SMU Needs A Builder, Not Just A Name

[DFW HOYA]

A coaching search is all about the coach five years from now, not the coach next season.

When SMU dropped Jimmy Tubbs, it went for a "big name" coach in Matt Doherty, but there's a temptation to do the same this time. There's a good reason why well known coaches are out on the hiring line--probably because they got let go elsewhere.

The Big East has a litany of ex-coaches who would jump at the SMU job: Fran Fraschilla, Tim Welsh, Pete Gillen, Louis Orr, Bobby Gonzalez, Jerry Wainwright, Norm Roberts--but I'm not sure where that gets SMU as a program in five years. The Big East is a meat grinder of a conference in basketball, and the Mustangs may be looking at no more than two or three conference wins for the first five years. DePaul was a pretty good school in C-USA and it's flatlined in the Big East. South Florida was 11-57 in its first four years in the league. It's going to take time and patience. Is the next coach willing to put in the effort to get SMU ready for when it can make a move up the standings, or bide his time and take the buyout?

There has to be an assistant coach out there that, with time, could become a star. Cincinnati took a lot of heat when it passed on big names to hire Mick Cronin, a former walk-on at the school and a relative unknown outside the Cincinnati area. First year? 11-19. But he has improved Cincinnati's record seven straight years and this year was its best since the Bob Huggins era.

SMU needs to scour the staffs at places like UT, Kansas, and Missouri and find that young assistant who can build a program, not his resume. Either that, or be prepared to pay $1.5 million a year for a name coach that will be an ESPN analyst in a few years.

[Digetydog]

A coaching search is all about the coach five years from now, not the coach next season.

When SMU dropped Jimmy Tubbs, it went for a "big name" coach in Matt Doherty, but there's a temptation to do the same this time. There's a good reason why well known coaches are out on the hiring line--probably because they got let go elsewhere.

The Big East has a litany of ex-coaches who would jump at the SMU job: Fran Fraschilla, Tim Welsh, Pete Gillen, Louis Orr, Bobby Gonzalez, Jerry Wainwright, Norm Roberts--but I'm not sure where that gets SMU as a program in five years. The Big East is a meat grinder of a conference in basketball, and the Mustangs may be looking at no more than two or three conference wins for the first five years. DePaul was a pretty good school in C-USA and it's flatlined in the Big East. South Florida was 11-57 in its first four years in the league. It's going to take time and patience. Is the next coach willing to put in the effort to get SMU ready for when it can make a move up the standings, or bide his time and take the buyout?

There has to be an assistant coach out there that, with time, could become a star. Cincinnati took a lot of heat when it passed on big names to hire Mick Cronin, a former walk-on at the school and a relative unknown outside the Cincinnati area. First year? 11-19. But he has improved Cincinnati's record seven straight years and this year was its best since the Bob Huggins era.

SMU needs to scour the staffs at places like UT, Kansas, and Missouri and find that young assistant who can build a program, not his resume. Either that, or be prepared to pay $1.5 million a year for a name coach that will be an ESPN analyst in a few years.

The problem with your theory is that we have no evidence that our people have the ability to find the right assistant.

At this point in time:
1) we have some talented young players who we would like to keep;
2) we have some very talented recruits who are considering leaving;
3) we had a horrible experience in CUSA last year; but, we get another shot at it next year;
4) Although we are moving to the Big East, many of the teams in the conference doubt we have the commitment to BB that is necessary to fielding a competitive team.
5) The few remaining SMU BB fans have been beaten down by years of losing. They want to see SMU show a commitment to winning in BB.

With little evidence to suggest we have the guys in place to find the next Mike K working as an asst somewhere, we need to hire an experienced coach to bring the program back to reasonableness.

In my mind, the next coach will not take SMU to the Final Four. He needs to take us to competing for spots in the NCAA tourney with a NIT invite as a lock.

[hoopmanx]

Here's my take: I don't give a [deleted] what any Hoya thinks. See ya in 2013

[Sam I Am]

Baylor hit bottom after their coaching scandal, then took a no-name who made them BIG time. SMU can do the same even in the Big East. Go for ability not reputation.

[ponyscott]

We will get both...ability and reputation.

[EastStang]

There's a pretty long list of solid coaches out there who bring a lot to the table. Whether its the Lehigh coach, or Shaka Smart, or a long list of ex-coaches who have had success and failure in their careers, we can find a guy who can coach, recruit, and bring SMU hoops back up the ladder. I will disagree to some extent with the fear that we might lose players. These same players while talented did not win. Will they be better with new recruits coming in or will they be the same team we saw this year? That's a question that first needs to be asked by Steve Orsini. Perhaps to some now ex-coaches like the Tulsa coach who saw these guys up close and personal could give their insights. Because you have to decide do we blow it up, or build off of what we have. That in part will dictate the direction that you go.

[hoopmanx]

There's a pretty long list of solid coaches out there who bring a lot to the table. Whether its the Lehigh coach, or Shaka Smart, or a long list of ex-coaches who have had success and failure in their careers, we can find a guy who can coach, recruit, and bring SMU hoops back up the ladder. I will disagree to some extent with the fear that we might lose players. These same players while talented did not win. Will they be better with new recruits coming in or will they be the same team we saw this year? That's a question that first needs to be asked by Steve Orsini. Perhaps to some now ex-coaches like the Tulsa coach who saw these guys up close and personal could give their insights. Because you have to decide do we blow it up, or build off of what we have. That in part will dictate the direction that you go.

Any new coach is going to force some attrition, just to clear up some rides for his guys. That said, we're talking almost exclusively about transfers from the '11 & '12 recruiting classes, and those guys weren't the problem this year.

One thing Orsini & crew can't do, is give the new coach full autonomy to blow up the roster at the expense of wins, much the way he did w/Doherty. That creates roster management issues, like we saw w/Doh, and takes too long to see tangible results. We have 4 Top 100 national kids on the roster in Shawn Williams, Nick Russell, Blaise Mbargorba, and Cannen Cunningham. Leslee Smith played very well this year coming off reconstructive surgery, and Jalen is a warrior. Manuel has a ton of potential. At the very least, you have to look at doing what you can to retain those kids.

If you want to open ships, force Norman off. He's a princeton kid, that is more interested in SMU than basketball at this point. His family also has some money. Beyond that, Frog would be my next in line. You can't blow up a nucleus of highly touted and recruited kids at SMU, that performed very well as frosh, just b/c the team underachieved playing a bad system for them, and Doh doesn't coach guys up.

[EastStang]

But I think that's the first decision, Orsini has to consider whether he wants to build with what we have or blow it up. That's going to in large part determine which direction you go. There are some talented players on this roster and more coming in. I agree, you would like to keep the incomings, but not at the expense of long term success.

[hoopmanx]

But I think that's the first decision, Orsini has to consider whether he wants to build with what we have or blow it up. That's going to in large part determine which direction you go. There are some talented players on this roster and more coming in. I agree, you would like to keep the incomings, but not at the expense of long term success.

why would you blow it up? I just don't get that..There are 7 or 8 salvageable pieces

[Treadway21]

But I think that's the first decision, Orsini has to consider whether he wants to build with what we have or blow it up. That's going to in large part determine which direction you go. There are some talented players on this roster and more coming in. I agree, you would like to keep the incomings, but not at the expense of long term success.

why would you blow it up? I just don't get that..There are 7 or 8 salvageable pieces

We had too much blowing up the roster with doherty. We don't need to start over for another time, IMO. We all agreed this team had talent; the coach couldn't figure our how to put it together, and got fired for it. Let's get someone who can figure out how to use the pieces we have.

[hoopmanx]

But I think that's the first decision, Orsini has to consider whether he wants to build with what we have or blow it up. That's going to in large part determine which direction you go. There are some talented players on this roster and more coming in. I agree, you would like to keep the incomings, but not at the expense of long term success.

why would you blow it up? I just don't get that..There are 7 or 8 salvageable pieces

We had too much blowing up the roster with doherty. We don't need to start over for another time, IMO. We all agreed this team had talent; the coach couldn't figure our how to put it together, and got fired for it. Let's get someone who can figure out how to use the pieces we have.

Not to mention, the rest of the coaching world thinks we have talent. You should hear some of the programs 'interested' in our transfers or '12 recruits should they come available. Almost all of them, should they leave, would actually transfer up to more recognized/bigger programs

[PonyKai]

Grab Jones, Benford, Hewitt or Jacobson, retain Hobbie & go grab Reggie again; keep Blaise & Brian, and load the '12 schedule up with BS uber-cupcakes to artificially manufacture some more momentum, a la 2010.

[CoxBizGrad]

I say we never mention the word Doherty in another post. He left this program in shambles and should be forgotten as soon as possible. I hope he leaves the coaching profession entirely so he doesn't tear down any other young men. Adios.

[hoopmanx]

I say we never mention the word Doherty in another post. He left this program in shambles and should be forgotten as soon as possible. I hope he leaves the coaching profession entirely so he doesn't tear down any other young men. Adios.

Seriously, quit your nonsense. The man was exceptionally classy in the way he left, not to mention to all the recruits he told to stay w/their commitment. He was awful at roster management early, and he can't coach his way out of a paper bag, but this program is far from in shambles. We have legit talent in the program and in the pipeline. Get a good coach that recruits at a Big East level, and we're right there. You make it seem like this past season has anything to do w/whats in the program. We played 5 frosh and two sophs huge minutes this year. Let the man move on in peace, we'll be just fine

[CoxBizGrad]

Last place my friend. Bottom of the basement. How do you define success?