Jerrance Howard

[Bieberhole69]

Since it appears that Weber is all but gone at Illinois and that Buzz is pretty close with Jerrance Howard, is there any chance Buzz lands him on his bench?  I did a quick Google search and it looks like he's getting 180k from Illinois, it could definitely be more than that though.  Does anyone know what MU currently pays its assistants and does anyone know the extent of Buzz and Howard's relationship.  Landing Howard would be huge.

[🏀]

Landing Jerrace Howard would be a great get, would be Buzz's best recruit of the year.

If I'm Illinois, I'm giving JH a real good look at the Bruce Weber vacancy. Their fans are demanding better, but that would be a good step up like Buzz was for Marquette.

[MU82]

What an incredible idea. Howard is young, dynamic and great at earning the trust of athletes. In a short period of time, he has become one of the nation's best recruiters.

If I'm Jerrance, I'm thinking I've proven enough to move up to top-assistant category somewhere, and I doubt that's something Williams would be able to give him. If, however, Howard is willing to settle for a role similar to what he has now, only for double the money, he'd be Marquette's best hoops hire since, well, Buzz.

[Nukem2]

Landing Jerrace Howard would be a great get, would be Buzz's best recruit of the year.

If I'm Illinois, I'm giving JH a real good look at the Bruce Weber vacancy. Their fans are demanding better, but that would be a good step up like Buzz was for Marquette.

IL should give Howard the job.

[MU82]

It probably wouldn't be unprecedented, but it still would take a heck of a leap of faith to give such a high-profile job to a guy that young with that little time on the bench and zero head-coaching experience at any level.

I'm sure Illinois could do a lot worse, though.

[murara1994]

It probably wouldn't be unprecedented, but it still would take a heck of a leap of faith to give such a high-profile job to a guy that young with that little time on the bench and zero head-coaching experience at any level.

I'm sure Illinois could do a lot worse, though.

Sounds almost exactly like the decision to give the job to Buzz.

[GGGG]

Sounds almost exactly like the decision to give the job to Buzz.

Not really.  Howard is more than ten years younger than Buzz and has only been a top assistant since 2008.  (He was an administrative asst and director of basketball operations before then.)  Buzz was an assistant for 12 years before New Orleans hired him.

I mean, Josh Pastner had significantly more experience when he was hired than Howard would have.

Looks like he worked with Buzz at Texas A&M though.  Given that connection, he very well might get hired if we lose Collins or Benford.

[brewcity77]

I'm definitely in the minority, but I think Illinois should give Tony Benford a look. Strong recruiter in Chicago, ties to Texas and out west, and the top assistant at a currently trendy program. It'd be the minority hire their alumni are calling for. If that happens, I say go for Howard, but I think it'll be hard to lure him off their bench otherwise. If we can get him, I'm all about it, but I'm sure we wouldn't be the only ones looking, and with top assistants like Benford, Collins, and Monarch all getting looks for HC gigs in the past, one of them might need to get a job to make room for Howard.

[GGGG]

I'm definitely in the minority, but I think Illinois should give Tony Benford a look.

I think Benford would be a GREAT hire for Illinois.  Way better than Howard IMO. 

That being said, I think it would be a tough sell since Illinois fans think they should get Buzz...not one of his assistants.

[MUMac]

I think Benford would be a GREAT hire for Illinois.  Way better than Howard IMO. 

That being said, I think it would be a tough sell since Illinois fans think they should get Buzz...not one of his assistants.

I really would hate to see Benford go, but I really think he is ready and deserving of a head job.  If he does go, Howard would make a leathal combination with Buzz.

[Nukem2]

I really would hate to see Benford go, but I really think he is ready and deserving of a head job.  If he does go, Howard would make a leathal combination with Buzz.

I suspect Howard would be retained if someone else would get the IL job.

[Bieberhole69]

I suspect Howard would be retained if someone else would get the IL job.

I'd imagine they would try to keep him on, but will he want to stay?

[MU82]

Not really.  Howard is more than ten years younger than Buzz and has only been a top assistant since 2008.  (He was an administrative asst and director of basketball operations before then.)  Buzz was an assistant for 12 years before New Orleans hired him.

I mean, Josh Pastner had significantly more experience when he was hired than Howard would have.

Looks like he worked with Buzz at Texas A&M though.  Given that connection, he very well might get hired if we lose Collins or Benford.

You beat me to this answer, Sultan. Jerrance is 30 years old and has hardly any bench experience period. It's nothing like Buzz.

[Nukem2]

Patner was 31 when he got the Memphis HC job and had virtually no bench experience prior to that.  He was a recruiter as is Howard.  Can remember seeing Buzz and Pastner at the coffee shop at Mithcell Field when Buzz was pursuing him.  Wow, Pastner looked like a kid making the Butler coach look like an old man.

[RJax55]

Not really.  Howard is more than ten years younger than Buzz and has only been a top assistant since 2008.  (He was an administrative asst and director of basketball operations before then.)  Buzz was an assistant for 12 years before New Orleans hired him.

I mean, Josh Pastner had significantly more experience when he was hired than Howard would have.

Looks like he worked with Buzz at Texas A&M though.  Given that connection, he very well might get hired if we lose Collins or Benford.

To add to this, the Illini really need a coach to come in and shake-up the culture of the program. They have talent, but lack an identity and most of all, a toughness. I'm not sure that elevating a current staff member is going to cure what ills the Illini.

[SaveOD238]

If Benford went to Illinois, we should set up a home-and-home with them or a yearly duel at the United Center.  There's a lot of rivalry potential there.

[MarsupialMadness]

sources say kendall gill is the frontrunner for the job

[brewcity77]

If Benford went to Illinois, we should set up a home-and-home with them or a yearly duel at the United Center.  There's a lot of rivalry potential there.

It surprises me how seldom this happens. Huggins played KSU this year, but for the most part, the coach matching up with his ex-job seems pretty rare. I would love to see it if it happened, though. But I don't expect Benford to get a serious look, unfortunately. I do think he's ready, and think he'll make a great HC, but I have a feeling he'll end up at a mid-major before he gets into the B10 or another high-major conference.

[GGGG]

sources say kendall gill is the frontrunner for the job

Is Kendall himself the source of that rumor?  He hasn't done anything to deserve consideration for that job.

[RJax55]

Is Kendall himself the source of that rumor?  He hasn't done anything to deserve consideration for that job.

C'mon Sultan, he does post-game for Bulls basketball on Comcast SportsNet.

[MerrittsMustache]

That being said, I think it would be a tough sell since Illinois fans think they should get Buzz...not one of his assistants.

Exactly.

[GGGG]

C'mon Sultan, he does post-game for Bulls basketball on Comcast SportsNet.

Heh...Tony Smith is now qualified to be MU coach!!!

[MU82]

To add to this, the Illini really need a coach to come in and shake-up the culture of the program. They have talent, but lack an identity and most of all, a toughness. I'm not sure that elevating a current staff member is going to cure what ills the Illini.

When he arrived at Illinois, Bill Self kept Rob Judson from the previous staff and was very glad he did. Gave continuity to both recruiting and player relationships without creating too much carryover (Self brought in all other assistants). Jerrance Howard hardly is the reason the Illini suck. If he's the only holdover, it would be only a positive thing.

[RJax55]

When he arrived at Illinois, Bill Self kept Rob Judson from the previous staff and was very glad he did. Gave continuity to both recruiting and player relationships without creating too much carryover (Self brought in all other assistants). Jerrance Howard hardly is the reason the Illini suck. If he's the only holdover, it would be only a positive thing.

Sure, keeping Howard on staff as an assistant coach for a new head man would make sense. And, my guess is, that will happen.

The point I was making was that promoting Howard to be head-coach would be a very questionable move. The Illini need somebody to shake-up the program, and I don't see how a current staff member could do that. IMO, it is going to take someone from the outside to do so.

[MU82]

Agree 100 percent.

And if I were trying harder, I'd agree 110 percent.