Are Jackrabbits fans spoiled?

They are treated to national championship football teams and every-other-year NCAA Tournament berths for men's basketball.

Yet, there's still frustration among some about the football and basketball coaches leaving after 2-6 years.

How do we make sense of it, and of Eric Henderson leaving for Drake, a job that seems "barely" a notch above the SDSU job (and in some areas, like arena and fan support, maybe a notch below)?

There's real "life-changing money" to all this... and how much does that matter?

Was Bryan Petersen the right hire? How much does his junior college head coaching experience matter?

And what kind of a choice would "Coach Klink," the 19-year assistant, have been?

John Gaskins and Matt Zimmer sort at all that, then squabble about the importance of a mid-major presence in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

None of this was a surprise. All of it feels like a grand slam — for Drake and for South Dakota State.

Both Porsches of their mid-major basketball leagues have the best possible drivers to keep things running fast and smooth and away from crashes.

In a 24-hour span, South Dakota State lost men's basketball coach Eric Henderson to Drake and replaced him with his assistant of six years, Bryan Peterson.

John Gaskins not only explains why both hires made sense, but brings you refreshingly candid insight from Drake athletic director Eric Henderson and a few clips from Petersen's interview with 15-year Voice of the Jackrabbits Tyler Merriam.

Then, John chats with Merriam, finding answers to these questions:

What will those within the SDSU athletic department miss most about "Hendo?"

Merriam has plenty of behind-the-ropes insight into how the men's basketball program thrived before and during Hendo's six years at the helm and offers unique perspective on new head coach Petersen, who was at SDSU the whole time.

What is Petersen's strength, his personality, and what will he bring to the table that Jacks fans expect to be similar or different?

Merriam also weighs in on Aaron Johnston's longevity at SDSU and why the wildly successful women's hoops coach has stayed in Brookings for 25 years despite a resume that suggest he could be somewhere else, and on the mid-majors' lot in life — or what it appears to be its lot — in the NIL and transfer portal era.

What will those within the SDSU athletic department miss most about Eric Henderson, and why was Associate Athletics Director Tyler Merriam not particularly suprised Hendo moved on to Drake?

Merriam has been the radio Voice of the Jackrabbits for 15 years and has plenty of behind-the-ropes insight into how the men's basketball program before and during Hendo's six years at the helm and offers unique perspective on new head coach Bryan Peterson, who was at SDSU the whole time.

What is Peterson's strength, his personality, and what will he bring to the table that Jacks fans expect to be similar or different?

Merriam also weighs in on Aaron Johnston's longevity at SDSU and why the wildly successful women's hoops coach has stayed in Brookings for 25 years despite a resume that suggest he could be somewhere else, and on the mid-majors' lot in life — or what it appears to be its lot — in the NIL and transfer portal era.