Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (Released March 20, 2025)

Host: Doug Gottlieb (filling in for Colin Cowherd)
Guests: John Fanta (Fox Sports Radio College Basketball Reporter)
Platform: Fox Sports Radio

---

1. Introduction and NCAA Tournament Excitement

Doug Gottlieb kicks off the episode by expressing his enthusiasm for the 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's Tournament, highlighting the emotional intensity and the plethora of games slated from March 18 to April 7 across major networks.

Doug Gottlieb [02:23]: "We're getting ready for the NCAA tournament. It's a weird one for me."

2. Doug Gottlieb’s Journey with the NCAA Tournament

Gottlieb shares his extensive background covering the NCAA tournament over the past decades, detailing his transitions from ESPN to CBS, Fox, and Westwood One. He reflects on his deep-rooted connection to the tournament, both as a player and a broadcaster.

Doug Gottlieb [02:50]: "This is the first NCAA tournament in 23 years that I'm not covering for. I was ESPN for nine years, CBS for five, and Fox for the last seven."

3. Evolution of College Basketball Landscape

The discussion shifts to the changing dynamics of college basketball, particularly the increase in the number of Division I teams from 200 to 364. Gottlieb analyzes how this expansion has influenced the frequency of upsets and the overall competitiveness of the tournament.

Doug Gottlieb [08:15]: "Now there are 364 Division 1 teams. So if the top are the top four and they used to be competing against 200, now they're competing against 300, one would think the disparity was even greater."

4. Payroll Disparities and Competitive Balance

Gottlieb delves into the significant disparities in team payrolls, especially between high-major and mid-major programs. He underscores how financial investments in facilities, coaching staff, and player compensation have altered the competitive landscape, often disadvantaging smaller programs.

Doug Gottlieb [12:30]: "There's just a difference. When you have a payroll that's a million dollars and you go all in on one or two players... it's hard to raise money to get players to get good."

5. Personal Anecdotes and Emotional Connections

Sharing a poignant memory, Gottlieb recounts witnessing the impact of Hank Gathers’ passing during a semifinal game, highlighting the profound emotional bonds formed through college basketball.

Doug Gottlieb [15:45]: "When Hank died, it was soul crushing to somebody who idolized him... I wanted to play in it, I want to cover it, I want to coach it."

6. Coaching Changes and Speculations

Joining him is John Fanta, who discusses recent coaching developments, including Rodney Terry's potential departure from Texas and Sean Miller's prospects of becoming Texas's next head coach. They explore the implications of these changes on both programs.

John Fanta [20:47]: "Sean Miller is number one on Texas's list. He's one of the better coaches in the sport, I'd say he's a top 15 to 20 coach in college basketball."

Doug Gottlieb [22:47]: "Sean Miller has loyalty to Xavier, but Texas offers a higher salary and more pressure to win, which might be enticing for his career."

7. Villanova’s Coaching Scenario

The conversation turns to Villanova, where Porter Moser is considered a top candidate for the coaching position. Fanta highlights the challenges and potential candidates, including Richard Pitino, emphasizing the high-stakes environment of major college programs.

John Fanta [30:18]: "Eric Rodell from Oregon is looking at Villanova. They are considering veteran coaches like Porter Moser or Richard Pitino who can move the needle on television."

8. Predictions for Tournament Upsets

Fanta provides his insights on potential upsets in the tournament, predicting victories for lower-seeded teams such as UC San Diego over Michigan and Yale over Auburn. He also mentions Lipscomb’s Jacob Agnes Savage as a key player to watch.

John Fanta [32:51]: "UC San Diego will beat Michigan. James Jones and his Yale team could pull off an upset similar to last year's over Auburn."

9. Purdue vs. High Point Analysis

Gottlieb and Fanta discuss the Purdue vs. High Point game, where Fanta expects High Point, led by Alan Huss, to challenge Purdue despite financial disparities, citing their talented roster and strategic gameplay.

John Fanta [34:45]: "High Point has a lot of talent. Agnesevich from Sheboygan is a standout player who could give Purdue a real run for their money."

10. Final Thoughts and Upcoming Segments

As the episode wraps up, Gottlieb commends Fanta for his insights and expresses hope for more in-depth discussions at future events like the Final Four. He also hints at upcoming topics, including Aaron Rodgers’ potential NFL decisions and their possible impact on the tournament dynamics.

Doug Gottlieb [36:12]: "John, I love catching up on radio. Can't wait to do it in person, hopefully at the Final Four."

---

Notable Quotes

• Doug Gottlieb [08:15]: "Now there are 364 Division 1 teams. So if the top are the top four and they used to be competing against 200, now they're competing against 300, one would think the disparity was even greater."

• John Fanta [20:47]: "Sean Miller is number one on Texas's list. He's one of the better coaches in the sport, I'd say he's a top 15 to 20 coach in college basketball."

• John Fanta [32:51]: "UC San Diego will beat Michigan. James Jones and his Yale team could pull off an upset similar to last year's over Auburn."

Conclusion

In this episode of "Best of The Herd," Doug Gottlieb and John Fanta provide a comprehensive analysis of the NCAA Tournament, emphasizing the evolving dynamics of college basketball, the implications of coaching changes, and potential Cinderella stories. Their discussions offer listeners deep insights into the factors shaping the tournament's outcomes, underscored by personal anecdotes and expert predictions.

---

This summary captures the essence of the "Best of The Herd" episode, focusing on the primary content while excluding advertisements and non-essential segments.

Transcript

[Doug Gottlieb]

The 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's Tournament is back and this time it is bringing all the feels.

[John Fanta]

The biggest event in college sports is.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Here with games happening all day long.

[John Fanta]

And you don't want to miss a.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Second of the heart pumping action.

[John Fanta]

Catch all the clutch shots, big time.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Plays, upsets, Cinderellas, Blue Bloods and more.

[John Fanta]

Tune in to the NCAA Men's Division.

[Doug Gottlieb]

1 Basketball Championship March 18 through April 7 on TBS, CBS, TNT, TruTV and.

[Cam Hayward]

Stream on Max with Amex Gold. You get up to $100 back annually on eligible purchases at resi restaurants, so.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Party of two Right this way is.

[Cam Hayward]

Music to your ears. That's the powerful backing of American Express enrollment Required terms apply. Learn more@American Express.com with Amex.

[John Fanta]

Virgin Voyages isn't your average cruise. It's a masterclass in luxury all in voyage pricing includes over $1,000 in value, Wi fi tips, entertainment, even specialty dining. No hidden fees, no surprises. The cabins are next level private terraces, virgin red hammocks, unbeatable sea views. Add in the adult only factor. No kids, that's right, just relaxation. It's no surprise they're award winning. And the destinations Caribbean this winter, Iceland, North America and the Mediterranean in 2025 and 2026. Virgin Voyages is where luxury meets travel. Book it and see what you've been missing. Learn [e-mail] or contact your travel advisor. Rain or shine, whatever the weather, tread confidently with new tires from Tire Rack. Whether you're looking for expert recommendations or know exactly what you want, Tire Rack makes it easy fast. Free shipping, free road hazard protection, convenient installation options and the best selection of Bridgestone tires. Go to TireRack.com Colin to see their Bridgestone test results, tire ratings and reviews and be sure to check out their special offers. They always have them. Tirerack.com it's the way tire buying should be. Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Doug Gottlieb]

This is the Best of the Herd with college on Fox Sports Radio. Boom. What up America? Doug Gottlieb in for Colin this is the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be making this part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlieb and we can all get together and we're getting ready for the NCAA tournament. It's a weird one for me. Some of you may know I'm actually a head basketball coach at Green B. What you may not know is this is the first NCAA tournament in 23 years that I'm not covering for. I was ESPN for nine, I was worked there for 10, but nine covering the tournament and then CBS for five. And then since then, the last seven years it was Fox, but, but also Westwood One. You know, I was at CBS, Selection Sunday, Final Four, etc. And calling games the first weekend. And you know, I've been with Westwood One as their studio host and going all the way to the Final Four. And now I ain't got nothing to do except talk to you. So I'm going to bore the hell out. No, I'm kidding. We're going to break down your brackets and tell you about the 12,5 upsets. And you know, I got a, I got a, I got to. You listen, if you subscribe to my service, okay, you subscribe to my service. Listen, I got, I got four gold locked picks, okay? Gold lock picks. No, I just, it's interesting. And you know, I, I, as a kid I watched it. My dad got me out of school, right? Whether it was Jordan Elementary, Lada elementary. Wait, there's more. McPherson Middle School, Junior High School, Santiago Middle School, Yoruba Middle School. That's right, three middle schools. And then Tustin High School. My dad would come get me out of school and we'd go down to, we go down to a sports bar in Costa Mesa and watch all the games. I think one time we went to Silky Sullivan's. That was in Fountain Valley. Don't know if that still exists. Anyway, from there I and I, we would go to the Final Four. And then even when I played at Notre Dame and we were bad my first year, we still went to the Final Four. That was at, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, my year at Golden West College where I didn't play, where I technically red shirted. I watched my childhood best friend Miles Simon win a national championship in Indianapolis and then played in it three times at Oklahoma State and then covered it, really, after I got done playing overseas. United two years. Where was overseas during the tournament. Actually three when I was overseas during the tournament. And since then I've been back in and I will tell you, more motivated than ever to have the full circle, right? Watched it, loved it, played in it, covered it. TV and radio on the floor. The Final Four in the national championship game. And now I want to coach in it, but I can't. We weren't good enough and we got to build it and build it right. So you're stuck with me. But what I do think is fascinating is how, how much has changed in the landscape of the sport. Some of it still remains the same. There's still the Cinderella stories. And when we think of stories of our past, it's interesting. There's some of the greatest games or potential upsets or whatever weren't actually upsets, didn't actually happen. Like Princeton, Georgetown, Georgetown still won the game. Georgetown won the game. And then of course we started to see more and more upsets throughout our childhood into our adulthood. And what I thought would never happen, I truly believed in covering it. You would never see a 16 beat a 1. And the logic behind it was this. When they started the field of 64, there were like, I don't think there were 200 Division 1 teams. Now there are 364. 364. So if the top are the top four and they used to be competing against 200, 225, 230 and now they're competing against 300, one would think the disparity was even greater. But as luck would have it, an injury happened with DeAndre Hunter at Virginia and an upset of all upsets took place with umbc. And then I thought, well, we'll never have that again, only to have it happen again. But amateurism is gone. I don't want to call this professional basketball because though I get paid a salary to coach my team, to run my program, to make sure my kids go to class, you know, graduate, are academically ineligible, stay out of trouble, run practice, manage a whole basketball program. And look, college basketball players do receive compensation above that of a scholarship, above that of a grant aid. Let's kid, let's not kid ourselves. This is not professional. Right. If it was professional, you wouldn't believe the stories that take place don't happen in a professional world. You also don't get a chance to just leave one job with a contract and not have a buyout and not have a non compete clause going from job to job to job to job to job. So it's a mix of what we used to have mix in education which does get pushed to the wayside by so many people. And then you kind of morph professional basketball and AAU basketball and there you go. But here's what I wish would happen. It's not going to happen. But like Wofford takes on Tennessee, Wofford takes on Tennessee. And there's some unique things that college basketball people know that I'm going to teach you here before the games. Tip off. Um, I had a college basketball coach before I took the job. Tell me, like, hey, ever notice handshake lines are a lot longer than they used to be? Well, what's that mean? Well, you know when Omaha takes on St. John's and Omaha's best player goes for 25 and 10 and they lose and he shakes hands with Rick Pitino or one of the assistant coaches, they go, is that your mom over there? Hey, hey, hey, hey, mom, how are you? How are you? Right. It doesn't mean there's poaching actually taking place, but it doesn't mean that it's not taking place. Right. Like literally mid major teams playing against high major teams. It's an active tryout. I kid you not. But what I'd love to have happen is when Wofford takes on Tennessee, them to flash up the sum total of the salaries of the players of each team. That would be amazing. Tennessee's coach by Rick Barnes. He's a friend. I think Rick's a, Rick's a great dude. We were rivals. He coached at Texas when I was in college and I had heard he was a great dude. And he's even better than that. I do expect them to win this game. And Wofford has a big guy who shoots the ball underhanded, which if you watch me play in college, people did encourage me to try. So I'm always fascinated by it. But what I would love is if it comes down the stretch and they're under four minutes and say Spiro Adidas is calling, calling the game. Tennessee with a $4.2 million payroll. Take it on. Wofford with $135,000 payroll. It would make you it. You want to talk about David and Goliath, that's what you have. It's like equal punishments, right? If you're bad, it's hard to raise money to get players to get good. And even on bad teams, guys that go and put up their numbers, well, they go and they want to go somewhere else and fool somebody else and go get and go get paid. And if you're good at the mid major level, you're going to lose all your players because people are like, man, they're good, let's take them. That's how it actually works. Nonetheless, we still have a bracket and now the actual bracket games begin. But I do think that, and I said this on my show And I said it just so you know, I'm, I believe in congruent arguments. I thought the mistake of the College Football Playoff committee was, was balanced out by the NCAA basketball committee. What do I mean by that? It doesn't mean that every team that spent money is better than teams that don't spend money. Doesn't mean that. But the SEC has spent a whole hell of a lot more money than everybody else. And it's not just with the players, with the facilities, with the support staff, with the head coaches. It's all of it. All of it. And so it's not just about your specific team, but their path to success and their path to a record. Right. The flaw in the argument for smu, which spent a bunch of money to get into the ACC and then to field their team, or Indiana, that spent a ton of money and had a soft schedule but beat up on the Big Ten is not to say, hey, well, we spent money and look, you know, we got this huge payroll. You know, Indiana, what was like a $15 million payroll, which was a big, big amount. The difference is in the sec, in both football and basketball, every team you play, every team you play in basketball has a 2 to 4 or 5 million dollar payroll. Whereas when you're in the ACC, for example, they have teams with 3 and 4 million dollar payrolls, but they have teams that are about a million. And there is a, there's just a difference. And when you have, when you have a payroll that's a million dollars or whatever and you go all in on one or two players and all of a sudden one of those guys gets hurt or one of those guys isn't as good as the billing or maybe hasn't been able to level up to the acc. Now all of a sudden you don't have the depth to contend on a daily basis in your conference, even though you're better than most of the other teams because again, you have a million dollar payroll. Am I making sense? So I, look, I, I still love the tournament. I grew up watching it. I can quote chapter and verse all of the different upsets. The moment that changed my existence as a basketball player wanting to do it happened about 30 minutes where I'm broadcasting from him. Doug Gottlieb in for Colin. This I heard on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app. We're broadcasting from Sherman Oaks, California at Long Beach arena where my dad for three years was an assistant coach under the great Tex winner at Long beach arena in. Was it 1990? It was 1990. Might have been 91. The first game after Hank Gathers had passed away, Loyal Amermont took on New Mexico State. And I'll never forget it. You know, I'd watch the semifinals when Hank went down. I had known both of those guys from the pump basketball camp where I was a cat, I was a camper. And those guys played pickleball at Cal, at csun, Cal State Northridge, where we stayed at night. And they were godlike figures. And when Hank died, just, it was soul crushing to somebody who idolized him and thought, I mean, he looked like a Greek God. I watched them play and they came out in, in their. And everything was adorned in maroon uniforms with 44s everywhere. And when I saw Bo Kimble dribble three times with his right hand and switch it and shoot to his left hand to copy his fallen friend and teammate who kind of like the kid from Wofford, switched to shooting free throws left handed because he was so bad at shooting them right handed. And then he made the free throw and there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I was like, this is what I want to do. I want to play in it, I want to cover it, I want to coach it. So that emotion still exists. But let's not kid ourselves. We're in a weird place where like literally Tennessee has 40. I would, I would, I would guess at minimum 30 times greater salaries than that of Wofford tonight. 30 times. I'll check my math during the break. That's what I'll do. But I think I got that right. I may have over exaggerated, but I think I got it right. If you're somewhere like $4 million and they're somewhere in the, you know, 150 to 200, what is that ratio? You guys work that out. Coming up next in the Herd, John Fanta is going to join us. If you love college basketball, John is everywhere. He does play by play, he does reporting, he does sideline. The madness is about to tip off. I'm going to ask him what's one upset he sees happening today. That's next. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and.

[Ryan]

The iHeartRadio app with Amex Gold.

[Cam Hayward]

You get up to $100 back annually on eligible purchases at resi restaurants.

[Doug Gottlieb]

So party of two, right this way.

[Cam Hayward]

Is music to your ears. That's the powerful backing of American Express enrollment. Required terms apply. Learn more@american express.com With Amex, you can.

[John Fanta]

Count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off. Up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Introducing Instagram Teen Accounts A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they've got the right gear for writing, knee pads, shack and helmet. Done. See you dad. New Instagram Teen Accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Cam Hayward]

Hey there Ritual. Here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments, that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check Clean quality Pregnancy Nutrient support Off your to do list with Ritual, we've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and fertility support. All designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and clean label projects certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Doug Gottlieb]

What up with you, Doug Gottliebin for calling the herd on fox sports radio iHeartradio app watching Creighton, the Blue Jays take on wool. You do know that it's Louisville, which is weird, right? Because when you go to Louisville, they say welcome to Louisville. But everything is the Ville. Wouldn't it be the Vol if they pronounce it Louisville? I'm very, very confused. I don't know. Anyway, they're taking on Creighton. This is. It's in Lexington. One of the things that people make a big deal of is where the game is played. Oh my gosh. Home court advantage. Like yeah. I mean last night Xavier was playing in dayton which is 45 minutes from campus. A little bit different in terms of, I thought that was a legitimate home court advantage in their comeback win over Texas. But playing again, you're on your arch rivals home floor against Creighton. That travels well at like at noon. It's not that big. What do the kids say? It's not that deep. It's not that deep. By the way, I've been hanging out my son here for the last couple days. I'm telling you, my vernacular is getting way better. Way, way better. Nothing more hip than when your son's 16. Happy birthday to my son, Hayes Gottlieb. Let's welcome in John Fanta, Fox Sports Radio, a Fox Sports college basketball reporter. He does play by play. You'll see him on field of 68. If you follow college basketball, you know about that podcast, which also you can view online. And he joins us now as the NCAA tournament kicks off. John, let me, let me ask you about last night. You know, you cover the Big East a ton for Fox and, and Xavier had a huge comeback win against Texas. And there's, there's several reports that Rodney Terry will be let go and additional reports that Sean Miller will be the next head coach of Texas. What, what, what have you heard in regards to the Texas situation?

[Ryan]

Well, what we know and Doug, great to be with you on what is a holiday is that, is that Crystal Conti was very interested in Sean Miller the last time he was trying to hire a head coach. But Texas beat Xavier in the NCAA tournament, which was quite ironic in the Sweet 16. So then you weren't going to, to not keep Rodney Terry as head coach. Rodney had done his part to keep that job and it felt like the natural right move. But now there's an irony to these two paths crossing again. But Terry has not gotten Texas to a level that they believe they should be at, which I gotta say, Doug, for the last 15 years Texas has been not achieving the level that they want to achieve in any sport because at Texas they aspire at a football school to win national championships and everything. Well, to me that's a you problem. Texas more you keep selecting these head coaches, some of which have been good. Honestly. Now the Chris Beard thing ended the way that it did for, for off the court reasons. But like, you know, Shaka Smarts found a proper home for himself in Marquette. There's a larger picture discussion. The point is, yes, Crystal Conti, if this search opens up, which I think it will, Sean Miller's number one on his list, then it comes down to Sean making a decision. You know, he built a house in Cincinnati. So, you know, as, you know, build a house, you could sell it. And then you take the Texas job and you get a ton of nil. And if, if that's what you want and if that's what you're looking to do in your. In your career and go to the Southeastern Conference, then that's. That's what he's going to get. And he's one of the best. He's one of the better coaches in the sport. I'd say He's a top 15 coach in college. Top 15 to 20 coach college basketball. It's not, you know, top 10 to 12. He's that good. You know, we'll see. We'll see if, if Xavier giving him a chance in a new lease on life, if that plays a part at all. It's not. The Musketeers don't have money. They'll put up a lot of money to try to keep him. They just don't have Texas money.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah, no, I mean, it's interesting because. Little backstory. John Fanta joining us here. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Collins the Herd. You go back to his fourth year at Xavier, fourth year at Xavier, and the Oklahoma State job was open, and Mike Holder, the then AD at Oklahoma State, asked me to reach out to Sean or at first he asked me like, who would you hire? And I was like, man, I'd hire Sean Miller. So I called Sean and Sean said at the time, hey, listen, Xavier gave me a chance when. And this is the first time around, Xavier gave me a chance when nobody else would. So I'm going to stay here for five years. If you look at my contract, the buyout goes way down after my fifth year. That's. I told them I would stay at least five years. And so there was definitely loyalty there. I know it's a business where so many people think there's no sort of loyalty, but Sean does have some. And the fact that Sean got fired, Arizona and Xavier didn't think twice and brought him back, I think shows again their mutual loyalty.

[Ryan]

But you know what else it is, Doug? Yeah, no stress. He has no stress at Xavier. None. You're never going to be under pressure. Like, yeah, they have standards. Yes. They want to make the Sweet 16. The program's never made a Final Four. If he ever got close to that, you know, he already is a. Is a Xavier great for his multiple stints at the job. You go to Texas, Doug, you know what it is. You're going to win, you're going to get a contend for Final Four. You're going to go deep in the tournament. You know, you go two years there and you haven't done that. Oh well, he answers your three. You know, there's pressure on now. There's Texas is an unrelenting, pressure packed job. If you're at the football program, if you're at the basketball program. So if he wants that then, then they're going to, and they're going to back up the Brinks truck, then that's, that's why you make the move. But you know, this is a guy who, you're right, he is loyal. I know how much pride he has to like to be in the Big east and go to New York City for the, for the conference tournament. And Doug, you know this well, that's not just some other event like he, he enjoys being a part of that whole equation. I and only he can think and fathom what he ultimately wants to do. So. But there's no question he's at the top of Texas's list.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Doug Gotleyman for Collins the Hurt fox Sports Radio iHeartradio app. Of course you have John Fanta joining us. He's a Fox Sports Radio I kind of every. Fox Sports kind of everything college basketball. Right. Just kind of immersed himself in it. Great play by play guy and of course he does some college basketball reporting as well as work with, with field of of 68. What did you think of, of Darian Devries and he takes the Indiana job And during his press conference he was like, look, they were really respectful of my season coming to, you know, my season and wait until it concluded. So it feels like this one had been done for a bit. Did that surprise you in any way?

[Ryan]

It actually really surprised me because I can't tell you how many times I've heard, you know, an agent say, well there's something to be said about going two years or three years before you take the next, next job. Now Indiana is an exception, right? It's not to me in 2025, you know, you've had to achieve major success in the last decade of 15 years. I don't put Indiana in blue blood tier A. I really do not.

[Doug Gottlieb]

What?

[Ryan]

Not T. Ray, come on, bro. No, man.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Well, hold on. Fantastic. Here's, here's your issue. Here's your issue. Hold on. Here's your issue, John. Here's your issue. Okay. You're kind of timeless. So people will be surprised. How old are you?

[Ryan]

I'm 29. That's what I do. No, it's Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Carolina are in tra. Indiana is not in the same classroom.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Well, again, so you're talking the super high major elite. Most people would put UCLA in that. Some people think not. Right. I mean, because they have more titles than anybody else.

[Ryan]

If you want to put tier B, that's, that's fine. But like, if we're tearing this down.

[Doug Gottlieb]

The different, the difference is if you, like, listen again, I'm becoming an old man, right? Become an old man. I am not yet. There's not a five next to my name just yet. Soon, but not yet. But when? I mean, it's Indiana. I mean, it, it is, it is still India. It's. You know what it is? It's Alabama football before they got Saban. Alabama football before they got Saban. And there will be a guy that will wake that place up. And whoever that guy is, if it's Darian, like, great, but somebody will wake that place up. Anyway, go ahead. I apologize, I apologize because I, I've heard that sentiment from other people, but go ahead.

[Ryan]

No, I, I, I hear you. When you've made two Final Four since 1987, it's, and the, Yeah.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I mean, then we, then we had to put you, we had to put UConn in, in any territory as well. Right. Like, if you're trying, you didn't list Yukon. UConn's won, what, five national titles with three different coaches.

[Ryan]

Connecticut is more so than Indiana. Connecticut would be in the pecking order with what they have done with six and 25 years is absolutely, absolutely absurd. They're right, they're right there. They're ahead in. If I were to. Okay. Needless to say, I was surprised because you're in your first year on the job. I thought, you know, Darren was a really good hire for West Virginia. I love the hire. They're off to a really nice start. You know, their people are jarred by this and they, they, frankly, they should be. I mean, I don't blame Darren for taking this job because I think, like you said, if he gets it back, that that place is that fan base, that brand. How they move the needle on television speaks for itself. It's next level. But it did surprise me just to hear just how transparent and how open it was that he had been engaging in conversations in his first year at another high major, big 12 job.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's, it's, it, it's nutty. It's really, really nutty.

[Ryan]

It is.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Who Gets Iowa.

[Ryan]

Well, you know, I think Ben McCollum is. It would be. There is at the top of their list. I also think there's a chance Ben. I know Ben's got the roots and whatnot. I know he's obviously done a great job at Drake, but. But I almost think not to slide Iowa here.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Come on, man. You're from Iowa, Okay. And you're obviously, he's going to bring Ben Sturtz with him, who's a star point guard. If you haven't seen him, he's fabulous. We played against them. He's awesome, right? Like.

[Ryan]

No, I think it makes. I think it makes a lot of sense for both sides. It's going to be him. My only point would be I think he's an absolute superstar and could get an even bigger job. It's a great win for Iowa.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Well, I think it's great when. If I were Villanova, I'd be calling Ben McCullough.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I don't. I'm not sure it works there, but it's. It's. It is. What is. What is going on with Villanova? There was so much talk of Chris Collins. Their season's done, Nova. Season's done. But Chris Collins is not the head coach. So what's going on, Nova?

[Ryan]

Well, Porter Moser is the number one name right now, and obviously, Porter took Loyola Chicago to the Final Four. And, you know, now at Oklahoma, he's got Connecticut tomorrow night, which is kind of an interesting backdrop considering he's going up against a big east school. But Jay Wright is, you know, he's still an active member of things that Villanova does. Of course he's going to be. And Eric Rodell, the new athletic director, comes over from Oregon. And Eric, you know, I think the way that they're looking at this is you can go one of two ways. You get somebody on the rise, but there's not a ton of those guys right now in the cycle on this crazy carousel. You also know, Doug, the next two days, a coaching hero could be born. That's why the madness is so amazing. It could change somebody's life in front of our eyes. But I think that they're looking at a veteran like the Collins, the Moser discourse. You know, the name that was outside the box was if Mick Cronin ever didn't pan out at ucla. But I think Mick's going to be at ucla. Some of the negativity of January and some of the discourse coming out of there was a little bit eye opening, but I don't Think he's going anywhere. I think, you know, I think they're in a place where it's down to Moser. It's down. I mean, Collins is still in the race, I suppose. And don't sleep on Richard Pitino. You know, I think that Rick, Rick is going to try his best. If Ryan Odom's not at Virginia, which Ryan Odom is going to be at Virginia, in my humble opinion, if he weren't at Virginia, would have been a slam dunk for villain over the Hiram. Watch out for Richard.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah, I, you know, the one thing is, you know, if you're at the best job in the league, don't leave unless it's at the best job in a league. Right. Porter Moser would leave because they don't have the money at Oklahoma for basketball that everybody else does. Whereas Nova does have the money. But for Richard Pertino, they have the most money in their league and it's a very powerful, powerful feeling. John Fanta's our guest. I'm Doug Gottlieban for Collins the Herd. Fox sports radio iHeartradio app. Okay, who's going down? Right? Everywhere you go, I know everybody wants an upset. Fanta, give me your upset. I got friends texting me all the time like, I need, I need your upset picks. Like, dude, I'm. If it's a horizon league or mid major, like, I can tell you everything about them. I can tell you a lot about UC San Diego because we studied them a bunch. But who do you think is most likely to pull off the upset in the next two days?

[Ryan]

Well, I think that there's a guaranteed double digit seed winning in the South. In fact, I'll go with multiple double digit seats. I think UC San Diego will beat Michigan. I never trust a team coming off the Big Ten tournament championship. There's a history of this and the nation's about to learn more about the player. You already know Aniwa Niwa Tate Jones. Kid averages 20 a game. He is a stud. But it goes beyond them, Doug. They've got Hayden Gray, who's an elite defender. You know, they, they get up in you defensively and really guard that. They're so balanced on the other end of the floor. And I just think Michigan's turnover problems. UC San Diego's at the top of the charts in turnover margin. I think it's a problem matchup there. I also really like James Jones and his Yale team again. You know, they pulled it off last year over Auburn. I know A and M can muck it up. And can really make it a battle. But I think that's going to be a game. And I think John Pool Akitis, who is a stud for Yale, I think the Bulldogs are going to be in it. I have Carolina beating Ole Miss. That's not, that's not the trendy Cinderella upset. But I could see Lipscomb. Watch out for Lipscomb. They got a kid named Jacob Agnes Savage that's averaging over 20 per game. And if you look at the Bisons and the style that they play, I think it could give Iowa State some problems. You got to.

[Doug Gottlieb]

You have Iowa State also. Iowa State also doesn't have their point guard. You know, they don't.

[Ryan]

And that's the big reason why, is that Lipscomb has a top 75 offense. Iowa State doesn't have Keyshawn Gilbert. So, you know, that's something that I'm keeping an eye on. If Liberty were playing anyone other than Oregon, I would probably have taken Richie McKay's team. But I, Doug, I respect Dana Altman way too much. I'm heading over to the arena after, after we talk for, for Purdue and High Point, and I think Alan Huss could give Purdue a run for their money this afternoon.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Yeah, and by the way, Purdue, High Point, they don't have Purdue money, but they actually have a lot, a lot of money. And so they do. It's a talented roster. And Agnesevich is from Sheboygan, so don't, don't, don't start me with Wisconsin kids that are somewhere else that everybody in my donors like, hey, why don't you have him? I wasn't there. I wasn't here. I can't recruit guys that I would five years ago when I last three years when I wasn't here. Anyway. Fanta. I love catching up on radio. Can't wait to do it in person, hopefully at the Final Four. Thanks so much for being our guest.

[Ryan]

You know, Doug, I hope you're not tied up against the brakes on, but I do want to say this to you. I respect the heck out of you for doing what you've done and taking the Green Bay job. And I also think it's really cool some of the things that you just did in year one, whether it be engaging with fans, you know, your, your fan base, your community, getting your kids to kind of see the bigger picture. I could tell that you're showing them the bigger picture of life. And I know it's hard as hell. And if I went on the sidelines, I don't even want to picture that because we wouldn't be any good. And so you. I'm rooting for you, man. And know that you've got a fan in me and I think a lot of us because we want to see this pan out. And I give you a lot of credit because I know it wasn't the easiest of your ones, but I could tell your kids never stop competing and that's what life's about.

[Doug Gottlieb]

No, I appreciate it. They did. They fought hard for us. And just, just know November 3rd, we're opening at Northwestern. I believe that'll be available be their Big Ten Network or FS1. Would love to have you on the call. You can. You. You can duke it out with Revson. You know, Revver's right down the street. One at one of one of you two got a couple. Got a couple potential. We're talking with the Butler Bulldogs about playing in Hinkle. I was one of coaching in Hinkle as well.

[Ryan]

I'm just imagining Dave Repson with boxing gloves and that kind of was funny to think about. Thanks, Doug.

[Doug Gottlieb]

All right, see you, fantasy. Jon Fanta joins. Let's get to Ryan. No, we're not doing rhyme music with the news. We're doing rhyme music with the news next. Okay. Did you guys see what Luca did last night? Did you? We'll discuss it next in the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[John Fanta]

Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5.

[Doug Gottlieb]

To 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific.

[John Fanta]

On Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

[John Fanta]

We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Work together, I mean, that says something, right?

[John Fanta]

So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino. Enrich wherever you get your podcast and.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Of course on social media.

[John Fanta]

That's Covino and Rich.

[Cam Hayward]

It's the last game of the season and with Amex you can save time with card member entrances at select venues and go straight to the action so.

[Doug Gottlieb]

You can catch every moment.

[Cam Hayward]

That's the powerful backing of American Express. Turn to Fly. Learn [e-mail] withamx you can count on.

[John Fanta]

T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heapandswitch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires.

[Doug Gottlieb]

In six months Introducing Instagram Teen Accounts A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. All right, buckle up. Good job. New Instagram Teen Accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Cam Hayward]

Hey there Ritual. Here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check Clean quality Pregnancy Nutrient support off your to do list with Ritual. We've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and fertility support. All designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and clean label projects certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Doug Gottlieb]

What up? Welcome in this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be making this part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd and on the first day of the NCAA tournament, I want to talk sports with you. From Poway to Escondido, from Tijuana to Sherman Oaks for the next couple of hours. If you know, you know. By the way, the Blue Jays are putting on the Cardinals as Creighton is up 47:27 with a minute 48 to go. Wow. Wow. Omaha. That's where Creighton is. By the way. You guys know what Creighton is in Omaha. Anyway, my dad coached a Creighton long, long, long, long, long time ago. We got a lot to get to this hour. We'll keep you updated on all the scores. Purdue and High Point, they're in a tight one as Purdue was up 18 to 14. 11 minutes to go in the first half. Anyway, we'll keep updated on scores. You'll look at your brackets. If you pricked Louisville, you're probably in not in great shape. So that tournament is going on. You know, there are certain things where once you get to, I think once you get to 40, you are who you are right now. There are a lot of people in my life are like, man, you're different now than you were a year ago before you got this college head coaching job. Yeah, maybe. I'm definitely busier. My life in Green Bay is way easier. You know, it was two hours to get here, 22 to the 405 today it's four minutes to work in Green Bay. So I have more time to be more productive. But I just kind of think like, okay, so who am I? I'm not great with time. I think everybody knows that. Okay, I am a really good communicator. Probably over communicate, especially via text. I, I generally am a pretty thoughtful person. It doesn't, I don't, doesn't take extra things to do the extra things. You know, I'm, I, I, I completely disagree and always have with Colin. I wear my hat backwards. Always have, probably always will. That's who I am. Right. Well, I like comfortable sweats, comfortable T shirts. I don't overdress, I don't underdress. I just dress. I know what I like to eat. I mean really, I like to eat just about anything. I don't eat pasta because I stay for the most part, because I stay away from the carbs. And I don't eat Indian food because I just don't like it. Right? Stop trying to convince me that. No, no, no, no. This chutney is, I don't like curry. That's just Steph Curry. Like Seth Curry impressed by. But like no one has a Seth Curry fan. Actual curry. No, not so much. Once you're 40, like you kind of are who you are and you surround yourself with people who they don't have to like every part about you, but they accept you for who you are. Aaron Rodgers is 40, is he not? Okay, so he still has not decided or publicly announced if he's playing next year. And with that, not only has he not decided or announced if he's playing next year, but the thought is that the one team he can still go start and it's a playoff caliber team that just added an absolute stud at wide receiver is the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's an expression that I think most of us know and we use and it probably gets overused, which is that tracks. That tracks. And that tracks generally means like, yeah, I got it. That's kind of par for the course, right? That's going to happen. I get it. Yep, that's him. That's who he is. He's 40. We got it, right? Can we all come to the, the, the conclusion there? Aaron Rodgers is going to make a decision about playing football next year over this weekend. I, again, I don't think it will hijack the NCAA tournament and I don't necessarily think he's going to do it because it hijacks the NCAA tournament. I just think he's going to do it and it will partially hijack the NCAA tournament because that tracks my making sense a surprise to absolutely, positively no one. Cam Hayward is kind of the spokesperson for the, the, the current Steelers. Right. He actually has his own podcast. I thought he put it best when he said this the other day.

[Ryan]

I ain't doing that darkness treat. Retreat. I don't mean any of that crap like either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. That's, that's simple. That's the pitch. If you want me to recruit. That's the recruiting pitch, you know, Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of.

[Doug Gottlieb]

It, so be it.

[Ryan]

If you don't, no, no skin on my back.

[Doug Gottlieb]

That's perfect. Right? Is there, Is it that much? It's not like, do you know the culture of Pittsburgh? No, you don't. But Aaron Rodgers has been a professional football player for almost as much time as he has not been a professional football player. Am I making sense? Right? Like, he came out of Cal, so he was what, 21, 22 years old? Right. So it's about even basically his entire adult life. This is what he's done. So it's not really, there's not really a lot of suspense. Is there a newness to playing for a new organization? Sure do I, do I, I, I think I Don't know. And Mike Tomlin hasn't said. But my guess is, hey, dude, if you're going to come play for us, you're not going to do McAfee's pot. We know McAfee is a Pittsburgh guy. Okay, you can appear on it, but you're not doing the weekly thing like we want to win football games and the rest will take care of itself. And look, there's a good part of me that feels empathetic towards Aaron Rodgers and the report that came out yesterday, which is that apparently TV isn't interested in him. TV isn't interested in him and I think they're not interested in him for reasons that I understand completely. Like when I call basketball games, I know it's about the basketball game. It's not a radio show. I've obviously had to learn the cadence and not to over talk and that takes time and that the pace of things and getting in and getting out. And look, there's occasionally like we'll have, we had fun moments when I would do games. But the issue that corporate America has is they want safe. They want safe. When I was at cbs, the now president of cbs, Dave Burson, who's a friend and I think good leader, was there and he said, hey, our, our only issue with you is we don't know what you're going to say next. And I said, dave, isn't that like a good thing? Like, like you want to know, like what is he going to say next? He's like, yeah, it's like the, at the profile of games and studio stuff you're going to be calling like Barclay can get away with that. You can't. You can. And again, you look and Matt Ryan is in studio for CBS, right? And I think Matt Ryan's really good. J.J. watt is in studio for CBS. Tom Brady is calling game for, for Fox. Like Tom Brady, he's not, he hasn't figured it out yet. He will at some point. He'll be the real Tom Brady on air because I'm sure the real Tom Brady, he wouldn't have that many friends. And I mean, Edelman is an awesome dude, right? Once he gets away from being corporate Tom Brady, like, he'll be really, really good. But the point is that the reason they like Tom Brady is not just all of the rings. It's that Tom Brady's safe. And I'm empathetic towards Aaron Rodgers because he has all these different thoughts. He wonders about things and he's been open about it and there's been A docu series about him writing a book, written about it and every. And he's on McAfee and he expounds on it. My guess is if he's going to call a game, he'd actually just call a game. But tv, like, man, I don't take that risk. So I'm empathetic towards. Here's a super bright guy, a multi time mvp, a first ballot hall of Famer, a guy who checks, has checked every box. There is not a box that Aaron Rodgers doesn't check as a player. Intelligence, athleticism, accuracy, arm strength, like clutch in key moments, toughness, all of those things he checks. And yet there's like one good team in the NFL that wants him and TV doesn't want him. So I'm empathetic towards it. But dude, pooper, get off the pot. Right? Right. I mean, you got Cam Hayward sitting there going like, if the Pittsburgh Steelers just had a quarterback, they haven't had a quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's before his last two years, right? Remember when Antonio Brown, you know, like no showed at practice, right? That was the last time that Ben Rothsberger was a relatively decent quarterback. After that it was like they haven't had an elite level quarterback. If you just put an elite, a high quality quarterback on the team last year, they might go to the Super Bowl. And came Hayward's like, hey, dude, I'm not doing any of that stuff. Do you want to play for us or not? So the idea that Aaron Rodgers will hijack the. Will hijack the NCAA tournament is if I had to give a percentage, 95%. Right? There's like a 95% likelihood that Aaron Rodgers will make some sort of tweet or announcement or Schefter will put it out there or Glazer will put it out there probably in the next two days. It feels like 95% possibility because that's who he is. And once you're 40 years old, like it's kind of who you are, right? Lean into who you are, hire people or be around people who can either fill those voids or accept what you don't do. Because this whole idea of I'm gonna remake myself, come on, man, all those guys remake themselves. Go to Turkey, get a hair transplant, buy a Porsche, change jobs. They're still the same guy at their core.

[John Fanta]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast.

[Cam Hayward]

Have you guys seen this new commercial.

[John Fanta]

From Stand up to All Hate?

[Doug Gottlieb]

It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady.

[John Fanta]

Going back and forth with reasons that.

[Cam Hayward]

They hate each other.

[John Fanta]

But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid.

[Doug Gottlieb]

I don't know. This.

[John Fanta]

This commercial really got me.

[Cam Hayward]

It's a strong reminder that hate in.

[John Fanta]

Our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it.

[Cam Hayward]

If you see hate, speak up.

[John Fanta]

Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight.

[Doug Gottlieb]

You can learn more by following OTs.

[Cam Hayward]

Upwithhate hey there ritual here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check Clean Quality Pregnancy Nutrient Support off your to do list With Ritual, we've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and Fertility support. All designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and Clean Label Project certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying, or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Hey it's hey Martinez.

[John Fanta]

The news can feel like a lot.

[Cam Hayward]

On any given day, but you can't.

[John Fanta]

Just ignore la noticias when important world.

[Cam Hayward]

Changing events are happening.

[John Fanta]

That is where the Up first podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential stories so you.

[Doug Gottlieb]

Can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen up first from NPR on the.

[John Fanta]

Iheartradio app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Doug Gottlieb]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101 free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.