Illinois should go for Barry Hinson. They'd love him.

On the Marshall front, it's at least worth noting that the Shockers have everyone coming back next year. And with the way they improved in the 2nd half of the season, they're going to be pretty special next season.

On the Marshall front, it's at least worth noting that the Shockers have everyone coming back next year. And with the way they improved in the 2nd half of the season, they're going to be pretty special next season.

 

Ha, true, but this also always seems to be the situation there.

I wonder if Becky Hammon has any interest in coaching an NCAA mens team.

Bmags, how do you feel about Cuonzo Martin? Illini fans are pretty split on him, probably a lot lower since he didn't make the tourney this year though.

 

Sounds like he's pushing hard for Mizzou or Illinois and it sounds like Mizzou has a big interest in him right now.

I think he will raise the floor of any program and right now getting mizzou back to 20+ wins a season is very attractive.

 

I also think that Martin will just be a better coach in the midwest for non-proveable reasons. I think he'll recruit better, and he'll create winning, oft-frustrating but consistently dance contending teams that may pull out a very special year once in a while.

 

I'd like the hire but not as much as I'd like Crean or Marshall. You at least know what you are getting.

That's pretty spot on for how I feel about him. I don't see him winning Big Ten titles or championships on a regular basis, but I'm fairly confident we would be in the tournament consistently with him (rumors are he would kill it in recruiting, and he can coach some defense).

Assuming Illinois can't get the top targets (the Millers, Marshall, etc), I'm really hoping for Bryce Drew. Martin is a good fall back plan if those guys don't show enough interest right away.

Yeah a downside to Martin is I don't find his teams' brands of basketball particularly appealing. It's not Frank Martin bad but his teams tempo has decreased last several years.

I feel like the crop of potential coaches this year is so superior to 2010-2012 coaches, whose prime candidates were people like Smart who just didn't seem possible.

 

Of course, some good coaches were grabbed. But I like the midmajor coaches like Dan hurley of Rhode Island and Kevin Keatts.

Assuming Illinois can't get the top targets (the Millers, Marshall, etc), I'm really hoping for Bryce Drew. Martin is a good fall back plan if those guys don't show enough interest right away.

 

Do you have Keatts in the top targets? I really, really like the idea of Keatts if Illinois misses on Miller and Marshall.

This brings up another point, very annoying Mizzou and Illinois are looking for coaches in the same year! And both have new ADs looking to throw around money!

 

Ugh

Assuming Illinois can't get the top targets (the Millers, Marshall, etc), I'm really hoping for Bryce Drew. Martin is a good fall back plan if those guys don't show enough interest right away.

 

I don't know about the others, but I can't see Drew leaving Vandy after one year. He got a 6 year/$16 million deal and was the 14th highest paid coach when he signed it, and my guess is that they have a big poison pill in that deal at the beginning.

This brings up another point, very annoying Mizzou and Illinois are looking for coaches in the same year! And both have new ADs looking to throw around money!

 

Ugh

 

Yeah, definitely looking at a lot of the same guys (other than Crean). I have a feeling that Martin is going to be the guy at either Mizzou or Illinois, but he's a Plan B or C guy at both schools.

I don't know about the others, but I can't see Drew leaving Vandy after one year. He got a 6 year/$16 million deal and was the 14th highest paid coach when he signed it, and my guess is that they have a big poison pill in that deal at the beginning.

 

Wrong Drew - Scott Drew has been speculated to leave Baylor with all of the disasters happening there.

Wrong Drew - Scott Drew has been speculated to leave Baylor with all of the disasters happening there.

 

Yeah, I keep waiting for the hammer to drop on them, so that wouldn't surprise me at all.

I don't know about the others, but I can't see Drew leaving Vandy after one year. He got a 6 year/$16 million deal and was the 14th highest paid coach when he signed it, and my guess is that they have a big poison pill in that deal at the beginning.

Illinois apparently has $5 million for the "right" coach, now how accurate that is and who that booster (Shahid Khan) views as the "right" coach is the question.

 

But if we could offer $4 million or so, and from what I've read about Bryce being open to the job, I think it would get done. And thinking about it more, I'd be stoked. He checks off a ton of boxes, get him a dynamic recruiter (or keep Jamall Walker), bring Powell over, and choose between an experienced x-o guy or another recruiter for Chicago and I think that would be a great direction.

 

And reports are out there saying Bryce Drew will be at the Edwardsville vs Simeon game scouting/recruiting, which seems a bit odd to do right before the tournament... (Mark Smith, a big time players who just so happens to love Illinois plays for Edwardsville, Vandy hadn't recruited him up to this point). Could be nothing, could be something.

Do you have Keatts in the top targets? I really, really like the idea of Keatts if Illinois misses on Miller and Marshall.

I do, I think he'd be a really good fit here. I love that he turned around a terrible program into 25+ wins in 2 of 3 seasons. He also knows the recruiting game very well, I think he would do well. I'm also a little stunned that NC St hasn't swooped in yet on him.

I do, I think he'd be a really good fit here. I love that he turned around a terrible program into 25+ wins in 2 of 3 seasons. He also knows the recruiting game very well, I think he would do well. I'm also a little stunned that NC St hasn't swooped in yet on him.

 

I'm assuming that Archie Miller is No. 1 on NC State's list.

Whitman is not f***ing around, women's basketball coach was fired today

Whitman is not f***ing around, women's basketball coach was fired today

Reports were saying Whitman didn't want 2 active searches going on...

I still question if Keatts's tenure at Louisville will pass a background check. Scared off at least one team last year

Edited March 14, 20179 yr by fathom

Whitman is not f***ing around, women's basketball coach was fired today

He's empowered. Things would have to go pretty badly for Whitman to have "lost" the Lovie Smith contract.

Sounds like Mizzou is about to land Cuonzo Martin for an eye opening 3.5 per.

 

This means either two things (or both):

- The prices of coaches are inflated this hiring season due to a number of schools with money to spend (u of I, mizzou, nc st)

- Mizzou way over spent on Martin, a good, solid, not spectacular hire now being paid like the best in the game.

Sounds like Mizzou is about to land Cuonzo Martin for an eye opening 3.5 per.

 

This means either two things (or both):

- The prices of coaches are inflated this hiring season due to a number of schools with money to spend (u of I, mizzou, nc st)

- Mizzou way over spent on Martin, a good, solid, not spectacular hire now being paid like the best in the game.

 

I wonder where he places in the Illinois top 5?