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Smith news conference

Glad Cougar

Glad Cougar

Hall Of Fame
Apr 2, 2003
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Just watched Kyle Smith's introduction news conference online. My first impression is a positive one. He seems to have a good personality that the players will enjoy but also a clear idea and plan for what it's going to take to move the program forward. Very good sense of humor but also very humble and grateful for the opportunity to coach at WSU. I sense he has a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job but also pretty humble about it all.

As for on-the-court stuff, he's preaching what he calls DIRT....Defense, Rebounding, Take Care of the Ball. (There's no "I" in the acronym). He specifically mentioned the Cougars' 291st ranking in defense nationally and how that needs to get dramatically better, which is why they will be concentrating on the DIRT philosophy. No mention of offense. I"m guessing he believes the offense will get better when those 3 areas of defense, rebounding, and ball handling get better.

Smith has been happy with the first two informal practices...he claims to already like the players and has told them the future success of the program will point back to them, that they will be the origin of it all. I like that. He specifically mentioned there are 7 players taking part and he called out Jeff Pollard as a guy not there right now but someone he's welcome back with open arms. Pollard is apparently on an official visit to another school right now.

He also mentioned two assistant coaches are on board but couldn't name them yet because the official background checks need to be completed. But it's clear that Phelps is one of them (he mentioned one assistant has been a national champion, so you know it's Phelps) but the other one he said was a Pac-12 conference champion. Not sure who that is.

Like I said, good first impression. He did ask for patience!

Glad Cougar
 
He called out Pollard to stay with the team. I thought that was quite important.
 
Pollard could be visiting Charlotte, Montana, or Arkansas State. I would guess the visit was already set potentially before the hire.

I still think he ends up staying but against just a guess.
 
Glad Cougar said:
Just watched Kyle Smith's introduction news conference online. My first impression is a positive one. He seems to have a good personality that the players will enjoy but also a clear idea and plan for what it's going to take to move the program forward. Very good sense of humor but also very humble and grateful for the opportunity to coach at WSU. I sense he has a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job but also pretty humble about it all.

As for on-the-court stuff, he's preaching what he calls DIRT....Defense, Rebounding, Take Care of the Ball. (There's no "I" in the acronym). He specifically mentioned the Cougars' 291st ranking in defense nationally and how that needs to get dramatically better, which is why they will be concentrating on the DIRT philosophy. No mention of offense. I"m guessing he believes the offense will get better when those 3 areas of defense, rebounding, and ball handling get better.

Smith has been happy with the first two informal practices...he claims to already like the players and has told them the future success of the program will point back to them, that they will be the origin of it all. I like that. He specifically mentioned there are 7 players taking part and he called out Jeff Pollard as a guy not there right now but someone he's welcome back with open arms. Pollard is apparently on an official visit to another school right now.

He also mentioned two assistant coaches are on board but couldn't name them yet because the official background checks need to be completed. But it's clear that Phelps is one of them (he mentioned one assistant has been a national champion, so you know it's Phelps) but the other one he said was a Pac-12 conference champion. Not sure who that is.

Like I said, good first impression. He did ask for patience!

Glad Cougar
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About what I expected. You never know how things will go but he comes across as a great fit for WSU and Pullman. There's some speculation out there on the second assistant that seemed to reconcile to Smith's description. He said there will be "bumps" as we should expect but I really think we will see immediate improvement.
 
If I had to guess on the other coach it might be Jim Shaw because his name has come up before. He won several Pac 12 titles with Romar at the UW. Highly regarded as a strategy guy.
 
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CougDave said:
If I had to guess on the other coach it might be Jim Shaw because his name has come up before. He won several Pac 12 titles with Romar at the UW. Highly regarded as a strategy guy.
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Yea, makes sense. He also coached at St. Mary's, but not when Smith was there. He coached with Kelvin at OU for awhile as well. He has a hell of a resume.
 
Brent H. said:
Yea, makes sense. He also coached at St. Mary's, but not when Smith was there. He coached with Kelvin at OU for awhile as well. He has a hell of a resume.
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Being part of the first Pac 12 champion to not qualify for the NCAA tourney is something to be proud of!

Another old guy with UW credentials coming to Pullman to show the hicks how it is done. Never seen that before...
 
If Pollard is smart he will opt to be a graduate transfer at another university. It is important to diversify and get your graduate degree from another University. It is vitally important to his academic and professional career that he does so. He will graduate with honors from WSU and needs to find a university which offers a graduate degree in his chosen field. He will never play for money as his skills are limited and he should pursue academics for his future.That may well be his choice and it is not something coug fans should be bothered by.
 
ElComanche said:
If Pollard is smart he will opt to be a graduate transfer at another university. It is important to diversify and get your graduate degree from another University. It is vitally important to his academic and professional career that he does so. He will graduate with honors from WSU and needs to find a university which offers a graduate degree in his chosen field. He will never play for money as his skills are limited and he should pursue academics for his future.That may well be his choice and it is not something coug fans should be bothered by.
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You really do not like WSU.
 
It doesn’t matter at all if he gets his graduate degree at the same place as his undergrad. He will do what is best for him, I hope he returns. GO COUGS!!!
 
SaveFerris said:
Pollard could be visiting Charlotte, Montana, or Arkansas State. I would guess the visit was already set potentially before the hire.

I still think he ends up staying but against just a guess.
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Where are you getting the 411 on Pollard's official visits?
 
I'm already 1,000x more excited for Cougar basketball. I haven't been able to say this since 2009 when I was starting up at WSU and that team treated us viewership of a young Klay Thompson.
 
jourdand said:
It doesn’t matter at all if he gets his graduate degree at the same place as his undergrad. He will do what is best for him, I hope he returns. GO COUGS!!!
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Technically ElC has merit at least for some areas of study but do you really think that's the agenda?
 
jourdand said:
It doesn’t matter at all if he gets his graduate degree at the same place as his undergrad. He will do what is best for him, I hope he returns. GO COUGS!!!
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SaveFerris said:
Technically ElC has merit at least for some areas of study but do you really think that's the agenda?
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I would tend to agree that getting your advanced degree elsewhere than your undergrad can be looked upon favorably, in Higher Education as a faculty member. In the corporate world, or in Higher Ed administration, I don't think it matters a hill of beans. President Floyd got all 3 of his degrees from UNC, and he did just fine. On the private side, half the master's degrees people have are from some mail order MBA outfit.
 
Observer11 said:
Yup. Because a grad degree from Arky State or Charlotte carries so much weight academically.

El is still dealing with the PTSD of his man Ernie getting run out of town. Be gentle with him during this grieving period.
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He isn't dealing with PTSD of Ernie getting fired, he is actually making a smart choice if he can get an opportunity somewhere to win. The current rules allow him to transfer to a program without sitting out a year. That is a huge deal and gives him an opportunity for great memories and possibly playing in the NCAA tournament. That is hard to beat at our current situation.
 
CougDave said:
If I had to guess on the other coach it might be Jim Shaw because his name has come up before. He won several Pac 12 titles with Romar at the UW. Highly regarded as a strategy guy.
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I am thinking Brad Holland is the assistant.
 
I believe that he needs to make a decision based upon his academic merits and not as a service to the WSU basketball community. The young man s whole future is ahead of him and he needs to think of his academic pursuits and not basketball .If he stays then he stays but i would recommend that he transfer. it does make a difference where he gets his degrees. Anyone with a graduate degree is viewed more favorably if he has expanded his academic pursuits. The young man is an honors student and he should be thinking of an academic world he will not reach if he stays at WSU. The universities he is touring may have an field he is interested in?
 
Watched the introductory press conference. Quite impressed with Smith. Confident and wears his heart on his sleeve. He'll be able to get buy in from the current group of players and I'll bet he's a good recruiter as well. The passion is palpable.
 
CJBCoug said:
He isn't dealing with PTSD of Ernie getting fired, he is actually making a smart choice if he can get an opportunity somewhere to win. The current rules allow him to transfer to a program without sitting out a year. That is a huge deal and gives him an opportunity for great memories and possibly playing in the NCAA tournament. That is hard to beat at our current situation.
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I wrote that El is dealing with separation anxiety from Ernie Ball.

Pollard may be too - but El is trying to make the case that his transfer should be based on academics. And while, I'm sure Arky State and Charlotte (shoutout Cornbread Maxwell) are fine little schools, they aren't Pac 12 research institution quality schools.
 
Isn't Charlotte where former Tony Bennett assistant Ron Sanchez landed as a head coach? While I agree Pollard should be primarily looking at academics for his grad school, he also might be wanting a basketball program that emphasizes the anti-Kent, namely defense. If so, WSU under Smith can provide him that opportunity without him having to change his address.

Glad Cougar
 
ElComanche said:
I believe that he needs to make a decision based upon his academic merits and not as a service to the WSU basketball community. The young man s whole future is ahead of him and he needs to think of his academic pursuits and not basketball .If he stays then he stays but i would recommend that he transfer. it does make a difference where he gets his degrees. Anyone with a graduate degree is viewed more favorably if he has expanded his academic pursuits. The young man is an honors student and he should be thinking of an academic world he will not reach if he stays at WSU. The universities he is touring may have an field he is interested in?
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Ok, repeating what I said in a previous post - where I said your argument might have some merit if we are talking about a Higher Ed Faculty member.

If he has any career aspirations other than becoming a college/university professor I say that your argument has -0- merit. Feel free to tell us what other professional fields give a shit whether you got your master's where you got you bachelor's or not.

And his bio sez he's majoring in business management. Not molecular biology or some research field. In the private sector, an advanced degree doesn't necessarily mean shit. And where it does, I've seen a zillion resumes - half of the MBA's, etc I see are from some online diploma mill. Uh I mean accredited institution of higher education. And nobody gives a shit - as long as it says Master's, or MBA.
 
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I just read that Smith’s wife Katie is from Chelan, born and raised. I wasn’t aware of that. I think that’s great, and a potentially significant data point if Kyle turns the program around. Our hoop program desperately needs long term stability, so perhaps this will be the hire who brings that to us?
 
SHE”s FROM MANSON. Holds the 2b state single game scoring record. (Basketball) She did it against Jen Greeny. Her parents still live here.

Go Trojans.
 
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CougPatrol said:
I just read that Smith’s wife Katie is from Chelan, born and raised. I wasn’t aware of that. I think that’s great, and a potentially significant data point if Kyle turns the program around. Our hoop program desperately needs long term stability, so perhaps this will be the hire who brings that to us?
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Looks like he has young kids as well. Pullman is a good place to raise a family.
 
Loyal Coug said:
Ok, repeating what I said in a previous post - where I said your argument might have some merit if we are talking about a Higher Ed Faculty member.

If he has any career aspirations other than becoming a college/university professor I say that your argument has -0- merit. Feel free to tell us what other professional fields give a shit whether you got your master's where you got you bachelor's or not.

And his bio sez he's majoring in business management. Not molecular biology or some research field. In the private sector, an advanced degree doesn't necessarily mean shit. And where it does, I've seen a zillion resumes - half of the MBA's, etc I see are from some online diploma mill. Uh I mean accredited institution of higher education. And nobody gives a shit - as long as it says Master's, or MBA.
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Unfortunately, that person is a hater. He is immature and acts like a 12 year old, often calling coaches names again and again and again. Whether you like a coach or not, there is no reason to continually act like an
donkey-picture-id157648579
 
I read where WSU may not give Smith his camera sytem. I think that is crazy. That is what he is know for. It is what helps his system. The NBA spent $100,000 per team to get it in. Lets say it costs $200,000 with the service. Lets add one for the girls gym with service, for Title 9 reasons. That would be $400,000 year one and just the service there after ($100,000 for both programs). That investment is minor.

Smith should not have to use his own money. If I was in his place, I would use my own money if necessary, but would never forgive WSU. I think the system is necessary for his success.
 
The only thing about his press conference that made me cringe slightly was the joking at the end where he said he was a data guy....not an X's and O's guy. It was just him trying to be funny.....but I wouldn't have made that joke if I were him.

Overall, he sounds excited to be at WSU and he has a plan that is deeper than "we are gonna run and shoot a lot". I was disappointed that he didn't end up with any great quotes out of the deal but that's ok. The funniest thing when KSU's new football coach was hired was when he met with his players and told that them that they needed to "Win the Dang Day".......and KSU officially licensed the printing of "Win the dang day" t-shirts almost immediately.
 
Tx64 said:
I read where WSU may not give Smith his camera sytem. I think that is crazy. That is what he is know for. It is what helps his system. The NBA spent $100,000 per team to get it in. Lets say it costs $200,000 with the service. Lets add one for the girls gym with service, for Title 9 reasons. That would be $400,000 year one and just the service there after ($100,000 for both programs). That investment is minor.

Smith should not have to use his own money. If I was in his place, I would use my own money if necessary, but would never forgive WSU. I think the system is necessary for his success.
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Camera system?
 
ElComanche said:
If Pollard is smart he will opt to be a graduate transfer at another university. It is important to diversify and get your graduate degree from another University. It is vitally important to his academic and professional career that he does so. He will graduate with honors from WSU and needs to find a university which offers a graduate degree in his chosen field. He will never play for money as his skills are limited and he should pursue academics for his future.That may well be his choice and it is not something coug fans should be bothered by.
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If Pollard is smart, he will make his own decision and won’t listen to trolls.
 
Flatlandcoug said:
The only thing about his press conference that made me cringe slightly was the joking at the end where he said he was a data guy....not an X's and O's guy. It was just him trying to be funny.....but I wouldn't have made that joke if I were him.
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Well, he is a data guy. That's his m.o. He's a disciple of the Princeton offense, which doesn't rely on x's and o's, similar to how the air raid uses formations and reads, not set plays. It's an offense that is constantly churning via motion, ball handling, and back picks.

He wasn't trying to be funny. He described his philosophy. Not sure why you cringed or suggested that you wouldn't have made that comment if you were him. Look who he just took over for. A guy who's offensive philosophy mirrors what you see in the JC ranks.
 
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CougPatrol said:
Well, he is a data guy. That's his m.o. He's a disciple of the Princeton offense, which doesn't rely on x's and o's, similar to how the air raid uses formations and reads, not set plays. It's an offense that is constantly churning via motion, ball handling, and back picks.

He wasn't trying to be funny. He described his philosophy. Not sure why you cringed or suggested that you wouldn't have made that comment if you were him. Look who he just took over for. A guy who's offensive philosophy mirrors what you see in the JC ranks.
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I get what you are saying....but I don't agree 100%.

Even though the Princeton offense (or Air Raid offense) isn't a classic, this guy moves here while that guy moves here offense, there are a series of expected actions that a player should perform based on what the defense is doing. I'd argue that crafting an offense the requires players to read and react to the defense is still x's and o's, but structured in a different fashion.

So, even if he's a data guy, he's gonna need some x's and o's to make it all work.
 
A lot of it is just moving without the ball, maintaining spacing, and using passing more than dribble drive to move the ball.
 
Tx64 said:
I read where WSU may not give Smith his camera sytem. I think that is crazy. That is what he is know for. It is what helps his system. The NBA spent $100,000 per team to get it in. Lets say it costs $200,000 with the service. Lets add one for the girls gym with service, for Title 9 reasons. That would be $400,000 year one and just the service there after ($100,000 for both programs). That investment is minor.

Smith should not have to use his own money. If I was in his place, I would use my own money if necessary, but would never forgive WSU. I think the system is necessary for his success.
Click to expand...

My thoughts too. WSU better pony up for a camera system. Why wouldn't you give your coaches the best tools to succeed - I understand cash is strapped but this is to bring in more $$ in the long run (aka wins).
 
Tx64 said:
I read where WSU may not give Smith his camera sytem. I think that is crazy. That is what he is know for. It is what helps his system. The NBA spent $100,000 per team to get it in. Lets say it costs $200,000 with the service. Lets add one for the girls gym with service, for Title 9 reasons. That would be $400,000 year one and just the service there after ($100,000 for both programs). That investment is minor.

Smith should not have to use his own money. If I was in his place, I would use my own money if necessary, but would never forgive WSU. I think the system is necessary for his success.
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I'm a video guy. Through and through. Without knowing specifics and what EXACTLY he wants/needs, I'll evaluate this via generic. There is no way that it will cost this much. I'd wager the continuing "maintenance", being a server of some sort, continuing storage space for video, will be the continual cost. Maybe another hire specifically for this? But overhead costs, strictly equipment, for some sort of system (assuming slow mo style stuff, as well) will not cost $200K. I think it would be less than $100K, personally. They don't need an Arri Alexa or Sony F55 4k or anything.
 
Tx64 said:
I read where WSU may not give Smith his camera sytem. I think that is crazy. That is what he is know for. It is what helps his system. The NBA spent $100,000 per team to get it in. Lets say it costs $200,000 with the service. Lets add one for the girls gym with service, for Title 9 reasons. That would be $400,000 year one and just the service there after ($100,000 for both programs). That investment is minor.

Smith should not have to use his own money. If I was in his place, I would use my own money if necessary, but would never forgive WSU. I think the system is necessary for his success.
Click to expand...

Maybe someone who was making upwards for $700K in the employ of WSU for several years who hasn't given a dime could pony up.....

And I"m not talking Paul Wulff.
 
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