Coach K to .. Toledo!

[mu_hilltopper]

No, the other Coach K.  Our Coach K.


Green Bay's Kowalczyk to interview in Toledo today

by Bill Scott on March 30, 2010

in Sports

Tod Kowalczy

kUW-Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk is set to interview for the coaching vacancy at Toledo today.  Kowalczyk, who just finished his 8th season in Green Bay, is said to be the leading candidate for the opening.

Toledo is seeking a replacement for Gene Cross, who resigned after going 11-53 in two seasons.

Kowalczyk reportedly met with his players before leaving for Toledo and told them if things went well and he were offered the job, he planned to take it.

Kowalczyk is 44-24 over the last two seasons in Green Bay and 136-112 overall.

Kowalczyk's base salary at Green Bay is $133,132.  Toledo appears to be ready to offer a base of around $280,000 with incentives that could bring that figure up to $300,000.

If Kowalczyk leaves for Toledo, the Phoenix could consider assistants from the current staff, including Brian Wardle who was a former playing standout at Marquette.  Green Bay could also promote a pair of division 3 coaches with ties to the Phoenix.  Gary Grzesk is the head coach at St. Norbert College and Bob Semling is the head coach at UW-Stevens Point.

http://www.wrn.com/2010/03/green-bays-kowalczyk-to-interview-in-toledo-today/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WrnNews+%28WRN+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

[GGGG]

He should go.  That salary is terrible for a D1 coach.

[mu_hilltopper]

$133k in Green Bay means you're rollin' in a 2 year old Escalade!

[GOMU1104]

Looks like its a done deal.

[Maryland Warrior]

Great tease headline!! Nice job

[The Lens]

The JS Packers beat man Greg Bedard tweeted that Wardle is the next head coach.

The Mike Deane Tree Grows!

Rice
Bargen
Wardle

[mu_hilltopper]

Done deal:

The University of Toledo has called a news conference for 2pm today to name Tod Kowalczyk its new men's basketball coach.

Kowalczyk is 136-112 in his 8 seasons in Green Bay.  The Phoenix went 22-13 this season, good for third place in the Horizon League.

Kowalczyk will replace Gene Cross, who resigned earlier this month after posting an 11-53 record in two seasons.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will likely hold a news conference soon thereafter, to discuss their coaching vacancy.

[mu-rara]

Done deal:

The University of Toledo has called a news conference for 2pm today to name Tod Kowalczyk its new men's basketball coach.

Kowalczyk is 136-112 in his 8 seasons in Green Bay.  The Phoenix went 22-13 this season, good for third place in the Horizon League.

Kowalczyk will replace Gene Cross, who resigned earlier this month after posting an 11-53 record in two seasons.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will likely hold a news conference soon thereafter, to discuss their coaching vacancy.

Enlighten me.   Is this a good career move?

[Litehouse]

Enlighten me.   Is this a good career move?

He's going from a salary of $133k at GB to a salary in the range of $280k-$300k at Toledo.  Other than that, I suppose it depends on personal preference on whether it's a good move or not.

[Ari Gold]

He's going from a salary of $133k at GB to a salary in the range of $280k-$300k at Toledo.  Other than that, I suppose it depends on personal preference on whether it's a good move or not.

I feel like the MAC is a step up from the Horizon

[MUSF]

It seems like Toledo should be a better program in the MAC.  There location between Detroit and Cleveland seems like it would lend itself to getting some guys that want to stay close to home but aren't talented enough for the UM, MSU, OSU type programs.  I guess that probably isn't as true today as it was years ago though.

[Canadian Dimes]

i think it is a good move more than doubling his pay and moving into a better conference and like Musf much better to recruit in Ohio than recruitng a bunch of Norwegians up der in da bay. 

[reinko]

Toledo is a metropolis compared to GB.  They even one of those fancy places with all the different kinds of stores and restaurants, called a mall.

[MUSig54]

As a current grad student of Toledo, it'll be interesting. Never followed the teams here, however, except for maybe seeing how the football team is doing.

The University itself isn't that bad and is in a nice part of town. Toledo itself though is like a mini-Milwaukee. Lots of bars downtown, nice restaurants scattered everywhere, and yes, even a mall. A lot better one than Grand Ave too.

[bma725]

Enlighten me.   Is this a good career move?

Probably.  

Toledo is absolutely terrible right now.  So he's got some time to improve them.  Will he get the same 8 years he got at UWGB?  Doubtful.  But they are more than doubling his salary, and while it's probably a tougher conference it's also a more wide open conference.

Only downside is he's leaving a UWGB team that was finally starting to play the way most thought they would, and he's from the GB area.

[mu-rara]

Thanks.  Makes more sense now.  I was thinking that salary was the only reason, but if MAC is considered a better conference, then it makes more sense.

[MUBurrow]

the MAC is wide open too, and sets Pseudo-K up for another step up if he can succeed.  GB is a tough place to recruit, even for the Horizon (Butler, UWM, UIC, Cleveland, Detroit all seem like better places for Horizon talent).  At Toledo, K isnt at any type of disadvantage compared to the other MAC teams, and without a powerhouse program to speak of, K probably thinks he could set up a team for a nice little run.  A couple of conference wins and some tourney berths and all of a sudden he's in the discussion for low level BCS jobs. 

[schubert33]

He signed a 7 year contract.

Source =  My sister in law is his wife.

[spartan3186]

He signed a 7 year contract.

Source =  My sister in law is his wife.

Maybe I'm mis-reading this... but wouldn't that make him your brother?

[RawdogDX]

Maybe I'm mis-reading this... but wouldn't that make him your brother?

No, it's his wife's sister's husband.

[KCmastapeace]

Growing up in the 419 aka Toledo I can tell you that there is plenty of talent pools for Coach K to go after, especially within the city and suburbs themselves.  However to me and almost everyone from there its one of those cities that you grow up in, but then want to explore college outside of!  Stan Joplin had many successful years and Toledo and my family and I enjoyed many great games at Savage hall!  Best of luck to Coach K.

PS Toledo's best player last year was a frosh from Wauwatosa named Jake Barnett.  He did one year of prep school out east before joining UT.

[MikeyT42]

As for what UWGB could do.

Hiring Bob Semling would be a good move. Really fantastic coach. Won a DIII National Championship this year with the Pointers!!!!

Also on Coach K's Staff is Jason Kalsow. Very Good basketball mind and was quite the player at UWSP. Him and Nick Bennett gave a Travis Diener MU team fits and fits at the Bradley Center back in 2004. (UWSP went on to win the D-III title year as well under Jack Bennett)

[Dawson Rental]

No, the other Coach K.  Our Coach K.


Green Bay's Kowalczyk to interview in Toledo today

by Bill Scott on March 30, 2010

in Sports

Tod Kowalczy

kUW-Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk is set to interview for the coaching vacancy at Toledo today.  Kowalczyk, who just finished his 8th season in Green Bay, is said to be the leading candidate for the opening.

Toledo is seeking a replacement for Gene Cross, who resigned after going 11-53 in two seasons.

Kowalczyk reportedly met with his players before leaving for Toledo and told them if things went well and he were offered the job, he planned to take it.

Kowalczyk is 44-24 over the last two seasons in Green Bay and 136-112 overall.

Kowalczyk's base salary at Green Bay is $133,132.  Toledo appears to be ready to offer a base of around $280,000 with incentives that could bring that figure up to $300,000.

If Kowalczyk leaves for Toledo, the Phoenix could consider assistants from the current staff, including Brian Wardle who was a former playing standout at Marquette.  Green Bay could also promote a pair of division 3 coaches with ties to the Phoenix.  Gary Grzesk is the head coach at St. Norbert College and Bob Semling is the head coach at UW-Stevens Point.

http://www.wrn.com/2010/03/green-bays-kowalczyk-to-interview-in-toledo-today/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WrnNews+%28WRN+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Damn!  A coach being honest with his players about the likelihood of his leaving.  I like this guy even better than I did when he was at MU.