Hoops: College coaching carousel 2025

[Jordan91]

5 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

A lot of Texas fans will say go hire Nate Oates … 

1. I’m sure there will be a feeler

2. Nate Oates may be at a better job long term for him 

3. Getting a Nate Oates level coach would be a basketball investment Texas has never made.

It would take a 10 million buyout of Oates, plus 7.5-8 mill a year, plus a larger assistant pool that now.

Plus a likely 5-6 million commitment in NIL 

And You have RT and staff’s buyout on top of it. 

Texas has never made that level investment in hoops.

If Texas decided to make that type of investment… then the head coaching pool of candidates looks totally different 

 

 

Finally, I seriously doubt this stops the lunacy candidates listed. 

[Gerry Hamilton]

2 hours ago, Hashtag said:

Was Florida a better Job before Donovan? 

Lon Kruger got Florida going (FF in 1994). He didn't have sustained success, but he showed what it could become. 

Then UF made a young unicorn hire and won the 2 NC's and played in 3 NC games. 

So they have been to 5 Final Four's since 1994. 

[bierce]

3 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

Lon Kruger got Florida going (FF in 1994). He didn't have sustained success, but he showed what it could become. 

Then UF made a young unicorn hire and won the 2 NC's and played in 3 NC games. 

So they have been to 5 Final Four's since 1994. 

And they canned Michael White because he didn't keep the program at Donovan's level, but instead of giving up on the idea of young coaches from mid-majors, they went back to that well a third time for Todd Golden. 

I still say Murray, McCollum, Wade, or Pitino is the way to go here. 

Hey, maybe even Eric Olen of UC San Diego.  Not happening, I know.

Edited February 23 by bierce

[Gerry Hamilton]

Just now, bierce said:

And they canned Michael White because he didn't keep the program at Donovan's level, but instead of giving up on the idea of young coaches from mid-majors, they went back to that well a third time for Todd Golden. 

Yep. And now have a guy that eventually will get the 6th Final Four ... who knows maybe this year.

If they keep him 7-8 more years, they may get a couple of FF's out of him. 

[Jordan91]

1 minute ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

Yep. And now have a guy that eventually will get the 6th Final Four ... who knows maybe this year.

If they keep him 7-8 more years, they may get a couple of FF's out of him. 

Gerry based of your Nate Oats comments Texas needs somebody passionate about the school (taking a lower salary), and somebody very good at identifying players that can do more for the team at a lower price. 

[Jordan91]

1 hour ago, CoachBobbyFinstock said:

Good post. People should be looking at this more. CDC is the guy now. Quit looking at what Texas has done before him. CDC did go after one of the best coaches and paid him like it. He will do this again. 
 

The Texas won’t commit thing doesn’t compute with me while CDC is AD. 
 

CDC is at his best lurking in the shadows being stealth. He will make a move and get it done. I’m calling this now. 

Hope you are right but the Nate Oats comments by Gerry suggest otherwise. 

[Jordan91]

4 hours ago, Bevo92 said:

If we can’t get proven home-run like Oates, I like the idea of Royal Ivey as our next HC a lot.   It’s definitely out of the box.   Big upgrade over current situation.  
 

With Ivey, it would be building for long-term.    Proven to be excellent coach, players would love him.   The fan base and donors would quickly get behind Ivey as momentum turns for the better. 

Problem is they took a risk with Terry, do they take another risk? NBA to college almost never works. However, he’s passionate about the school (Will take less money), would most likely unite everybody ( how long is the question) and can talk to any kid wanting to get to the league with credibility. He’s played and coached in the NBA. I worry about his lack of connections with Texas high schools though. 

Edited February 23 by Jordan91

[Jordan91]

6 hours ago, qaertyisthatdude said:

If Texas somehow got Nate Oats, build CDC a statue in Austin ASAP.

Completely agree!

[Jordan91]

3 hours ago, TexasLonghorns said:

Kansas is paying their football coach 7 million a year. Paying their basketball coach 10+ million a year.  Texas can’t match what Kansas is paying in the big 2 sports? 

You do realize Kansas spent millions in the portal last year. They are about to drop out of the top 25. Two of their “best” recruits average six points a piece. 

[Hashtag]

Before 1999 UCONN wasn't much in terms of basketball. All it takes is the right coach IMO.

[Jordan91]

3 hours ago, bierce said:

I've gotten a few good answers to this question, but I'll give you my list

UConn, Alabama, Arizona, Duke, ISU, and Florida hiring:

Hurley, Oats, Lloyd, Scheyer, Otzelberger, and Golden

I don't think it is too early to put Scheyer on the list.  He had to work with a rebuilt roster in year one at Duke, and this year's team starts three freshman, a transfer, and a junior who never played for Shuh.  Yes, he inherited a recruiting network, but he was a large part of that network for years. 

May might make the list soon, but I think it is too soon to make the call on him.

None of these guys had any P5 head coaching experience at the time UConn, Alabama, Arizona, Duke, ISU,and Florida (and Michigan) hired them.  Tommy Lloyd was the oldest of the bunch at 46. 

There have been other good hires like Cronin and Buzz, but I don't think they are quite the success the guys on my list are proving to be. 

Some mid-major hires flopped.  Smart changed his identity and was snake-bit here but is doing well at Marquette now.  Prohm was a disaster at ISU.  Holtmann went the wrong way in year 5.  Moser is on the verge of his 4th straight year without a tournament appearance. 

I don't have any input with CDC.  I'm just a guy who watches a ton of basketball.

But I think the lesson here is that great coaches are there at the lower level.  A smart AD will find one and get him full support. 

I'll support the team no matter who we hire (short of Dave Bliss), but I will always think we should go with a young guy who is brilliant at strategies and tactics.  

Finally, I actually do have a floor. I am a supporter whoever it is, but I stop at Bliss as well. Even if he coached for free. 

[TexasLonghorns]

11 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

You do realize Kansas spent millions in the portal last year. They are about to drop out of the top 25. Two of their “best” recruits average six points a piece. 

NIL allocation and coaching salaries have nothing to do with one another. In regards to Kansas and their NIL use/roster construction, Self and staff have obviously struggled as of late with that. That has nothing to do with them paying their football coach 7 million and basketball coach 10.5 million. If they can afford to spend that kind of money, I’d like to believe Texas can pony up 7ish for a basketball coach. 

[bierce]

5 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

Before 1999 UCONN wasn't much in terms of basketball. All it takes is the right coach IMO.

That's not entirely true or the whole story, even if 1999 was a typo and you meant 1989.

UConn had a lot of good teams in the 50s and early 60s, but it was stuck in the soon to be defunct Yankee Conference with a lot of schools that had small athletic departments and no football program to grow departments in the 70s, so it went backward for several years before it finally got into the newly formed Big East which had quite a few programs already at a high level, was beaten up there for a while, then finally hired Calhoun. 

[GoHorns1]

7 hours ago, Realist Horn said:

I saw Jai Lucas was an option at Miami; would he excite anyone at Texas? 

Lacks HC experience 

[HookedOnTF]

6 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

My current college coaching list … at 4.5-5 mill a year salary and 4 mill NIL commitment

TJ Otzelberger 

Brad Brownell 

Mick Cronin - don’t love the style, but results are there 

Doug McDermott - tremendous offensive coach

Sean Miller 

***Guys like:

Tommy Lloyd

Todd Golden 
Pat Kelsey

Are at better jobs and will all be making 5-6 mill a year in short order with solid NIL backing 

Grant McCaslin (Tremendous coach) will go to Baylor if Scott Drew is the pick at Indiana 

Is Royal in that top 5 tier? And by extension, what about Jai - not a HC but knows the college game at blue bloods... 

[GoHorns1]

6 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I agree Texas can do it … but the brass will have to make a level of financial commitment they never have in hoops 

With salary escalation… it will take 6.5-7 mill a year, larger salary pool than ever at Texas, larger NIL commitment in men’s hoops, plus the coach buyout, etc…

Plus the RT and staff buyout 

Thats a level of financial commitment Texas has never gone to in hoops 

 

Get KD to phony up the money.

Edited February 23 by GoHorns1

[Realist Horn]

8 minutes ago, GoHorns1 said:

Lacks HC experience 

 Ivey lacks it as well, and I’ve seen him name thrown out there. 

[GoHorns1]

1 minute ago, Realist Horn said:

 Ivey lacks it as well, and I’ve seen him name thrown out there. 

The only reason Texas fans know Ivey is because he played at Texas.

[GoHorns1]

Crazy outside the box hire. Vic Schaefer 

Edited February 23 by GoHorns1

[bierce]

2 minutes ago, GoHorns1 said:

Crazy outside the box hire. Vic Schaefer 

Women's coaches never move into the men's game at this level.  They don't have the recruiting contacts, and they know it. 

[GoHorns1]

12 minutes ago, bierce said:

Women's coaches never move into the men's game at this level.  They don't have the recruiting contacts, and they know it. 

Just a matter of time until someone hires a high profile HC from the women’s basketball to coach men’s basketball.

[Jordan91]

1 hour ago, TexasLonghorns said:

NIL allocation and coaching salaries have nothing to do with one another. In regards to Kansas and their NIL use/roster construction, Self and staff have obviously struggled as of late with that. That has nothing to do with them paying their football coach 7 million and basketball coach 10.5 million. If they can afford to spend that kind of money, I’d like to believe Texas can pony up 7ish for a basketball coach. 

I agree. My point is if you spend that money you can’t miss that bad. 

[tylerlindsey2111]

1 hour ago, GoHorns1 said:

Just a matter of time until someone hires a high profile HC from the women’s basketball to coach men’s basketball.

If they do, it won’t be a male. It’ll be Dawn Staley, so they can get the coverage (and she’s awesome). 

[CoachBobbyFinstock]

2 hours ago, Jordan91 said:

Hope you are right but the Nate Oats comments by Gerry suggest otherwise. 

I’m not calling for it to be Nate Oates. Will Texas get a really good coach that some believe will possibly be out of reach? I do believe in CDC to get that done.

He pledged to Beard and he’ll do it for someone else too. 

[TexasFanatic]

I would have laughed at Royal Ivy a few years ago but he’s one of the best NBA assistants and he did a damn good job as the HC for South Sudan. 
 

You can probably get him for cheap. Get Ivy and bump the NIL up to 5/6 for a few years and see what happens