None of this gets BYU out of the first round. Until then, there will be nothing to talk about other than wins over smaller schools and a meaningless home winning streak over much lesser opponents. Get to the dance and DO something. Then we can talk about other things.

... like, say Utah? And MWC Conference Championships. And at least getting to the dance.

Not the best of seasons, but still enough to make our friends up north green with envy.

Rice is a great coach and I'm glad to see BYU doing what they can to keep him at BYU.

Four o'clock in the morning and he's so bored working the graveyard shift that he's trash talking on an article about a BYU coach getting a promotion. Kinda pathetic, really.

if the utes would step up their program all those wins wouldnt be against lesser opponents.

All this useless trash talk is over. Knock it off. We've heard it all before. Let's talk about this man, not what we've heard over and over.

No one can complain about having the same duties, but a better title and better salary.

Maintaining a strong staff is part of progressing to that first round victory. Very ignorant for some to suggest that only victories in the tournament would be newsworthy. There are great stories relating to student athletes and their coaches regardless of wins. "First Round" might want to assess his/her own priorities before offering ideas for others.

Congratulations to Rice. Cougar basketball has improved even though the NCAA record is discouraging. I know Rose, Rice and team will work hard to improve. Things can change. The Denver Broncos lost 4 Super Bowls before winning one with Elway. Hopefully this will be the season the jinx will end.

I guess the previous poster must be talking about the Utes when describing BYU's wins over "much lesser opponents" since they are prominent members of the list of Marriott Center victims.

Utah has won 16 NCAA games since byu has won an NCAA game.
SIXTEEN!!!

Kinda pathetic BYU CAN'T WIN WHEN THEY NEED TO. WAKE ME UP WHEN BYU GETS OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Little early for a "Hier Apparent" endoresement..... so why the big deal about a raise...Hmmmm?????

Ref: First Round
Let me clue you in on something........I know your still looking for your invitation to the Ball... and you are still under the impression that somehow it got lost.......but even if you should happen to come up with one, it's probably someone else's and Sorry Charlie...but March Madness is already over....Better luck Next Year.

Congrats coach Rice, good luck in the future. Hey "first round" this article has nothing to do with the BYU/Utah rivalry, show a little respect and say something positive about a good coach getting a better job. Unbelievable, if it were a U coach getting a promotion, I would be congratulating him, nothing wrong with good coaches getting better jobs and pay for their families. Grow up.

16 victories: How many of those NCAA wins came this last year? The year before that? In fact, how many have come since 1999? Has Utah won an NCAA game without Bogut since the 90s? Until your Utes begin acting like the 90s Utes, you probably shouldn't run your mouth.

Congrats to Dave Rice. Go cougars!

REF: 16 victories
Utey, every college basketball game in the NCAA is an NCAA game....so what!!!!!! You still never got invited again to the dance this year and a team down south, known more for football than basketball did this year....Eat your grapes in silence with your mouth closed.

SIXTEEN? Wow!!! Did you have to take off your shoes to count that high? I actually thought it was 17 with the win this year. Oh, that's right, that was the CBI. I'm sure Boylen will bring the Utes back to glory though. The only problem is that if he does then he leaves for a bigger program. If he doesn't then Utah is still mediocre. Either way the Utes lose.

The Round One is no longer coaching at the U.

How many MWC championships have the Utes won since he left?

Past vs. Past. Present vs. Present.

The associated article pertains to the present, and future, of BYU basketball.

It's nice to reminisce, but at some point, a few ahfans will have to face the dismal present with Boilin' instead of living in the brighter past.

I sense a little desperation within the ranks of the Utah faithful.

Suddenly conference championships, sweeping your rival, longest-in-the-nation home court winning streaks, and making it to the big dance are meaningless.

If you haven't experienced any of those things in a while, I guess they do become rather meaningless.

BYU basketball is content to be just a little frog. Until they do something to make a statement in the NCAA I am not impressed with their having an assistant coach. They just can't make the grade even with UNLV at the championship. If BYU were champions NCAA style, it would not matter where that final game was played. Do you really think they could have stood up the final sixteen even. As for Utah. Enough said. They were sad. When you have an hysterical coach what can you expect.

Congrats on the CBI (?) invite.

Could you please get an invite to the tourney someday to get some "street cred".

byu basketball has no "present" either. No past and no present.
They win a horribly weak MWC, who cares? Its all about tourney success.

This bashing stuff is getting old. Get over it. Grow up. Stop whining. Take your pick! They all fit!

BYU basketball needs to follow the lead of the football team and enter the Big Dance EXPECTING to advance rather than HOPING to advance.

They lost the game against Texas A&M in the first 5 minutes. Granted, they made a good run to get back into the game, but the effort it took to make that run sapped the energy they needed to pull off the win.

I have confidence that Coach Rose will guide BYU to that break-through win that they need to give them the confidence that they currently lack to win in the tournament.

One thing BYU was seriously lacking this year was a team leader who could take over a game and will the team to a victory -- like Danny Ainge used to do.

Lee has that potential. Trent could also be that player, if he returns.

Talk all the smack you want BYU fans. But your basketball program is a joke. Even Weber State and Utah Sate have more NCAA victories than BYU has in the past 14 years.

Let's see now how many teams from Utah were invited to the big dance this year? Oh yeah, only BYU was good enough. The other ugly step sisters were left home brooding.

BYU hasn't won a tournament game in over a decade....
FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

re: Facts 1:23
BYU lost, they clearly weren't "good enough", they made it by default when another more deserving team should have gone in their place.

Utah fans desperately clinging to past glories now that BOYlen has taken over a sinking ship.

Utah Fan: Thanks lucky stars the BCI?, ICM?, CIB? (something like that) was invented this year so their's still hope for an occassional post-season appearance.

lacks game , it's a quick exit every year...the grand illusion

Maybe he could teach them how to shoot free throws? Oops! I forgot. They are just kids.
Until BYU can get past the first round you will never be respected outside the Mountain West. Oh to bring back the Danny Ainge and company era!!!!

Rice is a good guy. Better when he was at UNLV. This won't help Rose, the worst coach in the league. He'll just have another assistant head to share the blame with when is 3 cousins 5th child starts next year along with his nephew and son in laws brother. Go Rebels, Utes, Lobos,... You all get the idea. Oh, Rice is the only person coaching at the Zoo who has a real ring from a real championship. It won't help. Sorry

Coach Rice is a great coach and it's nice to see his talent and dedication to the BYU basketball program being rewarded.

Coach Rice started his basketball career as a Red-Shirt freshman at Cal-Poly Pomona. If he is such a great recruiter, why is there a lack of players from California on the Y's team in the last 3 years?