The Search

[dtm1997]

 

[Jacketman1]

Him leading a D league team to the most wins in it's history and the most call ups in D league history. Also watching the Celtics play... He was a candidate to replace Doc before they got Stevens, so I'm just assuming he can coach based on those clues.

Well you know what assuming does....

 

[Connell62]

Capels overall record at both VCU and Oklahoma isn't that impressive.

Jeff Capel's head coaching recor
VCU
02-03 - 18-10
03-04 - 23-8
04-05 - 19-13
05-06 - 19-10

OK
06-07 - 16-15
07-08 - 23-12
08-09 - 30-6
09-10 - 13-12
10-11 - 14-18

What is so ugly about this record? (175-104)

He took over at VCU and laid the ground work for Anthony Grant and later Shaka Smart. Then, he took over at OU, had a winning season in year one, and then convinced Blake Griffin and a talented surrounding class to come to OU where they had two really good seasons. I understand that things unraveled a bit for him at the end, but I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that many years later he may know what went wrong and how to avoid it. There's not a coach on the list that can't be second guessed in some respect.

This is not meant to knock Drew, he's a fine candidate, and I would be happy if he is named the new coach. That said, let's be realistic about Capels ability. The guys here are right, everyone is focusing on the negative. I'm not saying that he is or is not going to be the next coach, but he is as qualified, if not moreso, than any coach on that list

In terms of pure recruiting, I would say that he is probably the tops on that list, and he likely wouldn't force us to break the bank. Just my two cents, but I cannot decide who I want more..

 

[Techster]

Is it safe to say that if no one is announced as our head coach Wednesday, it's because Bryce Drew is our top target? I mean, except for 5 coaches, pretty much every coach out there is available and not coaching right now. If it was Capel, I think things would have moved a lot faster.

BTW...DTM's link to Quinlan's thoughts on the search is pretty eye opening if you're a Capel guy. Some pretty strong words that give you the impression that he's anti-Capel. If what he said is true about player revolt...yikes.

 

[LawTalkin Jacket]

If we're going after someone with no experience in a big conference I would rather have a guy with NBA experience than a guy with small mid major experience. MBob has done a really good job with this in the past, so I trust him to make the right choice. We need it.

By the way Drew played a while in the NBA and is younger- should be able to relate to NBa bound kids-

 

[ChasonBaller]

2 questions: how old is Drew? he looks younger than the memphis coach. Also what was Capel's record at OU w/o Blake Griffin?

 

[shakim3]

I do find it interesting that we as a fan base tend to get fixated on certain candidates.

Mack for example, has been extremely successful at Xavier, is from Ohio, played at Xavier, and was an assistant there for 5 years before getting the head coaching job.

Initially, when Xavier was in the Atlantic 10, he had an opportunity to potentially "move to a better league" but when Xavier moved to the Big East, he essentially got the league promotion he could have wanted. He has yet to win the Big East, but is still regarded as a great coach and especially a great tournament coach.

To me that sounds like a great gig and it would be unfair for us to be annoyed if we don't sign him.

I think we owe Bobinski the benefit of the doubt here as this is the first time he has the ability to make a hire from an area of strength and knowledge.

 

[RyanS12]

2 questions: how old is Drew? he looks younger than the memphis coach. Also what was Capel's record at OU w/o Blake Griffin?

I believe he's 40 or 41. As far as Capel's record goes, I'm not sure on that.

 

[RamblinCharger]

2 questions: how old is Drew? he looks younger than the memphis coach. Also what was Capel's record at OU w/o Blake Griffin?

I think he's pretty young, like 34 or so. He had a losing record at OU without Griffin.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I think he's pretty young, like 34 or so. He had a losing record at OU without Griffin.

I probably could've just googled that he's 41...

 

[shakim3]

I think he's pretty young, like 34 or so. He had a losing record at OU without Griffin.

I think another point we are overlooking with Capel's W/L record at OU without Griffin is that he RECRUITED Griffin. At a school that has had only 4 draft picks since 2000 (and only 1 still in the NBA). He convinced 2 of the top prospects in the country to stay at home.

If he comes to GT, he will have a rich pool of players to convince to play at home. Think he deserves a bit more credit for that.

 

[RamblinCharger]

I think another point we are overlooking with Capel's W/L record at OU without Griffin is that he RECRUITED Griffin. At a school that has had only 4 draft picks since 2000 (and only 1 still in the NBA). He convinced 2 of the top prospects in the country to stay at home.

If he comes to GT, he will have a rich pool of players to convince to play at home. Think he deserves a bit more credit for that.

Good point. The guy seems like he can recruit, but Paul Hewitt could too. Paul had a similar resume before GT and his stay at GT was similar to Capels OU, just stayed longer. That makes me nervous.

 

[shakim3]

Good point. The guy seems like he can recruit, but Paul Hewitt could too. Paul had a similar resume before GT and his stay at GT was similar to Capels OU, just stayed longer. That makes me nervous.

I understand that fear, but the man did take us to a final 4, and made GT a relevant stop for future NBA players. Sure the team under-performed a lot, but when you get the #2 player in the nation you always have a chance.

Plus the stadium was a lot more filled than it is now...

 

[lv20gt]

Good point. The guy seems like he can recruit, but Paul Hewitt could too. Paul had a similar resume before GT and his stay at GT was similar to Capels OU, just stayed longer. That makes me nervous.

That comparison is a stretch at best, and what did in Hewitt here is nothing like what did in Capel at OU.

 

[Connell62]

Good point. The guy seems like he can recruit, but Paul Hewitt could too. Paul had a similar resume before GT and his stay at GT was similar to Capels OU, just stayed longer. That makes me nervous.

With all due respect, Hewitt coached at Seina, not VCU or OU. That's not a knock on Hewitt, he had success there, but he wasn't facing a B12 schedule either. Not to mention, Capel played four years and has coached beside arguably the greatest NCAA basketball coach to hold a clipboard.

 

[RamblinCharger]

That comparison is a stretch at best, and what did in Hewitt here is nothing like what did in Capel at OU.

His first 4-5 seasons were very similar I would argue. He recruited well, got to a national championship, had bad years without great talent and repeated until we got rid of him. Very similar to what Capel did at OU. I'm not saying Capel wouldn't be better, and I'm not saying he wouldn't be a good choice, I'm just playing Devils advocate to look at it from a different perspective. I hope MBob looks at the hire from all angles as well.

 

[lv20gt]

His first 4-5 seasons were very similar I would argue. He recruited well, got to a national championship, had bad years without great talent and repeated until we got rid of him. Very similar to what Capel did at OU.

And that's an extremely basic comparison that I don't think justifies the association of the two.

Hewitt's success came not from his most talented team, as I would argue both the 05 and 09 teams were more talented than 04, and actually came from the team that had lost both Bosh and Nelson. Hewitt's problem was he could never achieve significant success with his most talented teams, and that he could never stabilize the point guard situation. Hewitt never had many problems with egos while he was here.

Capel's success came with his, imo, most talented team, and his problems revolved around egos of the talent he brought in, which the lock out of the locker room was a stunt to try and fix, and then the lack of talent that resulted from the ego-filled players leaving in mass amounts early.

There just isn't that many parallels beyond two up and coming coaches that had some success, in both recruiting and on the court, and then went on to get fired. The issues that one had the other one largely avoided.

It would be like trying to draw a comparison between Hewitt and Drew based on the similarities of Sienna and Valpo, and their time spent there.

 

[Peacone36]

Good point. The guy seems like he can recruit, but Paul Hewitt could too. Paul had a similar resume before GT and his stay at GT was similar to Capels OU, just stayed longer. That makes me nervous.

That's a stretch. Hewitt was at Siena. Capel at VCU and OU. Very different worlds

 

[orientalnc]

Capel was 27 years old when he was named HC at VCU. He was only five years older than his seniors on that team! Four years later he was at Oklahoma recruiting the best player in the country and another 5* to stay home and play for the Sooners. He was probably too young to have that responsibility. That he was unable to recognize and control the off court stuff that happened there is not surprising. He has admitted as much and said several years ago he made some mistakes at OU. Does any of this make him a great coach? No. but we are not likely to get a current P5 coach with a winning record, so we might as well accept the fact that it will be one of these young guys.

If I had my way, it would be Chris Mack. But Bryce Drew and Jeff Capel would be OK as well. I hope the story about Larranga was a hoax.

 

[bke1984]

I understand that fear, but the man did take us to a final 4, and made GT a relevant stop for future NBA players. Sure the team under-performed a lot, but when you get the #2 player in the nation you always have a chance.

Plus the stadium was a lot more filled than it is now...

...and it led to the situation we are in now