(Now that Brian has talked about it) MBB Coaching Wishlists
I've refrained from posting a CC thread mid-season, but I feel like Brian offering comments on the necessity of it all warrants a layout of potential options.
If you were (ahem) a competent athletic director, whose agent would you be starting to nudge a bit? In my mind I think of a few names:
- Tommy Lloyd (Arizona): comes from the Mark Few coaching tree, has won 61 games his first two seasons as a head coach. Would be a really hard get given he's only been in Tuscon a brief time.
- Dusty May (FAU): took the Owls to the Final Four. What else needs be said? Probably every major program with a coaching change will be clamoring for him.
- Porter Moser (Oklahoma): has struggled a bit since leaving Loyola Chicago but has seemed to find his footing/system this past year. Oklahoma has lost coaches to the B10 in the past...
- Nate Oats (Alabama): SEC coach of the year, has history in the Detroit area (taught/coached at Romulus High). Has a pretty cushy salary at Alabama so may be tough to pry away.
Who is not on this list:
- Anyone above the age of 60 (flight/retirement risk in a few years)
- Anyone on Michigan's current staff (obviously)
- No recent Michigan coaches who are leading other programs (poor general track record)
January 31st, 2024 at 2:57 PM ^
Aaron Craft. But I guess he is going the doctor route.
January 31st, 2024 at 11:08 PM ^
I wish him more success than Craig Krenzel or Robert Smith.
January 31st, 2024 at 2:59 PM ^
Fire Warde first. Cannot trust his terrible judgement.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:03 PM ^
This list is,"literally" unsurprising. One thing you will realize and I don't care who you are. The players have to want to play for the coach and not the school. Also there's actually a million reasons why Juwan cannot accomplish anything different than what any of these unsurprising coaching recommendations on these lists, could accomplish.
GO BLUE
January 31st, 2024 at 3:52 PM ^
I would imagine that at least one person on that list understands you need guards on the roster.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:58 PM ^
Lol! So Caleb isn't a guard? Shannon isn't a guard? Oh well Juwan doesn't want to win he just actually chose to seek out help and decline to allow them to don the Maize and Blue. Because he of course definitely doesn't want to win at his Alma Mater.
January 31st, 2024 at 5:29 PM ^
Those guys were not going to be admitted as discussed on this very blog prior to them being denied. There are also other guys that seemingly could be admitted, including, gasp, incoming freshman.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:59 PM ^
I don’t care who you are
James Bond does, though!
January 31st, 2024 at 3:03 PM ^
Why not Beilein?
Age is the obvious knock, but he's proven he can win at Michigan.
Sometimes the best answer is right in front of you.
EDIT: I know some think Beilein is done with coaching, but are we entirely sure about that? He's clearly planted roots in Michigan... I mean does it hurt to kick the tires? I'd hope Warde would do that regardless, even if it's as an advisor role in a search.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:07 PM ^
I doubt he wants anything to do with the all-free-agency professionalized world that CBB has turned into. It's no longer the same sport.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
Exactly. He left a good, winning program 5+ years ago because the cbb landscape was getting dirtier by the year.
It's only worse now, he's older and he's been out of the game for a while.
The man has earned his quiet retirement.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:17 PM ^
He's having subs and thinks it's awesome. No way he comes back.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:44 PM ^
Beilein appears on BTN occassionally - and, it's easy to see why he was "the coach that he was" - he offers great insgihts to teams - their opponents - what's working for a team as well as where they're coming up short.
He was fantastic at Michigan - no question about it.
Whether Juwan can right the ship is a huge question mark. And, at this time - the direction isn't good.
My thanks to Coach Beilein for the smiles he put on our faces when the football team was more than a bit behind the eight ball.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:54 PM ^
Maybe he could come back for a one time thing like Alvarez did for Wisconsin to help right the ship after Bert left with the understanding that we're going to be looking for a coach?
January 31st, 2024 at 5:55 PM ^
That won't work because of recruiting.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:08 PM ^
I literally love John Beilein, and would dearly love to see him back at Michigan. That said, I don't think he wants this job with all the stuff it entails now.I'm NOT saying he couldn't do it, or at least hire the right guys to do the stuff he doesn't want to do.. He's proven that.
I just don't think he'd take it. I say that with all regret.
Rob
January 31st, 2024 at 3:13 PM ^
Would certainly like him to lead the search committee.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:45 PM ^
Great idea. I don't know if Warde's smart enough to ask him to do that.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:54 PM ^
People keep saying this and I don't understand why. John Beilein is done coaching. He's not coming back.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:04 PM ^
I have been really impressed by what Dusty May has done. They have about 5 or 6 guards that can all really play and have great offensive skill (can handle, can shoot and attack the basket) and all of these guys were no name recruits except for 1 guy which is a UConn transfer. I mean that is a ridiculous amount of backcourt talent to have anywhere, especially at a place like FAU. He has obviously done a great job identifying and developing talent at the most important position at college basketball (like Beilein), and clearly he doesnt need to recruit at a really high level to do it.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:06 PM ^
I don't understand the problem with the commitment NIL, even in its current state. Michigan literally has (I think) the wealthiest graduate of any P5 school. Get in touch with him. Larry Page is worth triple what Phil Knight is worth and we see how Oregon's programs have grown.
What excuse does Michigan have given the wealth of its alumni base?
January 31st, 2024 at 3:21 PM ^
Larry Page is more interested in saving the planet than he is Michigan athletics. Knight was a track athlete at Oregon. His company sells athletic shoes and apparel. Larry Page has no connection to athletics as far as I can tell. He got started on Google doing research at Stanford. He’s just as likely to donate to them as to us. (And don’t forget he went to East Lansing High School. Be careful what you wish for, he might just send some of that largesse to MSU.)
January 31st, 2024 at 4:13 PM ^
Ah come on, the planet is doomed ... Michigan athletics can be fixed!
January 31st, 2024 at 3:07 PM ^
Yaklich
January 31st, 2024 at 3:08 PM ^
I don't care how old he is (61) my first call would be to Few. It's a long shot to get him to leave Gonzaga, but maybe he realizes he's hit his ceiling there and has to move to power 5 to try for NC. UM's NIL might even be a step up from his current situation and that might have moved the needle enough to get him to leave.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:12 PM ^
No thank Few!!! He has baggage also. Since that's why some don't want coaches with baggage.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:37 PM ^
Few couldn’t be a worse fit for Ann Arbor, culturally/politically speaking. It would be like hiring Mike Gundy.
January 31st, 2024 at 4:02 PM ^
What specifically? I did some quick looking and I didn't see anything other than a DUI a few years ago, which isn't disqualifying for me. I mean Harbaugh had one too. Spokane is not exactly some backwater place, and while AA is very liberal/to the left, Spokane is pretty middle of the ground, and as I said, I'm not aware of anything in his history to suggest that he would be totally out of place here. At the end of the day, Harbaugh was a mixed guy politically and I agreed with some of his positions (criminal reform for example and social justice) and disagreed with some (abortion), but I'm not hiring him for his political opinions and he's entitled to them as much as I am.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:08 PM ^
Nate Oats feels like a guy sketchy to me. Not sure I want him in Ann Arbor
January 31st, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
With Michigan’s NIL and transfer policy being what it is, no sane head coaching candidate would agree to take this job. We should give Coach Howard a raise and hope he doesn’t leave. Any CC lists are a waste of time, as a result.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:45 PM ^
I agree with analysis that there are fundamental problems that limit the attractiveness of the MBB coaching job.
I think there are better solutions than trying the same thing over and over hoping for a different result.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:11 PM ^
we laugh at MSU, but other than the tucker debacle, which was a large debacle, their hockey, football (it appears so far), and bball programs are in great places, coaching-wise.
Our Football program is an unknown. We're hopeful, but its incomplete at best for now. Our hockey team... still gets talent, but consistently underperforms and just fired a guy who had shenanigans.
Our basketball program should be completely removed from D-1 and we should be relegated to the California Penal League
January 31st, 2024 at 4:32 PM ^
Saying MSU football is in a better position than Michigan football is certainly a take.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:08 PM ^
Guy, I am as concerned about Michigan's football future as anyone, but it's just not sane to suggest Michigan is in a worse place than MSU football wise. Our roster is infinitely more talented. Our coaching staff is better by any measure. As Sam Webb would say..Come on man.
Rob
January 31st, 2024 at 3:11 PM ^
Honestly, any of the candidates from the last go-around would be an upgrade from Juwan
January 31st, 2024 at 3:14 PM ^
Brian Ellerbe. I went to most of his games in Ann Arbor. Bring him back
January 31st, 2024 at 3:15 PM ^
By the way - Izzo was complimentary to Howard after the game, which tells you all you need to know. There's no threat. He's not worried and he would love Howard to continue to languish. When we're going good, he's angry, elfy, and pissy nonstop
January 31st, 2024 at 4:02 PM ^
Please izzo is no threat because he's been earning the moniker Mr. March since 2000. I have an update for you, the Championship game is NOT in March. You can have izzo!!!
January 31st, 2024 at 10:23 PM ^
I'm not sure when / why I picked up on this, but I think Juwan / Izzo actually have a friendly relationship. Does anybody have a backstory there?
January 31st, 2024 at 3:20 PM ^
Hard pass on Shaka Smart. He completely shit the bed against Tiny Tom in the tournament last season.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:24 PM ^
Dutcher.....Brian Dutcher....
January 31st, 2024 at 3:33 PM ^
He's close to retirement age (64).
January 31st, 2024 at 4:02 PM ^
Supposedly, Dutcher still has bad feelings toward Michigan because of the Fisher firing and would not even entertain the idea of coming.
January 31st, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
As if he'd leave SDSU
January 31st, 2024 at 3:25 PM ^
I don't have a lot to add here. I'm supportive of every Michigan sport - players, coaches, and staff.
There's no doubt in my mind that Juwan loves Michigan. I love Michigan too. But, the ability to identify, recruit, and assemble a roster isn't easy - especially in today's NIL / Portal environment. IMO, it's an "art" - not science.
Then, there's player development - fundamentals - scheme - maturity - and playing together.
Juwan's experience at the NBA level can be a tremendous asset. But, it also seems to me that players - by the time they reach the NBA - already have "decent or better" fundamentals - if they didn't, they'd be in the G League.
Unfortunately - talent, experience, and ability - does not necessarily translate into "good coaching".
As difficult as it is to say - the program is not going in the right direction. Michigan is tied for last (with Rutgers) in the current B1G conference standinds - and, to my knowledge - injuries have not been a factor (aside from Juwan's surgery this summer - which I'm very understanding of).
There are ten games remaning this season. I'll be cheering for them to win - but, the likelihood of victory in most of the games is low.
The remaining opponents / locations follows. Seven of the ten remaining games are against teams with ".500 or better" conference records. The current conference standing is also noted
- Rutgers (home) - tied for last with Michigan
- Wisconsin (home) - 1st
- at Nebraska - tied for 5th
- at Illinois - 3rd
- Michigan State (home) - tie for 5th
- at Northwestern - 4th
- Purdue (home) - 2nd
- at Rutgers - this may be to finalize which team finishes DFL in the conference
- at Ohio State - 12th
- Nebraska (home) -5th - in the season finale.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:25 PM ^
I don't trust Warde to hire a competent janitor, much less a basketball coach. Might as well keep Juwan until he's gone.
Also, I don't think Warde will be in a hurry to fire him anyway. Maybe he'll cut his salary in half instead.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:29 PM ^
"Maybe he'll cut his salary in half instead."
I'm not necessarily opposed to this - however, it's fair to say that the "other sport" where a Mchigan head coach couldn't get over a hurdle (defeating OSU in an annual contest) - had a much different record - and - took over a program that was the equivalent of a tire fire.
Both Howard and Harbaugh are Michigan alums with a great history as student athletes. In the coaching progression - their paths unfortunately don't have that much in common.
January 31st, 2024 at 3:29 PM ^
Brian Dutcher!!!
The man is an incredible coach with an incredible amount of success. He has extremely strong ties to Michigan basketball. Was the assistant to Steve Fisher on the 89 championship team. He was also the man most responsible for recruiting the FAB 5! He's a young 64 and has the ability to turn the program around quickly.
January 31st, 2024 at 4:03 PM ^
He doesn't want to come to Michigan.