Herb Probably Got this Guy Fired

Poor Ben Braun. There may be one coach in all of college basketball whose personality is less vibrant than Braun’s; but that one coach may the one who ultimately gets the California Head Coach fired.

Braun

Check out this link that discusses Cal’s 41-42 loss this weekend to (previously) 1-14 Arizona State. You read that correctly. 41-42. In a college basketball game. In a major conference, In 2007. With the shot clock. And three point line.

After losing to Arizona State 42-41 Saturday, Cal is the No. 8 seed in the Pac-10 Tournament and will likely need to win three games just to make the NIT. Those mere 41 points, yep, lowest output since 1988. Hell, the football team put up more than that on multiple occasions.

The Bears have lost 10 of 12 and that man pictured? Yeah, Ben Braun’s chair might be getting warm. He has one of the longer tenures in the Pac-10, but he really hasn’t done much at Cal, and while injuries have decimated the Bears this year, to lose to Arizona State at home?! Friggin’ Arizona State?!

In fact, the ‘big’ ASU win moved the Sun Devils out of the cellar of one guy’s power ratings.

If you remember, Herb Sendek’s NC State Wolfpack eliminated the Cal Bears from the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. For some fun, you can review the entry from last year’s NC State win.

Herb

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General NCS Basketball

128 Responses to Herb Probably Got this Guy Fired

  1. BJD95 03/06/2007 at 10:34 AM #

    I’d rather beat myself in the head with a sledgehammer than argue any further about Coach Sendek.

  2. CedarGroveWolf 03/06/2007 at 10:34 AM #

    “First there’s NC State, the innate draw of the ACC, then our rich tradition and history have always right there to draw from.”

    of course, but the coach has to use those things to bring in top recruits. Before Herb, when was the last time a top recruit came to NCSU?

    “Yes! There truly are people out there who are so demented that they think that good players are interested in NC State (again) BECAUSE of Herb Sendek. No kidding. They exist”

    There are many factors in bringing in top recruits, the head coach is one of those factors, a very important one.

  3. VaWolf82 03/06/2007 at 10:35 AM #

    Give ASU some time, they’ll be very good with Herb.

    Then you interpret his time at NCSU differently than I do or have a completely different definition of “very good”. I prefer:

    His record is what it was. It wasnt horrible. It was not outstanding.

    I don’t know why anyone would expect anything different at ASU.

  4. old13 03/06/2007 at 10:51 AM #

    Herb has good character and has his priorities in order for life. Unfortunately he is NOT a basketball genius and his stubbornness restricts him from improving above mediocrity in this area. I expect he’ll do the same thing at ASU so they may as well forget winning any championships, although they will be invited to the Big Dance regularly for a one- or two-win run. The best thing to happen to State basketball recently was his leaving and Sid coming on board.

  5. CedarGroveWolf 03/06/2007 at 10:56 AM #

    “although they will be invited to the Big Dance regularly for a one- or two-win run.”

    that would be outstanding for ASU & a great coaching job. He won’t be there long if does that.

  6. GoldenChain 03/06/2007 at 11:04 AM #

    I remember Herb’s 1st season when he brought us from being losers for 5 straight seasons to a respectable 17 wins and NIT berth. Quite an achievement from the LR years. And I am thankful for what he did for our program.
    I’ve watched several of the ASU games this season because there is one night that FoxSS (or someone) features PAC10 games. Obviously he had a losing record but was very close to upsetting some big folks and finally broke through against USC.
    I expect the same from Herb out west, moderate success but I don’t expect to see him in the Final 4 either.
    However I only wish the best for him.

  7. Girlfriend in a Coma 03/06/2007 at 11:12 AM #

    I’d rather shoot myself in the balls with a nail gun than read this thread.

  8. El Scrotcho 03/06/2007 at 11:14 AM #

    Lock is an agent of the Empire of Japan and cannot be trusted.

  9. lush 03/06/2007 at 11:19 AM #

    “although they will be invited to the Big Dance regularly for a one- or two-win run.”

    and as we all know that is the pinnacle of his abilities.

    “that would be outstanding for ASU & a great coaching job. He won’t be there long if does that.”

    actually, he will try for 5 years to get to this point, and then stay as long as they will keep him.

  10. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 11:20 AM #

    “of course, but the coach has to use those things to bring in top recruits. Before Herb, when was the last time a top recruit came to NCSU?”

    I think the answer to that is question right before the restrictions were clamped down on Les Robinson in his relatively tenure as HC. Which would also mean that it wasn’t too many years separated from when Coach Herb Sendek took over the program. Not enough separation in time where any new HC at NCSU couldn’t have reached back onto those memories and very much reaped their benefits back then. But Herb knew better than eveyone, he did it his way, and so and the rest of the coaches around the ACC. Some other coaches continued their winning ways capturing ACC and national titles, while others earned their first ever. But NCSU, one of the most successful programs in the history of the ACC, never reconnected or reached as far as it once had.

    But you’re saying it’s totally understandable for everyone else to continue along with their habitual success stories, while just playing variations of the traditional game. Or even for others to rise above on occassion, while just playing variations of the traditional game, but not NC State, we needed a whole new direction. You’re saying we had risen above but were still being hampered by 1990, and the Les R years, even when we’re a decade removed from it.

    I guess that makes it all acceptable???

  11. packbackr04 03/06/2007 at 11:25 AM #

    of course, but the coach has to use those things to bring in top recruits. Before Herb, when was the last time a top recruit came to NCSU?

    when did Herb ever bring in a top recruit that was worth a flip?

  12. Gene 03/06/2007 at 11:26 AM #

    The former guy left us in just as bad of a shape as he inherited.

    How many programs will not be short-handed, after a coaching change, when the incoming years recruits usually bolt to other programs, along with the graduation of three seniors and two underclassman either going pro or opting out of basketball to focus on another sport. Just tell me the team that will not be short-handed after losing 5 players from the previous year and 2/3 of its recruiting class; otherwise lay-off the “shape” Herb left this program in.

    At the end I was frustrated with our inability to win big games, but Herb did bring in some much needed stability and his clean image HELPED THE PROGRAM and is what is enabling Lowe & Co. to pitch us to big time recruits. I know the clean image is a by-product of the academic support infrastructure Robinson helped create (just a side note to this rant, UNC and Duke have been able to keep getting top players, in my opinion, because of their commitment to make sure their kids can graduate, whereas Maryland has not been able to build on their recent success and has one of the lowest graduation rates in ACC Men’s Basketball), but this could’ve been seriously undercut if Herb started going after seriously marginal academic players, who got into off the court trouble.

    Herb Probably Got this Guy Fired

    I think if Braun was poised to go to the NCAA’s, he might still have a job. Lot’s of losses probably added up, and not just losing to ASU.

    I don’t know why anyone would expect anything different at ASU.

    I’ve been to the ASU message boards and being 20-10 and squeaking into the NCAA’s is just fine for them. Kind of like us annointing Sainthood an Amato, for going 8-4 a couple of years in a row and beating a less than stellar Notre Dame team. Real football schools fire coaches for not going to a BCS bowl every year, but we don’t have that kind of football tradition, so we’re easier to please. Nothing wrong for the ASU fans to be satisfied with any improvement in their basketball program, like we were (are) in our football program.

    Maybe the ASU fanbase will change if they get a whiff of basketball success and demand more, or they’ll honor Herb for getting their program off the ground, like Purdue did with Gene Keady.

    Either way, I hope we as a fanbase can get to the point, where we no longer need to discuss Herb.

    The better use of energy would be to highlight the amazing success Derrick Whittenburg has had in getting Fordham turned around, in a very very short period of time. I think he’s been there four years and he inherited a two win squad (not two conference wins, two wins period, though they officially got two extra wins when St. Boniventure forefeited their season) and has them getting a winning record in year and maybe an NIT birth.

    Whitt seems to be a good college coach, who got passed over for a lot of coaching opportunities, in my opinion, but is making the most of any chance he gets.

  13. CedarGroveWolf 03/06/2007 at 11:29 AM #

    What are you talking about? I’m saying what I’m saying, nothing more. Herb rebuilt this program with a solid foundation, improvement & better recruiting.

  14. CedarGroveWolf 03/06/2007 at 11:29 AM #

    “when did Herb ever bring in a top recruit that was worth a flip?”

    seriously?

  15. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 11:36 AM #

    “Kind of like us annointing Sainthood an Amato, for going 8-4 a couple of years in a row and beating a less than stellar Notre Dame team. Real football schools fire coaches for not going to a BCS bowl every year, but we don’t have that kind of football tradition, so we’re easier to please.”

    All true. But where people get side tracked is that WE ABSOLUTELY DO have that kind of basketball tradition and we aren’t going to be easy to please or make excuses because of a VERY FEW years in the early 1990’s where the program was basically put on hold.

  16. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 11:40 AM #

    If anyone is going to trouble of making a list of former recruits, please do not include the names of Josh Powell or Damien Wilkins as positive credits to the coach or NC State University.

  17. CedarGroveWolf 03/06/2007 at 11:51 AM #

    ^both were highly rated, esp Wilkins

  18. westwolf 03/06/2007 at 11:59 AM #

    Herb is a mediocre coach. That may be acceptable at ASU, but it isn’t at North Carolina State University. We’ve made the necessary upgrade at head coach to achieve greater success in the future than if we’d stayed with Herbie. The future is bright.

    What year was it in Herb’s tenure in which he failed to even reach the NIT? Ah, good times…good times.

  19. Dan 03/06/2007 at 12:12 PM #

    I long for the day when we talk mention Herb and have a fun – witty conversation without going all apeshit about what a saint/idiot he is.

    Poor Ben Braun. Was he the coach at Cal when they beat us in the tourney?

  20. GAWolf 03/06/2007 at 12:21 PM #

    I never got the feeling Herb “was part of the Wolfpack family.” He served a purpose here and served it pretty well, but in the end he was NEVER part of the “Wolfpack family.”

  21. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 12:22 PM #

    I could actually have fun in any conversation about Herb, but my posting privileges on SFN would be revoked POST-haste.

  22. lush 03/06/2007 at 12:23 PM #

    ^both were highly rated, esp Wilkins

    and niether worth their wieght in dung. herb’s star players scooter, powell, wilkins, adam harrington etc etc… all either transfered, went pro before they were ready, or never developed into stars.

    all your doing is padding recruiting stats, sorta like his overall record.

    but im sure that wasnt herbs fault, just like all his other deficiencies you try to cover up for him.

  23. lush 03/06/2007 at 12:24 PM #

    except hodge. hodge was awesome, but that is only one recruit in 10 years that panned out

  24. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 12:24 PM #

    GA

    Agreed. He didn’t nuture anything that was here before he arrived. Nothing.

  25. tractor57 03/06/2007 at 12:30 PM #

    GAWOLF,
    I got the same feeling also. Maybe part of his purpose was to not be part of the Wolfpack family. More and more I am convinced that along with his reserved personality is the administration in the background pushing him to avoid “the family” since the admin threw Valvano and all his staff under the bus (along with LR IMHO).

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