Hoops: College coaching carousel 2025

[tylerlindsey2111]

On 2/19/2025 at 7:58 AM, jlcollins519 said:

Tyler....thanks for your input.  You may have posted your opinion somewhere about this and if so, sorry I missed it, but if Texas does decide to make a change after the season, who would be on your short list?

I will say that, as long as the SEC would allow it, I would hire Will Wade as fast as I could and watch the success train take off.

[Gerry Hamilton]

3 hours ago, tylerlindsey2111 said:

I will say that, as long as the SEC would allow it, I would hire Will Wade as fast as I could and watch the success train take off.

Why do you like Will Wade? 

Just wondering

[bierce]

I'll let Tyler speak for himself, but it's hard to argue with Wade's resume of making programs better.  He took over LSU after it went 2-16 in the SEC, and he had it winning the regular season title and making the S16 in 2 years.  It had been 11 years since McNeese (then McNeese State) had a winning record in conference, and he went 17-1 there in his first year and managed to get former P5 players to go there this year.  He didn't really improve VCU during his 2 years there, but he certainly didn't make it worse. 

[Gerry Hamilton]

7 minutes ago, bierce said:

I'll let Tyler speak for himself, but it's hard to argue with Wade's resume of making programs better.  He took over LSU after it went 2-16 in the SEC, and he had it winning the regular season title and making the S16 in 2 years.  It had been 11 years since McNeese (then McNeese State) had a winning record in conference, and he went 17-1 there in his first year and managed to get former P5 players to go there this year.  He didn't really improve VCU during his 2 years there, but he certainly didn't make it worse. 

I don't see Wade and Texas happening. But he's trying hard behind the scenes!

I would bet Sean Miller would be ahead of him ... if Texas opens. 

[Jordan91]

15 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I don't see Wade and Texas happening. But he's trying hard behind the scenes!

I would bet Sean Miller would be ahead of him ... if Texas opens. 

@Gerry Hamilton so considering what happened to Beard, would CDC be hypersensitive to the pasts of previous coaches?

Edited 22 hours ago by Jordan91

[bierce]

8 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I don't see Wade and Texas happening. But he's trying hard behind the scenes!

I would bet Sean Miller would be ahead of him ... if Texas opens. 

Miller has had a really good career (and his own run-in with the scandals about pay for play before it became legal), and five second weekends in seven years is hard to ignore, but people should understand Arizona failed to make the tournament only 4 times since 1997, and all the teams that missed were during Miller's 12 years there.   He also only had one team play above seed in his career, the 2011 team that beat us in the 4/5 game then went on to trash Duke to make the Elite Eight.  OK, if you want you can call winning in the first round as a 9 seed "playing above seed," but since the 9 team wins almost half those games, I don't.  

 

[Jordan91]

5 minutes ago, bierce said:

Miller has had a really good career (and his own run-in with the scandals about pay for play before it became legal), and five second weekends in seven years is hard to ignore, but people should understand Arizona failed to make the tournament only 4 times since 1997, and all the teams that missed were during Miller's 12 years there.   He also only had one team play above seed in his career, the 2011 team that beat us in the 4/5 game then went on to trash Duke to make the Elite Eight.  OK, if you want you can call winning in the first round as a 9 seed "playing above seed," but since the 9 team wins almost half those games, I don't.  

 

Thanks for bringing 2011 up!

[bierce]

19 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

Thanks for bringing 2011 up!

It was step 2 in Barnes's path of finding his way out of Austin.

Step 1 was the 2010 collapse and the unfortunate comment about not being obsessed with winning championships.

Step 3 was losing to Chaminade in Maui, and CBI the season that followed.

Step 4 was losing to Butler to finish that season on a 6-10 run.

Edited 22 hours ago by bierce

[tylerlindsey2111]

52 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I don't see Wade and Texas happening. But he's trying hard behind the scenes!

I would bet Sean Miller would be ahead of him ... if Texas opens. 

I respect your insight, Gerry. From a winning in new era of CBB, I prefer the younger Will Wade. From a hoops perspective, I also prefer Wade. Has shown the ability to play faster (LSU and VCU) and also shown the ability to play slower, as he does at McNeese right now. Tempo matters greatly, as we are all aware, and what is important about their pace at McNeese is to see the recognition of having the better players on the floor all the time, there dictating the will of the game. Everyone always thinks the better teams want more possessions, but it is not true if you are overwhelmingly better. You want possessions controlled because it limits the ability to make mistakes from the team who is not as talented.

On top of that, he is a hustler and someone who swings way above his weight class in recruiting everywhere he goes. Are we hiring a BB coach to win games in the SEC or are we interviewing candidates for Seminary? Wade is a guy that understands how to navigate this era, he knows the SEC and has won in it, and is young enough to have sustainability.

I am also one who does not mind hiring someone who's flaws are out in open. I would much rather confront the devil I know, then the one who can pop up at any point.... ring any bells?

Edited 21 hours ago by tylerlindsey2111

[Jordan91]

15 minutes ago, tylerlindsey2111 said:

I respect your insight, Gerry. From a winning in new era of CBB, I prefer the younger Will Wade. From a hoops perspective, I also prefer Wade. Has shown the ability to play faster (LSU and VCU) and also shown the ability to play slower, as he does at McNeese right now. Tempo matters greatly, as we are all aware, and what is important about their pace at McNeese is to see the recognition of having the better players on the floor all the time, there dictating the will of the game. Everyone always thinks the better teams want more possessions, but it is not true if you are overwhelmingly better. You want possessions controlled because it limits the ability to make mistakes from the team who is not as talented.

On top of that, he is a hustler and someone who swings way above his weight class in recruiting everywhere he goes. Are we hiring a BB coach to win games in the SEC or are we interviewing candidates for Seminary? Wade is a guy that understands how to navigate this era, he knows the SEC and has won in it, and is young enough to have sustainability.

I am also one who does not mind hiring someone who's flaws are out in open. I would much rather confront the devil I know, then the one who can pop up at any point.... ring any bells?

He’s still young for a coach. My hope is, if a move is made, Texas gets a ten to fifteen year coach. 

[bierce]

I just noticed something.  Wade is 10-0 against the Agroids in his coaching career.

[tylerlindsey2111]

@Gerry Hamilton I would love your take on why you don’t like the fit. Obviously you have some sourcing that is telling you he is pushing for the job, but not a good fit. Can you give us the reasoning/thought process behind that? I am open minded. 

[Hashtag]

3 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I don't see Wade and Texas happening. But he's trying hard behind the scenes!

I would bet Sean Miller would be ahead of him ... if Texas opens. 

Miller seems on a career downturn, would not hire at all. 

Edited 19 hours ago by Hashtag

[Hashtag]

8 minutes ago, tylerlindsey2111 said:

@Gerry Hamilton I would love your take on why you don’t like the fit. Obviously you have some sourcing that is telling you he is pushing for the job, but not a good fit. Can you give us the reasoning/thought process behind that? I am open minded. 

 Because our compliance department would never sign off on him.

[tylerlindsey2111]

3 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

 Because our compliance department would never sign off on him.

Tell me why they would not sign off on him, but will Miller? Don’t tell me NCAA penalties assessed, that’s nonsensical to anyone with eyes and comprehension skills. 

[BobInHouston]

2 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

 Because our compliance department would never sign off on him.

Would they have signed off on Lute Olson? There are plenty of guys we can go through.

But times have changed. Miller and Wade were both in the federal case, and the things they did (that we know of) are now permitted. In fact, it has to be done.

[Hashtag]

3 minutes ago, tylerlindsey2111 said:

Tell me why they would not sign off on him, but will Miller? Don’t tell me NCAA penalties assessed, that’s nonsensical to anyone with eyes and comprehension skills. 

vs
 

 

Our compliance department wouldn't sign off on Corey Raymond. They barely signed off on Bo Davis and that was only because he had coached at Texas prior. Our compliance doesn't care what was illegal then or legal now. They are by the book no matter what. The penalties Wade was hit with show up when they run their checks and it would never be signed off on. 

Edited 18 hours ago by Hashtag

[tylerlindsey2111]

Then we need to rethink compliance. Period. 

[BobInHouston]

I mean, Bill Self isn't coming here. If he did, he'd bust the salary structure and the player budget, but he would win.

Texas most likely will try to finesse this, because keeping up appearances is what they do best.

[tylerlindsey2111]

So because Sean Miller sacrificed assistants, and Will Wade was crucified himself, we won’t hire him? Yep, we’re above reproach. 

[Hashtag]

Just now, tylerlindsey2111 said:

So because Sean Miller sacrificed assistants, and Will Wade was crucified himself, we won’t hire him? Yep, we’re above reproach. 

Trust me I think our compliance department needs to chill as well, especially since NCAA has been castrated. But it is what it is with them at this point. They have the old mindset.

[tylerlindsey2111]

Then we are not serious about winning, and quit pretending we are. You can make mistakes and be an asshole in your life, just as long as you don’t offend the almighty NCAA. 

[BobInHouston]

2 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

vs
 

See what I mean about appearances? Miller's assistants take the fall and he walks away. And yet, he was alleged to have handled the Ayton recruitment himself. IIRC, it wasn't part of the NCAA case because the feds didn't use that information in court. If it had been a hit, he would have been charged, right?

[Jordan91]

2 minutes ago, tylerlindsey2111 said:

Then we are not serious about winning, and quit pretending we are. You can make mistakes and be an asshole in your life, just as long as you don’t offend the almighty NCAA. 

Exactly. They are not committed to winning in basketball at a high level. There is the frustration in a nut shell.