John Brannen

[Crusher58]

Truly astounding if JB has not been talked to. I can't even imagine that. If communication is that bad, or worse, a vendetta, mentality is behind it, then we need to take a step up in the "investigation". That would mean JB would have to troll twtter for information

Really?!

[Greg7173]

Would like to point out that the people in charge of this cluster are the people who are responsible for keeping Luke Fickell happy.

Cheers!

Truly alarming

[Rufus]

This is going to end up with the old Mike Brown/Sam Wyche debacle. He says he resigned, he says I was fired. And sadly we will never know what the true problem was other than these two did not truly like one another. In the meantime its fifteen and a half hours past business hour of Friday and almost three hundred or more posts in this thread after learning that there was trouble brewing and we know no more now than what we did back on March 14th.

[John P]

With so little factual information being put out there, I simply have a hard time casting judgement on the school, the coach or the AD. Yes the timing of all this sucks but with so many players leaving the program and then blaming the coach as the reason for them leaving, it makes sense for the school to look into the matter. To me Cunningham NOT saying anything (although frustrating to the fans) is probably the better approach than to make a statement prematurely (and incorrectly) before all the investigations and fact finding has taken place. At this point either way this goes, CJB leaving or staying, its simply a matter of making a statement on the future of the program.
Although a lot of programs have endured with much less drama, I'm sure Covid has added a lot of challenge to college sports and made for some added pressures to the players and coaches and made this situation much worse than it would have been in a normal year.
Until then, I'll scour the net, watch the news and wait patiently to see the direction the program is headed.

[Lobot]

I'm in the camp of why would you hire an outside investigator (which costs a lot of money) , if you don't have the money for a buyout? The answer is you know you're going to find something and fire for cause. Which means Jeremy Rauch's source is part of JB's camp and that information is probably false.

[richard k.]

I'm in the camp of why would you hire an outside investigator (which costs a lot of money) , if you don't have the money for a buyout? The answer is you know you're going to find something and fire for cause. Which means Jeremy Rauch's source is part of JB's camp and that information is probably false.

Perhaps the opposite is the case - what if your investigation found nothing and you want to keep Brannen - so you have an outside group confirm that there is absolutely nothing wrong; tell the departing players to go fly a kite, and move on, confirming that JB is the guy. Probably should have been over a week or 2 ago, but who knows. And that's the problem - no one outside of the AD knows, and he, apparently, "ain't" tellin' anybody. I think everyone is of the mind that whether JB stays or goes, it needs to be announced ASAP, and we need to move on!

[bearcat1518]

Perhaps the opposite is the case - what if your investigation found nothing and you want to keep Brannen - so you have an outside group confirm that there is absolutely nothing wrong; tell the departing players to go fly a kite, and move on, confirming that JB is the guy. Probably should have been over a week or 2 ago, but who knows. And that's the problem - no one outside of the AD knows, and he, apparently, "ain't" tellin' anybody. I think everyone is of the mind that whether JB stays or goes, it needs to be announced ASAP, and we need to move on!

Exactly. We live in a world now where the slightest hint of wrongdoing equals immediate firing, or at least put on administrative leave. So if there was ANYTHING near worthy of cause, this would be the case...especially at a public University.

This feels an awful like University of Missouri 2015.

[red_n_black_attack]

Would like to point out that the people in charge of this cluster are the people who are responsible for keeping Luke Fickell happy.

Cheers!

If they are setting Luke type results as the bar, that is one thing. I get your point that Luke has to be watching this and thinking, "Cunningham better not ever treat me like that!", worse, "I won't give JC the chance to betray me!"

[Rufus]

Perhaps the opposite is the case - what if your investigation found nothing and you want to keep Brannen - so you have an outside group confirm that there is absolutely nothing wrong; tell the departing players to go fly a kite, and move on, confirming that JB is the guy. Probably should have been over a week or 2 ago, but who knows. And that's the problem - no one outside of the AD knows, and he, apparently, "ain't" tellin' anybody. I think everyone is of the mind that whether JB stays or goes, it needs to be announced ASAP, and we need to move on!

You don't hire an outside investigation only after a full week of public scrutiny and speculation, institute gag orders, and then NOT put the coaching staff on administrative leave, without making said coaching staff fully aware. Then you don't release a public statement that the process will be worked out by weeks end ( in all liklihood) and still not even talk to the head coach or allow the coach to speak on his own behalf/ defense, at the end of said week! Especially when it is the coachs responsibility to oversee the bball program unless you (the AD)yourself are guilty. That's self preservation 101! This looks an awful lot to me like not an A D getting his ducks all in a row crossing t's and dotting i' s in the replacing of a coach but an A D whose trying to save his own neck by throwing the head coach under the bus. It sounds like negligence has occurred and JC's making the case that JB is entirely to blame. It don't take two weeks of investigation to discover if any wrongdoing. has occurred but it would take some time in implementing the right plan in revealing the findings to the NCAA. And it seems to me that JC has not included JB in the course of action hes decided upon. I hope Im wrong on this but until we know the truth Im of the belief that JB is merely guilty of mishandling the pandemic protocols. I hate to see an outsider (JC) come in and put our basketball program back irrelevancy. He can blow our chance of ever getting into a power 5 conference with whatever is discovered or the wrong hire.

[Josh Rexhausen]

Perhaps the opposite is the case - what if your investigation found nothing and you want to keep Brannen - so you have an outside group confirm that there is absolutely nothing wrong; tell the departing players to go fly a kite, and move on, confirming that JB is the guy. Probably should have been over a week or 2 ago, but who knows. And that's the problem - no one outside of the AD knows, and he, apparently, "ain't" tellin' anybody. I think everyone is of the mind that whether JB stays or goes, it needs to be announced ASAP, and we need to move on!

If the opposite is the case, wouldn't you expect the AD to say something about verifying their was no wrongdoing kind of a united front not this wishy-washy we're going to wait and see approach that seems to be driving everyone nuts?

[BearKatz]

Bottom line, It now appears Brannen will not be fired for NCAA Violations since none were committed... At least, that's what the Athletic Dept has reported... Their was obviously a HUGE disconnect between Brannen and his AC... Versus Players / Parents... Which we've never seen or heard of before... So what happens next? Do they workout a buyout behind the scenes and Brannen resigns?

If he remains the Coach, realistically do any of us see this marriage getting any better ? UC should take it's losses $$$, part ways and hire a coach that fits UC's style of play.

Just my opinion,.,,

[longtimefan]

I hope Im wrong on this but until we know the truth Im of the belief that JB is merely guilty of mishandling the pandemic protocols.

That in itself may be enough to fire with cause. The release from UC mentioned safety of the student athlete. A rumor I heard suggests there's a lot more to it, but I have no way of confirming. If true, then the whole thing is probably in the hands of lawyers. In that case sources claiming no NCAA infractions are right, but that's not the end of the story.

[Rufus]

Your absolutely right Longtime, but because of the unique circumstances ( Covid protocol) and by JC being new to the university, doest it seem logical that the AD is just as or even more culpable? If I' m the new director and confronted with these same unprecedented circumstances I would have the coach on speed dial asking what he needs? Right? Where was JC from Oct to March while the university was closed and the entire student body taking classes virtually from home except the bball team. It was revealed that these two had not talked, so to me JC was socially distanced from his home and allowed JB to muddle through as best as he could. That's just how all this looks to me. If this is correct and JB knew what was in the minds of his recruits and knew the AD. didn't have his back I can understand his walking off the court prematurely at games end in the finals. He just wanted this nightmare over. It would just be nice to have all this out from in front of the worlds view while the finals are being played.

[Crusher58]

Your absolutely right Longtime, but because of the unique circumstances ( Covid protocol) and by JC being new to the university, doest it seem logical that the AD is just as or even more culpable? If I' m the new director and confronted with these same unprecedented circumstances I would have the coach on speed dial asking what he needs? Right? Where was JC from Oct to March while the university was closed and the entire student body taking classes virtually from home except the bball team. It was revealed that these two had not talked, so to me JC was socially distanced from his home and allowed JB to muddle through as best as he could. That's just how all this looks to me. If this is correct and JB knew what was in the minds of his recruits and knew the AD. didn't have his back I can understand his walking off the court prematurely at games end in the finals. He just wanted this nightmare over. It would just be nice to have all this out from in front of the worlds view while the finals are being played.

Well said Rufus. It seems inevitable change is coming. Negotiate the separation and move on. UC probably expects to offer at least one year of pay so as not to appear to be hanging Coach out to dry. I suspect AD is looking at all viable options for replacement. That way when he delivers the news, he'll have a solution in hand. Very unfortunate closure.

[red_n_black_attack]

From Justin Williams, @williams_justin

"BREAKING: University of Cincinnati suspends #Bearcats MBB coach John Brannen effective immediately, sources tell
@TheAthletic
. Suspension lasts until UC external review is complete. It is believed the review is exploring potential of for-cause firing. No timeline on UC's review."