MBB Coaching Carousel 2021

[RPS]

I wish I wrote these sentences. I need to add 'counterfactuals', 'nexus causality', and 'vexing' to my posts more often.

I could have gone with the Inside Carolina version: Evaluating coaches is gnarly, dude.

[sagegrouse]

One opinion on the Scheyer-to-DePaul conjecture. "That's a lot of Coach K assistants on the shores of Lake Michigan." Are they wearing out their welcomes?

[CrazyNotCrazie]

One opinion on the Scheyer-to-DePaul conjecture. "That's a lot of Coach K assistants on the shores of Lake Michigan." Are they wearing out their welcomes?

That's clever. Though now that Wojo is gone from Marquette, some capacity is freed up.

I agree with others that it doesn't hurt for Scheyer to interview, but I don't think this is a really good fit. His Chicago ties are valuable, but it is still a tough job. And the recent improvement of Illinois (excluding its tournament performance) just makes it harder - I know that Illinois is a few hours away but it is still an intriguing option for Chicago kids when they are doing well.

[tommy]

That's clever. Though now that Wojo is gone from Marquette, some capacity is freed up.

I agree with others that it doesn't hurt for Scheyer to interview, but I don't think this is a really good fit. His Chicago ties are valuable, but it is still a tough job. And the recent improvement of Illinois (excluding its tournament performance) just makes it harder - I know that Illinois is a few hours away but it is still an intriguing option for Chicago kids when they are doing well.

And I'd think Loyola Chicago is looking like a pretty good option for Chicago kids about now, as long as Porter Moser is there. He has a good chance at leading them to their second Final Four of the last three played . . .

[dudog84]

A lot of us here are showing our age. DePaul hasn't been a relevant basketball program in 30 years (have won 1 NCAA game in that span and haven't even made the tourney 90% of the time).

Mark Aguirre (that's really going back) is not walking through that door.

[Spanarkel]

Speaking of Pitinos, here's my mad scientist take for the day.

I think Indiana should consider courting Rick Pitino. I'm taking the contra case as a given and assuming you can make it all in your heads by the time you finish reading this paragraph. Stay with me here for the pro case, for the sake of argument.

Setting: Indiana is down. A little bit worse than down, because they've now squandered their last high water mark, the three S16s in four years with Crean, with a hire that completely didn't work out. As we've discussed, they're running on the fumes of their legacy. It's still a good job, but not a great one. OSU and MSU stay good, but now Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa, who were down, are up, way up in Michigan's case, and you've added Maryland too. The conference is tougher. Many of the factors that make Bloomington one of the most desirable college towns in the country to aging nerds like me probably aren't high on the list or attractions to 18yo who probably regard the place as kinda middle of nowhere.

Another limitation the school has in the current marketplace for talent is this old school "wholesome farm boy" value which--let's not go into this but at least quickly glance at its relevance for recruiting purposes--is not without a racial vector. There's been a culture there of AfAm players being cool and all as long as they know their place and seem like the right sort, or something like that. Past ethics, this also makes it harder to recruit the coasts/Chicago/Detroit than it needs to be. Enough said, I hope that's within the rules.

So at IU, you are attempting to rebuild from a lower floor than the before the last successful period. Demographic tides are moving away from you. Keeping up with the B1G Joneses is harder. You owe the fired coach a stack of bills. You need to get nationally relevant again, and most anybody who's already nationally relevant won't want to risk their reputation for what is nowadays a second tier job. You need a splash.

Pitino comes with obvious negatives, but could solve a number of problems.

1) Long history of successful rebuilds, salvaging Kentucky from the mess left by Sutton and Louisville from tailing off during late Crum. He's already done what you're asking him to do at plus basketball schools, twice. And he has Iona back in NCAAT for first time in 40y.

2) Older but not prohibitively so (68). A successful 7y contract would get him to retirement and have you building from a much higher floor, if it works out.

3) Instant recruiting chops, which helps you with three four five stars from the coasts, including NYC. You've got the kid from Wabash thing covered. You need help convincing top talent from big cities to pick you over Duke/UNC/UM/MSU/OSU/&c.

4) His damaged-goods status is exactly why you can get him. And pay him well, but less than you'd have had to a few years ago.

5) His performance probably has a high floor. While you have to pay him, that gives you a minute to get out from under the Miller contract, because you won't have to fire another experiment, in year three.

6) Mouse Sports suddenly won't shut up about you. Duke made more news for a next-next-four out season that you did for firing your coach. Pitino shows up and they'll be yakkityyakking about you as much or more than MSU/Izzo and UM/Howard.

7) The man already knows the Ohio River Valley, which, by the way,

8) Stick a sfork right in Kentucky's eye.

What's in it for Pitino:

1) Salvage reputation hit from UL on the national stage rather than at Iona.

2) Get paid B1G salary, not Iona salary.

3) Coach third legendary program in HOF career, take sixth program to NCAAT. Who's done that?

4) The bar for success isn't quite as suffocating as if, say, he'd followed RMK at IU in 2000/2001 when he started at UL. Getting them back to several NCAATs would be an improvement on now, a few S16s better than that, and even just one FF would make him a savior. That's different from where Mike Davis was post-2002.

You make it clear to him that the leash for funny business is incredibly short; he's less likely to test it because this is his posterity tour.

Drawbacks I haven't mentioned. Mrs Pitino supposedly hates places smaller than NYC metro.
Not a long term solution, though that's kind of the point. He could act up and get you in trouble, obviously, but you're already in a deep hole.

At least talk to him. It's so crazy it just might work.

Would just interject that IU did welcome Indiana Mr. Basketball Bill Garrett in 1947, 18 years before Duke integrated its men's basketball team.

[SlimSlowSlider]

From the Chicago Tribune (story is very recent):

"DePaul is zeroing in on New York Knicks assistant coach and former Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne, a source confirmed to the Tribune.

Stadium’s Jeff Goodman first reported the news and wrote Payne will interview for the opening to replace Dave Leitao, who was fired last week.

DePaul athletic director DeWayne Peevy worked closely with Payne when they were together at Kentucky. Peevy was at Kentucky for 12 seasons, working his way up to serve as deputy athletic director for seven years. Payne was an assistant and later associate coach from 2010-20."

[Steven43]

Stadium’s Jeff Goodman first reported the news and wrote Payne will interview for the opening to replace Dave Leitao, who was fired last week.

When is the last time Dave Leitao had one of the best teams (top 3-4) in his conference on a consistent basis?

[CameronBornAndBred]

When is the last time Dave Leitao had one of the best teams in his conference on a consistent basis?

The answer to that probably leads to why he was fired.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

From the Chicago Tribune (story is very recent):

"DePaul is zeroing in on New York Knicks assistant coach and former Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne, a source confirmed to the Tribune.

Stadium’s Jeff Goodman first reported the news and wrote Payne will interview for the opening to replace Dave Leitao, who was fired last week.

DePaul athletic director DeWayne Peevy worked closely with Payne when they were together at Kentucky. Peevy was at Kentucky for 12 seasons, working his way up to serve as deputy athletic director for seven years. Payne was an assistant and later associate coach from 2010-20."

Kenny Payne was on the 86 Louisville team.

Too soon?

[MChambers]

Kenny Payne was on the 86 Louisville team.

Too soon?

Rhetorical question?

[wsb3]

Kenny Payne was on the 86 Louisville team.

Too soon?

It is always too soon CNC.

[dudog84]

Kenny Payne was on the 86 Louisville team.

Too soon?

You just have to bring the Payne, don't you?

[JasonEvans]

And I'd think Loyola Chicago is looking like a pretty good option for Chicago kids about now, as long as Porter Moser is there. He has a good chance at leading them to their second Final Four of the last three played . . .

Porter Moser is gonna be there maybe three more weeks. I'd be stunned if he does not get a major conference offer after what he has done the past few years. Prior to his arrival at Loyola, they had not made a NCAA tournament since the mid-1980s... and it wasn't like they were regularly getting to the NIT in that time either. He's turned them into a mid-major powerhouse and it sure seems like they have a legit chance to make a 2nd final four in the past three tournaments.

No way he does not get a big time job after this year.

[tommy]

Porter Moser is gonna be there maybe three more weeks. I'd be stunned if he does not get a major conference offer after what he has done the past few years. Prior to his arrival at Loyola, they had not made a NCAA tournament since the mid-1980s... and it wasn't like they were regularly getting to the NIT in that time either. He's turned them into a mid-major powerhouse and it sure seems like they have a legit chance to make a 2nd final four in the past three tournaments.

No way he does not get a big time job after this year.

I agree with you. He'll get offers. But how good will those jobs be? If you were he, would you leave Loyola Chicago at this time, considering what you've built, for DePaul? I wouldn't. For Utah? Considering the Illinois/midwest roots you've got, I'm not so sure about that one either. Indiana, obviously yes. Other jobs are going to open, of course, but I don't think Moser is going to feel like he has to jump at just any high major job.

[sagegrouse]

One opinion on the Scheyer-to-DePaul conjecture. "That's a lot of Coach K assistants on the shores of Lake Michigan." Are they wearing out their welcomes?

In addition to Wojo and Collins, there's Brey -- ND is only 15 miles from Lake Michigan. Of course, Brey was recruited from his HC position at Delaware, not from the Duke bench, like so many others. Brey was a K assistant, however, for eight years.

Kindly,
Sage
'BTW Brey was 99-52 in five years with the Blue Hens, including two NCAA appearances and one NIT showing'

[cruxer]

Kenny Payne was on the 86 Louisville team.

Too soon?

My man, it's only been 35 years. WAY TOO SOON.

[brevity]

Looks like we missed this: Kevin Kruger was hired Sunday as head coach at UNLV.

kevinkruger.jpg

Some thoughts:

1. Here is a list of every UNLV head coach (including interim head coaches) since Jerry Tarkanian departed in 1992:

Rollie Massimino
Tim Grgurich
Howie Landa
Cleveland Edwards
Bill Bayno
Max Good
Charlie Spoonhour
Lon Kruger
Dave Rice
Todd Simon
Marvin Menzies
T.J. Otzelberger
Kevin Kruger

The Duke curse at work? Good luck, Kevin.

2. Look at that picture above. Kevin Kruger is like the Boba Fett of college basketball, a clone/child of his father Lon Kruger. (You can see them both in this video.) Why didn't Duke think of this? We could have cloned Mike Krzyzewski back in 1992, and have a 29-year-old Mewtwo Krzyzewski (or his twin sister, Maslany Krzyzewski) waiting in the wings now.

[Stray Gator]

Looks like we missed this: Kevin Kruger was hired Sunday as head coach at UNLV.

. . .

2. Look at that picture above. Kevin Kruger is like the Boba Fett of college basketball, a clone/child of his father Lon Kruger. (You can see them both in this video.) Why didn't Duke think of this? We could have cloned Mike Krzyzewski back in 1992, and have a 29-year-old Mewtwo Krzyzewski (or his twin sister, Maslany Krzyzewski) waiting in the wings now.

Funny story: At the 1994 National Championship game in Charlotte, after the semifinals when Duke defeated Florida, I was gifted a ticket from a well-connected Gator friend who had to return home, and was surprised to find myself sitting with the UF coaching staff and team about 8 rows behind the Duke bench. Seated next to me was Kevin Kruger, who was then 10 years old; on the other side of him were his parents, and in the rows below us were the Gator players.

When I was given the ticket, my friend instructed me that it came with a condition: I had to refrain from cheering openly for Duke, because it would have been considered bad form for people in the Florida contingent to be seen cheering for the opponent of a fellow SEC team. I wasn't asked to cheer for Arkansas; just to try maintaining a show of neutrality.

What made the story funny is that young Kevin was a Duke fan, and it didn't take long for us to become a very low-key, out-of-camera-view cheering section of two. As we all know, the outcome of the game was unfortunate for our Blue Devils. But seeing Kevin grow and become a player and now a coach himself brings a smile as I recall that shared experience.

[MChambers]

Looks like we missed this: Kevin Kruger was hired Sunday as head coach at UNLV.

kevinkruger.jpg

Some thoughts:

1. Here is a list of every UNLV head coach (including interim head coaches) since Jerry Tarkanian departed in 1992:

Rollie Massimino
Tim Grgurich
Howie Landa
Cleveland Edwards
Bill Bayno
Max Good
Charlie Spoonhour
Lon Kruger
Dave Rice
Todd Simon
Marvin Menzies
T.J. Otzelberger
Kevin Kruger

The Duke curse at work? Good luck, Kevin.

2. Look at that picture above. Kevin Kruger is like the Boba Fett of college basketball, a clone/child of his father Lon Kruger. (You can see them both in this video.) Why didn't Duke think of this? We could have cloned Mike Krzyzewski back in 1992, and have a 29-year-old Mewtwo Krzyzewski (or his twin sister, Maslany Krzyzewski) waiting in the wings now.

So UNLV is going for the double Kruger?