Last Update: 3:30 pm
Lots of folks out there taking bits and pieces from this entry and trying to represent that we are saying things that we are not. For accuracy, people need to read it on their own as opposed to letting people misrepresent what is being said.
We aren’t saying much of anything right now. We are just trying to regurgitate things we’ve heard and build a puzzle from it.
Some people need to sit back and relax. This place is just a weblog. It is an informal, unofficial place where we banter around “fan conversations”. When we say that we have a piece of information “confirmed”, then we feel good about it. When we say something is a rumor…we mean it is a rumor. We are not “reporting” said rumor to be true.
This entire entry is highly speculatory. Relax. Be a fan. Enjoy.
The following is a list of rumors/information that we have gathered today:
* StateFansNation has heard from media sources that conversations between Rick Barnes and Texas have “broken down” while in the contract finalization phase.
* Shortly after we got this, we got wind from meetings in Raleigh today that NC State is pressing Barnes to “shit or get off the pot”. (It is obviously easy to meet today because of this afternoon’s spring football game).
* Additionally, the name Billy Gillispie has surfaced from these sources as State’s #2 choice.
* There were multiple rumors around Raleigh that NC State offered John Calipari the head coaching job late last night and that he has accepted. WE WARN YOU NOT TO BELIEVE THIS AT THIS TIME. Let us repeat, these are unsubstantiated rumors that don’t come from our normal sources. We are simply centralizing a list of “things that are out there”. We previously reported talks between the parties and will keep it at that. State has unofficially spoken to tons of candidates.
WE DON’T BUY ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AT FACE VALUE.
We caution you not to take it either. Something fishy is going on.
The following is our stab at SUPPOSITION and SPECULATION of what the think of the aforementioned rumors (partly based on things that we have heard):
* We are not convinced that an offer exists for Calipari as the rumors intimate. We wish that were the case. But, we’re not sure.
* This information related to Barnes & Gillispie feels way too much like a smoke screen. Gillispie is going to be a great long term coach in college basketball, and NC State fans would gladly accept Gillispie as the head of our program AFTER State made full-faithed efforts to land big names that included Rick Barnes and John Calipari. Is NC State really at the point in the process to go directly to Gillispie? We hope not.
* Gillispie is NOT a “week one” candidate at this point in his career. Gillipsie is a “week two” candidate. We don’t buy that the next step is Gillispie despite what some people placed closely to the search posit.
* Lee Fowler (and crew) deserve significant credit for their management of information during this process. They may have gone a little overboard on signalling fakes and leaking false information in the process, but who cares. Therefore, we aren’t only choosing to reject the Gillispie rumors, but the Barnes information as well.
* We think that it is important to ask, “Where has the recent Barnes still a candidate news originated? All of our sources are NC State-side of the equation who want to control information and can’t necessarily be trusted.
* But, what about the Texas side of the equation? Barnes has been phenomenally restrained and classy throughout this whole process. He has maintained appropriate silence with both the media and other contacts. Our take is – we don’t know if we should buy the news about Barnes and Texas having problems until we get it from Texas. Has anything from Austin leaked about this? (Would anyone really care in Texas?)
* Since we already suspected that today’s Barnes/Gillispie news felt like a smokescreen, then the rumor about John Calipari actually fits the hypothetical situation very nicely. But is it legit?
* What is the benefit to NC State to leak information that talks continue with Rick Barnes? We posit three theories:
* (1) We continue to talk to Barnes and the news is accurate.
* (2) If the rumor about Calipari getting the job is not true, then NC State obviously needs the courtesy of getting Barnes moving forward on a final answer as we continue the search.
* (3) If the rumor about Calipari getting the job is true, then NC State gets to control the public’s perception of the search. If people believe that we are still talking to Rick Barnes up until John Calipari (or any other coach) is formally announced, then said new coach would obviously have been NC State’s first choice (since we chose to move past Barnes while he was still an option for us). This helps our image and the image of the new coach. Brand Management 101.
We GUESS that the most realistic scenario that may be unfolding is as follows:
(1) State and Calipari have talked and understand each other’s needs and hypothetical terms. But no real offer has been provided?
(2) Calipari cannot afford to have the news break in Memphis that he is talking to State and needs an answer from the Pack asap.
(3) While State formalizes a potential offer to Calipari they are waiting for a final word from Rick Barnes.
At this point in the process, Rick Barnes has had more than enough to make a commitment to NC State. He hasn’t. By contrast, we hear that John Calipari is ready, willing, and we know able. We suggest that Fowler and company not screw around and get Calipari signed, sealed, and delivered. Every moment that wastes is a moment that a “legitimate” media source in Memphis gets word of the situation and State ends up screwed without Barnes or Calipari.
At that point, Billy Gillispie truly would be next.
If this continues to develop the way we think, then we could have unofficial confirmation on NC State’s next head basketball coach in the next 24 to 36 hours and potentially have a public announcement on Monday.
If you have enjoyed/appreciated our work and coverage on the NC State Coaching search, then please click here and help us out. (it’s not for money!)
Stay tuned!!
