Saul gets contract extension

[roadwarrior]

Five more years for Bison head coach Saul Phillips.

http://gobison.com/news/2013/8/22/ATH_0822135035.aspx

[1998braves64]

Well this will be pleasing to those who have put Saul on hot seat!
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[North Side]

Wonder how much they pay increase compared to what Ball St. was offering.

[HoopsBison]

Very happy to hear this. Congrats to Saul!

[dragonsfan]

Im not so sure deserved, don't flame me I'm only d2 but what's his last big win? Answer and ill hang up and listen

[Civil06]

Im not so sure deserved, don't flame me I'm only d2 but what's his last big win? Answer and ill hang up and listen

When we crushed UND. I'll hang up and listen.

[SlickVic]

Ialto rpi of 318 isnt a marque win my boy

[NDSUstudent]

Well deserved!!

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[unbison]

We shall see this is a big year

[Burnt_Secondary]

Meh, I'm not a Saul fan everyone knows this, contracts are chewed up and spit out in this day and age. Doesn't really mean a lot. Other than if he gets canned he still gets paid.

Big year, not sure we have much left in the cupboard after this year so get to the dance or it's a fail. If we get to the dance this extension is deserved, if not we wasted money.

I won't lie, in my opinion probably a mistake, but I will allow him to prove me wrong this year.

(Sorry for the bluntness folks but I might as well let you know where I stand. It's not like it was in doubt. I do hope I'm wrong and we finally see NDSU basketball on the rise, love the sport . . . hate the current NDSU style of play . . . more on that the rest of the year.)

[ndsubison1]

Im not so sure deserved, don't flame me I'm only d2 but what's his last big win? Answer and ill hang up and listen

Sdsu last season

[Burnt_Secondary]

Sdsu last season

Wait, we beat SDSU and went to the dance? I have to look at my brackets more closely next year!!! :)

For the record, beating any team in the summit outside of winning the summit tournament is not a big win. IMHO.

Don't get me wrong, the SDSU game in Fargo was a lot of fun but beating a summit team on your home floor doesn't really do much for me. As far as "big win".

I would have to say Oakland with Tim's guys . . . and that's been a while. I don't give him much credit for that one since it hasn't happened since, but there is a little credit there none the less.

[HoopsBison]

Meh, I'm not a Saul fan everyone knows this, contracts are chewed up and spit out in this day and age. Doesn't really mean a lot. Other than if he gets canned he still gets paid.

Big year, not sure we have much left in the cupboard after this year so get to the dance or it's a fail. If we get to the dance this extension is deserved, if not we wasted money.

I won't lie, in my opinion probably a mistake, but I will allow him to prove me wrong this year.

(Sorry for the bluntness folks but I might as well let you know where I stand. It's not like it was in doubt. I do hope I'm wrong and we finally see NDSU basketball on the rise, love the sport . . . hate the current NDSU style of play . . . more on that the rest of the year.)

Curious and don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way but are you basketball only fan? Seems like most of your post are on this team and more so for your disapproval of Saul. I mean its clear you hate Saul.

As for your comment, remember Gene hates terminating contracts early, case and point look at Dehoff. Saul will either be the coach here for the 5 years or will take another HC position don't, seem him getting fired.

Very big year, we have all the pieces back a difficult and challenging schedule that should get this team ready to win the SL. Would be disappointing if this team didn't dance.

I don't see the big drop off you see after this year. Wont be anywhere near close to what happened after woody and company graduated.

Excited for the team this year and where Saul takes this team in the coming years. Any chance Saul pissed in your cheerios at some point?

[HoopsBison]

Im not so sure deserved, don't flame me I'm only d2 but what's his last big win? Answer and ill hang up and listen

Lots of near misses over the years which is frustrating that the team hasn't finished some of them off. Some give all the credit to Tim which is fine, he was an outstanding coach and did great things. But he was all in on the fab five (for good reason) and we had little talent after. Saul was on the staff then so he doesn't get a free pass on that either imo.

Fresno State at the BSA was pretty impressive, we dominated them the whole game. Not sure how good they were that year.

[herdmember]

His contract was up so you had to give him an extension of some kind. You can argue about the amount of years, but it's ridiculous if anyone thinks he deserves to be fired/let go at this point. I'm happy to see it. Saul has proven he can recruit to something that isn't always the most attractive. Hoping he can take it to the next level with the new BSA. This year is huge, but honestly, the bigger test will be how the next couple years after this go. I agree with Bisonbohl, NDSU's cupboard appears to be sitting way better now than it was post Woody.

[Kujava23]

Saul has done a good job, not great, but good. With that said, I would be disappointed if he left for another job. He has recruited pretty well for the lack of basketball facilities--I blame facilities for us losing out to 4-5 targets last couple years to SDSU. This is a HUGE year for the fact if our guys can stay healthy we should have a very competitive team and NCAA Tournament within grasp. I'm sure the entire Bison Men's Basketball coaching staff can't WAIT for new BSA to help them in recruiting---it will be a lot more fun to watch a game in the "proposed" new BSA.

I can say I'm not a huge fan either of OFFENSIVE side of of ball but thats just my philosophy and opinion. Saul and staff do a great job on the defensive end---just wish we didnt have to work so hard to get points.

GO BISON

[Burnt_Secondary]

Curious and don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way but are you basketball only fan? Seems like most of your post are on this team and more so for your disapproval of Saul. I mean its clear you hate Saul.

As for your comment, remember Gene hates terminating contracts early, case and point look at Dehoff. Saul will either be the coach here for the 5 years or will take another HC position don't, seem him getting fired.

Very big year, we have all the pieces back a difficult and challenging schedule that should get this team ready to win the SL. Would be disappointing if this team didn't dance.

I don't see the big drop off you see after this year. Wont be anywhere near close to what happened after woody and company graduated.

Excited for the team this year and where Saul takes this team in the coming years. Any chance Saul pissed in your cheerios at some point?

I would say basketball is where my sports knowledge lies, that's why I post here the most. I don't hate Saul but I HATE his style of basketball. Nothing personal by any means, he seems like a nice guy. I don't think the Wisconsin style of basketball is very impressive. It keeps you games all the time. It lets bad teams hang with you during a game (which can bite you but all in all hasn't happened very often with his teams) and it lets you stay close to good teams without ever beating them. (No impressive wins.)

I think he is a horrible coach when he is thrown into a game and there is something thrown at him that he hasn't prepared for. He has no second option if a defensive scheme that he planned on isn't working out. All he can do is change the players that are on the court. (And defense isn't the problem.) On the other side of the court the one good shot, one guy to rebound philosophy might get lapped by the return of the run and gun as we saw in the tournament last year. This all doesn't fall on him however, there are plenty of other coaches on that bench but they either all think like him or are not allowed input when the bullets are flying.

As for my criticism, well this being a collage board I find it distasteful to ever go after a player so Saul has to take my heat. Might not be fair but I just can't bring myself to go after the players. I know how hard they work, it's hard enough sometimes for players to get out of their own head, no reason for me to pile on if I'm not in a position to directly help them.

As far as the drop off goes. The players might be there (I'm not sure they are at every position) but the playing time hasn't. It is hard for even some of the more extremely talented players to come in and be expected to play a significant role instantly.

[silkamilkamonico]

I can't stand the Wisconsin style ball being played either, but if somebody told me our basketball team would actualyl be better in Division 1 than in Division 2, I would have laughed in their face.

I also better not see any run and gun style being played either, bunch of soft basketball garbage that is.

[ThunderDan]

Saul is average at best coach, but as for a recruiter, it's impossible to say because this is NDSU in Fargo ND and no athlete in their right mind that has any sort of offers would come here to play basketball. Yea yea, Tim Miles recruited the fab five, sure...they were all local talent and it was a once in a lifetime get which will never be repeated again. If there was even a glimmer of hope to steal a player with good mid mid major offers, they would take one step in the BSA and never come back again.

[NDSUstudent]

This team could be better than the fab four team if they can figure it out offensively. We all know Saul can recruit and he knows defense....he just needs to find the right combination offensively.

[silkamilkamonico]

I think they already are when you compare teams, much more well rounded anyways. They definietly have to put their place on the map like that class did. It does seem like Saul doesn't want these guys to play as up and down as those teams though.

I think Saul is a decent coach, you have to account the level he's at. Not going to see alot of good/gre3at coaches hanging around in a league like the Summit. The only coach I would say is clearly better than him is that dude from WEstern Illinois - best coach in the conference IMO.

[Burnt_Secondary]

I can't stand the Wisconsin style ball being played either, but if somebody told me our basketball team would actualyl be better in Division 1 than in Division 2, I would have laughed in their face.

I also better not see any run and gun style being played either, bunch of soft basketball garbage that is.

I should clarify.

I don't think we will be playing run and gun, I think our team could have trouble against a good run and gun team. Florida Gulf Coast's up tempo or VCU "havoc", it's run and gun but a little more disciplined very special. If there is a team that implements this in the summit we could have problems. (Not something you can implement over night but I have concerns.) This type of style allows for you to upset good teams. Wisconson style hoops let you hang around good teams but ultimately loose. Western Illinois does our style better than we do in the Summit, but next year we should have the edge on them in experience.

If we fall behind a up tempo team I don't think our offensive philosophy would be able to get us back in the game.

[silkamilkamonico]

I should clarify.

I don't think we will be playing run and gun, I think our team could have trouble against a good run and gun team. Florida Gulf Coast's up tempo or VCU "havoc", it's run and gun but a little more disciplined very special. If there is a team that implements this in the summit we could have problems. (Not something you can implement over night but I have concerns.) This type of style allows for you to upset good teams. Wisconson style hoops let you hang around good teams but ultimately loose. Western Illinois does our style better than we do in the Summit, but next year we should have the edge on them in experience.

If we fall behind a up tempo team I don't think our offensive philosophy would be able to get us back in the game.

Good defensive teams control run and gun on any court with the exception of legitimate skill gap. we better never lose our defensive tenacity and focus, but that doesn't mean we can't pick up the offense to a little more free flow. FCu and VCU are exceptions to the rule, there probably aren't 5 teams like them across the country, and VCU still focuses on defense. I can also guarantee that with Dooley taking over at FCU they will have more emphasis on defense.

Our offense is fine when they are rushed, they were actually better last year in those times, and I don't see any team other than possibly the big boys that will run away from us.

Certainly doesn't mean we won't have any of those frustrating, struggle scoring games like WIU. We just better win those because that's the type of ball Saul wants to be great at.

[Burnt_Secondary]

I agree there are only 5 teams like that now, I expect that number to explode in the next few years. VCU has figured out you can control a slow down team using traps and the 5 second rule. I would say that the rules allow up tempo teams to dictate the pace more than slow pace teams. I used to be in the slow it down, take your time, camp years ago with Stanford but I don't see this style being affective against better teams.

It seems like slow pace teams control the pace because other teams are content to "Hang with them". Teams are starting to figure this out how to change the tempo against the slow downs like Saul. I don't think anyone in the Summit has figured it out yet, or if they have I don't know if the talent is there.

I agree, our offense does do better when we are more aggressive offensively but that goes against Saul's philosophy, plus coach's sometimes feel as though they loose direct control of the game that way. Depends upon your coach and whether he trusts his players to make decisions.

[NDSUstudent]

Andy Katz wrote a little bit about Saul getting an extension in his blog...


3. Miles' former assistant and successor at North Dakota State, Saul Phillips, got a five-year extension to stay with the Bison last week. Phillips is that rare breed who loves where he is at a level out of the limelight and doesn't look at his gig simply as a stepping stone. Phillips took the team he built with Miles into the 2009 NCAA tournament in their first season eligible in Division I. So, why stay? "I have too many winter coats that would go to waste if I moved,'' said Phillips in jest. "I love my AD here. That's a big part of it.'' Phillips would like to see the Bison get a new arena, something MIles is enjoying at his new gig. "We've raised 30 million privately on a 34-million-dollar arena,'' said Phillips. "We get that done and we can be a good mid-major year in and year out.''

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/87919/3-point-shot-big-easts-big-plan

[JSUBison]

Andy Katz wrote a little bit about Saul getting an extension in his blog...



http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/87919/3-point-shot-big-easts-big-plan

The other story in that article is interesting, Nebraska/Florida Gulf Goast game. I wonder if Miles and team would help open the SHAC when it's done? I wonder who Gene is working with for the opener? The project is getting closer to reality, once they start digging we can really speculate then!

[344Johnson]

The other story in that article is interesting, Nebraska/Florida Gulf Goast game. I wonder if Miles and team would help open the SHAC when it's done? I wonder who Gene is working with for the opener? The project is getting closer to reality, once they start digging we can really speculate then!

I bet if Gene asks him he'd get it done.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I am not a Saul fan, but if Gene is.....who the hell am I to second guess the AD that brought us so effectively to DI. After seeing how well Vigen called that K-State game....I think I am done bitching about coaches. I will just sit back and enjoy the product.

[silkamilkamonico]

Saul is a good coach for us. We aren't going to get someone better especially that's going to stick around. He's a top 3 coach in our conference, been a very good recruiter, and at least has NDSU in a position where they are always competing within their conference.