2018 Coaching Carousel

[Pakuni]

Tubby Smith officially out at Memphis.
Penny in?

[Oldgym]

Thad Matta not headed for UGA.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/college-basketball-coaching-rumors-thad-matta-georgia-mark-fox-replacement/1f68n7velcfmx1hco4p3ca20wu

[Marcus92]

Wow, Smith only got 2 years at Memphis. Seems like he's getting diminishing returns with each school he lands at. Will he even coach again?

Incredible that he left Kentucky for Minnesota after making 10 straight NCAA tournaments (with no first-round losses), advanced to the Sweet 16 six times and the Elite Eight 4 times, plus won a national title. That's not too far removed from what Al accomplished at Marquette from 1967-1977.

[Floorslapper]

Tubby Smith officially out at Memphis.
Penny in?

Book it.  Tubby knew the writing was on the wall.  Assume you saw the legal proceeding his attorney filed against Hardaway?

[The Lens]

Memphis went 10-8 in conference this year.  I realize it's easy to pick up wins against the bottom of the AAC and I know their RPI was 100+ but still it's incredible he's gone after 2 years.

[muguru]

Pitt met with Crean earlier this week.

[Herman Cain]

Pitt met with Crean earlier this week.

Would be a perfect job for him. Nothing but upside.

[skianth16]

Is Steve Lavin ever in any of these vacancy conversations? I kind of forgot about him until I saw a clip of him in a TV gig, but I always thought he was a fairly well-respected coach, even though his last couple years at SJU weren't so hot.

[brewcity77]

Wow, Smith only got 2 years at Memphis. Seems like he's getting diminishing returns with each school he lands at. Will he even coach again?

Maybe not high major, but there's a rumor High Point may go after Tubby. He is an alum and they just fired their coach, Scott Cherry.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Maybe not high major, but there's a rumor High Point may go after Tubby. He is an alum and they just fired their coach, Scott Cherry.

Just inching his way down the totem pole.

[MU82]

Pitt met with Crean earlier this week.

This would be a good move for both parties.

Crean is good at these kinds of situations, and there's no reason Pitt can't be a good program again.

[LAZER]

This would be a good move for both parties.

Crean is good at these kinds of situations, and there's no reason Pitt can't be a good program again.

Agreed, I think he would do really well there.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Agreed, I think he would do really well there.

"Really well?"

Sounds like a stretch for Crean, like him or not he is above average at running a program, no better.  He has quite a track record to this point and none of his numbers indicate that hes done really well anywhere that he has been.

[GGGG]

Wow, Smith only got 2 years at Memphis. Seems like he's getting diminishing returns with each school he lands at. Will he even coach again?

Incredible that he left Kentucky for Minnesota after making 10 straight NCAA tournaments (with no first-round losses), advanced to the Sweet 16 six times and the Elite Eight 4 times, plus won a national title. That's not too far removed from what Al accomplished at Marquette from 1967-1977.

Well he "left" because the wolves were at his door.

[Marcus92]

I believe Smith was inducted into the UK Athletic Hall of Fame not too long ago.

[Billy Hoyle]

Is Steve Lavin ever in any of these vacancy conversations? I kind of forgot about him until I saw a clip of him in a TV gig, but I always thought he was a fairly well-respected coach, even though his last couple years at SJU weren't so hot.

No, After his cancer scare, he's happy doing TV and living in California.

[Oldgym]

"Really well?"

Sounds like a stretch for Crean, like him or not he is above average at running a program, no better.  He has quite a track record to this point and none of his numbers indicate that hes done really well anywhere that he has been.

Crean has two undeniably solid rebuilds on his resume.  I'm sure Pitt's new AD is aware of his ceiling as a game coach, but between finding better players and refilling the [empty] Pete with fans, I don't know that you'll find anyone more proven.

[GooooMarquette]

Wow, Smith only got 2 years at Memphis. Seems like he's getting diminishing returns with each school he lands at. Will he even coach again?

Incredible that he left Kentucky for Minnesota after making 10 straight NCAA tournaments (with no first-round losses), advanced to the Sweet 16 six times and the Elite Eight 4 times, plus won a national title. That's not too far removed from what Al accomplished at Marquette from 1967-1977.

As sultan said, the writing was on the wall.  It wasn't necessarily his overall resume that was the problem, it was the trajectory.

His championship was in year 1, all of his Elite Eights and Sweet Sixteens were in the next seven years, and his final two years were both Second Round exits after finishing 9-7 in the SEC.  At most schools they'll build a statue of any coach who does that, but the UK fans considered him a failure for only getting to 1 Final Four in 10 seasons.

Also note that his NC (1998) came with mostly Pitino holdovers who were coming off a 1996 Championship and a 1997 Runner-Up (which might have been a NC but for an injury to Derek Anderson).  So he walked into a ready-made contender; all he had to do was not screw things up.

Bottom line: the impressive numbers at UK were mostly because it was UK and the Pitino holdovers.  If you look at his post-UK career, history has shown him to be a so-so coach: 2 wins in the tournament in 6 years at MN, 0 in 3 years at Texas Tech, 0 in 2 years at Memphis.

[TedBaxter]

And Crean has the experience of having been an assistant at Pitt at one time, so he has that going for him.

[GGGG]

I believe Smith was inducted into the UK Athletic Hall of Fame not too long ago.

Well sure.  He won a national championship for them and had a number of other accomplishments.  He should be honored for his work with them.

But that doesn't mean he wasn't on thin ice when he left there.

[Pakuni]

Pete Thamel is reporting that Crean will meet with Georgia today.
Georgia is a better job than Pitt, IMO. Tons of talent in state, an athletic department with lots of money, and a less imposing conference.

[Charlotte Warrior]

He'd do well at Georgia, better situation than Pitt.   Heck, I'd swap for Crean today if we could.   Who here wasn't disappointed when he left.

[Archies Bat]

He'd do well at Georgia, better situation than Pitt.   Heck, I'd swap for Crean today if we could.   Who here wasn't disappointed when he left.

A dentist.

[MarquetteDano]

He'd do well at Georgia, better situation than Pitt.   Heck, I'd swap for Crean today if we could.   Who here wasn't disappointed when he left.

Oh Boy.  PR Nightmare and a chorus of posters will answer this one!

[GGGG]

He'd do well at Georgia, better situation than Pitt.   Heck, I'd swap for Crean today if we could.   Who here wasn't disappointed when he left.

I wasn't terribly disappointed. It was obvious he topped out here.  I wouldn't want him back not because I dislike the guy, but because we've already seen that.