2023 Coaching Carousel

[MUBurrow]

The rumor from Xavier's reporter is that South Carolina was going to make a run at Miller and Xavier wants Miller.

My guess is the Xavier reporter really doesn't have any inside information on any of it.

They have to have a handshake deal with someone already though, right?  Firing Steele now, in this market, and without a pretty surefire succession plan would really be something. 

[Pakuni]

Travis Steele will go into the market with a winning record and no losing seasons. Someone will pick him up.

Miller, Mack or Mata would all be good picks.

He also goes into the market with zero winning conference seasons and zero tournament appearances in four years.
Between 1986 and 2018, X never missed back-to-back tournaments. Under Steele, they missed four straight.

[Galway Eagle]

Who would ever want to coach Xavier? They can't do better. Nobody will want that job after firing Steele after the job he did. They will loose all their players. They will loose all their recruits. This will set them back 10 years.


My cut and paste from MUScoop the past two/three years.

Except steel made zero tournaments and only two NITs (maybe he'd have made the NCAA in 2020?)... he was objectively underperforming at a school that's pretty much been a reliable at least one win in the tournament pick for about 15yrs.

[Uncle Rico]

Xavier has to at least call Billy Donovan

[wadesworld]

Xavier has to at least call Billy Donovan

Good call.

[WhiteTrash]

Xavier has to at least call Billy Donovan

Who's that? The Bull's have coach with the same name. That would be funny if Xavier called that Billy Donovan.

[Galway Eagle]

Who's that? The Bull's have coach with the same name. That would be funny if Xavier called that Billy Donovan.

It's making fun of me because Donovan wasn't hired by the bulls yet and hadn't explicitly said he wanted to stay in the NBA so I said "why not at least call?" And people who've never worked cold call sales in their life got oh so offended by the idea.

[JWags85]

Strange.  X just won its first NIT game last night.  Why not wait until NIT is over?

Because before Steele, Xavier in the last 15 years had made 13 NCAA appearances,  2 E8s and 4 S16s.  Steele never made the NCAAs.  Who cares about the NIT if that’s your expectation.

He also goes into the market with zero winning conference seasons and zero tournament appearances in four years.
Between 1986 and 2018, X never missed back-to-back tournaments. Under Steele, they missed four straight.

Yep.  I get that Steele was a promote from within, which has been Xavier’s MO, but he was notably different than his predecessors IMO. 

Miller spent time under Herb Sendek at 2 stops, plus Ralph Willard before joining up with Matta at X.

Mack was an accomplished HS coach before spending time at 2 different schools with Skip Prosser before coming back to X under Miller.

Steele was at a CC into his mid 20s, had some haphazard experience at Indiana with Sampson, and then came to X and basically just worked under Mack. His pedigree was much less impressive. And his HC track record reflects that.  I’d be surprised if he jumps to another HC gig.  He’s a young guy, he’ll land on his feet, but I imagine it’s wherever Mack ends up (assuming it’s not X) or maybe Houston/LSU depending on Sampson

It's making fun of me because Donovan wasn't hired by the bulls yet and hadn't explicitly said he wanted to stay in the NBA so I said "why not at least call?" And people who've never worked cold call sales in their life got oh so offended by the idea.

My first job out of college was freight logistics cold calling sales.  You’re saying I should have called Walmart and Best Buy, cause why not?

[jesmu84]

How is Sean Miller not toxic to a program?

[WhiteTrash]

How is Sean Miller not toxic to a program?

As an Arizona alum friend of mine said about Miller; "He's a cheater, a liar, arrogant about his cheating and lying and can't win in the NCAA, we need to move on from him".  AZ did roughly a year after that statement.
 

[Galway Eagle]

My first job out of college was freight logistics cold calling sales.  You’re saying I should have called Walmart and Best Buy, cause why not?

When I was at Groupon a buddy of mine closed corporate six flags, another closed Alinea (that only ran for a split second) because they figured "why not?"

[WhiteTrash]

When I was at Groupon a buddy of mine closed corporate six flags, another closed Alinea (that only ran for a split second) because they figured "why not?"

Not to get too far off topic but I've had and heard of other similar experiences. I'd encourage anyone to take a shot at a 'pipe dream' sale or account. At worse you will probably learn something you can use elsewhere and maybe, just maybe, you'll make bank. 

[StillWarriors]

Because before Steele, Xavier in the last 15 years had made 13 NCAA appearances,  2 E8s and 4 S16s.  Steele never made the NCAAs.  Who cares about the NIT if that’s your expectation.

X also had a 37 year streak of .500 or better in conference, albeit it some in lesser conferences, that they took real pride in. Steele was .500 his first year but under .500 the past three. Most X fans were ready for a change despite a very good recruiting class coming in. This has felt very similar for the past month to what MU went through last year. An increasingly frustrated and vocal fan base surprised that the school pulled the trigger without letting it play out another year. Next year, like this year for MU, had the potential to get ugly.

[JWags85]

As an Arizona alum friend of mine said about Miller; "He's a cheater, a liar, arrogant about his cheating and lying and can't win in the NCAA, we need to move on from him".  AZ did roughly a year after that statement.
 

I don’t have an issue with the first part, but he made 3 E8s in roughly 8 years.  Lute Olsen made 7 E8s or better in 25 years.  Sure he didn’t make a F4 but it’s not like he was flaming out every year. Making the second weekend 5 times in your first 9 years before COVID and sanctions isn’t exactly “can’t win in the NCAA”

[Uncle Rico]

I don’t have an issue with the first part, but he made 3 E8s in roughly 8 years.  Lute Olsen made 7 E8s or better in 25 years.  Sure he didn’t make a F4 but it’s not like he was flaming out every year. Making the second weekend 5 times in your first 9 years before COVID and sanctions isn’t exactly “can’t win in the NCAA”

Prior to ‘97, Lute had the same rap and he made two final fours

[Dr. Blackheart]

As an Arizona alum friend of mine said about Miller; "He's a cheater, a liar, arrogant about his cheating and lying and can't win in the NCAA, we need to move on from him".  AZ did roughly a year after that statement.
 

Sounds like Putin

[asdfasdf]

Is Niko Medved’s name being tossed around anywhere?

Would think he would get some national interest.

I think he signed an extension at Colorado State a few days ago.

[shoothoops]

I don’t have an issue with the first part, but he made 3 E8s in roughly 8 years.  Lute Olsen made 7 E8s or better in 25 years.  Sure he didn’t make a F4 but it’s not like he was flaming out every year. Making the second weekend 5 times in your first 9 years before COVID and sanctions isn’t exactly “can’t win in the NCAA”

Apples to oranges.

Lute Olson coached Arizona 24 seasons. The last coach to have a winning overall  record at Arizona prior to him was Fred Enke. Fred’s last winning season was the 1952-1953 season.

Olson won 11 league titles. 4 Final Fours. National Title. Made the NCAA Tourney 2nd weekend 11 times. Finished top 3 in the league 21 times. 23 NCAA Tourney appearances.

[MU82]

Sounds like Putin

I guess some might call Miller a savvy genius.

[JWags85]

Apples to oranges.

Lute Olson coached Arizona 24 seasons. The last coach to have a winning overall  record at Arizona prior to him was Fred Enke. Fred’s last winning season was the 1952-1953 season.

Olson won 11 league titles. 4 Final Fours. National Title. Made the NCAA Tourney 2nd weekend 11 times. Finished top 3 in the league 21 times. 23 NCAA Tourney appearances.

Fine. Olsen’s last 10 years he made the second weekend 5 times, 3 E8s, a S16 and the runner up. 3 outright conference titles and a shared title.

In the 10 seasons after his initial rebuilding season, Miller also made 5 second weekends (3 E8s and 2 S16).  He had 4 outright conference titles and 1 shared.

The idea that Miller’s performance was some sort of step down, literally only apart from a F4, is just patently false.

He was a bold and unrepentant cheater, that’s true.  But pretending it was about substandard results is just revisionist BS

[BM1090]

Fine. Olsen’s last 10 years he made the second weekend 5 times, 3 E8s, a S16 and the runner up. 3 outright conference titles and a shared title.

In the 10 seasons after his initial rebuilding season, Miller also made 5 second weekends (3 E8s and 2 S16).  He had 4 outright conference titles and 1 shared.

The idea that Miller’s performance was some sort of step down, literally only apart from a F4, is just patently false.

He was a bold and unrepentant cheater, that’s true.  But pretending it was about substandard results is just revisionist BS

Yep. And he would probably have a final four if he didn't run into UW twice in the E8. That was a terrible matchup for them both years.

[shoothoops]

Fine. Olsen’s last 10 years he made the second weekend 5 times, 3 E8s, a S16 and the runner up. 3 outright conference titles and a shared title.

In the 10 seasons after his initial rebuilding season, Miller also made 5 second weekends (3 E8s and 2 S16).  He had 4 outright conference titles and 1 shared.

The idea that Miller’s performance was some sort of step down, literally only apart from a F4, is just patently false.

He was a bold and unrepentant cheater, that’s true.  But pretending it was about substandard results is just revisionist BS

You are also twice missing the big difference of building something from nothing, let alone listing the reat of the above accomplishments there.

I haven’t yet even mentioned Miller’s name until now. Your initial post tried to somehow compare 3 elite eights to 7 elite eights between the two coaches. But that clearly wasn’t giving a full representation to Olson.

A more productive path would be perhaps to avoid comparing Miller to Olson when advocating for Miller’s results.

[JWags85]

You are also twice missing the big difference of building something from nothing, let alone listing the reat of the above accomplishments there.

I haven’t yet even mentioned Miller’s name until now. Your initial post tried to somehow compare 3 elite eights to 7 elite eights between the two coaches. But that clearly wasn’t giving a full representation to Olson.

A more productive path would be perhaps to avoid comparing Miller to Olson when advocating for Miller’s results.

Good lord you love to “well actually” argue for the sake of arguing.

It totally matters cause Miller’s performance was more or less exceptional by any metric, unless a fan base has expectations set by a previous coach.  And hence why I mentioned the end of Olsen’s tenure where the program was built and thriving.

Congrats on that big W for Moser last night.  A moment of pride for all totally impartial St Louisans

[Viper]

As an Arizona alum friend of mine said about Miller; "He's a cheater, a liar, arrogant about his cheating and lying and can't win in the NCAA, we need to move on from him".  AZ did roughly a year after that statement.
 

is it possible should AZ win the title this year, they’ll have to vacate it once the ncaa is done with them?

[Uncle Rico]

is it possible should AZ win the title this year, they’ll have to vacate it once the ncaa is done with them?

No