If I'm Orsini and am thinking about making a move...

[George S. Patton]

I really don't care. Just let me know when the announcement that Doherty is gone is made and then I'll get re-energized. What I saw in Hawaii was a complete cluster. Doesn't look any different than what I watched against TCU last year. This program is a big yawn.

[Z1]

Gillespie ? He can most likely get more out of the team than Doh has at this point. But if your history and recent track record isn't good and your a potential public relations nightmare, what good will it do to look for another coach again in two or three years.

His name should be buried somewhere and not brought up again.


I'd consider Knight or Gary Williams before Gillespie any day. At least Knights problems might be fixable with sedatives and Gary can coach,recruit, and relate well enough to take new recruits up hill instead of down or sideways. Knight might be too expensive and a tad tough on the furniture tho. Gary might fit in good with the kind of dollars that we're paying Doh.

z

We're paying Doh like 450k a year. That's chump change buy out money for this school. If we want it done, we can get it done now. I've bolded the black part b/c it made me spit my coffee. Gary is a soon to be HOF coach that makes 2mil plus a year, before talking about camps, TV & radio obligations, and his apparel deal w/Under Armour, a Terp company. I could see him coaching after Maryland, but it will have to be a place where 'coaching them up' is a priority, and not recruiting. That is more like the SoCon, not CUSA.

Your right PonyDoh-

At second glance that statement about Williams was just phelgm. To clarify- I'll cough up the rest of my thought on Williams. If we can pay Doh 450k for minimal results ,can we not pay big money for actual results? If Bobby Knights name can be considered as Head Coach here then it would follow that Gary Williams name can be in the mix as well. The dollars would be a given. But if a coaching change happens, that 450k can easily be used for someone who can produce results.

I'm not saying that you have to pay huge salaries to get results, but the difference in a coach on a rising star and one that is already at the top is the immediate impact that the top tier coaches have. The name recognition attached to SMU via such a coach gives immediate validity to Orsini's stated goal of " top 25 " .
You do have a good point PonyDoh about coaching up versus recruiting. However I believe a "name" coach has much more sway in the recruiting field, has an ability to make kids want to play for them even before they get into high school (because they've been successful already), and can lessen and even tend to shorten the time frame that it takes to get from the minors to the big dance. Kids today have several years to sort through who's who in the basketball world and very few have an interest in playing for a coach of lessor ability or renown when given the opportunity to play for a top tier coach. No one wants to ride the pine and we regularly see top HS players playing "part time" for the best coaches. Gary is just a coach who has the recognition. Knight is another and there are others. If the deed gets done and we gotta have a new coach, I say go for the best.
There are coaches that dollars could be made available for in either case.
A potential scenario comes to mind. I think that when the 2010 class finishes its first season we'll be at the crossroads where that decision has to be made. It's just a matter of time for Doh to go. The question is - will Doh coach well enough for Orsini to justify his last year. (Either way his body of work isn't good enough to keep him after his last year.) If Doh does enough, then getting a top tier coach here will be easier. If Doh ends this season in the same fashion as the rest.- he's gone and Orsini will likely take a rising coach instead due to timing within the rebuilding process. At least I think that scenario has a fair chance of playing out that way .

[CalallenStang]

The problem with Gary and recruiting is that Gary doesn't have good relations with AAU's, and that's a verifiable fact.

[Z1]

The problem with Gary and recruiting is that Gary doesn't have good relations with AAU's, and that's a verifiable fact.

That may be yet he has apparently recruited well without them. That is a positive to me, but I think it has to do with reaching a certain level in your craft, otherwise he might have had to play the AAU game as frequently as other coaches needed to in order to compete. Gary is just an example. Push comes to shove -the AAU issue can be remedied if he or another coach needed to extend their network and contact list.

There are coaches that haven't reached the required status level yet but may be on the verge. Two other rising names to consider if we need to commit at the end of this year could be Greg Marshall (Winthrop) and Brad Brownell at Wright State. Both coaches who've started at the bottom and worked there way up the ladder. Winthrop has been a power house in the Carolinas' for years and winning against every level of competition and have been regular post season participants. Brownell left UNCW after pushing them up the CAA ladder for several years and continued his success at Wright State from day one.

Just thoughts.

z

[EastStang]

Unless UMd fires Williams, I do not see him leaving his alma mater, the ACC (arguably the best conference in the Country), to come to SMU where he has never recruited. I like Williams and like the fact that he is highly ethical about recruiting and he has more National Championships than anyone who's coached here. But that's pie in the sky. You are more likely to have a shot at a Nolan Richardson, Rony Thompson, or Mike Jarvis, than Williams. Successful coaches with warts who I really wouldn't think would work well here. It will in all likelihood end up a coach who may have no head coaching experience.

[PonyDoh]

Unless UMd fires Williams, I do not see him leaving his alma mater, the ACC (arguably the best conference in the Country), to come to SMU where he has never recruited. I like Williams and like the fact that he is highly ethical about recruiting and he has more National Championships than anyone who's coached here. But that's pie in the sky. You are more likely to have a shot at a Nolan Richardson, Rony Thompson, or Mike Jarvis, than Williams. Successful coaches with warts who I really wouldn't think would work well here. It will in all likelihood end up a coach who may have no head coaching experience.

dude, nobody is saying we could come close to grabbing Gary or anyone like that. The premise was that orsini should ask guys like Gary, who Gary thought would be a good fit at SMU. Also, that list of Richardson, Thompson & Jarvis is a who's who of cheaters and race-baiters. That's the wrong profile for this school/program. Same with Gillespie, Quinn Snyder etc. We need energy and enthusiasm, not skeletons

[RGV Pony]

How about this guy?

http://www.ccccd.edu/athletics/mb_coach.htm

or Ross Hodge, now at #1 Midland and formerly at Paris JC?

or Johnny Estelle from #5 Navarro?

450k would be a hefty raise for all of these guys

[papawasamustang]

Jim is a very good coach & a great guy. Has done an awesome job building the CCCC into one of the top JC programs in the country. Below are other outstanding JC coaches. Rafferty was one of Denny Crums top asst @ Louisville & Green is outstanding over @ South Plains. There are so many quality coaches out there & you have hit on a few of them.

I really like someone like Springmann or McDonald & think that's the direction to go. However, any of the guys you mentioned would be outstanding top assistants along with a local AAU/HS coach.

You are talking about some serious Texas ties/relationships if a coaching staff like mentioned above could be assembled. And why couldn't it?

http://www.grayson.edu/website/athletics/mbbTeam.aspx

http://www.spctexans.com/coach/7/1.php

[mustangxc]

I'd like to get more information on Reggie Theus. If he was clean at New Mexico State, I think he is the type of hire that could right the ship here!

[RGV Pony]

I'd like to get more information on Reggie Theus. If he was clean at New Mexico State, I think he is the type of hire that could right the ship here!

well...do you think a 4 star would go to NM State if all things were equal? (read: 'clean,' 'legit,') etc?