The top tier basketball schools coaching consideration/vetting process
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Whoever replaces Cal, unless Cal pulls a Denny Crum and just retires 10 years before he quits, is going to have the weight of crushing expectations.
He will have incredible pressure to do it "Cal's" way just like Tubby promised following Pitino and if he does it will be the beginning of the end for him before he ever coaches a game at Rupp. Better to let people know from day 1 you aren't Cal that to have them remind you every day after.
He will have incredible pressure to do it "Cal's" way just like Tubby promised following Pitino and if he does it will be the beginning of the end for him before he ever coaches a game at Rupp. Better to let people know from day 1 you aren't Cal that to have them remind you every day after.
I guess Donovan just had "it" at the time. I think more than anything, the players really vouched for him. They really wanted him. I think coupling that with the fact that he was a Pitino "guy", and it was a situation we could have delt with.
You're right about 97 however and I would be Leary of offering any u proven coach the reigns. One thing is certain, we shouldn't be hiring no names and nobodies at this point in our history. Being an sec program, I wouldn't even do it in football.
I remember Pitino's suggestions when Tubby Smith left ( and Pitino said we'd set back UK 10 years if we fired Tubby)
Not gonna happen, he's going to IU! Boy that would be hilarious if that happened (next UK Coach). They're so sure he's gonna be their next Coach...just because.
Call it pressure or just handling the fans - perhaps what separates Pitino and Cal from the rest is their ability to address the crushing expectations and rock star treatment created by the fanbase. Cal embraces it, Pitino held it in contempt - but both pwned it. It turned Sutton and Gillispie into 12 step programs and Tubby ended up seeking asylum in his charity work. Its something that either comes naturally or it doesn't because it will age you quickly if you aren't equipped to deal with it daily.
Really thorough post here. Personally, I'd rank Matt and Miller at the top. Pearl, I may be an outlier, I'm not convinced. First, he has sort of a snake oil salesmen vibe. Now, opposing fans would delight at that remark, get a load of a Calipari fan saying someone else is a snake oil guy. But not all reps are earned. I don't think Cal is phony, and never did, when at UMass or Memphis. Second, and much more important, I'm just not convinced of Pearl's coaching. There's something counterfeit there. I think he's a system coach,and he coaches that system, and it usually works, and when it doesn't he simply has no response. Not big on Pearl.
Would take Miller or Matta in a heartbeat. But like I said earlier, this time, there is no obvious "he's the guy" out there.
We can agree to disagree on Pearl - he's not as proven as a coach as any of the current HOFers or other top tier guys (dozen or so), but imo I think he's in that next tier at this point. As for being a phony - I'm not sure what you mean. People say that word a lot about people they don't like, but what does it mean? Is it that he sometimes says stuff that he doesn't entirely believe to placate the media or the fanbase? Every coach does that, and Cal as much as anyone. I mean, I see a guy who is willing to make himself look like an idiot, going bare-chested, painting himself orange for a women's basketball game and hollaring his lungs out - he doesn't have to do that stuff. I think fake, I think somebody who talks big but then just goes through the motions. He doesn't strike me that way at all.
But I can't see where you're coming from with no "the guy". If Donovan would be willing to take the job, I can't imagine a scenario where he isn't wildly successful.
yeah, that's fair, "phony" was a really poor, and meaningless, phrase. Maybe I was shooting for not trustworthy? Likely to get us in trouble? Scratch that, nevermind, we should focus on the coaching aspect - although I agree with whomever said he's the one guy with the required personality. The job wouldn't swallow him and make him miserable like it would most others.
I like Donovan. I really do. Remember watching his press conference after his second title, and I couldn't have been more impressed with a guy. Just seemed to have figured it out. Nothing wrong or phony, no wrong notes. But, first, I really suspect he wouldn't take it. He had 2 chances already. I have to wonder if he's the kind of guy who would get swallowed by it. Or, more likely, would Mrs. Donovan be miserable. Fans interrupting dinner or the grocery trip - Cal tolerates it, sometimes even loves it. Most people would suffocate. That doesn't even get into the complaining when we "only" win by 12 as a heavy favorite, doesn't get into the complaining when we've "only" won 1 title while going to final fours in 4 of 5 years, etc. Second......he was really inconsistent at UF (at least that's my recollection, need to look it up). This isn't the kind of place where you follow a Final Four with an NIT trip. What have you done for me lately? That wouldn't go over well......
You could be right about Donovan not having the charisma for the job - not sure. I know very little about him personally. Though, while he isn't a ham like Cal, he doesn't strike me as a wimp. I'm sure the job would age him like it does everybody though.
As far as inconsistency, though, outside of Cal, K, and Pitino, I don't think anybody has been as good as he has in the past few years. If you go way back and take his last 10 as a college coach, you have:
Championship
Championship
NIT
NIT
NCAAs, second round
E8
E8
E8
F4
No postseason
Going a little further back, he's been to 13 of the last 16 NCAAs, with Two titles, a runner up, a final four, and three more elite 8s.
Not flawless, and maybe Cal would've done better there, but all in all, it's pretty damn good.
Now, it's worth noting that he did this at a school that literally didn't even sell out a 12k seat arena following 2 straight championships. They barely know they have basketball down there.
With what UK devotes to basketball, I have a feeling he'd recruit better and his low spots wouldn't dip so low.
Just to add even more, here is his college coaching numbers by season:
That is quite a bit of first and second round losses but as you mention this was at Florida. Florida had exactly one team (1994 Final Four) that advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament prior to Donovan (Note: 1987 Sweet 16 and 1988 Round of 32 were vacated). And they only had three tournament appearances TOTAL (again excluding 1987 and 1988 so five if you want to count them).
Under Donovan, they were 35-12 in the NCAA tournament, which is 5th in all time winning percentage (.745) only behind some coaches you may have heard of in John Wooden, Coach K, John Calipari and Rick Pitino.
My problem with these hypotheticals is past experience. We would've taken Pitino back and dropped Flubby immediately (imagine that today). Thank GOODNESS we got Cal a couple years later. Also, can't we just take Cal at his word that he's happy at UK? Who wouldn't want to retire here after being dominant for years.. If you think he doesn't know all about Rupp's Dynasty and what's in store for him here you're delirious.
I think the reason these type of threads constantly popped up is a) it's human nature to look ahead, especially in the sports world and b) Cal has spoiled us so much, a lot of us are just bracing for the inevitable. Discussing the options that are out there when Cal retires and/or leaves is cathartic in a way. Better to think about it now a little bit then have all of it hit at once when the time comes.
I get your point, but what can we do about it? It's useless for us to sit on our butts and pontificate about the future when not a one of us can affect it. Then it just looks like we're ready for the next phase of UK BBall. I just disagree with that I guess.
JKWO and FiveStarCat - you guys are right, Donovan's record is better and more consistent than I was remembering. I am recalling how early in his career, after that first final four trip, there seemed to be several years of underachievement, and it was fashionable on this website to ride Donovan and make light of his tournament success. I guess that's what I'm remembering. Looks like a final four then 5 straight years of first or second round exits. But as you say, that ended, and his overall record is very good....
Big thing for me is: was the coach wildly successful with multiple sets of guys? Too often we see guys have even 3-4 year runs where they seem like the next big thing, only to realize later that they just had a particularly good group of players. I don't think Tubby Smith was an appreciably better coach from 2003 to 2005, but I think that Chuck Hayes was 1) a great college player, and 2) a great leader. It's no coincidence that that three year run (2x #1 overall seed, 2x Elite Eights) was headlined by the Chuckwagon. We thought Tubby turned the corner, but it was an illusion.
The way talent moves to the NBA so fast now, I'm interested in someone that recruits, develops quickly, and does not rely on talented upperclassmen.
Marshall at Wichita State might fall into this trap. I respect him greatly, but he's had a core of players the last few years. I'd like to see how he reloads, adjusts, and goes on.
The way talent moves to the NBA so fast now, I'm interested in someone that recruits, develops quickly, and does not rely on talented upperclassmen.
Marshall at Wichita State might fall into this trap. I respect him greatly, but he's had a core of players the last few years. I'd like to see how he reloads, adjusts, and goes on.
the bottom line is kids don't go to UNC because its UNC, they don't go to Duke because its Duke and they don't go to Kentucky because we're Kentucky - they go because a coach has sold them on whatever the program offers
All you have to do is remember that John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were Memphis bound to realize that you roll the dice on the wrong guy because he's had a good couple of years at Cornfield U. and you've just set your program back 7 years.
All you have to do is remember that John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were Memphis bound to realize that you roll the dice on the wrong guy because he's had a good couple of years at Cornfield U. and you've just set your program back 7 years.
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