What's Daum have to do with Richman doing his job? Where's that senior class he recruited after we beat OK?
If you are pointing out that Richman has done as good of a job as Saul, cool. I never said I wanted Saul to be the coach either. I don't care who the coach is if you can't at least once in a while get a win against a high quality ooc team and/or get into the dance as something more than a 15 seed then you are a mediocre mid major coach at best and we should expect more.
This also shows that DR rode Saul's success for 2 yrs then started flailing ...
Just something to note/think about, Richman was on staff during Saul's time at NDSU. Richman did not come from a different program and take over the roster. As an assistant coach he helped build that roster of seniors that won a game in the big dance. He has been in those kids homes, high school games/AAU and played a part in bringing those kids to NDSU.
Sure you probably dont get claim the credit if you are not the head coach but assistance coaches play a key part in a a team's and head coaches success. They are often the first line of recruiting, in charge of scouts of opponents, and development of players.
I don't question his ability to bring in talent. He's shown he can't manage mismatched personalities especially last season. The players he brings in aren't built for his offensive "system". His insistence on playing stall ball with the exception of the last few weeks have cost this team numerous games. Other coaches adapt and outcoach him almost every game.
You know, I was one of the most vocal folks calling for Richman to be let go, but I really think he changed a bit at the end of this year when he realized he was likely going to be let go after next year. Attacking the paint all weekend with Tyson was nothing short of genius; it really was (haters, you have to admit this). On top of that, this last year he was fantastic on recruiting. I still think he needs to figure a way to play Rocky and Deng together, but maybe he'll also figure that out. Further, much of the time Deng sat during the tourney was the RIGHT decision as he was cold inside and Rocky's defense was phenomenal, and we were shooting the lights out.
I say add 1-2 years to the end of his contract to see if he can keep growing.