Purdue Coach Matt Painter Meets with Missouri

It has now been made official that Purdue coach Matt Painter is meeting with Missouri's athletic department to discuss the open mens' basketball coach vacancy. Painter was expected to have met with Missouri officials sometime yesterday in Florida, where his family is currently on vacation.

In response to this news, Purdue is now issuing statements that they will do everything in their power to keep Painter. One would think it wouldn't be that hard. Painter is from Indiana, played at Purdue under legendary coach Gene Keady, and is already in his dream job. Why exactly would he want to leave?

The simple answer is money. Painter feels like he isn't being given enough for his services as well as the necessary resources to hire good assistants. Painter currently makes about 1.3 million a year in base salary, and Missouri is thought to be offering a seven year deal worth $14 million.

Overall, this feels like a reach on Mizzou's part. Most insiders expect Painter to stay if Purdue's counter offer is good enough, and I would agree. Painter is likely using Missouri to get a better offer from Purdue, and so far it appears this is working. Credit Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden for going after the best possible candidate (and trying to avoid another Quin Snyder hire), but it appears Painter might be too hard to get.

Mike Anderson Leaves Mizzou - Not As Significant As You Think

Many Missouri fans are up in arms after the news that head coach Mike Anderson will leave the program to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks. However, they really aren't losing that much. Anderson is a good guy, but in the end he is a system coach, and this season proved that he will never be able to get Mizzou to the top.

Missouri needed someone to clean up the program after the Quin Snyder debacle, and the coach has run a tight ship. In the end though, it is all about wins, and Anderson never really had a real memorable season apart from the 2008 campaign where the Tigers went 12-4 and made an Elite 8 run. Missouri has still never made a Final 4 in its program's history (which is simply embarrassing), and Anderson and Snyder both had an Elite 8 run.

Just for kicks, lets compare the two coaches:

(Big 12 record, then postseason finish)

Snyder Years:

2000 – 10-6 NCAA first round

2001 – 9-7 NCAA second round

2002 – 9-7 NCAA Elite 8

2003 – 9-7 NIT

2004 – 7-9 NIT

2005 – 3-7

Mike Anderson:

2006 – 7-9

2007 – 6-10

2008 – 12-4, Elite 8

2009 – 10-6, NCAA second round

2010 – 8-8, NCAA first round

Snyder had success when the Big 12 was at its competitive peak - Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all crashed Final 4's and Iowa State was a dangerous team as well. I will give Anderson credit for cleaning up the program, but in the end, he hasn't really been anything special. However, there aren't a lot of sexy coaching picks out there this offseason, so Mizzou might make a coaching hire mistake, something like hiring Quin Snyder over Bill Self. Ouch.