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Why not a Juco coach?

M

Missouri Brave

New member
The last time we went that route, we secured one Dick Versace, our most successful coach in the past 45 years. It's an outside-the-box idea but maybe it's the right play.

I'm just sayin'...
 
I know -- but both of those happened more than 30 years ago...and things in D-I have changed soooo much --- so much pressure now to win and recruiting has become so much more a MAJOR, nationwide issue...
so I believe the day has LONG come and gone that a juco guy would ever move to a D-I head coaching position -- except for maybe a low level entry job -- Texas A&M-CC or Kennesaw State
 
tornado said:
I know -- but both of those happened more than 30 years ago...and things in D-I have changed soooo much --- so much pressure now to win and recruiting has become so much more a MAJOR, nationwide issue...
so I believe the day has LONG come and gone that a juco guy would ever move to a D-I head coaching position -- except for maybe a low level entry job -- Texas A&M-CC or Kennesaw State
Click to expand...

In some ways it would seem like a Juco guy may be a bit more used to the kind of recruiting rush needed when you take a new job, since they have to reload so often.
 
I see no problem in hiring a good juco coach that has been successful at one of the top teams in the country, he has to be able to both coach and recruit if he is at one of the top places plus you could end up with some of his good players coming with him, it would not be my first choice but it would be better then settling for a Giacoletti type guy that is only in the running because of d-1 coaching experience and not because he was very successful because he was not.
 
real fan said:
I see no problem in hiring a good juco coach that has been successful at one of the top teams in the country, he has to be able to both coach and recruit if he is at one of the top places plus you could end up with some of his good players coming with him, it would not be my first choice but it would be better then settling for a Giacoletti type guy that is only in the running because of d-1 coaching experience and not because he was very successful because he was not.
Click to expand...

Nolan Richardson and Dick Versace came the JC route and it seemed to work out. While I think it might be a little early in his coaching career to consider Willi Scott for the job today, I would think he has future potential based on his success at Malcolm X to be the head coach at Bradley some day.
 
And you certainly can't agree with the success Bradley has had with juco players: Sommerville, Boogie, Will Franklin, Thirdkill, Donald Reese, Bobby Ford, Zack, Rabey, etc., etc.
 
Who knows where this search is going. My question would be, at the beginning, did we hire a search firm to get a JUCO coach? I would have to say no.
 
Beninator said:
Who knows where this search is going. My question would be, at the beginning, did we hire a search firm to get a JUCO coach? I would have to say no.
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A JUCO coach would be deflating. But there have to be some good ones out there if you can find them. I doubt a JUCO hire would get the support needed to be successful though.
 
Jay Spoonhour is not the typical JC coach.

He's been around the DI block at various levels.

I think he'd do well at BU. However, I'm fairly certain BU won't go that route, even if they should.

I'm not sure that any of the names mentioned are better coaches than Spoonhour would be and I'm almost certain whoever ends up with the job won't be better either -- they'll just be paid more.
 
I think we need to look at the whole picture as far as who wants the job and hire the most qualified candidate, if a juco coach fits that criteria then hire him as I want the person that is going to come in and win period.
 
real fan said:
I think we need to look at the whole picture as far as who wants the job and hire the most qualified candidate, if a juco coach fits that criteria then hire him as I want the person that is going to come in and win period.
Click to expand...

Agree.. All this is hypothetical of course.... I was not questioning the selection of a JUCO coach. My question was directed at the selection process. If priorities were established at the beginning, I would have to think that a JUCO coach would be a lower ranking for us. Especially when we consider that NIU hired an assistant from an established coaching tree in Montgomery.
 
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
 
tornado said:
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
Click to expand...

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.
 
TylerDurden said:
..
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. ...
Click to expand...

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
 
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?
 
tornado said:
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
Click to expand...


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.
 
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