I'm on the fence about Johnny Dawkins and here's a few reasons why:

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

See responses in Bold:

UCF seemed discombobulated throughout much of the first half, shooting just 42% from the floor. These slow starts kill us year to year this never changes. Player talent or coaching? More on the Talent level of players.

The team was also plagued by bad passes, turnovers, and a lax transitional defense that allowed USF to go on a 14-3 run, which helped the Bulls build a double-digit advantage at 27-14. This has got to to be mostly coaching in my opinion. Year to year this never changes. Mostly coaching and knowing how to play in various circumstances.

South Florida hit nine 3-pointers in the first half, none more damaging than Selton Miguel’s 30-footer at the buzzer, which pushed the Bulls’ lead to 49-35 at the half. USF would finish with 13. We can never seem to stop the 3 pointers defensively.
Also, Bianci says it's our budget. I buy into that mostly for talent but others schools are excellent on small budgets. I guess player talent and listening to coach is a big factor (according to Sellers the guys don't listen enough to coach). Who's fault is that.
Year after year it's mostly the "rinse and repeat" with Dawkins.
Thoughts?

 

[Central Floridave]

Coach Dawkins only has 1 more year on his current contract. I'd say give him one more year.

He is a good coach and a good person. Players love him. Emphasizes defense and player character.

However, gotta win in this game and UCF has everything it needs to be successful.

If he is let go, there is a very good foundation built and Johnny has been apart of that.

One thing is certain, the Big 12 gets even harder next year!

 

[Oldest Man]

See responses in Bold:

UCF seemed discombobulated throughout much of the first half, shooting just 42% from the floor. These slow starts kill us year to year this never changes. Player talent or coaching? More on the Talent level of players.

The team was also plagued by bad passes, turnovers, and a lax transitional defense that allowed USF to go on a 14-3 run, which helped the Bulls build a double-digit advantage at 27-14. This has got to to be mostly coaching in my opinion. Year to year this never changes. Mostly coaching and knowing how to play in various circumstances.

South Florida hit nine 3-pointers in the first half, none more damaging than Selton Miguel’s 30-footer at the buzzer, which pushed the Bulls’ lead to 49-35 at the half. USF would finish with 13. We can never seem to stop the 3 pointers defensively.
Also, Bianci says it's our budget. I buy into that mostly for talent but others schools are excellent on small budgets. I guess player talent and listening to coach is a big factor (according to Sellers the guys don't listen enough to coach). Who's fault is that.
Year after year it's mostly the "rinse and repeat" with Dawkins.
Thoughts?

Coach Dawkins only has 1 more year on his current contract. I'd say give him one more year.

He is a good coach and a good person. Players love him. Emphasizes defense and player character.

However, gotta win in this game and UCF has everything it needs to be successful.

If he is let go, there is a very good foundation built and Johnny has been apart of that.

One thing is certain, the Big 12 gets even harder next year!

I agree that we should give him one more year on his current contract and let him know it's time to put up or retire.....I'll repeat my previous post. USF is known as playing best in a fast-paced game so when we started out slowing the game and going down low to our big guys and easily scoring that appeared to be a great approach. But then we missed a couple and instead of keeping it up and crashing the boards, we changed our approach to speed up the game and gave the game to them. Their 49 points in the first half, many on fast breaks or open 3's on the run, was the ballgame. So, I agree, we got outcoached in the first half and it cost us the game. And that seems to be the rule not the exception for UCF with Johnny as HC.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

Coach Dawkins only has 1 more year on his current contract. I'd say give him one more year.

I agree that we should give him one more year on his current contract and let him know it's time to put up or retire.....I'll repeat my previous post. USF is known as playing best in a fast-paced game so when we started out slowing the game and going down low to our big guys and easily scoring that appeared to be a great approach. But then we missed a couple and instead of keeping it up and crashing the boards, we changed our approach to speed up the game and gave the game to them. Their 49 points in the first half, many on fast breaks or open 3's on the run, was the ballgame. So, I agree, we got outcoached in the first half and it cost us the game. And that seems to be the rule not the exception for UCF with Johnny as HC.

Exactly. But if our bigs can't make their shots (talent and coaching), then it's wash, rinse, repeat. I wish Johnny could get it together and succeed. I love the guy but every year it about .500 with a losing conference record.

 

[B R Knightz2]

Johnny needs to recruit the talent in his own backyard…especially IMG Academy and Montverde. We are in the BEST Bball conference in the nation.

 

[ucf1]

Coach Dawkins only has 1 more year on his current contract. I'd say give him one more year.

He is a good coach and a good person. Players love him. Emphasizes defense and player character.

However, gotta win in this game and UCF has everything it needs to be successful.

If he is let go, there is a very good foundation built and Johnny has been apart of that.

One thing is certain, the Big 12 gets even harder next year!

UCF has everything it needs to be successful? Strongly disagree. Not even close in the BIG 12. Coach salary lowest. Assistant pool likely the same. Travel budget. Recruiting budget. NIL budget. All amongst, if not the lowest, in the BIG 12. TT

 

[vroomba]

The two seasons Dawkins went over .500 in conference play was in his first 3 years. Since then we went .500 or worse in 4 straight seasons. Look at his Stanford days, he hovered around .500 at best. That's likely the ceiling for us under him.

 

[Poolside Knight]

many programs have done more w less. it seems like the people covering the team are scared to hurt his feelings . You don’t want Football and Men’s basketball both w coaches near retirement. At least Gus knows the recruiting game

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

People don't pay for average.

You don't go to an average restaurant, receive average service, and finish with average meal and go away saying, "Wow that was incredible! Let's go back tomorrow!"

Hawkins has been the definition of average for his entire career, and some of y'all are on the fence about paying him to come back.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

All of the Florida schools need to step it up. No kids should be leaving state. Even for Blue Bloods. All of us should be good every year but we let good kids go elsewhere.

 

[Gwoz]

All of the Florida schools need to step it up. No kids should be leaving state. Even for Blue Bloods. All of us should be good every year but we let good kids go elsewhere.

To be fair UF, FSU, Miami, FAU, now Stetson, and USF has made noise in the last couple years. Not as bad as UCF baseball (maybe this year is different), but the basketball team seems to lag behind the rest of the state.

 

[Central Floridave]

"Travel budget. Recruiting budget. NIL budget" <----

-----> "many programs have done more w less."

 

[Poolside Knight]

He has been at UCF 7 years too. sometimes change is good and what is the risk? We are already 11th in the league ..seeing people bring up 1 recruit when he has mostly relied on patching up the roster w transfers after the Donnie recruits cycled out of the Program . You don’t make decisions based on recruits that could flip to Houston a week before signing day

 

[beelit47]

Just wait for Kentucky to fire Calipari. Then go out and hire Calipari. He would thrive outside of a traditional blue blood like he did with memphis

 

[Happy Hands]

Johnny needs to recruit the talent in his own backyard…especially IMG Academy and Montverde. We are in the BEST Bball conference in the nation.

IMG and Montverde are full of kids that have no ties to Florida. Dawkins could try to recruit there, but he doesn’t have any advantage over other schools.

 

[HammerB08]

Just wait for Kentucky to fire Calipari. Then go out and hire Calipari. He would thrive outside of a traditional blue blood like he did with memphis

With the UK buyout he could donate his whole salary to the NIL fund and still live like a king. This is the way.

 

[LoboCane]

Coach Dawkins only has 1 more year on his current contract. I'd say give him one more year.

He is a good coach and a good person. Players love him. Emphasizes defense and player character.

However, gotta win in this game and UCF has everything it needs to be successful.

If he is let go, there is a very good foundation built and Johnny has been apart of that.

One thing is certain, the Big 12 gets even harder next year!

A coach with one year left is a lame duck coach. He won’t be able to attract recruits or transfers to the program.

At this point, UCF has two options: extend or fire.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

A coach with one year left is a lame duck coach. He won’t be able to attract recruits or transfers to the program.

At this point, UCF has two options: extend or fire.

I hate to have to agree with you, but you are correct. UCF has to extend Hawkins if it keeps him. A coach with one year on his contract cannot recruit and be successful (save Jim Harbaugh).

The best thing to do is fire him. UCF owes only one season on his contract and will have to pay the money either way.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

For the most part, transfers are 1 year rentals or just pick the school they will definitely play the next year no matter what. Him only having 1 year left won’t matter for transfers. High school is a different animal. He probably won’t get anyone good when in limbo. He has to win next year or gone.

 

[goodknightfl]

UCF has everything it needs to be successful? Strongly disagree. Not even close in the BIG 12. Coach salary lowest. Assistant pool likely the same. Travel budget. Recruiting budget. NIL budget. All amongst, if not the lowest, in the BIG 12. TT

I agree as of today. We still have one more year playing for 1/2 the money the rest of the conference gets. So nothing much will change next year. I think Coach did a pretty good job this year.

 

[beelit47]

With the UK buyout he could donate his whole salary to the NIL fund and still live like a king. This is the way.

Thats essentially how we landed gus. The b12 is the top league so he would step up in competition but not have the pressure he does at a blue blood

 

[knightraveler]

Exactly. But if our bigs can't make their shots (talent and coaching), then it's wash, rinse, repeat. I wish Johnny could get it together and succeed. I love the guy but every year it about .500 with a losing conference record.

Dawkins is a nice guy and a average coach. I'd rather have a nice guy who is a great coach. Dawkins will never get us to the big game for several reasons...the big reason is success breeds success and he has little. He has one season left to prove me wrong.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

He has one season left to prove me wrong.

I agree with everything you said, save this. He will not have "one season left."

UCF has to either extend him or fire him "soon." If UCF extends him, it will have to buyout the extension if it fires him. If UCF fires him, it will have to pay out his contract for the remaining season.

The decision on the table for Terry Mohajir is to EXTEND or FIRE a coach that he inherited. Mohajir has already canned one Danny White hire.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

I agree with everything you said, save this. He will not have "one season left."

UCF has to either extend him or fire him "soon." If UCF extends him, it will have to buyout the extension if it fires him. If UCF fires him, it will have to pay out his contract for the remaining season.

The decision on the table for Terry Mohajir is to EXTEND or FIRE a coach that he inherited. Mohajir has already canned one Danny White hire.

By soon you mean what? I’d rather they wait until January at least of next year. Even if the price tag goes up. Don’t force a buyout when you don’t need one. No school us going to take him right now so we’d be just competing with ourselves and force us to buy him out for no reason.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

By soon you mean what? I’d rather they wait until January at least of next year. Even if the price tag goes up. Don’t force a buyout when you don’t need one. No school us going to take him right now so we’d be just competing with ourselves and force us to buy him out for no reason.

"Soon" means probably by the end of March or early April Dawkins *should* be EXTENDED or FIRED. No sense in waiting & handicapping Dawkins or a new coach from being able to recruit.

If the choice is between EXTENDING him or FIRING him, UCF will save more money cutting ties on the front end and paying him not to coach for one season. It will cost UCF more to buy out an extension.

 

[Oldest Man]

"Soon" means probably by the end of March or early April Dawkins *should* be EXTENDED or FIRED. No sense in waiting & handicapping Dawkins or a new coach from being able to recruit.

If the choice is between EXTENDING him or FIRING him, UCF will save more money cutting ties on the front end and paying him not to coach for one season. It will cost UCF more to buy out an extension.

Give him another year to put up or retire.....and please don't say that he won't be able to fill up the roster because he's lost most of his best players to transfer every year for the past few years and still fielded a .500 team. In fact, he was close to producing better results this year. If this team can take the next step and show some progress, extend him...if not, replace him.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Give him another year to put up or retire.....and please don't say that he won't be able to fill up the roster because he's lost most of his best players to transfer every year for the past few years and still fielded a .500 team. In fact, he was close to producing better results this year. If this team can take the next step and show some progress, extend him...if not, replace him.

Ask yourself these questions rhetorically...

If you were a high school basketball recruit, would you sign to play four years for a coach with one year remaining on his contract?

If you were a college basketball coach, would negatively recruit against a UCF coach with one year remaining on his contract?

If you were an administrator in the UCF athletic department, would you employ a coach with only one season remaining on his contract if you knew he would struggle to recruit high schools and be negatively recruited against by the competition?

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

2024-25 transfer rankings: Who are the top 40 names in the portal?

The portal opened the day after Selection Sunday and names are flying in. Here are the top names looking for a new team next season.

www.espn.com

Here’s the transfer portal rankings. He needs to hit on a few of these depending on how many guys we lose. A lot of tall guys near the top of this list. I’d like to get a 7 footer to compliment the 3 new guys coming already.

 

[Oldest Man]

Ask yourself these questions rhetorically...

If you were a high school basketball recruit, would you sign to play four years for a coach with one year remaining on his contract?

If you were a college basketball coach, would negatively recruit against a UCF coach with one year remaining on his contract?

If you were an administrator in the UCF athletic department, would you employ a coach with only one season remaining on his contract if you knew he would struggle to recruit high schools and be negatively recruited against by the competition?

What the hell are you talking about? Let's talk about reality not speculation . Other than Taylor Hendricks, name a top HS recruit that Johnny has signed over the past few years. And of the other HS players he's signed, he's lost almost all not named Johnson to the portal. The portal in College Bball is on steroids compared to FB. And Bball players know the power of the portal. Johnny's success will be in the portal this year, basically with one and done players. He brought in a decent group last year. Let's give him a chance to better that this year and then decide his future at UCF. And, btw, if you let Johnny go now, you lose your 2 best players immediately.

 

[DaShuckster]

I couldn't find the game on TV and came to the board this morning to see if the Knights won. When I saw the title of this thread, I knew the answer.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

What the hell are you talking about? Let's talk about reality not speculation . Other than Taylor Hendricks, name a top HS recruit that Johnny has signed over the past few years. And of the other HS players he's signed, he's lost almost all not named Johnson to the portal. The portal in College Bball is on steroids compared to FB. And Bball players know the power of the portal. Johnny's success will be in the portal this year, basically with one and done players. He brought in a decent group last year. Let's give him a chance to better that this year and then decide his future at UCF. And, btw, if you let Johnny go now, you lose your 2 best players immediately.

So the new coach should be able to replace the defections easily. It sounds as if Hawkins has recruited worse than Heupel. That's enough for me.

 

[Poolside Knight]

If he is extended there needs to be a prop bet on how many of our starters are injured by opening week .

 

[Oldest Man]

So the new coach should be able to replace the defections easily. It sounds as if Hawkins has recruited worse than Heupel. That's enough for me.

Again, what the hell are you talking about? My point (I guess I need to spell it out for you) is that college Bball recruiting is much different because of the transfer portal. You could turn over 1/2 or more of your squad and have to replace them year after year. You can't compare FB and Bball.

 

[PaulsDriveIn]

Keeping Dawkins just shows that UCF doesn't care about competing.

 

[Poolside Knight]

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Keeping Dawkins just shows that UCF doesn't care about competing.

Exactly!

As long as a head coach meets the minimum expectations of holding practices and showing up for games, he or she will be employed by UCF.

 

[Poolside Knight]

UCF under Tik Tok Terry: ‘we can’t do any better’ #resources

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

He has a few guys still in NBA that played for him. Hendricks and the Lopez twins. Probably a couple more from Stanford. Hoping we don’t extend him but I think we’ll be better next year. Has to swing for fences on portal.

 

[HammerB08]

Dawk is kind of like the good D coordinator in football who can put together a defense that wins some games but isn't able to fill in the rest of the picture as a head coach and the style is not exciting to watch except in rare great moments. He's had long enough. Have to make the change.

 

[connerito]

Our recruiting this year will be at least mid Big 12 which is good considering NIL money. We were close to having 20 wins with losses to the newbies being our biggest downfall but those losses were not coaching but foul shot mishaps We have to do better on the foul line. Our defense is top notch but we need to get a finisher maybe we get one from our recruiting or the kid from Memphis comes through. The team exceeded anyone’s reality expectations and could’ve blown the door off with a few more wins which were right on the doorstep. I was proud of them this year.

The problem with recruiting with a one year left contract is the one year. Having first hand knowledge of recruiting at a high level school the lack of a multiple years is a problem. We exceeded expectations. I would extend him with conditions

As an alum who played I’m proud of the first year knowing the hurdles they faced

Charge on !!