With Burgess leaving the program, next year is going to be rough. Burgess was the best coach on the staff. I’ve been a critic of Smith and in his three years I haven’t seen anything to change my mind of my criticism. I would expect the recruit from Alta high will probably follow Burgess to byu after his mission.
So, what’s it going to take to get the program back to respectability? Smith isn’t the answer so after next season we’ll be going through the process of another coaching staff.
Our problem is that the Utah job is not attractive.
I wanted each of the last 4 coaches to succeed long term. None have done so.
Burgess made a good decision for him. Leaving a program where the HC will be gone next year or earlier and joining a coach with a 7 year deal. IMO, Burgess was never going to be the next HC at Utah. You just cannot promote an assistant of a losing program to HC.
I feel bad for players. The U should release them from their scholies and let them move on. Maybe Smith should quit now so that his players can enter the portal.
Damn… I’m a happy healthy mid 60’s lifelong Utah Hoops fan who’s been waiting for a very long time for our BB program to return to something close to sustained respectability. I sincerely hope I live long enough 
I think the $30 million that Ryan Smith gave to BYU to hire young is a really big deal. I’m sure Burgess is making more than he was here and Slocum will make more at Washington. They probably see the writing on the wall for Smith anyway we don’t have the money to keep Devion Smith, or keep your assistant coaches. The program needs a big infusion of money from somewhere.
Agreed. It is definitely about the money.
I think this might work out well for Utah. You now have the option to hire either Burgess or Slocum in 2025. If they’re both on Utah staff you likely can do that.
Between Deivon going to the portal and Burgess going back to Provo, I hope this adds a sense of urgency to whoever the big donors are.
It would be a real shame if the team that plays in the arena with Jon Huntsman’s name takes a step down, because of money.
I’m not calling out the Huntsmans, by any stretch, they’ve done great things for the state and for the U, but in the new world where money has an outsized role in success, it would be cruelly ironic if that becomes the difference.
I understand your perspective completely and agree that from their perspective, Burgess or Slocum know that as a member of the outgoing staff, they would never be considered as a head coach hire. But neither one would seriously be considered by the AD after firing Smith if that happens at the end of next year. He would not be expected/allowed to hire an assistant from anywhere.
I couldn’t care less about this for the simple reason that Utah basketball has bigger problems. This is like being on fire and stubbing your toe. Let’s not get distracted.
This is like the house being on fire and watching part of the roof collapse.
It is a symptom of the larger issue, not completely unrelated and trivial.
Let collegiate money sports collapse! Chaos! 
I agree there are probably problems but aside from NIL funding, what are the problems?
BC’s father was happy with NIL last year.
The money the Huntsmans are now pumping into mental health is by far more important than making a prima donna rich. I understand donors now have to buy a team for their school to pump up their ego, but the athletes should be earning it through endorsements and getting a cut of jersey, video game, ticket sales, etc. Money should be coming from businesses that can profit from the NIL of these athletes, not a pay-for-play deal we have no fallen into. Garbage.
What? Are you saying that athletes are not really being paid for their name, image, or likeness? Simply getting cash? I’m shocked. Shocked! I mean, who could have seen this coming? 
I would love to hear what they are.
My two cents, NIL is forcing schools like Utah, those schools that cannot produce massive dollars for players, into a lower tier as regards our ‘revenue’ sports and, consequently, other sports, as well. There doesn’t appear much chance that this will turn around. Fans who have counted on Utah competing at the highest level are realizing the change that is coming.
It’s becoming clear that college sports any longer is one of those leagues that just doesn’t interest me at all anymore. Like, say, boxing. This is no longer what I originally signed up for.
The college sports we grew up loving is dead. It’s become clear in the past year that the actual universities disengaged long ago. They don’t care. They’ll just be licensing their brands, if they choose to do so. One thing they do care about is their academic reputations and they won’t want those imperiled.
In this country, money is always the reason. Capitalism makes everything possible and turns everything to ■■■■ eventually. But we need to take the bad with the good.
You got what you wanted Frank Deford, may you rest in peace. And guess what, your beloved Sports Illustrated is out of business (the brand is licensed to some website).
So what exactly is the problem? Not that the players aren’t getting paid, per se. There’s no institutional order any longer. It’s now total anarchy.
At the end of every season now most teams’ star players enter the portal to test the market. The NFL and NBA, etc, the legitimate pro sports leagues, have contracts and salary caps. Fans are going to lose interest in this. Except for maybe Kentucky and Alabama fans, and they ccan play in their own masturbatory league.
The programs are destroying the institution. It’s like if commercial fishermen just went heedlessly fishing for every last animal they could catch. Even they organized themselves where the government failed.
The problem is the universities have turned a blind eye, and the athletic departments have yet to show us any spine or gravitas or even competence.
They’re just in thrall of media companies who only care about next quarter’s earnings reports and bonuses. And most of the athletic departments, who are on their own, are still losing money.
Do you think anyone is saying, I have loved this game, it made me who I am. I want it here for my grandchildren and their children? No.
If reforms don’t occur, in the end the players will be the losers.
But in the end, those who say Utah has more important work to do are right. This really isn’t that important in the overall scheme of things.
Up is down.
Keba Kieta to the transfer portal