Hoops: College coaching carousel 2025

[Jordan91]

54 minutes ago, MarkInAustin said:

ISU has impressed me under Coach O.  ISU is a basketball friendly place.  Great home arena crowds. 

But Texas has shown potential [at least, when winning] with the Moody and the student seating that could be attractive to Otzelberger.

I think CDC will do as well as he can with what Texas can offer - but it does come down to what CAN and WILL Texas offer [for coaches plus NIL]?  I hope it is an attractive package that frees CDC to have excellent options. 

There are coaches with running styles that would tend to fill the Moody, and they would always be my personal preference as a live viewer in the arena.  Coach Otz is one of them.  Will Wade is another.  I accept Bierce's review of Pitino's son although I have never seen his team play.  There are several other Usual Suspects, but for my taste, stay away from coaches who rely first on defensive bangers to the detriment of offensive speed, even if they are proven winners with it.

And while I think Royal Ivey is going to stay in the NBA, we know from his Olympic team that he coaches a fast brand of ball and can develop team structure from raw kids.  Just sayin...

That’s kind of where I am at. An offense that is exciting. As Gerry said talent evaluator(assuming Texas stays in the salary range and NIL he mentioned). Doing more with less. Otz shirt always looks like it’s going rip apart because it’s so tight. Sudan didn’t even have a gym to practice. Royal had to take them somewhere else. 

[bierce]

I think it will be hard to get Otzelberger away ISU.  He and his wife have roots in the midwest, and both are heroes in Ames.  Otzelberger has spent his entire life in Wisconsin, Iowa, or South Dakota save two years as an assistant at a JC in Florida, two years as an assistant at UDub, and two years as a head coach at UNLV.  They have three children ages 6-10, so maybe they won't want to move.  He's already approaching god-like status in Ames, and Hilton is packed every game with an extremely enthusiastic crowd. 

But we have a lot more money.

I like Otzelberger for several reasons, many of which Gerry and Mark mentioned, but what they haven't mentioned is the fact he adapted playing style to the players and environments in which he was coaching.

He began his HC career in the Summit League, a league notorious for spread it out and jack up the three.  His team was the best at that after his three years there.  He really wasn't at UNLV long enough to create a real identity.  He inherited a mess that returned only 2 starters and 2 significant bench players, and he lost 5 of his top 8 in minutes played after the first year.

At ISU he has created a team that focuses on half-court pressure defense to force turnovers and transition scores.  This is the first year ISU has not lead the Big 12 in defensive turnover percentage.  I guess Sampson was embarrassed about finishing second at it last year. 

[bierce]

12 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

He’s an extremely knowledgeable. He already has an ego. It’s going to grow now.  lol 

Hey, on another board long ago, posters nominated me for head coach, and I did not hesitate to tell them we would finish the year 1-17 in conference with the sole win coming on the night I was home sick and an assistant took over.

[Jordan91]

1 minute ago, bierce said:

Hey, on another board long ago, posters nominated me for head coach, and I did not hesitate to tell them we would finish the year 1-17 in conference with the sole win coming on the night I was home sick and an assistant took over.

You just mentioned the ages of Otz kids. Nobody is as detailed as you. All I can say is bravo. You never dunked though. 

[bierce]

8 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

You just mentioned the ages of Otz kids. Nobody is as detailed as you.

Heard it on the Goodman piece.

[THookem]

 

[THookem]

 

[Jordan91]

2 hours ago, THookem said:

 

Nobody is denying his credentials. Will happily support him if he is the guy, but it’s a huge jump to SEC. 

[THookem]

Florida hired Todd Golden from San Francisco.   If he’s the right guy, he’s the right guy.  

[Hashtag]

Otz or McCollum would be a good hire for Texas. 

McCollum is so interesting to me because his championship winning background. It’s a trait you want to see when hiring a coach. We could get him and have for for as long as we wanted if he hits and does well. Only chance we’d lose him in that scenario of to NBA

Edited March 3 by Hashtag

[jkates]

Bring on Billy Clyde!

[jkates]

12 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

Otz or McCollum would be a good hire for Texas. 

McCollum is so interesting to me because his championship winning background. It’s a trait you want to see when hiring a coach. We could get him and have for for as long as we wanted if he hits and does well. Only chance we’d lose him in that scenario of to NBA

He's also been a HC for a long time. He knows the ups and downs, the pitfalls, the scenarios. The dude can coach and build/sustain winning.

[bierce]

10 minutes ago, THookem said:

Florida hired Todd Golden from San Francisco.   If he’s the right guy, he’s the right guy.  

Not even the most recent of successful hires by P5 schools of coaches who never coached P5 before--Hurley, Oats, Lloyd, Otzelberger, Scheyer, Golden, and McCasland.  It's too early to tell about May and Byington, but they might make the list, as should Dennis Gates if if last year if proven to be just a blip.  I don't think that much of Jans, but a lot of people on this thread do for some reason, and I would remind them that he never coached P5 before being hired by Mississippi State. 

There is one man involved in this process that does not have his job on the line, and that is CDC.  I am sure he wants to get this right for the sake of getting this right, but I also think he has so much cred with the administration and the boosters that I can't believe that he is under any pressure to get this right to save his job, so here is hoping he makes what is truly the right choice instead of a safer one. 

[bierce]

7 minutes ago, jkates said:

Bring on Billy Clyde!

He's only a 155 mile drive away.  Maybe he has mellowed with age. 

For that matter, Weltlich is only 81. 

[BobInHouston]

2 hours ago, jkates said:

He's also been a HC for a long time. He knows the ups and downs, the pitfalls, the scenarios. The dude can coach and build/sustain winning.

Not in the case of a job like this, in a league like this.

[AusMOJO]

11 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

About to be four years, and four NCAA Tournaments at Iowa State ... two Sweet 16's in first three years. Took over a dreadful situation and flipped it very quick.

Plays a quality style ... 72 possessions per game ... average 80 PPG on season in a very tough league. Very good transition offensive coach. Very good spacing and feel for the modern offensive game

Has proven to be a very solid talent evaluator and roster developer 

His Iowa State team has had some injury adversity this season, and he's powered through it well. 

Thank you for the response, Gerry. I'm a noob when it comes to Basketball, so I'm trying to navigate all of this with an open mind and learn everything I can. 

[CoachBobbyFinstock]

On 2/28/2025 at 5:29 PM, Hashtag said:

I don’t reject that idea. When I made that list it was criteria CDC has said he looks for in coaches. Frankly I think McCollum is a guy we should risk it for the biscuit on and give him everything he needs to be successful 

Let me get this straight. You are bagging on an NBA coach that’s won a lot of games with tenure.  But you are championing a one year removed D2 coach? Lol ok.

[Hashtag]

8 minutes ago, CoachBobbyFinstock said:

Let me get this straight. You are bagging on an NBA coach that’s won a lot of games with tenure.  But you are championing a one year removed D2 coach? Lol ok.

NBA coach hasn't coached in college in nearly 20 years, so yeah that's a huge negative. One is at the beginning of his career while the other is near retirement. 

Edited March 4 by Hashtag

[Jordan91]

21 minutes ago, Hashtag said:

NBA coach hasn't coached in college in nearly 20 years, so yeah that's a huge negative. One is at the beginning of his career while the other is near retirement. 

Texas basketball, well all sports at Texas have fans that are win now. It’s in every game thread in every sport. RT was a risk to many fans. This guy has an excellent track record of winning, but it’s a massive jump from the MVC to the SEC. His team plays at a slow pace with most of the players playing heavy minutes. Some almost play the entire game. His pace and player usage will have to change. I am not saying he won’t work. Really no way to know that. CDC taking an another risk after a risk is something I don’t see him doing. He has the makings of an excellent coach though. 

[bierce]

Jordan isn't joking about McCollum playing guys very heavy minutes.  Stirtz averages OVER 40 minutes per game against D1 opponents.   He's played 45 minutes in 5 games this year.  Another guy played no less than 37 minutes in all but two games against D1 opponents, and in both of those he was in foul trouble.

[AusMOJO]

9 hours ago, THookem said:

 

Could you give a bit more info about him? Because, regardless of what level that was at, it is very impressive. Just a brief glance at his accomplishments he does stand out as a guy on the rise. Only 43, too. 

[AusMOJO]

Edit: double posted like an idiot, lol. 

Edited March 4 by AusMOJO

[AusMOJO]

6 hours ago, Hashtag said:

Otz or McCollum would be a good hire for Texas. 

McCollum is so interesting to me because his championship winning background. It’s a trait you want to see when hiring a coach. We could get him and have for for as long as we wanted if he hits and does well. Only chance we’d lose him in that scenario of to NBA

I was reading he's won the NCAA D2 National Championship 4 times and is 422-94 as a HC. 32-7 in the D2 tournament. He sounds like the Basketball equivalent of Coach DeBoer. Even in his first year at the D1 level with Drake he's 227-3. 

Now, I've no idea if Drake is any good or if their conference is either. But a quick uneducated view of his resume, it's very impressive. 

[bierce]

13 minutes ago, AusMOJO said:

I was reading he's won the NCAA D2 National Championship 4 times and is 422-94 as a HC. 32-7 in the D2 tournament. He sounds like the Basketball equivalent of Coach DeBoer. Even in his first year at the D1 level with Drake he's 227-3. 

Now, I've no idea if Drake is any good or if their conference is either. But a quick uneducated view of his resume, it's very impressive. 

Drake beat Vandy by 11 on a neutral floor, and it beat K-State in OT in Kansas City this year, so it is pretty good.  Not good enough to really complete with really good P5 teams, but good enough to compete with P5 bubble teams.

MVC is not the strongest mid-major, but it is far from the weakest.  It generally runs behind WCC, MWC, and A-10, but it usually has one team that could be deserving of an at-large bid if the committee was a little more receptive to teams that don't get many q1 games.  Indiana State was passed over last year. 

NW Mo State would have made it four in four years had the 2020 tournament not been cancelled.  McCollum is a witch of a coach.  In some years, his teams lit up the scoreboard.  In other years, they didn't score more than 70 in the entire tournament.  It all depended on what style of play best suited his players.

Anyone who can win a D1 mid-major title by using a team of players he brought over from his D2 team has to be considered someone who can get the most out of his talent. 

The only question is whether he can recruit talent at a high D1 level, and that's a big question.  I, and many others, think he is destined to start a P5 coaching career in the Midwest, because that is where all his contacts are, but I would be extremely interested to see how he might fare outside of the Midwest. 

[BabyBevo]

Anybody watch the McNeese game tonight?;)