OT: 2021 Coaching Carousel

[MU82]

In The Athletic, Dana O'Neil answers readers' questions about the trends of this season's coaching carousel, dealing specifically with how it might affect the search for K's eventual replacement; and she also gives thoughts about Shaka ...

What does the UNC search say about the appeal of coaching at the top tier of programs, and what, if anything, does that foreshadow about Duke's eventual search to replace Coach K? — Zach A.

Really interesting question. Not too long ago North Carolina and Indiana both would have had their pick of who to hire, both jobs among the rarefied blue bloods that people would crawl to. Things are different. Everyone is paying good money, building posh facilities, getting top players and winning games — and without the added pressure of blue-blood expectations.

The people that normally would be at the front of the line for those jobs — Jay Wright, Mark Few — have made it very clear that they aren't budging and frankly, it seems as if their contentment is creating a new normal among other coaches. You don't have to leave to get what you want, so why bother?

Duke certainly will be an interesting test when it eventually comes open. If you stay in the family, the once-obvious choices — Chris Collins, Steve Wojciechowski and Jeff Capel — aren't so obvious anymore. Jon Scheyer hasn't been a head coach yet. Maybe Bobby Hurley becomes an option, depending on how things go at Arizona State. Or maybe the Blue Devils are blessed with fortuitous timing and Brad Stevens and/or Billy Donovan are ready for a return to the college game.

But it will be interesting when it happens, because the need to ladder climb has chilled considerably.

Shaka Smart to Marquette. Thoughts? — Brigid S.

I like it, for both parties. Smart was wise to get out of Texas when he did, and Marquette was smart to bring him home. It's about more than just local ties — though I like that Smart already is scouring the Milwaukee area for recruits and making inroads at home.

Say what you want about his tenure at Texas, but he's been to eight of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments. And he's only 43. His style of play works, and I think it will work especially well in the Big East. It is not nearly as arduous a climb to rise in that league as it is in the Big 12. He inherits a passionate fan base who will jump on board with two feet, especially after their frustration with the Wojo Reign, and he can concentrate on the caliber of recruit that suits him, instead of worrying about winning pointless and arbitrary class ranking wars.

I give Smart a lot of credit for getting out while the getting was good at Texas, and finding a landing spot where he can be instantaneously successful.

[Oldgym]

Great read by Dana on Marquette, and not just because I like what she's saying.  You can feel the change of attitude, and that was true even before this week.

[MU82]

Great read by Dana on Marquette, and not just because I like what she's saying.  You can feel the change of attitude, and that was true even before this week.

I especially like her line about "pointless and arbitrary class ranking wars."

[Galway Eagle]

I especially like her line about "pointless and arbitrary class ranking wars."

Was that Wojo's strategy? I mean the "instead" would imply that it's what was happening right?

[GooooMarquette]

I especially like her line about "pointless and arbitrary class ranking wars."

Yep. If he gets good kids who fit his system, work hard, improve, and stick around, I think he can do very well. And I won't care what their composite ranking was...

[avid1010]

I took the class ranking comment as a shot at Texas...like Shaka had to worry about signing all 5 star talent and that MU he can just recruit the players he wants without everyone, but a few on scoop, counting stars next to a recruits name.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I took the class ranking comment as a shot at Texas...like Shaka had to worry about signing all 5 star talent and that MU he can just recruit the players he wants without everyone, but a few on scoop, counting stars next to a recruits name.

At football schools, fans take national signing day off for gridiron recruits. It's a beauty pageant.

[genious expert]

I took the class ranking comment as a shot at Texas...like Shaka had to worry about signing all 5 star talent and that MU he can just recruit the players he wants without everyone, but a few on scoop, counting stars next to a recruits name.

Yep. Whether that's true or not who knows, but that seems to be a common narrative.

[NickelDimer]

I don't think you could summarize Shaka to Marquette better than Dana did. She has a perfect read on the situation.

[MU82]

Was that Wojo's strategy? I mean the "instead" would imply that it's what was happening right?

Perhaps.

But wojonolongermatta

[shoothoops]

Recruiting analyst Brian Snow is joining Micah Shrewsbury's staff at Penn St. as Director of Recruiting.

[keefe]

At football schools, fans take national signing day off for gridiron recruits. It's a beauty pageant.

That's because Alabama grads can just call in to McDonald's to get out of working their shift that day...

[brewcity77]

Recruiting analyst Brian Snow is joining Micah Shrewsbury's staff at Penn St. as Director of Recruiting.

Never thought I'd be jealous of Penn State, but this feels like an incredibly savvy hire. Snow won't be recruiting himself, but likely knows who to call and who the best contacts are all across the country. He'll be able to speed up the process when it comes to getting close to any recruit out there.

[Nukem2]

Never thought I'd be jealous of Penn State, but this feels like an incredibly savvy hire. Snow won't be recruiting himself, but likely knows who to call and who the best contacts are all across the country. He'll be able to speed up the process when it comes to getting close to any recruit out there.

Interesting hire.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Never thought I'd be jealous of Penn State, but this feels like an incredibly savvy hire. Snow won't be recruiting himself, but likely knows who to call and who the best contacts are all across the country. He'll be able to speed up the process when it comes to getting close to any recruit out there.

Like Dave Kaplan at NIU back in the day.

[MU82]

In his college basketball "mailbag" article, Eamonn Brennan answered a question about who his favorite coaching hires were this offseason. (The questioner was a Penn State fan who thought his school did well hiring Micah Shrewsberry.)

I also love the Shrewsberry hire. Beard to Texas, for me, is the real winner here; the Longhorns had one guy they wanted to get, one guy who made perfect sense, and they went out, put the money together and made the big-boy hire. (Indiana tried to do the same thing with Brad Stevens; it just didn't work out. It's the right strategy at that level of the game.) One expects the Longhorns to be really good, really quickly. Also, Wes Miller at Cincinnati. When you can emerge from an ugly spring by snagging a guy a lot of people thought was going to succeed Roy Williams at UNC, you've done pretty well for yourself as a program.

No mention of Marquette in the entire mailbag. The previous one, IIRC, did talk about MU and Shaka.

[shoothoops]

In his college basketball "mailbag" article, Eamonn Brennan answered a question about who his favorite coaching hires were this offseason. (The questioner was a Penn State fan who thought his school did well hiring Micah Shrewsberry.)

I also love the Shrewsberry hire. Beard to Texas, for me, is the real winner here; the Longhorns had one guy they wanted to get, one guy who made perfect sense, and they went out, put the money together and made the big-boy hire. (Indiana tried to do the same thing with Brad Stevens; it just didn't work out. It's the right strategy at that level of the game.) One expects the Longhorns to be really good, really quickly. Also, Wes Miller at Cincinnati. When you can emerge from an ugly spring by snagging a guy a lot of people thought was going to succeed Roy Williams at UNC, you've done pretty well for yourself as a program.

No mention of Marquette in the entire mailbag. The previous one, IIRC, did talk about MU and Shaka.

The questioner mentioned Shrewsbury so it make sense Shrewsbury is mentioned. Next the person answering (Brennan) focuses his answers on coaches who have had high levels of success.

Beard, was an NCAA Runner up in 2019 and Elite 8 2018.

Stevens is an NBA coach of a higher profile NBA team. And he had back to back NCAA Runner Ups a decade ago prior.

It isn't all that surprising Smart wasn't mentioned in the answer. It may not have even been intentional. Much reaction I have seen has been indifferent to lukewarm positive. Not extreme great or bad. It's an unknown. He wasn't successful enough at Texas. So, it's been a while for him to have a profile as high as these other coaches mentioned. Perhaps if the questioner asked specifically about Marquette as he did Penn St. there would have been a more specific MUBB reference and perhaps positive. We don't know.

Wes Miller was likely mentioned because of the recent UNC opening which is a higher profile place.

Had Smart been more recently successful at Texas, and jumped to Marquette, he perhaps would have been more likely to have been mentioned. (it's not surprising that neither Smart nor MUBB are at the tip of some people's tounges lately.)

The general feedback I have seen and received, is, "Interesting hire perhaps a change of scenery could work for Smart and therefore Marquette." He hasn't won an NCAA Tourney game since 2013. I believe Smart has a chance to be successful at MUBB (no guarantee) but it isn't surprising that some people out there don't have his name (or Marquette) on the tip of their tounge right now. That will change as Marquette and Smart have success at MUBB winning games.

[The Sultan]

And really, it doesn't matter anymore what the pundits say.  If he wins, it was a great hire.  If he doesn't, it wasn't. 

[MU82]

The questioner mentioned Shrewsbury so it make sense Shrewsbury is mentioned. Next the person answering (Brennan) focuses his answers on coaches who have had high levels of success.

Beard, was an NCAA Runner up in 2019 and Elite 8 2018.

Stevens is an NBA coach of a higher profile NBA team. And he had back to back NCAA Runner Ups a decade ago prior.

It isn't all that surprising Smart wasn't mentioned in the answer. It may not have even been intentional. Much reaction I have seen has been indifferent to lukewarm positive. Not extreme great or bad. It's an unknown. He wasn't successful enough at Texas. So, it's been a while for him to have a profile as high as these other coaches mentioned. Perhaps if the questioner asked specifically about Marquette as he did Penn St. there would have been a more specific MUBB reference and perhaps positive. We don't know.

Wes Miller was likely mentioned because of the recent UNC opening which is a higher profile place.

Had Smart been more recently successful at Texas, and jumped to Marquette, he perhaps would have been more likely to have been mentioned. (it's not surprising that neither Smart nor MUBB are at the tip of some people's tounges lately.)

The general feedback I have seen and received, is, "Interesting hire perhaps a change of scenery could work for Smart and therefore Marquette." He hasn't won an NCAA Tourney game since 2013. I believe Smart has a chance to be successful at MUBB (no guarantee) but it isn't surprising that some people out there don't have his name (or Marquette) on the tip of their tounge right now. That will change as Marquette and Smart have success at MUBB winning games.

Agree with all this. Beard was just hired, and he had great success where he was. He's the recent name folks are talking about. And, as I said, Shaka was mentioned prominently the last time they did one of these because HE was the recent hire.

I actually have heard almost all plaudits for the Shaka hire among national pundits. Most think Marquette did very, very well here.

And, of course, THIS:

And really, it doesn't matter anymore what the pundits say.  If he wins, it was a great hire.  If he doesn't, it wasn't. 

I know it doesn't "matter," Sultan. I saw the article and thought some Scoopers might be interested, so I took 2 minutes to post it for those who were.

[MU82]

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, probably the best basketball reporter in America, says Brad Stevens turned down a 7-year, $70 million contract from Indiana.

And I don't blame Stevens one bit.

[cheebs09]

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, probably the best basketball reporter in America, says Brad Stevens turned down a 7-year, $70 million contract from Indiana.

And I don't blame Stevens one bit.

Wow. Easy to see how they could afford Archie's buyout.

Short of getting fired and blackballed from an NBA head job, I'm guessing Stevens in the NCAA is pretty well closed.

[4everwarriors]

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, probably the best basketball reporter in America, says Brad Stevens turned down a 7-year, $70 million contract from Indiana.

And I don't blame Stevens one bit.

Dat's generational bread. I don't care how much Stevens hates recruitin'. If that's true, throw him inta da idiot kategory two, hey?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Dat's generational bread. I don't care how much Stevens hates recruitin'. If that's true, throw him inta da idiot kategory two, hey?

According to the article, his current salary is $6M - $7M/year. He's already earned generational money.

[MU82]

Dat's generational bread. I don't care how much Stevens hates recruitin'. If that's true, throw him inta da idiot kategory two, hey?

He already has generational wealth - Wojnarowski says Stevens already is in the $6-7M range. And he will get richer. If he left the Celtics after this year, he'd probably command at least $7.5M a year in the NBA. And he wouldn't have to try to chase Bobby Knight's ghost or deal with teenagers' mommies.

That contract offer wasn't about whether or not Stevens is an "idiot" - he obviously isn't. It was about the level of desperation in Bloomington.

Stevens has absolutely no reason to go back to college, ever, unless he decides he actually liked it more. And why would he decide that?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Dat's generational bread. I don't care how much Stevens hates recruitin'. If that's true, throw him inta da idiot kategory two, hey?

Will make $12m per when K retires.