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Posted
4 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Pierce had cleaned out his office two weeks before we hired Schloss, and his firing was announced when Kurt Bohls leaked it the day before.   

I thought that was driven by Pierce as he was pissed and wanted to throw Bowels a bone

Posted
2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

They likely misspoke and meant when his firing was announced. 

Calm down, professor. 

Sorry, but I have this old-fashioned expectation of people in the media being able to report things accurately.  My bad...

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Posted
1 minute ago, Beau Vine said:

Sorry, but I have this old-fashioned expectation of people in the media being able to report things accurately.  My bad...

That's like having the expectation that the tap water is safe for your family to drink, or that real sugar be used in food products and not corn poison. 

Great ideas, should be the case, but just doesn't happen in this country. 

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Posted (edited)
On 3/21/2021 at 7:07 PM, Machinator said:
On 3/21/2021 at 7:05 PM, LTtxfan said:

Anyone with "The Athletic" subscription maybe add this Nov 2020 article to help with this discussion...

https://theathletic.com/2167333/2020/11/20/college-basketball-best-assistant-coaches/

25 college basketball assistant coaches ready to lead their own programs

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People work their entire lives to earn entrance to the club. Max occupancy is roughly 350 individuals. And, in any given year, the doormen pull back the ropes only a few times to grant access to one of the anxious and aspirational people in line.

That’s what it’s like to aim at a college basketball head coaching job.

So it’s helpful to be one of the people closest to the front of the line. Presenting The Athletic’s 25 Next Head Coaches for men’s hoops in 2020-21, in which we highlight those who are poised and ready to slide over to the big chair.

We focused on coaches who have not run their own program previously; it’s nothing against assistants who have been head coaches, and in fact that previous experience may make them attractive hires. But they’ve already been in the club. These are individuals on the cusp of that career-altering breakthrough. It’s a subjective exercise, yes, but not one without guidelines of precedent. Maybe it’s a top aide at a high-profile program that wins a bunch or will be in contention this year, setting the staff up for a leap. Maybe someone is next in line when a successful mid-major coach moves to a power league gig. Or maybe it’s just a coach who is well-respected, period, and has paid the dues and has the right connections.

In alphabetical order, these are the coaches primed to run a men’s program near you sooner than later

Adrian Autry, Syracuse associate head coach. If it weren’t for the sticking point of not knowing precisely what Jim Boeheim is going to do after he’s done coaching his son, you’d figure Autry to be intent on a coaching carousel ride to elsewhere and soon. He’s 48, he can recruit, he has been the Orange’s associate head coach since 2016-17 and he has publicly and repeatedly stated his aspirations to be a head coach. The combination suggests a guy right in that sweet spot for breaking out and running his own operation. The last guy to be coach-in-waiting at Syracuse, Mike Hopkins, left in part because he didn’t want to wait anymore. How much longer does Autry give it?

Grant Billmeier, Seton Hall assistant coach. While we completely respect people deciding to spend their lives in New Jersey, it makes Billmeier a bit of a singular prospect as a head coach. He has basically been in the Garden State since birth. His only two college stops have been Seton Hall, then Fairleigh Dickinson, then back to Seton Hall. But he has grown into the gig and is held in high enough esteem to be more than just a regional candidate. Moreover, there’s this: Kevin Willard is going into his 11th season at Seton Hall. He’s still only 45. Maybe he never leaves. But if he does? And soon? Could one of Seton Hall’s own replace him?


Rashon Burno, Arizona State associate head coach. This could be one of the more high-profile programs in the country this year, given the propulsive talents of Remy Martin and Joshua Christopher, and that ought to put Burno on the radar for jobs from coast to coast. He grew up on the East Coast, played at DePaul, coached at spots such as Towson State and Florida and has had his hands on all aspects of the Sun Devils’ operation for five years. Burno can sell his ability to build connections pretty much anywhere. The on-floor results with Arizona State could speak for themselves.

Kyle Cieplicki, Vermont associate head coach. Should John Becker want to take his shot at a major-conference gig, there’s a common-sense replacement sitting next to him on the bench. Cieplicki was the first three-year captain in the history of the program and 2020-21 will be his 10th season serving as a coach. Vermont’s extended stretch of success — 200-plus wins in the last nine years, four straight America East regular-season titles — suggests Cieplicki is poised to run his own show elsewhere, of course. But nowhere is he a better fit than in Burlington.

Adam Cohen, Stanford assistant coach. It’s notable when five-star prospects land anywhere, and it’s especially notable when five-star prospects land at Stanford, and it’s especially especially notable when that is set to happen in back-to-back classes. Even before Ziaire Williams arrived this season and Harrison Ingram made his pledge for 2021-22, Cohen was considered an up-and-comer on the head coach path. Now some marquee talent is matriculating through Palo Alto, with Cohen having a hand in recruiting said talent. If the wins follow, it’s only a matter of time before someone woos Cohen away.

Andre Gray, UNC-Greensboro associate head coach. As much as the Spartans’ faithful might not concede it, at some point someone is going to make an offer Wes Miller can’t refuse. And how do you best take care of the program then, assuming the streak of seasons with at least 23 wins is stretched to five this year and until Miller departs? Well, you might turn to the guy next to the head coach who helped build and maintain the culture that led to all that success. Gray is steeped in experience working in North Carolina too, so the transition would be all sorts of seamless.

DeAndre Haynes, Maryland assistant coach. It would be a relatively quick climb for Haynes, whose college coaching journey began in 2012. But he has that point guard sensibility, he emphasizes creating bonds beyond basketball with players and he has sat beside both John Beilein and Mark Turgeon — all of which suggests Haynes has the disposition to be a CEO-type leader of a program. And he has helped to maximize what the likes of Zavier Simpson and Anthony Cowan offer on the floor. If you can recruit and coach up guards, and you can get everyone to love you enough that they’ll do whatever you ask, that’s a pretty solid mix for a modern college hoops head coach.

Kevin Hovde, San Francisco associate head coach. In a short time, the ascension of the Dons and their analytics-in-overdrive approach could create some heavy traffic on the springboard. Staying in or near the top tier of the West Coast Conference will be a must. But Kyle Smith bounced to Washington State after three years and the Cougars experienced a five-win bump last season. Todd Golden was the in-house replacement and won 22 games in his first year; continue that and the offers will follow. Which puts Hovde, who was elevated to associate head coach in 2019 and runs the Dons’ offense, in the on-deck spot.

Stan Jones, Florida State associate head coach. So here’s the thing: Jones is already in the Hall of Fame for basketball assistants and is going on nearly two decades with the Seminoles. The program has won 104 games over the past four seasons and should be in contention again in 2020-21. Arguing that Jones is “ready” to be a college head coach is like arguing that water is wet. Under these circumstances, it’s impossible to omit him. What’s less self-evident is how much Jones is angling to take a shot at running his own program as he enters his 60s, or if he’s content to remain a more behind-scenes presence in Tallahassee.


Joel Justus, Kentucky assistant coach. There’s a reason talent keeps flowing into Lexington, and Justus has been a massive reason why after moving into a full-time assistant role four seasons hence. Consider some of the names he has been the lead guy on landing recently: Bam Adebayo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ashton Hagans, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Boston Jr. and, most recently, Skyy Clark for 2022. It’s about as good a situation as you could imagine for an aspiring head coach; Kentucky is never going to be not good, and Justus is only 38. He’ll enjoy both the visibility afforded by his employer and the time to be patient in evaluating the opportunities that come his way.

Matt Kingsley, Yale associate head coach. So the Ivy League cancelling winter sports isn’t ideal. But here’s a fun fact: Yale has won at least 19 games in six of the last nine years, making two NCAA Tournament appearances since 2016 — and it was 11-3 in conference last year, so the Bulldogs had a good shot at making it three Big Dance invites. Another fun fact: James Jones has been the coach there since 1999. If Jones decides to take a shot at a bigger gig, the easy call is to replace him with the right-hand man for the past 15 years. If Jones is a New Haven lifer, well, Kingsley’s ubiquitous impact on Yale’s ascension seemingly should position him for a top job elsewhere.

Erik Martin, West Virginia assistant coach. Former Bob Huggins aides who serve as Division I head coaches are Mick Cronin, Andy Kennedy, Frank Martin and Brad Underwood. It is not an insignificant list of coaches with underwhelming results. Wouldn’t it make some sense, then, to look at a guy who has been at Huggins’ side for 14 years? He has been integral in developing the Mountaineers’ big men and probably is right at the career inflection point where running his own show makes sense, assuming West Virginia is as good as everyone thinks it will be this season.

Brian Michaelson, Gonzaga assistant coach. Someone has to replace Mark Few whenever the Zags coach decides it’s time to hit the beach and stay there. Currently that someone is scheduled to be Tommy Lloyd, the official coach-in-waiting. Since the job isn’t meant to be a timeshare, this suggests Michaelson will have to seek opportunities elsewhere to run his own show. He has been credited with leading recruiting efforts of some of Gonzaga’s most notable transfer additions in recent years, and he has played a large part in the ongoing development of NBA-player-to-be Joel Ayayi. Michaelson played at Gonzaga and hasn’t worked anywhere else in college basketball. That might have to change.

Troy Murray, Louisville assistant coach. The basketball acumen is well-respected among his peers, but let’s consider this: He’s the tip of the spear in Louisville’s recruiting efforts during a time when the program is dealing with an NCAA investigation. And between the Classes of 2019 and 2020, the Cardinals have signed seven four- and five-star prospects. If Murray can help Carlik Jones translate his production from the Big South to the ACC as a grad transfer, it’ll be yet another check-plus in the player development column. Basically, Murray will be a head coach soon, or everyone is wrong about him.

Kyle Neptune, Villanova assistant coach. When you’re part of one of the most enviable cultures in college basketball, the phone will ring. And there’s no sense in playing the Who Follows Jay Wright parlor game right now, because it won’t be a thing for a while. So Neptune is bound to be on the move in the near future. He’s the longest-tenured Wildcats assistant, going into Year 8, and any job that opens especially on the East Coast should have him on the list of contenders.

Kenny Payne, New York Knicks assistant coach. A more vexing situation than it was a few months ago. As Kentucky’s big man whisperer, it seemed only a matter of time and opportunity before Payne became a college head coach. Then he left Lexington to make a reported $1.5 million a year in the pros. Is time spent learning the Tao of Thibodeau one last line on the résumé, putting Payne over the top for a college opening? Or will he want to work at the next level for the foreseeable future? One would imagine new DePaul athletic director/former Kentucky staffer Dwayne Peevy would put a call in, if a regime change is in order there.

Kellen Sampson, Houston assistant coach. It’ll happen, and it’s as much a question of where as when. Does Sampson simply wait until his father, Kelvin, moves on or would he be better served to pick up big-chair experience before that, and potentially double back when the time comes? It’s worth noting that the younger Sampson has been doing this for a decade and has been at Stephen F. Austin and Appalachian State along the way, so it’s not like he slid into the mix at Houston without seeing any other parts of the college basketball world. We’ll see what paths present themselves, and which one Sampson chooses.

Darren Savino, UCLA associate head coach. Back in January 2019, following the first ejection of Mick Cronin’s coaching career, Savino assumed head coach responsibilities for the remainder of what would be a win over South Florida. After that, Cronin said this of his longtime aide, per the recounting of The Athletic’s Justin Williams: “He should have been a head coach a long time ago.” At any rate, it’s a year and a half later and Savino is in Westwood and entering his 11th season on Cronin’s staff. It’s probably as simple as the system working at UCLA. If the Bruins are contenders, there won’t be any concerns about the philosophy translating when Savino implements it elsewhere.


Jon Scheyer, Duke associate head coach. It might be immutable law that Scheyer appears on lists such as these, but how could you leave him off? He has been a Coach K apprentice since 2014. His role as a public face and voice for the program has grown in recent years, and that probably is not a coincidence. Scheyer most likely will be a bit selective about fit, but this is not a guy intending to wait and see what happens when his boss retires. If the opportunity is right — one can easily imagine Scheyer going back to his Midwest roots, for example — he’ll grab it sooner than later.

Michael Schwartz, Tennessee associate head coach. The 44-year-old should be right on the cusp, given the breadth of his experience — jobs from California to Texas to Florida and now Knoxville — and another percussive season from the Volunteers might put him over the top. He runs the defense and while there was a slight dip last season, Tennessee was stingy at a pretty high level during the 31-win campaign in 2018-19. If he’s not quite a household name as an assistant, Schwartz has made contributions that haven’t gone unnoticed within the SEC. Again, one more season with a lot of time spent in the top 25 might cinch Schwartz’s candidacy elsewhere.

Micah Shrewsberry, Purdue associate head coach. A bit of a dip last year for the Boilermakers after a tremendous four-year run, but we wouldn’t yet nudge Shrewsberry off this list for a couple of reasons. Matt Painter doesn’t appear poised to go anywhere anytime soon, and possibly ever, and he remains one of the country’s most underrated coaches. So Shrewsberry is still a key part of a program with a solid and respected backbone. And he didn’t do an apprenticeship with Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics to be a career college assistant. Any good year from Purdue could easily bring about opportunities elsewhere.

Dwayne Stephens, Michigan State associate head coach. It’d be folly not to include Stephens, who is entering his 16th season on the bench with Tom Izzo. The question, really, is what Stephens determines to be the right situation for him. He has turned down jobs before — he reportedly had conversations with Western Michigan last offseason — but presumably isn’t stubbornly refusing to leave East Lansing if the right offer came along. Is Stephens waiting out Izzo and hoping to win the arm-wrestling match with Dane Fife (who will be a head coach but previously has been a head coach and therefore doesn’t qualify for this list) for that spot? Or will he hit it off with the administrators at a school TBD and go on his own?

Jerome Tang, Baylor associate head coach. So this is arguably the most interesting name we’re discussing. Tang has been at Baylor since 2003. He has never coached at a college other than Baylor. And Baylor very well might make the Final Four or even win the national championship this season. You can’t create a greater stress test for a person’s comfort with and loyalty to a place than what Tang might encounter if the Bears perform like they’re expected to perform. If something enticing crosses your radar after a transcendent season, and you’ve spent nearly two decades in one spot, how do you not jump at it? And if Tang stays put in that scenario, will he ever jump?

David Velasquez, San Diego State assistant coach. This could be a test case for how strict the unofficial Mid-Major Assistant Advancement Plan is in college hoops. Generally, a coach such as Velasquez might have to do a stint on a power-conference staff before sliding into a head coach role, or simply just move over a chair when his boss leaves. But Brian Dutcher is still only 61 and is in his fourth season as Aztecs head coach after waiting almost 20 years for the chance. San Diego State, meanwhile, is lately not your typical mid-major program, with 178 wins in the seven seasons Velasquez has been a full-time assistant. He’s credited with helping craft a defense that finished 10th in adjusted efficiency last season, per KenPom.com. Is all that enough to create an off-ramp on the Advancement Plan?

Jason Williford, Virginia associate head coach. Surely it speaks to the generally enjoyable environment in Charlottesville that Williford somehow isn’t a head coach already. This will be his 12th year with Tony Bennett, living and breathing the culture and schemes that created an ACC and national powerhouse. If you’d like to try to replicate that blueprint, it seems wise to place a call to a guy who helps maintain it every day. Williford’s background definitely is East Coast-heavy — Boston University and American were his stops before he returned to coach at his alma mater — so his wheelhouse might be a little smaller. But something is bound to catch his eye.

Holy shit, what a bomb this article was.  

Tang had his moment in the sun his first year, but KSU is already sick of him.   Stephens has struggled at WMU.  Shrewsberry has been a disaster at Notre Dame.  Schwartz hasn't done anything notable at ECU.  Bruno is about to get fired at NIU.  Kenny Payne was THE WORST and already fired.  Neptune also already hired and fired.   Martin is doing OK at SC state.  Autry is 34-31 at Cuse. 

The rest of the guys are Jon Scheyer and a bunch of dudes who are still assistants.  

Edited by Beau Vine
Posted
4 hours ago, Park Gothic said:

Look, I'm just proud anytime Gerry posts media without accidentally posting a link to milf porn.

Even if the milf porn is of respectable quality. 

Haha damn I missed when he did this

Posted
15 minutes ago, Derka said:

the more i watch csu the more i like niko medved. 

 

 

 

 

 

what has rodney terry done to me???

Watching CSU's crisp sets and ball movement, it's like are we the only team that doesnt run an offense?

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Posted (edited)
23 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Tommy Lloyd seems like a fit. He’s 50, coached under Few at Gonzaga and has done well at Arizona so far. His pay is affordable, etc. 

he’s been the most obvious fit for at least a year now, or however long it’s been that pretty much everyone realized that this would be RT’s last year. lloyd is simply a perfect fit for this city, this fan base, and this world class arena. i will be elated if he’s the guy. 

Edited by Derka
  • Hook 'Em 7
Posted
12 minutes ago, Derka said:

he’s been the most obvious fit for at least a year now, or however long it’s been that pretty much everyone realized that this would be RT’s last year. lloyd is simply a perfect fit for this city, this fan base, and this world class arena. i will be elated if he’s the guy. 

All objectively true, but man does he have a punchable face.

image.webp.55327f6037fcf4c11bfab1695c9aac2c.webp

Posted

Reading through that OTF thread and thought it was interesting that Gerry said 1) he would be happy with either Sean Miller or Tommy Lloyd as the hire and 2) he thinks Sean Miller is a much better basketball coach than Will Wade.

Posted
20 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

All objectively true, but man does he have a punchable face.

image.webp.55327f6037fcf4c11bfab1695c9aac2c.webp

he kinda looks like a family guy character lol.

  • Like 1
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Posted
1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:

Tommy Lloyd seems like a fit. He’s 50, coached under Few at Gonzaga and has done well at Arizona so far. His pay is affordable, etc. 

Like his resume better than Sean Miller.

Posted
40 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

Yes, of course, Ole Miss is gonna handle Carolina easily in Round 1. 

FML 😖

Shocking that a team who didn't deserve to make the tournament and lost pretty much every game this year against teams with a pulse is getting whacked

Posted
2 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Shocking that a team who didn't deserve to make the tournament and lost pretty much every game this year against teams with a pulse is getting whacked

Snl GIF by Saturday Night Live

Posted (edited)

Would Lloyd, Sark, and Schloss give us the best trio of coaches in the major sports? I can't think of a school that even comes close. 

The only school that comes to mind is Oregon with Lanning, Altman, and Wasikowski. 

 

Edited by Rickylovesweed
Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Would Lloyd, Sark, and Schloss give us the best trio of coaches in the major sports? I can't think of a school that even comes close. 

The only school that comes to mind is Oregon with Lanning, Altman, and Wasikowski. 

 

I like Bamas trio alot, step below us though if Lloyd happens

Edited by Hank_Hill
Posted
2 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Would Lloyd, Sark, and Schloss give us the best trio of coaches in the major sports? I can't think of a school that even comes close. 

The only school that comes to mind is Oregon with Lanning, Altman, and Wasikowski. 

 

Oregon, Tennessee, Alabama

Posted
1 minute ago, Machinator said:

Oregon, Tennessee, Alabama

Assuming Lloyd is the hire our major sports (both men's and women's sports) are in a good spot. I can't think of a time when we had an elite coach in every sport. 

Men's basketball: Lloyd

Football: Sark

Baseball: Schloss

Women's basketball: Schaefer 

Volleyball: Elliott

Softball: White

 

  • Hook 'Em 6
Posted
Just now, Machinator said:

I wouldn't assume Lloyd is the hire but I'm willing to take it on faith that whoever the replacement is will be at least solid.

I think Lloyd is somebody you can get if you're willing to pay the buyout. 

There's apparently a lot of turmoil at Arizona with their new AD. Lost Fisch to Washington, we just recently stole their women's golf coach, etc. The new AD apparently took over a major financial mess and had to make major cuts. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

Assuming Lloyd is the hire our major sports (both men's and women's sports) are in a good spot. I can't think of a time when we had an elite coach in every sport. 

Men's basketball: Lloyd

Football: Sark

Baseball: Schloss

Women's basketball: Schaefer 

Volleyball: Elliott

Softball: White

 

Among other things this reminds of back when the scissor sisters who ran women's athletics just knew that men shouldn't get the opportunity to coach women

  • Rage+1 2
Posted
6 hours ago, Hookem10 said:

It’s a gif of Tommy boy - is there a coach with the name of Tommy…..

He's spray-tanned, ready, and rested.

 

th (16).jpeg

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