It's that time of year: College coach carousel!

Paul Hewitt. Problem there is that his buyout is massive, and GT athletics isn't exactly rolling in dough.

Hewitt has always been able to hang on to two things: the 2004 national championship game run, and his ability to recruit. The coaching was always suspect, but sometimes he could have players good enough to win games anyway. Well, the Final Four appearance is but a spot in the distance, and his neighbor in Athens is now holding its own recruiting-wise. Soon as Tech can find the enough money under the couch cushions, he's out.

Bruce Pearl, anyone? They'll make the NCAAs based on stuff they did in November, but since the calendar turned they've been garbage. And this was to be his most talented team ever. Plus all the other stuff.

 

Great typo this AM in trannies referencing the Perry Clark dismissal in my local newspaper (I blame AP, not my old shop):

TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI: Fried men's basketball coach Perry Clark.

Eastern Washington coach also got the axe.

 

Pearl should be gone, but he'll resist every step of the way.

Tubby Smith is likely done in Minnesota. They could make a run in the Big Ten tournament, or if not there, the NIT, but even that might not be enough.

 

Don't forget Heath Schroyer at Wyoming a month ago today, and Tony Ingle at Kennesaw State yesterday.

 

I still contend Kennesaw State going D-I was one of the stupidest decisions in the history of ever.

 

And yet, they still beat Georgia Tech this year. Another reason why Hewitt deserves the boot.

 

Keno may survive because PC isn't exactly rolling in it, and may only be able to afford to fire one coach (the hockey coach is on thin ice, so to speak, as is the AD who hired him and Keno). If the Friars play respectably tonight, even in a losing cause, he probably gets one more year. But if they phone in an embarrassment like they did at Marquette or West Virginia, maybe they can't afford to keep him.
With so many hot second-tier guys in the East being snapped up last year, they may not be able to find an improvement on Keno right now (unless they go another route).
A 15-16 record, in the end, is about what could've been expected (and is three games better than last year). But I'm as concerned about the turmoil and transparency surrounding the program (Duke Mondy's been benched for three games and we still don't know what the story is - Keno took him to Louisville, and he went to morning shootaround, but was left at the hotel for the game) as I am about the record. Is he recruiting solid guys?

 

Keno never should have left Drake.

 

Maybe but I am nearly 100% for the mid-major coach going to the Big Time. If nothing else, he will be set for life.

College basketball coaches land the "major college job", often by their kids winning a conference tournament and knocking off some bored 5-seed.

In 1999: if Wisconsin doesn't put up 32 points against Southwest Missouri State, does Steve Alford get out of Springfield?

Stan Heath has probably made $5 or $6 million from his Kent State team winning a little bit.

If Bruce Pearl's Wisc-Milwaukee Panthers don't make the Sweet 16, does Tennessee ever call?

You HAVE to go when the opportunity hits.

Otherwise, you end up like Mike Newell. In 1986, he led Arkansas-Little Rock to within an eyelash of beating Valvano's NC State in the second round. He DIDN'T leave Little Rock. The team never got that far again. Now he is coaching Arkansas-Monticello. The Boll Wievels.

GO when your team is hot.

 

The John Beilein approach. He coached at two of my favorite schools and as much as I like the guy he always seemed to have one foot out the door.

 

After landing Zeller and a nice 2012 recruiting class, Crean has at least 4-5 years to go before being in hot water.

 

Can he combine his time at Fresno State with his time across town at Fresno City College (local juco), his stop before BYU? Granted, they were looking for the saintly type ater Tark and Ray Lopes, but Vance Wallberg (who refined the dribble dive motion offense) was at FCC for the taking at the time ...