Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
And that will happen next year, if he doesn't turn it around.
Best outcome probably would have been Pinkel deciding to retire now, but that didn't happen. And honestly, trying to swim through the available coaching ranks this year against some of the competition would have been tough.
When Pinkel decided he wanted to come back, it put Alden in a tough situation. I'm not Alden's biggest fan, traditionally, but I agree with the decision to give Pinkel a chance to fix it. That is going to pay off when Alden is hiring Pinkel's replacement.
Alden's next hire will be incredibly critical. Pinkel is the best coach Missouri has had in 50 years (2001-current vs. 1959-1969 from Dan Devine). This is not, despite many thoughts, an easy job. The honest fact is that, no matter what, Missouri is ALWAYS going to be staring up at Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Tennessee when it comes to facilities, money in the program, etc. It currently is staring up at South Carolina and Arkansas, too.
This is the 8th-10th best job in a 14-team league, with upside that tops out at 7th or 8th best. To be more than what Pinkel was able to achieve prior to this year - consistent top 25-30 program (not talking about poll rankings - talking about wins, consistency, etc) - Missouri is going to need a truly elite coach. Those aren't exactly growing on trees.
I think it's easy to criticize Pinkel (something that he has made easier in the past year - honestly, I think he's lost some fire, some edge). But I think it's also easy to lose perspective and just think of him as an incompetent dummy.
I'm not saying this to excuse or apologize for Pinkel. His staff is at a crossroads and has a big hill to climb to prove it can turn it around (especially if he stays internal for the OC position).
I'm saying this because - to get back to my point in the third paragraph - Alden would have been in a tough spot if he forced Pinkel out or fired him after one losing season.
From an outside perspective, to a potential coaching hire, if Pinkel is fired, that's a warning sign. What does Alden say if asked:
"The guy I'd be replacing is the most successful coach at your school in 50 years. He's third on your all time wins list. And you fired him after one bad season that was devastated by injuries. Entering that season, his program had more games than all but a handful of programs.How do I know you won't do the same to me?"
Alden is giving Pinkel a chance to right the ship his way. That's an indicator of a good athletic director. By all indications, Pinkel has called in all his chips and is betting it all on the 2013 season. He's got no markers or political capital left.
He just went all in and got called. He's standing up and turning the cards over. Time will tell if he's holding pocket aces, Ace-Jack suited, a straight draw, or trash.
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