I think the staff makes alot of sense on paper. They bring a broad range of experiences and expertise.
I think it is a fairly significant comedown from what I was hoping for, but at least all three hires make sense,
Overall I'd grade it out to a B-.
LaBarrie i'd give a C- to. One the plus side he is a GT grad who has coached here before, so he understands this school. He is a local guy with local ties. He has strong ties to the Celtics program - which can cut both ways - as could bring us more Celtic players but potentially freeze us out with other local programs. Honestly, a Young or a White would have been a much stronger choice here, so that is why I grade this one lower.
Reveno i'd give a B-. His time at Stanford is a plus, his reputation with big men is a bg plus. On the negative side his HC record is pretty poor and he has no knowledge of ACC coaches and players. Since HC experience was the #1 requirement for this slot, that is a pretty big negative. Lutz or Bruiser Flint would have been much stronger fills here, but there are some things to like.
Hardy - This is my fav hire of the staff so far. I'd give it a B+ and am tempted to give it an A-. NU grad, 7 years as an asst at NU, 3 at G'town. Was basically the lead recruiter at both and was Associate HC at NU for 2 years and someone Collins wanted to retain when he was hired. Considered a strong recruiter with ties to Chicago and the Mid-Atlantic. I was hoping for Schrage here were his GT connections an Stanford pedigree, but this is a very good hire for a national recruiter.
Based on their backgrounds at their previous schools i would expect Reveno to work with bigs, hardy with wings and Labarrie with guards.
Schwartz was with Pastner at Memphis so no real thoughts on that. Would have liked a local guy but this is fine since it is an organizational role.
Overall the staff makes sense. On balance the asst hires are better than the HC hire, so there is something to that to.