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01-08-2020, 06:02 PM
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#1 | ||
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Rico Portiere's Quest for the Final Four (FCCB)
Rico Portiere had had enough of Florida A&M’s board. After taking a moribund program to three straight postseason apparencies, his job security was still under threat. “If you don’t win the conference next year, security is going to walk you out just like the last guy,” A&M’s surely AD practically spat at Rico, finger pointed at his chest like a parody of an old-school football coach, after he had the temerity of asking for a raise.
Western Kentucky was a move in the right direction, out to a west coast conference (WAC) which might help get him noticed in the Pac-10 (I kept the default). They had level 99 training facilities, a relic from 2007-12, when the team made 3 NCAA appearances, the last time WKU had accomplished anything of note. “Competing” for the conference championship would not be too hard a task. But there is a catch-WKU has 8 seniors, and almost no one else of note except for one junior. Fail recruiting, and Rico would probably be sunk at his big chance House Rules: -If Oregon offers Rico a job, he must take it (Oregon in this universe has been a midrange 70-75 prestige team) -He cannot coach Oregon State (like he would want to…) -Rico cannot take a job at a team that has won a national championship after 1979 except Oregon if it does (I played from 1979 until 2020 before starting his career. Conference moves and prestige changes are on.) Last edited by Portiere : 01-08-2020 at 06:04 PM. Reason: No text visible |
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01-08-2020, 06:05 PM
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#2 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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About our Coach
Here is Rico's profile. He is a skilled recruiter but useless at everything else.
COACH DETAILS Ricardino Portiere - Head Coach - Western Kentucky -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Age: 36 High School: Wilson Hometown: Portland, OR Alma Mater: Oregon Current Level: 1 Career Record: 85 - 72 Recruiting: 75 Scouting: 15 Offense: 15 Defense: 15 Coaching History: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2024 Florida A&M Head Coach 23 9 12 4 Loss in NIT Round 1 2023 Florida A&M Head Coach 20 12 11 5 Loss in CBI Round 1 2022 Florida A&M Head Coach 19 14 9 7 Loss in CBI Round 2 2021 Florida A&M Head Coach 14 16 7 9 No Postseason 2020 Florida A&M Head Coach 9 21 5 11 No Postseason Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2024 Conference Coach of the Year (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion Job Movement: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Move -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2025 Hired by Western Kentucky (Head Coach) 2025 Quit job with Florida A&M to pursue another position. 2020 Hired by Florida A&M (Head Coach) |
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01-08-2020, 06:09 PM
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#3 | |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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The squad
And here is his team for 2025-2026. Tran and Labarbera are the two stronger players. Frazier is the only useful player among the returnees.
Quote:
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01-08-2020, 06:39 PM
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#4 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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WKU finished 21-11 in 2025-26, but this was padded by the most teflon of OOC schedules (SOS 227). 10-6 was good enough for 2nd in the conference, and after a first round WAC tournament exit, two games in the CBI (but an exit in the 2nd round as a 1 seed). An acceptable start that would keep things yellow, but a terrible fade at the end. But the next two years would be significantly impacted by Portiere's first class of recruits.
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01-08-2020, 08:27 PM
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#5 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Unfortunatly, Portiere lost his top 2 JUCO recruits after leading through October, as well as a couple of other targets, leaving him with only 5 offers accepted:
Recruiting class (#27) Jim Fuller 2 C Jr 6-11 234 Yes 28 ***#425 (2/4) Sarasota, FL Hans Lentz 40 SG Fr 5-10 185 Yes 36 ***#109 (3/5) Plauen, Germany Richard Vannatta 11 PF Fr 6-9 237 Yes 21 ***314 (2/4) Corbin, KY Mark Veloz 55 C Fr 6-10 252 Yes 55 ***327 (2/4) Calhoun, KY Tomás Neumann 43 PG Fr 6-4 200 Yes 50 ****71 (3/5) Rumburk, Czech Republic After training, the guards look legit, and the posts so-so/servicable. Lentz is the only half way decent scorer on the whole team, and this leads Portiere nervous for the season. What's more, Fuller goes and gets himself on probation. Pass the darn summer class, kid... |
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01-08-2020, 10:21 PM
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#6 |
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Mascot
Join Date: Oct 2010
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The OOC again went ok (8-5), but this is because Portiere had again loaded it up with weak teams. And there were still some bad losses, like to 8-21 Seattle at home.
In conference play the wheels fell off, and the Hilltoppers only won 3 more games, to finish 11-19. After a terrible 30 point loss at the end of the conference tournament to a 14-15 New Mexico State, Portiere sat in his office. It was 2 am, and he knew that even though he had started 3 freshmen, the next year would have to be better. Would his recruits deliver? On paper, they looked very strong. Rojo, Rigney, and Willocq would slot into the starting line up alongside Neumann and Veolz. Rojo in particular looked like a first class scoring guard. But Portiere worried if such a young team could produce what he needed. Another losing season would have him on the hot seat. WESTERN KENTUCKY recruits (#3 in the country) Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Rank Hometown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ariel Rojo 31 SG Fr 6-3 178 Yes 39 4*-90/4-5 Stephens, AR Boyd Rigney 45 SG Fr 6-5 208 Yes 21 3*-160/3-5 Brantford, Canada Jeffery Campbell 25 PF Fr 6-9 229 Yes 48 4*-69/2-5 Kenai, AK Stan Erickson 21 SF Fr 6-9 222 Yes 69 3*-123/2-4 Cooktown, Australia Fernand Willocq 44 PF Fr 6-8 228 Yes 53 4*-60/3-5 Prospector, Canada |
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