What could have been. Rick Pitino coaching at Michigan.
I wasn't aware of this but I'm sure a lot of the people on MGoBlog are. Interesting nevertheless, and even though we're in a fantastic situation I wonder what the program would be like if Pitino would've stuck with his initial choice.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2012/10/rick_pitino_recalls_how_close.html#incart_river
October 24th, 2012 at 4:26 PM ^
http://siriusxmsports.posterous.com/private/xprzyanoaE
I remember this going down my freshman year at Michigan.
"I tried to call the A.D. at Michigan between 12 and 1. I had a false name. I would give him a fake name and he would call me back. I couldn’t get a hold of him because he was playing squash. The secretary said he demands that he doesn’t get interrupted unless it’s an emergency and if you want you can leave a voicemail. I left a voicemail and went to Louisville and I’m really happy I did."
Squash Martin...oy
October 24th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
October 24th, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^
maybe if billy boy would have taken his call he could have talked him out of it. I like Pitino a lot. I was so ndisapointed when he didnt come.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^
Eh. I have hard time blaming Martin for this. The article states he was signed. Martin was probably thinking it was normal work rythm time, and yes, I do believe he should be able to turn off his cell phone for an hour.
In anycase, its probably all for the best. We've got a good thing going in bball, I'm not sure Pitino would have thrived in an environment where bball was always the bridesmaid never the bride, and I don't think UM would have been as forgiving as Lousville was with respect to his personal short comings.
Ships passing in the night, water on the under bridge, your favorite cliche here, but both sides seem better off for it IMO.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^
...and I'd say the program is in pretty good hands now.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^
But when stuff like this comes out, it's very frustrating. It also speaks to Bill Martin moreso than anything.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^
Not according to that ignorant ass, Phil, who calls WTKA almost every morning. I hate that fool.
October 24th, 2012 at 5:08 PM ^
yes,the program is in good shape right now. what zbout the years from 01-09 when we sucked. he really good of helped then.
October 24th, 2012 at 8:46 PM ^
Well, if he would have come here and then conveniently resigned in 2007 to make room for Beilein, yeah, that'd have been good. But realistically, if we'd have hired him we would never have gotten Beilein. And we would have had another basketball-related scandal (this time due to the coach's sleazy behavior) to further alienate our fanbase.
As agonizing as the Amaker years were, I'll take our current reality over the alternate version.
October 24th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
Pitino is a scumbag of the highest order. I am thrilled he's not in Ann Arbor.
October 25th, 2012 at 12:38 AM ^
I disagree, John Calipari is a much bigger scumbag, so Pitino has to settle for scumbag of the second order.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^
October 24th, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^
I love our coaches and I would not undo the negative years that led up to us getting them.
October 24th, 2012 at 10:44 PM ^
trade JB for RP now. No way.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^
Holy hell. . .Pitino calls Bill Martin to explain (or, to be talked into it?), and he is sent to voicemail by Martin's secretary because the boss is playing squash?
Forget missing out on a pretty good coach (again); in my view, the worst part about all of this is that the UM Sailing and Squash teams are still non-factors in NCAA competition, despite the hands-on attention from our AD.
I mean, come on Bill!
October 24th, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^
We have a Sailing and Squash team???
October 24th, 2012 at 4:30 PM ^
After reading this and "3 and out" it would appear our Athletic Director was not terribly interested in athletics during his tenure or at least he wasnt interested in the coaching selection much.
The fact that things are good now does not excuse Martin's lack of engagement then. In both football and basketball it seems.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^
Many people in positions of power take advantage of said power. It doesn't mean he's a terrible person. Look at Bill Clinton. There's no point in dealing in hypotheticals so I won't. What I will say is that the third femur can be a powerful friend or enemy.
October 24th, 2012 at 6:58 PM ^
Perhaps, but my third fifth metacarpal hasn't been much of a friend to me or anyone else.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
When we were looking for a new baseball coach, I guess Martin was playing badminton when Joe Torre called.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^
It was croquet. Wickedly competitive match, at that.
October 24th, 2012 at 5:56 PM ^
/ISeeWhatYouMayHaveUnintentionallyDoneThere
October 24th, 2012 at 10:45 PM ^
post.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:55 PM ^
It was squash on his sailboat.
October 24th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^
Playing squash on a sailboat is nothing to sneeze. To expect him to also take a phone call would be rather ridiculous.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^
Good riddance, Bill Martin.
October 24th, 2012 at 7:15 PM ^
That Bill Martin bungled the negotiations for Les Miles (with no guarantee we'd ever get him), and that Martin wasn't able to personally take the call from Rick Pitino saying that Pitino didn't want the Michigan job?
Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on you. I'm angry that Martin bungled the hiring of Jeff Casteel.
October 24th, 2012 at 8:48 PM ^
Is Casteel really the miracle worker people have been making him out to be? Thus far Arizona's defense is looking pretty bad.
Personally, I'm happy without Miles, Pitino or Casteel.
October 24th, 2012 at 10:46 PM ^
God has His hand on UM. Things happen for a reason.
October 24th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
Arizona defense is unathletic
October 24th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^
plain bad.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:05 PM ^
Please add something more to your posts, instead of simple, "I agree, it sucks" that doesn't bring anything worthwhile to the board.
October 25th, 2012 at 7:47 AM ^
I'm mad because the leader of Michigan athletics was out dicking around at a hectic time period like that was.
That and him shooting from the hip with his stupid coaching hires. He lucked out with Beilein.
October 25th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^
I am soooo tired of people criticizing Bill Martin as if he did absolutley nothing for the university. You do realize that the athletic department was in the _ _ _ _ can financially before he took over and so where all of their facilities which was a hindrance when it came to competing for top recruits.
1. 2001-2006 Renovation of Yost that added 300 club level seats among other things.
2. added women's water polo (you know...the team that the gold medal winning goalie at this summer's olympics came from) and men's soccer.
3. secured a million dollar radio contract.
4. donated his pay to the athletic department to offset costs.
5. hired Rich Maloney (and the baseball team did great in regards to championships and post season appearances) and Mike Bowan (who brought along Michael Phelps and a lot of publicity for the U).
6. renovated Alumni Field and Fisher Stadium
7. began the renovation project of Michigan Stadium (new press box, luxury boxes, etc.)
8. building of new football practice facility was approved
9. signed new contract with Adidas...making $3.5 million more annually than Nike contract.
10. raised funds to construct the basketball practice facility
11. construction of new soccer stadium approved.
12. during his tenure Michigan teams won 72 conference, regular season or tournament championships, had 35 top five finishes and won two national championships.
13. Big Chill...yes I know Brandon was AD at the time but it didn't start with him.
So yes, he also brought us Rich Rod (and a lot of people thought that was a great hire at the time) but Bill is a businessman and he came in when the program was running a significant deficit and left it with a surplus.
and the Les Miles debacle...you can thank Les himself for that one.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:36 PM ^
4 years ago, all of us would have agreed that our bball program would have been much better if we would have hired Pitino instead of Harvard-bound Tommy. Fast-forward to now, I'm happy everything worked out how it did. Even though we haven't made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament, it's been so much fun watching Beilein's teams exceeding expectations year after year. It's even more exciting now that we have top notch talent. Beilien was a great hire and we wouldn't have been in a position to hire him had Pitino accepted the position.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^
I'll never forget my senior year in 2001 when the Michigan Daily jumped the gun and filled the entire cover with a picture of Pitino, indicating he was coming to Michigan.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:39 PM ^
Thank goodness Dave Brandon has no hobbies.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:42 PM ^
His one hobby was making Pizza, but some might think his hobby is tinkering with our uniforms.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^
It is making pizza. Why do you think Hoke said he would walk to Ann Arbor?
October 24th, 2012 at 11:09 PM ^
stuff right here.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^
oh he has hobbies....
October 24th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
counting the money. Go ahead DB and count that coin.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:44 PM ^
October 24th, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^
I think of Homer Simpson working at the nuclear power plant. Funny stuff if it weren't so true and close to home. And squash no less. Who the hell plays squash except old dudes with those tube athletic socks and "Bike" shorts?
October 24th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^
I played squash once. It was lots of fun because we were drunk and didn't know the rules. We were basically playing to hit each other with the ball.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:10 PM ^
hurt?