Kyle Smith is an interesting comp in his second year at Washington State. Currently sitting at 12-8 with recent wins over Oregon and UCLA. Should be a decent barometer for how much Jim Knowlton messed this up.

I think you need to give more credit to AD Williams + Coach Jones ... and maybe Coach Martin.

The talent that left when and before Coach Fox was hired was expected.

The young Bears have "improved" under Coach Fox.

>"I actively route against WSU (even with Dennis Rodman's son on the roster) because I fear these sorts of threads ..."<

You "route" or you "root"?
Does routing make a difference?
Is it like censorship?

Great win by the young Cougs and Coach Smith over the Brubabes.

A few posters on this board rejected him as a possibility who had much of a chance to succeed at Cal. Thus, we know that it wasn't a good idea.

Big C said:

---

A few posters on this board rejected him as a possibility who had much of a chance to succeed at Cal. Thus, we know that it wasn't a good idea.

---

Many aspired for higher. The list did not include Fox, who nobody on this board said they wanted until Knowlton announced he had hired him.

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

A few posters on this board rejected him as a possibility who had much of a chance to succeed at Cal. Thus, we know that it wasn't a good idea.

---

Many aspired for higher. The list did not include Fox, who nobody on this board said they wanted until Knowlton announced he had hired him.

---

LOL he was forced upon us.

Big C said:

---

A few posters on this board rejected him as a possibility who had much of a chance to succeed at Cal. Thus, we know that it wasn't a good idea.

---

I would have been happy with Smith. I went to a USF game his last year there. I thought the team played well together. While there are many coaches who could get a team to that level, Cal does not hire them.

KoreAmBear said:

---

LOL he was forced upon us.

---

Who, Knowlton? Did the USAF threaten to bomb Berkeley?

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

on the ESPN home page a day ago. I don't have ESPN insider so didn't read the article. curious who was quoted ...

I attended a father/son basketball camp on Father's Day Weekend in 2001 at St. Mary's College with my son. It was Randy Bennett's first year as HC. Kyle Smith was his assistant.
I was extremely impressed with Kyle, much more so than with Randy. His success is no surprise to me.

Dear Socal: The mediocrity ( at best) of both Cal football and basketball can be "traced" to the Cal administration deciding to 'de-emphasize" major Cal sports during the 1960's decade. Can't remember the exact year. The impetus for the change would have come from the Chancellor at thge time. What we have seen for the last 60 years stem from that momentous decision. In other words, 'you can't make chicken salad out of chicken *****" If anything, nothing on the horizon makes me think this mindset will evaporate. If most Cal students don't know thge difference between a PG, QB, and Peoples Park, look for Cal to be a bottom-dweller .

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

Fox had the better resume. IIRC, Smith had never made it to the NIT let alone the NCAA tourney, or finished higher than 4th in any conference, including the Ivy [EDIT: Oops, looks like he finished 3rd in the Ivy before getting promoted to the WCC).

Civil Bear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

Fox had the better resume. IIRC, Smith had never made it to the NIT let alone the NCAA tourney, or finished higher than 4th in any conference, including the Ivy [EDIT: Oops, looks like he finished 3rd in the Ivy before getting promoted to the WCC).

---

His USF teams punched above their weights. Basketball had been dead there for decades. Fox had a great opportunity and a large sample size at Georgia and did nothing. Not surprising how he has done here.

sluggo said:

---

Civil Bear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

Fox had the better resume. IIRC, Smith had never made it to the NIT let alone the NCAA tourney, or finished higher than 4th in any conference, including the Ivy [EDIT: Oops, looks like he finished 3rd in the Ivy before getting promoted to the WCC).

---

His USF teams punched above their weights. Basketball had been dead there for decades. Fox had a great opportunity and a large sample size at Georgia and did nothing. Not surprising how he has done here.

---

I thought so too. They really looked well-coached a few years ago when they waxed us at Haas. Not sure how much of that was the coach and how much was their savvy PG, Ferrari, but I'd like to see Fox get ahold of a savvy PG, or at least coach one up. Then he could claim some of the credit.

Big C said:

---

sluggo said:

---

Civil Bear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

Fox had the better resume. IIRC, Smith had never made it to the NIT let alone the NCAA tourney, or finished higher than 4th in any conference, including the Ivy [EDIT: Oops, looks like he finished 3rd in the Ivy before getting promoted to the WCC).

---

His USF teams punched above their weights. Basketball had been dead there for decades. Fox had a great opportunity and a large sample size at Georgia and did nothing. Not surprising how he has done here.

---

I thought so too. They really looked well-coached a few years ago when they waxed us at Haas. Not sure how much of that was the coach and how much was their savvy PG, Ferrari, but I'd like to see Fox get ahold of a savvy PG, or at least coach one up. Then he could claim some of the credit.

---

We also had our secret weapon coaching us at the time. He made lots of other teams look well-coached.

Civil Bear said:

---

Big C said:

---

sluggo said:

---

Civil Bear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

I don't want to pile on and I am fine (so far) with the job Fox has been doing for Cal. That said, Smith was my top choice of the realistic options being discussed at the time. I was impressed by his work at USF, and thought his familiarity with the Bay Area was a big plus. So I've been watching WSU closely. BUT, at the end of last season I felt that Fox was doing a better job so far. This year has been so discombobulated that I'm not going to make too much out of differences that are a matter of small degree.
But it's a comparison I've been looking at and will really be looking at closely next season.

---

Fox had the better resume. IIRC, Smith had never made it to the NIT let alone the NCAA tourney, or finished higher than 4th in any conference, including the Ivy [EDIT: Oops, looks like he finished 3rd in the Ivy before getting promoted to the WCC).

---

His USF teams punched above their weights. Basketball had been dead there for decades. Fox had a great opportunity and a large sample size at Georgia and did nothing. Not surprising how he has done here.

---

I thought so too. They really looked well-coached a few years ago when they waxed us at Haas. Not sure how much of that was the coach and how much was their savvy PG, Ferrari, but I'd like to see Fox get ahold of a savvy PG, or at least coach one up. Then he could claim some of the credit.

---

We also had our secret weapon coaching us at the time. He made lots of other teams look well-coached.

---

He set a program record that will be difficult to break. At least we will always have that.

HoopDreams said:

---

SFBear92 said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

Kyle Smith is an interesting comp in his second year at Washington State. Currently sitting at 12-8 with recent wins over Oregon and UCLA. Should be a decent barometer for how much Jim Knowlton messed this up.

---

WSU caught a coach on the way up. We caught ours on the way down.

---

the difference between Cal and WSU is their international recruiting ace is better than our international recruiting ace

---

Coming from USF/St. Mary's Smith hit the ground running with West Cosst and international recruiting already underway. Fox spent nine years at Georgia where recruiting is all about recruiting Georgia with little worry about academics. Then he had a year off with no recruiting at all. Even two years in he still playing catch-up with recruits. Not really his fault, I blame Knowlton for hiring a bad fit, but not really his fault either, he was an even worse fit. It started with Christ hiring Knowlton in the first place.

calumnus said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

SFBear92 said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

Kyle Smith is an interesting comp in his second year at Washington State. Currently sitting at 12-8 with recent wins over Oregon and UCLA. Should be a decent barometer for how much Jim Knowlton messed this up.

---

WSU caught a coach on the way up. We caught ours on the way down.

---

the difference between Cal and WSU is their international recruiting ace is better than our international recruiting ace

---

Coming from USF/St. Mary's Smith hit the ground running with West Cosst and international recruiting already underway. Fox spent nine years at Georgia where recruiting is all about recruiting Georgia with little worry about academics. Then he had a year off with no recruiting at all. Even two years in he still playing catch-up with recruits. Not really his fault, I blame Knowlton for hiring a bad fit, but not really his fault either, he was an even worse fit. It started with Christ hiring Knowlton in the first place.

---

so if Fox came in with no recruits in the pipeline, why did he retain the only coach on staff who didn't recruit?

If I was coming in with Fox's background, I would have kept the coach with the best ties in California and the west coast

Quick question....Did the AD even interview Smith?????

helltopay1 said:

---

Quick question....Did the AD even interview Smith?????

---

I thought he did. At least it was my understanding that Smith was on the short list. But I'm not an insider, so I don't know for certain.

drizzlybear said:

---

helltopay1 said:

---

Quick question....Did the AD even interview Smith?????

---

I thought he did. At least it was my understanding that Smith was on the short list. But I'm not an insider, so I don't know for certain.

---

Good question. Kyle Smith was hired 2 days before Fox was, so the timing is right. My theory is that Smith, already familiar with the Bay Area and pining for the fjords of Pullman, tanked any Cal interview likely turning down $$$ to lock up his dream job at WSU.

My recollection was that Smith was not interviewed. That stupid search firm made up a short list for Knowlton and he went with that. Later, he bragged about how easy they made it for him.

BeachedBear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

helltopay1 said:

---

Quick question....Did the AD even interview Smith?????

---

I thought he did. At least it was my understanding that Smith was on the short list. But I'm not an insider, so I don't know for certain.

---

Good question. Kyle Smith was hired 2 days before Fox was, so the timing is right. My theory is that Smith, already familiar with the Bay Area and pining for the fjords of Pullman, tanked any Cal interview likely turning down $$$ to lock up his dream job at WSU.

---

Cool story bro. Snarky, makes Knowlton look bad, and is correct in the fact that he did have the WSU job as his dream job. But there wasn't ever any interview.

Kyle Smith did not interview because he and his wife wanted the WSU job. Katie is from Lake Chelan, WA, (and still holds a scoring record of 50 points in a WA State Championship game). She wanted to be in Washington. Not the Bay Area.

So it was their dream job....and there was a reason Knowlton didn't interview him.

Alkiadt said:

---

BeachedBear said:

---

drizzlybear said:

---

helltopay1 said:

---

Quick question....Did the AD even interview Smith?????

---

I thought he did. At least it was my understanding that Smith was on the short list. But I'm not an insider, so I don't know for certain.

---

Good question. Kyle Smith was hired 2 days before Fox was, so the timing is right. My theory is that Smith, already familiar with the Bay Area and pining for the fjords of Pullman, tanked any Cal interview likely turning down $$$ to lock up his dream job at WSU.

---

Cool story bro. Snarky, makes Knowlton look bad, and is correct in the fact that he did have the WSU job as his dream job. But there wasn't ever any interview.

Kyle Smith did not interview because he and his wife wanted the WSU job. Katie is from Lake Chelan, WA, (and still holds a scoring record of 50 points in a WA State Championship game). She wanted to be in Washington. Not the Bay Area.

So it was their dream job....and there was a reason Knowlton didn't interview him.

---

Hahaha. Even a blind (snarky) squirrel stumbles on a nut once in a while. Thanks for the inside scoop Alikiadt!

Wonton turned his ankle for wsu. Might help Cal.