Grading the CBB Coaching Hires

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If you follow our blog then you recognize that we enjoy following the football and basketball “coaching carousels”.

After (former NC State assistant) Buzz Peterson finally accepted the App State job we thought it was the right time to review this year’s coaching carousel.

Before the season began, FoxSports.com listed these 12 coaches as ‘coaches on the hotseat’; it is interesting to see which ones made it for another season and which ones did not.

This link will highlight all of the coaching changes made as well as some of the financial packages included. The following are the changes made at the high-major level and (in many cases) inlcudes the financial packages of the new coaches.

Alabama
Was: Mark Gottfried / Is: Anthony Grant (1.8 mil, VCU)

Arizona
Was: Russ Pennell (Interim) / Is: Sean Miller (2.5 mil, Xavier)

Georgia
Was: Dennis Felton / Pete Hermann (Interim) / Is: Mark Fox (1.3 mil, Nevada)

Kentucky
Was: Billy Gillispie / Is: John Calipari (4.3 mil, Memphis)

Virginia
Was: Dave Leitao / Is: Tony Bennett (1.7 mil, Washington St)

Washington St
Was: Tony Bennett / Is: Ken Bone (Portland St)

Since we are, naturally, east-coast-centric we thought we would share these grades from a west coast guy.

A couple of interesting nuggets from the article:

Arizona
Old coach: Russ Pennell
New Coach: Sean Miller (from Xavier)
Grade: A-
Comment: One of the top young coaches in the game, Miller has his work cut out: Not only must he orchestrate a massive talent upgrade, he must match wits with a superb lineup of Pac-10 coaches. There’s also the matter of his future: Is he committed to Tucson for five years or more, or will he bolt to the Big East/ACC the first chance he gets?

Virginia
Old coach: Dave Leitao
New coach: Tony Bennett
Grade: C
Comment: A stunning hire in that UVa would want Bennett and that Bennett would want UVa after turned down opportunities at LSU and Indiana last spring. Similar to the Fox hire at Georgia, this has the potential for problems because of the recruiting/geography elements.

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34 Responses to Grading the CBB Coaching Hires

  1. VaWolf82 05/03/2009 at 3:47 PM #

    North Carolina State University
    Reporting Year: 7/1/2007 – 6/30/2008
    Number of Full-time Undergraduates: 20,604
    Men: 11,633
    Women: 8,971

    (Hope this link works)

    http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstDetails.aspx?756e697469643d31393931393326796561723d32303037267264743d352f332f3230303920343a35333a323220504d

  2. Astral Rain 05/03/2009 at 5:05 PM #

    If you want new blood in a playoff system, here’s how I’d do it.

    8 spots. 7 spots would go to NCS conferences, which would be required to have 11 members. No conf championship games, all BCS teams play a 10 game conf schedule.

    The 8th spot would be determined by BCS standings and the top independent team (Notre Dame would have to qualify here, though it would likely be easier then being in a conference)

    All teams would be allowed 3 non-conference games. Non conference games wouldn’t count for BCS teams really, as they’d have no bearing on championship qualification, so teams would likely play riskier games for bigger bucks. non-championship Bowl games would be played as exhbitions after the season, with no rules on participation outside of 1 game only.

    seeding would use the BCS standings. 1st round games played at BCS bowls, semifinals and finals rotate.

  3. 61Packer 05/03/2009 at 7:31 PM #

    Astral Rain- No conference championship games, all BCS teams play a 10 game conf schedule.

    I don’t think the nation’s top two conferences, the Southeastern or Big 12, would be willing to give up their conference championship games- too much $$$$$ being made here. The ACC could also get in on this payout if they’d get their title game out of the state of Florida and move it closer to the ACC fan base, like Charlotte or DC.

    A 10-game conference schedule is a better idea, but I’d like to see us play EVERY ACC opponent each season and drop either Gardner-Webb or Murray State instead. No matter what kind of BCS or playoff system we end up with in college football, no national champion will ever be legitimate as long as they don’t have to face every team in their own conference first. Last year’s Big 12 is the Exhibit A example.

  4. choppack1 05/04/2009 at 6:47 AM #

    Astral – that’s as good an idea as any that I’ve read. It’s probably the best 8 game playoff idea I’ve heard in truth.

    However, you might as well not even have the non-conference games if they don’t count. Teams w/ large stadiums and fanbases will simply fill them w/ home games.

    I’m not a big fan of a college football playoff. There is zero evidence that the game is in trouble. It’s something that has been started because a lot more people than in the past talk about sports for a living. And I can think of no one less credible when it comes to college football, than Obama. Do you think he’s ever had season tickets to any major team?

    The reality is this – a playoff would actually threaten college football. It would totally change the dynamic of the sport.

  5. Greywolf 05/04/2009 at 10:46 AM #

    SFN: Curious, do you think that Herb Sendek is a ‘heck of coach’? Seriously. Simple yes or no answer. How about Oliver Purnell? Skip Prosser (when he was alive) Dave Odom (when he coached)? Matt Doherty? Who else meet the standard and not meet the standard?
    `
    Just above your “Add-on” to my post I stated “What’s predictable with Miller based on his record is that he would lead us back to HWSNBN levels of mediocrity.” What part of “HWSNBN levels of mediocrity” did you not understand? HWSNBN=Herb Sendek. What, pray tell, about that would require a simple yes or no? Why not start a thread on Oliver Purnell? Skip Prosser (when he was alive) Dave Odom (when he coached)? Matt Doherty if you are interested in opinions on these guys?
    `
    “Who else meet the standard and not meet the standard?” What standard are you talking about. My opinion of Sean Miller is that he is a good coach, not a “heck of a coach” as he was described. I don’t think anyone, who fails to win his conference championship 3 years running in a Mid-Major or lower, deserves the “heck of a coach” label. Never have, never will. Perhaps my standards are too high but ‘it is what it is.’ Have a nice day! 😉

  6. GAWolf 05/04/2009 at 4:34 PM #

    Thanks for the information, VAWolf.

  7. CTPack 05/05/2009 at 9:27 AM #

    OK, dumb question, but I am new to the site. So here goes. What does HWSNBN stand for? I know it refers to Sendek…just curious.

  8. thebigwood 05/05/2009 at 2:16 PM #

    “He who shall not be named” or something like that

  9. GAWolf 05/06/2009 at 3:21 PM #

    ^Thanks for asking. I’ve never known that either and I’ve tried every combination of Herb, Sendek, Sunshine, Wait, Next, etc and could for the life of me never figure it out either. It showed up at PP about the same time I quit reading it with regularity so I just ignored it. It’s amazing it’s still in use today.

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