Coaching Carousel 5 - You have to look through the rain to see the rainbow

[YlJacket]

CofC is actually a really pretty campus for the most part - recognizing it is a true urban campus. The old building scenes in the Patriot were filmed on campus. If you like old cyprus (I think) trees with lots of hanging moss it is the ticket. Hanging around King street also ain't too bad. The issue they have is like old Tech with Techwood and not so nice neighborhoods a couple of blocks off of campus. Generally safe but you have to be careful.

All in all not too bad a spot to recruit to.

 

[RyanS12]

Earl Grant @ College of Charleston this season: 6-2 in the CAA; 6-6 OOC.

I am not sure how easy/difficult it is to recruit to Charleston. There is virtually no college campus and the gym is downtown pinched into a corner of a busy city block. Charleston is a great place to visit, but it has to be tough to lure kids to that campus. Give him good props for recruiting.

Went on a visit there in 95 when Kresse was the coach. Sedric Weber took a couple of us around. Man they had some good teams back then! You’re right about the campus. Had a hard time finding buildings etc. Felt like a community college. But the city itself is great.

 

[orientalnc]

CofC is actually a really pretty campus for the most part - recognizing it is a true urban campus. The old building scenes in the Patriot were filmed on campus. If you like old cyprus (I think) trees with lots of hanging moss it is the ticket. Hanging around King street also ain't too bad. The issue they have is like old Tech with Techwood and not so nice neighborhoods a couple of blocks off of campus. Generally safe but you have to be careful.

All in all not too bad a spot to recruit to.

As the college has grown it has taken over blocks and blocks in those "not so nice" neighborhoods abutting the campus. I like to cycle around Charleston because it is so hard to park without paying through the nose. It is hard to know when you are on the campus and when you are not. He has done a decent job recruiting to Charleston. They were struggling when he arrived.

 

[orientalnc]

As the college has grown it has taken over blocks and blocks in those "not so nice" neighborhoods abutting the campus. I like to cycle around Charleston because it is so hard to park without paying through the nose. It is hard to know when you are on the campus and when you are not. He has done a decent job recruiting to Charleston. They were struggling when he arrived.

From what I could find, Grant's current contract pays him $651,000.

 

[orientalnc]

James Jones is 56 years old and is in his 21st (I think) season at Yale. Last Spring he signed a new contract that keeps him at Yale through 2026. As a private school, Yale does not have to disclose salaries. So I have no idea what he makes. That said, Jones grew up on Long Island, went to college in NY, and coaches in the distant NYC urbanized suburbs of NYC. Would he jump to the deep South and the ACC. He has likely had some decent offers to leave New Haven and is still there. There might be a reason. Plus, while the rivalries in the Ivy League are real, it's nothing like the ACC.

 

[TheAnonymous404]

I know we are all stoked about the big win against NC State myself included, but do not be lulled into a false sense of security or prematurely extend Pastner’s contract. Not all that glitters is gold. While Pastner 5-1 against NC State, he is 19-39 against the rest of the ACC. The quest for the one true coach rages on. Might I suggest you add Avery Johnson and SDSU’s coach to the list of potential candidates @dtm1997 glad to see you have joined my noble quest... one coach to rule them all.

 

[Peacone36]

The door is open. I look forward to your list.

My list:

Make them say no:
Kelvin Sampson. He will say no so......moving on
Mike Rhoades. He would probably also say no.

High end:
Steve Prohm, Iowa State
Anthony Grant, Dayton
Shaka Smart, Texas
Steve Forbes ETSU

Sort of a flyer:
Earl Grant, COC
Keith Dambrot, Duquesne (The guy just wins basketball games)
Nathan Davis, Bucknell (Cooling on him a bit, the Bison are trending the wrong way)
Kenny Payne, Kentucky Assistant
Luke Yaklich, Assistant at Texas
Casey Alexander, Belmont

I could live with:
Tim Jankovich, SMU (that fan base seems to dislike him but I think he can coach)
John Becker, Vermont (another guy who just wins games)

 

[RyanS12]

My list:

Make them say no:
Kelvin Sampson. He will say no so......moving on
Mike Rhoades. He would probably also say no.

High end:
Steve Prohm, Iowa State
Anthony Grant, Dayton
Shaka Smart, Texas
Steve Forbes ETSU

Sort of a flyer:
Earl Grant, COC
Keith Dambrot, Duquesne (The guy just wins basketball games)
Nathan Davis, Bucknell (Cooling on him a bit, the Bison are trending the wrong way)
Kenny Payne, Kentucky Assistant
Luke Yaklich, Assistant at Texas
Casey Alexander, Belmont

I could live with:
Tim Jankovich, SMU (that fan base seems to dislike him but I think he can coach)
John Becker, Vermont (another guy who just wins games)

I’m intrigued by Shaka. I think he’s one of those guys like a Frank Martin that might need to make a lateral move (Mid level P5 to Mid level P5) to restart/refresh their career. I think he could clean up in ATL/Georgia with recruiting.

 

[tsrich]

My criteria is simple the next time we hire: the coach's current fanbase must be unhappy to see him hired away.

 

[orientalnc]

My criteria is simple the next time we hire: the coach's current fanbase must be unhappy to see him hired away.

Or happy to see he got a well earned opportunity to move up to the ACC.

 

[tbglover]

My criteria is simple the next time we hire: the coach's current fanbase must be unhappy to see him hired away.

If that's the case then depending on what happens the rest of the season that criteria might eliminate Shaka. I think that he'd do big things at Tech but I'm not sure if the Texas fans are ready to continue to move forward with him as coach.

 

[RyanS12]

I wanted Shaka in 2011 when Paul was fired.
I still want him now!

 

[JacketOff]

If that's the case then depending on what happens the rest of the season that criteria might eliminate Shaka. I think that he'd do big things at Tech but I'm not sure if the Texas fans are ready to continue to move forward with him as coach.

Yeah that’s what I’ve gathered from UT too. It’s not like Texas has been bad with Shaka, they’ve just been pretty average. Through much of the 2000s Texas was a regular in the Sweet Sixteen, but they haven’t been out of the first round since Shaka took over. I wouldn’t hate a Shaka hire, but I’d be a little worrisome about it. He’s had plenty of talent at Texas to work with and hasn’t really done much with it. It would definitely create some buzz though.

 

[orientalnc]

Yeah that’s what I’ve gathered from UT too. It’s not like Texas has been bad with Shaka, they’ve just been pretty average. Through much of the 2000s Texas was a regular in the Sweet Sixteen, but they haven’t been out of the first round since Shaka took over. I wouldn’t hate a Shaka hire, but I’d be a little worrisome about it. He’s had plenty of talent at Texas to work with and hasn’t really done much with it. It would definitely create some buzz though.

He's only gotten out of the first weekend once. Ever. But, I think he would do well in Atlanta. His current salary is $3million. Are we able to spend that much on a new coach?

 

[tsrich]

He's only gotten out of the first weekend once. Ever. But, I think he would do well in Atlanta. His current salary is $3million. Are we able to spend that much on a new coach?

If we can’t, we are likely to be in the same spot in 5 years

 

[iceeater1969]

My criteria is simple the next time we hire: the coach's current fanbase must be unhappy to see him hired away.

The memphis folks I know were very relieved to see us hire him
I like your criteria

I want a valued assistant of a good young coach like Drew AT baylor.

 

[bobongo]

They absolutely should've fired his butt that night! We will not sniff the NCAA for many, many years if ever again. This is a sad day.

Also I fully expect my post to be deleted lol

The thing with me isn't the poor coaching as much as the fact we're on probation because of him and his buddy.

THE only reason he's still here is because the GTAA can't afford to fire him.

 

[Techster]

I wanted Shaka in 2011 when Paul was fired.
I still want him now!

I'd like to stop taking coaches who have fallen out of favor at their current schools (Gregory, Pastner) and go back to hiring up and coming coaches from smaller schools (Cremins, Hewitt). Seems our ability to go to the tournament and make Final 4's were a lot better with the latter model.

 

[RyanS12]

I'd like to stop taking coaches who have fallen out of favor at their current schools (Gregory, Pastner) and go back to hiring up and coming coaches from smaller schools (Cremins, Hewitt). Seems our ability to go to the tournament and make Final 4's were a lot better with the latter model.

After initially posting I’d take Shaka (Which I still would) I see why people would be turnoff by it. It’s a similar situation as BG or Pastner in a sense with current fan bases being unhappy.
I know Josh’s strong suit was his ability to recruit and he’s done an ok job here. Not to the level we had hoped. I think Smart could come here and be successful, especially in state.

 

[slugboy]

After initially posting I’d take Shaka (Which I still would) I see why people would be turnoff by it. It’s a similar situation as BG or Pastner in a sense with current fan bases being unhappy.
I know Josh’s strong suit was his ability to recruit and he’s done an ok job here. Not to the level we had hoped. I think Smart could come here and be successful, especially in state.

I'd want to get a better feel whether Shaka Smart has been burned out by his Texas experience or not. If it's just a bad fit and he's in the wrong place, then that's one thing. Being in the wrong job at the wrong place can ruin a coach. There are some like Bill Belichick who come out of a bad coaching experience and thrive somewhere else--in his case, with an assistant coaching gig in the middle--but there are a lot that don't.