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Basketball Coaching Carousel

IdaGriz01

Well-known member
Thought I’d “generalize” this topic, rather than leave it tied to the Cal-Berkeley job.

We’ve heard about Wazzou, UCLA, and Cal … and could add Nebraska and now UNLV to the list. That would be pretty impressive. But, it turns out, the list is way longer than that:
https://www.coachesdatabase.com/basketball-coaching-carousel-2019/

I had lost track of the fact that Idaho State also fired its coach (along with MSU, as has been mentioned). We also heard that the Georgia State coach had been lured away to Tulane. (Good or bad? Who knows?) I had also heard that the BYU coach was retiring, as well as some of the other firings mentioned in the list. But the site covers way more than that. Example: Who knew that Cal Poly was looking for a BBall coach?

Some things we have heard: USF coach Kyle Smith could be going to Wazzou. And word is that the South Dakota State coach may move to UNLV.

Not saying any of this matters as far as TDC goes. But with two jobs open in the Big Sky, it will be interesting to see how those get filled ... and that does impact UM basketball.
 
Griz1 said:
WSU just named Kyle Smith as their new head coach.

Big break for us. TDC is going to be at the top of the list for Cal so we'll still have to sweat that out but at least one of the Pac 12 jobs is off the board.
 
There’s an amazing array of names being mentioned as potential candidates for the UCLA job (another Pac-12 spot). Several of them are big name coaches of other big name programs (even Calipari, for crying out loud!) … in keeping with the UCLA perception that they are still an elite “special” situation. Below that tier, one name being bandied about is the Wichita State coach, Gregg Marshall. He has apparently shown some interest before and may be looking for a better place to recruit to than Wichita, Kansas.

Relevant point: TDC does not have the high profile rep that UCLA is most likely looking for. Plus, his connections to Cal probably count against him at UCLA.
 
IdaGriz01 said:
There’s an amazing array of names being mentioned as potential candidates for the UCLA job (another Pac-12 spot). Several of them are big name coaches of other big name programs (even Calipari, for crying out loud!) … in keeping with the UCLA perception that they are still an elite “special” situation. Below that tier, one name being bandied about is the Wichita State coach, Gregg Marshall. He has apparently shown some interest before and may be looking for a better place to recruit to than Wichita, Kansas.

Relevant point: TDC does not have the high profile rep that UCLA is most likely looking for. Plus, his connections to Cal probably count against him at UCLA.

I'm not worried about TDC to UCLA. UCLA will be hunting for a big name, as always, and TDC is not even close to that on the national level. Marshall would be very interesting there, he's a great coach but possibly another awkward fit, ala Steve Alford.
 
IdaGriz01 said:
Thought I’d “generalize” this topic, rather than leave it tied to the Cal-Berkeley job.

We’ve heard about Wazzou, UCLA, and Cal … and could add Nebraska and now UNLV to the list. That would be pretty impressive. But, it turns out, the list is way longer than that:
https://www.coachesdatabase.com/basketball-coaching-carousel-2019/

I had lost track of the fact that Idaho State also fired its coach (along with MSU, as has been mentioned). We also heard that the Georgia State coach had been lured away to Tulane. (Good or bad? Who knows?) I had also heard that the BYU coach was retiring, as well as some of the other firings mentioned in the list. But the site covers way more than that. Example: Who knew that Cal Poly was looking for a BBall coach?

Some things we have heard: USF coach Kyle Smith could be going to Wazzou. And word is that the South Dakota State coach may move to UNLV.

Not saying any of this matters as far as TDC goes. But with two jobs open in the Big Sky, it will be interesting to see how those get filled ... and that does impact UM basketball.

Still think Travis is bound for Cal!
 
Didn’t UCLA hire Ben Howland from NAU...not a “big name” coach but from the Big Sky. Someone who did well for a bit but didn’t last. That’s a high-pressure job.
 
grizbro said:
Didn’t UCLA hire Ben Howland from NAU...not a “big name” coach but from the Big Sky. Someone who did well for a bit but didn’t last. That’s a high-pressure job.

Howland went to three straight Final Fours, won the Pac 10 outright four times and went to eight NCAA tournaments in 10 seasons. Did well for a bit ;)
 
[media]https://twitter.com/TheoLawson_SR/status/1111008993856487424[/media]

This is a surprise and sums up why Wazzu is in the cellar. Unless they reached out and he said don't waste your time.
 
grizbro said:
Didn’t UCLA hire Ben Howland from NAU...not a “big name” coach but from the Big Sky. Someone who did well for a bit but didn’t last. That’s a high-pressure job.

They hired Howland from Pitt. He had made the Sweet 16 and won the Big East his last two years there before going to UCLA.
 
The jump from the Big Sky to the PAC 12 is a BIG jump. Tinks did it after eight years and three NCAA tournament appearances, but went to Oregon State. Krystko had arguably two of the best back to back years in Grizzly history. He took three years as a coach in the NBA to land the Utah job, which at the time was a new member of the Pac12 coming over from the MWC.

I love what TDC has done here, he’s absolutely a rising star. I still say that the BSC to the PAC 12 is a big jump. Outside of Montana, Travis is relatively unknown. Even the basement dwellers of the PAC 12 expect a coach with some cache. Despite what he has accomplished here, he doesn’t have the splashy resume that I think pac 12 programs are looking for.

Cal is the only viable pac 12 option that I see for him, but that’s a job that requires an entire culture overhaul with no guarantee for success. I don’t see him making that move. I just don’t see the move to the PAC 12 as a likely scenario at this point. I’d be more concerned about a WCC or MWC opening, or an east coast equivalent being enough to pull him away. Honestly, with his ties to the Bay Area and SoCal, I could see USF as the better of the Bay Area openings right now. He could probably double his salary with a chance to compete against Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in a higher profile conference.

That being said, I just don’t see that many compelling opportunities this year. I think we’ll see Travis around for one more, and with all the pieces he has coming back next year, I’m really excited for another year of Griz Basketball!

Go Griz!
 
DPGriz said:
grizbro said:
Didn’t UCLA hire Ben Howland from NAU...not a “big name” coach but from the Big Sky. Someone who did well for a bit but didn’t last. That’s a high-pressure job.
They hired Howland from Pitt. He had made the Sweet 16 and won the Big East his last two years there before going to UCLA.
Beat me to it: Howland did not go directly from the Big Sky ... he needed to show some success at the power conference level to be considered at UCLA.

Other addendum: Alabama has hired away the Buffalo coach, Nate Oates. Can't blame him. Again, a coach is moving from a one-bid conference where you have to run the table to insure a bid, to a conference where you can finish sixth and still get a bid.
 
Another Big Sky Coach in the Pac 12 is Tad Boyle from Northern Colorado who is at Colorado now. I believe that the Pac 10 became the Pac 12 in 2011 not 2010 when he left Northern Colorado. I would think that Colorado would have known they were going to enter the Pac 12 at the time of his hiring though.
 
flatheadgriz406 said:
[media]https://twitter.com/TheoLawson_SR/status/1111008993856487424[/media]

This is a surprise and sums up why Wazzu is in the cellar. Unless they reached out and he said don't waste your time.

Not sure I follow.
 
I’ll mention this here as well, the Kyle Smith hire is a good one. He would have been on my list of candidates for the Cal job as well.

There is a lot of vocal support for the Cal job for Turner. Not sure if that is equatable within the search committee, but if Kidd were to say no, I think Turner would get a long look. The understanding I have is that Kidd’s interest in the Lakers may not be as reciprocal as many might assume. The Lakers are such a dumpster fire right now, if I am Kidd and Cal comes calling with a nice offer I might take it.

A LOT of support for Cal making the Kidd hire. A LOT. One conversation was centered around how with the right coach hire, Cal could go from the outhouse to the Penthouse quickly considering how putrid the PAC-12 has been.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
I’ll mention this here as well, the Kyle Smith hire is a good one. He would have been on my list of candidates for the Cal job as well.

There is a lot of vocal support for the Cal job for Turner. Not sure if that is equatable within the search committee, but if Kidd were to say no, I think Turner would get a long look. The understanding I have is that Kidd’s interest in the Lakers may not be as reciprocal as many might assume. The Lakers are such a dumpster fire right now, if I am Kidd and Cal comes calling with a nice offer I might take it.

A LOT of support for Cal making the Kidd hire. A LOT. One conversation was centered around how with the right coach hire, Cal could go from the outhouse to the Penthouse quickly considering how putrid the PAC-12 has been.

Kidd does not have a degree.
 
The conversation I heard the other day, that might not necessarily be a deal breaker. Obviously it is a stated requirement, but I was told that if he can show that he can make progress toward said degree that it wouldn’t necessarily preclude him from being head coach.

There is such consternation among boosters, in the same way that got Kelly hired, that I think anyone and everyone is on the list of potential candidates. Only Cal with their intellectual stuffiness would knowingly limit a coach with connections to the University, has credibility beyond it, because he doesn’t have a degree.

This is honestly why, when you read their message boards, that people have no confidence in the AD to get things right.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
The conversation I heard the other day, that might not necessarily be a deal breaker. Obviously it is a stated requirement, but I was told that if he can show that he can make progress toward said degree that it wouldn’t necessarily preclude him from being head coach.

There is such consternation among boosters, in the same way that got Kelly hired, that I think anyone and everyone is on the list of potential candidates. Only Cal with their intellectual stuffiness would knowingly limit a coach with connections to the University, has credibility beyond it, because he doesn’t have a degree.

This is honestly why, when you read their message boards, that people have no confidence in the AD to get things right.

Well, UM would never have hired Tinkle as HC until he finally got his degree. Larry really pushed Wayne to finish up his school when Wayne was his assistant.
 
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