Indiana State Coaching Search

[tornado]

Indiana State Athletic Director Ron Prettyman has hired an outside agent to help in the search.
This story identifies 10 candidates:

Gib Arnold, USC assistant ???‚¬??? Many believe Arnold has the fast track to the ISU spot ???‚¬?¦ or is it Cantu? Arnold, considered one of the better recruiters in the nation, was 57-14 as a junior college coach at Southern Idaho. His teams were also academically strong. His father was a UCLA assistant under John Wooden.

Bob Cantu, USC assistant ???‚¬??? Cantu and Prettyman have crossed paths before. Cantu was a finalist for the Cal State-Dominguez Hills men???‚¬?„?s basketball job a year before Prettyman came to Terre Haute. Cantu is also instrumental in the Trojans???‚¬?„? recruiting, one reason why USC is 21-10 this season. He also runs his own Fundamental Basketball Camp.

John Groce, Ohio State assistant ???‚¬??? Groce is associate head coach under former ISU assistant Thad Matta and is a Danville, Ind. native. Groce has been on Matta???‚¬?„?s staffs at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State and is a proven winner. Groce was instrumental in recruiting Matta???‚¬?„?s Indiana-based Buckeyes???‚¬?„? stars.

Rick Herdes, Southern Indiana head coach ???‚¬??? Herdes is a hot commodity, he is also believed to be in line for the Evansville and Illinois State openings. His career record is 157-39 at USI and the Screaming Eagles won the GLVC this season with a 28-5 record.

Greg Lansing, ISU assistant ???‚¬??? Lansing is familiar to most ISU fans and along with Stan Gouard was instrumental in bringing in ISU???‚¬?„?s incoming freshman class. Lansing is a long-time assistant, having had two stints here and a lengthy stay at Iowa. The knock against him is lack of head coaching experience, but even if Lansing isn???‚¬?„?t named the head coach, ISU would be wise to retain him.

Ray McCallum, IU assistant ???‚¬??? McCallum was once head coach at Ball State and Houston and might be the choice for ISU if they???‚¬?„?re looking for experience. McCallum had mixed results at Houston from 2000-04, but was 126-76 at Ball State from 1993-2000, and was the fourth-winningest coach in Mid-America Conference history by percentage when he left his alma mater. He has always had the reputation as a good recruiter.

Kevin McKenna, Creighton assistant ???‚¬???Like Lansing, McKenna has had two stints as a Creighton assistant. In the interim, McKenna was head coach at Nebraska-Omaha where he led the once woebegone Mavericks to a 89-33 mark in four seasons.

Joe Pasternack, California assistant ???‚¬??? Pasternack was a finalist for the New Orleans job last year and has an Indiana connection, having been an IU team manager in the 1990s. Pasternack is energetic and probably fits the mold of what the personality type Prettyman might be seeking.

Scott Sutton, Oral Roberts head coach ???‚¬??? Son of legendary coach Eddie Sutton, he led the Eagles this week to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and has a career record of 144-101 at ORU. Fits into ISU???‚¬?„?s price range too.

Steve Wojciechowski, Duke assistant ???‚¬??? Wojciechowski, better known as ???‚¬?“Wojo???‚¬?? from his late 1990s playing days at Duke, has been bandied about locally as a viable candidate. It is known that Wojciechowski desires a head coaching job, but whether ISU is the place or whether ISU can pay Wojciechowski is debatable.

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_story_069010313.html

Then there's the money end of the deal

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_story_070232517.html

[smitty]

I wonder if the politically correct race-police will be upset about that list. As far as I can tell, there is just 1 of the 10 candidates that is not white (McCallum is black).

Has the Black Coaches Association been consulted?

[tornado]

McCallum might be a good coach since he's got a lot of experience in and around Indiana, but he isn't all that much younger than Royce, at nearly 50 years of age.
Also, in his last head coaching gig, he literally ran Houston into the ground before he was fired and present coach Tom Penders was hired. Even Ball State, when they needed a new coach a year ago, passed on him for these reasons.
Plus he was on staff at Oklahoma for two years along side Kelvin Sampson and was intimately involved on the excessive phone calls, but if InSU doesn't mind a guy who's learned cheating from the master, then he might be right choice.

I say grab Rick Herdes as fast as you can and get going with the rebuilding.

[houstontxbrave]

Herdes was an assistant to Larry Graham at SIUE when I went there in the early 90's. Herdes was an extremely hard worker and very charismatic. He lived basketball and has done a great job after taking over for Pearl at Southen Indiana. He seems to be a perfect fit for either INState or ISU.

Eville seems to be a place that is screaming for an alumni with ties to the University and understands both the Valley and recruiting to a private university.

BTW Herdes had a hot red headed wife who once was a STL football Cardinals cheerleader

[BradleyBrave]

When things weren't going so hot for the Braves early last year and it looked like something might need to be done, I was a big advocate of Herdes' maybe coming here. I think it would be a good hire for any of the teams looking to fill a coaching vacancy in the MVC. There will be immediate improvement, and certainly an entertaining style of basketball. He's from the Tom Davis-Bruce Pearl school of full-court basketball. Pressing, lots of scoring, not as much defense.

[tornado]

Herdes was an assistant to Larry Graham at SIUE when I went there in the early 90's. Herdes was an extremely hard worker and very charismatic. He lived basketball and has done a great job after taking over for Pearl at Southen Indiana. He seems to be a perfect fit for either INState or ISU.

Eville seems to be a place that is screaming for an alumni with ties to the University and understands both the Valley and recruiting to a private university.

BTW Herdes had a hot red headed wife who once was a STL football Cardinals cheerleader

That seals it, we want him in the Valley!

[houstontxbrave]

Herdes's Bio

http://www.usi.edu/SPORTS/mbasket/Herdes.asp

[Da Coach]

One of the top candidates for the Indiana State job, and one of the 4 nameed as finalists, current Indiana assistant Ray McCallum, has withdrawn his name from consideration--

http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/iusp/?p=473

[DannyCooksey]

Sycamore fans on VT are reporting that Greg Lansing is the guy picked as the new Sycamore leader. He has been an assistant at Indiana St.

Looks like the Valley hired 4 pretty solid candidates for their 4 openings. Remains to be seen what Lowery will do.

[amckillip]

Sycamore fans on VT are reporting that Greg Lansing is the guy picked as the new Sycamore leader. He has been an assistant at Indiana St.

Looks like the Valley hired 4 pretty solid candidates for their 4 openings. Remains to be seen what Lowery will do.

I don't understand, if your program is struggling why would you hire and unsuccessful assistant, particularly from your own program which will result in less change than someone from outside. I understand you have to keep recruits and current players happy who bought into the previous system, but will they be happy with a coach who was an assistant to another coach who has pretty much (I know about the Michael munser(the 3 point shooter) or w/e team that made the NCAA's) been a perennial bottom dweller, It just doesn't make sense to me. I am pretty sure I'll be proven right when 4-5 years from now ISU is still playing there annual Thursday MVC game.

[cpacmel]

CBSsportsline is saying McKenna:

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10094229

[Da Coach]

It sounds like this is final-- then it must mean Dana Altman has given Creighton and McKenna assurances that he is staying at Creighton. I had heard from a Creighton insider that McKenna had asked Indiana State to give him time to see what Dana was doing, since he would have been a top candidate for the Creighton job if Dana left.

[Da Coach]

Gary Parrish had the story on CBSSportsline.com a little earlier, but here is more confirmation that Indiana State has sealed the deal with Kevin McKenna to be their head coach. Strangely, this story still is not up on any other sites, yet.---

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6619776

[DannyCooksey]

Sycamore fans on VT are reporting that Greg Lansing is the guy picked as the new Sycamore leader. He has been an assistant at Indiana St.

Looks like the Valley hired 4 pretty solid candidates for their 4 openings. Remains to be seen what Lowery will do.

I'll never trust those Tree posters again!!