2026 Coaching Carousel

[Hards Alumni]

Coaching and finances have always been important. UNC has finances that maybe 3-5 schools in the country can match. Hubert had between $14-16M to spend on this roster. It's not like it's been decades since UNC had success. They cut nets in 2017. They went to the Final Four in 2021. They spend at a top-5 level.

You're being wildly premature heaping dirt on their grave. I'd be surprised if they didn't pull a top-level head coach and I'd be surprised if that doesn't result in a top-level roster & protected seed next year.

Now do that same analysis and tell me why Indiana isn't crushing it as a blue blood.  Why isn't Kentucky (despite all of their spending) getting protected seeds year in and year out?  UCLA and Cronin's team has gotten worse every single year since the 2021 final four appearance. 

If being a blue blood matters then why can't these teams succeed?  Is it financial?  Is it coaching?

I'm not writing UNC's epitaph, I just find it pretty humorous that they're treated like some inevitability as a successful program simply by firing Hubert Davis.

[MuMark]

https://x.com/goodmanhoops/status/2037162578435026946?s=61

[The Sultan]

It's not the only thing, but if you can have at elite payroll at UNC or South Carolina, you're taking UNC all day. If you can choose in a vacuum between Iowa State and Kansas, every coach is going to Lawrence.

Well, sure between South Carolina and North Carolina, yes you would make that choice. But between Michigan and UNC? Or Arizona and UNC? Then the question becomes more difficult.

Furthermore, you are right about Iowa State and Kansas "in a vacuum," but the question is whether a coach like TJO would make the leap to Kansas from ISU. If TJO likes his boss, is comfortable in Ames, and has plenty of resources to attract a top staff and players, he very well may not. He clearly can compete now without the blue blood name.

[Uncle Rico]

I understand what you're saying. I'm just not sure it's true. I don't see any indication that TAMU or Arkansas is out there spending more, or has any desire to spend more, on basketball than UNC. Or that UNC is incapable of spending like those programs. Again, UNC just made Bill Belichick one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football, and UNC doesn't really care about college football. The idea that they're going to let hoops wither on the vine - or that Jordan Brand would allow that - for lack of resources just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I disagree about them not caring about football.  Maybe the AD didn't, but the money spenders do.

[Oldgym]

Not sure it was mentioned here (unless I missed it) but TJO seems to be staying at ISU.

It was a pretty emphatic denial, but still not the total withdrawal, a la Brad Stevens yesterday.

Tommy Lloyd brushing off UNC speculation pretty much reads like every other coach who knows he's on the short list.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48307528/arizona-lloyd-brushes-unc-speculation-ahead-sweet-16

[Pakuni]

Now do that same analysis and tell me why Indiana isn't crushing it as a blue blood.  Why isn't Kentucky (despite all of their spending) getting protected seeds year in and year out?  UCLA and Cronin's team has gotten worse every single year since the 2021 final four appearance. 

If being a blue blood matters then why can't these teams succeed?  Is it financial?  Is it coaching?

I'm not writing UNC's epitaph, I just find it pretty humorous that they're treated like some inevitability as a successful program simply by firing Hubert Davis.

Making good coaching choices still matters, a lot. Being a blue blood doesn't mean you can escape the consequences of a bad or mediocre hire. But it makes success easier when you make a good hire.

Would Scheyer be having the same success at TAMU as he's having at Duke? Would Dan Hurley be winning back-to-back titles at Cal if he had the exact same resources?
Would Hubert Davis have made a Final Four in his first season at Virginia Tech?

[brewcity77]

Now do that same analysis and tell me why Indiana isn't crushing it as a blue blood.  Why isn't Kentucky (despite all of their spending) getting protected seeds year in and year out?  UCLA and Cronin's team has gotten worse every single year since the 2021 final four appearance. 

Because of years of missteps. Because of multiple missed coaching decisions. Which could happen to UNC if they get it wrong a couple more times.

It wasn't Mike Davis, it was having to cut bait with Kelvin Sampson, never accepting Crean despite success, then two more bad hires in Archie & Woodson. It was 20 years of bad decisions.

At UCLA, their problem was a toxic administration. After Wooden, their next four coaches all lasted no more than 3 seasons and resigned, including a future Hall of Famer in Larry Brown (who took them to a national title game). The next three were fired, including Jim Harrick one year removed from winning the national title. At the same time, the Lakers were ascendant which let LA fans shift focus to Showtime.

Both are completely different and took a lot longer to fall than the time between Roy's retirement and today.

[Hards Alumni]

Making good coaching choices still matters, a lot. Being a blue blood doesn't mean you can escape the consequences of a bad or mediocre hire. But it makes success easier when you make a good hire.

Would Scheyer be having the same success at TAMU as he's having at Duke? Would Dan Hurley be winning back-to-back titles at Cal if he had the exact same resources?
Would Hubert Davis have made a Final Four in his first season at Virginia Tech?

Bolded:  How so?

What I'm saying is being a blue blood no longer has the importance it once did.  If we're rating why or why not programs are successful the list starts and ends with coaching and finances.  Having a 'rich tradition' is a nice selling point for kids, but the majority of kids who are picking a school are looking at coaches and money.

I'd argue that good coaches with enough money will succeed no matter the name of the school.  Additionally, I'm sure some coaches would rather NOT work at some of the blue bloods simply because of the crazy amount of pressure from irrational fans stuck in the past who expect to compete for a championship every year without fail.

[Hards Alumni]

Because of years of missteps. Because of multiple missed coaching decisions. Which could happen to UNC if they get it wrong a couple more times.

It wasn't Mike Davis, it was having to cut bait with Kelvin Sampson, never accepting Crean despite success, then two more bad hires in Archie & Woodson. It was 20 years of bad decisions.

At UCLA, their problem was a toxic administration. After Wooden, their next four coaches all lasted no more than 3 seasons and resigned, including a future Hall of Famer in Larry Brown (who took them to a national title game). The next three were fired, including Jim Harrick one year removed from winning the national title. At the same time, the Lakers were ascendant which let LA fans shift focus to Showtime.

Both are completely different and took a lot longer to fall than the time between Roy's retirement and today.

Yes, that's all I'm saying!  If they dick up another hire at UNC they're Indiana.  Administrators will panic and hire the next "It guy" to preserve their jobs, and all of these blue bloods could easily go by the wayside.

[Tarragona]

"Is it open?"

https://x.com/shelbymswanson/status/2032168594549641521?s=46

[Pakuni]

Bolded:  How so?

What I'm saying is being a blue blood no longer has the importance it once did.  If we're rating why or why not programs are successful the list starts and ends with coaching and finances.  Having a 'rich tradition' is a nice selling point for kids, but the majority of kids who are picking a school are looking at coaches and money.

I'd argue that good coaches with enough money will succeed no matter the name of the school.  Additionally, I'm sure some coaches would rather NOT work at some of the blue bloods simply because of the crazy amount of pressure from irrational fans stuck in the past who expect to compete for a championship every year without fail.

OK, then answer my questions.
Do you think Hurley would have the same success at Cal as he's had at UConn, if given the same resources? Would Scheyer have the same success at A&M that he's had at Duke?
If not, why not, if all that matters is the coach and the money?

Being a blue blood is more than just a name. It means the program has an institutional structure and a culture of success (and we've certainly heard a lot about the importance of culture around here, haven't we?). That culture doesn't inoculate a program from failure if it makes a blah hire or support falls off, but it creates an easier path to success.

[Pakuni]

I disagree about them not caring about football.  Maybe the AD didn't, but the money spenders do.

Care is a relative term, and in this case, relative to other P4 programs.
UNC plays in a 50,000-seat stadium that they don't regularly sell out. They have a long history of retaining coaches with middling levels of success that would get them fired after two seasons at programs that care (see: Larry Fedora survived seven seasons while going 43-41 overall, 28-28 in the ACC; Mack Brown's second tenure lasted six years despite finishing just once in the top 25 and a 67-58 ACC record).

[Hards Alumni]

OK, then answer my questions.
Do you think Hurley would have the same success at Cal as he's had at UConn, if given the same resources? Would Scheyer have the same success at A&M that he's had at Duke?
If not, why not, if all that matters is the coach and the money?

Being a blue blood is more than just a name. It means the program has an institutional structure and a culture of success (and we've certainly heard a lot about the importance of culture around here, haven't we?). That culture doesn't inoculate a program from failure if it makes a blah hire or support falls off, but it creates an easier path to success.

Yes to both.

That is an argument that probably held more water prior to the wild west of NIL money.

[The Sultan]

Do you think Hurley would have the same success at Cal as he's had at UConn, if given the same resources?

Yes. I think he would.

Would Scheyer have the same success at A&M that he's had at Duke?

That's a little different since IMO he is benefitting from being promoted from within. I do think he would have been a good coach elsewhere however.

[Uncle Rico]

Care is a relative term, and in this case, relative to other P4 programs.
UNC plays in a 50,000-seat stadium that they don't regularly sell out. They have a long history of retaining coaches with middling levels of success that would get them fired after two seasons at programs that care (see: Larry Fedora survived seven seasons while going 43-41 overall, 28-28 in the ACC; Mack Brown's second tenure lasted six years despite finishing just once in the top 25 and a 67-58 ACC record).

Recent happenings suggest the money donors are investing/caring in football.  The other stuff is all true but in the past.  I'm not saying it's a wise investment but they overrode the AD to go get Belichick and overpay him and his staff and roster.

Indiana's money people didn't invest in football until recently either.  Investing wisely still matters but there was a time Indiana football got pittance versus the basketball program.  Football drives the bus.

Indiana's stadium was always empty at one time, too.  Things change.

[Uncle Rico]

Yes. I think he would.


That's a little different since IMO he is benefitting from being promoted from within. I do think he would have been a good coach elsewhere however.

Dan Hurley is good coach regardless of where he is.  There's a reason UConn wanted him and why a lot of college basketball people thought he'd kill it there.

DePaul could have had Scheyer and we might have learned about him.  Alas, they went Blue.

[Billy Hoyle]

https://x.com/goodmanhoops/status/2037162578435026946?s=61

they are preparing to make him a strong-ass offer

[MUDPT]

You mean the job that was open just last year that he showed no interest in?

There is zero chance he goes back to college unless he is fired. But with what he has done with the Celtic, I doubt that happens.

I should have put it in teal.

[Pakuni]

Indiana's stadium was always empty at one time, too.  Things change.

But that only happened when they started winning. I'm sure if UNC football becomes a national title contender, fans will fill the seats.

[Pakuni]

https://x.com/goodmanhoops/status/2037162578435026946?s=61

#donedeal

[The Sultan]

https://x.com/GoodmanHoops/status/2037200195541168281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2037200195541168281%7Ctwgr%5E3bc73260e9ecd632c7dc5b741688b60894ed8409%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.on3.com%2Fnews%2Frick-pitino-claims-college-basketball-has-no-blue-bloods-anymore-i-think-thats-great%2F

[SaveOD238]

https://x.com/GoodmanHoops/status/2037200195541168281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2037200195541168281%7Ctwgr%5E3bc73260e9ecd632c7dc5b741688b60894ed8409%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.on3.com%2Fnews%2Frick-pitino-claims-college-basketball-has-no-blue-bloods-anymore-i-think-thats-great%2F

He's wrong.  There is still one program where the name means more than the $$ for potential players.  It's not UNC or Kansas or Kentucky...with NIL those are just another state school and there's no reason a similarly sized state school can't match them blow for blow.  It's not even UConn, though the back to back Nattys have some pull.

It's Duke.  The Duke brand still matters.  Duke has plenty of money to throw around, but I think they are the one remaining Blue Blood in that they have the name recognition power that pulls kids in.

[Hards Alumni]

Confirmed, Pitino reads scoop for my takes!

[Pakuni]

Confirmed, Pitino reads scoop for my takes!

Or are you Rick Pitino?

[MuMark]

NC State fans with predictable reactions............

https://x.com/coachwadencsu/status/2037212313925628374?s=61