What you think about Lamont now?

[Demedicis1]

Dawn's first season - 10-18 Lamont's first season - 11-20
Dawn's second season - 14-15 Lamont's second season - 16-3 to start.
I am not saying he is as good as Dawn, but he sure is trying, and he follows her tactics.
Lamont went and found some talented players both in recruiting and the portal and it shows. But it is not just the players, it is how he plays them. He used the bench perfect yesterday to keep his team refreshed and put on more D when needed. This man can coach.
And his recruiting is taking off too. He already has another star committed for next year and is working to get others.

I heard so many people complain about Tanner hiring Lamont. I think he was just what we needed, and it think he is going to do a great job here. I just hope we keep him around for a while.

BTW...Frank Martin 1st season 14-18
Frank's 2nd season 14-20

It is great to have a really decent Men's Basketball team thanks to our coach. I feel Lamont will get us back in the T and will have even better recruiting and portal transfers each year.

 

[hahnenkampf]

Dawn's first season - 10-18 Lamont's first season - 11-20
Dawn's second season - 14-15 Lamont's second season - 16-3 to start.
I am not saying he is as good as Dawn, but he sure is trying, and he follows her tactics.
Lamont went and found some talented players both in recruiting and the portal and it shows. But it is not just the players, it is how he plays them. He used the bench perfect yesterday to keep his team refreshed and put on more D when needed. This man can coach.
And his recruiting is taking off too. He already has another star committed for next year and is working to get others.

I heard so many people complain about Tanner hiring Lamont. I think he was just what we needed, and it think he is going to do a great job here. I just hope we keep him around for a while.

BTW...Frank Martin 1st season 14-18
Frank's 2nd season 14-20

It is great to have a really decent Men's Basketball team thanks to our coach. I feel Lamont will get us back in the T and will have even better recruiting and portal transfers each year.

I listened to his postgame presser and loved how he explained his personal philosophy and how he likes to conduct the game flow. He knew UK’s strengths and weaknesses going into the game and exploited them perfectly. I especially noted how he felt the players were hot working together so well that he quit calling plays and let them do what they thought was best. Great leadership!

 

[gamecock stock]

If....If.....IF we make it into the NCAA Tournament this season, it will be the first time that a coach here made it to the Big Dance in two seasons. Considering the shamble of a program Lamont Paris inherited, what an outstanding feat that would be!!!!!!!

 

[FORKCOCK]

I think he’s doing well. The fans and the players really like him.

 

[Neanderthal]

If he doesn’t like the way a player is playing, he’ll take him out. In most cases, the players become better for it. There are a lot of coaches that won’t do that - maybe they are scared if they do something a player doesn’t like, they’ll enter the portal. I say let ‘em go. I think Coach Paris thinks the same way by all indications. A coach has to run his team or certain players will run him, and ruin him.

 

[GCDC1959]

Paris is a great find. Excellent program builder and leader of a program. Having an outstanding year so far. Kudos to the players for coming together as a team and taking the coaching.

 

[rock cock doc]

He has created an close team environment, which is critical. Those guys really like and root for each other team over I.

 

[Southern Fried Chicken]

He has created an close team environment, which is critical. Those guys really like and root for each other team over I.

WELL said! Few people truly understand the 'team' concept.

Many prefer, 'family'. Unfortunately, everyday we learn more and more about abuses going on and on, unchecked for years, in "The Family". BTW, Frank Martin is 11-6 @ UMass this tear.

Paris took a bunch of dudes who never met each other before August 2023 and built a "team".

 

[ElectricalCock89]

Still TBD, could have sophomore luck. Will see after season 3.

 

[FORKCOCK]

WELL said! Few people truly understand the 'team' concept.

Many prefer, 'family'. Unfortunately, everyday we learn more and more about abuses going on and on, unchecked for years, in "The Family". BTW, Frank Martin is 11-6 @ UMass this tear.

Paris took a bunch of dudes who never met each other before August 2023 and built a "team".

Frank is hung up on being called a “teacher”. He’d rather be seen as a guy that lost a game by 10 points but sat a kid to teach him a life lesson. It’s OK to do that every now and then but he lost a lot of games that way. The TV talking heads loved him for it. Bobby Knight did that but won 3 championships. Frank is no Bobby Knight and never will be. He’s a wannabe.

 

[DeeDave]

Coaches can be different.

Some coaches are seen as crazy hard on the team and win.

Some coaches are seen as more inspirational and motivational and win.

Both can lose as well.

There is no one set recipe.

 

[Ward Jr]

Coaches can be different.

Some coaches are seen as crazy hard on the team and win.

Some coaches are seen as more inspirational and motivational and win.

Both can lose as well.

There is no one set recipe.

Kamala?

 

[grippercock]

Dawn's first season - 10-18 Lamont's first season - 11-20
Dawn's second season - 14-15 Lamont's second season - 16-3 to start.
I am not saying he is as good as Dawn, but he sure is trying, and he follows her tactics.
Lamont went and found some talented players both in recruiting and the portal and it shows. But it is not just the players, it is how he plays them. He used the bench perfect yesterday to keep his team refreshed and put on more D when needed. This man can coach.
And his recruiting is taking off too. He already has another star committed for next year and is working to get others.

I heard so many people complain about Tanner hiring Lamont. I think he was just what we needed, and it think he is going to do a great job here. I just hope we keep him around for a while.

BTW...Frank Martin 1st season 14-18
Frank's 2nd season 14-20

It is great to have a really decent Men's Basketball team thanks to our coach. I feel Lamont will get us back in the T and will have even better recruiting and portal transfers each year.

Not really comparable since the portal came to be but they are both good coaches.

 

[turncock]

I'm most encouraged by the overall style of play. Ball rotation and finding the open shooter on offense right now is excellent. Players are hustling to get rebounds and loose balls. They also get back on defense very quickly.

If Paris can continue his hot hand of unearthing quality players to fit in his system, I don't see any reason to believe the team can't have continued success. If that were to happen, the biggest issue then becomes retaining his services against higher profile BB schools who can probably pay him more.

 

[hahnenkampf]

Absolutely brilliant call on playing the 1-3-1 defense against UGA. It shut the Dawgs down in the 4th Qtr. Really like how he completely explains during the postgame presser how and why he did what he did to beat a team

 

[FORKCOCK]

Anyone that says that they knew Coach Paris would be doing this well is probably not being honest.

I certainly didn’t know he would be successful this quickly but I was glad that we had moved on from Frank.

Keep it up coach. I haven’t been this excited about men’s basketball 🏀 in a long time. The FF was great with Frank but it turned out to be a fluke.

 

[FORKCOCK]

I'm most encouraged by the overall style of play. Ball rotation and finding the open shooter on offense right now is excellent. Players are hustling to get rebounds and loose balls. They also get back on defense very quickly.

If Paris can continue his hot hand of unearthing quality players to fit in his system, I don't see any reason to believe the team can't have continued success. If that were to happen, the biggest issue then becomes retaining his services against higher profile BB schools who can probably pay him more.

I don’t see us losing him for more money. I think we’ll step up, when the time comes.

 

[Mauze2]

Dawn's first season - 10-18 Lamont's first season - 11-20
Dawn's second season - 14-15 Lamont's second season - 16-3 to start.
I am not saying he is as good as Dawn, but he sure is trying, and he follows her tactics.
Lamont went and found some talented players both in recruiting and the portal and it shows. But it is not just the players, it is how he plays them. He used the bench perfect yesterday to keep his team refreshed and put on more D when needed. This man can coach.
And his recruiting is taking off too. He already has another star committed for next year and is working to get others.

I heard so many people complain about Tanner hiring Lamont. I think he was just what we needed, and it think he is going to do a great job here. I just hope we keep him around for a while.

BTW...Frank Martin 1st season 14-18
Frank's 2nd season 14-20

It is great to have a really decent Men's Basketball team thanks to our coach. I feel Lamont will get us back in the T and will have even better recruiting and portal transfers each year.

Yes, I agree, as long as some big basketball school doesn’t hire him away from us. Think about Kentucky. The natives are restless.

 

[hahnenkampf]

Yes, I agree, as long as some big basketball school doesn’t hire him away from us. Think about Kentucky. The natives are restless.

UMass may be ready to replace their HC. 😂😂

 

[Mauze2]

UMass may be ready to replace their HC. 😂😂

Doctor J is ready to take that position. LOL

 

[gamecock stock]

I don’t see us losing him for more money. I think we’ll step up, when the time comes.

I suspect that Tanner has been working on a VERY lucrative new contract for Lamont. This is not a Muschamp nor Beamer situation where he never succeeded as a Head Coach prior to coming here. Paris is a proven winner.

 

[Ward Jr]

I suspect that Tanner has been working on a VERY lucrative new contract for Lamont. This is not a Muschamp nor Beamer situation where he never succeeded as a Head Coach prior to coming here. Paris is a proven winner.

We obviously would like to retain him. However, let's not forgot we were 4-14 and 11-21 last year. Paris had the Midas touch in the off-season bringing in Cooper, Mack and Clark who have all been instrumental to our success to date. Cooper is probably our best player and is key to the offensive movement. Then you also have Gray who is a senior. So that's four bigtime guys done at the end of this season.

The question remains whether Paris can continue to replicate the success moving forward or did the stars simply align this season? If a school like UK or Michigan throws a boatload at him, it will be interesting to see if we match. The last thing they want to do is get in another Frank situation with hangover Dance fumes.

Don't get me wrong, Paris definitely seems like a better coach/fit than Frank for a myriad of reasons. However, ideally you don't want to get into one of those expensive forever contracts off of one year of success.

 

[gamecock stock]

We obviously would like to retain him. However, let's not forgot we were 4-14 and 11-21 last year.

I would add that Paris, like any new coach, came in late. By the time he came on board, we had lost about 75% of the previous team to either graduation or transfers to UMASS to play for Martin. For the most part, what was available to recruit back then, were "leftovers", to put it gently. Still, we were able to finish higher in the conference standings than the "experts" said we would. I'm not advocating awarding Paris a Warren Giese (who was probably before your time, and definitely before I was aware of Carolina athletics) contract. But, he currently is on the bottom of pay for SEC men's basketball coaches. I'm not sure how others feel but, paying him among the upper half of SEC men basketball coaches is both reasonable and fair. Based on his prior success as a Head Coach at Chattanooga, him previously being an assistant to Bo Ryan at Wisconsin and what he has done thus far at South Carolina, I've a hunch we have a "gold mine" in Lamont.

 

[Ward Jr]

I would add that Paris, like any new coach, came in late. By the time he came on board, we had lost about 75% of the previous team to either graduation or transfers to UMASS to play for Martin. For the most part, what was available to recruit back then, were "leftovers", to put it gently. Still, we were able to finish higher in the conference standings than the "experts" said we would. I'm not advocating awarding Paris a Warren Giese (who was probably before your time, and definitely before I was aware of Carolina athletics) contract. But, he currently is on the bottom of pay for SEC men's basketball coaches. I'm not sure how others feel but, paying him among the upper half of SEC men basketball coaches is both reasonable and fair. Based on his prior success as a Head Coach at Chattanooga, him previously being an assistant to Bo Ryan at Wisconsin and what he has done thus far at South Carolina, I've a hunch we have a "gold mine" in Lamont.

I think you missed my point. Obviously, there's little to no expectations in Year 1 of anything.

My point is that we've got one really good year under our belt with Paris. And he's a keeper if we can hang onto him. However, if a UK or Michigan comes in and offers him $8 million a year because he's currently on the "hottest coaches" list, do we offer him a huge contract in an attempt to try to retain?

UK and Michigan can gamble because they have far more money and can easily churn coaches if they need to. Those who say "yes - pay the freight" shouldn't be the same ones complaining about Ray if Paris is locked in a big contract with a buyout and we're struggling to get to .500 next season with a bunch of new players. Paying a basketball coach at USC that kind of money each year will also have implications on other programs too.

 

[turncock]

I think you missed my point. Obviously, there's little to no expectations in Year 1 of anything.

My point is that we've got one really good year under our belt with Paris. And he's a keeper if we can hang onto him. However, if a UK or Michigan comes in and offers him $8 million a year because he's currently on the "hottest coaches" list, do we offer him a huge contract in an attempt to try to retain?

UK and Michigan can gamble because they have far more money and can easily churn coaches if they need to. Those who say "yes - pay the freight" shouldn't be the same ones complaining about Ray if Paris is locked in a big contract with a buyout and we're struggling to get to .500 next season with a bunch of new players. Paying a basketball coach at USC that kind of money each year will also have implications on other programs too.

The zero-to-hero dilemma. We reply guys aren't interested in budget and fallout discussion unless it works in our favor.

 

[Ward Jr]

The zero-to-hero dilemma. We reply guys aren't interested in budget and fallout discussion unless it works in our favor.

Yep. Lamont's contract very similar to Beamer's -- a low front end with the idea that if you have success there will be a large move upward.

The challenge the AD could run into is that Paris is having a little too much success in a given year. Being projected to finish last in the SEC and tied for first going into the final weeks of the regular season is going to catch the eye of blue bloods who are looking for a coaching rotation. Now that raise from $2.2mil to $4-5mil might not even be in the ballpark in order to retain.

In contrast, if he had received that raise to $4 or $5mil in a previous year from an above average season, there would be buyouts, etc. for the blue bloods to take into consideration. That might make them think twice about making a huge offer for a coach with one year of top D1 success.

 

[gamecock stock]

I think you missed my point. Obviously, there's little to no expectations in Year 1 of anything.

My point is that we've got one really good year under our belt with Paris. And he's a keeper if we can hang onto him. However, if a UK or Michigan comes in and offers him $8 million a year because he's currently on the "hottest coaches" list, do we offer him a huge contract in an attempt to try to retain?

UK and Michigan can gamble because they have far more money and can easily churn coaches if they need to. Those who say "yes - pay the freight" shouldn't be the same ones complaining about Ray if Paris is locked in a big contract with a buyout and we're struggling to get to .500 next season with a bunch of new players. Paying a basketball coach at USC that kind of money each year will also have implications on other programs too.

You did not follow all the way I was going. What expectations there were, they were exceeded, especially when taking into account the shambles of a program he inherited, having to replace practically the entire team, bringing in mostly semi-skilled replacements that first year. Like this past season, the consensus was we'd finish dead last in the league his first season here. We finished above that. This season, we will obviously finish well above that. The guy is a keeper, if we can.

Can we? No one is going to pay what UK pays for a basketball coach. They are in a basketball world of their own. Michigan, on the other hand, if we were to raise Paris to be among the top half of the league, we'd be paying in that neighborhood. The ultimate question is: Will we? Well, we tripled Beamer's salary after Year 2 and Beamer certainly does not have the prior proven successful Head Coaching experience that Paris has. If we increased Paris to be paid in the Michigan neighborhood, that would only be around a 50% increase, way, way short of the increase to an unproven Beamer. Would such an increase be worth it to South Carolina? I believe that the Ole Miss game being a sellout on a weeknight might answer that question.

The Beamer and Muschamp contract "do-overs" were gambles. Hopefully, unlike the Muschamp fiasco, the Beamer gamble will pay off. Paris would be nowhere near the gamble of Beamer/Muschamp.

 

[gamecock stock]

Yep. Lamont's contract very similar to Beamer's -- a low front end with the idea that if you have success there will be a large move upward.

The challenge the AD could run into is that Paris is having a little too much success in a given year. Being projected to finish last in the SEC and tied for first going into the final weeks of the regular season is going to catch the eye of blue bloods who are looking for a coaching rotation. Now that raise from $2.2mil to $4-5mil might not even be in the ballpark in order to retain.

In contrast, if he had received that raise to $4 or $5mil in a previous year from an above average season, there would be buyouts, etc. for the blue bloods to take into consideration. That might make them think twice about making a huge offer for a coach with one year of top D1 success.

All Tanner can do is give a fair raise and let the chips fall where they may. If he leaves, he leaves. You can't worry about that. You can't walk around worried you might break something.

It's obvious to me that this fanbase will support a winner in basketball. I THINK that's obvious to the Administration. I trust they will act accordingly.

 

[Southern Fried Chicken]

The Beamer and Muschamp contract "do-overs" were gambles. Hopefully, unlike the Muschamp fiasco, the Beamer gamble will pay off. Paris would be nowhere near the gamble of Beamer/Muschamp.

Muschamp is the poster child for the definition of the Peter Principle. He had the credentials to earn the promotion to HBC at Florida but proved, at both Fla and Carolina, that he was incompetent at the next level.

While I respect your loyalty and admire your optimism towards Beamer, I'm leaning more towards the 'Schultz Philosophy' .... " I see noszing ... noszing at all."

Paris, on the other hand, remains quiet and does his talking on the court.

 

[Neanderthal]

Calipari has a lifetime contract. Does that mean he coaches until he’s dead? 🤪

 

[Ward Jr]

All Tanner can do is give a fair raise and let the chips fall where they may. If he leaves, he leaves. You can't worry about that. You can't walk around worried you might break something.

It's obvious to me that this fanbase will support a winner in basketball. I THINK that's obvious to the Administration. I trust they will act accordingly.

Agree. I believe he's' capable of sustained success as well. However, I'm not sure I would want to go much north of $5mil for any hoops coach in general and that's a distinct reality if the big money schools get in the fray during ' EOY contract renegotiations

But you watch -- all of the same individuals saying "throw the sink" at him will be the same ones slamming Ray for the contract terms in a couple of years if things go South and we're starring at a huge buyout once again.

 

[Ward Jr]

Calipari has a lifetime contract. Does that mean he coaches until he’s dead? 🤪

His buyout is currently around $34mil. UK is probably not going to be interested in a coach with one season of P5 success at that price tag.

 

[gamecock stock]

Agree. I believe he's' capable of sustained success as well. However, I'm not sure I would want to go much north of $5mil for any hoops coach in general and that's a distinct reality if the big money schools get in the fray during ' EOY contract renegotiations

But you watch -- all of the same individuals saying "throw the sink" at him will be the same ones slamming Ray for the contract terms in a couple of years if things go South and we're starring at a huge buyout once again.

I'm not sure I'd want to go north of even $4 million. Maybe in the $3.5 million region? I don't know. Tanner, or his staff, will need to do a cost-benefit analyses and see what the market bears. I may be too conservative. Tanner and his people need to figure out what's fair and reasonable. They need to figure out the "sweet spot".

 

[Ward Jr]

I'm not sure I'd want to go north of even $4 million. Maybe in the $3.5 million region? I don't know. Tanner, or his staff, will need to do a cost-benefit analyses and see what the market bears. I may be too conservative. Tanner and his people need to figure out what's fair and reasonable. They need to figure out the "sweet spot".

Right. So that's the issue if a school with deep pockets becomes interested. There's no sweet spot if it's all above our pay grade.

 

[gamecock stock]

Muschamp is the poster child for the definition of the Peter Principle. He had the credentials to earn the promotion to HBC at Florida but proved, at both Fla and Carolina, that he was incompetent at the next level.

While I respect your loyalty and admire your optimism towards Beamer, I'm leaning more towards the 'Schultz Philosophy' .... " I see noszing ... noszing at all."

Paris, on the other hand, remains quiet and does his talking on the court.

You are giving me too much credit for "loyalty" to and "optimism" about Beamer. I'm fully supportive and want him to succeed. There were a couple of staff changes not made that I thought needed to be made. So, I'm taking a "wait and see" approach.

 

[Robhawk29]

If I'm Ray I take the reverse approach at the end of the season and ask Paris how much. Let him set the bar. Then you find out if he really wants to be here or if this is a stepping stone.

 

[hahnenkampf]

I'm not sure I'd want to go north of even $4 million. Maybe in the $3.5 million region? I don't know. Tanner, or his staff, will need to do a cost-benefit analyses and see what the market bears. I may be too conservative. Tanner and his people need to figure out what's fair and reasonable. They need to figure out the "sweet spot".

I think Dawn makes around $3.5 mil per yr. —I may be wrong about that though. With “equity and equality” being close to Dawn’s heart would it be appropriate for Lamont and Dawn to be paid the same amount?

 

[Ward Jr]

Freshman Murray-Bowles is a special talent.

AD better earmark for him too if we plan on retaining.

 

[gamecock stock]

I think Dawn makes around $3.5 mil per yr. —I may be wrong about that though. With “equity and equality” being close to Dawn’s heart would it be appropriate for Lamont and Dawn to be paid the same amount?

Dawn is the highest paid coach in collegiate women's basketball. Her salary would put her about 24th among the men. Men and women's basketball are 2 different worlds . That won't change. I'm sure Dawn realizes that. Being the top paid women's basketball coach is something hard to complain about. I sense that she and Paris are real supportive of helpful to each other. I really don't think Lamont's higher pay, if it becomes that, will be a problem for her.

One thing that Lamont has going for him is that this university is hungry for a sustained big winner in a man's major sport. Spurrier gave us a big winner. But he was near the end of the road. Paris, at 49, is about the age that McGuire was when he came here. The potential with Lamont is a couple of decades of producing a big winner. That was the hope when Beamer was hired. The hope was that he is a "chip off the old block". The 2022 wins by Beamer over Tennessee and Clemson, could have given the wrong impression of Beamer. But those 2 wins tripled his pay. The jury is still out on Beamer. He could be a 2-game phenom. But Lamont's success as a Head Coach at Chattanooga, prior to coming here is different in that he built a winner there over a 5-year period. And, of course, he is winning big here, THUS FAR, over the course of his 2nd year.

Bottom line: I don't believe it will be a problem for Dawn. But, I know little and claim less.

 

[Ward Jr]

Dawn is the highest paid coach in collegiate women's basketball. Her salary would put her about 24th among the men. Men and women's basketball are 2 different worlds . That won't change. I'm sure Dawn realizes that. Being the top paid women's basketball coach is something hard to complain about. I sense that she and Paris are real supportive of helpful to each other. I really don't think Lamont's higher pay, if it becomes that, will be a problem for her.

One thing that Lamont has going for him is that this university is hungry for a sustained big winner in a man's major sport. Spurrier gave us a big winner. But he was near the end of the road. Paris, at 49, is about the age that McGuire was when he came here. The potential with Lamont is a couple of decades of producing a big winner. That was the hope when Beamer was hired. The hope was that he is a "chip off the old block". The 2022 wins by Beamer over Tennessee and Clemson, could have given the wrong impression of Beamer. But those 2 wins tripled his pay. The jury is still out on Beamer. He could be a 2-game phenom. But Lamont's success as a Head Coach at Chattanooga, prior to coming here is different in that he built a winner there over a 5-year period. And, of course, he is winning big here, THUS FAR, over the course of his 2nd year.

Bottom line: I don't believe it will be a problem for Dawn. But, I know little and claim less.

All about the bottom line. It would depend on revenue figures between the two.

If the women are matching or exceeding men's numbers, I would believe Dawn might take issue with being paid less and rightfully so.