The Search Reloaded

[Peacone36]

That could be the case or it could be that McBob left Capel for Drew. We don't know. But I agree with the poster that if I am McBob Capel would have to overtly turn me down right now with a $2+M offer. If we did indeed offer Drew $2.4 M I would white out the name, write in Capel and send it to him by fastest pony express.

+1

 

[AE 87]

I like Cuonzo Martin. I'd be happy if we get that done.

 

[jacketup]

Of all the possible candidate names at this time, I prefer Matt McCall as well. Imagine if MM had finished his 2nd year at UTC and had taken them to consecutive post-season tourneys? We might be in another bidding war for his services. As such we don't have any competition right now for an upward trending coach, with a successful coaching pedigree from having served under Billy Donovan.

Regarding Coach Martin from Cal, if our AD was going to try to bring a coach from the west coast eastward, I would hope that he'd entertain reaching out to the UCI head coach who previously had successful stints as an assistant at academically rigorous institutions (WF and Stanford). I also believe he played college ball in Va. So he certainly knows the ACC and might be willing to come back home.

Makes sense. I believe in coaching trees. The Pitino/Donovan coaching tree is an excellent one. If Pitino had stayed at UK, he would have been one of the all time greats up there with Wooden Rupp and Smith.

I'll say McCall makes more sense than Drew. Drew has no high major experience. I am of the opinion that Drew went to Vandy because GT and the ACC are too big of a stage for the guy. He knows he isn't ready for the big time.

 

[orientalnc]

Cuonzo Martin has had pretty good success everywhere he has coached. One of the knocks on Hewitt was his inability to connect with the GT community. CM seems to have had the same issue at UT, and the AD at Cal has gone two years without signing CM to a contract. Maybe it's all just background noise, but it worries me more than just a little.

I think the ACC is huge stage for McCall right now. Maybe also for Keatts and Kelsey. KS hinted we had a P5 coach in for an interview yesterday and I heard we might be talking to Thad Matta. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

I agree with others that we need a coach of record to begin this next contact period with recruits.

 

[IronJacket7]

Not sure if already posted...

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.co...n-california-golden-bears-basketball-contract

 

[jacketjp]

I have seen the Matta rumors in a few places now. He seems to be under some pressure right now in Columbus and the program appears to be in some sort of unrest. Four of his five recruits from his 2015 class are transferring out.

 

[DaBiz]

He'd restock the cupboard...recruit well and make some ATL bball guys happy; but this is just starting, his people are the one's funneling the info so there's no real progress yet...and he could just be trying to get Cal to pony up and get a contract signed.

 

[gtdoceulaw]

It would be beary bad of our AD gets played again in contract negotiations.

 

[BigDaddyBuzz]

I think the number we offered Drew has been making its way around the coaching circles and we are seeing some interest from P5 coaches. Martin is one but some others as well. Let's see what happens. MBob has to get this done asap with the dead period over.

 

[Andewa]

@BigDaddyBuzz @GlennW @DaBiz Have you heard anything about going after Capel again? Thank you for your insights!

 

[dtm1997]

I think the number we offered Drew has been making its way around the coaching circles and we are seeing some interest from P5 coaches. Martin is one but some others as well. Let's see what happens. MBob has to get this done asap with the dead period over.

This makes a lot of sense. I'm sure nobody wanted to talk to us because they thought they'd get lowballed, given the buyouts and now some better names are thinking "I can go coach in the ACC and pillage ATL recruiting, while getting paid $2Mil+?" Maybe I should check in to this.

 

[shakim3]

I think the number we offered Drew has been making its way around the coaching circles and we are seeing some interest from P5 coaches. Martin is one but some others as well. Let's see what happens. MBob has to get this done asap with the dead period over.

This is what I was referring to the other day with comparing the search to free agency in other sports. The fact that this happened so publicly can cause agents of coaches to reach out to GT to express interest. I think that's a silver-lining to this search.

 

[Kmag]

This makes a lot of sense. I'm sure nobody wanted to talk to us because they thought they'd get lowballed, given the buyouts and now some better names are thinking "I can go coach in the ACC and pillage ATL recruiting, while getting paid $2Mil+?" Maybe I should check in to this.

DTM what other names are you hearing?

 

[gtdoceulaw]

Interesting information. It will be interesting to see what other serious candidates from P5 conferences may emerge.

 

[shakim3]

Cuonzo is ok, not great at Xs & Os, although probably better than Hewitt on a standalone basis. There's also talk that Martin doesn't interact well with a school's community. Might care a bit less about that if he's recruiting well and getting us 18-20 W's a year for a few years.

I honestly think you can deal with a poor X's and O's coach if he can recruit. That's why the assistant coaches are very important. Cremins wasn't a good X and Os guy but he had a great staff to help with in game management.

Gregory did not have a very good staff and it showed.

Get me the guy who can recruit and then hire a good staff. That is the fastest way to get to success and stay there. I like Martin a lot for that reason. [Also Capel hasn't proved to be a great X and O guy either so I think they are comparable].

 

[collegeballfan]

"After one year with Indiana, Krzyzewski returned to West Point as head coach of the Army Cadets. He led the Cadets to a 73–59 record..."

If MBob hires a guy with a 73 - 59 record there will be a move to run him out of town on a rail.
Let's all get out our favorite scotch, have a double, and just relax.

 

[Techster]

Would have been smart to float the $2milly number at the outset, but to MBob's credit he did say that salary constraints would not be the factor it was last time. Of course, that could have been viewed as good talk to protect our real financial position. Now that the number is legit, there's a little more attention on us.

There's also the reverse of it...lower level candidates seeing the number and being insulted that they're not getting it.

Double edge sword sometimes.

 

[gtdoceulaw]

Coaches Pay link from USA Today (as of 2016 NCAA Tourney): http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

From the above, some interesting names from P5 conferences earning less than $2 mil or less annually:

1. # 23 Frank McCaffery (Iowa)
2. #24 Dana Altman (Oregon)
3. #26 Tubby Smith (Texas Tech)
4. #30 Cuonzo Martin (Cal)
5. #31 Steve Prohm (Iowa State)
6. #32 Tad Boyle (Colorado)
7. #37 Billy Kennedy (TAMU)
8. #39 Wayne Tinkle (Oregon St)

IMO #s 1, 3 are possible gets where we won't get counter-offered given their ages.

 

[dtm1997]

DTM what other names are you hearing?

I'm not hearing any names outside of Cuonzo Martin, but some of the names could come from a number of up & comers or established guys looking for a change of scenery or think that they could build GT in to a better situation than they're currently in a la Buzz Williams (not a name I think is in play).

Meanwhile, as Jeff Goodman previously mentioned, we're the marquee job remaining, so anyone looking for a big opportunity, we're it.

 

[dtm1997]

Coaches Pay link from USA Today (as of 2016 NCAA Tourney): http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

From the above, some interesting names from P5 conferences earning less than $2 mil or less annually:

1. # 23 Frank McCaffery (Iowa)
2. #24 Dana Altman (Oregon)
3. #26 Tubby Smith (Texas Tech)
4. #30 Cuonzo Martin (Cal)
5. #31 Steve Prohm (Iowa State)
6. #32 Tad Boyle (Colorado)
7. #37 Billy Kennedy (TAMU)
8. #39 Wayne Tinkle (Oregon St)

IMO #s 1, 3 are possible gets where we won't get counter-offered given their ages.

#1 & #3 are also the names on this list I'd want the least. People complain about Cal underachieving, go look at how Iowa played down the stretch. Tubby should keep building Texas Tech because be may be able to parlay it into a head coaching gig for his son. They've fallen for that trap before.