Minnesota Head Basketball Coach Want List

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bizzle22 said:
Mark Few went to 3 Sweet Sixteens in his first 7 years as HC and finished 1st in the conference 6 of those years. Tell the bartender to call you a cab. Time to go home.
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Oh STFU I'm stone cold sober. FACT of the matter is 2 of those 3 sweet 16s you are referring to were in his first 2 seasons, with Monson's players. And winning that Conference is hardly a challenge, so that's hardly relevant.

And from 2001-02 to 2013-14, 13 seasons, Few only got Gonzago to 2 Sweet 16s.


So Monson got them to the Elite 8, and then it took Few 16 years to get them back there.
 

Question about Chris Jans, is his sexual incident that got him fired from I believe Bowling Green going to keep our AD from giving him a serious look?

This guy has won everywhere he has been, and has done so at a high level in the short amount of time he has coached D1. Any thoughts on him? Seems like one of the best up and coming options out there in terms of potential to produce big.
 

bga1 said:
I for one was thrilled. It turned out terribly for us. We became the school even Tubby Smith couldn't win at. We are a coach killer job until someone nails it here. Whoever we get, I want someone who is a lot luckier than the last three. :) Monson might have gotten over the hump if not for the Illinois game and Rickert leaving too soon. Tubby might have gotten it done if Royce....and Pitino might have if not for Lynch, Curry, Coffey gone early, no Carr last year. None of them caught a break to get momentum.
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I agree that each coach has gotten unlucky in some ways, but each coach has also really underachieved at times relative to the talent they did have. This year Minnesota is in a group with a bunch of schools that they have similar talent to and Pitino has managed to coach his group to the bottom of that group of schools while Fran McCaffery and Greg Gard both have winning records and are comfortably in the tournament.

I don't think Tubby worked out that terribly for us. He was in the tournament 3 out of 6 years, and was in the top 25 at some point in 4 out of those 6 seasons. In his 4th year at Minnesota, he was 5-3 in conference play and ranked 16 on January 24. Unfortunately, that was the year that Devoe transferred and Al Nolen was ruled ineligible (or the year he broke his foot can't remember) and Blake would have to play point guard and the Gophers would lose 9 of their last 10 conference games. They still should have won some games (they lost to Penn State twice and Northwestern and just winning those 3 gets them to 9-9 and probably in the tournament) so it's kind of an example of bad luck and underachieving like Pitino's 5th year. Anyways, Tubby was hurt by having Maturi as an AD who wouldn't let Royce play, failed to get him his promised practice facility and by his own lack of motivation. By this time he'd already taken Maverick Ahanmisi on scholarship so the effort on the recruiting trail had noticeably trailed off.

Tubby would go to Texas Tech and do worse than he did at Minnesota. When he left Texas Tech would hire Chris Beard and almost immediately reach heights that nobody thought was even remotely possible for that program. I don't think we carry some burden because of Tubby's time here. If he went back to being a great coach at Texas Tech or Memphis then there might be some backlash. Also, Tubby turned down multiple power 5 jobs while at Minnesota (Virginia, Auburn, maybe others) so he had to think somewhat highly of his ability to succeed here.
 

EG#9 said:
I agree that each coach has gotten unlucky in some ways, but each coach has also really underachieved at times relative to the talent they did have. This year Minnesota is in a group with a bunch of schools that they have similar talent to and Pitino has managed to coach his group to the bottom of that group of schools while Fran McCaffery and Greg Gard both have winning records and are comfortably in the tournament.

I don't think Tubby worked out that terribly for us. He was in the tournament 3 out of 6 years, and was in the top 25 at some point in 4 out of those 6 seasons. In his 4th year at Minnesota, he was 5-3 in conference play and ranked 16 on January 24. Unfortunately, that was the year that Devoe transferred and Al Nolen was ruled ineligible (or the year he broke his foot can't remember) and Blake would have to play point guard and the Gophers would lose 9 of their last 10 conference games. They still should have won some games (they lost to Penn State twice and Northwestern and just winning those 3 gets them to 9-9 and probably in the tournament) so it's kind of an example of bad luck and underachieving like Pitino's 5th year. Anyways, Tubby was hurt by having Maturi as an AD who wouldn't let Royce play, failed to get him his promised practice facility and by his own lack of motivation. By this time he'd already taken Maverick Ahanmisi on scholarship so the effort on the recruiting trail had noticeably trailed off.

Tubby would go to Texas Tech and do worse than he did at Minnesota. When he left Texas Tech would hire Chris Beard and almost immediately reach heights that nobody thought was even remotely possible for that program. I don't think we carry some burden because of Tubby's time here. If he went back to being a great coach at Texas Tech or Memphis then there might be some backlash. Also, Tubby turned down multiple power 5 jobs while at Minnesota (Virginia, Auburn, maybe others) so he had to think somewhat highly of his ability to succeed here.
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UVA interviewed Tubby but never offered. They did have a ton of fans who wanted him but Littlepage talked to the right people and Bennett blew them away.
 

bga1 said:
I totally agree. It takes really good coaches two to three years to make the transition even when handed an okay roster. It is very likely going to be painful and that's why I have been rooting so hard against it happening.
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Painful like watching this season? Painful like constantly looking up at most of the B1G? Painful like 1 NCAA win in 7 years? Missing the tournament more than making it? Painful like next year already is shaping up to be?

Good lord. You were wrong, just admit it and move on.
 


WindyCityGopher said:
That will be the case whether Pitino is here or whether we start fresh with a new coach. I’d rather start fresh with at least the promise that things can get better. I can’t take any more of this schit.
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"...the promise that things can get better"LOL

Don't fool yourself. They new guy could have us in the Final Four in 3 years or could set the basketball program back 20 years.


All that being said... The time is now. Now is the time.
 


USAF said:
Painful like watching this season? Painful like constantly looking up at most of the B1G? Painful like 1 NCAA win in 7 years? Missing the tournament more than making it? Painful like next year already is shaping up to be?

Good lord. You were wrong, just admit it and move on.
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Quiet USAF, the adults are talking now.
 




EG#9 said:
I agree that each coach has gotten unlucky in some ways, but each coach has also really underachieved at times relative to the talent they did have. This year Minnesota is in a group with a bunch of schools that they have similar talent to and Pitino has managed to coach his group to the bottom of that group of schools while Fran McCaffery and Greg Gard both have winning records and are comfortably in the tournament.

I don't think Tubby worked out that terribly for us. He was in the tournament 3 out of 6 years, and was in the top 25 at some point in 4 out of those 6 seasons. In his 4th year at Minnesota, he was 5-3 in conference play and ranked 16 on January 24. Unfortunately, that was the year that Devoe transferred and Al Nolen was ruled ineligible (or the year he broke his foot can't remember) and Blake would have to play point guard and the Gophers would lose 9 of their last 10 conference games. They still should have won some games (they lost to Penn State twice and Northwestern and just winning those 3 gets them to 9-9 and probably in the tournament) so it's kind of an example of bad luck and underachieving like Pitino's 5th year. Anyways, Tubby was hurt by having Maturi as an AD who wouldn't let Royce play, failed to get him his promised practice facility and by his own lack of motivation. By this time he'd already taken Maverick Ahanmisi on scholarship so the effort on the recruiting trail had noticeably trailed off.

Tubby would go to Texas Tech and do worse than he did at Minnesota. When he left Texas Tech would hire Chris Beard and almost immediately reach heights that nobody thought was even remotely possible for that program. I don't think we carry some burden because of Tubby's time here. If he went back to being a great coach at Texas Tech or Memphis then there might be some backlash. Also, Tubby turned down multiple power 5 jobs while at Minnesota (Virginia, Auburn, maybe others) so he had to think somewhat highly of his ability to succeed here.
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Texas Tech was an absolute dumpster fire after Pat Knight, Billy Gillespie, and Chris Walker did their damage. Tubby inherited a mess and many of the players he recruited turned that program around under Chris Beard. I agree that he did seem to mail it in at the U, but he seemed a bit more rejuvenated at Tech. He probably shouldn’t have left for Memphis but can’t blame him for wanting out of west Texas.
 


USAF said:
Good lord, you were wrong, just admit it and move on.
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I never spent my time defending Pitino. Just saying that you guys are the nagging wife fans of the Big Ten. Quiet when the team is doing well... nagging when they are not.

The time is now to talk about making a change. Go with it and try to be a little magnanimous.
 

howeda7 said:
John Boehlein….right, he will not coach in the B10
Craig Smith.... lat. move
Eric Musselman... ok
Shaka Smart... lat move at best
Nikko Medved…. no
Mike Brey... no
LaVall Jordan.... no
Mike Rhoades....no
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If your going to make a move. it better be a HOMERUN. no reaches...
 






As long as Mike Rhoades is part of the consideration process. VCU Insider, Pav, arranging fisticuffs at Buster's in downtown Richmond??? Sign me up.
 




Can we sign Bruce Pearl?

All kidding aside:

Boehiem took a front office position with the Cavs to keep his money. He ain't coming.

Bobby Hurley would be interesting.
Ryan Saunders??? - kind of a dumpster fire with the T-Wolves, but who isn't.
Musselman? - just signed at Arkansas but I would be interested.
Craig Smith - seems a little out of his league in B1G. Might just be a repeat of Pitino with better credentials.

I guess the question would be, "Who can coach and recruit Minnesotans?" If we could get the local kids, we could make some progress. So who would that be?

Ken Novak - no college experience
Hoiberg - hmm, he seems set at Nebraska.
Ben Johnson - not going to happen and he couldn't do it as an asst.
Medved - see above

What if Coyle tried to pull a Whalen again and went with the Memphis/Vanderbilt approach

Kevin Garnett - he has said he would never coach
McHale - a little too old.
Khalid El-Amin - this is one where I wonder. Would he resonate with current kids? Is he still involved heavily with basketball? I'd think about it.
A former Gopher? Burrleson is an actual coach. I always thought the Hollins "not" brothers would be great coaches. Mbawkwe? Have any former Gophers gone into coaching?

I might swing for the fences with Khalid if I was Coyle.
 




None of those coaches have been close. Rickert stayed a year too long, both for himself and the program. He never wanted to be here. Royce was a good player with huge baggage. He would not have turned the program. Coffey would have killed Carr last year. He needed the ball to get to the NBA and Carr doesn’t give it up. Curry was a good but not great player.
The program hasn’t been close to anything since Haskins.
 

Otis said:
Can we sign Bruce Pearl?

All kidding aside:

Boehiem took a front office position with the Cavs to keep his money. He ain't coming.

Bobby Hurley would be interesting.
Ryan Saunders??? - kind of a dumpster fire with the T-Wolves, but who isn't.
Musselman? - just signed at Arkansas but I would be interested.
Craig Smith - seems a little out of his league in B1G. Might just be a repeat of Pitino with better credentials.

I guess the question would be, "Who can coach and recruit Minnesotans?" If we could get the local kids, we could make some progress. So who would that be?

Ken Novak - no college experience
Hoiberg - hmm, he seems set at Nebraska.
Ben Johnson - not going to happen and he couldn't do it as an asst.
Medved - see above

What if Coyle tried to pull a Whalen again and went with the Memphis/Vanderbilt approach

Kevin Garnett - he has said he would never coach
McHale - a little too old.
Khalid El-Amin - this is one where I wonder. Would he resonate with current kids? Is he still involved heavily with basketball? I'd think about it.
A former Gopher? Burrleson is an actual coach. I always thought the Hollins "not" brothers would be great coaches. Mbawkwe? Have any former Gophers gone into coaching?

I might swing for the fences with Khalid if I was Coyle.
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The list at the bottom is an absolute joke, right?
Garnett-no college degree and probably hasn’t even taken a college class-no chance.
McHale-old and never coached in college & hasn’t even coached in a long time.
El-Amin-probably didn’t finish his degree(haven’t checked). He didn’t have much of a pro career how can he possibly connect with kids when they probably don’t even know him. Is he an AAU coach? If that’s swinging for the fences...ugh.
 

howeda7 said:
Tubby was the right hire at that time. It was a HR. It didn't work out. It doesn't mean it was a mistake.
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It was a GREAT hire. He almost instantly stabilized the program and signed a 5-star recruit. Can't complain about his initial success here, but it wasn't sustained. I supported taking a flyer on Pitino, too. But like I said in another thread, you have to view something speculative like that as an audition. Once it becomes clear that your hopes of him being an ace recruiter and coaching prodigy prove unrealized, you have to be prepared to move on. You can't count on reward, but you can control the degree of risk.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you have to be willing to kiss a few frogs in order to find your prince. Look how many frogs UW kissed before they struck gold in their revenue sports. Frog kissing is not disgraceful. Disgraceful is keeping a frog and pretending it's a prince and dressing it up in prince clothes instead of moving on to the next frog. That's the kind of thing the crazy aunt does and why you keep her in the basement. Seriously, the question someone asked in that other thread: which Big Ten program(s) would exchange coaches with us? I have to be honest: I'm getting to the point of embarrassment that the U continues to let it ride with an obvious losing hand. Fans of other programs must wonder whether we have any self respect.
 
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Gopherbbdude said:
not sure there is one that is attainable
Beilein or Musselman, but those aren't attainable
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Yeah, neither are coming here. I don't get peoples obsession with Musselman though. Because his dad coached here? Eric has no ties here.

Musselman has yet to prove anything at the P5 level, and has only 1 prior stop as a head coach in college basketball. Arkansas has now lost 5 straight and is 4-9 in the SEC.

Craig Smith also has yet to coach at this level, but has immediately turned around multiple programs. In his first year he took a Utah State team that was previously .500 and shared a regular season title with Musselman's Nevada team in the Mountain West. Utah State also won the conference tournament.

Smith has proven he's as good, if not a better candidate than Musselman.
 


After reading through the thread. I'm sure Coyle has his list and a coach already in his sights, but I really like Craig Smith. He's won over 25 games in a season at 3 different schools. He has something that works. He's 47, from MN and has recruited the area. If he can recruit and win at Mayville State, South Dakota, and Utah State, he should be able to get his guys here.

I like Pitino and have given him his shot, but there is no consistency. You can't lose and also not recruit the state better.
 

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