here for a good time AND a long time 🥳
— Cal Basketball (@CalWBBall) April 4, 2024
congratulations to @21charmin on extending through the 2028-2029 season 🔒 that’s a long time to bring a freakin’ friend 🤝#PerfectlyBerkeley | #GoBears pic.twitter.com/yfmCbZq3Np
eastcoastcal
12:10p, 4/4/24
ncbears
12:25p, 4/4/24
I like Smith. I think she could be a good coach - and I was okay with a two year extension - but five?
This on top of the Wilcox extension. For someone who was supposed to fix the AD budget situation, it appears Knowlton may be doing the opposite. (Not to mention how it appears he didn't have a plan on realignment, despite assuring fans and donors for months and months that he had a plan - and the eventual deal is another hit to the AD budget)
This on top of the Wilcox extension. For someone who was supposed to fix the AD budget situation, it appears Knowlton may be doing the opposite. (Not to mention how it appears he didn't have a plan on realignment, despite assuring fans and donors for months and months that he had a plan - and the eventual deal is another hit to the AD budget)
CalFanatic
12:35p, 4/4/24
I absolutely thought her contract should be extended for 2 years. We won 19 games this season.
Very surprised at the 5 year decision.
Very surprised at the 5 year decision.
SFCALBear72
1:00p, 4/4/24
They are calling it a three-year contract extension in the story online. So, someone's math is wrong.
Charmin Smith Signs Contract Extension - California Golden Bears Athletics (calbears.com)
Charmin Smith Signs Contract Extension - California Golden Bears Athletics (calbears.com)
stu
1:12p, 4/4/24
In reply to SFCALBear72
I thought Charmin's contract ran through 2024-25 due to the extra COVID-19 year. Guess I was wrong since the press release says a 3-year extension through 2028-29. BTW I wasn't a math major. Or a business major.
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/4/womens-basketball-charmin-smith-signs-contract-extension.aspx
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/4/womens-basketball-charmin-smith-signs-contract-extension.aspx
SFCALBear72
1:20p, 4/4/24
In reply to stu
Good point. Perhaps they should have mentioned and/or explained more fully the terms of the extension.
stu said:
I thought Charmin's contract ran through 2024-25 due to the extra COVID-19 year. Guess I was wrong since the press release says a 3-year extension through 2028-29. BTW I wasn't a math major. Or a business major.
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/4/womens-basketball-charmin-smith-signs-contract-extension.aspx
Good point. Perhaps they should have mentioned and/or explained more fully the terms of the extension.
annarborbear
1:44p, 4/4/24
Renewed without a single NCAA appearance. Maybe we will continue to pack em in for those WBIT games.
LessMilesMoreTedford
2:25p, 4/4/24
I think people on this board underestimate how well Charmin is liked around Berkeley and the hoops world. She does all the right things off the court, graduates her players, is a great communicator, and aside from results, basically checks all the benchmarks for a Cal coach. She has this job as long as she wants it.
LessMilesMoreTedford
3:41p, 4/4/24
In reply to oskiswifeshusband
Not at Cal, and definitely not at a non-revenue sport. You should know this by now.oskiswifeshusband said:
Winning >>>> anything else.
oskiswifeshusband
3:50p, 4/4/24
In reply to LessMilesMoreTedford
Well that's the problem. We are still stuck with this mindset and we will always be a joke in the athletic world with this mindset
SFCALBear72
3:57p, 4/4/24
In reply to oskiswifeshusband
Well, do something about it. Contribute to Cal WBB NIL. Help the coaches continue to get the players they need.oskiswifeshusband said:
Well that's the problem. We are still stuck with this mindset and we will always be a joke in the athletic world with this mindset
Schroeder71
3:58p, 4/4/24
I don't understand how the AD can extend Charmin Smith for another four years (by my count). Cal has several non-revenue sports that are nationally ranked yet evidently women's basketball doesn't care about winning. I think that the Bears are kidding themselves if they feel the ACC will be a much easier conference.
Oh well-Charmin had better continue to succeed in the transfer portal because that's what improved the team this season (2023-24). It will be interesting to see what players are returning and which will enter the transfer portal.
Did anyone ever find out the story regarding the absence of McKayla Williams for the two WBIT home games? Will she be returning for her final year of eligibility?
If an insider knows the roster status, please let the rest of us know. Thank you. GO BEARS!
Oh well-Charmin had better continue to succeed in the transfer portal because that's what improved the team this season (2023-24). It will be interesting to see what players are returning and which will enter the transfer portal.
Did anyone ever find out the story regarding the absence of McKayla Williams for the two WBIT home games? Will she be returning for her final year of eligibility?
If an insider knows the roster status, please let the rest of us know. Thank you. GO BEARS!
BearSD
4:08p, 4/4/24
In reply to LessMilesMoreTedford
That is the equivalent of, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?"
LessMilesMoreTedford said:
aside from results, basically checks all the benchmarks
That is the equivalent of, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?"
annarborbear
4:56p, 4/4/24
"Knowlton said. 'Charmin took our team to a new level this season"
I guess the Cal marketing staff will have to try to sell that. Good luck.
I guess the Cal marketing staff will have to try to sell that. Good luck.
3Cats4CAL
5:05p, 4/4/24
In reply to SFCALBear72
I don't think NIL would have enticed players like Brink, Iriffen, Jump, Jones et al to come to Cal. They wanted not just a prestigious school but one with a winning program and a winning stellar coach.
calbear80
5:13p, 4/4/24
In reply to BearSD
+1
BearSD said:LessMilesMoreTedford said:
aside from results, basically checks all the benchmarks
That is the equivalent of, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?"
+1
Rtkbear
5:24p, 4/4/24
In reply to calbear80
It would be nice if the buyout wasn't the whole 5 years, but given that it's Knowlton, it's probably a buyout for the full length of the contract.
SFCALBear72
5:49p, 4/4/24
In reply to 3Cats4CAL
Look at you name all those Stanford players. How many Cal players can you name? lol. How about our freshmen recruits?3Cats4CAL said:
I don't think NIL would have enticed players like Brink, Iriffen, Jump, Jones et al to come to Cal. They wanted not just a prestigious school but one with a winning program and a winning stellar coach.
3Cats4CAL
6:17p, 4/4/24
In reply to SFCALBear72
I am happy for our incoming freshmen and most of our portal transfers so far like Krimili, Suarez, Williams, Martin,Lane alongwith Twisdale. The most recent Bears players who I recall always knew they wanted to come to Cal for sure were Boyd, Cowling, and Mastrov...Who do YOU think might choose to come to Cal with more NIL?
annarborbear
7:14p, 4/4/24
It will take a while for public records to become available, but I would like to know if she got a salary increase from Knowlton for this five-year performance along with the extension. And if I am going to get phone calls to try to get donations to contribute to that.
hoop97
8:28p, 4/4/24
Nothing against Coach Charmin, but this is such a Cal thing. Finished 8th in the conference with zero wins against a team in the top 7 of the conference. And that was year 5 of the tenure.
dha
4:40a, 4/5/24
In reply to LessMilesMoreTedford
Agree with Tedford's analysis. The program seems on the right track. Winning season - tops men's football and basketball teams. Strong recruiting year thus far. Cal clearly doesn't have the financial resources other top teams do to pay top players. She is doing more than than okay given the challenges of coaching at Cal. She is popular with her players. Let's hope Coach can build on this momentum as we enter the ACC.
BarcaBear
5:59a, 4/5/24
In reply to ncbears
Knowlton is the Tesla autopilot of college Athletic Directors, he is completely asleep at the wheel.
Never hire a civil engineer to run athletics.
going into the ACC, given the exploding popularity of womens college basketball, Charmin should have been given 2 year deal to see how the ACC goes, and allow Cal opportunity to change direction if needed. 5 years is classic lazy Knowlton.
by now folks should know Knowlton's SOP. He wants stability. He just wants to play golf and not be bothered by coaching searches or contract negotiations.ncbears said:
I like Smith. I think she could be a good coach - and I was okay with a two year extension - but five?
This on top of the Wilcox extension. For someone who was supposed to fix the AD budget situation, it appears Knowlton may be doing the opposite. (Not to mention how it appears he didn't have a plan on realignment, despite assuring fans and donors for months and months that he had a plan - and the eventual deal is another hit to the AD budget)
Knowlton is the Tesla autopilot of college Athletic Directors, he is completely asleep at the wheel.
Never hire a civil engineer to run athletics.
going into the ACC, given the exploding popularity of womens college basketball, Charmin should have been given 2 year deal to see how the ACC goes, and allow Cal opportunity to change direction if needed. 5 years is classic lazy Knowlton.
TheDuke!!!
6:13p, 4/7/24
I do not see a positive trajectory in Smith's tenure here. Her performance seems to waiver from very bad to absolutely pathetic, with just a single "okay, I guess" season. Last year seems more like an anomaly than a trajectory.
So it seems like this is the worst extension since Wilcox, which was the worst extension since Dykes, which was the worst extension since Tedford.
But it all depends on the terms. I remember Holmoe was given an extension the year before we fired him. But the terms meant we didn't really owe him that much more. The extension was just to help with recruiting so he could tell recruits he had a longterm deal in place.
If it is like the Holmoe extension, it isn't the end of the world.
But if I know Jim Knowlton, it will be like the Dykes, Wilcox and Tedford extensions.
So it seems like this is the worst extension since Wilcox, which was the worst extension since Dykes, which was the worst extension since Tedford.
But it all depends on the terms. I remember Holmoe was given an extension the year before we fired him. But the terms meant we didn't really owe him that much more. The extension was just to help with recruiting so he could tell recruits he had a longterm deal in place.
If it is like the Holmoe extension, it isn't the end of the world.
But if I know Jim Knowlton, it will be like the Dykes, Wilcox and Tedford extensions.
LessMilesMoreTedford
10:15p, 4/7/24
Smith's original contract I believe was around half a million a year, maybe she gets slight raises but her buyout will not be that bad if she tanks again. This is not at all equivalent to Fox or Wilcox, where we end up in traps for years.