New Name - McCaffrey

[NavinRJohnson]

Chicagotribune.com's Skip Myslenski reports today that "word on the street is Marquette is looking at Siena coach Fran McCaffrey as a possible replacement for Crean."

[Pakuni]

Because we've had fantastic luck with Siena coaches in the past?

[Dish]

In the "Who and How Much?" thread, I put a sawbuck on him yesterday.

[The Lens]

Since the McGuire tree died out, we've hired 4 coaches.

Two were hot assistants
Two were small school head coaches

The two ACs turned out much better than the small school HCs*.  If we can't get a big time Head Coach, it would be beyond me why wouldn't go and get the #1 hot assistant (who is not named Buzz Williams).


*And this is coming from Mike Deane's biggest fan, but facts are facts

[mwbauer7]

Who is the #1 hot assistant?

[Phi Iota Gamma 84]

Who is the #1 hot assistant?

Greg Gard and Gary Close

[CTWarrior]

This is way too big a leap for this guy. 

He's a low major guy and should prove himself at a mid-major conference (Horizon, Colonial, or better)  before making the move to the Big East.  I live in MAAC country (it's also NEC country although most people would call it Big East country) and being a hoops junkie I catch around 8 Fairfield U games a year.  The MAAC is a very poor conference and will not prepare a guy for the Big East.  Guys who leave that conference and make the big leap (namely Deane and a bunch of guys from Manhattan) all seem to fail when they reach the big time. 

I really do not want this guy.

[NavinRJohnson]

Seems providence or even UMass would be more logical destinations for him anyway.

[nyg]

No thanks.  He is a Digger protege.

[Tom Crean's Tanning Bed]

Ugh, no. 

Looking at his Wikipedia bio, the guy sounds like a middling mid-major coach at best.  Lehigh to UNC Greensboro to Siena?  At 48 years old, there's a reason why he hasn't even cracked to a CAA or MAC-type job yet.  It might be that career .547 winning percentage.

I'd rather take John Groce from OSU or Buzz over this guy any day of the week.