Possible coaching scenarios

[Pablo]

Or a Scott Cherry/small school type.

IMO, the head coach from a lower-level conference not only should be outstanding at his current level, he must bring in assistants who can recruit A10 talent. I believe that Scott Cherry would do so.

 

[gmutom]

IMO, the head coach from a lower-level conference not only should be outstanding at his current level, he must bring in assistants who can recruit A10 talent. I believe that Scott Cherry would do so.

Based on what, Pablos? Scott's obviously done well at High Point this season — especially without his best player — but there's no certainly at all that he could win or recruit at the A10 level. That's a pretty big jump when you consider their best win this year was at W&M (#135 in the RPI) and they have losses to six teams with RPIs in the 200s and one in the 300s (Campbell).

Where I think Scott deserves credit is bouncing back after seven straight losses earlier in the season. They've now won six straight games and 10 of their last 12. I'll certainly be pulling for him and his team whether they end up playing in the NCAAT or NIT.

 

[Nick]

Exactly, investing and investing wisely are very different things.

And my real point is that's it's been too little, too late. The time to REALLY invest in the program was immediately after the final four. Pat Dome renovations, practice facility, paying your coaches (assistants too) top level pay for a top level program.

We invested hundred of millions of dollars in campus upgrades after the final four but couldn't get the most basic Pat Dome upgrades like a new scoreboard until years later when the momentum was all but gone. This is IMO 100% the reason Coach L hit the road. He finally had a team that could build on the final four momentum, had leverage because of it, and the University told him to hit the bricks rather than invest in the program the way he wanted to (or felt the need to).

 

[Pablo]

Based on what, Pablos? Scott's obviously done well at High Point this season — especially without his best player — but there's no certainly at all that he could win or recruit at the A10 level. That's a pretty big jump when you consider their best win this year was at W&M (#135 in the RPI) and they have losses to six teams with RPIs in the 200s and one in the 300s (Campbell).

Where I think Scott deserves credit is bouncing back after seven straight losses earlier in the season. They've now won six straight games and 10 of their last 12. I'll certainly be pulling for him and his team whether they end up playing in the NCAAT or NIT.

I wonder how most teams would have done after losing him early in the season due to a heart condition - see http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-point-player-defibrillator-not-resume-career. It's my belief that Cherry would do well as a head coach at this level. Let's see what he does when he gets the opportunity. He's been a winner everywhere he's played and coached - see http://www.highpointpanthers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=201.

 

[GMUgemini]

IMO, the head coach from a lower-level conference not only should be outstanding at his current level, he must bring in assistants who can recruit A10 talent. I believe that Scott Cherry would do so.

If we want to institute a UNC style offense at Mason, why not try to hire McGrath away instead?

 

[GSII]

Speaking of investing......

http://www.northwesternmutual.com/about-northwestern-mutual/ncaa-partnership.aspx

Hewitts agent can get him gigs anywhere.

 

[gmutom]

Pablos, I like Scott and enjoyed watching his team beat Campbell to secure the auto NIT bid last week. Nice to see him doing well and being recognized as Coach of the a Year. I just think it's a big jump and am wondering if he's ready. He could very well be an upgrade over Hewitt, but that could be said of a lot of coaches.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Pablos, I like Scott and enjoyed watching his team beat Campbell to secure the auto NIT bid last week. Nice to see him doing well and being recognized as Coach of the a Year. I just think it's a big jump and am wondering if he's ready. He could very well be an upgrade over Hewitt, but that could be said of a lot of coaches.

Its a crapshoot. Some big conference retread like Hewitt can fall flat on his face, and some smaller school/conference coach could blow up and do great. Or vice versa. If the proper coach search is run and you go through a large amount of options, and Cherry or somebody similar is the man at the end of the day......then you have to see what you got.

Im not advocating or disregarding Cherry but as its been said numerous times, I think the fanbase would be much more willing to take bumps along the way with a guy like Cherry or a younger coach than with a BCS reject like Hewitt.

 

[A.-Siegfried]

I'd take Cherry in a heart beat if he would come back to Mason

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

You just don't know. There are plenty of good coaches that fail for whatever reason and vice versa. L doesn't get Evans to come to Mason, guy maybe doesn't even get through his first contract and never gets to the point where he wants a raise every ten months.

People's choices last time there was a vacancy reflect that accurately.

I'd give Cherry our job, ready or not in a heartbeat.

 

[GSII]

Hewitt is our man for a long time. Hes in commercials for northwest mutal talking about coaching. Take that ya old cuban!

 

[Pikapppatri8]

You just don't know. There are plenty of good coaches that fail for whatever reason and vice versa. L doesn't get Evans to come to Mason, guy maybe doesn't even get through his first contract and never gets to the point where he wants a raise every ten months.

People's choices last time there was a vacancy reflect that accurately.

I'd give Cherry our job, ready or not in a heartbeat.

While I love the idea of having Cherry at Mason - we could be making the same mistake TOC made with Hewitt - going with an idea instead of looking at the selection more critically. I would prefer a more comprehensive coaching search that would identify a young, smart, aggressive coach around which the program could build an identity based on success.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

While I love the idea of having Cherry at Mason - we could be making the same mistake TOC made with Hewitt - going with an idea instead of looking at the selection more critically. I would prefer a more comprehensive coaching search that would identify a young, smart, aggressive coach around which the program could build an identity based on success.

Exactly...Too much emotion around the last coach search. This should be an analytical process. Scott Cherry could end up being the best candidate, but he should receive no preferential treatment in the process.

 

[GSII]

Said search will likely yield someone who starts from square one. That means a 3-5 year turn around IF things go well. Toc is sold on Hewitt and they will remain here as long as Caberra keeps TOC. Toc is not picking nor working with the next coach. Hewitt is gone a year or sooner, AFTER TOC retires.

 

[AAUMAN]

The hard part is the record shows that Hewitt has been "succsesful" in his time at Mason. Much like a poster here would constantly try and point out the overall record in an attempt to discredit the "haters" and say we arent Duke or Kentucky etc etc......the general donk on the street wont know any different.

People that are in touch with the program and follow it all know that Hewitt is simply not the man for the job going forward and that will lead us to a new level in the A10. He wasnt going to be that from the get go, so its not neccessarily his fault....he is who we (most) thought he was. Besides his questionable at best coaching and other mediocre abilities, he just isnt the type of personality/package of a person that builds a team and goes upward.

Patriotfan49! I agree with you 100% and I would love to see this program get back to its rightful place as the darlings of D1 Bball but this will not happen under PH and his coaching staff. This years team was very competitive in the A10 against the top teams as we have seen in some very close games that GM lost but what this team lack is real leadership and PH isn't the one. I'm not on this thread to trash anyone but in the underground basketball circle PH knows he isn't respected for his x's and o's but yet he is still selling this "I can get you to the NBA" to his recruits but note PH has never coached up any players that were unknowns and turned them into NBA players because at GT those players that went to the league under his watch were ALL-AMERICANS and they were going to the league with or without PH. This team next year I hope will win 20+ games and in the top 3 in their conference(A10) and all of this is possible if under new leadership and with all due repect for everyone on MASONHOOPS this isn't a personal attack on PH but the fact is HE CAN'T COACH and please tell TOC don't wait until PH tenure is up to realize PH hiring was a mistake.

 

[gmutom]

Said search will likely yield someone who starts from square one. That means a 3-5 year turn around IF things go well. Toc is sold on Hewitt and they will remain here as long as Caberra keeps TOC. Toc is not picking nor working with the next coach. Hewitt is gone a year or sooner, AFTER TOC retires.

Spot on here, GSII. There's no way Cabrerra allows TOC to make the next hire, so the next step is either dismissing our AD or waiting for him to retire. Our next AD is going to want to put his stamp on the program, and that will entail hiring our next basketball coach (if he/she thinks a change is warranted).

 

[Pablo]

Spot on here, GSII. There's no way Cabrerra allows TOC to make the next hire, so the next step is either dismissing our AD or waiting for him to retire. Our next AD is going to want to put his stamp on the program, and that will entail hiring our next basketball coach (if he/she thinks a change is warranted).

Is it mandatory that TOC (if he's still the AD) be on the search committee? Why not have a search committee totaling independent of the AD? In other words, the AD would not get involved in the process until the search committee completes its review and report.

 

[gmutom]

Is it mandatory that TOC (if he's still the AD) be on the search committee? Why not have a search committee totaling independent of the AD? In other words, the AD would not get involved in the process until the search committee completes its review and report.

I love the idea of a search committee, but I can't envision an AD not having significant say on the hire. And if he's not involved in the actual process, why keep him around?

 

[Pablo]

I love the idea of a search committee, but I can't envision an AD not having significant say on the hire. And if he's not involved in the actual process, why keep him around?

If the University of Maine's search committee to replace its men's ice hockey coach can exclude its AD, then why can't Mason do the same for its men's basketball coach - see http://www.goblackbears.com/sports/m-hockey/2012-13/releases/20130416w50ol3?

 

[Patriotfan49]

If the University of Maine's search committee to replace its hockey coach can exclude its AD, then why can't Mason do the same for its men's basketball coach - see http://www.goblackbears.com/sports/m-hockey/2012-13/releases/20130416w50ol3?

Sure we could do that. But then frankly I would not really feel confident in an AD that we exclude from coaching searches.