*** COACHING SEARCH THREAD: Wednesday, June 3 ***

[RustShack]

Wouldn't it be a good thing the games he lost were close games? I don't want to be blown out.

 

[Bret44]

Oh please. Give it a rest already on the TJ train. Chizik was also rated one of the top assistants in the game. So in your view we are hiring the #11 assistant in the country instead of an actual head coach with real experience. Thumbs up.

Chizik also won a NC....

 

[istater7]

Oh please. Give it a rest already on the TJ train. Chizik was also rated one of the top assistants in the game. So in your view we are hiring the #11 assistant in the country instead of an actual head coach with real experience. Thumbs up.

So if he's a top 15 assistant, with experience at ISU, that knows current players/recruits, and loves the school, that has to add up to pretty equal to the resume of a random mid major coach.

 

[CyFan61]

So if he's a top 15 assistant, with experience at ISU, that knows current players/recruits, and loves the school, that has to add up to pretty equal to the resume of a random mid major coach.

WGAF? Fred loves the school. Doesn't mean anything in this business.

 

[Clone_12]

Just looked over the 14-15 schedule for ISU to compare to Hoiberg.

62% winning percentage for Prohm in his career in those games according to your numbers.

62% winning percentage for Hoiberg last year in games within five points (8-5).

Yeah, evidently people are just making up things now for reasons not to like people, and hoping people will hop on board.

 

[bawbie]

So if he's a top 15 assistant, with experience at ISU, that knows current players/recruits, and loves the school, that has to add up to pretty equal to the resume of a random mid major coach.

But Prohm and Underwood aren't really mid-major coaches. The OVC and the Southern are low level conferences.

 

[Beyerball]

I posted a link which references Otzelberger as being the #11 rated Assistant Coach in America who has never been a Head Coach according to Bilas and Goodman. Otzelberger is seen as a rising star. He is 37 years old. Hardly anyone shares you assessment and opinion of Otzelberger except for closed minded, uninformed individuals like yourself.

And i played college basketball so I know a little bit about the game. And there are lot of people who share my assessment. Look...TJ might end up being a very good HC some day. He needs to be a HC at a mid major program, bring in recruits there, and win..if those things happened I'd be right there on the TJ train. But none of those have happened.

 

[FarminCy]

Oh please. Give it a rest already on the TJ train. Chizik was also rated one of the top assistants in the game. So in your view we are hiring the #11 assistant in the country instead of an actual head coach with real experience. Thumbs up.

Since we are comparing apples to watermelons and using one scenario McDermott was a HC and considered one of the best mid major coaches at the time.

Point being again that there are plenty of scenarios to support every argument out there.

 

[LindenCy]

Since we are comparing apples to watermelons and using one scenario McDermott was a HC and considered one of the best mid major coaches at the time.

Point being again that there are plenty of scenarios to support every argument out there.

This exactly, but people keep using cherry-picked examples to support TJ, Underwood or whomever.

 

[inCyteful]

Mark Few will never leave Gonzaga. The other day I was listening to Cowherd (I think) and he said something to the effect that Few told him that he wants to stay at Gonzaga because they can win more games than power 5 schools can and his job will always be safe because of that. I'm pretty sure Few turned down a pretty big job that was recently open, was it UCLA?

I think you are right but we would have no indication from someone like him until it actually happened. I find it hard to believe that other than a few of the CBB gods (Coach K, Izzo, actually, that is about it) all coaches check out the other side of the fence from time to time.

 

[Clone_12]

But Prohm and Underwood aren't really mid-major coaches. The OVC and the Southern are low level conferences.

Prohm has already led that 'low level' conference school to a #6 seed in the NCAA Tourney (which is far more difficult to do at Murray State than at a Big 12 school). He has also won at minimum his division of his conference every single year he's been there, and made the NIT Quarterfinals last year after going 16-0 conference.

If TJ wouldn't have cancelled his Northern Kentucky interview, and landed that job...would you still consider him a great option if he went there and didn't perform well?

Bill Self, Lon Kruger, Shaka Smart, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Mike Brey, Bo Ryan, Tim Floyd, Larry Eustachy, Coach K, etc...never would've gotten a chance if some of you were in charge because they would've been stuck at their low-mid majors forever.

A reason we should've known not to hire Wayne Morgan was because he got fired as head coach at Long Beach State...it would be nice if we could see how TJ would do somewhere smaller for a couple years before we call him the best man for the job.

 

[CyFan61]

But Prohm and Underwood aren't really mid-major coaches. The OVC and the Southern are low level conferences.

Prohm and Underwood also aren't "random" as he suggested. If they coach low-level D1 teams, they're in the best tier of coaches at that level without a doubt. And the best tier of coaches at the mid-major level - Gregg Marshall, Archie Miller, Shaka Smart pre-Texas - aren't coming to Iowa State.

 

[19210]

There is no sure thing with any coach and I will support whoever is brought in, but my question is if TJ is the guy will he put his wife on the staff?

 

[ISUChippewa]

But Prohm and Underwood aren't really mid-major coaches. The OVC and the Southern are low level conferences.

I think you're correct in regards to labeling those conferences as "low-majors" instead of "mid-majors", but I also feel that Prohm and Underwood have both elevated their respective programs above a "low major" status. In Murray State's last NCAA tournament season, back in 2012 (ironically they were also sent to Louisville that season, just like us), they were a 6 seed, right on the same seed line as a lot of Power 5 teams you find. SFA has been a 12 seed the last two seasons, same as a lot of mid-majors and "bubble" Power 5 teams, and beat a good VCU team that was a 5 seed back in '14.

Most "low-major" teams get between a 14-16 seed, like North Carolina Central.

 

[Beyerball]

This exactly, but people keep using cherry-picked examples to support TJ, Underwood or whomever.

Dont disagree. Nobody has a magic crystal ball..it's one of two ways..you either are ok with a guy who hasn't coached a single college game and recruited kids while he's been the HC or u want a mid major coach who has those experiences to lead a potential top 10 roster next year.

 

[Beyerball]

Prohm has already led that 'low level' conference school to a #6 seed in the NCAA Tourney (which is far more difficult to do at Murray State than at a Big 12 school). He has also won at minimum his division of his conference every single year he's been there, and made the NIT Quarterfinals last year after going 16-0 conference.

If TJ wouldn't have cancelled his Northern Kentucky interview, and landed that job...would you still consider him a great option if he went there and didn't perform well?

Bill Self, Lon Kruger, Shaka Smart, Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Mike Brey, Bo Ryan, Tim Floyd, Larry Eustachy, Coach K, etc...never would've gotten a chance if some of you were in charge because they would've been stuck at their low-mid majors forever.

A reason we should've known not to hire Wayne Morgan was because he got fired as head coach at Long Beach State...it would be nice if we could see how TJ would do somewhere smaller for a couple years before we call him the best man for the job.

i want to give you a hug. Someone else on this board sees it. Thank you.

 

[aauummm]

Another post I made behind closed doors but is very applicable to the current discussion...

Regarding the search and leaks... I was just talking to some people about that. While I absolutely think it's important for Leath to push JP out of his comfort zone - because let's be honest, all of his searches have been very limited in scope/breadth - there is a line that he can't cross of being too integrated into the actual process.

I will add that while people love what JP has done, there are a lot [redacted] that feel he's great at working the donors, building excitement, etc but can't be fully trusted to make the call on coaches. He has a narrow focus on those that he feels he has considered to lead the various programs and his mind is set from there on. Donors don't like that because they are fanatics just like everybody else and want to be excited. Leath doesn't like it because he wants to constantly push the bar higher (rightfully so).

If Leath wasn't here, we would have had TJ announced by EOD tomorrow. With Leath involved, a proper search is being conducted with input from a lot of people. As much as I think the current friction is being aired too much and hurting us, it is long overdue to be quite frank - and many people share that opinion.

I will pass along something I've heard from several key members in all of this - "JP has done more for ISU Athletics than any single individual before him, but he continues to operate like Iowa State is the little school on the prairie like when he arrived."

That sentiment speaks to the level of candidates and the money that JP has been working with, right or wrong. People don't have to like his process, but people need to love where Leath wants to take our athletic programs - much higher than even JP has envisioned.

I agree 100%. In basketball we are doggone close to being just below the blue-bloods. Being in that position takes a whole different mindset than being at the bottom and trying to pull yourself up.

If we want to play with the big boys then it takes big thinkers, big backers, big dollars, big fans and Hilton Magic to accomplish that. Hopefully Leath will be able to bring that big thinking out in Jamie, if not, Leath will get his own AD who will think big.

 

[Doc]

Is Mark Few at all on the radar?

I think Mark Few is to the point where he calls you, you don't call him. He seems to love life in Washington.

 

[FarminCy]

Dont disagree. Nobody has a magic crystal ball..it's one of two ways..you either are ok with a guy who hasn't coached a single college game and recruited kids while he's been the HC or u want a mid major coach who has those experiences to lead a potential top 10 roster next year.

Just to play devils advocate you could also spin it with " a guy that has been around ranked teams and helped recruit and game plan top talent" vs "a guy that has never been around a p5 school in his life and has never been around a top 10 roster" (Prohm specifically not Underwood).

To be clear I'm not pro or anti anybody at this point.

 

[Bret44]

I think Mark Few is to the point where he calls you, you don't call him. He seems to love life in Washington.

As would you Doc. So would I...