UNC MBB to promote Hubert Davis to head coach
Seems like more and more teams want former players as their head coach. Davis is obviously a bit different since he was an assistant (and possibly head coach in waiting) for the last 9 years but still in that criteria.
Feels very rushed to me.
I don't remember the exact timeline, but it took Michigan at least a few weeks IIRC to land on Juwan.
This was decided in like five days.
This is no way speaks to whether or not Davis will be a good coach; however, as a fan, I want my school looking at all the available options first. I don't think that can be reasonably done in a matter of days.
I imagine this has been the plan for a while
Very well could have been decided before Roy stepped down. Beilein unexpectedly left UM, and UM were likely about as unprepared for a search as a major program could be based on the timing. I bet UNC AD was well aware this could happen from internal discussions and what the contingency plan would be.
Yep, that could absolutely make sense.
That or Roy recommended him upon announcing his retirement, and they just went with his recommendation.
Pretty sure that Davis or Miller were the heir apparents to UNC for a while
Has it occurred to you that perhaps this was contemplated internally prior to this week? I seriously doubt Roy just abruptly decided to retire. And Davis is a longtime and respected assistant with a ton of experience. This seems more like what you'd call a seamless transition.
I can believe that they planned this. Still, promoting an assistant seems rather uninspiring of a move for what is probably a top 5 national job.
He’s been their assistant coach for a decade—if they think he’s ready, why wait to pull the trigger? Juwan was not working for UM at the time they were looking and is a kind of contemporary trailblazer for his generation of NBA guys turned assistant turned HC. What “big name” was available?
IMO, the fact that Juwan wasn’t coaching here at the time was a plus. Every organization, no matter how successful, needs some fresh ideas.
If I had been UNC circa 2016, I would have encouraged Davis to get a head coaching job somewhere, so I could see what he could do running his own program. Remember when we thought LaVall Jordan would succeed Beilein?
All for hiring former players to become your head coach. We certainly are the trendsetters...
Seriously, there is no better way to combat the discrepancies in % of players who are black compared to coaches than to focus on hiring former players.
Completely agree that this is good for the sport primarily to get more diversity and new blood in the coaching ranks.
However, I don't think Michigan is the trendsetter here. I mean Purdue has had Matt Painter since '05 and even Lavall Jordan at Butler since '17. If you want to look towards hiring an alum who was also a great bball player, Memphis had Penny Hardaway and Georgetown had Patrick Ewing before Michigan hired Howard. Juwan just did the best job with it so far and let's be real, Beilein left a bevy of talent unlike Memphis and Georgetown. Credit to Howard for bringing that talent together (along with transfers) to play as a team and raise their ceiling together.
Kevin Ollie is the one who’s done it the best so far. I know we all kind of forgot about him already.
M was a trendsetter but (as pointed out by the squirrelly gentleman above...) not for hiring a former player.-- rather -- for hiring a former marquee player who was a sitting NBA assistant and candidate to become an NBA HC. In addition - coach Howard paid great attention to hiring a strong staff with extensive college experience (including as a successful college HC) to ease the transition into recruiting, compliance etc.
The wildcard with Coach Howard is hiw his fame affects recruiting and the direct access into the HS and AAU circuit via his sons. (Remember coach Howard getting press in 2019 from attending and mingling at AAU tourneys during the "dead" period because he was there not as a coach but to watch Jett and Jace play ball.)
Other ARE trying to emulate this - (just read of a mid-tier school targeting an alum who is a sitting NBA assistant but forget which) - but UNC is not a good example. Indiana probably the school doing the closest job thus far......
- Hire an Alum with NBA coaching and playing experience? Check -- (does he get a bonus for head coaching experience or dinged for lack of success? )
- Hire successful former College HC as an assistant? Check
- Bring in other assistants with good college pedigree? If they get Fife (I guess) Check.
What is missing at IU is the recruiting aspect**. To my knowledge Woodson is not getting shout-outs from reigning NBA MVPs etc. and unless Matta kept his toe in the waters they will be starting fresh on relationships (unless they want some transfers from Clarkston HS via MSU) -----as we saw in Juwan's first year it takes time to build relationships since kids start getting recruited much earlier in hoops.
** Yes IU has a built in recruiting advantage as a current/former "blue blood"
--As to your second point - I am big on offering the best person the job regardless -------- but if ADs weren't looking outside the usual retread coaching options before "to be safe" and Coach Howard's success helps them expand their search options I am all for that and I think Coach Howard would be very pleased/proud.
Also, Dane Fife is officially leaving MSU to join Woodson's staff at IU.
Seeing IU fans' reactions to each of their hires compared to everyone else in the B1G is really funny. I think most people in the B1G think the Woodson hire is decent at best and MSU fans seem to be quite happy to get rid of Fife.
I thought Fife was their coach in waiting? Are they gonna hire a 26 year old Foster Loyer to be their coach in a few years? Or maybe Ben Carter?
I've heard nothing but annoyance from MSU fans about Fife recently. They think he gives preferential treatment to undeserving Clarkston kids in recruiting and is the reason that Kithier, Loyer, etc. would get minutes they didn't deserve
Yeah, this news kinda pokes a giant hole in their theory that Fife sucks which is why no one else hired him
The recruiting bit, fine.
But determining who gets minutes falls on Izzo's lap.
So then is Drew Valentine the favorite as Izzo's eventual replacement?
Dwayne Stephens probably
Yes that makes sense.
tRCMB was pretty high on Nate Oats -- given his Michigan background and their myopic view of the MSU hoops program (somewhat like us with football) they assume he would jump at the chance.
And Yes many were not big fans of Fife or the staff in general this season -- citing a "good" staff gets poached where the average assistant tenure under Izzo is measured in decades..
I am not sure Fife being hired by IU -- in a lateral move -- is vindication of his coaching capabilities. It feels like another "getting the band back together" move by IU though he does know college and the B1G very well to help an outsider like Woodson. (Remember Matta has been "out of the game" for several years now as well.)
Nate Oats was born and raised in Wisconsin and didn't leave the state until he was almost 30 to take the Romulus job. If he comes to the Big Ten, it'll be to Wisconsin and not MSU
Hahahahaha that’s hilarious by Spartan fans. Like Izzo has no say on playing time or who gets the offers. They just can’t blame Frodo for anything.
Poor Tom Izzo. His assistant was putting a gun to his head and making him recruit and play Clarkston kids!
Is Mark Few going to stay at Gonzaga forever? I honestly thought UNC would make a huge play for him post tourney
Why wouldn't he? He's pulling in elite recruits now, he gets a cakewalk to a #1 seed every year. He has no incentive to go on to a power 5 program.
Why wouldn't he? He's pulling in elite recruits now, he gets a cakewalk to a #1 seed every year. He has no incentive to go on to a power 5 program.
And he has said over and over again his family fits the Northwest. Few strikes me as a guy who understands he has the best job for him. Money doesn’t change anything with a guy like that. I respect the hell out of Few.
By all accounts, he likes where he is, he has created a dominant program, the school likes him (reducing the pressure-cooker environment many jobs have), and he makes close to $2mm / year.
Maybe the math to stay where he is simply makes sense to him. UNC would be a more prestigious but not necessarily a better job for him.
Yes, he probably is, and why not! As noted, he is getting elite recruits now. Nobody in his league competes with him, which gives him a great record and high seed in the tournament annually. According to USA Today, it appears that he makes about $2 million a year, which is low by NCAA men's basketball standards for his success (Nebraska pays $4 million!), but he isn't under pressure week in and out. I think that there may be a few former Boise State football coaches who could give him some advice.
Is Mark Few going to stay at Gonzaga forever? I honestly thought UNC would make a huge play for him post tourney
They only called him twice.
Why wouldn't he? He's pulling in elite recruits now, he gets a cakewalk to a #1 seed every year. He has no incentive to go on to a power 5 program.
Why wouldn't he? He's pulling in elite recruits now, he gets a cakewalk to a #1 seed every year. He has no incentive to go on to a power 5 program.
Few isn't leaving Spokane.
He's been at Gonzaga since 1989...No doubt he's getting a very good salary, and the only other reason to leave is because he wouldn't have been able to win a championship there... Which is no longer the case as clearly he can compete for a championship every year now
not to mention Dan Monsoon's post Gonzaga career is something that would give him pause.
The only job he considered was Oregon, as he is from the area and its his alma mater...even having one of his closest friends as AD and Phil Knight as a patron couldn't entice him to leave.
https://watchstadium.com/the-one-job-mark-few-truly-considered-04-02-2021/
+1 for Dan Monsoon
UNC is THE college basketball example of keeping things in the family.
After Dean Smith retired, longtime Smith assistant Bill Guthridge was promoted.
After stopgap Guthridge retired, former Dean Smith-coached alum Matt Doherty took over.
After Doherty flamed out, Dean Smith's former assistant Roy Williams took over.
After Williams retired, former Dean Smith-coached alum Hubert Davis takes over.
And how did this concept work with Doherty ...
Has the bag men's numbers saved already and everything, it's just easier.