Shaka’s Coaching Staff

[keefe]

Shaka's first coaching staff call should be to one Mike Deane. Big Mike would bring value for both in-game and post-game action.

Female lawyer butt cheek, anyone?

Mike Deane-level talent doesn't just grow on trees.

[The Sultan]

Shaka's first coaching staff call should be to one Mike Deane. Big Mike would bring value for both in-game and post-game action.

Female lawyer butt cheek, anyone?

Mike Deane-level talent doesn't just grow on trees.

Actually...it might.

[keefe]

Would Jerry Wainwright put down his smoldering Camel to take a call?

The man who once before held the ship together would be a natural to help a young coach steer through the jagged shoals of the Floor Slapper's Fiasco.

Coach Jerry also brings the added value of knowing how and, more importantly, when to flush.   

[blue and gold]

If there are any assistants retained from Wojo it will be because Shaka wants them - not because he would be "saddled" with them.

Why would Shaka want to retain assistant coaches from a failed coaching regime?

Wouldn't he want to build the program with his own assistant coaches that he selected?

[GooooMarquette]

Why would Shaka want to retain assistant coaches from a failed coaching regime?

Wouldn't he want to build the program with his own assistant coaches that he selected?

You seem to think "retain assistant coaches" and "coaches that he selected" are mutually exclusive. What if he selects one of the existing guys because he thinks he's right for the role?

[blue and gold]

You seem to think "retain assistant coaches" and "coaches that he selected" are mutually exclusive. What if he selects one of the existing guys because he thinks he's right for the role?

Of course these aren't mutually exclusive.

I find it curious why assistant coaches from the worst era of Marquette basketball since Dukiet would be retained.

[Newsdreams]

Of course these aren't mutually exclusive.

I find it curious why assistant coaches from the worst era of Marquette basketball since Dukiet would be retained.

Recruiting and / or relationship with current players he wants to keep amongst other considerations are possible.

[cheebs09]

Of course these aren't mutually exclusive.

I find it curious why assistant coaches from the worst era of Marquette basketball since Dukiet would be retained.

Just because a head coach stinks doesn't automatically mean the assistant does. Nick Nurse replaced Dwayne Casey after he got fired and has done well.

Gainey may be a very good assistant with a bad head coach. Or he may not be a good assistant and won't be retained.

[f/k/a humanlung]

Of course these aren't mutually exclusive.

I find it curious why assistant coaches from the worst era of Marquette basketball since Dukiet would be retained.

For all we know MU had/has great assistant coaches whose talents were hidden/blocked by Wojo's seeming inability to listen to anyone.

[Mu8891]

I don't know who will end up on
the new staff ...

But, Wojos assistants could not have been that bad, as they are 3 for 3 in getting head coaching gigs in last few years...

Maybe it was other factors

[keefe]

If Shaka has a hair on his ass he will reach out to Jimmy Boylan.

Not only does he have a seat in The Pantheon of Marquette Legends but he tended bar at Lenny's. Frankly, I can think of no finer qualification to help steward our beloved Warriors back to greatness.

[Nukem2]

I don't know who will end up on
the new staff ...

But, Wojos assistants could not have been that bad, as they are 3 for 3 in getting head coaching gigs in last few years...

Maybe it was other factors

Hard to judge assistants as the tone is set by the head coach.  As you say, 3 years in a row MU assistants have gotten HC gigs in mid-major settings.  Kind of wonder if Shaka will keep Justin Gainey?  AZ thought highly enough of him to hire as an assistant.  Who knows.

[Herman Cain]

If Shaka has a hair on his ass he will reach out to Jimmy Boylan.

Not only does he have a seat in The Pantheon of Marquette Legends but he tended bar at Lenny's. Frankly, I can think of no finer qualification to help steward our beloved Warriors back to greatness.

Great point about Boylan. Here is a fun thought for the day: Imagine MU if Boylan was a bench assistant during Markus tenure.

[brewcity77]

I don't know who will end up on
the new staff ...

But, Wojos assistants could not have been that bad, as they are 3 for 3 in getting head coaching gigs in last few years...

Maybe it was other factors

The problem was the assistants. Well...at least if Wojo had gone a different direction with his assistants, he would still be here. Yes, he sent three to HC jobs, but the only one that really fully developed into that here was Brett Nelson. Stan got over the hump here, but had 12 years of coaching and had been at multiple high-majors before coming to Marquette. Killings came in with 15 years of experience in the NBA and at a damn-near high-major in UConn.

In recent years, though, Wojo changed his focus with assistants. Phelps had HC experience on that first staff but no one else has brought that since. Wojo brought in top-notch recruiters in Stan and Killings, both on the verge of HC jobs, and probably had his best staff in 2018 when he had Nelson, Stan, and Killings on staff. But after that, he replaced Brett with Presutti, who brought little outside experience. Similarly, Gainey came back after working at some decent programs, but had spent time under Wojo and likely wasn't a voice to challenge the head coach. When Killings left, the impression I get is that Wojo had two loyalists who were going to reinforce his beliefs rather than challenging them.

He was given the option to make changes, which likely would've required at least one outside hire with experience and possibly replacing one of his current staff, similar to what Chris Mack did at Louisville. He instead indicated he was going to stick with his guys and his ways, and thus he is unemployed.

[Stretchdeltsig]

If Shaka has a hair on his ass he will reach out to Jimmy Boylan.

Not only does he have a seat in The Pantheon of Marquette Legends but he tended bar at Lenny's. Frankly, I can think of no finer qualification to help steward our beloved Warriors back to greatness.

I think you need to retire. Your comments are ridiculous.

[JWags85]

I think you need to retire. Your comments are ridiculous.

If you take him completely literally and seriously enough to get to that conclusion, that's on you.

[avid1010]

I'm not buying the "if you don't fire your assistants you're out" excuse...I can't say how this goes down in D1 basketball, but I would have to guess the moment MU put out feelers to Shaka and he showed interest...MU told Wojo he wasn't coming back and they pounced on Shaka.  As an organization you don't brag about that...but I've certainly done similar for much smaller stakes.  You help the departed leave with the best rationale possible.

My second guess would be the pressure became too much to retain Wojo so they sat down and came up with that excuse and later lucked into Shaka.

Here's what isn't making sense to me...MU owes Wojo some big $.  He just refused a direct request from his superior (I will not fire my assitants)...and he walks with a buyout?  Do they have a clause in their contract that says the hiring and firing of staff is solely their duty? 

Does MU put that on him as a way to negotiate a lower buyout?  I have a rolling 2-year contract.  If I refused a direct order from my board I would be fired and not paid out a dime.  I also wouldn't refuse to fire one guy if it meant I could save the others...but I supose Wojo is capable of that.

[The Sultan]

I'm not buying the "if you don't fire your assistants you're out" excuse...I can't say how this goes down in D1 basketball, but I would have to guess the moment MU put out feelers to Shaka and he showed interest...MU told Wojo he wasn't coming back and they pounced on Shaka.  As an organization you don't brag about that...but I've certainly done similar for much smaller stakes.  You help the departed leave with the best rationale possible.

My second guess would be the pressure became too much to retain Wojo so they sat down and came up with that excuse and later lucked into Shaka.

Here's what isn't making sense to me...MU owes Wojo some big $.  He just refused a direct request from his superior (I will not fire my assitants)...and he walks with a buyout?  Do they have a clause in their contract that says the hiring and firing of staff is solely their duty? 

Does MU put that on him as a way to negotiate a lower buyout?  I have a rolling 2-year contract.  If I refused a direct order from my board I would be fired and not paid out a dime.  I also wouldn't refuse to fire one guy if it meant I could save the others...but I supose Wojo is capable of that.

My guess is that the contract gives the head coach the right to pick his assistants.

[Jay Bee]

My guess is that the contract gives the head coach the right to pick his assistants.

Bad guess. That is generally not the case at all. In fact, you'll see paragraph(s) regarding hiring authority that makes it clear that not only does the head coach have no hiring authority, but that even slightly hinting or representing that they may to a potential assistant coach is a serious breach of contract. The hiring authority for assistants lies with the athletic director. Obviously, as an AD you'd like your head coach to be able to 'pick' candidates... but there is no 'right' and even hinting by a head coach that they get to make the call is a big no no.

Some programs had major, major issues with this matter years ago... over the past couple of decades, they've been much tighter in the contractual language. 

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Bad guess. That is generally not the case at all. In fact, you'll see paragraph(s) regarding hiring authority that makes it clear that not only does the head coach have no hiring authority, but that even slightly hinting or representing that they may to a potential assistant coach is a serious breach of contract. The hiring authority for assistants lies with the athletic director. Obviously, as an AD you'd like your head coach to be able to 'pick' candidates... but there is no 'right' and even hinting by a head coach that they get to make the call is a big no no.

Some programs had major, major issues with this matter years ago... over the past couple of decades, they've been much tighter in the contractual language.

welcome back (nab2m) ((no attraction between 2 males))

[naginiF]

welcome back (nab2m) ((no attraction between 2 males))

new homophobic acronyms......COOL!

[ZiggysFryBoy]

new homophobic acronyms......COOL!

wee-ooh, wee-ooh, wee-ooh.  PC police responding to a call.

Get over yourself, it was a joke.  Besides, I know BeeJ, I'm not attracted to him at all.

[naginiF]

wee-ooh, wee-ooh, wee-ooh.  PC police responding to a call.

Get over yourself, it was a joke.  Besides, I know BeeJ, I'm not attracted to him at all.

Yep....COOL!

[Pakuni]

I'm sure in a technical sense, it's the AD that has to extend the contract offer, etc. An assistant is employed by the athletic department/university, not the head coach. So it makes sense that the contractual hiring authority lies with the AD.
That said, I very much doubt Nick Saban needs Greg Byrne to sign off in any substantive way on his staff choices, or he risked being deemed out of line by the University of Alabama when picked Bill O'Brien for the OC job.

[Jay Bee]

I'm sure in a technical sense, it's the AD that has to extend the contract offer, etc. An assistant is employed by the athletic department/university, not the head coach. So it makes sense that the contractual hiring authority lies with the AD.
That said, I very much doubt Nick Saban needs Greg Byrne to sign off in any substantive way on his staff choices, or he risked being deemed out of line by the University of Alabama when picked Bill O'Brien for the OC job.

That's right. But the original comment was, "My guess is that the contract gives the head coach the right to pick his assistants"

Contract... technical...