Going to an Ivy relieves the burdens of managing money and natty expectations. You're not expected to beat Harvard, Princeton and Penn in the league and the parents are coming to you, begging you for admission letter.... make a little gravy, maybe.. .Easy peasy Japanesey. Rice, you're still kinda P5, or are they P5? They're in that AAU or whatever trans-con leftover league, right? You still don't get much relief.
Everywhere has it's pros and cons. The pay may be low but the city is special and unique. I can't imagine it is that difficult to find a coach
Chitty weather, drugs, many homeless addicts, a lot of craft beer, lousy fishing. Nothing really special or unique about that.
With houses $225/sq ft and a salary in the high $40k range, they'll need to find someone with a wealthy spouse, or a single person willing to live in a tree house.
Brian Lee, LSU. https://riceowls.com/news/2019/3/29/womens-soccer-brian-lee-named-soccer-head-coach.aspx
Why would someone leave LSU for Rice? Great hire obviously I’m just curious why Brian would go there from an SEC school.
Lord Kril, I noticed your original post on this and almost repped it and asked if you knew something, which I thought might be the case. Good one!
I was wondering about this when I first read it. I'm not criticizing, but I'm interested in finding out how this particular "focusing on hiring a female" came into being. Can you give us any insight as to whether your source really knew, or was it just a rumor or someone's supposition? (I was pretty sure, at the time you posted it, that it was not the case.)
I think Brian was on the hot seat at LSU. Saved himself last season by his run in the SEC tournament. Probably got more years on his contract at Rice than what LSU was willing to renew for? Just a guess
I know it's just a guess, so you get a pass, but you're wrong. You've let yourself get caught in the assumption that a Power 5 coaching job necessarily is more desirable to a serious coach than a coaching job in a next tier conference. In my opinion, this is a really positive thing for D1 women's soccer. Not all the best jobs are Power 5 jobs.
Incorrect. He was on the hot seat going in to 2018, did very well to save his job. They did not give him a very good extension and let him out of current contract all together to go to Rice. Smart move for him if he wants a place with longevity. LSU did not show they wanted him long term even after a stellar year. Always better to be at a place that they want you. Brian will do very well at Rice. Rice is not a better job than LSU, let’s not be silly. Not a better conference, not better pay, not a better chance of making NCAA. It’s better academically and that’s it. This move is about job security. Next you’ll say UIC is a better job than Miss State and that’s why that coach left with multiple years left on his contract.
And you know this from what source? (Seriously. Maybe you know more from an authoritative source than I do.)
I just can't imagine leaving LSU for Rice unless it was job security reason. If I only got a 1 or 2 year extension at LSU where I have been recently struggling and a good Rice program offered me a 5-7 year contract I would definitely jump ship and head to Rice. Very few people in their right mind would leave a school like LSU for Rice if the job security was the same at both programs.
"Very few" is not "all." How do you explain Anagnost leaving Mississippi State for Illinois Chicago? There can be good reasons to leave a Power 5 team for a next tier team (not that Illinois Chicago qualifies as a "next tier" team). For some coaches, a better job is different than a Power 5 job, and I say that can be a legitimate decision that shouldn't be subject to, "What, there must be something wrong or the guy's nuts." Although I'll agree that Power 5 coaching positions are inherently "hot seats." It's a "What have you done for me lately?" culture.
A few more thoughts on the LSU v Rice decision. Based on my looks at team histories, LSU is right around its "natural resting position." That means that it may do better for a while than where it is right now, it may do worse for a while, but it's natural gravitational pull is going to be back to around where it is right now. Maybe an Athletic Director is pushing for more, but that's not realistic over the long term. If that's what the AD is pushing for, it's an inherently/impossibly bad situation for a coach. For Rice, it's a little less clear. Their natural resting position may be a little better than where they are now, and a top level coach may be able to get them to be able to perform above that level during his/her tenure. These and other considerations should go into a coach's decision making process. Of course, if you think being a Power 5 coach is the be all and end all, you won't agree.
Yea, if you fear losing your job in a year or two, as Lee may have felt at LSU, then I can see jumping to Rice, which seems like a pretty nice school, especially if you get comparable money and longer term on your deal, and there are a lot of good soccer players in Texas. Might very well be a smart move. I wonder if the coaches at Georgia and Alabama expressed interest in the Rice job as well! The cannot be having a comfortable off-season.