Tommy Amaker should not have been fired

Tags: college-basketball, michigan, wolverines, big, ten

Tommy Amaker should not have been fired

Expires: 22-Mar-2007 18:32

Packer Backer

6 Votes
60%

I loved the quote from the AD that Michigan is used to winning Big Ten and national championships. Is he talking about all sports or just basketball? Tommy inherited a disastrous program that cheated. He cleaned it up, still recruited pretty well, had 3 20 win seasons and fell victim to a ridiculous amount of injuries. Don't tell me that Ohio State hasn't loosened standards in football and basketball to get where they are.

Tommy has his faults and he's too nice a guy but to fire him because they are used to winning national championships and Big Ten titles. Wolverine, bring me some stats of all those wins.

Wolverine

4 Votes
40%

I'm sort of glad it finally happened. I really like Tommy Amaker a lot, but that program was not going to win any time soon with him at the reigns, and I think a better coach could get them to the Tournament regularly....even with those miserable facilities.

Bill Martin's winning tradition comment was a reference to 3 runs to the championship game from 1989 through 1993 and some NCAA appearances thereafter. I agree with you that the program was dirty for all of those teams, so it isn't something he should have mentioned. With that said, the coach at Michigan should be able to put together some pretty good teams. Detroit and Flint product plenty of talent.

Some highlights of his career include:

1. Only one NCAA Tournament appearance with Seton Hall and Michigan over 10 seasons.

2. The ability to take solid (maybe not great) players and never develop them. He has had lots of very good freshman that didn't improve at all over the courses of their Michigan careers, including Daniel Horton, Dion Harris, Courtney Sims, and Lester Abrahm.

3. Never showed any passion or fire from the bench. This approach transferred directly to his players, who never played with any passion or conviction.

4. Chose not to do a radio/tv show to showcase the program...he let his assistants do that

5. Refused to pay players to get them to come to the school...how the heck are we going to see another Fab Five at Michigan with that approach??

6. Wore that sport coat / turtle neck combo to every game. Terrible look...he needed an update.

ReadComments

smithala (voted for Wolverine)

17-Mar-07 21:37

Too bad for H. Tommy Amaker but nice guys do finish last. I think Lavin would be a great hire. Or better yet, is Jim Harrick still looking for work? Barron what do you think?

Oski (voted for Packer Backer)

17-Mar-07 23:19

Nice guys get the shaft!

Wolverine (voted for Wolverine)

21-Mar-07 09:20

msmith492, please show me a sign of progress with the team? Something. Anything. How many games have you watched? Can someone say something positive for Tommy other than that he hasn't cheated and is a nice guy?

Nilbilly Boy (voted for Wolverine)

21-Mar-07 21:28

It's all about recruiting and the guy couldn't pull the players from Detroit. He needed to find himself at Southwestern High School with a shoebox of cash and brought in Fab 5 2.0. Winning the NIT every other year is nothing to be proud of.

Wolverine (voted for Wolverine)

22-Mar-07 12:34

I actually don't buy that it is all about recruting with Tommy. He had some pretty good talent there over the past 3 years, he just couldn't get it to gell. Daniel Horton, Bernard Robinson Jr. (still in the NBA), Dion Harris (ex Mr. Basketball in Mich), Lester Abrahm, Courtney Sims, Lavell Blanchard...all those guys underachieved in my opinion. I think if any one of them had been on an Izzo team, they would have had much more fruitful careers...or would have been kicked of his team.