Richardson brought it upon himself

CNNSI.com spoke with Sports Illustrated college basketball writer Seth Davis about Arkansas' firing of 17-year basketball coach Nolan Richardson on Friday.

CNNSI.com: Are you surprised that the saga at Arkansas has ended with Nolan Richardson's firing?

Seth Davis: I would have been very surprised a week ago, but from the way things happened in the past week, while he has not been going through a lot of external pressure, internally, it's clear from his behavior there was someone who didn't want him around.

CNNSI.com: Assuming it wasn't his intention to bring about his own firing, what exactly was Richardson looking to bring about with his actions over the past week?

Davis: I have no idea. In terms of the fans and the media, he was not coming under a lot of criticism. Following his tirade on Monday, I was trying to figure out what exactly set him off. There was a local column people mentioned, but it was relatively tame. He went off on the media, but the media had been pretty gentle with him, especially considering the season he had.

I think it's going to be a little while before we know what really happened. Before last week, I did not hear a single whisper that Richardson was in danger of losing his job. There was definitely nothing hitting the rumor mill about him needing to do something to keep his job, but he didn't help himself by saying he was "the best thing going at the University of Arkansas."

CNNSI.com: Was this a case, much like Bob Knight at Indiana, of a coach thinking he's bigger than the school itself?

Davis: No coach should ever think he's bigger than the school. John Wooden himself was not bigger than the school. It will be very interesting to see how this sorts out over the next couple of weeks. Like I said, there was something going on internally, but maybe his tirade brought it to head.

Obviously something like this doesn't come out of nowhere. Considering how long he's been there and what he's meant to the school, I think it's sad. He deserved a better ending, but I think he brought it on himself.

CNNSI.com: Where does Arkansas go from here?

Davis: They've got to get another coach. This came out of nowhere, so I don't even know who the possible replacements would be. I don't know that there's anyone out there who would be considered "inside the family," one of his former assistants. I do know this: He will be a tough act to follow. To me, the larger question is where Nolan goes from here. Does he want to coach again? If he still wants to coach, someone will hire him.

CNNSI.com: Is Arkansas the type of program, like Kentucky, that can be a national powerhouse under any coach? Or was it all Richardson's doing?

Davis: The truth is, they haven't been a powerhouse for a while. They've been good, but its not like they've been back to the Final Four. They had some problems with NCAA. They'll have to make the right hire. It's not going to be impossible, because every coach is replaceable. Indiana is back to wining Big Ten championships two years after losing Knight. It's a tough league, the SEC has changed. But if somebody comes in and can win there, they will have Nolan Richardson to thank. He built that program, he's the reason they just built a new facility. Certainly, there's a foundation for success, but they have to make the right hire.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

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