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March 24, 2009

Quick Basketball Coach Rumor Update

From here and there:There is a sense growing around Grant that schools need to move extremely quickly to lock him up; however, there's no logical reason for Grant to move quickly from his end. If he's smart, he'll wait and see what UK does with Gillespie. If UK opens up, they could move towards Donovan which would create an even bigger opportunity for him in Gainesville. Besides, he's one of the prettiest girls in town right now. Why rush into anything?

Speaking of Kentucky, the Wildcats beat Creighton by two points last night in the NIT. They will play Mike Brey's Notre Dame squad in South Bend on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. The longer UK's season lasts the harder it is for them to fire Billy G.

PWD

33 comments:

Unknown said...

We need to start talking to Dino Gaudio and Jay Wright.

Anonymous said...

why would either of them EVER leave basketball dominated schools in basketball dominated conferences.

And there respective schools are still in the top 15 in the nation almost every year?

Anonymous said...

Just my two cents but:

1) $$$

2) Much easier to consistently win conference crowns in the SEC

3) EGO - Every coach thinks they can turn a program around and lead them to elite status. Do that and you become a legend (and you get the arena named after you)


Not saying they would come, but those things have to be dancing in the heads of some of these coaches.

Anonymous said...

Dang...anyone else starting to get a little worried? We may have picked the wrong year to look for a coach. I hope it's not a repeat of the basball coaching search (though, admittedly, that turned out well for us. Unlikely to happen twice, however)

Damn you, Dave Bliss, for sinking that bank shot in Atlanta last Spring!

The Watch Dawg said...

PWD, the link for the Mike Anderson story is wrong. It just takes you to the Missouri roster.

Anonymous said...

If Grant essentially tells us he's waiting to see what happens at UK and UF and he'll get back to us later on the UGA job, then we should drop him immediately. He may be the most POPULAR girl at the dance right now (or it could just be hype from his agent), but there are plenty of others with as good or better resumes. We don't need him so badly that we can accept being put on ice while he waits for a "better" job to open up.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget we are the School tossing out the $2 mill. a year salary plus extra's.

IMO, Grant is about 4th on our list. (The other 3 are still playing.) He has said that UGA is prime position. I think he waits to see what UGA and KY does*

MikeInValdosta said...

so, we need lexington to win, Missouri to lose, and the tuscaloosa textbook scandal to spread to basketball.

Anonymous said...

I want us to find our own version of Lute Olson. Our program is like Arizona's program circa 1983.

Big state school, lots of $$$, great weather, pretty girls, close access to big-time basketball talent and terrible basketball program.

UA went out and hired a pedigreed coach (Olson took Iowa to the Final Four in 1980) from a big time conference who had grown tired of a school with bad weather and fans who thought the program should operate in a fishbowl. Plus Olson saw the potential of what Arizona could be. The bonus was he knew if we could win, he could stay as long as he wanted which ended up something like 25 years.

I do not think our next coach will stay 25 years, but I am hopeful of 10-17 years.

We do not need Grant or Capel and I do not think either is a "Lute" type. I think they are too young and do not have that kind of vision.

I do not think Gaudio is the guy. He had a mediocre record as HC at Army. Plus I fear bad karma for us if he left Wake given the circumstances of his promotion.

Purnell's teams peak about January 31st each year. If the NCAA tourney was at the same time as the Super Bowl then we should hire him but I think they like the "March Madness" brand.

Anderson may by that guy but I think we should make a run at Calipari.

Anonymous said...

"UA went out and hired a pedigreed coach (Olson took Iowa to the Final Four in 1980) from a big time conference who had grown tired of a school with bad weather and fans who thought the program should operate in a fishbowl."

Sounds more like we need a Wright, Miller, or Dixon from that description.

No doubt Calipari is dominant, and I'm one who thinks we could get most anyone not tied to a traditional power program, but I can't see why he'd want to come to Georgia. Memphis has plenty of prestige to keep him and from what I understand, they pay more than competitively.

Unknown said...

Anon 12:21,

Calipari makes $2.5 million, and he's the only financial engine at Memphis. If we offered $3 million, they would have to counter.

And there's no way in hell, he would come here because of the differences in academics.

He can get 'em in if they fog up a mirror.

The difference is Robert Dozier.

ThePetis said...

Anon 12:21 - Great analysis, but how in the hell did you arrive at Calipari? Try again.

Unknown said...

Technically, the resume he wants is the one Hugh Durham arrived with in 1979. Built FSU from nothing. Beat Rupp in the Final Four. Played Wooden and Walton tough in the finals.

And it looked like it was going to work....until the pesky NCAA ramped up their enforcement staff. ;-)

MikeInValdosta said...

We have found several over the years. Yoculan, Landers, Dooley, Richt and Perno is on the path. More than our "fair share", I would say.

Dooley, goff, donnan, Richt.

Tubbby, jirsa. felton, Winner winner chicken dinner

Yeah, yeah, past results are no indication of future performance.

Anonymous said...

Tubbby, jirsa., harrick, felton, Winner winner chicken dinner

Does that mean Felton was basketball's Richt? Oh God!

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking our list may be about 5 deep right about now. We'll see who comes out the other side. Could be as early as next week, could not be for another 20 days. But sometime in the next 3 weeks, I think we'll have our answer, and it'll probably be one of 5 names.

Anonymous said...

Care to share who you think the five are Mr. Egger?

I'm thinking

Mike Anderson
Anthony Grant
Jay Wright
Jeff Capel
????

Anonymous said...

Brad Stevens is probably the fifth guy.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather not, but they can be easily guessed. You even have some right anon at 3:06, although you may have one or two wrong.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I do not want Hugh Durham.

We have lived Hugh Durham. He made 1 Final Four, 1 round of 32 and lost in the first round 3 times. He won 1 reg. season conference title and 1 SEC Tourney title. The bulk of his high-profile recruits were signed his first five years at UGA. Durahm won 20 games 4 times and had a .580 winning %. Our troubles with the NCAA and Jan Kemp did not preclude Durham from losing way more of his recruiting battles with the UK, UNC. Also, let's face it - outside of the Kessler's - Durham was not matriculating many neurosurgeons and geneticists. The back half of Durham's tenure was way worse than the front.

I do not want that at all. I want someone who can win an NCAA title and play in another NCAA championship. Someone who can go to 4 Final Four's, 7 Elite 8's, and have 11 Sweet 16 appearances. We need a coach who will go to 23 straight NCAA tourney's and have a career tourney record of 25-12.

Let's get a coach who can win 4 conference tourney championships and 11 regular season conference champsionships. A coach who can average 25 victories per year, with .736 winning % and win 20 games or more for 20 straight years.

I want OUR Lute Olson. Perhaps Calipari is not that guy - but no one else that has been mentioned has anywhere near the same pedigree that Olson had when he left Iowa for Arizona. Back then Arizona was bad - as bad as we are now. Heck they might even be worse - but I doubt it.

If everything that everyone says about this job is true. Great school, great facilities, terrific potential recruiting base then we should be able get OUR Lute Olson. We should take a run at every Final Four coach from the last six seasons who is under 55, still with the same team, has no beef with the NCAA and is not named Donovan or Hewitt.

Make a run at Matta, or Izzo, or Bill Self or Calipari or Thompson III.

Who cares if they say no? We do not have anything to lose. Ask Roy Williams or Coach K who they would recommend.

I am coming to the conclusion that even a Grant or a Capel is settling for something less than we should be able to draw.

Anonymous said...

john brady would probably take the gig. he won two SEC titles in 10 yrs (with some probation).

he'd be better than felton because at least he'd underachieve with great talent.

hey, how about larry brown?

but seriously, if youre gonna bring up calipari, why not few. he'd have more reason to leave--weather and recruiting.

-gumborue

Anonymous said...

and what schools that win NCAA titles are graduating neurosurgeons?

I think one of the Kessler's was an orthopedic surgeon BTW.

Anonymous said...

If you are going to bring up Calapari why not hire Coach K or Roy Williams. We have the same chance to get those guys.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that Frank Haith has not come up on this blog. You guys just not who he is or what?

Dubbayoo said...

Re: the NIT - somebody help a brotha understand the draw for playing to be the 65th best team in the country? Is it just the extra per diem or something?

It's like if the SEC football teams that don't make a bowl decide to have a playoff among themselves.

Unknown said...

Because Haith sucks ass. 5 years at Miami, and only one NCAA appearance. He's 14 wins under .500 in the ACC.

If you're going to go that route, just go after Hewitt. He's got a better resume.

Unknown said...

Dubbayoo,

The appeal is exactly the same as playing in the Independence or Liberty Bowls.

SSB Charley said...

Finebaum is reporting that Gillispie is out at UK. Actually it's Tim Brando on Finebaum's show apparently.

http://twitter.com/finebaum

MikeInValdosta said...

Did Paul happen to catch the tail numbers of the jest in Lexington?

This does not help us, no matter who AD Evans is going after.

Anonymous said...

Come on. They're not going to fire Gillespie while they're still alive in the NIT!

SSB Charley said...

To clarify, it is being reported that the decision to fire Gillispie is made. It will wait until after they are done in the NIT.

Anonymous said...

uga should get gillispie. he's a good coach.
-gumborue

MikeInValdosta said...

obviously

 
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