The best young coach around

[Devilsfan]

S. Smart's stock keeps rising. VCU is the luckiest school in BB for their hiring of such a great young coach.

[arydolphin]

Shaka Smart is good, but Brad Stevens tops the conversation for best young coach.

[lotusland]

Greg Marshall's gotta be in the conversatino. He's made a living out of getting mid-miners to the dance. Only 1 win outside play-in games but tonight was actually his first game as the higher seed. South Carolina will be fortunate if they land him and Calipari will hate playing them twice a year.

[chadlee989]

Chris Collins would not be a bad one either. Also Wojo.

[Kfanarmy]

S. Smart's stock keeps rising. VCU is the luckiest school in BB for their hiring of such a great young coach. Someone would have to prove to me that he has abandoned the dirty tactics that his team used, and I will always believe was coached to use, against Duke in the NCAAT....shoving players in the back when officials weren't looking, purposely running into Duke players during dead balls, etc...don't care if you are the underdog, there is no place for that stuff in BB...

[1 24 90]

Someone would have to prove to me that he has abandoned the dirty tactics that his team used, and I will always believe was coached to use, against Duke in the NCAAT....shoving players in the back when officials weren't looking, purposely running into Duke players during dead balls, etc...don't care if you are the underdog, there is no place for that stuff in BB...

He wasn't the coach then? Wasn't it Anthony Grant?

[Tjenkins]

He wasn't the coach then? Wasn't it Anthony Grant?

Yes, Grant was the coach during that game, currently coaching Alabama. Smart is a great young coach, I work at VCU, their games are very entertaining in person. They're lucky to have him still coaching here after that run last year.

I'd still give the nod to Brad Stevens over Smart, simply because his Butler team beat Smart & VCU last year at the Final Four, plus back-to-back title game appearances for a mid-major is very impressive.

[Kfanarmy]

Yes, Grant was the coach during that game, currently coaching Alabama. Smart is a great young coach, I work at VCU, their games are very entertaining in person. They're lucky to have him still coaching here after that run last year.

I'd still give the nod to Brad Stevens over Smart, simply because his Butler team beat Smart & VCU last year at the Final Four, plus back-to-back title game appearances for a mid-major is very impressive. You are correct...Smart was not the coach at the time.

[FerryFor50]

The best part about Smart is that he *gets* it and his players buy into his defense-first mentality. They really don't take plays off on D...

I wonder if he'd get the same results with big-time prospects that might be apt to tune him out....

[Edouble]

I'm sure Smart is a great coach, however, VCU has the benefit of playing their conference tournament 1 mile from their campus every year. That definitely helps get you in the NCAAs on a regular basis. It doesn't help you get to the Final Four once you are in, I know.

[loldevilz]

Shaka Smart is good, but Brad Stevens tops the conversation for best young coach.

Brad Stevens had way way better talent than Shaka. Stevens had 3 players who were All-American caliber, including an NBA player in Gordon Hayward. He also got gifted an insanely easy bracket last year. Look at what he did this year without Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard. Nothing.

In my opinion Shaka is doing way more with less. His teams just play so much harder than you that they knock you out. He is a master motivator in the mode of Coach K.

[-bdbd]

Yes, Grant was the coach during that game, currently coaching Alabama. Smart is a great young coach, I work at VCU, their games are very entertaining in person. They're lucky to have him still coaching here after that run last year.

I'd still give the nod to Brad Stevens over Smart, simply because his Butler team beat Smart & VCU last year at the Final Four, plus back-to-back title game appearances for a mid-major is very impressive.

Didn't VCU sign him up to some ridiculously long extension after last year's run - like 8+ years??
Seems like he might be hard to pry away now.

I too lean towards Stevens, though he did have a weak result this year (he was due!). :rolleyes:
But both of these guys have very bright futures!!

[bob blue devil]

both smart and stevens are fantastic coaches, but i wonder whose skill set translates better to running a national powerhouse program expected to regularly compete for national titles. who would have more success taking advantage of better resources, attracting highly sought after recruits, dealing with the more intense scrutiny, etc., etc. i really have no clue on this, but would be interested in opinions.

stevens's seemingly meticulous, controlling style and lack of outward emotional expression could be a blessing or a curse.

[JG Nothing]

Brad Stevens had way way better talent than Shaka. Stevens had 3 players who were All-American caliber, including an NBA player in Gordon Hayward. He also got gifted an insanely easy bracket last year. Look at what he did this year without Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard. Nothing.


I'm no Butler fan, but give me a break. In 2011, Butler played the highest possible seed in each game in the South Region including #4 Pitt, #16 Wisconsin, and #12 Florida. They also beat Colonial Athletic Association champion, ODU, in the first round (remember ODU, the champion of VCU's conference?). And, of course, Butler beat VCU in the Final Four before losing to #8 UCon.

I'm not sure what you mean by nothing. Butler did get off to a slow start this year. That can happen when your out of conference schedule includes five NCAA tournament teams, two NIT teams, and one CBI team. Still, Butler reached 20 wins and are 8-2 in their last ten games with both losses to Horizon regular season champion Valparaiso. In the first round of the CBI tournament, Butler blasted Delaware (which finished in the top half of the CAA just three games behind VCU) by 17 points.

One more thing, Stevens has had a player selected as an Academic All-American in each of the five seasons he has coached at Butler. That includes four different players. Pretty darn impressive. I'll take that and four NCAA tourney appearances (including two FFs) and one CBI appearance any day.

[kdavis]

both smart and stevens are fantastic coaches, but i wonder whose skill set translates better to running a national powerhouse program expected to regularly compete for national titles. who would have more success taking advantage of better resources, attracting highly sought after recruits, dealing with the more intense scrutiny, etc., etc. i really have no clue on this, but would be interested in opinions.

stevens's seemingly meticulous, controlling style and lack of outward emotional expression could be a blessing or a curse.

I think if you look at the talent they collect at mid-majors, you have to give the nod to Stevens. Every year, it seems that there are a lot of really good game coaches in the tournament. Coaches who are able to draw up the game plan and motivate their kids to play up to the level of top notch programs for a period of time. However, to be successful at a major program you need to not only be a great sideline coach, but a great living room coach as well. You need talent - pure and simple.

Stevens has attracted some great talent to his "mid-major" program. I think he would project very well into a BCS program with ambitions of being a national power. In all honesty, I don't know a whole lot about the kids Smart has brought to VCU, but with two high profile years in a row in the tournament, he should be able to start attracting some more talented kids to his program (a la Mark Few at Gonzaga). That should help suggest his fit for successfully running a higher profile program.

[SoCalDukeFan]

SoCal

[weezie]

Yes, Grant was the coach during that game, currently coaching Alabama.

I was really surprised to see Grant misfire last night. He's mired at alabama. Too bad.

[Wildcat]

To start a thread about "best young coach," suggests you think what i think; K is nearing the end of his race. You could hear it in his post game comments. "The game has been good to me." It's not totally about you coach. Think about how Austin would interpret those words.

[dukelifer]

I'm sure Smart is a great coach, however, VCU has the benefit of playing their conference tournament 1 mile from their campus every year. That definitely helps get you in the NCAAs on a regular basis. It doesn't help you get to the Final Four once you are in, I know.

Smart's team is gone- does that make him not as good as two days ago. It is funny how much people base their opinions on the performance in a one and done tourney.

[kingboozer]

Brad Stevens, hands down. I could see him coaching in Cameron some day...

[BlueDevilBrowns]

To start a thread about "best young coach," suggests you think what i think; K is nearing the end of his race. You could hear it in his post game comments. "The game has been good to me." It's not totally about you coach. Think about how Austin would interpret those words.

My take is Coach K wasn't making the game totally about himself; he was attempting to put Duke's loss in historical perspective while responding to a direct question. Don't misinterpret Coach K's words.

[Wildcat]

I know he's not making it about himself; it's about those 18, 19 and 20 year olders who want to win badly and create their own history. Coach is losing his passion and if he keeps losing the big-catches on the recruiting trail; it will make for bad banding moving forward. At some point, he's got to start smelling the coffee. We are losing because of a talent deficit. The only way to address that is win recruiting battles.

[NashvilleDevil]

I know he's not making it about himself; it's about those 18, 19 and 20 year olders who want to win badly and create their own history. Coach is losing his passion and if he keeps losing the big-catches on the recruiting trail; it will make for bad banding moving forward. At some point, he's got to start smelling the coffee. We are losing because of a talent deficit. The only way to address that is win recruiting battles.

Really? 2 years after winning the title and the #1 pick in the draft played at Duke? You say he is losing his passion?

[dukelifer]

I know he's not making it about himself; it's about those 18, 19 and 20 year olders who want to win badly and create their own history. Coach is losing his passion and if he keeps losing the big-catches on the recruiting trail; it will make for bad banding moving forward. At some point, he's got to start smelling the coffee. We are losing because of a talent deficit. The only way to address that is win recruiting battles.

Interesting- the only way is to win is to win recruiting battles? Butler and VCU did not win any recruiting battles. UConn is usually not taking the best talent- although a few end up there- if they can stay eligible. Mich State usually is not battling for the top kids. The top kids tend to go to KY and UNC. A few go to Duke, Kansas, Ohio State, Florida and then they are spread over several other places. There are only so many top kids to go around. So far KY has won no titles with this model-none for Ohio State despite having great players- one could win this year. The consistent winner of late with top talent is UNC- but even with star talent they have ended up in the NIT once in the past 5 years.

[Wildcat]

We either are losing recruiting battles, or our recruiters are going after the wrong kids. You pick.

[dukelifer]

We either are losing recruiting battles, or our recruiters are going after the wrong kids. You pick.

Based on what metric- not winning national championships every year- not winning the ACC regular season every year? What is the big failure you see.

[dukedoc]

The Gonzaga/Butler game ended in amazing fashion and the reaction of Stevens was also remarkable. Must have been exploding with excitement inside, and yet cool as a cucumber, professional, and sportsmanlike on the outside. Even K would have shown more emotion (by tackling Mason, perhaps). LINK (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNZKpkMm1t8)

[bedeviled]

...Stevens...[snip]...cool as a cucumber, professional, and sportsmanlike on the outsideHe remained very composed and professional in the immediate post-game interview (leaving the court). He said his message to his team was [paraphrased], "The pain of discipline is easier to handle than the pain of regret."

[cptnflash]

Stevens' brilliance was on display at the end of the first half. Gonzaga hit a shot with ~45 seconds left. With the game clock running, Butler waited the full 5 seconds to inbound the ball, then rolled it in and didn't touch it for another 5 seconds. As a result, they were in a position to take the last shot of the half, because the game clock and the shot clock wound up basically equal. If I remember correctly they didn't convert, but nevertheless, their clock management in that situation effectively prevented their opponent from getting an extra possession. That, quite simply, is great coaching.

I've said it before and I still believe it whole-heartedly: Brad Stevens needs to be the next coach of the Duke Blue Devils.

[loran16]

Stevens' brilliance was on display at the end of the first half. Gonzaga hit a shot with ~45 seconds left. With the game clock running, Butler waited the full 5 seconds to inbound the ball, then rolled it in and didn't touch it for another 5 seconds. As a result, they were in a position to take the last shot of the half, because the game clock and the shot clock wound up basically equal. If I remember correctly they didn't convert, but nevertheless, their clock management in that situation effectively prevented their opponent from getting an extra possession. That, quite simply, is great coaching.

I've said it before and I still believe it whole-heartedly: Brad Stevens needs to be the next coach of the Duke Blue Devils.

Saw that too and took me a second to realize what they'd done. Pretty brilliant. Too bad the shot was blocked.

[uh_no]

I've said it before and I still believe it whole-heartedly: Brad Stevens needs to be the next coach of the Duke Blue Devils.

He seems to be doing pretty well there at Butler...I'm not sure why he'd want to leave at this point....

[cptnflash]

He seems to be doing pretty well there at Butler...I'm not sure why he'd want to leave at this point....

Because Duke>>>>>>Butler from a recruiting standpoint. This point was made during tonight's broadcast - Butler and Gonzaga both have to go after players that aren't heavily recruited by elite programs. Imagine what Brad Stevens could accomplish if he could land top 10 recruits. And the timing lines up pretty well - he'll be towards the end of the 10 year extension he recently signed when Coach K eventually retires.

I agree he's doing well at Butler, and I don't blame him at all for being totally disinterested in second tier power conference coaching jobs (i.e., the Clemsons, Wake Forests, and Oregons of the world that were actively pursuing him after Butler made the finals in 2010). But Duke is a special job - one of the top 5 in the country. No coach can ignore that kind of opportunity. And he's exactly the kind of guy that we want - young, brilliant, proven winner, maximum integrity, and understands the importance of academics. He could potentially coach at Duke for 2 or 3 decades.

[loran16]

He seems to be doing pretty well there at Butler...I'm not sure why he'd want to leave at this point....

I believe the unspoken part of that comment is: "If you could get him." But yes, I agree. If say Butler were to join the Catholic 7 (or hell it may be doable in the A-10), there's no reason Butler can't become the National Power that Duke is now under Stevens. It starts somewhere.

[Zeb]

And he's exactly the kind of guy that we want - young, brilliant, proven winner, maximum integrity, and understands the importance of academics. He could potentially coach at Duke for 2 or 3 decades.

Ummm... did Brad Stevens secretly play for Coach K and I missed it? IMHO a UNC grad has about the same chance of succeeding K as someone who did not play for him and/or coach with him.

[uh_no]

I believe the unspoken part of that comment is: "If you could get him." But yes, I agree. If say Butler were to join the Catholic 7 (or hell it may be doable in the A-10), there's no reason Butler can't become the National Power that Duke is now under Stevens. It starts somewhere.

I think that's sort of my thought. was duke any better when K started than butler is now? butler is hot off two national runner ups and has a top 10 (likely after this week) team again. It took K 5 years to get there once....

butler is quickly becoming to indiana what duke is to UNC.....so long as they stay up, keep making noise in the tournament (etc)....we all know, it only takes one recruiting class....

He could be the guy that replaced mike krzyzewski, or he could be the guy who rivaled mike krzyzewski in taking a program to national prominence....it's up to him.....he can pretty much have any job in the country.

[gumbomoop]

Stevens' brilliance was on display at the end of the first half. Gonzaga hit a shot with ~45 seconds left. With the game clock running, Butler waited the full 5 seconds to inbound the ball, then rolled it in and didn't touch it for another 5 seconds. As a result, they were in a position to take the last shot of the half, because the game clock and the shot clock wound up basically equal. If I remember correctly they didn't convert, but nevertheless, their clock management in that situation effectively prevented their opponent from getting an extra possession. That, quite simply, is great coaching.

I've said it before and I still believe it whole-heartedly: Brad Stevens needs to be the next coach of the Duke Blue Devils.

Great strategy, and great post, carefully describing the way Butler managed to synchronize game and shot clock. This play exemplifies superb game management to help your team win.

And it's the sort of thing I've wondered whether K - who's always trying to get the last shot at the end of the first half - has thought about. Namely, that at the end of the first half, with the game clock still running, the shot clock doesn't begin until it's touched by the team inbounding the ball. And the inbounding team has 5 seconds to get it in.

That Stevens seems clearly to have thought about it is very impressive. To say that I hope Stevens coaches a long time at Butler would seem to eliminate him from those I "hope" might replace K. I admire Stevens a whole lot. I actually hope he coaches his entire career at Butler and wins an NC or 2. I hope no one "steals" him from Butler. I especially hope he does not succeed Roy.

[cptnflash]

Ummm... did Brad Stevens secretly play for Coach K and I missed it? IMHO a UNC grad has about the same chance of succeeding K as someone who did not play for him and/or coach with him.

Why on earth would we limit the pool of applicants for one of the top jobs in the entire country to the comparatively small set of people that have been previously associated with the program? That makes no sense to me at all.

[luigi90]

I think that's sort of my thought. was duke any better when K started than butler is now? butler is hot off two national runner ups and has a top 10 (likely after this week) team again. It took K 5 years to get there once....

butler is quickly becoming to indiana what duke is to UNC.....so long as they stay up, keep making noise in the tournament (etc)....we all know, it only takes one recruiting class....

He could be the guy that replaced mike krzyzewski, or he could be the guy who rivaled mike krzyzewski in taking a program to national prominence....it's up to him.....he can pretty much have any job in the country.

No disrespect, because Brad Stevens is a great coach, and has archived great things at Butler, but there is no comparison between the Butler job and coaching Duke. Duke has played in 10 final fours in the last 25 years. And won 4 titles. And several more final fours before that. Maybe he gets Butler there someday. But if I'm him, and Coach K calls me and says I want you to Coach Duke when I retire, I would say "thank you sir, when do I start". But like others on this board I think it will be a Duke guy (though I love Stevens).

[wilko]

Ummm... did Brad Stevens secretly play for Coach K and I missed it? IMHO a UNC grad has about the same chance of succeeding K as someone who did not play for him and/or coach with him.

I hear you and I totally get your point.
However an existing tie to Duke is really, really, really, nice but not a prerequisite.
There's too much at stake in terms of prominence, cash and public relations. The more I think about it the more I think Duke will go after the best coach they can get when that day comes. A public show of support for a candidate from K would be the salve to go outside the "family" as it were.

[fgb]

the last time we hired a non Duke guy, it worked out pretty well.

[dukelifer]

Because Duke>>>>>>Butler from a recruiting standpoint. This point was made during tonight's broadcast - Butler and Gonzaga both have to go after players that aren't heavily recruited by elite programs. Imagine what Brad Stevens could accomplish if he could land top 10 recruits. And the timing lines up pretty well - he'll be towards the end of the 10 year extension he recently signed when Coach K eventually retires.

I agree he's doing well at Butler, and I don't blame him at all for being totally disinterested in second tier power conference coaching jobs (i.e., the Clemsons, Wake Forests, and Oregons of the world that were actively pursuing him after Butler made the finals in 2010). But Duke is a special job - one of the top 5 in the country. No coach can ignore that kind of opportunity. And he's exactly the kind of guy that we want - young, brilliant, proven winner, maximum integrity, and understands the importance of academics. He could potentially coach at Duke for 2 or 3 decades.

2-3 decades if he wins- much less if he does not. I think Stevens is great-and is showing that he is was not a flash in the pan- but with the step up comes huge expectations. He may meet them or he may not. There is some luck associated with that as well. The post K era will not be easy for any coach. Clearly a guy like Jeff Capel who is the same age as Stevens and has had big time coaching experience with some success and now a coaching stint at Duke, might be a possible choice as well. I do not think Dawkins or Wojo or Collins would be the best choice following K. When the day comes, Stevens will likely get a call. K will definitely have a say in all this- but at the end of the day it will be in the hands of AD (with all the voices in his ear). In a few years- ACC basketball will be somewhat unrecognizable from a coaching perspective. It will be interesting to see what happens to college basketball moving forward. I can easily see ACC basketball becoming less and less relevant in time.

[loran16]

No disrespect, because Brad Stevens is a great coach, and has archived great things at Butler, but there is no comparison between the Butler job and coaching Duke. Duke has played in 10 final fours in the last 25 years. And won 4 titles. And several more final fours before that. Maybe he gets Butler there someday. But if I'm him, and Coach K calls me and says I want you to Coach Duke when I retire, I would say "thank you sir, when do I start". But like others on this board I think it will be a Duke guy (though I love Stevens).

No one is comparing Duke now to Butler now. The concept however is that Duke wasn't always a top tier program - it was a legit program pre-K no question with some , but it wasn't one of the elite National powers - a few title games and final fours here and there but that's it. Coach K came, grew the program from being in the shadow of Dean into the National Power that it is now.

The comparison of Stevens to K is to K in his early years - to a guy taking a team that was decent before they came (Butler doesn't have close to Duke's pre-K track record, but it's a lot harder to have that track record in the modern bball era) to an elite level year after year. It's certainly possible that Butler can become a year in year out National Power that recruits extremely well across the country, especially if he stays. Why wouldn't recruits be interested?

And that's why Duke fans are interested.

[Zeb]

Why on earth would we limit the pool of applicants for one of the top jobs in the entire country to the comparatively small set of people that have been previously associated with the program? That makes no sense to me at all.

This isn't about what makes sense, this is about what K wants. Does it make sense that of all the possible assistant coaches in the world, all of ours just happen to have gone to Duke? Does it make sense that the best guy to coach our bigs is Wojo, a former point guard? Does it make sense the only non-Duke grad on K's staff in the past decade was his West Point educated son-in-law?

Whether or not it makes sense, that's the way K runs things. The results are pretty spectacular, so I am not complaining. But it is implausible to think a) Coach K is not going to have a big role in determining who succeeds him, and b) that K will not exhibit the same Duke preference in hiring his replacement that he has in hiring his assistants.

Obviously none of us really know what will go down when it comes time to fill K's enormous shoes. But if you think it will be like most coaching hires (AD does a national search), you've been watching a much different program.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

This isn't about what makes sense, this is about what K wants. Does it make sense that of all the possible assistant coaches in the world, all of ours just happen to have gone to Duke? Does it make sense that the best guy to coach our bigs is Wojo, a former point guard? Does it make sense the only non-Duke grad on K's staff in the past decade was his West Point educated son-in-law?

Whether or not it makes sense, that's the way K runs things. The results are pretty spectacular, so I am not complaining. But it is implausible to think a) Coach K is not going to have a big role in determining who succeeds him, and b) that K will not exhibit the same Duke preference in hiring his replacement that he has in hiring his assistants.

Obviously none of us really know what will go down when it comes time to fill K's enormous shoes. But if you think it will be like most coaching hires (AD does a national search), you've been watching a much different program.

I'm not sure I understand your argument. Because he has hired people in the family to work with him in the past, the next generation of Duke coaches will necessarily come from within that same framework? What are you basing this opinion on? None of us have any idea what the post-K hire will look like. It's unprecedented territory for Duke. Who's to say that anyone in the Coach K family is interested/ready to fill those shoes? Who's to say that they won't look outside the box? The only "evidence" we have for a K replacement is Gaudet, which is generally a dirty word around these parts, and I'm pretty sure Duke won't be approaching Pete in a post-K universe (though I wish him all the best).

People are intrigued by Stevens because by all accounts he's a stand up guy who has had great success and won "the right way." Thank goodness, all speculation is, to date, exactly that. But, short of Coach coming out and saying what it is that he would prefer, we're all just projecting our own preferences and guesses.

By the way, if you want to see a truly K-like Stevens, watch the video of the final shot yesterday. Keep your eye on Stevens. There's no celebration, no jumping up and down, there's no Stevens in the mob at center court. He calmly walks over to congratulate Mark Few. To me, that stoicism is more Coach K than just about anything else in D-1 these days. He seems to ascribe to "next play."

/Go Duke

[uh_no]

]I'm not sure I understand your argument. Because he has hired people in the family to work with him in the past, the next generation of Duke coaches will necessarily come from within that same framework?[/B] What are you basing this opinion on? None of us have any idea what the post-K hire will look like. It's unprecedented territory for Duke. Who's to say that anyone in the Coach K family is interested/ready to fill those shoes? Who's to say that they won't look outside the box? The only "evidence" we have for a K replacement is Gaudet, which is generally a dirty word around these parts, and I'm pretty sure Duke won't be approaching Pete in a post-K universe (though I wish him all the best).

People are intrigued by Stevens because by all accounts he's a stand up guy who has had great success and won "the right way." Thank goodness, all speculation is, to date, exactly that. But, short of Coach coming out and saying what it is that he would prefer, we're all just projecting our own preferences and guesses.

By the way, if you want to see a truly K-like Stevens, watch the video of the final shot yesterday. Keep your eye on Stevens. There's no celebration, no jumping up and down, there's no Stevens in the mob at center court. He calmly walks over to congratulate Mark Few. To me, that stoicism is more Coach K than just about anything else in D-1 these days. He seems to ascribe to "next play."

/Go Duke

mostly because K has said he wants someone within the "duke family" to succeed him.

Anything could happen....but I think it's silly to pretend Coach K doesn't want a duke person follow him. Everything he talks about is the family they've created...and he is very proud of endowing the basketball program so that it can continue to run as it has, to succeed, to keep it's same close knit feeling......bringing in a random coach from another school (even one as good as brad stevens) turns that upside down...

[sagegrouse]

Obviously none of us really know what will go down when it comes time to fill K's enormous shoes. But if you think it will be like most coaching hires (AD does a national search), you've been watching a much different program.


I'm not sure I understand your argument. Because he has hired people in the family to work with him in the past, the next generation of Duke coaches will necessarily come from within that same framework? What are you basing this opinion on? None of us have any idea what the post-K hire will look like. It's unprecedented territory for Duke. Who's to say that anyone in the Coach K family is interested/ready to fill those shoes? Who's to say that they won't look outside the box? The only "evidence" we have for a K replacement is Gaudet, which is generally a dirty word around these parts, and I'm pretty sure Duke won't be approaching Pete in a post-K universe (though I wish him all the best).




Well, it should be a foregone conclusions that Duke will conduct a "national search" for K's successor. That's the way Duke does things. But it doesn't necessarily mean it will hire outside the family.

I believe Duke will have a free hand in the hiring, meaning (a) K will not announce his preference and (b) he will not pull a somehat greasy Deano-Big Jawn-Calhoun maneuver that gives the school no choice but to tap a current assistant.

Weighing in favor of a Duke person is that K (with others) have built a marvelously well-managed and well-led entity that makes it the strongest program around from that perspective.

That said, there is no obvious successor, and there may not be in a few years either. Tough choices lie ahead -- I hope WELL ahead.


sagegrouse

[Des Esseintes]

No one is comparing Duke now to Butler now. The concept however is that Duke wasn't always a top tier program - it was a legit program pre-K no question with some , but it wasn't one of the elite National powers - a few title games and final fours here and there but that's it. Coach K came, grew the program from being in the shadow of Dean into the National Power that it is now.


No question that K has taken the program to a place it never reached before him. But Duke had played in multiple national championship games before he arrived. It played in the title game just, what, two seasons before he arrived? Duke is in the top five all-time in wins, and though many of those came under K's watch, its position on that list was already high when he got there. Moreover, K did not invent the Tobacco Road rivalry, which long preceded him. And, Duke was playing in the ACC, historically the strongest and most basketball-centered of the power conferences. Butler does have a nice tradition, and a Catholic league would help some (though never as much as being in an actual major conference), but I suspect the ultimate ceiling of its program is lower than that of Duke in 1980.

[uh_no]

And, Duke was playing in the ACC, historically the strongest and most basketball-centered of the power conferences. Butler does have a nice tradition, and a Catholic league would help some (though never as much as being in an actual major conference), but I suspect the ultimate ceiling of its program is lower than that of Duke in 1980.

Two things:

first, with the leaving of the catholic schools, being in a "power conference" means less than ever with respect to college basketball.

With villanova, marquette, georgetown (and possibly butler) all regular tournament teams (and all of whom have been to the final four in the last 10 years), do they still count as "mid major"? they would be in among the best basketball conferences.

further, is the remainder of the big east now a "mid major"? are connecticut, rutgers, and cincinnatti "mid major"?

The point I'm trying to make is the traditional "BCS" conferences no longer really have much meaning in bball, and with that being the case, being in the catholic league isn't any worse than being in the ACC so long as you can get a TV deal....and with the teams that would in the league, there's no reason to think that the a conference with the 4 schools i mentioned wouldn't get a deal to get on ESPN or wherever.

Second, why do they have a lower ceiling then did duke? They're fresh off 2 national runner ups and are one of the top teams in the country again...they have an amazing young coach who could be there for a long time, national recognition, an excited fan base in a basketball mecca, a geographically built in rivalry...I'm of the belief that it's only a matter of time before Coach Stevens gets over the hump and wins one....

I'm just unsure what ingredients duke had in the early 80's that butler doesn't have now.

[Zeb]

Obviously we're all speculating, but 1) K is on the record saying he wants to play a role in naming his successor and would prefer his successor has Duke ties. 2) Every hire K has made in the past decade has come from within the Duke family.

See this article: http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/krzyzewski-favors-inside-succession (http://http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/krzyzewski-favors-inside-succession)



"Yeah, I would [want the job to stay in the Duke family]," Krzyzewski said in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle Tuesday. "I don't think it should just be my decision. That's not being a team player, although I would hope that I have some serious input.

"If we didn't have anyone in our family who was worthy enough to do it, I'd say you go out of it. But we will have people, and we'll have more than one."

Does anyone really see a decision process where K would recommend a non-Dukie? Or where the final choice differs from K's recommendation? How would support coalesce around a candidate that is not supported by the all-time winningest coach? Given my knowledge and experience with human institutions and how they make decisions, I just don't see that happening.

[cptnflash]

Well that's disappointing. As someone else pointed out, the last time the job was open we went outside the family, and it's worked out pretty well so far.

[Kedsy]

further, is the remainder of the big east now a "mid major"? are connecticut, rutgers, and cincinnatti "mid major"?

I thought Rutgers was in the Big 10 now?

[uh_no]

I thought Rutgers was in the Big 10 now?

oops :) good call

can't keep the departures straight

[Des Esseintes]

Two things:

first, with the leaving of the catholic schools, being in a "power conference" means less than ever with respect to college basketball.

With villanova, marquette, georgetown (and possibly butler) all regular tournament teams (and all of whom have been to the final four in the last 10 years), do they still count as "mid major"? they would be in among the best basketball conferences.

further, is the remainder of the big east now a "mid major"? are connecticut, rutgers, and cincinnatti "mid major"?

The point I'm trying to make is the traditional "BCS" conferences no longer really have much meaning in bball, and with that being the case, being in the catholic league isn't any worse than being in the ACC so long as you can get a TV deal....and with the teams that would in the league, there's no reason to think that the a conference with the 4 schools i mentioned wouldn't get a deal to get on ESPN or wherever.

No argument from me that a "Catholic league" would be strong in basketball. And no question it would get itself a tv contract. (For the record, I never mentioned the phrase "mid-major" in my post.) But I think you'd be hard-pressed to argue that such a league would enjoy as high a profile and possess the same resources as the Big 10 or the ACC basketball programs, for example. Georgetown goes from being the third or fourth most prestigious program in the Big East to the overwhelming number one in the proposed Catholic league. Marquette was maybe the eighth most prestigious Big East school, and might be #2 in the Catholic. Butler itself might be the second most prestigious, and has it ever gotten higher than a five seed in the NCAA? In determining a reasonable ceiling for a program, those things matter. Though historical standing and conference resources are not necessary for success, they help. Let's remember there were two reasons Calipari jumped from Memphis to UK, even when he had a machine running at Memphis. One, UK could and would give him more money. Two, recruiting to Kentucky is easier. Even for a guy with Calipari's recruiting potency, there was a gulf. Both of those reasons are tied to the cash and prestige enjoyed in the top conferences.


Second, why do they have a lower ceiling then did duke? They're fresh off 2 national runner ups and are one of the top teams in the country again...they have an amazing young coach who could be there for a long time, national recognition, an excited fan base in a basketball mecca, a geographically built in rivalry...I'm of the belief that it's only a matter of time before Coach Stevens gets over the hump and wins one....

I'm just unsure what ingredients duke had in the early 80's that butler doesn't have now.

Well, I think we'd all agree that drawing an eight seed is not the ideal method for winning the NCAA tournament. Stevens did a historically magnificent job in those two tourney runs, but the reason we hold that run in such high esteem is because he did it from a relatively low seed both times. Consistent tournament success is pretty reliant on getting high seeds, and it remains to be seen whether Butler will be able to recruit the players to attain a one seed under any but the most ideal circumstances. This year Stevens might for the first time get higher than a five, but I would caution that even this year, after beating Indiana and last night's heroic game, Butler is only #33 in kenpom, suggesting that a reversion to the mean is probable in conference play. By this point in his Duke tenure, K had already bagged some elite recruits, and that hasn't yet happened for Stevens. It may--it probably will--but the slowness with which it has transpired points to an overall greater difficulty in recruiting to Butler. A Catholic league would ameliorate that, but as I argue above, only to an extent.

[rsvman]

I like Brad Stevens a great deal and think he would make a fine successor to Coach K.
But there were TWO great college basketball coaches in that arena last night, not one. I think Coach Few is greatly under appreciated. He's done a lot with very little for quite some time now.

In the event that Duke wants to look outside the Duke family for its next coach, I would also put Mark Few on the short list.

[fidel]

Don't forget Matt Doherty is available.

[Durham Thunder]

It's awfully hard to imagine Duke not hiring Collins or Wojo. They've established themselves as fixtures of Duke, and of Duke leadership. Actually, with his head coaching experience in hand, Capel might be in that pool in a few years as well.

In regards to Mark Few, he is absolutely one of the best coaches in the country. However, it's often overlooked that he has never made it past the sweet 16 in his 13 years at Gonzaga....that's tough to ignore. Anyway, Brad Stevens is to basketball what Chris Petersen is to football. Even if Duke came calling, it's hard to imagine him leaving Butler.

Then again, every now and then there are those Chip Kelly occurrences when coaches catch the nation completely off guard.

[Cameron]

It's awfully hard to imagine Duke not hiring Collins or Wojo. They've established themselves as fixtures of Duke, and of Duke leadership. Actually, with his head coaching experience in hand, Capel might be in that pool in a few years as well.

In regards to Mark Few, he is absolutely one of the best coaches in the country. However, it's often overlooked that he has never made it past the sweet 16 in his 13 years at Gonzaga....that's tough to ignore. Anyway, Brad Stevens is to basketball what Chris Petersen is to football. Even if Duke came calling, it's hard to imagine him leaving Butler.

Then again, every now and then there are those Chip Kelly occurrences when coaches catch the nation completely off guard.

I agree with everything, except for with regard to Chip Kelly. That guy planned on leaving Oregon for the NFL the day he was born.

As for Mark Few, while he has obviously enjoyed great success at Gonzaga, he stepped into a rather perfect situation when Dan Monson left Spokane in 1999. When Few took over the program, Gonzaga was coming off the heels of an Elite Eight run with a slew of stars coming back for the next two to three years. Casey Calvary. Richie Frahm. Matt Santangelo, Corey Violette, Zack Gourde, etc. Those guys then propelled the Zags to two more Sweet 16s in Few's first two seasons at the helm.

Granted, Few deserves enormous credit for keeping Gonzaga relevant and turning the school into a power. That right there makes Few a legend on the West Coast. But, since the last of the three straight Sweet 16s came in 2001, the Zags have reached the Sweet 16 just twice and never again got to the Elite Eight. Even with a NPOTY candidate in Dan Dickau as well as other talented players like Blake Stepp and Rony Turiaf in 2002 (two of which would go on to play in the NBA), Gonzaga lost in the first round of that season's tournament to 11-seeded Wyoming.

I don't think it's fair to say at all that Few has had less talent to work with than Brad Stevens, as another poster indicated. Brad Stevens has accomplished much more in four years than Mark Few has in 13.

[mapei]

Personally I would be ecstatic to see Stevens hired as K's successor. And I'd be intrigued to see someone like Shaka Smart, too.

I agree that there seems to be a strong bias in favor of hiring within the family. But I'm not sure there should be. There is *no one* who can coach K's system better than K. No knock on Jeff or Dawk or Collins/Wojo, or even Tommy, but I think it's plausible that they would have a harder time fully believing in themselves as a #1 when they are succeeding the person they have always been administratively inferior to than would someone coming from the outside.

I've watched this happen at UNC and Gtown. Roy now has national-power status comparable to Dean's, without the longevity, but it took the failures of Gut and Doh to come in between. By the time Roy came in, he had been a successful head coach at a prestigious program and enough time had passed since Dean's retirement so that it was a bit easier for him to fully claim leadership. At Georgetown, Esherick was pretty much a disaster following Big John after being Big John's top assistant for a decade; JT3 has done better, particularly in rebuilding a classy program off the court, and has achieved consistent top-20 status on the court. But that still feels like a letdown for those with long memories, and Big John continues to cast a long shadow, attending every practice and even the summer league games. As an alum and big fan of the program, I've never seen the team without Big John present somewhere in the building, even if he has no "official" basketball title. JT3 does seem sure of himself without being at all cocky, but I wonder if he wouldn't be able to do even better if there were more of a break from the past.

I hope Duke gives a fair chance to external candidates and that K really does step aside and fully get out of the way when a hire is made, no matter who it is. He should be *available* for consultation, of course - you'd be crazy not to have that - but I worry a bit if we limit the search to insiders. It's going to be a gamble either way, I guess.

[rifraf]

I "worry" about Collins or Wojo simply from the standpoint that they will be following in the footsteps of their friend and mentor, having spent years in K's system. It is likely that they will keep a similar system but unfortunately, no one will ever be K. I think it might be better to have someone who isn't K come in and not have to worry about both winning and succeeding but also the additional comparisons that will be levied if it's one of his direct assistants. I'd love to see Collins and Wojo take other programs to national championships, while Stevens takes Duke to some.

Worry is in quotes because I think they're both phenomenal coaches and would do well at Duke, I just think it'll be tough to follow in the footsteps of someone like K if your entire coaching experience is right under him.

Does anyone have any examples of schools/teams where a highly successful coach's assistants stepped right in and continued to sustain success over years? I'm sure there are some out there.

[toooskies]

I agree with everything, except for with regard to Chip Kelly. That guy planned on leaving Oregon for the NFL the day he was born.

Then the shock was the brief time when he decided to stay at Oregon!

[Dev11]

then don't count out this guy.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/lopresti/2013/01/28/ronald-nored-butler-brownsburg-indiana/1870607/

Why even target Stevens when we can get his protege instead?

By the way, I think that this story is awesome. Good luck to Coach Nored and the Bulldogs.

[Newton_14]

Stevens' brilliance was on display at the end of the first half. Gonzaga hit a shot with ~45 seconds left. With the game clock running, Butler waited the full 5 seconds to inbound the ball, then rolled it in and didn't touch it for another 5 seconds. As a result, they were in a position to take the last shot of the half, because the game clock and the shot clock wound up basically equal. If I remember correctly they didn't convert, but nevertheless, their clock management in that situation effectively prevented their opponent from getting an extra possession. That, quite simply, is great coaching.

I've said it before and I still believe it whole-heartedly: Brad Stevens needs to be the next coach of the Duke Blue Devils.


Great strategy, and great post, carefully describing the way Butler managed to synchronize game and shot clock. This play exemplifies superb game management to help your team win.

And it's the sort of thing I've wondered whether K - who's always trying to get the last shot at the end of the first half - has thought about. Namely, that at the end of the first half, with the game clock still running, the shot clock doesn't begin until it's touched by the team inbounding the ball. And the inbounding team has 5 seconds to get it in.

That Stevens seems clearly to have thought about it is very impressive. To say that I hope Stevens coaches a long time at Butler would seem to eliminate him from those I "hope" might replace K. I admire Stevens a whole lot. I actually hope he coaches his entire career at Butler and wins an NC or 2. I hope no one "steals" him from Butler. I especially hope he does not succeed Roy.

I kind of disagree on this one. With 45 seconds left on the clock, K would have gone "2 for 1" there. He does it almost everytime. Quinn would have rushed it up, we would have taken a quick jumper, and if it goes in great, but either way, the other team will end up with a shot clock on their final possession of the half, and Duke will have the ball last with no clock, as K prefers.

Agree that Stevens is a great strategist in his own right though. I just feel it is better to go 2 for 1 if the opportunity presents itself.

[Duvall]

I kind of disagree on this one. With 45 seconds left on the clock, K would have gone "2 for 1" there. He does it almost everytime. Quinn would have rushed it up, we would have taken a quick jumper, and if it goes in great, but either way, the other team will end up with a shot clock on their final possession of the half, and Duke will have the ball last with no clock, as K prefers.

Agree that Stevens is a great strategist in his own right though. I just feel it is better to go 2 for 1 if the opportunity presents itself.

True, but in this situation Butler was able to get a "1 for none," which is better still.

[Wander]

True, but in this situation Butler was able to get a "1 for none," which is better still.

Agreed, and I'd even think about it this way: rushing a shot in a few seconds should on average be a worse shot than getting a full 35 seconds to run offense. So it's not a 2-for-1 compared to a 1-for-none, it's something like 1.5-for-1 compared to 1-for none.

[brevity]

then don't count out this guy.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/lopresti/2013/01/28/ronald-nored-butler-brownsburg-indiana/1870607/

Why even target Stevens when we can get his protege instead?

By the way, I think that this story is awesome. Good luck to Coach Nored and the Bulldogs.

Wow, the search is over. Ronald Nored is 22 years old. Quoted in part:


"This is all I've wanted to do for a very long time, since I was a junior in high school,'' he said, sitting in his office, with a picture of Butler's Final Four banners on the wall. "In college, people would say, 'You want to play basketball after this (professionally)?' No, I don't want to play basketball. When my senior year is over, I want to coach.''

By the time Coach K retires, Coach Nored will be a very youthful... 44? 55? It's hard not get excited with the possibility. Even Robo-Bilas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxgQNXOr_Ng) will have a hard time trying to sound neutral with this choice.

[DevilWearsPrada]

Brad Stevens, hands down. I could see him coaching in Cameron some day...


I have said this since the Final Four tournament in 2010 in Indianapolis. We drove to the Butler campus on Easter Sunday 2010, just a few minutes away from Lucas Oil Stadium where the Championship games were played.

Brad Stevens is a very smart young coach and extremely poised and mannered. He never seems to sweat or lose his cool or religion on the court!!! Reminds me of the Clark Kent (Superman) character and how he engaged in conversation with Lois Lane in being very humble and somewhat meek.

I like Coach Chris Collins, and he has more responsibilities than most DIV 1 head coaches have! Along with building a stacked resume with the USA team, and Olympics 2008 and 2012; that would make Chris a wonderful Head Coach!! Chris learned so much growing up with his father and around NBA teams.

Other young coaches I like include: Tommy Amaker, Johnny Dawkins and Shaka (Shaka, Shaka Chan) Smart!

[House G]

I'll throw out another name to keep an eye on: Mike White. He happens to be the son of Kevin White, Duke AD.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1542396-ncaa-basketball-tournament-sleeper-michael-whites-louisiana-tech-bulldogs

[Orange&BlackSheep]

At Georgetown, Esherick was pretty much a disaster following Big John after being Big John's top assistant for a decade; JT3 has done better, particularly in rebuilding a classy program off the court, and has achieved consistent top-20 status on the court. But that still feels like a letdown for those with long memories, and Big John continues to cast a long shadow, attending every practice and even the summer league games. As an alum and big fan of the program, I've never seen the team without Big John present somewhere in the building, even if he has no "official" basketball title. JT3 does seem sure of himself without being at all cocky, but I wonder if he wouldn't be able to do even better if there were more of a break from the past.


I think you are missing the fact that JTIII is Big John's son. he was an absolute fixture at games when JTIII was at Princeton, and I really find it hard to believe that any young player at this point has a clue who John Thompson II is in any way that diminishes JTIII's authority.

O&B Sheep

[dukelifer]

I have said this since the Final Four tournament in 2010 in Indianapolis. We drove to the Butler campus on Easter Sunday 2010, just a few minutes away from Lucas Oil Stadium where the Championship games were played.

Brad Stevens is a very smart young coach and extremely poised and mannered. He never seems to sweat or lose his cool or religion on the court!!! Reminds me of the Clark Kent (Superman) character and how he engaged in conversation with Lois Lane in being very humble and somewhat meek.

I like Coach Chris Collins, and he has more responsibilities than most DIV 1 head coaches have! Along with building a stacked resume with the USA team, and Olympics 2008 and 2012; that would make Chris a wonderful Head Coach!! Chris learned so much growing up with his father and around NBA teams.

Other young coaches I like include: Tommy Amaker, Johnny Dawkins and Shaka (Shaka, Shaka Chan) Smart!

Shaka's team dominated Stevens' team today. Huge win for what will be a dangerous tourney team.