Trojan Basketball Coaching Candidates

Eric Sondheimer of the LA Times mentioned the following names for the USC vacancy. Here’s my take on each:

• Jamie Dixon, Pitt: The press (and us bloggers) would love this idea, pitting mentor vs. apprentice in a cross town shoot out. (Here’s my Star Wars themed entry from a couple months ago). Move over Duke-UNC (well, not quite). No doubt USC will leave a message, but will Dixon return the call? Dixon’s consideration probably  center around how the recent allegations could possibly affect Trojan basketball in the future.  If the circumstances were clean, it would be hard for Dixon not to jump back to his homestate in a major market and a fresh new arena. But they aren’t, so assume Dixon stays put. If called, he’ll listen
• Reggie Theus, formerly Sacramento Kings: Theus has not been shy about expressing his interest in returning to the college ranks, most recently when the Arizona job was open. USC does like to pick from the professional leagues (read: Tim Floyd and Pete Carroll). If offered, he’d sign.
• Craig Robinson, Oregon State: We’re at least a year too early. Robinson turned the Beaver’s program around, but remember, he has only been there a year. That said, his brother-in-law ran for president with less than a full term of experience. When the time is right, it’s right. Even still, Robinson would be a surprise hire.
• Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s: For every Pac 10 opening, Bennett’s name inevidabley comes up. He brushed off Oregon State two years ago, but if he brushed off USC, what exactly would he be waiting for? If offered, he’d sign.
• Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech: I assume his name is mentioned because of his familiarity with the terrain–he coached Long Beach State in the 1990’s. Don’t expect him to be called because his name would not generate enough buzz. Speaking of LBS, current coach (former Gopher coach) Dan Monson’s name also has flown around.

I tend to side with the thesis that Southern Cal will look to the NBA for some new blood using past choices has evidence. Joining Theus in this category, Jeff Van Gundy, Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons have been mentioned. Don’t be surprised to see an NBA coaching alum off the rumor mill list.

Links: Mack, Geving, Thomas round out the Carousel

Xavier found their man in house. So did Portland State. And Isiah “Thompson” Thomas is starting off pro-bono at FIU. He’s not sunshine to everyone. Speaking of Florida, Richard Pitino (Rick’s son) is headed south too, filling VCU’s Shaka Smart’s vacancy at Florida.

And then the 2009 NCAA Men’s Hoops Coaching Carousel purred to a stop. Will these hot coaches make the A.D. short lists next season? We’ll see you back here then!

Links: Fans choose Mack, Pennell hired, Henry’s down to KU and UK

• Assistant Chris Mack interviewed at Xavier, and so might South Carolina’s Darrin Horn.  According to the Cincinnati Enquier, the candidate list includes,  Siena’s Fran McCaffery, Butler’s Brad Stevens, Wright State’s Brad Brownell, Ohio’s John Groce, Western Kentucy’s Ken McDonald, Bowling Green’s Louis Orr, and TCU’s Jim Christian. Stevens and McCaffery recently got extensions while Brownell is staying mum. Mack remains the fan favorite. Click on the tab above for other “Hot Coaches.”
• Arizona new coach Sean Miller is doing his own coaching search. Will he retain his current assistants, and/or add someone with left-coast recruiting pipelines, and/or add his brother Archie? Both Sean and Archie have learned under the cross state rival.
• Speaking of the Wildcats, Russ Pennell lands at Grand Canyon.
• Xavier Henry gets his release from Memphis, probably either to follow DeMarcus Cousins to Kentucky or his family tradition to Kansas.
• Josh Pastner wasn’t expecting the Memphis offer; he was in his sweatpants when it happened.

Question: Who should coach Xavier?

“This Machine will continue to move.”

These are the words of Sean Miller during his somber press conference in which he confirmed that he will be heading West to Arizona.

While “a machine” is debatable, indeed Miller has elevated a program that already has a very strong tradition. Xavier is the force  in the Atlantic 10, much like Memphis in the Conference USA. And the Musketeer’s Sweet 16 appearance this year is but one feather in the Musketeer’s cap: since joining the A-10 in 1995, they have made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, two of which were capped in the Elite Eight. According to Forbes.com, they are a top 20 basketball program.

Possibly emerging as one of the front runners is current Xavier assistant Chris Mack. While Miller would not officially vouch for him today, previously Miller has said this about Mack:

“Chris is ready to become a head coach. He has a great basketball mind and is an excellent recruiter.”

Mack is also a Musketeer alum, who played for then coach  Skip Prosser. Mack later became an assistant under Prosser at Wake Forest with some pretty successful teams.

A dark horse?  Archie Miller, Sean’s brother. Archie is an assistant at Ohio State, and his name has been mentioned for other head coaching vacancies like Virginia Commonwealth. Realistically though, it may be sort of awkward to given Archie’s connection with two former Xavier coaches; his brother and his boss, Thad Matta.

What candidates do you think should be considered for the Xavier basketball job? For updated candidate lists, click on “Candidates” above.

Links: Miller to Arizona, Pastner elevated at Memphis, Bone heads north

Bam, bam, bam. On the afternoon of the national championship, the coaching carousel winds to a putter as the last three big jobs are filled.

• Sean Miller fills the Arizona gig, opening up a spot at Xavier. Arizona fans like the hire.
• Memphis taps young but experienced assistant Josh Pastner to succeed John Calipari. Pastner developed a great reputation among Arizona’s NBA alums. The big question: can he save the Tiger’s recruiting class?
• Portland States’ Ken Bone has reportedly accepted the Washington State job. Utah State’s Stew Morrill had withdrawn his name.
• Utah coach Jim Boylen say he was contacted by both Arizona and Memphis, though of course, both jobs have just been filled!!

Pastner run at top recruit

Many eyes have been following the Memphis opening, and none more so than the Tiger’s top recruits Demarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry. Recently Henry’s dad, a Kansas alum, said his son was favoring Kansas. And make no mistake that Tiger A.D. R.C Johnson was listening. One factor leading to  the hiring of new Memphis coach Josh Pastner, probably was who would be most likely able to keep the current recruiting class in tact. Pastner was known as a players’ coach from his days at Arizona, and could have the best shot.

Already, Pastner is taking a significant action according to the Sporting News:

According to the source, Pastner would hire former Kansas player Carl Henry as the program’s director of operations, which would keep signed recruit Xavier Henry, Carl’s son, in the program.

This has worked in the past, most recently when Kansas alum Mario Chalmers’ father held the same position in Lawrence.

Links: Calhoun’s future; Miller, Drew, Pastner, Hamilton and Bone updates

• Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun is not jumping to any quick decision:

“I’ve said I will look, like I do every spring,” Calhoun said. “Dean Smith (who retired at 67) gave me the best advice. Don’t take it after your worst loss or best win. Wait until the spring, make an evaluation, how excited are you to coach next year?”

• Foxsports.com’s Jeff Goodman reports Arizona is zooming in on Xavier coach Sean Miller:

“He has not committed to meeting them yet,” one source said. “It’s a tough decision for him. It could go either way.”

• Baylor’s Scott Drew removed his name from consideration for the Memphis gig. Could the Tigers go after current assistant Josh Pastner? Former Arizona players love him. Memphis Commerical Appeal’s George Calkins says the Memphis job search hasn’t been a PR masterpiece, and adds Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton to the candidate list.

• Portland State’s Ken Bone just had his Cougar job interview. And has WSU contacted Utah State coach Stew Morrill?

Coaches with NBA-scars work; new breed of coach prospects?

Every college coach wants to be the next Larry Brown. Unfortunately, there is just one LB. And it’s been documented and documented how college coaches keep learning this–that they cannot make the transition to the NBA.

Many of these coaches though, they are smarter than we may think. When they return (and they do), they’ve got major cache. Just ask John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Tim Floyd and Mike Montgomery. They can remove their sports jackets,  roll up their  sleeves and flex their NBA war scars. Recruits cannot get enough of this, as evident by each signing day.

And since recruits love these scars so do athletic directors. It’s not surprising then to see recent Golden State Warriors coach Reggie Theus’ name thrown around for the Arizona and Memphis job.  Theus is a scarce commodity as the college-to-pros pool of candidates is quite small. Of all currrent NBA head coaches, only the Wizard’s Brown (Kansas and UCLA) and the Pacer’s Jim O’Brien (Dayton) have collegiate head coaching experience. (Gregg Popovich’s brief stint at Division III Pomona-Pitzer doesn’t count).

Message to Billy Gillespie: give the NBA a try. Kelvin Sampson is already one step ahead of you.

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This brings us to a new breed of NCAA basketball coaching prospect: NBA coaches who haven’t been back on a college campus with a tie or loafers. Terry Porter (mentioned for Washington St.) and Avery Johnson (message boarded for Memphis) fit this category.

If hired, this breed of coach should be given time. Managing life with 365 days/year of recruiting, class attendance-monitoring, booster-appeasing, etc…. and etc.  is a whole new basket of worms. Let’s not even mention the differing style of play. These coaches, with  administration help, should surround themselves with people who can help smooth this bumpy road.

Do you think Porter or Johnson can make the jump? The Trail Blazer or the Maverick? The results they produce if chosen could set a trend for similar hires in upcoming years.

Update: Terry Porter has removed his name for consideration.

Links: Lute’s boys speak, quicker Fox, Xavier Henry’s lead, Bobby Knight luv

• Some Wildcat hoops alums are calling for Josh Pastner. Reggie Theus stumps for job. Also, here’s the word on Xavier’s Sean Miller, Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg, Creighton’s Dana Altman and  Clemson’s Oliver Purnell. Jeff Capel is likely to stay put.

• If as ESPN’s headline state’s “Georgia is quick as a Fox,” then Nevada is quick like a fox on steroids hiring David Carter.

• According to blogger Adam Zagoria, Memphis top recruit Xavier Henry says what he hears about the Tigers job:

I’ve been told [by sources at Memphis] either Reggie Theus or Avery Johnson [could be the new coach]. That’s what I  hear.”

• Washington State is interviewing former Indiana coach Mike Davis. Speaking of  Indiana, the Bobby Knight Luv Fest continues, and I’m not talking about Facebook. Plus, add Utah State coach Stew Morrill’s name, and delete Terry Porter’s.
• Boston University may be waiting for Villanova’s associate head coach Pat Chambers’ season to end.

Links: ‘Zona’s plan, longer Memphis list, top Nevada candidate, new Cal Poly coach

This link basket is filled to the brim:

• The Tuscon Citizen’s Gimino says Arizona may be looking to “Plan G”:

[Tim] Floyd on Thursday, when asked what Arizona had told him during his visit to Tucson a day earlier, said: “They just told me that they would like to have me as their coach yesterday morning.”

• Meanwhile, the Memphis Commerical Appeal  says the Tiger War Room may be regrouping with Bruce Pearl and Tim Floyd signing new deals. So what about Baylor’s Scott Drew, or drumroll…Beaver First Coach Craig Robinson (Michelle’s bro). If you asked the message board gang, they would add NBA seasoned coaches Avery Johnson and Reggie Theus to the wish list.

• Is Nevada’s associate head coach David Carter a front runner for the Wolf pack opening? All he would have to do is drop the “associate.” Carter recruited and coached a couple NBA players including Ramon Sessions, and Kirk Snyder. Former coach Mark Fox vouches for him.
• Cal Poly announced they have hired Seattle University head coach Joe Callero. So who’s on SU’s list? Start with Washington assistant Cameron Dollar. Remember him from his UCLA days?
• Trail Blazer great Terry Porter visited with Washington State players. Hmm….

For full lists of school candidates, click on the Candidates tab above.