Whom to Hire as Next M BBall Coach?

[BroadwayVik]

Here's a possibility, something to prime the pump. In his first season at Portland State, the team went 5-22 (3-11) for 8th Place. In his second season, the team went 11-16 (5-9) for 8th Place. Then, in his third season, the team went 19-9 (11-3) for First Place.

He improved the team each year until he was hired away by Fresno State as an Associate Head Coach. Wyoming later hired him to be their Head Coach, but he was not able to establish success there and was eventually fired. He wound up at UNLV as an assistant coach and the team there is doing quite well.

Is he ready to make a come back as a head coach where this all began? Perhaps with the new arena as the deal maker? I am open to other ideas for head M Basketball coach at Portland State University, but I throw out the first name of candidates, that being our old friend ...

...........Heath Schroyer

Who else would be good? Let's make a list.

 

[martymoose]

Ernie Kent.

Kidding, well sort of. I'm sure he's pulling down more in his broadcasting gig than what we could pay him.

He still lives in Eugene, right?

 

[BroadwayVik]

Actually, a list compilation comes pre-made. Here's the compilation of one list considering the Top 15 assistant coaches in college basketball:

1. Joe Dooley, Kansas Jayhawks
2. Steve Wojciechowski, Duke Blue Devils
3. Greg Gard, Wisconsin Badgers
4. Mike Hopkins, Syracuse Orange
5. Steve Robinson, UNC Tar Heels
6. George Blaney, Connecticut Huskies
7. Orlando Antigua, Kentucky Wildcats
8. Dwayne Stephens, Michigan State Spartans
9. Mike Dunlap, St. John's Red Storm
10. Jayson Gee, Cleveland State Vikings
11. Stan Jones, Florida State Seminoles
12. Matt Graves, Butler Bulldogs
13. Jim Corrigan, Old Dominion Monarchs
14. Russ Springmann, Texas Longhorns
15. Heath Schroyer, UNLV Running Rebels

I see Jayson Gee, Dwayne Stephens and Heath Schroyer as immediately viable candidates but, of course, we prefer to get the very best candidate we can. Which coaches would make for the best fit in terms of our goals?

 

[ManOfVision]

That list may be a bit outdated, as Dunlap is a head coach in the NBA. Still, I like the idea of shooting for the moon.

As for Heath, I think that's a great idea. He could be our Mike Riley.

 

[psublog]

Heath Schroyer is not coming back. Nor should anyone want him back. He basically quit on the team, knowing he had a one-year window for success (to his credit he won the league championship in that window) and rebuilding was coming. Also, after watching how dramatically he was outcoached in the 2005 postseason, I cant understand the excitement.

 

[BroadwayVik]

By all means, let's not get fixated on him. Whom would you recommend? Any insight?

 

[martymoose]

Heath Schroyer is not coming back. Nor should anyone want him back. He basically quit on the team, knowing he had a one-year window for success (to his credit he won the league championship in that window) and rebuilding was coming. Also, after watching how dramatically he was outcoached in the 2005 postseason, I cant understand the excitement.

Not that I'm an advocate for Schroyer, but couldn't the same be said for Bone, plus he had that APR issue that was on the horizon.

Guess it just goes to show where we're at with football/basketball coaches in the NCAA. Guys sign contracts, but when it comes down to it, the contracts are pretty meaningless. The next program down the road will pick up the buyout and it's all about me, me, me. hno:

 

[pdxfan]

How many coaches will consider $150,000/year satisfying? For a while, maybe. But if someone happens to offer $400.000 I'm sure a few would be tempted. Face it; our capitalist society is all about money. The coaches are just doing what everyone else does.

 

[psublog]

By all means Marty, I think your comparison of Bone is on point. The type of coaches PSU can (and should) get have to be hungry to make a name for themselves. Until the day where PSU can pay higher salaries, loyalty should not be one of the hiring prerequisites. Sadly, that means the good ones will probably leave when things are going well. Schroyer didn't win any fans by bolting after the 2005 season. The perception was he didn't want to risk the cache he had built up with the program turnaround by rebuilding when all the seniors who led the 2005 team left. He left Bone a pretty bare roster, outside of Scott Morrison. Interestingly, Bone actually left things worse than Schroyer, thanks to the APR and the sanctions that resulted.
Barring an utter collapse in the next 3 weeks, I think Tyler is back next year on a short leash. I would hope the focus is on building a program as much, or more than, winning. This year's JC-filled team is not the approach PSU needs with the opening of the Viking Pavillion looming. The program needs to become a true program instead of just a team.

 

[VikHoops]

I think they'll win 3 or 4 of their last 5 games, and I think Geving will be back next year. I actually would like to see one more year... (but then again, I wanted Glanville to have one more )

As for building for the future instead of winning. I'm not sure a coach on thin ice is going to do that. If I was him, I'd actually go out and recruit some more JC kids so they can get some wins next year, instead of trying to build a team with freshman who won't be ready to play right away. Without more wins immediately, he may not be around to see the high school recruits turn into upper classmen. And they've had some pretty good luck with JC guys in the recent past. I completely agree that JC kids might not be the best way to build a program, but it may be best way for a coach needing wins NOW so he can keep his job.