Off the top of my head: Coaching list

[hoopmanx]

Here's 17 off the top of my head:

Ben Jacobsen
Bryce Drew
Reggie Theus
Danny Hurley
Bruiser Flint
Jeff Capel
Melvin Watkins
Scott Spinelli
Archie Miller
Mike Lonergan
Tony Benford
Tommy Amaker
Tim Cluess
Scott Cross
Brooks Thompson
Dan Monson
Johnnie Jones

Only 2 guys on that entire list are assistants, or have never head coached. The whole 'lets go w/an assistant' nonsense isn't Big East basketball. That's making a guess and hoping it's right. That works for mids, even CUSA, but this is the Big East. Why would you trust Orsini to hire a career assistant w/his basketball background/track record? Get a proven commodity, who has their own system, and knows how to recruit to it & teach it.

[Mitch McConnell]

Not only no. But hell no to Dan Monson. I just watched that crash and burn in Minnesota. I don't want to relive it again.

Good guy. He's the one who got the Gonzaga thing rolling. But he's better in an under-the-radar type of situation.

Shame on you, hoopmanx. And shame on us if we contacted him.

[ponyboy]

No opinion on the guy, but aren't we the very definition of an under the radar program.?

[Mitch McConnell]

Under the radar in terms of coaching in non-BCS conferences. Monson is good in that situation. BCS conferences (like the one we're about to join) are not his bag.

[LHS81]

Tim Jankovich
Melvin Menzies

[hoopmanx]

Not only no. But hell no to Dan Monson. I just watched that crash and burn in Minnesota. I don't want to relive it again.

Good guy. He's the one who got the Gonzaga thing rolling. But he's better in an under-the-radar type of situation.

Shame on you, hoopmanx. And shame on us if we contacted him.

Minnesota is considered a near impossible job, Mitch. He's been very good at Gonzaga and LBSU. As a candidate, he may be too west coast, but I'm not really holding his time at Minnesota over his head. Most consider him a very capable bench coach and recruiter. Has some industry clout and probably just shouldn't have taken the Minny job. SMU is the same way for many applicants. So much chance of failure, they'd be wise to pass on it, just for their career arc, even if it makes them rich in the interim.

[hoopmanx]

Tim Jankovich
Melvin Menzies

Both of those are good, as is David Carter @ Nevada

[mustangxc]

Melvin Watkins was terrible at Texas A&M. What makes you think he will succeed at SMU?

[hoopmanx]

Melvin Watkins was terrible at Texas A&M. What makes you think he will succeed at SMU?

One of my least favorite candidates. Had a nice run at Charlotte, recruiting Big East style players. I like that he's been under Anderson for several years now, and better yet, he actually wants the job. He killed Texas recruiting for Mizzou & Ark over the past few years as well. He's one of my least favorite candidates, but I prefer guys that know how to run a program and have seen success, over career assistants that nobody knows if they can coach or recruit as a head man. He's beloved by local AAU honchos

[CalallenStang]

Hoopmanx, what do you make of Capel's time at OU? Simply bad luck with the injuries?

[hoopmanx]

Hoopmanx, what do you make of Capel's time at OU? Simply bad luck with the injuries?

He grabbed a slew of headcases that were ultra-talented but chemistry nightmares, see tiny gallon, Willie Warren & Tommy Mason griffen. Sometimes character matters.

[Mustangs_Maroons]

Here's 17 off the top of my head:

Ben Jacobsen
Bryce Drew
Reggie Theus
Danny Hurley
Bruiser Flint
Jeff Capel
Melvin Watkins
Scott Spinelli
Archie Miller
Mike Lonergan
Tony Benford
Tommy Amaker
Tim Cluess
Scott Cross
Brooks Thompson
Dan Monson
Johnnie Jones

Only 2 guys on that entire list are assistants, or have never head coached. The whole 'lets go w/an assistant' nonsense isn't Big East basketball. That's making a guess and hoping it's right. That works for mids, even CUSA, but this is the Big East. Why would you trust Orsini to hire a career assistant w/his basketball background/track record? Get a proven commodity, who has their own system, and knows how to recruit to it & teach it.

good stuff, Hoopman. Out of curiosity, what's the general cost range for these guys and how wide is that range (ie, who is the least expensive vs. most expensive)?

[Hoop Fan]

I like the list. I don't think we could get the more interesting names on the list like Jacobson or Drew, but I may be wrong. I think Orsini's real list will have names like Hewitt on it. Thats what i'm afraid of. Repeating Doh. I wish we would have taken a chance on a young assistant tied into DFW recruiting instead of Doh and said so at the time. Or a guys like Scott Sutton maybe who has done pretty well in Tulsa's shadow at ORU. We couldn't have done any worse the past 6 years. Doh's west coast recruiting turned out to be a complete failure, including apparently Eric Norman now.

I understand your point about not knowing if an assistant will translate as a head man. But I also think its just as valid to point out that it's hard to know if a middle-aged guy from the East Coast or upper Midwest somewhere is gonna translate to Texas recruiting and be able to make any mark and establish a base here. Brooks Thompson is interesting, as is Jones. I think Doh was an old school type of guy, I want someone from the new school: less stubborn, more adept at player relations.

[Mitch McConnell]

I'm not going to completely disagree about Minnesota being a challenge. But there's an equal amount of potential with it.

The U's political forces do a wonderful job of making things as arduous as possible.

As of now, there is a drive to get a practice facility built there. The bad news is that the Minnesota administration has told the athletic department the facility has to be completely privately funded. The good news is that it hasn't stalled the campaign.

The Barn is an awesome facility. It went through a facelift in the mid-1990s. It's in good shape. And it can be a great homecourt advantage.

The other good news is that the current AD Joel Maturi is retiring so a new voice and visionary could be what the entire athletic department needs.

What's frustrating is that Tubby got some really good kids to play there but their off-the-court issues led them to leave. When I watch Royce White light it up at Iowa State and Devoe Joseph do the same at Oregon, that tells me all I need to know.

I think 2012-13 is an important year for Tubby.

I will hold the Minnesota years over Monson's head because it wasn't like he didn't get good players. He got Kris Humphries but Monson's problem was that he let the inmates run it.

[EastStang]

Surprised Shaka Smart isn't on your list. Also, Seth Greenberg might be available if Tech decides to fire him. He'd be a great pick-up in my view. Capel is a great coach who was in a bad place.