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It shouldn't take long to determine how well Larry Krystkowiak's first sales pitch as Utah's men's basketball coach went over Monday at the Huntsman Center.
Krystkowiak, who was formally introduced as Utah's 15th men's basketball coach at a news conference, spoke of returning Utah's basketball pride, winning back fans and finding players willing to "get bloody noses and floor burns."
His remarks all sounded good, but the success of the sales pitch could be judged by how many key players remain with the Utes.
Leading scorers Josh Watkins, Will Clyburn and J.J. O'Brien all said they are undecided whether they will transfer.
"I don't know where the best spot is for me," said Clyburn, who averaged 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. "It comes down to winning. I love this team and I know we had some ups and downs, but in the end I know I have a future playing basketball and it comes down to winning and me developing as a person."
Centers Jason Washburn and David Foster said they have no plans to transfer.
"I think it's going to be great," Foster said. "I'm excited to get to know who he is and I've heard great things about him. He has a lot of credibility. The big thing is, he's a big guy, you can't complain about that."
If Krystkowiak can't persuade at least some of the other talent to stay, his rebuilding process will be even more difficult than the one he already faces.
Hired away from the New Jersey Nets, where he was an assistant for the past year, Krystkowiak acknowledged that the challenges ahead of him are immense. The Utes have suffered two losing seasons, haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2005 and have seen interest and attendance dwindle under previous coaches Ray Giacoletti and Jim Boylen.
"There is nothing we don't need to do at this point," Krystkowiak said. "I need to meet the players, find a staff. There are no little things or minute details because all the little things are big things. We've got to get going and spread the word around here a bit."
Utah athletic director Chris Hill said he hired Krystkowiak believing the 46-year-old could return Utah to the success it enjoyed in the 1990s under Rick Majerus.
"We have many banners hanging in that arena and we want to add to those things," he said.
While there might be some skepticism among fans that Krystkowiak, who signed a five-year deal worth $950,000 a year, is the guy who can make Utah basketball mean something again, Krystkowiak at least has experience in rebuilding a program.
The Montana native starred for Montana as a player. Hired to coach his alma mater in 2004, he took a program that went 39-50 from 2001-04 to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a 42-20 record from 2004-06.
"I understand what the goal is," he said. "It's going to take a lot of work to get the pride back at the University of Utah and it's not an easy thing to do. There are no little things, but a lot of big things. I make the comparison to raising a family; sometimes you have to give some tough love."
Krystkowiak said he got away from that tough love when he became the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2006-07 season. He lasted just one season before he was fired. However, that experience will serve him well now, he said.
"The lesson I learned from Milwaukee is that I veered away from what I knew was right," he said. "If anybody tells you pro players should be treated differently than college players, they are crazy. I changed the way I coached."
This time, instead of loosening up, he plans to tighten down on the Utes. Whether he can sell that philosophy to the current players or not could determine how much rebuilding he has to do.
"It was frustrating being in the NBA because you have so many games, you don't have time to practice," he said. "If something is broken, you can't fix it. I'm looking forward to getting into an environment where you can get things rolling and fix what is broken."
The Larry Krystkowiak file
College, D-League coaching career • Larry Krystkowiak started his coaching career as an assistant at Montana in 1998. He moved to Old Dominion for the 2001-02 season before coaching the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League to a 38-14 record in 2003-04.
NBA coaching career • Krystkowiak moved to the NBA and spent one season as an assistant coach in Milwaukee before becoming the Bucks' head coach in 2007-08. He was fired in Milwaukee after only one season but surfaced again this year as an assistant in New Jersey.
Personal • Krystkowiak is 46. He is married with five children.