Coaching candidates

[Vent]

Unless Chris Reynolds can pull a rabbit out of his hat, it is going to be very difficult to get a coach of the quality that we all want. The fact is, Bradley is not the program it once was and thus, does not generate the sustained coaching interest it once did.

We will have multiple applicants. The problem is, they will also be applying for better jobs. They will use Bradley to fall back on, if the other jobs they've applied for get filled by other candidates.

 

[Local Brave Fan]

Local Brave Fan

Local Brave Fan

The ability to recruit for Kansas is not that big of a deal, I could recruit for Kansas and I have zero experience. We need a proven head coach. It is not hard to recruit for Kansas, Duke, NC or Kentucky.

 

[tornado]

That's funny because 4 years ago seems everyone was saying it is a top job - some said Top 50, better than some of the BCS jobs, good enough that we got almost 100 people pursuing it in 2011...some even said that hiring the right guy could turn Bradley into Gonzaga or Butler...
What has made it change so drastically the past four years so that now it's an undesirable position?

 

[AFrey]

Just taking a quick look at Grey Giovanine, I would have a hard time being excited about him as our new HC. In fairness, it was just a quick look.

http://www.athletics.augustana.edu/coaches.aspx?path=mbball&rc=57

His team just finished second in D3. Oh, and it beat Bradley this season (in an exhibition, yes).

I'm sure a lot of people would feel the same way you described if he got hired. Hiring a D3 coach, no matter how successful they've been, doesn't come off as sexy as bringing in a young assistant or D1 coach. I just want someone who can build a strong program and develop talent. Giovanine has proven he can do that.

 

[Da Coach]

I think every Bradley fan wants that. The question is whether Giovanine could accomplish that at the D1 level. He's done great at Augustana, but the number of Division III coaches who were able to move to D1 and have success is very small. Can anyone think of one?

 

[CubbieBear]

Unless Chris Reynolds can pull a rabbit out of his hat, it is going to be very difficult to get a coach of the quality that we all want. The fact is, Bradley is not the program it once was and thus, does not generate the sustained coaching interest it once did.

We will have multiple applicants. The problem is, they will also be applying for better jobs. They will use Bradley to fall back on, if the other jobs they've applied for get filled by other candidates.

I think you are spot on Vent--but--I also have some faith/hope that C.Reynolds (having a much stronger basketball background that Cross) will be able to land a person (albeit either a fall back landing OR a hungry young up and comer) that can work with him to eventually pull our program out of the crapper;-)

 

[AFrey]

I think every Bradley fan wants that. The question is whether Giovanine could accomplish that at the D1 level. He's done great at Augustana, but the number of Division III coaches who were able to move to D1 and have success is very small. Can anyone think of one?

Bo Ryan immediately comes to mind. But why do I feel like you were waiting for someone to answer with that?

You're correct, there haven't been many D3 coaches (to my knowledge, at least) who move up to D1 and succeed. But that's probably also a pretty small sample to choose from. There also are numerous examples of head coaches or D1 assistants who move to other D1 schools and don't succeed (I don't think we have to try too hard to come up with one of those).

Giovanine, FWIW, has been a D1 head coach before. Don't want anyone to take this as him being "my guy." I just wouldn't dismiss it right away if he were hired.

 

[tornado]

Guys who start at DII & DIII as head or assistant coaches sometimes step up as assistants to the next level then move up to head coaching in DI - Bo Ryan is not alone - Geno Ford is one (Muskingum is DIII & Shawnee State is NAIA-Division II), others include Gregg Marshall, Dana Altman, Greg McDermott, Ray Giacoletti, Paul Lusk, Chris Lowery, Ben Jacobson, Greg Lansing, Mary Simmons, Bruce Pearl, Keno Davis, Rob Jeter, Tim Jankovich, Matt Painter, John Groce, Tom Izzo, John Beilein, and a few others..

 

[AFrey]

Guys who start at DII & DIII as head or assistant coaches sometimes step up as assistants to the next level then move up to head coaching in DI - Bo Ryan is not alone - Geno Ford is one (Muskingum is DIII & Shawnee State is NAIA-Division II), others include Gregg Marshall, Dana Altman, Greg McDermott, Ray Giacoletti, Paul Lusk, Chris Lowery, Ben Jacobson, Greg Lansing, Mary Simmons, Bruce Pearl, Keno Davis, Rob Jeter, Tim Jankovich, Matt Painter, John Groce, Tom Izzo, John Beilein, and a few others..

Of course there are several who start or pass through D3 before moving up. I was interpreting DC's question to mean head coaches who go straight from D3 to D1.

 

[tornado]

Of course there are several who start or pass through D3 before moving up. I was interpreting DC's question to mean head coaches who go straight from D3 to D1.

I know - that specific step up is unusual....as almost every schools would want someone with DI experience...

 

[ollienanyes]

That's funny because 4 years ago seems everyone was saying it is a top job - some said Top 50, better than some of the BCS jobs, good enough that we got almost 100 people pursuing it in 2011...some even said that hiring the right guy could turn Bradley into Gonzaga or Butler...
What has made it change so drastically the past four years so that now it's an undesirable position?

My guess is that your last question is rhetorical. But there is even one more thing: the new coach will be accepting a position at a university where we do not know who the next president will be.

I went to last night's campus Presidential Search Committee forum; two members of the BOTs were running the forum.

Someone spoke out strongly in favor of getting someone like the outgoing president!

Yes, it was a student who did so and her reasons were, IMHO, terribly bad reasons. I hope that the BOTs understand how to evaluate a student's opinion.

The larger point is that our next hire will be walking into a "more uncertain than normal" situation and that has to drive the value of this position down.

 

[midstateknowitall]

Just my opinion (and I think Jerrance is a great guy) but why would you hire him. Because he is from Peoria? Because he played at Illinois? Because he has been at Illinois, SMU & Kansas as the lead recruiter? None of those strike me as dang that would be legit Head Coach Hire.

I think Jerrance does have some great qualities (he is a young go getter, tireless worker, super outgoing, likable guy, legit recruiter-but recruiting at BU is alot different than IL, SMU, KU). But none of that says HC to me that says -great recruiter!

I want a guy that has had to make decisions as the man in charge, has some X&O's background, and has a track record of making guys he has better.

Brian Wardle- I think would be a legit get

And I will say it again:

Chris Jans (Bowling Green)- I think would also be a great target as well!
http://www.bgsufalcons.com/staff.aspx?staff=351

 

[tornado]

OK midstate - I'll play devil's advocate....

which would you rather have...

A) the head coach that is the #1 pick and favorite of the great guy we just hired as AD - the guy we feel we are very fortunate to have and who will surely know more than most of us & hire a TOP guy?

B) or would each of us relatively uninformed fans prefer his own favorite pick even if that guy isn't even on our AD's radar - ?

Tough question - as fans we're certainly entitled to want what we want & pull for our own favorites - or do we just trust our new AD and stand behind his choice 100%?
I don't know that there's a "right" answer to my question - just curious what you think...

 

[Da Coach]

... I hope that the BOTs understand how to evaluate a student's opinion.

The larger point is that our next hire will be walking into a "more uncertain than normal" situation and that has to drive the value of this position down.

I am pretty sure that one of the least important factors the Board will consider in the new President is how well liked he or she will be by the students.

 

[Da Coach]

And for the record, I would be OK with a coach like Grey Giovanine. He wins games with his coaching, something we haven't had for a while. I think adjusting to the recruiting and dealing with D1 players (and they are completely different than typical D3 players) are skills that would probably come with time and with good assistants. But I just don't know if the style of a D3 coach would work with D1 players.
Jim Whitesell (former outstanding D2 coach at Lewis) is an example of a great lower division coach making the jump to D1 head coach. He was touted as a great coach when he got the Loyola job in 2004. But his teams got worse every year after Larry Farmer's players all left, and it was apparent he couldn't recruit well enough to compete at D1, and his coaching skills couldn't overcome the lack of talent. That kind of story is not rare with lower division coaches. I actually believe juco coaches tend to do better when they jump to D1, because they have much more beneficial recruiting connections.

 

[midstateknowitall]

That is a tough question:

Picking a fan favorite, hometown favorite, and some what of friend I guess is a very slippery slope IMO. It could be a home run hire or a job ending hire. If Jerrance had any HC experience under his belt I would feel different about him as next HC at BU. However, he doesn't have any, zero, none. Thats a tough hire in itself - plus marijuana charge will come up no matter what people think.


Yes, if it was my decision to make Chris Jans would be high on my list. But I put his bio up there because of the past success he has had during his coaching career. He has coached at multiple different levels (D3, NAIA, JUCO, D1) and has won where ever he has been. Been HC at multiple spots and also won at those spots. He knows how to build a program.

Is the new AD going to listen to me? No...! Should he? Thats debatable :-D

But I don't know how he wouldn't be on a list of candidates... I have always said I don't need THE NAME, I need the guy that wants THE NAME.....

Too me Jans is that under the radar guy that has potential to be great hire.

But like you stated & I stated my choices don't me SH*T when it comes down to the real hire.

I will support whoever it is!!!

 

[wizard1]

Coaching Candidates

Coaching Candidates

I remember what Al McQuire said. "Coaches are like cowboy gunfighters. When things get bad in a town and the wrong guys take over, the townspeople hire a cowboy/gunfighter who comes in & cleans things up, shoots a few people, stays a while then leaves. Things are OK for awhile but eventually start to go bad again and a new cowboy/gunfighter is hired to clean things up." We need a cowboy/gunfighter.
Wiz

 

[tornado]

per Dave Reynolds-

Chris Reynolds is in Chicago today interviewing
"3 or 4" gunfighters - ah I mean coaching candidates...

 

[bradleyfan124]

I think you are spot on Vent--but--I also have some faith/hope that C.Reynolds (having a much stronger basketball background that Cross) will be able to land a person (albeit either a fall back landing OR a hungry young up and comer) that can work with him to eventually pull our program out of the crapper;-)

I do not agree with either one of you on this. I think Bradley is a good job for a capable coach. And I think they are out there for Chris to find. My misgiving is once we get a coach is keeping him if he proves himself. Missouri Valley is notorious for a coach to come into a program and prove himself then a bigger school comes along and steals him away. Eddie Fogler, Nolan Richardson, Kevin Stallings, Mark Turgeon,etc.

 

[Fetz86]

I do not agree with either one of you on this. I think Bradley is a good job for a capable coach. And I think they are out there for Chris to find. My misgiving is once we get a coach is keeping him if he proves himself. Missouri Valley is notorious for a coach to come into a program and prove himself then a bigger school comes along and steals him away. Eddie Fogler, Nolan Richardson, Kevin Stallings, Mark Turgeon,etc.

Having a successful coach who is hired away would be a good problem to have compared to our recent run of firings. If they leave the program a better job then when they started getting the next coach should be even easier.