The Search

[Techster]

OK...

Not that replaying the how's and why's of a coaching rejection isn't fun, but we still have a coaching job to fill. Moving on.

Where do we go now? Looks like we start all over almost from scratch. Our primary targets (Drew and Capel) are off the table (sorry, I don't believe Drew is an option anymore despite what some "insiders" says about Vandy snags), and was Laranaga or Kelsey a real option? Those were the only two mentioned by media members in connection to GT. I don't see anything in the Twittersphere connecting us to any other candidates.

Of course, if being in the dark will help GT get a better basketball coach, hey why not.

 

[D-man44]

I'd be okay with Randy Bennett St. Mary's head coach upgrade from Gregory need to grab some decent assistants though for recruiting

 

[kg01]

I'd be okay with Randy Bennett St. Mary's head coach upgrade from Gregory need to grab some decent assistants though for recruiting

Has some significant NCAA dirt IIRC. He'll probably be a lifer at St. Mary's anyway though.

 

[D-man44]

Has some significant NCAA dirt IIRC. He'll probably be a lifer at St. Mary's anyway though.

He has taken interviews so I'd at least call

 

[kg01]

He has taken interviews so I'd at least call

I'm saying he'd never pass 'the Hill' or whatever our governing body calls itself. I'm not saying it's right/wrong, I'm jussayin'.

 

[Techster]

I'm still waiting on the Bob Stitt equivalent of college bball to walk through our door...

 

[Kmag]

OK...

Not that replaying the how's and why's of a coaching rejection isn't fun, but we still have a coaching job to fill. Moving on.

Where do we go now? Looks like we start all over almost from scratch. Our primary targets (Drew and Capel) are off the table (sorry, I don't believe Drew is an option anymore despite what some "insiders" says about Vandy snags), and was Laranaga or Kelsey a real option? Those were the only two mentioned by media members in connection to GT. I don't see anything in the Twittersphere connecting us to any other candidates.

Of course, if being in the dark will help GT get a better basketball coach, hey why not.

I would say that Laranaga, is an intriguing option. He has NBA experience and is well respected. Also the fact that he has been under Brad Stevens and has a father who has been successful in the ACC is a plus too.

I would also be interested in Keats. I know that he doesn't have a ton of HC experience, but so far I like what he has done.

Really I have no clue what direction we head, but those are the guys I like that still may just be realistic options for us.

 

[Techster]

I would say that Laranaga, is an intriguing option. He has NBA experience and is well respected. Also the fact that he has been under Brad Stevens and has a father who has been successful in the ACC is a plus too.

I would also be interested in Keats. I know that he doesn't have a ton of HC experience, but so far I like what he has done.

Really I have no clue what direction we head, but those are the guys I like that still may just be realistic options for us.

I actually like the idea of Laranaga as well. I think he would eventually be force in recruiting. Recruiting is about connecting with teenagers. Dude worked and coached with guys straight out of college in the NBA. Recruits would eat that up all day. Given how respected he is in NBA circles, I'd venture to guess he'd be an immediate upgrade from CBG in X's and O's.

As you noted, he grew up in a college basketball house. He's coaching under one of the best pure basketball minds right now who was a hot commodity in the college basketball game. That's a lot of resources to lean on.

I'd take him in a heartbeat and would be excited about it.

 

[kg01]

I would say that Laranaga, is an intriguing option. He has NBA experience and is well respected. Also the fact that he has been under Brad Stevens and has a father who has been successful in the ACC is a plus too.

I would also be interested in Keats. I know that he doesn't have a ton of HC experience, but so far I like what he has done.

Really I have no clue what direction we head, but those are the guys I like that still may just be realistic options for us.

Yeah, I'd want Larranaga, Keatts or Rice. In that order.

Problem is the Celtics will make the playoffs so Larranaga may not be available right away. With our roster in flux, we need someone in place ASAP. Could he juggle both responsibilities for a month or so?

 

[Techster]

Yeah, I'd want Larranaga, Keatts or Rice. In that order.

Problem is the Celtics will make the playoffs so Larranaga may not be available right away. With our roster in flux, we need someone in place ASAP. Could he juggle both responsibilities for a month or so?

I'd be willing to sacrifice the short term for the long term payoff. If he's even close to Brad Stevens in ability, you take the short term hit all day for that kind of payoff. Whether he is or not is TBD, but he's one of the better prospects being floated around.

 

[Connell62]

Well, to be fair, I'm setting fire to everything. I'm just pissed and checked out all at the same time.

My rational side agrees with you though.

And my rational side agrees with you that I should help torch everything. Figure that I have wallowed in this stuff called GT basketball for this long, we might as well stick it out.

It is only logical that when we do finally select a coach, that he will go on to become the next Bobby Cremins and lead us back to the tournament in a couple of years.

 

[jacketup]

Let's hire another coach with no Power 5 coaching experience. That has worked really well in football. Gailey had no FBS experience, but he was an NFL guy. Worked really well, didn't it?
Then we hired Johnson, who had no Power 5 experience and no experience at any FBS conference school. His FBS win % at GT is even lower than Gailey's.

So, I'm guessing this administration will hire Larranaga. They like to make the same mistakes over and over.

 

[dtm1997]

We appear to have swung & missed on our top two candidates and now we move on. Honestly, while I'd have liked Drew or Capel, there are still other coaches from my previous list that I'd feel pretty good about. I actually liked Keatts as much as Drew & Capel at the outset and would roll the dice on him with some outs if the Louisville thing has legs. If we could somehow land Holtmann (no indication of interest from either side), he'd be a slam dunk. Also, I'd be willing to go in to the cheaper, but hungry category for a Kelsey or McCall. What they may lack in experience, they'd be hungry on the recruiting trail and you pay them less, but surround them with strong assistants.

Am I a little shellshocked from what's happened the past couple of days? Yes.

Can we move on and still land a coach of quality? Absolutely.

My original list below with eliminated candidates in italics.

Swing for the fences/Is he ready for a new challenge?:
Thad Matta

Top realistic candidates:
Jeff Capel (dook asst)
Will Wade (VCU)
Kevin Keatts (UNCW)
Bryce Drew (Valpo)
Chris Holtmann (Butler)

Dark Horse/Up & Comer candidates:
Matt McCall (UTC)
Joe Dooley (FGCU)
Steve Forbes (ETSU)
Matt Driscoll (UNF)
Pat Kelsey (Winthrop)
Mike Morrell (Texas assistant)

Maybe/Maybe Not (These aren't necessarily realistic, but is there mutual interest? Would they move?)
Andy Enfield (USCw)
Mike Lonergan (GW)
Tommy Amaker (Harvard)
Kevin Stallings (Vandy)
Ed Cooley (Providence)
Steve Prohm (Iowa State)
Cuonzo Martin (Cal)
Tom Crean (Indiana)
Matt Painter (Purdue)

 

[kg01]

I'd be willing to sacrifice the short term for the long term payoff. If he's even close to Brad Stevens in ability, you take the short term hit all day for that kind of payoff. Whether he is or not is TBD, but he's one of the better prospects being floated around.

Agree for the most part. I think the 'out-of-the-box'-ness of the hire would allow Bobbin to save face a bit.

 

[YlJacket]

Kevin Stallings - Vandy?

 

[dtm1997]

Kevin Stallings - Vandy?

That was my original list before he jumped. Didn't update his school, but did note him as eliminated. He's got a **** personality & no people skills, as I've heard from a former walk-on there, but dude knows Xs & Os cold and has recruited better than us at a high academic school. That same team also turned out to be pretty soft this year. Still, he'd have been an upgrade over BG.

 

[kg01]

Kevin Stallings - Vandy?

Ah man, why you gotta be that guy?

Don't pull @dtm1997 's chain. We need him to be the calming influence and balance out my 'kill 'em with fire' rhetoric.

 

[Fatmike91]

Let's hire another coach with no Power 5 coaching experience. That has worked really well in football. Gailey had no FBS experience, but he was an NFL guy. Worked really well, didn't it?
Then we hired Johnson, who had no Power 5 experience and no experience at any FBS conference school. His FBS win % at GT is even lower than Gailey's.

So, I'm guessing this administration will hire Larranaga. They like to make the same mistakes over and over.

What Power 5 basketball coach are we going to get that is an upgrade??? Lack of Power 5 coaching experience isn't an issue in hiring a Basketball coach.


/

 

[orientalnc]

What I am about to say may be nothing, but, many verbal contracts are binding. If Tech took action based on an agreement and offered consideration in return for the agreement, then Drew's verbal acceptance might constitute a binding contract. I am not sure Tech would want to hold him to it at this point, so it might be a moot point. But, I am curious as to why neither Vandy nor Drew nor any other media source as said outright, "the deal is done." It is always, "it was reported by a source."

This all may change today, but I wonder if MBob is going back through the negotiations with Drew and asking some pointed questions. Also, perhaps, with Vanderbilt, related to monetary damages. Vandy and Drew still have room to say they never had a deal since Drew was bound contractually to Ga Tech. Tech has suffered considerable damages here and if Drew had agreed to a deal, there are potential consequences to backing out.

Quoting my earlier comment, I think we're seeing that the Vandy deal may not be quite yet a deal.

 

[Connell62]

Thanks for level-setting dtm.. Time to start looking at the other names.

I'd like for us to see one of Keatts, Holtman (my preference of who is left), and I could get on board with Mike Longeran of GW as well.

However, I think that it is more likely that it come from the up and comer list. In which case, I would focus on McCall or Kelsey.