2025 Coaching Carousel

[HutchwasClutch]

I agree. Miller cut his teeth in an era where he cheated. I don't feel like he's ever really been a great coach.

Everyone gets to play players now, so I'm not sure how well he will hold up. Texas money will always prioritize football.

Come on, Texas no doubt has a ridiculous amount of money, so meaningless that football is always king there.  They've never been buying off the discount rack for their basketball coach.  They  won't be shy at all spending for players either. 

[HutchwasClutch]

Mostly because the last two years, he was working into April and unavailable.

What about all the other years?  Not to mention UConn and no other school is standing in the way of an assistant getting his chance because they're still playing.

[tower912]

Actually, let's fire Shaka, hire Luke Murray, give up the Jumpman stuff, and become the first school outfitted by William Murray golf.   That would be some distinctive designs.  Maybe even an updated bumblebee uni themed line of apparel.  Shoes are still an issue.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I agree. Miller cut his teeth in an era where he cheated. I don't feel like he's ever really been a great coach.

Everyone gets to play players now, so I'm not sure how well he will hold up. Texas money will always prioritize football.

It would be a pretty boring game if nobody played players.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

What about all the other years?  Not to mention UConn and no other school is standing in the way of an assistant getting his chance because they're still playing.

Before the latest stint with Hurley he was tied to Mack at Louisville & X.  Probably not touchable after all the smoke.

Now?  UConn has gone deep + he probably has to get a HM job to replicate his salary.  So its a big risk/jump.

Who knows maybe he stinks like you are insinuating and the world is full of failed assistants.  But-- I think there are multiple plausible reasons why he isn't a head coach.

[JWags85]

There's probably a reason Luke Murray has been a career assistant.  Xavier has passed on him twice already.  His name seems to come up a lot as the hot assistant name, but telling that no one has pulled the trigger on him years later. 

He's 44.  You talk like he's a 60 year old on the bench indefinitely.  And the last 4 years he's been the top assistant on a top program, presumably highly paid.  That kind of assistant doesn't leave for a low or middling mid major job.

And as for Xavier "passing" on him twice.  The first time they hired a more assistant who had been at X 10 years longer than him.  And the next time they hired their former coach who had immense success there.  Its not like they hired some other hot assistant.

I don't know if Murray is destined to be a great HC.  Or if he's terrible in interviews.  But you've largely misrepresented him and his career in an attempt to validate the "career assistant" label

[HutchwasClutch]

He's 44.  You talk like he's a 60 year old on the bench indefinitely.  And the last 4 years he's been the top assistant on a top program, presumably highly paid.  That kind of assistant doesn't leave for a low or middling mid major job.

And as for Xavier "passing" on him twice.  The first time they hired a more assistant who had been at X 10 years longer than him.  And the next time they hired their former coach who had immense success there.  Its not like they hired some other hot assistant.

I don't know if Murray is destined to be a great HC.  Or if he's terrible in interviews.  But you've largely misrepresented him and his career in an attempt to validate the "career assistant" label

I haven't "largely misrepresented" anything about him.  He's been an assistant 10 years at a high major and 15 as D1 assistant.

I don't know WTH i said that implies he's a "60 year old" other than your interpretation. 

IF he has a Wojo complex that he will not take anything but a high major job, that doesn't seem a smart play after waiting a full decade as a high assistant.  And we saw how well that worked for Wojo and MU.  If you want your shot, you're probably not going to get everything you want for program and money right away.

[brewcity77]

What about all the other years?  Not to mention UConn and no other school is standing in the way of an assistant getting his chance because they're still playing.

That's just not true. The reason Jai Lucas leaving Duke for Miami when he did was a big deal was because that never happens. Assistants on NC/F4 staffs usually don't get those promotions until the year after the great success because the carousel is typically done spinning by the second week of April.

[TallTitan34]

I don't get the upside for Miller to go to Texas.  Even if he can repeat the success he had at Arizona, I still think that gets him fired from Texas for not being good enough.

And now he doesn't have the unfair advantage to help him either.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't get the upside for Miller to go to Texas.  Even if he can repeat the success he had at Arizona, I still think that gets him fired from Texas for not being good enough.

And now he doesn't have the unfair advantage to help him either.

He's betting on himself.  If it doesn't work out in four years he will still have several million dollars and be 61.  He can retire or take a lower stress job somewhere nice.

[Big Papi]

He's betting on himself.  If it doesn't work out in four years he will still have several million dollars and be 61.  He can retire or take a lower stress job somewhere nice.

Agreed.  With Miller, I think it is all about the money and ego.  Who knows what the nil situation is at X compared to Texas but I am sure he probably will have more money to spend one way or another.

[MUBurrow]

Given that Miller's buyout at X was reportedly ~$2 million despite signing an extension through 28-29, it shouldn't be a big surprise he was looking at bigger jobs.

[Hards Alumni]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44384134/sources-iowa-hire-drake-ben-mccollum-head-coach

Offically

[Hards Alumni]

Iowa shouldn't overthink this.

You were right!

I was wrong!

[Pakuni]

Stylistically speaking, going from McCaffery to McCollum is going to take some getting used to for Iowa fans.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Stylistically speaking, going from McCaffery to McCollum is going to take some getting used to for Iowa fans.

I think it is a requirement for Iowa head coaches to not value offense.  McCollum will need to adjust. 

[MuMark]

https://x.com/ryanjamesmn/status/1904192488169963581?s=61&t=6XPB8f4sAKmJIzxgMcsCjw

[MU82]

Here's what The Athletic says about the Texas basketball job:

Texas isn't a basketball blue blood, but the Longhorns are as well-positioned as anyone to thrive in the modern era. Texas is the only SEC opening this coaching cycle (so far), and competing in the best conference in America, which just shattered the single-season record for NCAA Tournament bids from one league, is a huge enticement. The built-in recruiting advantages of being the biggest fish in one of the most talent-rich states in the country are notable. And there is a deep pool of NBA stars who have passed through Austin in the last two decades, from LaMarcus Aldridge to Kevin Durant to Jarrett Allen. (Johnson will join that list come June, when he becomes the program's sixth first-round pick since 2015.) Prospective recruits are well aware they can springboard from Austin to the NBA.

As for resources, Texas has everything a coach could possibly need to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Per US Department of Education data from 2022-23, the most recent year for which tax information is available, Texas was sixth among all public schools in men's basketball spending. That trailed only Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Indiana — and, notably, was ahead of hoops heavyweights like Tennessee, Kansas, and Arizona. Think of it like this: If the Longhorns' deep pockets were enough to propel them to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, couldn't they help make a similar splash in men's basketball?

[WhiteTrash]

Here's what The Athletic says about the Texas basketball job:

Texas isn't a basketball blue blood, but the Longhorns are as well-positioned as anyone to thrive in the modern era. Texas is the only SEC opening this coaching cycle (so far), and competing in the best conference in America, which just shattered the single-season record for NCAA Tournament bids from one league, is a huge enticement. The built-in recruiting advantages of being the biggest fish in one of the most talent-rich states in the country are notable. And there is a deep pool of NBA stars who have passed through Austin in the last two decades, from LaMarcus Aldridge to Kevin Durant to Jarrett Allen. (Johnson will join that list come June, when he becomes the program's sixth first-round pick since 2015.) Prospective recruits are well aware they can springboard from Austin to the NBA.

As for resources, Texas has everything a coach could possibly need to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Per US Department of Education data from 2022-23, the most recent year for which tax information is available, Texas was sixth among all public schools in men's basketball spending. That trailed only Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Indiana — and, notably, was ahead of hoops heavyweights like Tennessee, Kansas, and Arizona. Think of it like this: If the Longhorns' deep pockets were enough to propel them to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, couldn't they help make a similar splash in men's basketball?

Yeah, a dead end job and a place where coaches go to die.

[Uncle Rico]

For my entire life, I've been told about the potential of Texas basketball.  It's like UNC football.  Occasionally, it's really good.  Mostly, it maintains its sleeping giant status by snoring a lot.

Rick Barnes did a lot there.  One Final 4.  Shaka did naught.  Maybe Chris Beard is the guy that fully would have awoken the slumbering beast but we'll never know.

My money is on Sean Miller, not being the one to turn them into a hoops hotbed.  Oh, he'll win games but his returns have been diminishing for awhile.

[Billy Hoyle]

Little Pitino's name is being mentioned for the Nova job too.

[the eagle]

Hmmm......VCU seems to think they are a potential spot for little Pitino.

[Scoop Snoop]

Hmmm......VCU seems to think they are a potential spot for little Pitino.

Source?

I was a long-term Richmonder and have a soft spot in my hard heart (as evidenced by my scoop posts) for VCU. But I think little Rick is already beyond VCU's reach both in $ and as a mid-major, although a very good mid-major.

[BLWarrior91]

He's betting on himself.  If it doesn't work out in four years he will still have several million dollars and be 61.  He can retire or take a lower stress job somewhere nice.

He can go back to Xavier for the third time.

[Pakuni]

Josh Pastner getting the UNLV job.