Coaching Changes Abound

Before we delve into yesterday's coaching changes, let me clarify a point that Clement made about not mentioning coaches in posts. When the games are taking place, we usually talk less about coaches unless they do something remarkable. Too often, pundits in positions where they must exhibit some sense of accountability (but often fail) heap excessive praise upon coaches in a liberal fashion (see Coach K nearly every year which happens to be "his best coaching job to-date"). In plain terms, here's how I see it: coaches build programs, players win games, and coaches lose them on occasion. The continued, unconditional support of administration, boosters and fans is also important. It's not intended to diminish the work of fabulous tacticians like Rick Majerus.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's talk about yesterday's hirings and the accompanying indications.

Iowa Hires Lickliter
This was a surprise. I would've thought that the recently-crowned NABC Coach of the Year would have more pull, but there may be more to the Iowa rebuilding program than I immediately see. Also, Lickliter has experience recruiting in the Midwest, which is a major plus. Lickliter should receive a year to mold his team to his liking, but will be judged on results starting in January 2009 when the Big Ten conference schedule commences.

Beilein to Michigan?
ESPN and CBS Sportsline are reporting that West Virginia head coach John Beilein has accepted the same position at Michigan. When I think of Michigan basketball under Tommy Amaker, the first thought is that of wasted possessions. While Beilein is not going to catch anyone off-guard with his coaching style (predicated on the 1-3-1 defense, outside shooting, and offensive discipline), he's not going to surprise anyone. With Beilein, the ceiling may be somewhat lower in comparison with younger prospects like Chris Lowery, but you know what you're getting and it's a pretty solid product.

Altman joins Arkansas
Goodbye 10-seed curse. Hello, blue chip recruits. In Dana Altman, Arkansas gets a proven bench coach with a penchant for maximizing talent. In Arkansas, Altman gets access to recruiting pipelines, facilities, and money that just isn't there in the Valley. A symbiotic relationship, no doubt. Can Altman make the immediate splash reminiscent to Bruce Pearl in the SEC and be able to lure recruits in the long term? I maintain that despite the inexperience, VCU's Anthony Grant would've been worth an interview following the snub by Billy Gillispie (whose last name I now spell correctly) and ultimately the better fit for the talented Razorbacks than Altman.

Heath: From SEC to Big East
That sounds a lot better than what it is in reality. South Florida has taken a nose dive since Seth Greenberg left for Virginia Tech. Heath's energy and ability to recruit is exactly what the Bulls need in the short-term. The question is whether Heath will bolt once a better job is offered to him.

This most recent fallout leaves vacancies at mid-major hubs Creighton and Butler, as well as at West Virginia. The Creighton job will undoubtedly create some buzz because they play in an awesome arena with a dedicated fan base. Moreover, they're the only game in town, unless you count college baseball. Butler is a coaching factory, but I'm not certain how long they can keep plucking assistants to be their head coach and succeed with flying colors as they did with Thad Matta and the aforementioned Lickliter. In Morgantown, the search for their next coach has begun. Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall might be the perfect fit.

And of course ...

There's Billy Donovan. So that's 3 Final Fours, 2 NCAA Championships, and the guy is barely over 40. His only loss as a coach in the Final Four was against a dominant Michigan State team in 2000 that 5-seed Florida had no chance beating. Donovan says he's going to enjoy the championship victory [before he entertains any offers to coach elsewhere]. While I see no problem with the leveraging that will take place in order to get a deserved hike in pay and possibly the court named after him, his legacy is at Florida (winning 2 championships with players that he recruited) and not at Kentucky.

As for Kentucky, they will still have a vacancy to address. When the smoke clears, Tom Crean (AKA "The Stockbroker") of Marquette will take the reins in Lexington although Billy Gillispie remains the top realistic candidate after Billy Donovan.

Kentucky Resolution, Heath Firing Fallout, Iowa Chasing Pearl?

With what some considered "over-coverage" of the NFL coaching carousel, you had better expect the same for my forte, college basketball. In college basketball, the 'carousel' is more like a circular metropolis. Instead of 32 coaching staffs, you've got more than ten times that number. The very second that a name is swirled around as a potential candidate, universities and boosters start ante-ing up to keep their beloved coaches. It's a different animal than pro sports, but a business nonetheless.

Kentucky Resolution?
Last Thursday, Tubby Smith left the blue grass to freeze his ..., well, you know. Since then, numerous analysts, most notably Andy Katz of ESPN, have said that many coaches are in line to benefit financially from the Kentucky vacancy even if they have no intention of taking the job. Earlier this week, John Calipari agreed to an extension through 2011-12. Also, sources report that newly-anointed basketball school Texas A&M will do its best to match any offers for head coach Billy Gillispie. And let's not forget about former UK assistant and current god of Gainesville Billy Donovan. He's going to make bank whether he's at Florida, Kentucky, or the Miami Heat. Shall any of these coaches leave their posts, coaches from lesser programs will occupy their posts and move up a few tax brackets. For those who read my post suggesting former players such as Ford and Pelphrey as coaching candidates for this position, they are not even being mentioned by the real media (aka people who have coaches' digits), so I'm content in ceasing conversation about the pair.

Heath Firing Fallout
Staying in the SEC (said with a Tony Barnhardt-esque southern drawl), Arkansas fired its head coach Stan Heath yesterday in what was considered a surprise to all of us except for Heath, who made his second trip to the NCAA Tournament in as many years. In his defense, Heath's team - a much younger one than the previous year - won 21 games; however,winning 21 nowadays isn't your father's 21 when considering that most D-1 schools play in excess of 30 games per season.

Many, including myself, think that the firing was made with a successor already in mind. Although Heath was somewhat successful, his results were always compared to his predecessor's (Nolan Richardson), and in comparison, it's not even close. The Heath style of play isn't exactly the appealing 40 Minutes of Hell either. With that said, everyone returns from an Arkansas team that is expected to win the SEC West (and not with a 8-8 record), making the job more appealing than at first glance. College sports are the only game in town, to boot. For those reasons, expect Arkansas AD Frank Broyles to make a concerted play for the aforementioned Gillispie and possibly Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler who is more of a contingency. Given the athletic makeup of their roster, Arkansas should consider giving VCU a call to see if head coach Anthony Grant is available. Nevertheless, I expect them to go after a more proven head coach despite the obvious upside (yes, that word means the NBA Draft is only 3 months away). Whomever he is, expect him to be paid, as Broyles expects to make a big splash before he dives into retirement.

Iowa's Chase for Pearl Rendered Useless
Now that Steve Alford has left the Iowa rebuilding project (Blair Witch Project) for the New Mexico rebuilding project (Tony Rich Project), the Hawkeyes are chasing former assistant and current Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl. Hoping for the nostalgia hook, Iowa received permission from the Tennessee AD to speak with Pearl, but he rebuffed the overtures informing Iowa that he is not interested in their head coaching position. For his troubles, Pearl earns a one-year extension through 2013.

In my opinion, given the saturation of big-name/talented head coaches in the Big Ten, it may be career suicide for whomever is audacious enough to take the reins at Iowa during a rebuilding period (notice how I did not say "year"). This may result in Iowa hiring from within the extended Iowa family or going after a coach of a mid-major program with ties to Midwest recruiting.