the747kid

Saw Smith's interview on TV on Friday @ the State B. He seems like a great guy. Well spoken, polite. Its a shame we can't go see him in action @ the Betty 15 times a yr. Had friend who was at the B, he said he over heard some people (coaches from somewhere - he didnt know where they were from) saying that Dickinson State is offering Smith a lot of money to take over their program... Don't know if there is any truth to it

You think Smith has a chance at the NDSU job if ol whats his name leaves?

Like the one we had was any better. Just think we could have had a 27-9 record and finished Natioanal Runners-up. Call me crazy but I'd take it.

I just read this on the Forum website. Craig Smith has been named the NAIA NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR. I still think he should have got the job we had open. (not that coach Jones doesn't do a great job - we did beat them THIS yr) I wonder if he is still under quilified? What a joke that was!!

Just for the record... Craig Smith is not only in our back yard, he is in fact one of our own. Smith graduated from UND back in 1996. Also for the record... Smith has 4 years of experience as a D II assistant. He was at Northern State for one year (they made it to the NCAA II Elite Eight) and was at North Dakota State for three years... He was at NDSU during their transition to Division I...

For the love of God, somebody please get through to Buning and get him to call Craig Smith for an interview. Has anybody else ever been to Mayville? Have you seen the town? If you can recruit and build a nationally competitive team in Mayville, think of what you could do in Grand Forks. He's had 10 years of experience in college basketball in this region. He's been to 4 National Tournaments and 2 Elite Eights. As a head coach he's been to a National Tournament every year and he has an Elite Eight appearance already... Too bad he doesn't meet those brilliant preferences, though... Too bad for UND...

There was no requirement for five years of experience... The job posting said it was preferred, not required... It's a flat out lie to say there was a 5-year NCAA experience requirement... Why would all of those guys have applied (Terry Olson, Craig Irwin, Craig Smith, Mark Graupe...)? There was no requirement... I know there was no requirement because I read the ad that was posted... That is why all of those candidates applied...

I just heard the news... UNBELIEVABLE... NOT EVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR CRAIG SMITH!?!?!? Let's look at Craig Smith's resume: 4 National Tournaments, 2 Elite Eights... 2 years as a head coach and 2 National Tournaments and an Elite Eight, turning around one of the worst programs in the country... WOW... BUT NOT QUITE GOOD ENOUGH FOR EVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW AT UND!?!?!? Not to mention EASILY THE MOST QUALIFIED LOCAL GUY... OBVIOUSLY LOCAL TIES MEAN NOTHING TO UND ANYMORE...

I can't believe people aren't outraged by the rumors that Craig Smith isn't going to have a chance to be the next head coach at UND... If these rumors are true, what the heck is everbody thinking??? This is a guy that turned around one of the worst teams in the country and turned it into a top 10 team in the country... In respect to all the Division II and Division I talk... He was an assistant at NDSU for three years, including their transition period into Division I... He was the guy that helped recruit the players who beat Wisconsin... Don't ever look past the fact that he took a 1-27 team to a national power... They made it to a national tournament the year after they were 1-27... THEN they made it to the Elite Eight with a team that could have been in the top half of the NCC... AND THEY WERE A NAIA SCHOOL WITH HALF THE SCHOLARSHIP MONEY AND A MINIMAL RECRUITING BUDGET (in Mayville, the smallest four-year school in the state, no offense to Mayville)!!! Think of what he could do for UND... If he can't get an interview at UND it is absolutely ridiculous... This is a guy who will be an unbelievable coach at any level... If UND passes up on Craig Smith they should be ashamed of themselves... He will make UND a national power, and that is the bottom line... As a Fighting Sioux fan it is an EMBARRASMENT to say if a guy doesn't have FIVE years of NCAA experience he can't get the opportunity to get the job... NOT EVEN AN OPPORTUNITY?!?!?!... Craig Smith has been in the NCAA as a coach for four years... He made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA II National Tournament with Northern State... He has propelled MAYVILLE STATE to a National Tournament for the past two years (taking over a 1-27 team)... MAYVILLE STATE is now a national power for as long as he is there... If he can do this at MAYVILLE STATE, he can turn UND into one of the best teams IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY... Maybe it's true... He needs one more year to be a valid candidate... But in my view that is ENORMOUSLY STUPID... Craig Smith should get an interview... That is the bottome line...

Craig Smith is the right man for the job at UND. If we're serious about getting somebody who can turn UND men's basketball into a national power, he is the guy.

Look at what Craig Smith has done at Mayville State... Doesn't anybody around know that Mayville was 1-27 the year before he got there??? Yep... 1-27... So Smith takes over and what happens??? They go to a national tournament in his first year... HE TOOK OVER A 1-27 TEAM AND GOT THEM TO THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN HIS FIRST SEASON... Then what happens this year? They beat our ass in Grand Forks and won 28 games... Oh yeah, AND THEY MADE IT TO THE ELITE EIGHT OF THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT... SO... JUST TO RECAP... Craig Smith takes over a program that won 1 game and then goes to two National Tournaments... HMMMMMM......... DON'T YOU THINK WE COULD USE A TURNAROUND AT UND RIGHT ABOUT NOW?!?!?!