Issues with Harlan and Utah Basketball

[AZUteFan]

I can see why Tom Holmoe was all giddy when Harlan was hired as AD.  No question that the Utah basketball program and overall brand was hurting before he got here, but Harlan has not helped and I would argue is making things worse.  

Evidence #1: Thinks Larry K is an elite coach.  This is the biggest issue.  Direct quote from the Des News: “I think Larry Krystkowiak is an elite basketball coach, and I’m very honored that he’s here.”  It is one thing to give your underperforming coach a vote of confidence.  It’s another thing to refer to him as an elite coach.  Larry K, while a step above Giacoletti and Boylen, is not even close to an elite coach and to refer to him as such shows Harlan is a bad evaluator of what an elite coach looks like.  Harlan gets a pass on the ridiculous contract that Hill gave him, but let’s not act like he has been earning his keep.  

Evidence #2: Decides to close off the upper deck next season.  Gives reasons such as fan attendance is in decline and this will provide a better fan experience to fill up the lower deck.  To me, closing off seats in the upper bowl does nothing more than wave a white flag.  If Larry was actually an elite coach, there would be 12-15k butts in the seats.Maybe instead of lowering the capacity by nearly half, go hire a head coach that will put butts in the seats.    

Evidence #3: OK, this point is probably a moot point, but it’s a perception thing…this increase in the buyout of future BYU basketball games to $250k.  Why would you sign off on this?  This is a game that BYU needs on their schedule and they have absolutley zero leverage. I realize we won’t buyout one of these games, but this makes Harlan look stupid IMO.  Tell Holmoe the buyout is $80k or 5 bucks or whatever and if they don’t like the terms, then to suck it!

Not impressed with Harlan and if we fail to make the NCAA tourney again, Larry K needs to be gone and he can take Harlan with him.  

[EagleMountainUte]

I was mostly not caring about your post until your third point. Absolutely ridiculous especially considering the new Bball coach is full zoob. 

I also think Rose was an ass considering the control he excercised over his ass players. 

Holmoe has leverage somehow is my only explanation. Pressure from the board and legislature other than that I don’t get how Harlan gets worked like that. 

[UteThunder]

I agree. This buyout has the legislature’s fingerprints all over it. Then again, maybe this is simply Harlan maintaining good relations with Holmoe / BYU. I mean, Harlan did recently tell BYU “thanks, but no thanks” to playing them in football for 2 years by scheduling Florida. 

[EagleMountainUte]

Yeah I know it is very confusing. Buying them out at a premium when he is closing parts of the Hunty stupid. There isn’t a bad seat in that building I actually prefer the upper decks. Less people around as a general admission is appealing to me. 

[PlainsUte]

What if they made every other row empty for social distancing before we get a vaccine?   Might need those upper bowl seats to implement something like that.   Otherwise, big deal, they can remove the curtain for the bigger games.  Its not just Utah but lots of programs are having trouble getting butts in the seats.

[EagleMountainUte]

[AZUTE]

Your points are ridiculous.

Point 1. He doesn’t think Larry is an “elite” Coach. It’s just AD speak. Harlan would have fired Larry already if it wasn’t for the buyout but as long as he’s stuck with him he’s gonna give him the proverbial “vote of confidence”. Harlan would very much like to put his mark on the athletic program with his people that he has hired in HC Coaching positions. Whit is untouchable but Larry is squarely in Harlan sites and very much on the hotseat starting next season now that Utah can afford to fire him.

2. Larry’s fault. He’s put such a p**s poor product on the court attendance is way down and this is the result. If Larry wins and damand goes up they will reopen it. If there is a new Coach in 2021 my guess is it will reopen. Harlan understands the optics of closing the upper deck and he knows it’s embarrassing but again he has to be PC about it and blame it on dwindling fan support across the country not the crappy HC he was saddled with.

3. Utah is a dumpster fire right now and has zero leverage with BYU. Pope in his first year was having one of BYU’s best seasons in a decade and in their way to the NCAA’s before C19 hit. You want Utah B-ball to big time BYU and the State legislators when right now they have zero power and influence to do so.

[chinngiskhaan]

I’d ask you to delete this post out of respect for yourself… but I need entertainment, so I won’t mind if you continue to post crazy opinions.

[AZUteFan]

Fair enough – my post was an overreaction on Harlan that stemmed primarily from hearing about the $250k buyout of the byu game, which doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things because we aren’t going to cancel this game again.  I just don’t understand how Holmoe can work him over like that.  $250k is a ridculous and exaggerated buyout and when Holmoe & co are pushing unreasonable terms, our AD should tell him to pound sand.  

I want to like Harlan and his hand are tied with Larry K thanks to Dr. Hill, but please don’t refer to him as “elite” because that is not just AD speak – that’s crazy talk.  Word choice is important.  Call him a good basketball coach or say that you have faith he can build a strong program and turn things around or whatever.   

[UteThunder]

Exactly. If the only thing preventing Harlan from replacing LarryK is the buyout, then you don’t call him “elite” in the mean time. Otherwise, Harlan just looks foolish when he fires LarryK a year later.

[EagleMountainUte]

The only thing Elite about Larry K has been his Salary lately. He did have a great class recently though. This is his last year though. 

[chinngiskhaan]

He’s a relatively new athletic director for us… Is he supposed to come in guns blazing saying that the coach he is stuck with is way overpaid? You have to keep in mind that his #1 job duty is to keep people happy (winning is a huge part of that, but not everything).

But yeah, I get your frustration, at least the calmed down version of it. He very easily could have said something different, but the fact that he said that coach Krystkowiak is elite means absolutely nothing. It doesn’t have any effect on anything other than to make our basketball coach maybe feel a little bit better about his job security. When someone calls a coach elite, and they clearly aren’t, it’s really not that big of a deal.

[Ute Bc]

If the U wants to buy out the BYU game for any reason, the $250K vs $80K will not be a factor.

[Redblood]

Pope had his team in the tournament because he had 7 seniors who were good and experienced. In fairness, he recruited Yoeli to come back… But he is far from proven. I know you were talking more about leverage but Pope has a long way to go before they know what they have.

Coach K has his contract because of strong success (Sweet 16), relatively early in his tenure. Time will tell with Pope.