College basketball coaching carousel

Trump would have suggested they bring back Dana Kirk.

 

#makememphisstateagain

 

Interesting twist to Tubby tale:

Texas Tech AD doesn’t shoot down UNLV’s Chris Beard as basketball coach candidate

 

Buzz Williams, come on down to Lubbock.

 

Eh, Oklahoma State would have been one thing, but that's really a lateral move.

 

Las Vegas.

Lubbock.

 

Only two hours from all the excitement of Amarillo!

 

I know next to nothing about the Little Rock guy, who, I think, was there for only one year. He's certainly paid his dues in general, having been at Div. II or NAIA places as well as two JCs. But I was still curious as to why he jumped at the first gig that became available. Vegas is not a destination job. The subsequent Big 12 openings indicated he'd have been better off with a more patient approach.

 

And cotton fields, oh the cotton fields.

 

It's really Big 12 vs. MWC. Granted TTEch will always be fighting for Big 12 scraps, and Vegas could be a good gig if they are willing to give their coach some "latitude" with admissions, but UNLV isn't even the big dog in the MWC with New Mexico, SD State fighting for what has become a one-bid league.

 

Beard's three children live in Lubbock.

Tech also can pay a lot more. I read that Tubby was making 1.9M and UNLV had started Beard at 900K. There is a million dollar buyout in the UNLV contract but Tech can clearly afford that.

Also, from a distance UNLV appears to have a very dysfunctional athletic program. Beard may have gotten there and realized he had made a major mistake.

 

If you're at a program like Little Rock and you win a game or two in the NCAA, you leave at the first chance. I believe this for every HC at a small program, whether Andy Enfield or Stan Heath.

Always leave and get paid.

Thirty years ago, Mike Newell didn't leave UALR when they nearly made the Sweet 16. That was his apex. He never got a big-time offer after that. Always leave.

Tech might pay more and he might have three children living in Lubbock. I would argue it from the other side -- distance may be good. He can focus on just coaching and rebuilding at UNLV. At Tech, he would be rich but also content.

This is a big boy job and he jumped to Vegas. You have to see through Las Vegas.