McCallie resigns; who'll coach next?

[miramar]

I'm out of bourbon and I'm too scared to go out and get another bottle, so how am I going to celebrate this?

Oh, well, I'm sure I'll think of something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VM2eLhvsSM

[Phredd3]

Her statement indicated she is passing on her final year compensation so not sure what kind of settlement there is.

No, it said she is foregoing "the majority of her compensation". Taken literally, that's a range from $1 to around $700K. I'd guess she got a several hundred K parachute, but that's probably worth it from a Duke point of view to get a new hire in quickly to try to turn the recruiting ship around. Depending on who the hire is (my money is on Beard), there's still time to land good prospects for '21-'22. Given that the team comes back to campus at the end of the month, I'm guessing the new hire will be announced over this weekend.

[jimsumner]

The pay cut was not a factor. This decision didn't come out of nowhere. It wasn't spur-of-the-moment.

Her husband has retired from teaching, their daughter has graduated and is out in the world and their son is at Northwestern, rising sophomore I believe.

So, they are empty nesters and presumably have the financial resources to do whatever they want, wherever they want.

I do not expect to see her coaching again. But I can see her behind a microphone someday. If Seth Greenberg can make the move then McCallie can.

Big question. Does Duke still have a hiring freeze and if so, are they willing to suspend it for this hire? If not, then one of the assistants becomes an interim.

Look for Gail Goestenkors' name to be floated around. A lot. But Duke needs to find out if she's serious about jumping back into the game at age 57. It's one thing to muse about it publicly. It's another thing to commit to the work and it's a lot of work.

Duke alums Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Joy Cheek are all out there. But head coach?

Or does Duke go the younger, cheaper route? Lots of talented, hungry 30-somethings would jump at the chance. I mean turn cartwheels, Simone-Biles level jumping.

I absolutely think Duke's reputation or profile or "brand" is still very, very high and the right hire can and will put Duke back in the nationally elite category in a few years. Not next year, maybe not 2022. But definitely by 2023.

I wish McCallie well. She's always been open and candid with me and I have no doubt she did her level best to win games the right way. She's been involved in things like cancer research and mental-health issues and by involved, I mean really involved. She deserves respect for that.

But 13 years is a long time to be a head coach at a high-profile program. It was always an awkward match and eventually it just became unsustainable.

Next play.

[nmduke2001]

Maybe the second half of 2020 won't be so bad after all!

[rocketeli]

I remember the last time a Duke basketball program hired a coach that wasn't already a "big name" and IIRC it worked out pretty well.

[Phredd3]

Big question. Does Duke still have a hiring freeze and if so, are they willing to suspend it for this hire? If not, then one of the assistants becomes an interim.

Duke does still have a hiring freeze, but hiring and compensation policies expressly do not apply to contracted positions. Given the position the team was in, I would be shocked if the trustees didn't approve an immediate move.

Look for Gail Goestenkors' name to be floated around. A lot. But Duke needs to find out if she's serious about jumping back into the game at age 57. It's one thing to muse about it publicly. It's another thing to commit to the work and it's a lot of work.

Duke alums Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Joy Cheek are all out there. But head coach?

Goestenkors would be a mistake, IMO. That's a look backward, and she was at a very high level when she left Duke. Her time at Texas doesn't really count from an expectation point of view. Anything less that a Natty would still be regarded as a failure for her, and she'd only get four recruiting classes to make that happen. That's a big ask for someone who's been out of coaching for that long.

Agree with the concerns about players who have never coached before, but both have been pros and have seen a lot of the behind-the-scenes action at the next level. I think they could handle it, at a relative bargain price, and if they don't work out, it would be easy enough to cut bait in three or four years and hire a marquee name once sports are more or less back to normal operations. This year is going to be a challenge for anyone, and a young, fresh coach won't have preconceived notions about how things "should" be going.

[uh_no]

Big question. Does Duke still have a hiring freeze and if so, are they willing to suspend it for this hire? If not, then one of the assistants becomes an interim.

there are hoops to jump through, but people have been hired. I imagine such a position might follow different rules than your everyday ho-hum positions.

[dukelifer]

The pay cut was not a factor. This decision didn't come out of nowhere. It wasn't spur-of-the-moment.

Her husband has retired from teaching, their daughter has graduated and is out in the world and their son is at Northwestern, rising sophomore I believe.

So, they are empty nesters and presumably have the financial resources to do whatever they want, wherever they want.

I do not expect to see her coaching again. But I can see her behind a microphone someday. If Seth Greenberg can make the move then McCallie can.

Big question. Does Duke still have a hiring freeze and if so, are they willing to suspend it for this hire? If not, then one of the assistants becomes an interim.

Look for Gail Goestenkors' name to be floated around. A lot. But Duke needs to find out if she's serious about jumping back into the game at age 57. It's one thing to muse about it publicly. It's another thing to commit to the work and it's a lot of work.

Duke alums Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Joy Cheek are all out there. But head coach?

Or does Duke go the younger, cheaper route? Lots of talented, hungry 30-somethings would jump at the chance. I mean turn cartwheels, Simone-Biles level jumping.

I absolutely think Duke's reputation or profile or "brand" is still very, very high and the right hire can and will put Duke back in the nationally elite category in a few years. Not next year, maybe not 2022. But definitely by 2023.

I wish McCallie well. She's always been open and candid with me and I have no doubt she did her level best to win games the right way. She's been involved in things like cancer research and mental-health issues and by involved, I mean really involved. She deserves respect for that.

But 13 years is a long time to be a head coach at a high-profile program. It was always an awkward match and eventually it just became unsustainable.

Next play.

There is no question that Duke will get a good coach but Duke will have limited resources to hire. She did a good job early - Duke has its moments during her tenure- but the reputation of Duke Women’s Basketball dropped under her and that is a shame. We will see what the future brings.

[uh_no]

There is no question that Duke will get a good coach but Duke will have limited resources to hire. She did a good job early - Duke has its moments during her tenure- but the reputation of Duke Women’s Basketball dropped under her and that is a shame. We will see what the future brings.

While the performance and reputation of the team dropped, I don't think it will have too much of an impact on the desirability of the position, fortunately. Duke is still duke, and has all the benfits that come with that

- being duke
- cameron
- the athletics facilities
- the UNC rivalry

[CameronBlue]

Oh, I see. I was on the wrong thread searching for calm and level-headed discussion. I don't follow our women's team very carefully, but I know McCallie brings up strong opinions.

I have occasionally commented about what I felt were the shortcomings of McCallie's teams but I don't see this as a day to celebrate. I do see it as a day that provides an opportunity for DWB.

[BD80]

... I can see her behind a microphone someday. If Seth Greenberg can make the move then McCallie can.

...

If Seth Greenberg can make the move then Gollum can.


As this season teeters on the brink due to Covid-19, this could be an interesting time for all programs, but particularly new coaches. If a player were to transfer to Duke this summer, but the 20-21 season is not played, would the player be eligible in 21-22 for Duke? Would that burn a year of eligibility?

I would think that Duke can offer athletes an extra measure of security in living and training in a Covid world, particularly basketball players, with the investments made in training facilities, health monitoring, etc and with its association to a world class medical facility.

This is a very ripe opportunity for the right coach who has Coach K like management skills. If any exist.

[budwom]

another way of putting is that it'll be easier to follow McCallie than it will be to follow K....hope Kevin White puts on his thinking cap for this one...

[jimsumner]

The bring-back-Goestenkors crowd cites Mack Brown as an example of you-can-go-home-again.

One scenario that has been floated to me is GG comes back on a term-limited contract, with Beard as the top assistant and designated successor.

Learn the ropes.

I would love to have Alana Beard back at Duke. She's bright, articulate and has the personality that should translate to immediate success on the recruiting trail. And great name recognition. But there's a learning curve, not just the X's and O's part but also the CEO running a big program part. Is she able to hit the ground running?

Same questions with Harding.

[dudog84]

We need to show some respect for this decision. By my calculation she's walking away from over a million dollars and giving Duke a year jump start to rebuild. Since she won't be coaching again, it would have been very easy for her to take the money and say screw all y'all. Let it go.

[uh_no]

If Seth Greenberg can make the move then Gollum can.


As this season teeters on the brink due to Covid-19, this could be an interesting time for all programs, but particularly new coaches. If a player were to transfer to Duke this summer, but the 20-21 season is not played, would the player be eligible in 21-22 for Duke? Would that burn a year of eligibility?

I would think that Duke can offer athletes an extra measure of security in living and training in a Covid world, particularly basketball players, with the investments made in training facilities, health monitoring, etc and with its association to a world class medical facility.

This is a very ripe opportunity for the right coach who has Coach K like management skills. If any exist.

While I don't give the NCAA credit often, they did the right thing extending eligibility for spring athletes. I'd imagine they'd be sane here and count the missed season as the sit-out year...but who knows...

[gadzooks]

Would like to see us go after Lindsey Hardin or Alana Beard. Hopefully duplicate what Dawn Staley has done at South Carolina as a former player turned coach. Their connections with Coach G's program would be invaluable. I believe they both could recruit well at Duke. Their experiences in the professional ranks would also be a plus.

I am not sure what either one earns presently, but we probably would not have to break the bank to hire them.

Alana retired from the WNBA this spring, and started a new career at a VC firm, so whether she'd want to forgo that to coach would be a question, but who knows? They can always ask. She also started broadcasting with the ACC Network, though only got a couple chances to do that before everything was called off, so maybe she would want to get back into basketball.

[DU82]

Would like to see us go after Lindsey Hardin or Alana Beard. Hopefully duplicate what Dawn Staley has done at South Carolina as a former player turned coach. Their connections with Coach G's program would be invaluable. I believe they both could recruit well at Duke. Their experiences in the professional ranks would also be a plus.

I am not sure what either one earns presently, but we probably would not have to break the bank to hire them.

Dawn Staley was an established coach at Temple before heading to USC. (Most coaches are former players, of course.)

The more direct players to coaches include Minnesota and Virginia, and the jury’s still out on those recent moves.

[Phredd3]

One scenario that has been floated to me is GG comes back on a term-limited contract, with Beard as the top assistant and designated successor.

If Beard, as future head coach, were willing to accept such a scenario, that would be great, IMO. But I can think of reasons both for and against that from her point of view.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Now, as far as a successor, here's a suggestion that is both "out of the box" and yet still "in the box".
> Chris Carrawell <

C-Well was an assistant on the women's team a few years ago, before moving to various men's team positions in the office before moving to the bench as an assistant coach. Without first hand knowledge, I believe he does want to be a head coach at some point, and this could be the opportunity to get one.

No comments on my suggestion? I'm surprised.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Yesssssssssss!!!!!!