UGA interviews -- Chip Towers says that the Dawgs will meet with Oliver Purnell and Frank Haith in Detroit. My sources tell me that these are just two of many interviews the Dawgs will have today and tomorrow. I've also gotten the sense that Haith is on the list, but not the Plan B or C candidate that Andy Katz and others describe. Haith's agent is a miracle worker. He's managed to get the guy listed as a Plan B candidate for every open job in the country including the CFO position at General Motors. (Update: Not unexpectedly....Katz and Towers have better sources than me. That shouldn't shock you. lol. On the brightside, Haith is a good recruiter.)
Personally, I think Haith, Purnell, Sendek and Hamilton are all basically Chan Gailey with better suits. They'll win just enough games to make it hard to fire them after an inexplicable post-season loss in Boise. We could do worse than Sendek I guess, but he doesn't blow my skirt up.
Personally, I think Haith, Purnell, Sendek and Hamilton are all basically Chan Gailey with better suits. They'll win just enough games to make it hard to fire them after an inexplicable post-season loss in Boise. We could do worse than Sendek I guess, but he doesn't blow my skirt up.
Leonard Hamilton -- Hamilton is 61 years old, and he's about to get an extension from FSU. With only four career NCAA appearances and his advancing age, we're hearing that he's not a viable candidate. Despite media reports that he could be on the Plan B list. Hamilton's greatest strength is Atlanta area recruiting ties.
Memphis searching for a Pearl -- Tiger High may pursue Bruce Pearl with an offer for $21 million over seven years. I would expect UT to match any offer the Tigers make. It doesn't help UGA to have the Vols enter the coaching carousel this year.
Pearl Losing Ace Assistant -- The Boston Globe and ESPN are reporting that UT assistant Tony Jones appears headed to Boston University as head coach. Jones is described by some as an exceptional recruiter for the Vols. His departure from Knoxville is a good thing for UGA.
Arizona/USC/Pitt/UConn/Memphis Impact Us -- Arizona's move to pick up Tim Floyd from USC opens a slot for Jamie Dixon of Pitt. Dixon is an LA guy, and Andy Katz reports that his wife is a Trojan alum. If he leaves Pitt, Sean Miller of Xavier will likely step into that job. Also, there's the issue of Jim Calhoun's age and health. The 66 year old dual form cancer survivor has seen better days. There are rumors that Detroit is his swan song. UGA will be unable to have a meaningful discussion with Miller until the UConn, Memphis and Pitt situations sort themselves out. Miller may be a candidate at all three spots.
Memphis searching for a Pearl -- Tiger High may pursue Bruce Pearl with an offer for $21 million over seven years. I would expect UT to match any offer the Tigers make. It doesn't help UGA to have the Vols enter the coaching carousel this year.
Pearl Losing Ace Assistant -- The Boston Globe and ESPN are reporting that UT assistant Tony Jones appears headed to Boston University as head coach. Jones is described by some as an exceptional recruiter for the Vols. His departure from Knoxville is a good thing for UGA.
Arizona/USC/Pitt/UConn/Memphis Impact Us -- Arizona's move to pick up Tim Floyd from USC opens a slot for Jamie Dixon of Pitt. Dixon is an LA guy, and Andy Katz reports that his wife is a Trojan alum. If he leaves Pitt, Sean Miller of Xavier will likely step into that job. Also, there's the issue of Jim Calhoun's age and health. The 66 year old dual form cancer survivor has seen better days. There are rumors that Detroit is his swan song. UGA will be unable to have a meaningful discussion with Miller until the UConn, Memphis and Pitt situations sort themselves out. Miller may be a candidate at all three spots.
At this point, it's anyone's guess who we end up with, but I wouldn't freak over the names that are leaked. Yet.
PWD
44 comments:
If we end up with Purnell or Haith, I am done supporting the basketball program. I'd rather see an assistant off a winning staff get a chance then to give two guys who are consistently mediocre the reins to the program. I hope Damon is smarter than this because I always thought he was.
Dammit! Why didn't we go after Grant?
For God's sake talk to Bobby Knight. He'll turn around the program, and then leave. He'll actually make UGA a better job 4 years down the road than it is now. Is he a long term answer? No. Will he give UGA some exposure and make them a known name? Yes. Do it Damon.
What is the big issue with Haith?
He isn't Purnell, Sendek, Hamilton in that he is only 44 and Miami is his first head coaching job.
He came to Miami from stops at Texas and Wake where from all reports he was a fine recruiter.
His Miami teams have had more success than any Miami teams in the history of the program...and this is at the same time they moved from the Big East to the ACC.
I'm not sure going 42-24 including 16-17 in the ACC over the past two seasons is a bad thing when you are talking about Miami. They have beaten Duke, UNC, Kentucky...they probably make the tourney this year if it wasn't for OT losses to Va Tech and NC State. They are three points away from being in the Sweet 16 the prior year but lost to #7 Texas.
He is the only guy that you can look at and that doesn't have a 15 year track record of mediocrity.
For all purposes, Miami should be a tougher place to build a program and win (they just don't have the cash or the facilities of an SEC school)...yet he has been to the post season 4 of the 5 years he has been there...
Let's just say that of the Plan B candidates, he is the one that I look at as a guy that might be able to build something. The other guys are band aids that might make us respectable enough to hire a program builder the next cycle...and that isn't what we want.
First, just know I am a big time Dawg fan. For Damon Evans however, I still think Anthony Grant is officially egg on face. With all the shakeup in vacancies today (possibly UT), Georgia is in the middle of a big mess! Evans' business savvy will truly be tested now. I hope he knows what he is doing. Bama is loving this...
Brutal, brutal year to be trying to find a head coach. That's not an excuse, however, for hiring Haith or Purnell.
Just one follow up...
Haith is one year older than Grant.
If you put him at VCU with Capel's recruits, does he do as much as Grant did with the same players?
If anything, I'm not sure Grant could have done the job at Miami that Haith did.
Just saying...how much of Grant is hype and not substance just like how much of your hatred of Haith is hype and not substance?
Unbelieveable. Could there be a worse year for us to pick a new coach?
I'm beginning to believe this program is, indeed, snakebit.
We really need to start focusing on lead assistants from big-time programs. It has become painfully obvious that we are not going to get a coach of any repute, no matter how much $$$ we throw out there.
We have got to find a guy who is bursting at the seams to run his own program and build it from scratch.
This is why I hate the "search firm" method. It is lazy and only does what Damon could have done on his own-call big name guys who my wife would know.
A search firm should be able to go outside the lines and find a diamond in the rough. A prodigy who simply needs a stage. That is the kind of guy we have got to find.
I really wish Chip Towers would STFU, as he is only giving leverage to agents and serving up our school more embarrassement.
I really liked Tony Bennett and wish that we had beaten UVA to him, but we seem to be too busy wasting time on guys who have no thought of coming here.
Who is Roy Williams' #1 assistant? That is the guy I would be calling. Or Tom Izzo's #1 assistant. That is the kind of guy we need to be going after.
Don't get an assistant when Billy Gillispie--an expert at turning around miserable programs--is available. Go get Billy. Can you imagine how much publicity that hire would give us? In fact, it would give us publicity every time we play Kentucky--2 to 3 times yearly. Besides, who doesn't want to see Billy Gillispie beat the snot out of Calipari and UK? I'm dumbfounded that so few people are talking about such a high-profile available coach.
http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/montgomery_mark00.html
That is the guy we need to hire.
I agree- we should go for Gillespie and make some waves.
Mark Montgomery will enter his eighth season as an assistant basketball coach at Michigan State in 2008-09, and his second as associate head coach, having been promoted to the position in May 2007.
Montgomery is instrumental in the development of the perimeter players, passing on the knowledge that helped make him an all-conference selection during his time at MSU. He also assists with scouting and coordinates recruiting, helping assemble a top-five recruiting class in 2007. Recently, Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com named him one of 10 assistant coaches ready to "make the jump and run their own program in 2008." He also made Rivals.com's list of "10 Assistant Coaches Ready To Move Up."
In his seven seasons, perimeter players Maurice Ager, Alan Anderson, Shannon Brown, Chris Hill, Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, Drew Neitzel, Marcus Taylor, Kelvin Torbert and Travis Walton have earned all-conference recognition in some format. The Spartans have also appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments, including a trip to the Final Four in 2005 and the Elite Eight in 2003 during his tenure.
"Mark Montgomery has earned a promotion to associate head coach," said head coach Tom Izzo. "He has really grown in the job over the past six seasons and elevated all aspects of his coaching, from his court teaching, office management and certainly recruiting. He has positioned himself as the next Spartan assistant likely to get a head coaching job. Other people are starting to recognize his abilities, as shown by FoxSports.com naming him one of 10 assistants ready to become a head coach."
Montgomery returned to his alma mater prior to the 2001-02 season after four years as an assistant coach at Central Michigan. He joined the Central Michigan coaching staff in 1997-98 and helped direct a turnaround in the Chippewa program. In 2000-01, CMU posted a 20-8 record and captured the fifth Mid-American Conference regular-season championship in school history and first since 1987. Central's 20-win season was only the second since 1976, and just the third winning season since 1980. By capturing the 2001 conference championship after a 2000 record of 6-23 (2-16 MAC), CMU became the first team in MAC history to go from last place one season to first the next.
An Inkster, Mich., native, Montgomery was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State University from 1988-92. A 1992 third-team All-Big Ten selection, Montgomery ended his career as the then-career leader in games played at MSU (126). A four-year starter for the Spartans, he was part of the 1990 Big Ten Championship team, three NCAA Tournament teams and an NIT Final Four. Montgomery ranks fourth on the career assists chart (561) after leading the team in assists as a junior (169) and senior (190). He also ranks third on the MSU career steals list (168).
Montgomery averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 assists in his four years as a Spartan. In 1992, he averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 assists as a senior co-captain, leading his team to a 22-8 mark and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following his playing days at Michigan State, Montgomery played four years of professional basketball in Europe. He averaged more than 25 points a game during his career in Germany, Lithuania and Sweden.
While at Michigan State, he was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Montgomery received his bachelor's degree in food industry management from Michigan State.
I'm starting to lean more and more towards Gillespie as well. UK has unreal expectations that even Calipari is going to struggle living up to. Gillespie wouldn't have anything close to that type of pressure. He would be left alone to build the program the way he wants to. As another poster noted it would automatically make our games with UK more interesting. I really think we should at least call him before he starts enjoying the $6 million buyout.
We can forget about Sean Miller, Bobby Knight, Jamie Dixon, etc....
Purnell and, hold on while I puke, Haith are probably leading contenders at this point. Of the two, I would take Purnell, but he is probably going to turn our interest into a large payday at East Hartwell.
My biggest problem is we are going to be playing Felton ball no matter who we get. Hustle D, spread and break down O. We better get star players because we are playing street ball on in the half court. All of the names being floated are very similar and depend on indivisual match-ups.
Bobby Knight, ugh, is starting to sound better and better. I know it won't happen, nor do I want it to happen, but jeez.
With the "qualifications" we are looking for, let's face it guys, our candidate pool is very small, and considering how small it is, I am very disturbed that we didn't pursue Grant harder.
Neither Montgomery, nor Gillespie are "qualified".
Mark Montgomery all the way. The more you think about this guy and the available coaches left to choose from, IT MAKES SENSE. The guy has learned from the best. I hope Damon talks to him in Detroit. I still trust Damon knows what he is doing. But if the coach from Clem and his son comes to UGA, then I'm not renewing my tickets. I will not watch our team every year, load up wins vs a weak non conference schedule only to fall apart the last two months. Every year.
If we hire Gillispie, we're basically broadcasting to the world that we're content with Kentucky's sloppy seconds. And as good a job as Gillispie did at Texas A&M, I don't think that's a message our athletic department wants to send, nor should it be.
Please, just stop the Bobby Knight talk. He did absolutely nothing to make Texas Tech a better basketball school in the long run. Yes, he was... and still is, to a degree... a great coach. But, he was not a good recruiter when he was in his heyday, and he is a terrible recruiter now. He will not open the lines of communication between UGA and the Atlanta areas schools and AAU teams that we need to build in order to get the A+ recruits.
Joe Holladay is one of UNC's top assistant and he has worked for Roy Williams for 15 years, after a 22 year high school career. He's not going anywhere. The other is Steve Robinson who was a head coach at Tulsa (46-18) and FSU (98-87). He is known as a great recruiter, but wasn't very successful at FSU. Michigan State's top assistant is Mark Montgomery and he might not be a bad hire. That said, I'm not sure how everyone will respond to the MS style of team - traditional half court sets, opportunistic defense and the best rebounding in basketball.
And while I am certainly not on the Haith bandwagon, after looking more closely at him I like some of what I see. He has done some good things at a "football school" within a "basketball conference." Could he not do even better at a football school within a football conference?
But please, just stop the Knight stuff. I love the General, but he will not, and should not be the University of Georgia basketball coach.
You don't feel that we should say to the world we want Kentucky's seconds?
I'm sorry but your head is so far up your *** about UGA's BBall team.
I think Gillespie would be great, get off the high horse and actually look at how horrible of a job UGA is right now. I don't care how good the baseball, golf, tennis, football teams are at UGA. Our bball gets no fans, mediocre facilities and no tradition. It sucks, period. I don't blame coaches for not wanting to come here, we have to find our Bruce Pearl and not go for established coaches, Damon is doing a fine job and offering the high profiles or else a mob of UGA fans would be after his head, but i think he as well as any other sensible person realizes that none of those coaches are going to take the job.
KC, it would certainly take some time for people to jump on board with Montgomery's style, but if he won, people would.
I just think we have got to go outside the box, at this point. What our fans do not seem to be understanding is that UGA is the Mississippi St. of college basketball.
We have had spotty and very little success, and we still have people, idiots, who adore a scum bag who got us on probation. H*rrick is our Jackie Sherrill.
We have got to get a guy who will work his ass off to build a PROGRAM from the ground up.
#1- You only hire a coach that has been fired from the NBA...not from college. Last time we hired a coach that had been fired prior to taking the job...well, let's not revisit Harrick, shall we?
#2-Again, what is wrong with Haith? He has more pedigree than Montgomery, more experience than Grant despite being only 1 year older, has recruited well, and has done a remarkable job at Miami. Why would you ever want Purnell over Haith? Haith is 5-3 head to head against Purnell, Haith has a 1-1 record in the NCAA's while Purnell is 0-5, Purnell is 85 while Haith is 45, Haith has coached and recruited McDonalds All Americans and 1st round draft picks...Purnell, no so much.
Seriously, the Haith hate makes no sense.
We have the whiniest fanbase on the planet, I swear.
Anon. 2:39,
I wouldn't have a problem at all with MM. I saw Michigan State play here in KC just last year in the Sprint Center, and they put on a good show. They absolutely go after rebounds like no team I've seen. You never know how assistants will work out, but Williams, Izzo, and others were all assistants who by-passed the mid-major training ground and did very well.
I have to agree with Anon 1:46...Haith is at least as good as Grant in his track record. Grant has just been somehow designated as the flavor of the month.
We wouldn't be hiring another university's trash if we hire Gillispie. Kentucky fired Gillespie after two winning seasons--one of which took place without a point guard. He even won SEC coach of the year honors two years ago. He was set up for a huge run next year with Patterson and Meeks returning, and real point guards on the way. No sane school fires a coach after only two years when the performance was consistent with reasonable expectations. Most media folk realize that the insanity of Kentucky--not Gillispie--is at fault for his termination. It is one thing to hire a coach was fired because he couldn't win or recruit. It is another thing altogether to hire a coach who was unfairly fired because a fanbase known to the whole world as a bunch of unreasonable dolts can't stand an 'awful' 22 win season. Return to sanity, and go get Gillispie!
More and more, its Perry Clark
I still think Capel will be the guy.
IT will not be Felton..that's always a good thing.
I don't understand the gnashing of teeth over Grant. His record at VCU is inferior to Felton's at WKU.
Evans stated that he's going after established names; let's give him the benefit of the doubt here. If he could get Anderson to listen (allegedly), then that means he's on the right track.
I would take Purnell over Haith. He has taken Clemson to two straight NCAA's which is not very easy at Clemson if you look at their history. Problem is that he has never won an NCAA game and he is in the twilight of his career.
Sendek was run out of NC State much like Gailey. He never admitted UNC was the big rival and didn't beat them enough. State would probably be ok with having him back now.
But honestly, I don't see a coach leaving a football school in the ACC for a footabll school in the SEC.
It might be time to admit you were wrong and go after a proven, mid-major coach.
I don't understand why Haith is seen as such a terrible choice. He's done a reasonably good job at Miami, is young and recruits well. I agree with the poster who said there's really no marked difference between he and Grant. It seems Grant gets a lot of credit for his association with Billy Donnovan.
I would much rather have Haith than an Oliver Purnell or the Florida State coach.
Haith is 88-73 at Miami, which when you throw in the usual non-conference cupcakes and the fact that the ACC is overrated every year (see this year's performance in NCAA Tourney), it does not exactly translate to great expectations.
Here is the problem: Evans promised that he was going to get an established coach with a record of performing well at the highest level. He fired Felton in January and has had over three months and the assistance of a search firm to do his due diligence. We were told to expect a new era in Georgia b-ball.
Instead, he let other schools (Bama, Virginia, Arizona) hire coaches, sat around on his hands while other schools fired and hired coaches, and was publicly humiliated with his supposed number one choice (Anderson stays with Mizzou for about $750K LESS than what we offered). Sure, UGA may not be the best basketball job in the world, but Evans was given the responsibility of analyzing all of the potential considerations and possibilities. At this point, this is a massive failure on his behalf.
We can't force coaches to accept our job, but we can certainly peform due diligence to find out which coaches WOULD accept our job and to take all reasonable steps to ensure those who don't are not made public. We can also try to have a contingency plan in effect, which I think we can all agree, is nowhere to be found right now.
Who knows - maybe he pulls off a great hire and we end up with Capel, Miller or a wildcard. Past events would lead me to think otherwise.
Haith, Purnell, Hamilton are decent coaches. But, they are not the kind of coaches UGA needs to jumpstart this program, and they are certainly not the type of coaches Evans promised.
Also, for those attacking posters who "probably have never been to a Georgia b-ball game the past 5 years" - save your breath. That is exactly the type of fan Evans was supposed to target with this hire. The results of his search, as demonstrated on the comments left on this site, leave much to be desired (again, at this point in time).
Mike In Valdosta: SFTU dude! I'm sick of the ridiculous race card you keep pulling here and on Hale's site. You don't know shit about this search or who Damon's interviewing. No one cares. For Christ sake I don't give a damn if our next coach is red, yellow, purple, black, white, whatever just as long as we get the best coach.
Its ignorant rednecks like you that give our fanbase a bad name. Stop the bullshit.
The AJC was wrong yet again. Haith and Purnell are not interviewing.
Haith is in Miami and not attending the Final Four. And Purnell denied the report himself.
I must say I'm happy Purnell isn't interested and Haith is staying in Miami. DE has someone else in mind who is!!!!!!!!!!!! it?
I think one aspect that so many people are overlooking about the Mike Anderson situation and that translates to every coach that we are still in the hunt for is the prospect of rebuilding an entire program. Anderson turned down around half a million dollars not because the Steg is collapsing inward but because this job would mean an insane commitment that probably wouldn't see fruition for the next several years. How many kids on scholarship are really going to be the kind of kids who can come in and in 6 months pick up the program enough to not get blown out by Clarke Central?
Georgia, currently, has no basketball tradition and will be overshadowed for years to come by football, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, women's basketball, and the effing gymnastics team. This is not a place to come to be any kind of big man on campus and is 100% a situation that would require the complete dissolution of any type of Felton DNA to be successful in any capacity. The fans, DE, Michael F*cking Adams, and the players all have to be won over. I can honestly not say that given the situation that I would leave any kind of comfortable situation for the uncertainty that currently is the Georgia Basketball program. I keep hoping that I am completely off-base but as each day passes I keep getting the sinking sensation that I'm right.
I really think we might see a top assistant hire if nothing happens by Monday...
I have to agree, Ryan. While I think it was appropriate to aim high with the resources we have, the remaining players really have to get on board and at this date in recruiting next year won't be very good. While it is certainly much easier to rebuild in basketball than in baseball or football, the nature of the inheritance suggests there is a pretty big debt to made up.
It's my understanding that the "search firm" to which we have paid almost 3/4 million dollars is in serious negotiations with Ron Jirsa.
Floyd is staying at USC, right? So no opening there or Pitt. Wasn't Miller from Xavier on the original speculation list? He'd be a hell of a get, even if he only lasted a couple years, a la Tubby, before bolting to Pitt.
Mark Fox of Nevada hired as BB coach, PC tommorrow per AJC!
For those who care about style, STFU. If UGA is winning no one will care about "style".
Heck give the Princeton motion offense and win a lot of games and I would be fine.
We just hired Mark Fox formerly of Nevada
I could care less either! I was for Grant, Anderson, or Capel. To not acknowledge the candidates mentioned in the press and those that are stated not to be candidates is a perfect example of what Attorney General Eric Holder was speaking of.
Call me a redneck if it makes you feel better and keeps your bed dry at night. I have pointed out our LACK of diversity in my support of the effort, very redneck of me. Show me a name in the press, other than Bisher's pushing Knight, that has been linked to the open UGA job...
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