Here…we…go!! (7:15pm update)

Coaching Carousel181

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. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 2:31 PM #

    Smart up 11 on Kansas. Dude deserves an interview regardless of the outcome.

  2. NCStatePride 03/27/2011 at 2:34 PM #

    If NC State gets Barnes from Texas, that would be a huge boost for NCSU and Debbie Yow to prove a ‘dead’ program can still attract a ‘hired gun’.

  3. FullMoonRising 03/27/2011 at 2:38 PM #

    I love SFN. That is all.

  4. leewolf 03/27/2011 at 2:39 PM #

    Everyone assumes we have moved to the B list, especially after Smokey’s story on Barnes and the N&O’s interview with Miller’s dad.

    I haven’t assumed anything yet.

    And don’t get me wrong, Shaka Smart has been impressive in this tournament run. He is a viable B list option. He has yet to prove he can build AND maintain a program in a major conference yet so he is still much riskier than just about any A list option. He could very well be the next great coach…or he could be the next mid-major flame-out. If we hired him I would be ok with it, but it would mean we missed on a lot of bigger names with proven track records.

    At this stage in the game for State, we need a guy who has PROVEN he can build a program. Smart hasn’t done that so I’m just a little worried about what that hire might result in.

  5. MA Wolfpack 03/27/2011 at 2:41 PM #

    This makes me feel a lot better…..the Shaka Smart stuff scares (how’s that for alliteration) me to death.

  6. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 2:43 PM #

    ^ He’s up 18 on Kansas in the first half. How is he not last year’s Brad Stevens?

  7. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 2:44 PM #

    * this year’s Brad Stevens.

  8. leewolf 03/27/2011 at 2:49 PM #

    He could be.

    Or he could be this year’s Chris Lowery.

    The problem is that he has been a HC for two years and took a program that Capel and Grant built and has maintained it/built on it.

    Now he very well could be the next great thing….or he could struggle mightily trying to build a program like ours up from scratch. It is just hard to say. I’m just in the camp that after twenty some-odd years in the wilderness, I want a sure bet, not a maybe-could-be.

  9. MA Wolfpack 03/27/2011 at 2:51 PM #

    I’m with you leewolf. Agree with your entire post.

  10. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 2:53 PM #

    His team is playing terrific basketball. Dude is going to be a heck of a coach. If he is our fallback guy we are in good hands. He’s got “it”.

  11. Clarksa 03/27/2011 at 2:55 PM #

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

    I for one have noticed and took that as a very good sign.

  12. Lunatic Fringe 03/27/2011 at 2:59 PM #

    ^^Agreed. I am not sure what is going on and I really don’t care as long as we get results. SFN/crew can fill us in on the backend of the announcement. 🙂

  13. otisthetowndrunk 03/27/2011 at 3:16 PM #

    I had been noticing all the Texas coaching desires of several coaches. But the more I learn about Smart, the more I like him. I would not be so quick to dismiss him as just a coach on a “hot run”, because by that reason there lots of great coaches that we don’t want for lack of a “hot run”.

    Barnes is good, he will make a big splash here, but if we can’t get Miller, I would rather have Smart. You could question his recruiting, but you would have to ignore his time as coordinator at Clemson or his time with Donovan. He has recruited talent in North Carolina to other schools, I think he is familiar with the area.

    Sure Smart is on a hot streak, but look at how his teams plays. Then tell me you would not be giddy seeing our guys play like that. He dropped the dumb and dumber line in a presser. I think he would understand what the Pack is all about.

    Sure not all rising stars have great careers, but some do. Magic 8ball said “Signs point to Yes” and on Smart turning into something great, and I agree with it.

  14. 48wolfpacker 03/27/2011 at 3:18 PM #

    I hope it’s Rick Barnes

  15. wooviewolf71 03/27/2011 at 3:23 PM #

    As I stated last week, “the search will not even start to heat up til this coming week”, which one poster said was a smokescreen due to no one’s said that yet. Funny how that’s beginning to hold true and people are saying it now. Not saying this to get reconition or say I told you so. The job application ran til Thursday 3-24-2011 with proposed hire Monday the 28th tells me that Yow was mainly gathering info on coaches during that time and also considering some coaches were still in tourney, so no interview can happen til they’re out. Don’t think the hire will come by 28th though but atleast it will not heat up til this coming week and it may be even week after next before we see a hire.

  16. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 3:23 PM #

    I haven’t had an opinion on Smart until I actually watched his team. They are seriously out-sized and out maned….but are winning. Self, with his 3 million salary, is getting out coached by a 33 year old kid making a couple hundred K.

    Second half adjustments will be key. VCU needs to keep attacking and hitting threes to hang on.

  17. Lunatic Fringe 03/27/2011 at 3:24 PM #

    Geez…just stop naming names guys and relax.

  18. HowlinWolfDog 03/27/2011 at 3:25 PM #

    I sort of hope we get Barnes just to spite Smokey Glenn’s info from last week.

  19. quypack93 03/27/2011 at 3:27 PM #

    Smart. That is what NC State hasn’t been in since Willis Casey and Jimmy V.

  20. wayofthemaster 03/27/2011 at 3:44 PM #

    Tim Brando?

    Wow.

  21. pack1910 03/27/2011 at 3:47 PM #

    OK, I’m losing track. Who, other than David Glenn, has said Barnes is out? (and, didn’t he bet a million bucks or something crazy like that)?

  22. otisthetowndrunk 03/27/2011 at 3:50 PM #

    Was Tim Brando calling our searching method smart, or calling our new coach Smart?

  23. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 3:50 PM #

    Been tryin’ to tell the new holmeses that SFN shorty got the hookup good as any MSM cat goin’ and they be toppin’ da most. Chumps still wanna freak an’ hate on Yow. Sheeeit.

  24. quypack93 03/27/2011 at 3:53 PM #

    Wow is correct. Whatever happens, we have every reason to believe that Drs. Woodson and Yow will go home leaving their best effort on the court.

  25. leewolf 03/27/2011 at 3:55 PM #

    I think Brando was just referring to the fact that it was smart that we haven’t had a very public and embarrassing search this time around.

    Of course others will read into it what they will. Shaka doesn’t really fit Brando’s criteria IMO.

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