up taking the job. I hope this is just a ploy by Nebraska to let Hoiberg know he's not the only candidate.

I would think Hoiberg might be the new coach but we better get prepared as the more he wins the more the offers will come in. I'm not sure we have anyone ready to pony up a million a year like Wichita did. The one hope we have is he has a family and if they like Peoria and the school they are at, then that might play an important part in the family staying at least for a few years.
It's hard to turn down an offer that pays you as much in one year as he would make in 8 years here and most of those teams give you 4 or 5 years guaranteed.

[basketball nut]

POSSIBLY GOOD NEWS FOR BU FANS
Was just checking the Nebraska message board and they are totally convinced that Hoiberg will be the new coach. No mention of any other coach, in fact when anyone says anything about another coach all that comes up in Hoiberg is a done deal but waiting until MSU loses because of his son playing there.
That would be good news for BU for now but as I said earlier teams will come calling, if not this year then next year.

[Da Coach]

I would think Hoiberg might be the new coach but we better get prepared as the more he wins the more the offers will come in.,,,

What would you suggest Bradley do to "get prepared"? I agree with you and recognize that possibly some day Wardle will get offers that he will have to consider, and may possibly take. But I don't see anything that Bradley can or should do now. I don't think a school can start contacting other schools or contact or negotiate with potential candidates when they don't have a position open yet.