Hiring the Right Coach: Part 5 - The Mid Major

This will be a deep and long dive into the hiring of mid-major coaches. This is the most common path taken. Let’s jump in.

I’m not including Brad Underwood’s year at Oklahoma State which was a success but he only spent a year in Stillwater.

Not Enough Data Yet

The following coaches were hired recently and I don’t think we have enough data yet to form an opinion.

- Steve Forbes at Wake Forest 

- Kevin Keatts at NC State, leaning bust

- Kyle Smith at Washington State 

- Eric Musselman at Arkansas

- Joe Dooley at ECU

- Ron Hunter at Tulane

- Kermit Davis at Ole Miss

- John Brannen, Cincinnati

- LaVall Jordan, Butler, like Keatts maybe leaning bust but 2 bids (likely in 2020) in 4 years 

Successful Hires

- Mike Young has maintained what Buzz Williams started at Virginia Tech. He had a bare cupboard when coming on but has the Hokies in 3rd place this year.

- Jim Larranaga at Miami, his seat is probably getting warm and he is getting older but he’s done very good work.

- Steve Pikiell at Rutgers, sigh, he has pounded nails indeed.

- Chris Bears at Texas Tech fits in this category because he came from UALR but he also spent a lot of time in Lubbock as an assistant. Perfect coach for a tough place to win. Red Raiders fans should thank their lucky stars.

- Andy Enfield at USC could go the other way if the NCAA nails him but after two rebuilding years, He made back-to-back tournaments and were a bubble team year 5. They missed the tourney in year 6 but would have been back last year and are clearly in this year. Has been a very good recruiter 

- Will Wade at LSU, see above.

- Cuonzo Martin at Tennessee took over a program in NCAA trouble and was in a Sweet 16 his 3rd year before being run out of Knoxville

- Nate Oats has been a revelation for Bama fans and just got a fat contract extension. Marquette fans drea of a guy who ain’t coming.

- Danny Hurley at UConn is a success just for helping convince the administration they needed to be in the Big East.

Busts

- Steve Donahue and Jim Christian at BC

- Brian Gregory at Georgia Tech 

- Archie Miller at Indiana

- Richard Pitino at Minnesota, I’m not sure how good this job is but he’s only had 1 winning record in league in 8 years. That’s not good enough

- John Groce at Illinois

- Pat Chambers at Pebble State

- Mike Rice at Rutgers

- Tim Miles at Nebraska

- Steve Prohm at Iowa State

- Shaka Smart at Texas, 3 tourney bids in 6 years and if holds, 2 winning records in league play isn’t good enough at Texas. Brian argues it’s the school and he could be right.

- Wayne Tinkle at Oregon State, it’s hard to believe he’s been there 7 years. In those 7 years, they’ve had 1 winning record in league play and no tourney bids. It’s a hard job but this isn’t good enough.

- Bobby Hurley at Arizona State, he’s made 3 tourneys (likely 2020 bid) in 6 years and had 2 winning league records. Has a burger boy this year and doing nothing with him.

- Jerod Haase at Stanford, no bids his first 4 years and on the bubble this year. This may be harsh. Could revisit this down the road.

- Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M, made 2 Sweet 16’s and battled health issue, so this could be harsh but he only had 2 winning records in league play.

- Johnny Jones at LSU

- Donnie Tyndall at Tennessee

- Bryce Drew at Vandy

I’m genuinely curious to get the reaction to the Brad Brownell tenure at Clemson. He’s been there 11 years and has only 2 bids but was on the bubble a lot. If the record holds this year, he’ll have finished at .500 or better in league play 7 times. At a place where basketball is an afterthought, I have no idea how to classify him.

What can we learn from this? It’s my opinion, but nothing. Hiring coaches is a crapshoot. Many hires look good on paper and then fail spectacularly. Nate Oats seemed a good coach but Alabama isn’t a place you’d expect great success and here we are. Patience is key as well except when it isn’t. A bad year or two at the beginning shouldn’t cause panic but as in the case of a place like Minnesota, that’s your highest expectation?

If Marquette makes a coaching change, ignore the cliches. You and I have no idea who will be successful in Milwaukee. All you can do is hope as a fan or alum. Good luck with that.