Locking up Kyle Smith

[CougPatrol]

Apologies for the redundant post, but I can't stress enough how important it will be to our program if we can lock Kyle Smith up for 5 years.

WSU has always been a football first campus, but realignment has thrown our program into a blender. Keeping Kyle Smith in Pullman, at this moment in our time, is one of the most important objectives for our University in the 45+ years that I've been following WSU.

Having an NCAA caliber product with the talent to compete locally with Gonzaga during these uncertain times is precisely what our fan base needs right now. We have to get this done.

 

[Dullnormalcoug]

Apologies for the redundant post, but I can't stress enough how important it will be to our program if we can lock Kyle Smith up for 5 years.

WSU has always been a football first campus, but realignment has thrown our program into a blender. Keeping Kyle Smith in Pullman, at this moment in our time, is one of the most important objectives for our University in the 45+ years that I've been following WSU.

Having an NCAA caliber product with the talent to compete locally with Gonzaga during these uncertain times is precisely what our fan base needs right now. We have to get this done.

Sadly it’s not possible to lock up Kyle Smith. Other schools can offer more money and a significantly better opportunity to compete at the highest level. Have to assume coach Smith has dreams of making the final 4. His aspirations plus the additional cash are going to make retaining him almost impossible. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Sadly it’s not possible to lock up Kyle Smith. Other schools can offer more money and a significantly better opportunity to compete at the highest level. Have to assume coach Smith has dreams of making the final 4. His aspirations plus the additional cash are going to make retaining him almost impossible. Hope I’m wrong.

The only good thing about basketball is that if we have a good team next year...we get into the NCAA tournament regardless of what conference we are in. If he can keep this team together and bring in a few new dudes to replace the guys who are graduating...we are fine. We need to find a way to give Smith more money, regardless of how other non-revenue coaches feel.

 

[CougPatrol]

Sadly it’s not possible to lock up Kyle Smith. Other schools can offer more money and a significantly better opportunity to compete at the highest level. Have to assume coach Smith has dreams of making the final 4. His aspirations plus the additional cash are going to make retaining him almost impossible. Hope I’m wrong.

I think it is possible. Kyle Smith's wife is from Eastern WA, and she loves living there. That's a significant data point. We won't be able to outbid blueblood programs if it comes to that, but WSU needs to realize the opportunity in front of them and leave nothing on the table. Find the money.

 

[Coug90]

I think it is possible. Kyle Smith's wife is from Eastern WA, and she loves living there. That's a significant data point. We won't be able to outbid blueblood programs if it comes to that, but WSU needs to realize the opportunity in front of them and leave nothing on the table. Find the money.

No state income tax in WA, cost of living significantly less in Pullman than many markets. I’m trying…

 

[ATACFD]

Well, if they lock him up, I sure hope it isn’t in Colfax. I had to bail a friend of mine out of the Whitman county jail one time back in the day.

All kidding aside, people were predicting that Mark few would bolt from Gonzaga and he didn’t. But we can’t just hope for that kind of outcome. Chun needs to do everything and anything possible to try to keep him.
Relating this to another thread, I’m increasing my donations to WSU. Hopefully more people can do this so that eventually we can have the wherewithal to retain people. Listen, let’s not kid ourselves we may not be able to compete with the bluest of Blue Bloods, but we can increase WSUs punching height and probabilities of success, ….each and everyone of us.

 

[CougPatrol]

The 15th highest paid coach in the Nation makes around $3.5M/year. Tommy Lloyd and Dana Altman make $4M/year. Mark Few makes $1.8M. Kyle Smith is currently at $1.6M.

I don't think we need to back up the Brinks truck as much as we need to make assurances to Smith that we're done half-assing the basketball program. Sell that hard to him and his wife. "Look, we can't outbid other programs, but can guarantee you a $2M+/year gig with moderate expectations, a new arena, and the fact that you and your wife can live in the most beautiful home in Eastern WA."

 

[UberCougars]

Few has a base of $1.8 with several performances bonuses built in.

 

[7ICoug]

Certainly no new arena, until and unless the students fill the old one for every game.

 

[longtimecoug]

The 15th highest paid coach in the Nation makes around $3.5M/year. Tommy Lloyd and Dana Altman make $4M/year. Mark Few makes $1.8M. Kyle Smith is currently at $1.6M.

I don't think we need to back up the Brinks truck as much as we need to make assurances to Smith that we're done half-assing the basketball program. Sell that hard to him and his wife. "Look, we can't outbid other programs, but can guarantee you a $2M+/year gig with moderate expectations, a new arena, and the fact that you and your wife can live in the most beautiful home in Eastern WA."

you want to guarantee a new arena?

 

[mikalalas]

Sadly it’s not possible to lock up Kyle Smith. Other schools can offer more money and a significantly better opportunity to compete at the highest level. Have to assume coach Smith has dreams of making the final 4. His aspirations plus the additional cash are going to make retaining him almost impossible. Hope I’m wrong.

IF Smith is retained, he is capable of going to a FINAL FOUR, in about 6 years, at WSU.

With his wife and her family being from COUG COUNTRY, and Smith's disabled son, etc, if Smith's is bumped from 1.5 mil to 1.85 mil, instead of being cut to 1.45 mil, then Smith might pull a Mark Few, and stay.

Mark Few turned down more money, Smith can maybe do the same.

 

[CougPatrol]

you want to guarantee a new arena?

The planning has already started on the new hoops facility. We either have to completely renovate Beasley or build a new arena, and the costs to renovate Beasley structurally exceed the costs of leveling it and building a new one.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

The planning has already started on the new hoops facility. We either have to completely renovate Beasley or build a new arena, and the costs to renovate Beasley structurally exceed the costs of leveling it and building a new one.

Oh boy. The last whisper I heard about some exploratory committee has been a while (years?). Patrol, if you have some tangible source for this "planning has already begun" please share. Oh wait - I found two links. One is from Brand Y - Board violation! Both from nearly 2 years ago.

WSU is looking at a remodel or complete replacement of Beasley Coliseum

Later this week, the school’s selected consulting firm will move forward with figuring out the best path forward for the aging building.

www.cougcenter.com

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/1975/2022/06/RFQ_AthleticsArenaAssessment.pdf

I like this quote from Y: "Beasley doesn’t need the 11,000+ seats it currently has".

Or this from the RFQ: "the current configuration of 12,000+ seats lacks the intimacy of some of the top basketball experiences in the sport....WSU wants to make sure that their in-venue entertainment rivals any other contemporary in the Pacific Northwest".

Oh, 9,200 seat Alaska Air (mutt) arena (built in 1927 BTW, but yes renovated in 2000)? Or 6K gonzaga gym?

Yeah let's poll the 8,000+ fans from the last 2 games or what appears to be an 11,000 fan near sellout on Thursday and see what they think about not needing those seats. 6K here we come!

McKale holds what - 14,000+ So intimate.....

Other intimate College arenas.....

List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Edit Edit - this is actually sort of a fun list. I see that 5 Pac-12 arenas are older than Beasley, and 2 more (UA and ASU) are almost the same age.

Also, check out the capacity of the temples in the WCC that we will play in next year. Let's see - 3,005 through 6,150 capacity. The MW? - 5,800 to 18,700. 8 of them over 10,000 capacity.
Edit - in the middle of a huge budget crisis (Athletics and the greater University) there will be no new arena. Or major remodeling. Modest remodeling? Maybe.

 

[jourdand]

I personally think WSU does have some things going its way as far as keeping Smith at WSU. The cost of living is a positive, I imagine 1.5 million goes a long way in Pullman. Also depending on what he and the family are looking for Pullman is a nice place to live and raise a family especially if you are the big man around town. (This could also be a negative as your family would be under the microscope more than in a larger environment) I think job security could be a positive factor for WSU as a proven commodity Smith would have more leeway if and when bad or mediocre seasons come. That would not be the case at other schools.
As far as his wife being from eastern Washington it certainly can’t hurt but it should be noted she left for college and never came back till her husband got a million dollar plus paycheck.
WSU definitely needs to do everything with in reason to keep both of our basketball coaches. Fingers crossed 🤞

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I personally think WSU does have some things going its way as far as keeping Smith at WSU. The cost of living is a positive, I imagine 1.5 million goes a long way in Pullman. Also depending on what he and the family are looking for Pullman is a nice place to live and raise a family especially if you are the big man around town. (This could also be a negative as your family would be under the microscope more than in a larger environment) I think job security could be a positive factor for WSU as a proven commodity Smith would have more leeway if and when bad or mediocre seasons come. That would not be the case at other schools.
As far as his wife being from eastern Washington it certainly can’t hurt but it should be noted she left for college and never came back till her husband got a million dollar plus paycheck.
WSU definitely needs to do everything with in reason to keep both of our basketball coaches. Fingers crossed 🤞

I sort of disagree with the microscope angle. The bigtime college coaches get major media scrutiny. And Manson is 226 miles from Pullman. So yeah wifey is from the state - but good point about her leaving Washington and never coming back.

 

[jourdand]

I sort of disagree with the microscope angle. The bigtime college coaches get major media scrutiny. And Manson is 226 miles from Pullman. So yeah wifey is from the state - but good point about her leaving Washington and never coming back.

I was thinking more about the kids being under the microscope in Pullman. You screw up and everyone knows who you are. I wouldn’t have liked that but I screwed up a lot! lol

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I was thinking more about the kids being under the microscope in Pullman. You screw up and everyone knows who you are. I wouldn’t have liked that but I screwed up a lot! lol

Got it. That would probably hold true.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Few has a base of $1.8 with several performances bonuses built in.

Tony Bennett has a base salary of $1.9 million but I think he makes closer to $5 million once you add in all of the other BS.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Tony Bennett has a base salary of $1.9 million but I think he makes closer to $5 million once you add in all of the other BS.

Sorry Flat (and Uber). I believe USAToday over you guys, which sez Bennett's school pay is $4 million, and Few's is 2.7 million. Both probably include all the extra BS, as does Smith's in this same list (he gets 3-400,000 for media ext. over his base to reach 1.5 million.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sports.usatoday.com

 

[UberCougars]

Got my numbers from a USA Today article linked last week in this very forum.

the difference between the numbers on both USA Today articles seems to be Base Salary vs Total pay.