2019 basketball coaching search

Per Tony Paul, this is the guy Michigan is targeting to fill the ex-head-coach slot:

Hearing this is almost certainly happening.

Mike Miller has coached a ton in college, with two HC gigs -- Texas State from 1994-2000 and Eastern Illinois from 2005-12. Last four years as HC in G League.

There's your Howard assistant with HC experience. https://t.co/XTgtMgmMy5

— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) May 29, 2019

Miller's tenure at Texas State was pre-Kenpom and successful. He won the Southland league and playoff championships in 1997, garnering the program's second-ever NCAA bid, and won the league again two years later. EIU didn't go well at all, with losing seasons in six of his last seven years and no teams that broke into the top 200. EIU had a few teams around the turn of the millennium that were decent and one bid as a 15 seed; Miller's successor has done a whole lot of nothing.

[After THE JUMP: Miller's stock goes up after he hits the G-League.]

We've got another Expected To tweet that hovers between news and not news, but this one is not about a foregone conclusion so here it is:

Sources: Texas' Shaka Smart is expected to hire former Michigan assistant Luke Yaklich as an assistant coach. Was the Wolverines' defensive coordinator over the past few seasons.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 29, 2019

Brendan Quinn confirms the previous tweet and has Howard's first assistant hire:

Per sources, U-M assistant Luke Yaklich is indeed headed to Texas. Not official, but in the works. First reported by @JonRothstein.

Additionally, Saddi Washington, I am told by sources, will be retained by Juwan Howard as a member of the U-M staff.

DeAndre Haynes remains tbd.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) May 29, 2019

Losing Yaklich sucks for a couple different reasons. Michigan was 3rd and 2nd in defensive efficiency during his two seasons in Ann Arbor, and that was all his show. Some of that could be chalked up to Yaklich walking into two of the best defenders Michigan's ever had. But three-fifths of the starting lineup in 2017-18 was Moe Wagner, Duncan Robinson, and Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman. None of those guys were plus defenders individually. Wagner had a 2% block rate!

Also Yaklich was the primary recruiter on Jalen Wilson and getting him back in the fold is a longer shot now.

[After THE JUMP: transfer talk]

The first staff announcement from Coach Howard has arrived, and it's as welcome as it was obvious. Well-regarded basketball trainer Jon Sanderson will remain at Michigan.

〽️ Nation! I'm pleased to announce that @CampSanderson - an integral part of the program the last 10 years - will be staying in Ann Arbor.

His reputation precedes him — I’m definitely looking forward to witnessing that first workout.

GO BLUE!!

— Juwan Howard (@JuwanHoward) May 24, 2019

He's also got several minutes to enjoy having more followers than Juwan. Michigan can look forward to more baby stick figures who turn into Caris Leverts, not to mention the benefit that "remember what Tim Hardaway Jr. looked like before he got here?" etc. has done for Michigan recruiting.

Mood right now! #GoBlue #Sweet16 #FLAvsMICH pic.twitter.com/zuQH6pmgF8

— Jon Sanderson (@CampSanderson) March 23, 2019

Howard has three assistant positions yet to fill, with Michigan fans very much hoping to retain either or both of Luke Yaklich and Saddi Washington to maintain continuity and help Howard with the transition to college. There's nothing else new to add to the Assistant Coach Searchbits from yesterday except Jeff Goodman reported longtime NBA player/assistant Howard Eisley, once a high school teammate of Jalen Rose in Detroit, is rumored to be a candidate.