White smoke seen coming from the Marriott Center - Pope named

[byufan4ever]

Well, Pope's entire UVU staff was in the building, but in a different room. Burgess was in the press room so that makes me think he's on the new staff. But why would he have even brought his entire staff with him onto BYU campus?

When he mentioned in the presser that they were all there, I thought it to be rather unusual, unless they were coming on board. I understand you support your mentor, but if he hadn't said anything to them about an opportunity at BYU, they'd be a weird bunch of ducks to go to the presser of someone who didn't think you worthy to continue on with them.

Exactly. Maybe the right decision ends up being to keep his entire staff together. But I would like him to at least look at all options before coming to that decision. Maybe he already has but that seems awfully quick.

[snoscythe]

Well, Pope's entire UVU staff was in the building, but in a different room. Burgess was in the press room so that makes me think he's on the new staff. But why would he have even brought his entire staff with him onto BYU campus?

When he mentioned in the presser that they were all there, I thought it to be rather unusual, unless they were coming on board. I understand you support your mentor, but if he hadn't said anything to them about an opportunity at BYU, they'd be a weird bunch of ducks to go to the presser of someone who didn't think you worthy to continue on with them.

It also makes sense to attend if you don't know yet if you are coming on board but you want to have that opportunity in coming days.

It also makes sense to attend if you are not coming on board but have a lot of respect for your now-former boss and want to support him and celebrate his upward trajectory.

[Gunk]

There may be some staff Pope wants to bring on board that could be good for BYU, but those staff are reluctant to join BYU. Pope inviting them along exposes them to BYU.

It was a good move by Pope.

[EM_Puma]

I think Chris Burgess is highly likely. He's been on various local sports radio programs this week (960ESPN and 1280 that I've heard) and while it does't sound like the "official" employment offer has been extended, he's saying things that indicate there have been talks and he's just awaiting the official nod. At this point I'd say that only if he was offered to be the HC at UVU will he not be coming to BYU, and I believe Fueger and Lewis are higher probabilities, among the assistants at the two schools, to get that opportunity than Burgess. This is his first real coaching experience and it would be hard for UVU to go in his direction.

On 1280 this morning he mentioned how his Puketah teammates have been teasing him about it, especially since both he and his wife are alums of that school up north, but he said they'd understand. That's kind of saying yes, but not using that word specifically.

What I don't understand exactly is if Pope said he's been working on his assistants for the past week, is he waiting to have ALL of them in line to be announced or is this vetting process really taking that long. I believe the former and MP will announce his peeps all at once. He needs them to get on the recruiting trail that started up again yesterday. Luckily with BB, it's not like you're looking for 120 some players to fill your whole team. I imagine MP is working his tail off at the moment.

[EM_Puma]

I still can't get over the irony of the possibility of Chris Burgess wearing cougar blue when he spurned BYU twice in his life. Both times in the highest profile ways. He never needed to tell that story that Reid told him about disappointing the whole Mormon population if he didn't come to BYU. One side of me says it was good because Andy Reid shouldn't have been saying such things because it wasn't true and that really shouldn't be part of the a player's decision protocol. BUT...that he went out and told the world something that was actually said in a conversation that was private, that doesn't make me a big fan.

Then to leave Duke and go to Puketah...well...what more can be said. That's like he ran over someone's pet with his car (killed Reid's coaching life by disclosing that statement) and then went back and relieved himself on the dead carcass. I forgive him because he was young (and okay, I'm selfish, I think he'd be a great resource to our team), but there's no way that there could be a much more ironic hire to BYU basketball than Chris Burgess.

[frdbtr]

Reid didn't lose his job because of what he said to Burgess, he lost it because he put all his eggs in the Burgess basket and then came up empty. Recruiting had been going downhill for a couple of years before that happened. I didn't begrudge Burgess for any of what you mentioned. I was not a fan of Reid, I thought he was a decent X and O's coach that was handed a great roster from the previous coach and then did a decent job with them. Once his own recruits started getting on the floor, his teams started struggling. I was glad when he was fired.

[vancouvercougar]

I still can't get over the irony of the possibility of Chris Burgess wearing cougar blue when he spurned BYU twice in his life. Both times in the highest profile ways. He never needed to tell that story that Reid told him about disappointing the whole Mormon population if he didn't come to BYU. One side of me says it was good because Andy Reid shouldn't have been saying such things because it wasn't true and that really shouldn't be part of the a player's decision protocol. BUT...that he went out and told the world something that was actually said in a conversation that was private, that doesn't make me a big fan.

Then to leave Duke and go to Puketah...well...what more can be said. That's like he ran over someone's pet with his car (killed Reid's coaching life by disclosing that statement) and then went back and relieved himself on the dead carcass. I forgive him because he was young (and okay, I'm selfish, I think he'd be a great resource to our team), but there's no way that there could be a much more ironic hire to BYU basketball than Chris Burgess.

Did you mean Roger Reid the basketball coach or Andy Reid the football coach??

[EM_Puma]

Did you mean Roger Reid the basketball coach or Andy Reid the football coach??

How funny. Yes, Roger Reid.

[EM_Puma]

Reid didn't lose his job because of what he said to Burgess, he lost it because he put all his eggs in the Burgess basket and then came up empty. Recruiting had been going downhill for a couple of years before that happened. I didn't begrudge Burgess for any of what you mentioned. I was not a fan of Reid, I thought he was a decent X and O's coach that was handed a great roster from the previous coach and then did a decent job with them. Once his own recruits started getting on the floor, his teams started struggling. I was glad when he was fired.

I don't know much of the Roger Reid period because it was after I had finished at BYU (1986) and had returned back east and he left well before I came back in 2001. Back then you only knew of BYU if they were in a big game, which wasn't common at least for coverage back east, or something controversial. Occasionally something in USA Today. There was no internet, so yes, I don't know a lot of Reid's tenure, but the Chris Burgess story most BYU fans know of.

[SpiffCoug]

Burgess made a mistake going to Duke. Reid was very good at developing big men. Gary Trost, Jared Miller, Ken Roberts, Russell Larson were all-conference performers.