Why not a Juco coach?

[tornado]

Ok -- we can talk all we want about BU hiring a juco coach -- but it's probably about as likely as hiring a D-II guy....
we need someone with D-I experience and solid recruiting ability & connections.....
Anyone watching that Butler game last night has to wonder why Butler's top assistant and recruiter Matt Graves is not more prominently mentioned..
as far back as 2009 Graves was rated as one of the very top assistants in college basketball -- and since then.........
.. they've made TWO Elite Eights thathe can boost his resume with!!!

http://www.collegeinsider.com/belzer/070609.html

Also -- this guy is NOT a bad consideration...

http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/gaudio_dino00.html

[TylerDurden]

Ok -- we can talk all we want about BU hiring a juco coach -- but it's probably about as likely as hiring a D-II guy....
we need someone with D-I experience and solid recruiting ability & connections.....
Anyone watching that Butler game last night has to wonder why Butler's top assistant and recruiter Matt Graves is not more prominently mentioned..
as far back as 2009 Graves was rated as one of the very top assistants in college basketball -- and since then.........
.. they've made TWO Elite Eights thathe can boost his resume with!!!

http://www.collegeinsider.com/belzer/070609.html

Also -- this guy is NOT a bad consideration...
http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/spo...io_dino00.html

Jay Spoonhour has more DI experience than most of the names mentioned during this process, including recruiting connections. But I know they aren't hiring him, regardless of his abilities. I just wanted his name out there for discussion.

Graves is not mentioned because he's only been the top assistant for one season and has never been a head coach anywhere. He's roughly the equivalent of Jerrance Howard, with less experience.

Although I'd prefer Graves over Howard because I think he has a better perspective about what it takes at the mid-major level, neither is ready to coach BU.

I agree with Beninator - the process put in place will probably exclude juco coaches, because those firms are in place to win press conference and deflect blame for hiring decisions.

These firms are hired with the expectation that they can help you land a "name" and any other result would undermine their value.

[tornado]

..
Graves ....only been the top assistant for one season and has never been a head coach anywhere. He's roughly the equivalent of Jerrance Howard, with less experience. ...

this same description pretty much fits Brad Stevens quite well when he was hired as head coach at Butler...
except that Stevens had been an assistant at Butler only SIX years when he became a head coach
while Graves actually has MORE experience and has been an assistant there 8 years

[Buesch N Chips]

I don't think the question is what scenarios could possibly lead to a successful head coach, because that is any scenario.

I think the question is what to do from a PR standpoint after firing an alum with the loyalty that Jim Les had, and who had many supporters. You need to replace him with an obvious upgrade. Anything seen as a step down or lateral move will not sit well as BU tries to keep everyone on board. The new hire has to be viewed as successful, before he even wins any games. Are we running out of those guys?

[TylerDurden]

this same description pretty much fits Brad Stevens quite well when he was hired as head coach at Butler...
except that Stevens had been an assistant at Butler only SIX years when he became a head coach
while Graves actually has MORE experience and has been an assistant there 8 years

What Butler has is not easy to duplicate. Every situation is different (administration, university commitment/involvement, resources, ect.) and there is no one game plan.

It's also worth noting that this year, if Butler were in a different league, they probably don't make the NCAA field as an at-large...now they're in the final eight.

The league auto bid has benefited them several times during their run.

Also, it's completely different taking over at a place you've been and trying to maintain success versus going somewhere else and trying to create it.