Lohner asking to be released from his LOI to sign with BYU

[LAUte]

@Buhbye

Yes, I’m sure it is all purely coincidental. We’ll see if that is true - but… yeah something isn’t right in all of this.

I find your mean and suspicious approach to this situation appalling.

[arizonaute]

@sweetgrass

I hope Lohner held out for a Jetta with leather heated seats

This was a good one

[Guba]

@Buhbye

Claiming that Lohner’s dad did not get a job at BYU - but may have gotten a job at Qualtrics - from BYU booster Ryan Smith. Stay tuned - but this stinks to high heaven.

Smith is a giant douche barge! I have met him a few times. I would not be surprised in the least if this happened.

[sancho]

I mean, the fire Larry part is almost a sure thing now. I’m hesitant on the hire Pope part.

[salUTE]

@Buhbye

Cougs reporting Lohner will be released from his NLI and will go to BYU. So how about we do this - let’s see if Pope is actually any good this year, fire Larry at the end of the year - poach Pope to Utah and get Lohner back. Sorry any up-and-coming coach is not going to be satisfied at BYU in the WCC.

This is unfortunate, and I feel for the kid if family and church pressure forced him to make a choice he did not want to make.

I’ll wish him nothing but the best, whenever he is not playing against Utah, and do so while hearing in my head, the playing of TAPS for the Utah program…

[sancho]

@salUTE

I’ll wish him nothing but the best,

Not me. I hope he never wins another basketball game.

[Greginslc]

I hope the NCAA looks into this. At a minimum, the whole thing doesn’t pass the smell test.

[Carolina_Cycling_Ute]

@Buhbye

Cougs reporting Lohner will be released from his NLI and will go to BYU. So how about we do this - let’s see if Pope is actually any good this year, fire Larry at the end of the year - poach Pope to Utah and get Lohner back. Sorry any up-and-coming coach is not going to be satisfied at BYU in the WCC.

Why the hell not try!?! Doesn’t seem to far fetched with the way things are going with Larry.

[chinngiskhaan]

@Buhbye

Cougs reporting Lohner will be released from his NLI and will go to BYU. So how about we do this - let’s see if Pope is actually any good this year, fire Larry at the end of the year - poach Pope to Utah and get Lohner back. Sorry any up-and-coming coach is not going to be satisfied at BYU in the WCC.

Why would he come to Utah though? It’s a dumpster fire ATM, and he’s presumably already getting offers from better programs that are in better shape.

[Ma-ake]

@chinngiskhaan

Why would he come to Utah though? It’s a dumpster fire ATM, and he’s presumably already getting offers from better programs that are in better shape.

Have you seen the money we pay Mens BB head coaches?

(I think its unsustainable.)

[mUUser]

@sancho

........ I’m hesitant on the hire Pope part.

No kidding. Maybe see what he can do over the next few years before coronating him the next great coaching prodigy?

[utefansince79]

Pope seems to be someone to imply officials cost them a game. Don’t care for that kind of crap. OK to get a “T” in a game to let the guys in stripes they are having a bad day or not paying attention, but when game is done you should not say a single word about the officiating and look at your own shortcomings to explain a loss.

.

[NewbombTurk]

@Buhbye

To do this is incredibly low-class to the University of Utah.

That has never meant anything to the folks down south.

[Ben_In_Utah]

Im going to pose a question and if anyone can answer it, ill shut up forever about this subject.

So Caleb Lohner…

-commits to utah in Aug, 2019.
-signs a letter of intent in Nov, 2019
-attends multiple games at the huntsman center with his dad from nov 2019- march 2020
-spoke to brandon gurney of the deseret news in early april and talked about how excited he was to get on campus and be part of this program.
-asks to be released from his LOI in early june, citing family and possibly religious pressure.

What changed? Where was the family/religious pressure at any of these points on the timeline?
One could argue that maybe he just changed his mind and is just using family pressure as an excuse. I guess that could be, but again, what changed? He woke up one morning and wanted a change? Get real.

I maintain what ive been saying since friday; wait and see how this one plays out…

[sancho]

@Ben_In_Utah

wait and see how this one plays out…

Are you suggesting that we might keep him? That’s really the only thing I care about. Maybe there was foul play involved, maybe it was just a bribe in the form of a job to Dad. But unless it keeps him on our team, I don’t think it matters much.

[Ben_In_Utah]

I wouldn’t bet on it right now, but i also wouldnt rule it out right now.

But im mostly talking about the folks who want to run larry out of town for this, or for whom this is the last straw. Plenty is on Larry, this one is not.

[sancho]

@Ben_In_Utah

Plenty is on Larry, this one is not.

Oh, well, I certainly agree with that. These things will always happen here. We’ve certainly benefitted from people who get to Provo, see the crazy, and want out.

But almost everyone agrees that it’s tournament or bust for Larry this season, and not having Lohner makes it that much more difficult.

[salUTE]

@Ben_In_Utah

So Caleb Lohner…

-commits to utah in Aug, 2019.
-signs a letter of intent in Nov, 2019
-attends multiple games at the huntsman center with his dad from nov 2019- march 2020
-spoke to brandon gurney of the deseret news in early april and talked about how excited he was to get on campus and be part of this program.
-asks to be released from his LOI in early june, citing family and possibly religious pressure.

What changed, according to many, is that a BYU booster offered his unemployed father a job (perhaps with explicit, or implicit strings attached).

@Buhbye

I actually think he wants/wanted to go to the U, but when dad gets a job at Qualtrics with the understanding of going to BYU, well that is some kind of family pressure. Put another way, would you change schools if it meant your dad got a job?

As I read everything about this situation, I agree with you completely, which is why I feel bad for the kid and wish him luck (when they are not playing the Utes). And if all of this is correct, I do not hold Larry responsible for any of it.

I’ve said all along, I was planning on giving Larry one more year, but without REAL success, it would be my last as a season ticket holder (after decades), and a Utah basketball fan since grade school in the 60’s. I still have not renewed my season tickets, and frankly, with the COVID-19 situation, and the likelihood of a second phase in the fall, I’m struggling with the notion of renewing my seats this year.

[Steggys_Mixtapes]

@sancho

I mean, the fire Larry part is almost a sure thing now. I’m hesitant on the hire Pope part.

Mark Pope is a tool. He can stay at TDS.

[NewbombTurk]

If the roles were reversed, certain members of the legislature would be calling for an investigation of the U.