Topic: Chuck Says That Dan Deserved One More Year

[mu79grad]

I don't think anyone should be surprised with this column. 

From the Herald-Dispatch

https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/chuck-landon-dantoni-deserved-one-more-year/article_80e18a3c-16e6-585e-a05f-8fdf912ff639.html

[forphase1]

Like we needed more proof that Chuck is not so smart.

[herdorbust2]

Starting to lose a lot of respect for Landon. He even stated Danny had 2 awful years out of the last 3. I've got news for Landon. The fanbase deserves more than Dantoni. He had his chance and the last few years were not good just like Docs. It was time and thank you Spears.

[herd2win]

Chuck was not able to be non biased based on his long time relationship with Dan.  MU was more than fair with Dan and maybe someday we will know what happened with Spears.  Dan can have a challenging personality and seemed never to take any accountability for anything wrong.  He was very good at complaining including showing jealousy of our women's success this year.

[MUfan08]

So Dan got one more blame in, it's Spears fault he was terminated.

[Always THE HERD]

I noticed in press conferences that he could often get "a little worked up" and sometimes sarcastic when attempting to answer a reporter's questions. I never felt like any of them ever asked anything worth getting upset about (but I wasn't there either and I have not been a college coach either).

[MUfan08]

I noticed in press conferences that he could often get "a little worked up" and sometimes sarcastic when attempting to answer a reporter's questions. I never felt like any of them ever asked anything worth getting upset about (but I wasn't there either and I have not been a college coach either).

Yep and he pulled that crap with Smith and Spears in his year in review and it sealed his fate.

[Always THE HERD]

Yep and he pulled that crap with Smith and Spears in his year in review and it sealed his fate.

And you know that for a fact?

[muherd34]

And you know that for a fact?

From everything I heard it is true.

[banker]

While the NCAA win was great, to use one win as justification for one more year is laughable. First, it was 6 years ago. Second, does that one win cover up being 0-10 in the race for a regular season championship or 1-9 in conference tournaments?  And it?s not like we were almost winning titles, we were a consistent middle of the pack type team. Third, winning an NCAA game is something about 200 division one schools have done in the last 10 years. It?s really no more prestigious than say the Military Bowl win or any bowl win. Only about 25% of college football teams win a bowl game each year, about 12% of basketball teams win an NCAA game each year.  So to be on par with football Dan should have at least 3-4 NCAA wins or at least appearances.

Our basketball record 2 of the last 3 years has be like going 3-9 or 4-8 in football. No coach should survive that.

[NewfieHerdFan]

"For Marshall officials to do anything to alienate or hurt or offend these two long-standing pillars of Marshall?s tradition would be an extremely grievous act."

So, holding Dantoni accountable for the performance of the men's basketball team (while he's contractually getting paid handsomely for it) is a grievous act?

Despite being an opinion piece, it still is extremely laughable and quite pathetic.

[wasbarryb]

"For Marshall officials to do anything to alienate or hurt or offend these two long-standing pillars of Marshall?s tradition would be an extremely grievous act."

So, holding Dantoni accountable for the performance of the men's basketball team (while he's contractually getting paid handsomely for it) is a grievous act?

Despite being an opinion piece, it still is extremely laughable and quite pathetic.

[/b]

Chuckie's sole talents in life.

[svherd]

What a total crock. Chuck needs to retire to the Woodlands and enjoy his life.

[Flat Tire 2]

I just read it online, since I don't subscribe to the H-D fish wrap I don't know if was the entire article.

I thought comparing Dan to Bob was a stretch, coaching wise. Bob had a 1-AA National Championship; numerous conference championships and winning games against top flight teams. Bob produced top flight athletes who had great pro careers. Dan never accomplished any of those feats in his career.

Chuck or Dan thinking Dan should have another year is egotistical. The job of a basketball coach is to produce a good product and Dan was failing. Just because Dan wanted another year or so; is not his decision. It is a job and if you can't do the job, you need to be relieved of your duties.

Chuck trying to throw Spears under the bus for doing his job is terrible. I guess they are trying to create division among the fan base? Let's be honest, Spears had Smith approval for firing Dan. I just wonder if Smith is the one who had the idea to fire Dan? If he did, good for him. A good leader has to make hard decisions sometimes when running an  organization.

[Thundering In MD]

I get Chuck's sentiment.  It was time, but I like Danny.  I'm glad that the change was made because I didn't see Danny being able to turn it around, and I didn't want to see his W-L record go more down the drain.  He had a good run for a spurt.  I want to remember that.

[MUfan08]

Chuck trying to throw Spears under the bus for doing his job is terrible. I guess they are trying to create division among the fan base? Let's be honest, Spears had Smith approval for firing Dan. I just wonder if Smith is the one who had the idea to fire Dan? If he did, good for him. A good leader has to make hard decisions sometimes when running an  organization.

I mean that is all Dan has mostly done the last handful of years is cast blame and cause division within Marshall.
Heck, we had his minions on here getting their lines it was all Hamricks fault for issues with basketball.
Once he was removed it was then blaming issues on O'Malley.
Dan has a history of having toxic relationships with his ADs here, at some point you would think he would see the common theme is him in the situations.

Dan didn't have any intention of changing anything with or within the program and his condescending and sarcastic mouth put the final nail in his coaching career here at Marshall.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you, and supports you. It then becomes an easy decision on replacement when there is a contingency plan already in place.

[Big City]

Appreciative of what coach D accomplished early at Marshall. He created high interest, the "Hillbilly Ball" theme, cusa tournament win and ncaa appearance. All great stuff that I enjoyed and I think most of us did.

I don't know what exactly transpired the last few years but it was time for a change and new direction. Of course there are going to be hurt feelings.

[Always THE HERD]

Could someone please copy the article (not the link) to this page? I can't view it because I'm not a subscriber.

[MUonium]

54 year friendship makes it hard to see the retirement forced so i also see Chuck's point and former player's points.  there's been some great coaches on the personality side but rarely great coaches/recruiters on the basketball side.

water under the bridge and whats coming into view from upstream is Jackson.  can he recruit at least 4 diference-makers right now?
from this interview 7 months ago which MUfan08 recently posted, i'd say there are hints that he's much like Danny when it comes to personnel and loyalty and i'd suggest Spears/others will have some input on specific player's futures who are currently on roster.
https://youtu.be/bwdPZchyh8o

bottom line is that we know not to expect too much this year with the hope that Jackson will surprise us with recruiting and style.

[Always THE HERD]

Could someone please copy the article (not the link) to this page? I can't view it because I'm not a subscriber.

[MUonium]

Two people immediately jump to my mind who deeply love Marshall University.

One is Bobby Pruett.
The other is Danny D?Antoni.

They are two of a kind. They don?t just bleed green, they breathe green. So, for Marshall officials to do anything to alienate or hurt or offend these two long-standing pillars of Marshall?s tradition would be an extremely grievous act.
Yet, that?s precisely what happened late Monday afternoon.
It was unthinkable.
It was unconscionable.

Marshall and D?Antoni parted ways after the 76-year-old D?Antoni fulfilled the first year of a three-year extension given in March 2023.

As far as D?Antoni knew, he was going to fulfill at least one more year of that contract. But then Marshall athletic director Christian Spears informed D?Antoni that he wouldn?t return, D?Antoni said.
The news sent shock waves through the community and state of West Virginia.
Particularly, since D?Antoni had told me that Smith had told him that the only person who could fire D?Antoni was Smith himself.
That?s not how it played out, however.
So, what happened? Did MU?s president get cold feet? Or did Spears simply wear down Smith on this issue?
Many of us have opinions, but we don?t know for certain.
What we do know is the highest-regarded persona in the history of Marshall basketball isn?t affiliated with the Herd anymore.
That?s sad.
Very sad.
And it didn?t have to be that way. Yes, Marshall had a poor 13-20 record in 2023-24. But D?Antoni also had struggled through a 12-21 season in 2021-22. Well, guess what? The Herd?s record was 24-8 the next season.

That is vintage D?Antoni.
Except now he is out of second chances. Which is rather odd for an icon. Usually, an icon gets second and even third chances.
Did D?Antoni deserve one more shot?
Of course he did.
What other Marshall basketball coach has won a game in the NCAA Tournament? Only D?Antoni. In 2018, he led the 13th-seeded Herd to an 81-75 victory over No. 4 seed Wichita State in San Diego.
So, does everybody really believe D?Antoni can?t pull rabbits out of his hat anymore?
Not me.

I have known Danny since 1970 ? 54 years. In case anybody didn?t notice, that coincided with the horrific Marshall airplane crash. I was a student journalist for The Parthenon (MU?s school newspaper) at the time, and our sports editor perished in the crash. So, I went over to Gullickson Hall to try to get a quote from an MU athletic official.
The first person I saw was D?Antoni, a MU assistant coach. I never will forget his answer to my one question: what does Marshall do now?
?I don?t know,? D?Antoni said, with tears in his eyes. ?Everyone who knew what to do is gone.?
That?s the D?Antoni I?ve known for all these many years.

Has he lost a coaching step? Maybe. Maybe not. But, either way, Danny D?Antoni deserved the benefit of the doubt. He has earned at least that much during all these many years.
And not to give it to him?

To tell the school?s most iconic basketball figure, ?Thanks, but no thanks??
Marshall should be ashamed.

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

[Ovaltine Jenkins]

Like it or not head football and basketball coaches are in the "results" business. Dan's teams won 2 significant games during his entire tenure. He should have been shown the exit 3 years ago. And no Chuck, Dan D'Antoni is not Marshall Basketball's most iconic figure. That would be Hal Greer.

[Always THE HERD]

This is the same question many on this site have been asking for some time (since the results have not been what they expected):
(From Chuck's article)
The first person I saw was D?Antoni, a MU assistant coach. I never will forget his answer to my one question: what does Marshall do now?
?I don?t know,? D?Antoni said, with tears in his eyes.

[herdfifteen]

DD was never going to be satisfied with one more year, he would have been here at age eighty plus. With  DD it was never about Marshall he was purely about himself. You could pick up his arrogance during his press conferences, he felt he was untouchable. Kudos fo Spears for having the guts to pull the string.

[IM4DHERD]

A friend of mine has an inside source who has been amazingly on point in regards to what happens in the department.  He relays that Smith directly fired D'Antoni.