If Jeff Bzdelik Were Fired At Season's End, Who Should Replace Him?
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Feb 21, 2011 12:55 AM EST
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PrintI was having this conversation with RA and I thought this convo. deserved a forum of its own. If you don't think Bzdelik will be fired, it doesn't matter, treat it for fun then. For the seeming majority of alums & fans/the rest of us who'd like Bzdelik to be fired at season's end and tie off this season before we discover just how far the bottom is, suggest which GOOD head coach you'd want as Wake Forest's head coach to replace this lame-duck!
I'm starting with listing a few suggestions. Suggest yours and have fun!
In my own order of preference as of 2/20/11:
1) Matt Painter, head coach at Purdue
2) Billy Gillispie (I don’t think a lone DUI makes him the devil, he never had recruiting violations but is one of THE best recruiters left on the available list, he’s a fiery guy who is a sheer workaholic that will outwork his peers and opposing coaches preparing and recruiting, AND he wants to coach again and very likely has learned some important lessons in administrative diplomacy after his experience at Kentucky) and we should get him if we are lucky enough that Wyoming waits long enough. Listening to him, he almost sounds born-again in his conviction to win & live life in a more balanced fashion. I think with that new-found perspective on life and hoops, that he could be ridiculously at home at Wake Forest and make history in a very good way.
3) Jamie Dixon, head coach at Pitt (the Big East tries to brand itself as historically on-par with the ACC but it won’t last, and Wake’s a better job than Pitt). Incidentally, as a fun fact, Painter is from Dixon’s coaching tree. Dixon is young, very good at coaching basketball & has the track record to prove it, and in stark contrast to Bzdelik is extremely charismatic & excellent at galvanizing his players to fight for him
4) Randy Bennett, head coach at St. Mary’s.
5) Tony Jones, assistant at Tennessee (and saying he’s Bruce Pearl is just fearmongering, everyone knows Pearl is a blustering, bombastic guy who will do things his own way & that eventually got him into trouble, Jones is ready and is one of the best assistant coach/recruiters in the nation).
6) Chris Mack, head coach at Xavier, and from the Skip Prosser coaching tree
I think that’s a pretty good start. I love Painter, Gillispie, and Dixon. For me they’re:
#1: Painter
#2A) Dixon
#2B) Gillispie.
They’re all competent (have track records that would make Bzdelik poop his pants in envy), great recruiters, proven leaders, and are ready to take the next step. Especially Painter. He’s young and hungry, it’s his time and I think he’d excel at Wake Forest. Painter’s ceiling at Wake Forest is much higher than Jeff Bzdelik’s.
Okay, thoughts on these 6 and suggest other potential head coaches and up-and-coming assistants!
The content of FanPosts is not necessarily the opinions, thoughts or beliefs of Blogger So Dear.
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Here's a response I gave to a few of RA's questions in our earlier thread to help start the Q&A, but make suggestions of your own too!
1. Why Painter Would Consider Coming to Wake Forest:
A) It’s a better job: We have the tradition, and you get national exposure here without national pressure, unlike any other comparable position in college hoops. It’s unlikely a top ACC or PAC 10 job is going to surface that has the quiet advantages of Wake Forest.
B) Wake’s also a better place to recruit.
C) The job security is unparalleled in relative terms compared to other teams in the ACC & PAC 10 (I use the PAC 10 as a comparable conference because they, like we in the ACC, have the history & tradition, which the Big East doesn’t), excepting the job by the guy preceding him with a bad resume at a worse basketball conference who produced such bad results Painter would probably laugh at.
2. Why Gillispie Is a Valid Consideration:
A) Unless one shamelessly uses a lone DUI & a diplomatic impasse at Kentucky – a place with substantially undereducated and infinitely fickle fans with expectations so relentlessly stratospheric that even got Tubby Smith fired – as a crutch to bash and exploit a single mistake a guy made that was totally unrelated to basketball, I don’t see how Gillispie’s reformed attitude and intense desire to get back into the game operate as a sine qua non to consideration.
3. Why Dixon Would Consider Coming to Wake Forest:
A) The tradition here is better.
B) Wake is a better place to recruit from
C) The fans are easier to please here
D) Nobody likes living in Pitt
E) The ACC has more history & nobody seriously thinks the Big East is the rule rather than the exception.
4. Why Randy Bennett Would Consider Coming to Wake Forest:
A) Head coaching at Wake Forest is a better job than head coaching at St. Mary’s.
B) Job security – unless you’re unqualified like the man he’d be replacing & produce just as horrifyingly bad results that would get a person fired at any comparable basketball program, neither Bennett nor any of the others would even consider being afraid because their and his track record isn’t as shi*ty as Bzdelik’s is.
C) A tradition, which St. Mary’s doesn’t have.
D) Obviously, better recruiting.
E) A move from the West Coast to the ACC is probably most easily accomplished at Wake Forest. We have about the most inert fan base in the nation and it’s a lot easier coaching here than at our comparable counterparts on the East Coast.
5) Who’s Tony Jones?:
A) He’s good and I’d recommend reading up on him. He has a great pedigree and has been rated one of the top basketball assistant-coach recruiters in the nation.
6. Why Chris Mack Would Consider Coming to Wake Forest:
A) He was named Director of Basketball Operations at Xavier under the late Skip Prosser
B) He was an assistant coach at Wake Forest under Skip Prosser
C) Wake is a better job
D) We’ve been excellent to coaches making the upward ascent from Xavier, have great ties, and there’s the Prosser relationship that endures forever.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Feb 21, 2011 1:21 AM EST reply actions
No chance on Painter and Dixon. None.
I don’t want Gillespie and I think there is little chance Wake considers him, based on his history.
Randy Bennett, ehh, not sure he will move here. You say recruiting will be easier here but he is tapped into to Australia and can get kids to St Mary’s pretty easily and has had success with them. Not sure he will be able to get them to come to Wake.
Chris Mack is the only one on your list I could maybe see coming here. I would love it but not sure it will happen.
One coach to keep an eye on is Shaka Smart of VCU. He might be a year or two away from a big job but if VCU gets to the tournament this year and makes some noise, he could get some recognition.
I disagree with J.R., I think Painter & Dixon are possible, especially Dixon. He will be highly sought after but we can throttle most schools lesser than us & I don’t know yet of a bigger program opportunity than us. Get Dixon!!!
I also really like Chris Mack
I like Gillispie.
Randy Bennett & Tony Jones I need to read more on.
Shaka Smart, hmm… I’ll read up on him too!
Port Arthur, TX
by Screamin' Demons on Feb 21, 2011 9:21 AM EST reply actions
lol posts and posts and posts
I’ve really got to think a lot about this. I had a huge list last year, and we ended up with Jeff Bzdelik who I never thought in a million years would be the coach in two days after being told it would be a wide search, highlighted by a underlying emphasis on post-season success.
I just don’t know what the job means anymore to anyone.
Dino’s ineptitude, clashes with Wellman and ethical “rumors” aside, Wake Forest was the ONLY school last to fire a coach who won an NCAA Tournament game in 2010. It’s baffling. This whole thing has not made sense to me from the SECOND Jeff Goodman posted that Bzdelik was the front-runner.
I think Old Dominion’s Blaine Taylor coach is a good start. They just stomped Cleveland State (who is actually a really good team this year), and they play incredible defense. If he could get a young, offensive-minded assistant coach on board, they’d be dangerous. But the question again is age…he’s 53. But then again, we hired a guy 5 years older than that to begin with.
Shaka Smart needs a bit more time as a HC before I am ready to hire him yet. But it doesn’t mean he isn’t capable; just need more of an evaluation.
The CAA is a hotbed in general of good, up-and-coming teams that groom young coaches. Plus it’s our area of recruiting. That’s my FIRST general focus, then we can start to go outward. But the most realistic (read: not “ideal”) hire is going to be a young head coach from a mid-major program who HAS been to the NCAA at least once, if not more, and has won an NCAA Tournament game.
Just my .02 initially. Like I said, I haven’t had time to really get into this. I’d love Dixon and Painter too, but I think of the two Painter is the less likely to come over here. They LOVE him there, he was a Gene Keady guy and the midwest is his wheelhouse when it comes to recruiting.
With regards to Dixon, the Big East has a lot of prestige and caché now, and I feel like he wants to “finish what he started” for some reason. But that doesn’t mean Dixon wouldn’t want the challenge I guess. Again, he’s going to be target #1 I think for State, so that’s a good barometer about whether or not he would make a move.
Chris Mack I’m fully on board with, although I could see Ron Wellman pulling some “shady recruiting tactics” or some ish as a reason not to get him or something (bogus in my mind honestly).
Gillispie I’m just completely indifferent on. He’s just a guy.
I’ll think about this more; this is a fun discussion to have.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
One of my dad's best friends
Is a Kentucky grad and diehard fan and he said that there has “never been a worst game coach in the history of basketball than Billy Gillispie.”
That about sums up my thoughts on him coming here.
Blogger So Dear
"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
Coach thoughts
I agree with BJohnston when he states that Billy G is not a good game coach. In addition, I’ve talked to plenty of Kentucky fans who said he was not good with the fans AT ALL. We don’t need another HC who is not good at energizing the fan base.
I really think that Wellman will have to go along with Buzz…I mean realistically what coach will want to come to Wake after the AD fired a performing coach. While we have prestige, we do not have enough prestige to justify firing a HC based on “end of season results” and not give any more details about the firing than that.
I think Mack is by far the front runner for next HC…he does a lot with little and has Wake ties. He is also young which is a plus.
Painter: I don’t think he will come nor want to. Big Ten style of bball is a lot different than ACC
Brad Stevens: wish we could get the Butler coach but he is from Indi, no way he is leaving
Tad Boyle: Wouldn’t it be funny if we raided CU again and stole their head coach. He actually has a winning record there this year.
Fans were actually SUPER pissed at Stevens earlier in the year on their message boards
Just goes to show you, even though our own fans bitch about how we’re “turning” on the team and we’re “poisonous” if we are negative, we’re NO different from ANY other fanbase…they made the damn National Championship last year and lost a first round NBA player….
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
by Martin Rickman on Feb 21, 2011 10:39 AM EST reply actions
Brad Stevens
Yea I remember at the beginning of the season Butler getting blown out by 20 in a game. They lost a player to the NBA and so did we….difference was that they got better throughout the year!
Painter/Dixon
Please explain why Painter is going to bail on his alma mater after 5 successful seasons for Wake Forest? Why is Dixon going to leave an extremely successul Pitt program for Wake Forest?
I just don’t think we are going to get a coach from a program of similar pedigree to come here right now. We are going to have to take a young, mid-major coach or an assistant from a major program who wants a shot in the ACC.
I agree Martin, Smart is a few years away. He is someone to watch in the next year or two, as I he has VCU staying strong. They have had one stinker (Capel) and one very good coach (Grant) come out of their the past decade.
Ok
I saw the reasons you believe we can get Painter/Dixon above. Please explain how/why Wake has a better tradition than those schools andwhy it is easier to recruit here. How does it have more job security when we will be on our 3rd coach in 3 years.
I don’t think many of your Pitt reasons are valid. I can’t tell if you are joking or being serious.
Also Dixon was Arizona’s second choice when their coaching position was available and he turned it down. Arizona has a way better tradition then WF has. I have a feeling Dixon is staying at Pitt for the long haul. The Painter deal makes no sense either due to Purdue being his school’s alma mater.
by AM on Feb 23, 2011 2:42 PM EST up reply actions
I really think that some fans are overestimating where we sit on the national scene.
Not trying to call anybody out, and not just referring to people on here, but almost everywhere I have talked to Wake Forest fans it has appeared that way.
Xavier, Pitt and Purdue all have better teams over the past 5-7 years than we do. In a “what have you done for me lately” world in recruits, and presumably coaches minds (although I am not a coach so I do not know), this does not bode well for us. If the ACC will reclaim the top conference (or second I guess w/ the Big East there), then it may help, but that is our strongest card right now.
Purdue’s Record last 5 years
2006 Matt Painter 9-19 3-13 10th
2007 Matt Painter 22-12 9-7 4th NCAA Second Round
2008 Matt Painter 25-9 15-3 2nd NCAA Second Round
2009 Matt Painter 27-10 11-7 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2010 Matt Painter 29-6 14-4 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2011 Matt Painter 22-5 11-3 2nd TBD
Pitt’s Record Last 5 Years:
2006–2007 Pittsburgh 29–8 12–4 T–2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2007–2008 Pittsburgh 27–10 10–8 7th NCAA 2nd Round
2008–2009 Pittsburgh 31–5 15–3 T–2nd NCAA Elite Eight
2009–2010 Pittsburgh 25–9 13–5 T–2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2010–2011 Pittsburgh 24–2 12–1
(God Jamie Dixon is good)
Xavier Record Past 5 Year’s:
2005–2006 Xavier 21–11 8–8 T–7th NCAA 1st Round
2006–2007 Xavier 25–9 13–3 T–1st NCAA 2nd Round
2007–2008 Xavier 30–7 14–2 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2008–2009 Xavier 27–8 12–4 1st NCAA Sweet 16
2009–2010 Xavier 26–9 14–2 t-1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
I really hope this formatted correctly.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
by RAJohnston on Feb 21, 2011 12:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Completely agree
Like I said above, I don’t think we are going to get a lateral hire from a big school. It’s going to be an assistant or a young mid-major coach (hopefully) with maybe the potential for a smaller school in a big conference to make a small leap (think Grant in a perfect scenario). Don’t think we are going to get Howland or Dixon or Painter or anyone on that level.
13 Tournament Appearances...
1 First round exit
5 Second round exits
5 Sweet Sixteen exits
2 Elite Eight Exits
Pretty solid. They are all looking to do well this year, with Pitt and Purdue poised for Final Four runs.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
Jamie Dixon always chokes and his teams don't play to seed
So he actually WOULD make sense since that’s what Wake does all the time anyway…
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
by Martin Rickman on Feb 21, 2011 12:44 PM EST reply actions
Dixon/Painter
are out…no way they would leave….I’d say best hope is Mack or mid major as others have stated.
However Buzz is going to get another year as long as wellman is there.
A couple more
for the list would be Chris Mooney of Richmond and Scott Drew of Baylor. Both coaches are managing to stay competitive in leagues with much more established teams and recruiters. However I have not checked their stats with any sort of thoroughness, so I may not be contributing. Now whether or not any of these coaches would jump at the chance to come here if Bzdelik gets fired this year, I have serious doubts.
While not a Bzdelik zealot, I think its legitimate to expect him to serve out his normal three year stay, and then we would be in the running I suspect for a coach like the ones listed in this post.
Nice work on the list even with the iffy chances of getting Painter or Dixon, I hadn’t considered a couple of the ones on your list, GTS.
Scott Drew is one of the best recruiters in the game.
He has Quincey Miller and Deuce Bello coming in next year, and then an beast in Isiah Austin (7’0, 200 LBs 5*), coming in for 2012. There have been questions about his shady recruiting, but I will let Martin handle that because he LOVES him some Scott Drew.
I like what Mooney has done at Richmond, and think he would be a good fit here given an opportunity
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
Well...
Aside from the fact that Wellman isn’t going to fire Bzdelik unless MAYBE next year is this bad and I don’t think it’s worth it to oust Wellman, I really don’t see any major coaches (Dixon, Painter) coming to Wake. I MIGHT be able to see a coach of a major school with less tradition (Scott Drew) or a number of mid-major schools, but, as much as I hate to admit it, Wake isn’t as attractive as some of us wish it was, especially if we show Bzdelik the door so quickly. A lot of coaches would be terrified to come here.
Lord knows I’d love to either see Bzdelik start to do well or be proven wrong and see us get a surprisingly big name, though.
Well considering the "new culture"
unless Wellman is out, Scott Drew isn’t coming because people are all whiny about his recruiting and have just made all these claims and stuff. Aside from the whole assistant coach text message thing (that he admitted to and self-reported), they’ve never been accused of or committed a violation. But of any coach under 40, he is the one who could come to the ACC and immediately compete with the big boys. IMMEDIATELY.
You’re just gonna have to trust me on this one. It’s a simple logic equation that I know to be 100% true.
IF Wellman is the AD
THEN Scott Drew will NEVER be the head coach of the Demon Deacons
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
Oh, I believe you.
I don’t know much about many non-ACC coaches except for the really big names like Cal and Pitino, so I’ll take your word for it.
by SamuraiFoochs on Feb 21, 2011 3:29 PM EST up reply actions
Since Painter's name has been brought up
I have an alternative that I feel is a worthy alternative: Mike Brey at Notre Dame. While he is having a stellar year, he has had his ups and downs at the school and has never had full support until right now. He also doesn’t have roots at ND, so he may be easier to pry away than Painter. Thoughts?
Brey has never really impressed me that much,
but since we seem to have a common bond with ND (playing them in football, their AD’s son goes to Wake, President Hatch is from there) he may make some sense. He has good regular seasons, but always seems to flame out/get upset in the tournament much like we do.
2000–2001 Notre Dame 20–10 11–5 1st – West NCAA 2nd Round
2001–2002 Notre Dame 22–11 10–6 2nd – West NCAA 2nd Round
2002–2003 Notre Dame 24–10 10–6 T–3rd – West NCAA Sweet 16
2003–2004 Notre Dame 19–13 9–7 7th NIT Quarterfinals
2004–2005 Notre Dame 17–12 9–7 6th NIT 1st Round
2005–2006 Notre Dame 16–14 6–10 T–11th NIT 2nd Round
2006–2007 Notre Dame 24–8 11–5 4th NCAA 1st Round
2007–2008 Notre Dame 25–8 14–4 T–2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2008–2009 Notre Dame 21–15 8–10 T–9th NIT Semifinals
2009–2010 Notre Dame 23–12 10–8 T–7th NCAA 1st Round
2010–2011 Notre Dame 21-4 10-3
Notre Dame: 227–115 103–69
Certainly a very impressive record in the Big East, and he also coached under Coach K, which is a good thing.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
My brother is an ND grad
So I’ve seen Brey coach first hand. The years I watched them the most were from 2004-2008, and I honestly didn’t think he was that bad. I think the biggest thing is that his style would translate pretty well to the ACC. He likes having big men (see Luke Harangody), but also recruits shooters to spread the floor. I like that he can have undersized players score down low and rebound well (currently seen in Carleton Scott who is comparable in size to McKie). He has the ability to win big games and seems to have good in game strategy and adjustments as well, which I haven’t seen in Gaudio or Bzdelik. I’m not endorsing him or even saying that I’m positive he would come, but my personal opinion is that he would fit well and his coaching style would translate well to the ACC and address some weaknesses.
I yield to you if you have seen him that much.
Admittedly I have only seen ND on tv and in the NCAA tournament.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
I don't claim to be an expert on Brey and you can freely disagree
But from an outside perspective, I have seen a coach who has progressed and who has seemed to build a program that is consistently competitive in a top 3 conference.
Unrelated to Brey, but relevant to conversation: I think that Wake’s next coaching search should be focused on a coach at a private school. While Bzdelik is a small sample, I feel like our success has come with coaches who understand how to sell a small school like Wake. Looking at strong mid-majors, they have consistently known how to sell the small school, which wouldn’t be as much of a transition as trying to sell Colorado or even Air Force (I think we can agree that military schools are a very different sell than Wake).
Finally, another name that I feel I should throw out because he hasn’t been talked of frequently is Quinn Snyder. He’s had some success at Mizzou, has area connections through Duke, was a Coach K assistant, and probably has a good grasp of ACC basketball. His past few years have been spent in the NBADL and he just signed on as an assistant for the 76ers. I know this would be getting another NBA guy and somewhat contradicts my small school argument earlier (depending on your view of Duke), but I just thought I’d throw another name into the ring and see what people thought.
Snyder also has...
an undergraduate degree from Duke, a law school degree from Duke, and an MBA from Duke’s business school.
Holy cow he is intelligent and went to a lot of school.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
Just a guess
I’m not well schooled in the Graduate Assistant program, but I believe you can have more coaches if some of them are graduate assistants, so maybe he kept getting degrees to stay on as a grad. assistant.
Just checked Wikipedia
He got the degrees in 1995 when he was an assistant (1993-99), but it also said he worked for the Clippers during that time frame, so I’m not exactly sure what to believe.
These are just the first ones that I thought of
I am a fan of the Tom Izzo coaching tree:
Brian Gregory
Doug Wojcik has done a good job at Tulsa
Other than that I like:
Billy Kennedy (Murray St)
Gregg Marshall (Wichita St)
A bizarre thought:
Tommy Amaker (Harvard)
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
You know I love the Izzo tree
Stan Heath is another one, currently the coach at USF, but not exactly someone I see being a fit at Wake.
Mark Montgomery is also the current Associate Head Coach. His name has popped up for vacancies on and off, but he seems content at MSU. Who knows though, the right offer might just pull him away. The other assistants are very good as well, and going to games when I’m home, they do a great deal of coaching on the bench and are far more active than most assistants I see.
I don’t know much about the other two you’re talking about, but if we got Amaker, we’d at least beat BC every season!
I love the Izzo tree as well
To be honest, I just love any tree which is away from the Bzdelik tree.
I stand by my original opinion (before the hiring occurred and Jake, RA, and Martin can attest to this) that Bzdelik was an ABYSMAL hiring and that it would not advance the program.
I’m beyond frustrated at this point and haven’t even been able to see the last few games.
Blogger So Dear
"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
by Martin Rickman on Feb 21, 2011 9:56 PM EST up reply actions
i hope everyone joins the Fire Jeff Bzdelik Facebook Group Someone (not me) Just Started!
Here’s the URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fire-Jeff-Bzdelik/194366900580259
Merciful powers that be, fire this abysmal hiring and sucktastic coach that’s sending our program into Hades faster than greased lightning
Port Arthur, TX
by Screamin' Demons on Feb 25, 2011 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
Wellman
While I have not hid my feelings that I would prefer if Buzz is gone this year, I actually think that Wellman should stay.
Follow me with this. He has done some really good things, and hired some great coaches (Prosser & Grobe), and once that happens, people get into the feeling of complacency and thinking they can slide things by and use the “Let my recent history speak for my skills” retort whenever anyone questions him. I was extremely displeased with the hiring of Buzz, but I told myself, who was Jim Grobe before he got here? Dunno. Was Prosser a superstar when he got hired? Nope. Maybe this Buzz guy isn’t so bad.
But here’s the thing, now that he has piled this level of crap on him with this hire, do you really think he would do it again? (I still think this was 100% cronyism – can’t imagine anyone thought he was really the best guy out there).
My feeling is that Wellman is a good and savvy AD that made one bad mistake (gamble?) and it backfired – mightily. But, I think he can turn it around.
My stance is Wellman stays, Buzz, mercyfully, goes…
Almost every coaching decision is cronyism
I have not heard/seen anything that tells me that this hiring was any different than any other hiring in the past few years by schools.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
Thats what we like to call a broad generalization
Did Roy Williams coach (and have ties) at UNC? Sure, but it isn’t the same AD that he worked under before.
There is a difference between familiarity with a school/town/fanbase and deliberate preferential treatment for friends. Did Wellman have a background with Grobe or Prosser before he hired them? No, it was merit based.
Just look around the ACC and you will not find AD/Coach connections like Wellman/Buzz. UVA hires a coach from Washington, Clemson hires a guy from Indiana, etc. you get the point.
I understand what you are saying, at least I think, that ADs want to hire someone they can be comfortable with and someone you know first or second hand isn’t going to be a tabloid issue (isn’t that the big thing with Wellman/Gaudio? The had some sort of moral scuff? Not really my thing) – but it goes a couple of steps further when you hire someone who is a “friend” with a suspect track record of being a head coach. In my business, personal references are great – and I love hiring people who have connections internally with my company – they are normally more committed because they are not only representing themselves, but also the person who recommended them for the job. I have no question about Buzz’s commitment, I have a question about his ability – and in the business world (which isn’t this a business?) you have to evaluate everything at this point moving forward, you cannot take into account how much you have sunk into it (money/time) – for all you Calloway students, its called escalation of commitment – you continue to invest in something because of everything you’ve put into because you don’t want to admit it stinks.
The had some sort of moral scuff? Not really my thing) – but it goes a couple of steps further when you hire someone who is a "friend" with a suspect track record of being a head coach
Where have you seen that they were good friends? They worked together before, but from what I have read/seen, it is just speculation that they are friends.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
What I read
Was that they hadn’t “talked in years and were not close friends now”.
Here’s the deal, I graduated in 2001, there are plenty of people I haven’t talked to in 10 years that I was pretty good friends with at Wake – if one of them out of the blue requests to add me to LinkedIn and starts inquiring about a job, I am going to do my best to give them a chance.
I am not saying that Buzz ONLY got hired because they had been friends at one time, but I am saying that I believe that was one of the reasons his foot was in the door on this job and one of the reasons his name leaped to the top of the stack of resumes. Don’t get me wrong, he was an NBA coach, has ringing endorsements from some primetime coaches, I can imagine he can nail a job interview – but not so sure he ever should have been on the list based on his record. His best years were at Air Force, where he took over a team that finished 3rd in the Mountain West, and he finished 2nd & 4th in his two years there, never getting out of the second round of the MWC tourney by the way, and his best postseason performance was a trip to the final four of the NIT.
why?
were these names not in consideration last year?! It makes me sick thinking about all the talent out there that seemingly was not even considered.
First of all we do not know if they were in consideration or not.
If it is true (as Wellman said) that they looked at 10-12 candidates, then some of these were most assuredly in there, and did not work out for one reason or another.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
My list:
Mooney had already signed an extension (after talking seriously with BC), and Wojcik would be a little sticky given that his brother was an assistant during Gaudio’s last season.
Personally, I think Smart was too unproven last go around, but could prove to be a great option next go around.
Gregory, well personally I have never bought too much into the hype on him. I think people like that he was an Izzo assistant, but he hasn’t really elevated the Dayton program.
Mack wasn’t going to happen last time around (since he coached for Dino), and I do believe we made a bid for Stevens.
Snyder would be a horrible, horrible hire
He’s slimey and a drunk. And I’m pretty sure he’s emotionally unstable since he looks like he could be Mr. Hyde.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
by Martin Rickman on Feb 22, 2011 11:17 AM EST reply actions
Is any of that stuff actually true?
I agree he kind of looks like a sketchy guy and a haircut would do him good, but did he have issues with alcoholism previously?
Eh, nothing confirmed, but his program had ALL kinds of issues while he was there
And the other stuff was definitely out there—just not publicly.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
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Former Missouri basketball coach Quin Snyder finds new life with 76ers
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By Steve Kelley – The Seattle Times
July 3, 2010
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Philadelphia — The future spread in front of Quin Snyder like a sprawling, conquerable plain. At 32 he was a prodigy. College basketball’s next big thing. Telegenic, charismatic, he was a natural.
He was a tireless worker, with a Duke pedigree, and hiring him to his first head-coaching job at Missouri, passing on Bill Self and John Calipari, seemed like a bold and brilliant move.
Snyder was smart and slick in a good way. He had a law degree, an MBA. He knew how to work a room.
And Snyder wore his passion on his sweats. He believed in basketball. He was most comfortable in the gym. He loved coaching. He loved counseling. He loved winning. And, on some level, he even enjoyed the agony of defeat.
Snyder was the can’t-miss kid. In 1999, he succeeded Mizzou’s favorite son, Norm Stewart, and became the coach in the fishbowl in Missouri.
Then for the next seven years he tried to do the impossible. He tried to be everything to everybody.
"I realize that I’ve led a very public life," Snyder, who has become a member of new Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins’ staff, said this week as he prepared to coach the Sixers in the Orlando Summer League. "But it’s not something that I’ve ever really wanted.
"I realize it’s part of the profession, but it’s not something that’s to my liking. There’s no question that I didn’t want to put my life on display."
For Snyder, Missouri was seven years of severe turbulence. No matter what he did, he couldn’t replace Stewart in the eyes of the boosters. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t avoid the spotlight.
The former Mercer Island, Wash., star took his first four Missouri teams to the NCAA Tournament. He went to the Elite Eight in 2002, but eventually things spiraled out of control. And his fall from grace was precipitous.
He made poor decisions. His program came under NCAA scrutiny. He was named in 17 NCAA allegations between 1999 and 2004. The program was imploding and so was Snyder.
Finally during a six-game losing streak in 2006, Snyder was fired. The university said he resigned, but Snyder says, "There is no doubt I was fired. I don’t even like the idea of resigning. It’s like quitting. I always remind myself that I got fired. It’s very freeing."
At the same time, Snyder went through a very public divorce and slid slowly into depression. He was tabloid and blog fodder, and all he wanted to do was disappear."
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/jul/03/former-missouri-basketball-coach-quin-snyder-finds/
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
Thanks for the link
Good stuff that clarified things. I didn’t know about the allegations or all of that, I just remembered the Elite Eight run and that he really was “the next big thing.” I’d be a little more hesitant now to throw his name in the WF ring until there was some more evidence he could be a big time college coach again.
I mean, it doesn't mean the guy didn't change
He very well may have. But the baggage is there. And I’m someone who knows that baggage doesn’t just go away.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
by Martin Rickman on Feb 22, 2011 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
Ben Howland
Is a reason why I think Dixon is a possibility.
I’m not saying Wake is in the same calibur as UCLA, BUT, Pitt isn’t the end all either – we aren’t talking about a historic basketball program. They have gotten good at Basketball, but they are still a football first school. And I think the ACC mystique cannot be overlooked – while there are up and coming teams, the Dukes and UNCs dont go anywhere and playing on the national stage against them is what gets you noticed – and pays more $$$$.
I think we would have a legitimate shot at Dixon.
Also, I like Steve Alford & Scott Sutton as options.
Steve Alford can't win in the post season either.
He freaking lost to NW State in the tourney.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
I don't want to be rude, but I really do not think that Jamie Dixon will ever come to Wake Forest.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
At least
Alford makes it to the tourney…and that 2006 Iowa team was littered with All-Americans and future NBA stars too, there was that one guy and then that other one too and then there was that 3rd guy – boy was he good!
Not to be rude back RA, but what is Dixon going to do, pull a coach K and stay in Pitt his whole career? Look, Bzdelik is running the wake program into the ground, but it isn’t like it is lost – we went to the postseason 16 straight years with Odom and Prosser, have some amazing grads who help recruit stars (who does Pitt have, Vonteego Cummings?).
Not to say that Jamie Dixon will ever come to Wake, but he is going to go somewhere – and another coach will come to Wake, and he can be a high profile. Just because it sometimes feels like little ol’ Wake Forest – it isn’t. For a long time the highest paid school president in the US was TK – there is money to be had (and spent) on high revenue sports.
Wake is not a step up from Pitt, if he does leave Pitt why would he come here now?
Blogger So Dear
"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
As mentioned above
Point #1: Pitt is still not a basketball school, the majority of the funding and backing is STILL going to football.
Point #2: ACC is still king, no matter what the conference looks like now. Was UCLA a step up from Pitt when Howland left? He was taking over a team that was in the midst of recruiting allogations and a horrendous year, leaving behind a 20+ win team that was a sweet sixteen the year before.
Point #3: Recruiting – Dixon has done a good job recruiting to date without having marquee signings (except for 2011) and he has done it without the help of seeing past Pitt players names in lights in the NBA – their best player in the league right now is probably Dejuan Blair, what does that say? You don’t think if he came to Wake, with Duncan, Paul, Howard, Farouq, Teague, Johnson (all 1st round picks in the past 13 years), he wouldn’t be competing for the #1 recruiting class in the nation each year?
Yeah, I know Dixon is making $1.5 million, and Gaudio was only making like $1 – but you don’t think the boosters would pony up the extra change to get him?
Again, this is all relative – do I think Dixon will be coming to Wake? No – but my point stands that it is not an outlandish idea for a prosperous coach to come to a Top 25 basketball school (yes, I still think Wake is a top 25 program in the nation, if only because of our grads).
Howland is from California, that is why he wanted to go back.
To him, UCLA is like the Duke and UNC of the east coast.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
Well we did win an NCAA Tournament game last year, and we hired Buzz.
I thought we had a huge list of exciting people and the possibilities were endless the second Dino was fired, and then we snagged a guy who can’t even win a road game or get out of his conference tourney first round.
Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
Blogger So Dear
That is a blatant lie
He beat Elon on the road
This Has Been a Rich & Fruitful Discussion, Thank You All For Making It Happen!
I’m sorry I haven’t & am not able to participate as I’d like, I’m inundated with school obligations but I’m listening, critiquing & agreeing with what I’m evaluating here in my head, and hopefully will soon have time to get in this conversation & others robustly.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Feb 24, 2011 2:26 PM EST reply actions
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