2015 College basketball coaching carousel thread

The difference to me if that Texas, while obviously a football first school, seems to care a lot more about its other sports than Alabama does. I don't buy into the "football school" argument because schools like Oklahoma, Florida, Ohio State have all had consistent success in basketball and Tennessee and Texas can be included in that as well. Bama has had decent success in men's basketball, it just doesn't seem like people there care that much about it.

 

No mention of Fordham hiring Eastern Kentucky's coach? This board used to be better than that!

 

They do and they don't. They'll tell you right quick that they overall have the second best history in the SEC wrt hoops... but that was years ago, they don't fill Coleman often, and no one in Alabama seems to much give a damn about hoops until after all the bowl games are over.

The other side of the coin was that the 'Bama fans really kinda wanted to steal Mike Anderson from UAB. The Board of Trustees screwed any chance of that up when they wouldn't cut him a check for his Sweet Sixteen bonus and he had to get a lawyer to them. Then he was gone to Mizzou. The fans wanted to grab Bruce Pearl (a lot) but it was really too early to dump Grant, the timing wasn't right. Then AU hired Pearl, which was bad enough, and when he took what is likely to be the worst Auburn team he'll coach to the SEC Finals while they watched on TV, Grant was gone.

They want a Sabanesque hire. They want to shut up AU. Add in Howland and now probably Barnes to UT, and they *really* want a home run hire. If Bill Battle can't get Marshall or Smart he's going to be in a bind. I think Mike White would be a helluva good hire for them, but all the fans are going to see is Louisiana Tech and he won't be good enough.

We'll see. Watching the carousel spin... and Calipari is *still* the wild card.

 

Another Barnes-Tennessee connection is that AD Dave Hart played at Alabama in the late 1960s when Wimp Sanderson was an assistant under C.M. Newton. Barnes was an assistant under Sanderson at Alabama in the mid-1980s.

 

Mullin to St. John's a done deal, per NYDN:

Chris Mullin to become St. John’s basketball coach - NY Daily News

 

Texas is the kind of athletic department that wants all its teams to be nationally relevant, but they aren't getting too worked up if the basketball team isn't winning the Big 12 every year or goes several years between Final Fours.

 

The Chris Mullen hire could work. He might be another Hoiberg. But it seems like there have been more Sidney Lowes and Clyde Drexlers in these situations.

 

Also, I believe he grew up on the other side of the Smokies in western North Carolina, so it's almost like a homecoming.

 

Shaka Smart in discussions with Texas per CBS Sports, which would appear to clear the way for Marshall to Alabama:

 

All in all, I think Smart is the better hire of the two for Texas.

 

Bill Battle leaves Wichita alone after meeting with Marshall. Make of that what you will.

Bill Battle leaves Wichita alone after meeting with top target Gregg Marshall | AL.com

 

Hoiberg is the gold standard for the former NBA player who "goes home".

I would argue that Iowa State is a better job than St. John's and has been for 20 years.

Hoiberg was a coach on the floor when we played in the NBA because he had to be. I'm not sure if Chris Mullin was in that mold in the league.

The Mullin hire makes me think Dan Marino should coach the Dolphins, George Brett should manage the Royals and that Crockett and Tubbs should squeeze more money per episode from NBC.