New Coach

[TheShoeFits]

Mods feel free to move this thread if needed. I just didn't feel like sifting through 50 plus pages in the Mick Cronin thread.

Who do we want?

Who do we not want?

Who do we have a realistic shot at hiring?

Names I keep seeing pop up on twitter:

John Brannen
Nick Van Exel
Thad Matta
Rick Pitino
Erik Martin
Darren Savino.

 

[the_one_32]

Mods feel free to move this thread if needed. I just didn't feel like sifting through 50 plus pages in the Mick Cronin thread.

Who do we want?

Who do we not want?

Who do we have a realistic shot at hiring?

Names I keep seeing pop up on twitter:

John Brannen
Nick Van Exel
Thad Matta
Rick Pitino
Erik Martin
Darren Savino.

Nick Van Exel has real interest in the position and has NBA and G League coaching experience. I honestly think that's a home run hire. A guy who can relate to recruits and sell his college and NBA playing and coaching experience.

If he isn't the one, I would go with John Brannan.

 

[sedziobs]

Reposting from the Cronin thread:

for the people that want Brannen they should really check out Casey Alexander. He would be the better candidate of the 2. Alexander pulled in multiple top 100 wins this year at Lipscomb, I dont think Brannen has any in the past 2 years at nku.

I agree. I'd prefer a mid-major coach with sustained success over a Van Exel type. Some others I would consider:
Russ Turner (UC Irvine)
Steve Forbes (E Tenn St)
Bob Richey (Furman)
John Becker (Vermont)
Scott Nagy (Wright St, previously S Dakota St)
Mark Schmidt (St Bonaventure)

The more I think about this, the more I like Scott Nagy. He had a great run at South Dakota St, bringing them up from D2 and making 3 NCAA tournaments in his last 5 years there. He has finished 1st or 2nd in his conference 7 of the last 8 years, the only exception being his first at Wright St.

 

[TheShoeFits]

I'm so desperate I'm ready to sell my soul....Give me Pitino.

 

[HarryBosch]

I'm so desperate I'm ready to sell my soul....Give me Pitino.

Pitino, with all his warts, is the only home run hire available. While I'm doubtful he would come to UC, he would bring the program back to national prominence one way or another.

 

[beeman7467]

I think Van Exel would be a horrible hire. One of my all time favorite players, but he has no college experience. Has never recruited. Sure, he has ties as a player and NBA experience, but how much does that really matter? I would much rather they reach out to an up and coming coach in Division I basketball.

 

[cincrulz11]

Reposting from the Cronin thread:

I agree. I'd prefer a mid-major coach with sustained success over a Van Exel type. Some others I would consider:
Russ Turner (UC Irvine)
Steve Forbes (E Tenn St)
Bob Richey (Furman)
John Becker (Vermont)
Scott Nagy (Wright St, previously S Dakota St)
Mark Schmidt (St Bonaventure)

The more I think about this, the more I like Scott Nagy. He had a great run at South Dakota St, bringing them up from D2 and making 3 NCAA tournaments in his last 5 years there. He has finished 1st or 2nd in his conference 7 of the last 8 years, the only exception being his first at Wright St.

I think the reason I kinda favor Alexander is because I'd just like to see a bit of a change of pace. I dont think a change in pace correlates in any way to more wins, but i think it can be more entertaining (and maybe easier to recruit guys to but thats pure speculation)


I like that Alexander has had 3 teams in the top 38 in eFG% in his 8 years, usually that means they run some pretty good offense.

 

[cincycpaw]

Been doing some reading/digging over the past few weeks and then some more today. My current call list is:

1) Pitino
2) Pitino again....can;t we work something out?
3) Steve Forbes



Then considering Brannen, would at least speak with Van Exel and Erik Martin. Haven't dug too far in on current assistant coaches.

 

[BearcatsHoops]

Pat Kelsey (Winthrop) needs to be seriously considered for the job. Has done a great job at Winthrop and is born and raised Cincinnati, which means there is a good chance he would be here for the long haul. Assistant coaching experience with Xavier (interviewed him last year for HC) and Wake Forest. Tremendous passion, energy, and integrity. His energy would get/keep people excited about the program. He has also done a great job recruiting considering the limited resources/budget he has at Winthrop - new arena, strong program, local connections, etc would be a huge boost to his recruiting abilities for UC.

 

[cincycpaw]

Pat Kelsey (Winthrop) needs to be seriously considered for the job. Has done a great job at Winthrop and is born and raised Cincinnati, which means there is a good chance he would be here for the long haul. Assistant coaching experience with Xavier (interviewed him last year for HC) and Wake Forest. Tremendous passion, energy, and integrity. His energy would get/keep people excited about the program. He has also done a great job recruiting considering the limited resources/budget he has at Winthrop - new arena, strong program, local connections, etc would be a huge boost to his recruiting abilities for UC.

Why does local connection matter? See Cronin, Mick. Gonzo.

I forgot...I would also talk to Thad Matta.

 

[BearcatsHoops]

Why does local connection matter? See Cronin, Mick. Gonzo.

I forgot...I would also talk to Thad Matta.

I think local connection matters because there is a higher likelihood they stick around after building success. Its no guarantee, but Mick stayed around a lot longer than other coaches that use each program as a stepping stone. If whoever they hire is here for 15 years like Mick, I'd say that's a good hire. Most good coaches would be gone after 3 or 4 years. UC and the American Conference will have a hard time competing to retain young talented coaches. Local ties matter in that aspect.

 

[DCBearcat]

Would the school really consider Pitino? I strongly doubt it.
Personally, I would want an offensive minded coach who can recruit. Do any of those options fit that mold? I think it would be a breath of fresh air

 

[sedziobs]

I like that Alexander has had 3 teams in the top 38 in eFG% in his 8 years, usually that means they run some pretty good offense.

Yep. I agree with you, I'm just adding to the list.

Nagy has had 3 teams in the top 25 in eFG% in his last 9 years.
Forbes has been top 63 in each of his four years at E Tenn St, with a couple top 30.
Richey has been top 30 in each of his two years at Furman.
Becker has been top 30 in three of the last four years.

Turner is the exception as a defensive coach, with a top 20 eFG% defense in each of his last 7 years, including 5 in the top 10.

 

[cincycpaw]

The timing of this kinda sucks though. A bunch of potential candidates gone already.

Can't wait to hear the names getting interviews.

 

[sedziobs]

Pat Kelsey (Winthrop) needs to be seriously considered for the job. Has done a great job at Winthrop...

I would say he's done a decent job, but not nearly as good as the other mid-major coaches being mentioned. His best team on Torvik was #116. He's never had a top 100 offense or defense. His defense has been #198 or worse in 6 of his 7 years at Winthrop. And he's going in the wrong direction over the last 3 years.

 

[Helicopter]

Mods feel free to move this thread if needed. I just didn't feel like sifting through 50 plus pages in the Mick Cronin thread.

Who do we want?

Who do we not want?

Who do we have a realistic shot at hiring?

Names I keep seeing pop up on twitter:

John Brannen
Nick Van Exel
Thad Matta
Rick Pitino
Erik Martin
Darren Savino.

I think UC can make a splash without committing too much money. Really, any halfway decent coach is going to do well with our current roster so we need someone who is going to recruit at a high level. I like the idea of Erik Martin head coach, Nick Van Exel associate head coach.

 

[Cwebster19]

Can Nick Van Exel even be hired? Does he have a bachelors degree?

 

[Helicopter]

Can Nick Van Exel even be hired? Does he have a bachelors degree?

Do we know NVE doesn't have a degree? I mean he was a Senior here. Were Hugg's grad rates THAT bad?

 

[Amberlycolonel]

I think Van Exel would be a horrible hire. One of my all time favorite players, but he has no college experience. Has never recruited. Sure, he has ties as a player and NBA experience, but how much does that really matter? I would much rather they reach out to an up and coming coach in Division I basketball.

Agree. Would hate to sit through another Tony Yates era.

 

[Cwebster19]

Do we know NVE doesn't have a degree? I mean he was a Senior here. Were Hugg's grad rates THAT bad?

He didn’t graduate from UC. There is an article mentioning he was finishing his studies at Texas Southern but I don’t see anything about graduating. I don’t care about the degree but I think it’s a requirement.