Our annual coaching wish list thread…
- Thread starter Warison
- Start date
He has stated in the past that Indiana fans are crazy. He wants nothing to do with this job.
Not so sure that’s true. He’s struggling right now out West. NIL has changed the game. I think he’s a name to keep an eye on.
Brad Stevens
Nate Oats
PJ Otzelberger
Ben McCollum
Chris Beard
They should pay Alabama the buyout and get Oats to the Big Ten and IU, where he belongs. It’s not complicated, it’s just costly.
Nate Oats
PJ Otzelberger
Ben McCollum
Chris Beard
They should pay Alabama the buyout and get Oats to the Big Ten and IU, where he belongs. It’s not complicated, it’s just costly.
Things have changed a lot in 25 years though. I know winning of course is MOST important, but in this day and age where everyone thinks they are going to the NBA, players expect a certain style to showcase their skills. I think they are more apt to want a program with a fast paced offense.
It’s going to be a very long almost two months waiting and speculating!
Wish I was a big-time donor and could keep throwing stupid money at a bad investment & not give a flying rats a$$ 😒
Just a heads up, there are no insiders on the other board or this board
Four years ago, those same "insiders" said Brad Stevens was going to accept the IU position. Some people just need the attention.
Didn't realize he will be 63 next year. He doesn't look that old, but yeah, that's a bit outside of the range we ought to look at, in my opinion.
I have no idea if Few is interested, I kinda doubt it. If he was, despite being 63, it is nice he has never won it all and still has something serious to prove as a coach. He could plug in the proven Gonzaga system here and be highly motivated.
That's why we should get Shaka. Doesn't matter what he'd do the rest of the year, we'd get to watch layup drills against PU twice each year.
I don’t know enough to make even an educated guess on who should be the next coach. All I know is watching them play. Never talked to any of the coaching candidates. This job requires a lot of important factors.
I hope that the guy who hires our next coach works his ass off in the search.
I hope that the guy who hires our next coach works his ass off in the search.
I'm pretty sure Scott has been prepping for this for moment for over a year. Back in August 2023 this was on his mind when he changed the buyout payment structure... my guess is after observing IUBB behind the scenes he knew Woody wasn't likely to make it.
Scott has always been a bball guy and this is his big moment. Hopefully he (assuming it's him making the call, I'm praying it is) can find us another good hire.
Scott has always been a bball guy and this is his big moment. Hopefully he (assuming it's him making the call, I'm praying it is) can find us another good hire.
If Few is legit interested. He is the guy you go all in on. Get 10 good years out of him
Disagree, Munson didn’t have the success of Few. Hell Munson was only at Gonzaga 2 seasons ago
For sure. Kinda doubt he's pining to leave Spokane...he's a God out there. And that area, as much as I love Bloomington/Southern Indiana...Spokane/Cour D Alene...is spectacular.
733-150 is Few record at Gonzaga 2 final four appearances.
Munson:
52-17 in two season at Gonzaga…
So how is Few another Munson?
Just so we are clear this is a real Munson… the coach you all are referring to is Monson. I’m actually hopeful that this was intentional and you landed a great reference, but it does not appear to be the case.
Stop pulling a Munson on this thread. 😉
Just so we are clear this is a real Munson… the coach you all are referring to is Monson. I’m actually hopeful that this was intentional and you landed a great reference, but it does not appear to be the case.
The case for McCollum as a primary candidate. And I type all this out below fully acknowledging that he comes with some risks. But outside someone like Oats, Few, Pearl...and yes, Beard if they end up considering him... I very strongly think McCollum is the best of the non proven P4 guys.
Basically every time I hear pundits talk about him, or I dig in and research him more, I hear or read something new that I love about him...During the telecast the other night, the announcer referred multiple times to McCollum not focusing on specific plays or players in their scouting reports, rather, they focus on concepts the other teams use. In some ways its a minor distinction...but its another impressive thing about his approach and philosophies, to me. They also mentioned that during their walk through, they were going through defending Murray State's concepts, and no one had a ball. I LOVE hearing things like that. Obviously that forces defenders to think about where they're supposed to be, the concepts they're supposed to be defending, more than focusing on the ball. And for something like a walk through, where you're just trying to hammer home some important information and points, its a unique way to get them to focus on the off the ball concepts they were supposed to be learning and focusing on. Little clues like this, start filling in the blanks on why and how he won 4 Natty's, and multiple NCOY awards...and why he's 21-2 in his first D1 season.
Also...he has 3 main rotation players that could come with him, one of which would be an immediate All B10 level player in Bennett Stirtz. That's 3 guys that could help instill McCollum's program in to the other players he'd have. Which, we know from Cigs first year, can be hugely beneficial...and it can help ensure the program "translates up".
Bennett Stirtz, PG, Would be one of the better players in the B10
Tavion Banks, 6'7 versatile big/wing...good in their pick and roll principles
Cam Manyawu, 6'8 good defensive big... effective guarding inside and out, active on the glass
Both the foreign kid we just signed, and Sisley, would likely both fit McCollum's principles well offensively.
Get Tucker, Cupps, Newton if he's gonna ever be healthy, to stay. I'm not sure Rice, Carlyle, Mack, or Reneau would fit all that well in McCollum's system. But then again...we really don't know what any of them would look like with a coach like McCollum teaching them?...
And then go get 3-4 grad transfers, the best guys that he thinks fit his style.
His current Drake team, as it is, would probably be middle of the pack in the B10, if not better than that. Give him a couple impactful guys he wouldn't have had access to getting at Drake, because he's at IU...and competing near the top of the conference in his first year would be a virtual certainty.
As I typed in another post about him. I really think his "floor" at IU, would be a Wisconsin like program. And his ceiling...there are lots of unknowns on that, but if he were to adapt and use his new IU level resources to get bigger, faster, stronger, better players...that still fit his system...His ceiling could be higher than ANYONE else on the list, including the dream guys like Stevens.
Basically every time I hear pundits talk about him, or I dig in and research him more, I hear or read something new that I love about him...During the telecast the other night, the announcer referred multiple times to McCollum not focusing on specific plays or players in their scouting reports, rather, they focus on concepts the other teams use. In some ways its a minor distinction...but its another impressive thing about his approach and philosophies, to me. They also mentioned that during their walk through, they were going through defending Murray State's concepts, and no one had a ball. I LOVE hearing things like that. Obviously that forces defenders to think about where they're supposed to be, the concepts they're supposed to be defending, more than focusing on the ball. And for something like a walk through, where you're just trying to hammer home some important information and points, its a unique way to get them to focus on the off the ball concepts they were supposed to be learning and focusing on. Little clues like this, start filling in the blanks on why and how he won 4 Natty's, and multiple NCOY awards...and why he's 21-2 in his first D1 season.
Also...he has 3 main rotation players that could come with him, one of which would be an immediate All B10 level player in Bennett Stirtz. That's 3 guys that could help instill McCollum's program in to the other players he'd have. Which, we know from Cigs first year, can be hugely beneficial...and it can help ensure the program "translates up".
Bennett Stirtz, PG, Would be one of the better players in the B10
Tavion Banks, 6'7 versatile big/wing...good in their pick and roll principles
Cam Manyawu, 6'8 good defensive big... effective guarding inside and out, active on the glass
Both the foreign kid we just signed, and Sisley, would likely both fit McCollum's principles well offensively.
Get Tucker, Cupps, Newton if he's gonna ever be healthy, to stay. I'm not sure Rice, Carlyle, Mack, or Reneau would fit all that well in McCollum's system. But then again...we really don't know what any of them would look like with a coach like McCollum teaching them?...
And then go get 3-4 grad transfers, the best guys that he thinks fit his style.
His current Drake team, as it is, would probably be middle of the pack in the B10, if not better than that. Give him a couple impactful guys he wouldn't have had access to getting at Drake, because he's at IU...and competing near the top of the conference in his first year would be a virtual certainty.
As I typed in another post about him. I really think his "floor" at IU, would be a Wisconsin like program. And his ceiling...there are lots of unknowns on that, but if he were to adapt and use his new IU level resources to get bigger, faster, stronger, better players...that still fit his system...His ceiling could be higher than ANYONE else on the list, including the dream guys like Stevens.
Porter Moser was a popular pick here four years ago. I’ve wondered if he was hired back then would he now be on the hot seat? (Because of IU, not him).
My concerns with McCollum
Never coached at a high level, even at the assistant level.
Hasnt had to deal with NIL or recruiting
His style/system is kinda blah but this could be due to the talent he has. Your not gonna run the option offense with a passing QB
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Definitely some unknowns... And most of them pertain to how he'll navigate recruiting, and coaching, higher level college players. Or I guess, also even if he'd try to.
I think the rest is already proven. You can't "fake" the levels of success he's had. Obviously he could end up being a Peter's Principle example when he jumps to the high major levels. But the more I learn about him, and how he approaches coaching and managing his programs...he doesn't really leave much chance for failure.
I think "failure" for him, and what he's used to, could be better than anything we've had, consistently, since RMK. And the upside possibility is worth the risk of him not fully relating to elite level dynamics.
But again...to reiterate... I see him as only one main candidate of hopefully a handful of good candidates. If you can hit a homerun, and get a proven P4 coach, that is obviously in tune with today's dynamics... whoever that may be, that's who you go with. Maybe McCollum will progress up to an Iowa like program, and prove himself, and then 6-7 years from now we can go get a 50ish year old McCollum.
I’m not sure “high level” would be the right words to use. But I understand what you are saying. However, I’ve watched him and his Division II team (NW Missouri St) win 3 National Championships in Evansville. Guarantee those teams would have competed fairly well in Division I championships… with the players he could get at that time.
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