Coaching Search Thread

[JimP]

Radford's coach? Am I missing something

Though the Mike Jones at Radford has done a good job there - maybe he's in the mix too.

 

[gmutom]

The first question asked to any candidate after "Have you ever been caught in bed with a dead hooker or live boy?" should be: "Are you open to recruiting transfers and JUCO players?"

 

[Pikapppatri8]

The first question asked to any candidate after "Have you ever been caught in bed with a dead hooker or live boy?" should be: "Are you open to recruiting transfers and JUCO players?"

Tom Tom - this is 2021 - that first question is irrelevant and passe'.

 

[GreenLantern]

Pick the best candidate. Repair the relationship with the alumni. Sell more Dippin dots. In that order

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Pick the best candidate. Repair the relationship with the alumni. Sell more Dippin dots. In that order

Strategery. Like it. But all of those items will cost money.

 

[gmubrian]

I get the nostalgia and fun of having a former player involved, but TBH that's like 12394th priority.

Get the best coach you can, REGARDLESS of who he is. I don't care if he personally screwed my wife while I was in the next room. If he's the best coach, that's who I want.

If it's a former player, great. Fun bonus, but it shouldn't factor into who gets hired if it doesn't help him win games. Fan excitement will come from wins. Fans aren't going to care if the guy coached at Mason if he's not winning, and they're not going to care where he played if he does win.

Spend the money. Invest in the program. Don't try to shuck and jive. Just be a damn athletic director and hire the best coach you can afford.

This X 1000. The bolded section gets the point across perfectly how important it is to choose the best coach regardless of your personal feelings towards the candidate.

 

[Patriot8]

What makes him a fantastic candidate? I'm genuinely ignorant. I see 3 years as an assistant at La Tech, and 2 years as an assistant at Seton Hall.

To me, that's "Ok", but it doesn't jump out to me as some fantastic resume. Does he have a reputation as a top recruiter? Is he the x's and o's guy for a particularly effective scheme?

Compared to a guy like Kelsey or Turner, it's sort of not even really in the same ballpark, to me.

What am I missing here?

*edit: jesus, wednesdays I am NOT awake yet. Kelsey, not Skelly*

Well, first, it comes down to what you value most with a new hire. For me, I want someone with DC/DMV ties, who is known as a very solid recruiter and young enough to relate with their players. HC experience is cool, but not a priority. Tony meets all of these qualifications for me, as does Kim English.

The most attractive aspect of Tony's resume to me; and the main reason why he is my 1A (Kim English being my 1B), is his time and experience with Team Takeover. I just think that relationship and connection is so important.

I'm not opposed to Konkol or Turner or Kelsey if they have interest in the job, I just have my preferences. Ultimately, and it's been said here by others already, if the new coach wins games, I don't care who it is.

 

[Patriot8]

Based on how loud and direct these alums are being, I think it's fairly safe to say that Tony wants the job.

 

[gmujim92]

I’m just gonna put it on record that unlike Herndon, I WOULD NOT be cool if Mason hired a guy who banged my wife on my living room sofa and made me watch

 

[GSII]

Turner who?

 

[Patriot8]

Turner who?

Russell Turner, the HC at UC Irvine, and the former future, now potentially future, HC at George Mason.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I’m just gonna put it on record that unlike Herndon, I WOULD NOT be cool if Mason hired a guy who banged my wife on my living room sofa and made me watch

Wait what?

 

[GMUgemini]

Based on how loud and direct these alums are being, I think it's fairly safe to say that Tony wants the job.

Didn't he say it on Expat Hoops?

Tony Skinn has been a player coach for a long time...in the same way John Vaughan was as an upperclassman here. I remember watching him coach and play in the Kenner League the summer after he graduated. He helped put that Nigerian team together that qualified for the Olympics. Listen to his interview about his time in Europe and how he had to learn how to think as a European point guard versus what that role looks like in America.

 

[gmubrian]

Based on how loud and direct these alums are being, I think it's fairly safe to say that Tony wants the job.

It leads me to think that he probably isn't being considered, at least as seriously as they think he should be considered.

 

[gmujim92]

It leads me to think that he probably isn't being considered, at least as seriously as they think he should be considered.

Unfortunately I think your read is spot on ... if there had been any back channel talks with Tony by now, we wouldn’t be seeing these Tweets

 

[GMUgemini]

It leads me to think that he probably isn't being considered, at least as seriously as they think he should be considered.

Well, John Vaughan thinks we should hire Tim Burns as director of player development, which honestly I'd be down with. Guy has been teaching NBA players how to shoot since he graduated. If any of XJ, Polite, Frazier, or Miller are sticking around, wouldn't it be nice to have a pure shooter come in and work with them on their shooting?

There also have to be some alumni who would be interested in coming in to the AD (how many sports management majors have we graduated out of men's basketball?)

I don't think it's necessarily JUST about the HC job.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Trying to think of some names we haven't seen or heard.

Thought's on Bashir Mason? Knows our program from his playing days at Drexel, has done pretty well at Wagner. Or Ryan Odom from UMBC?

Or some younger assistants like Luke Murray at Louisville or Gerry McNamara at Syracuse? I like English and Williford, just trying to think of some others that might have a little draw to their name.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

A young and upcoming assistant for 3-4 years whom gets snatched away by a big name program. Then, Coach L can leave Miami for one last ride at GMU for a few years.

 

[mkaufman1]

Trying to think of some names we haven't seen or heard.

Thought's on Bashir Mason? Knows our program from his playing days at Drexel, has done pretty well at Wagner. Or Ryan Odom from UMBC?

Or some younger assistants like Luke Murray at Louisville or Gerry McNamara at Syracuse? I like English and Williford, just trying to think of some others that might have a little draw to their name.

Murray was rumored to be possibly headed for the Fordham job. That was early on though, but he'd be a good pick. Brandin Knight from Rutgers is also someone who would be good and was written up a little bit ago about being ready to be a head coach at a mid major.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I am still trying to get caught up with the reference to someone banging another man's wife on the living room couch making him watch.

That was one hell of a segue.