Here…we…go!! (7:15pm update)

We hope that you have noticed the cautious manner with which we have ‘covered’ the current NC State Basketball coaching situation.

Quite frankly, there hasn’t been anything to really ‘cover’ yet, and we are not just going to write a lot of nonesense just for the sake of writing.  We are not going to pass off speculation as “inside information.”  This is in contrast to other websites that may look to exploit the current situation to generate pageviews and premium memberships.

Despite what oblivious media members may say, I am stepping out on a limb and predicting that NC State will have a coach in place before next weekend.

As ‘ushum’ said on our message boards:

things are starting to heat up for real now, this week is going to be a blast…everything before now was just qualifying, this week is the daytona 500..

Ushum is correct.  Everything we know points to the fact that almost all of the quote-unquote “information” out in the public arena up through yesterday has been bullshit — tales told by message board idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.  Likely much of this “information” has been put out (or has been allowed to stay out) for the purpose of misdirection.

SFN has learned that State committed early on to give interviews to certain coaches (2 big-name coaches in particular), and those interviews had not been able to happen as of yesterday.  Until those interviews happened, the process could not begin to unfold.  However, given the way the games have played out this weekend, the process can now begin to develop, and we expect it to develop very quickly. (Understand that when I say “interview,” the contacts may not take the form of traditional sit-down meetings.)

So, now that everything can begin, let’s take a look at what is going on this morning.  These items were posted as Tweets on the Sports Illustrated website this morning

@LakeRosenberg Ben considered DePaul last year. He would absolutely consider Texas.
about 5 hours ago

@goodmanonfox @GottliebShow Here’s a list of folks who would consider Texas: Everybody except K , Roy and Self.
about 5 hours ago

Hmmm.  Why would there be such specific speculation about the Texas job, and why just now?  Expect a lot more of this type of information to be flying around in the next couple days.  Much of it will require a lot more analysis than the “traditional local media” can give — they tend to jump on the hot name de jour and write endlessly about that one guy until the next name pops up, when they switch to writing about him.  The situation is much more complex than that.

Stay tuned to SFN as we try to make sense and explain the information as it develops over the next week (or less).

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***4:00 Update***
Some very recent tweets highlight the new direction and pace of this story — as we expected.  Here is the most notable.

Tim Brando’s Twitter has this:

On the ground at home and hearing some rumblings about a potential knockout hire at NCST.Unlike the last search this one not as public.Smart 30 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone

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***6:00 Update***
From SFN: I just noticed that a lot of people are reading/interpreting our original comments as some kind of a nod to Rick Barnes. Please allow me to be more clear — that is NOT our intent. Our previous comments were designed to explain that the first two weeks of NCAA Tournament play served almost as ‘gating’ items for our search — not to focus on Barnes.

Brando’s tweet refers to a rumor that has been out there for a while about a HOME RUN NAME that has been discretely kept on the down-low. That jives exactly with our point that things get started in earnest NOW.

Ultimately, we expect NC State will either nail one of three BIG NAMES in the next week…or we will end up on “List Two”. The morons that have been reporting that NC State was already on some kind of second list (with names like Shaka Smart and others) just shows how much they know — nada.

***7:15 Update***
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that (supposed) possible N.C. State target Chris Mooney has signed a 10-year extension with Richmond (AJC.com link). Scratch him off the list of potential B-list candidates.

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LINK TO MESSAGE FORUMS where conversation and information flow in various threads.

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181 Responses to Here…we…go!! (7:15pm update)

  1. chilly water 03/27/2011 at 6:10 PM #

  2. hickoryhound 03/27/2011 at 6:13 PM #

    Did anyone expect Coach Barnes to take the job in the postgame after the loss last Sunday. When have these things not taken time? I still believe that what happened 5 years ago was not on Rick, I think it was on Jed. The timing with all of the Herb saga and Fowler contributing to the acrimony, along with not going hard after Rick, made it impossible for him to move to State.

    I know that by reading this board that most people on here have a less than 5 minute attention span, but do you remember who Sendek lost to in his last game as the coach of NC State? Does anyone remember the way that the media was swarming Rick Barnes before that game was even played, about the State job? You are getting ready to coach against a man that you know is walking into that game with a support base that no longer wants him in his position and people are asking you about his job and if by all accounts that is the team that you supported when you were a kid, then you are going to have feelings about the mess. Would you not have had a lot of contorted feelings about that situation. I never for a minute have ever felt that Rick Barnes did not come to State 5 years ago, because he loved the cushy Texas job (which is a stupid comment in and of itself) or he was afraid to compete against Roy and Coack K.

    I don’t know whether Coach Barnes will decided to come to State, but I certainly feel that he is the right fit and the timing is right and age is irrelevant, because we haven’t had a coach stay here for more than 14 years since Norm Sloan and there is no guaranteeing that hiring a hot prospect is going to mean that they would stay any longer.

    We know that Rick Barnes would bring stability and that this would be his last job. We know that he has karma with NC State. If this can happen, then it needs to happen.

    Rick Barnes: NC State and Hickory need you to come home

  3. Howler 03/27/2011 at 6:13 PM #

    I just hope one of the names being batted around in this thread is for real. I also want to be careful not to get my own expectations raised to the point that I will consider a promising mid-major hire as a failure. Hoping for a spectacular week to be capped off with an amazing hire and either Butler or VCU as national champs.

  4. Fenrir 03/27/2011 at 6:14 PM #

    …. Billy Donavan!!!

  5. roandaddy 03/27/2011 at 6:18 PM #

    They are saying home run.. not grand slam. No way Donavan comes.. no way. Can’t be money.. he turned down the NBA. You could say to win.. but already has NCs. You could say competition… but really? Facilities.. no way.. he works for Florida.. the school that held the two major national championships at one time. Someone will REALLY need hard data to even have me think this is an option.

  6. Howler 03/27/2011 at 6:22 PM #

    Off Topic – Has Jim Nantz been taking Woody Durham lessons. I don’t need him to point out every time a foul ISN’T called on Kentucky. There’s a reason is wasn’t called Jim…it wasn’t a foul.

  7. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 6:25 PM #

    Norm Sloan left NC State after winnning a Nat’l Championship (shoulda been two) and after roughly the same length tenure as what Donovan now has under his belt at UF.

    Sometimes even living up to your own “legend” isn’t the easiest thing to do.

  8. PoppaJohn 03/27/2011 at 6:25 PM #

    Woo-wee Opie!
    So far all we have is ‘rumors of rumors’ and that’s got 80+ posts.

  9. gtspack 03/27/2011 at 6:35 PM #

    4 min. to go in the holes, Kentucky game and the ref’s are starting to take the game over for the holes.

  10. St8Fan 03/27/2011 at 6:38 PM #

    Just heard big name on campus today….after I was told that there is NO info coming out of athletics offices.

  11. choppack1 03/27/2011 at 6:38 PM #

    Nice update SFN – this is a big week. All of the “home run” guys are “available” now.

  12. Boyd 03/27/2011 at 6:42 PM #

    St8Fan,

    What name did you hear?

  13. BJD95 03/27/2011 at 6:43 PM #

    Nantz and Kellogg on their knees cheering for the Holes. What assholes. Without em,they won’t have an idea whose ass to kiss next weekend. Ha!

  14. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 6:47 PM #

    I guess they’ll be kissing Cal’s ring instead.

  15. Hamlet 03/27/2011 at 6:48 PM #

    Holes are out…a great coach about to be named at State. Great time (finally) to be a Pack fan.

  16. St8Fan 03/27/2011 at 6:48 PM #

    2 names, 1 on campus today, other on “list”. Both were high profile, and according to most here, would NEVER leave their current situation.

  17. choppack1 03/27/2011 at 6:49 PM #

    Whew – now I can relax and enjoy the Final 4!!

  18. chilly water 03/27/2011 at 6:50 PM #

    Stuffs about to get real

  19. gtspack 03/27/2011 at 6:51 PM #

    St8Fan,I don’t mean to sound like an owl, but WHO.

  20. Boyd 03/27/2011 at 6:51 PM #

    Can you give us their initials?

  21. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 6:53 PM #

    I can’t imagine this to be true unless we are EXTREMELY close to a deal (as in sign today announce tomorrow at latest). Too easy for leaks to happen to take that chance if still in the “feeling out” stage.

    FWIW, I’m not saying I believe we’re extrememly close to a deal with anyone.

  22. wufpup76 03/27/2011 at 6:53 PM #

    “2 names, 1 on campus today, other on “list” ”

    ^On campus? That would be a ‘whoa’ moment. Awesome if true.

  23. Howler 03/27/2011 at 6:54 PM #

    I find it hard to believe any interview would take place on campus, with confidentiality being such a concern. Looking at training facilities perhaps, but I don’t think that would even happen until a deal was almost completely wrapped up.

  24. roandaddy 03/27/2011 at 6:55 PM #

    two initials.. B & S?

  25. Brikyrd83 03/27/2011 at 6:59 PM #

    Got a strange feeling that a certain west coast coach is in the mix, especially with the “NEVER” comment above from St8Fan.

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