Paul Mills Not Hot Seat

[shock]

Given we need 7 mil to keep things chugging as-is, I don’t see how the coaching budget is going to go higher. I would be happy to be wrong though.

I can’t remember how the buy outs were structured, but I was figuring 4.5 mil/year.

[ShockingButTrue]

Brown was way worse than his numbers. He was gone just in nick of time. We would have been a 200 or worse program last year if IB was at the helm.

I do not see Mills as the guy. I just see him as the valet parking the car, keeping the engine warm until we can afford to hire the right guy. IB was stuffing a rag in the gas tank when he was fired. Over half of the money we need is tied up in contracts iirc. Once we aren’t paying Marshall and IB we can afford to go all in on a real coach and it won’t be that difficult to launch us back into the top 50 where we belong.

"Way worse than his numbers?" whew, what a ******...

ADKS's first mistake (and not his last) was taking the advice of chattering d******s like you rather than pulling Brown aside telling him he's got one more year to get it together (because of contractual concerns,duh), while at the same time conducting a serious and smart coach search for someone could make WSU relevant again. Just when did KS start the coach search? After he fired brown?

Are you happy now *******? Oh, wait...

[ShockHat]

Have to spend money to make money. The WSU admin needs to develop a strategic plan that outlines what they want to achieve and how much it will cost.

Once the vision is in place you start fundraising like hell.

Yep 100%. Just have to admit that there’s a problem first and recognize the issue. We say we want to compete for championships. Well, Saal needs to prove it. Because right now getting reamed by every decent team isn’t it.

[1972Shocker]

Given we need 7 mil PER YEAR to keep things chugging as-is, I don’t see how the coaching budget is going to go higher. I would be happy to be wrong though.

FIFY. All we need to do it raise an additional 8 mil per year over current levels than we would have an extra mil to throw around.

[shock]

"Way worse than his numbers?" whew, what a ******...

ADKS's first mistake (and not his last) was taking the advice of chattering d******s like you rather than pulling Brown aside telling him he's got one more year to get it together (because of contractual concerns,duh), while at the same time conducting a serious and smart coach search for someone could make WSU relevant again. Just when did KS start the coach search? After he fired brown?

Are you happy now *******? Oh, wait...

Huh. I should send him an invoice.

[rjl]

Whether Mills is still coaching at WSU in upcoming seasons is more a factor of the below than anything else at this point. So long as he's exciting as a glass of warm milk and keeps coaching the way he has, we're still stuck with him until the money problems clear up.

December 2026 is when the last of the bi-weekly payments of $48,076.92 are made to Marshall. Source: https://andywittry.substack.com/p/he...wichita-states

April 2026 is when the last of the $108,000 monthly payments are made to Brown. Source: https://x.com/tayloreldridge/status/1634732104457109506

If WSU fires Mills at any point before he finishes year 3 (any time before June 30, 2026), it owes Mills 100% of the remainder of his contract. At that point in time, that would be $3.5 million. If WSU fires him in the middle of his 4th, 5th, or 6th years, it owes him 75% of the remainder of his contract. Source: https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...273595485.html

In other words, it's a huge sh*t sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite.

[shockrah]

I get the feeling that some of you just lead unhappy lives. We all want success. We all want wins. We don’t have the money for it. This is what we have the money for. You can’t shop at the dollar store and expect high end quality. If schools were cars, we’d be a Kia. Go cheer for a different school if you don’t like it. It’s not changing any time soon unless fans open their wallets. I haven’t and won’t. It is what it is. Wichita is not a financial power.

Accept it or not but quit belly aching about it.

I love my Kia Stinger GT! Let's be that Kia!

[rjl]

To add to my post above, if WSU had given Brown one more season and fired him after May 1, 2024, it would only have owed him 50% of the remainder of his contract. Source: https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...252970358.html

So Paul Mills actually got a better buyout deal for himself (and worse for WSU) than Brown did.

[Onegreatracer]

I love my Kia Stinger GT! Let's be that Kia!

Would love to drive a Stinger one day. Got to take one of my buddies mom’s Stingers on a trip to Dallas back in ~2019 and it was a dream.

[AZ Shocker]

Whether Mills is still coaching at WSU in upcoming seasons is more a factor of the below than anything else at this point. So long as he's exciting as a glass of warm milk and keeps coaching the way he has, we're still stuck with him until the money problems clear up.

December 2026 is when the last of the bi-weekly payments of $48,076.92 are made to Marshall. Source: https://andywittry.substack.com/p/he...wichita-states

April 2026 is when the last of the $108,000 monthly payments are made to Brown. Source: https://x.com/tayloreldridge/status/1634732104457109506

If WSU fires Mills at any point before he finishes year 3 (any time before June 30, 2026), it owes Mills 100% of the remainder of his contract. At that point in time, that would be $3.5 million. If WSU fires him in the middle of his 4th, 5th, or 6th years, it owes him 75% of the remainder of his contract. Source: https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...273595485.html

In other words, it's a huge sh*t sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite.

In other words...Wichita St. is and may have always been in a 20-25 year cycle of national HEADLINES. The 1960's. The 80's. The almost late 2000's until to 2018 (maybe). It's a budgetary cycle that comes and goes throughout the decades. Nothing wrong with that. It is what is is. Sucks we can't sustain...but it's better than never been there before.

Having said that...the fans and supporters deserve to sustain. It's a really great program! A sleeping giant when it wants to be. An uphill BATTLE it's always been. As mentioned by other posters...it takes money to MAKE money. Don't give up....

[AZ Shocker]

Whether Mills is still coaching at WSU in upcoming seasons is more a factor of the below than anything else at this point. So long as he's exciting as a glass of warm milk and keeps coaching the way he has, we're still stuck with him until the money problems clear up.

December 2026 is when the last of the bi-weekly payments of $48,076.92 are made to Marshall. Source: https://andywittry.substack.com/p/he...wichita-states

April 2026 is when the last of the $108,000 monthly payments are made to Brown. Source: https://x.com/tayloreldridge/status/1634732104457109506

If WSU fires Mills at any point before he finishes year 3 (any time before June 30, 2026), it owes Mills 100% of the remainder of his contract. At that point in time, that would be $3.5 million. If WSU fires him in the middle of his 4th, 5th, or 6th years, it owes him 75% of the remainder of his contract. Source: https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...273595485.html

In other words, it's a huge sh*t sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite.

In other words...Wichita St. is and may have always been in a 20-25 year cycle of national HEADLINES. The 1960's. The 80's. The almost late 2000's until to 2018 (maybe). It's a budgetary cycle that comes and goes throughout the decades. Nothing wrong with that. It is what is is. Sucks we can't sustain...but it's better than never been there before.

Having said that...the fans and supporters DESERVE to sustain. It's a really great program! A sleeping giant when it wants to be. An uphill BATTLE it's always been. As mentioned by other posters...it takes money to MAKE money. Don't give up....

[JEE]

I guess I don’t understand the question of Mills ability. He is facing competition from the power conferences money and recruiting. The players WSU can get are just not the level of the major conferences and to have to repeat this process every year this is what it has become. We have post players who are good against mid major programs but when competing against a Florida and even DePaul fail to match the athleticism and speed at which they play. Our scoring seems to only exist when we drive, no outside threat and our best rebounder has a broken wrist. Hill has played poorly against good guards our guard/forwards are too small for the position they are asked to play. Mills tried to recruit better players but just couldn’t get them here! This is college basketball from now on, teams like WSU are going to do the best the can with the resources they have no matter who the coach is!

[Stickboy46]

I guess I don’t understand the question of Mills ability. He is facing competition from the power conferences money and recruiting. The players WSU can get are just not the level of the major conferences and to have to repeat this process every year this is what it has become. We have post players who are good against mid major programs but when competing against a Florida and even DePaul fail to match the athleticism and speed at which they play. Our scoring seems to only exist when we drive, no outside threat and our best rebounder has a broken wrist. Hill has played poorly against good guards our guard/forwards are too small for the position they are asked to play. Mills tried to recruit better players but just couldn’t get them here! This is college basketball from now on, teams like WSU are going to do the best the can with the resources they have no matter who the coach is!

So Mills failed at one of the primary parts of his job (recruiting). There are also massive questions about his x and os ability once you dig in. THAT'S why there is questioning of his ability

[JEE]

I think he is trying to get the players here but is getting out bid. As far as Xs&Os goes if they hit the shot and/or bell and Beverly pass the ball once they penetrate are offense would look better. Again if you watch the coaching staff especially bell / Beverly and other it’s a constant teaching session. Senior level college players shouldn’t have to be taught at this point in their career.

[Stickboy46]

I think he is trying to get the players here but is getting out bid. As far as Xs&Os goes if they hit the shot and/or bell and Beverly pass the ball once they penetrate are offense would look better. Again if you watch the coaching staff especially bell / Beverly and other it’s a constant teaching session. Senior level college players shouldn’t have to be taught at this point in their career.

So he failed. Got it. He's not paid millions to make excuses. It not all him, but trying to wash him of all accountability is just dumb and really bad for the long term of the program.

He either figures out how to get better players, or figures out how to coach different so the results end up positive or he's fired. That's all in his responsibility when he took a check from WSU.