The new coach speculation thread

[concerned]

@Wingnut

Think about this, Where did LarryK come from before he came to Utah? He was a coach that nobody knew anything about coaching at a lower level somewhere in the outer darkness of Montana. You’re next men’s basketball coach will most likely be of that mold. You could get lucky and get the next basketball version of Urban Meyer or you could continue to swirl down the toilet like you are with another LarryK.

He had been coach of the Milwaukee Bucks

[Wingnut]

He came from a Backwater school in Montana. That is the truth.

[sancho]

The tiered power ranking of head coach candidates:

Tier 1: Alex Jensen or Johnny Bryant. Obviously, if you can get one of these, you do it. Experience, success, and ties to the university is a combo you can’t pass on.

Tier 2: Any of the hot mid majors. Moser, Pasternack, etc. These are all the same. Any of them has a 20% chance of being successful. Anyone who believes they can discern between any of these is fooling himself. Put the names in a hat, and draw one out.

Tier 3: Old washed up guys. Thad Matta, etc. They still know the fundamentals, even if the game has changed significantly since they were successful.

Tier 4: Other ex-Utes with coaching experience but not college level coaching experience: Van Horn, Doleac.

Tier 5: Ex-Utes with no coaching experience: Miller, Bogut. What if we just give the keys to as many of the '98 Utes as would like to collectively take the job? No head coach - a team effort all the way. Getting the band back together. And this becomes the new Utah basketball tradition. The team is always run by a collective of ex-players. Which ex-Ute would be mostly likely to cheat in recruiting?

Tier 6: Craig Smith. This guy landed one surprisingly good recruit and rode him to a payday. I mean, that’s what college basketball coaching is all about, so we could do worse than hiring someone who seems to be lucky.

Tier 7. Deon Sanders. Maybe reality is sinking in for him at Jackson State.

Tier 8. Mark Pope.

Tier 9. Medved. Why is this guy on all the lists? All he did was choke down the stretch and not make the tournament. We already had a coach who can do that.

Tier 10. Random college assistant coach.

Tier 11. Rylan Jones as a player coach.

Tier 12. Randy Bennett. See Medved above. Bennett hasn’t done anything impressive since his Aussie pipeline dried up. And even with the Aussie pipeline, he was mildly impressive at best.

Also, question 1a in the interview is “Are you willing to keep Ian Martinez’ Dad as an assistant coach?” And it has to be phrased like that. Nobody knows this guy’s first name. He’s just Ian’s Dad.

[Wingnut]

If you’re going to bring up execute so you may as well bring up Trent Whiting and Jeff Judkins. At least Jeff has college basketball coaching experience.

[Wingnut]

Ex-utes not execute

[mUUser]

@Ute_In_Texas

My first call is to Mark Few.

Okay. I think my first call is to Eric Musselman. He seems to like the west.

[ironman1315]

@EUte

The Mark Pope speculation I’m seeing online makes me laugh. It’s like there’s this “within a 100-mile radius” rule that should just make someone a candidate.

If we’re going to look at people with that level of HC experience and success, OK great. Then how about Robert Jones? Jeff Boals? Pat Kelsey? Shantay Legans?

But how mad would they be if that happened and if lohner came with.

[concerned]

Pope’s goal is to get to the ACC or SEC. Coming to Utah doesn’t advance that goal, and could hurt it. He is better off staying at the Y and getting to the tourney for another year or two and he is gone.

Besides, he wouldnt take the job for the same reason Rose didn’t. Too much community vitriol if he switched sides. not worth it. May work it to get a raise, though.

[Ma-ake]

There’s a guy who was a head coach in the NBA for longer that Larry was - lastname = Boylen.

Tad Boyle was a stock broker before coming back to basketball & was the head coach at UNC (Northern Colorado) for four years before going to CU.

I think you either have the ability to be a headcoach, or you don’t. There’s no substitute for being that guy, but if you look at NBA “superteam” benches, they’re FILLED with former head coaches who are helping whoever the current head coach is.

Bryant studied the art under Quin Snyder for years. If he’s ready & willing, he’d know how to staff the team with the support a head coach needs.

I’ll circle back to the #1 attribute needed - recruiting. Like Bumphis, I think Bryant can bring talent, and he knows Xs and Os as well as they can be known.

If he’s ready to make $2M+ a year… welcome Coach Bryant!

[LAUte]

@concerned

With SU’s post, I think you can officially put U-by-5 out of its misery. Better tell Sancho

We haven’t given up. It’s just a matter of having the time to work something out that would create a bridge between the two sites.

[LAUte]

@Buhbye

Question, do we have patience on the new UFN for people solely here to troll?

In my opinion, not very much at all. So I hope Mr. wingnut tries to contribute constructively here.

[LAUte]

@Wingnut

You’re [Your] next men’s basketball coach will most likely be of that mold.

FIFY. If you’re going to troll you need to use correct spelling and grammar.

[Wingnut]

resorting to grammar smack

[ironman1315]

Stop sucking at grammar.

[LAUte]

@Wingnut

resorting to grammar smack

You need to capitalize the first word of the sentence and add a period at the end.

[SeattleUte]

@sancho

…ball coaching is all about, so we could do worse than hiring someone who seems to be lucky.Tier 7. Deon Sanders. Maybe reality is sinking in for him at Jackson State.Tier 8. Mark Pope.Tier 9. Medved. Why is this guy on all the lists? All he did was choke down the stretch and not make the tournament. We already had a coach who can do that.Tier 10. Random college assistant coach.Tier 11. Rylan Jones as a player coach.Tier 12. Randy Bennett. See Medved above. Bennett hasn’t done anything impressive since his Aussie pipeline dried up. And even with the Aussie pipeline, he was mildly impressive at best.Also, question 1a in the interview is “Are you willing to keep Ian Martinez’ Dad as an assistant coach?” And it has to be phrased like that. Nobody knows this guy’s first name. He’s just Ian’s Dad.

So many things wrong with this. I’m flooded. Just a few points in response. I love the idea of Jensen or Bryant as the next great Ute coach, which is certainly why they’re no. 1 on this list and why I’d be strongly behind either one. But that’s the heart, not the mind talking. Neither has head coaching experience, which means they’re high risk.

Anyone who says a coach can just ride a single good player to the NCAA playoffs from even the MWC doesn’t know college basketball. We saw what Dave Rice did at UNLV with top five recruiting classes. In 2020 Utah State beat San Diego State for the MWC title, when the Aztecs were destined for a top seed and had beaten Utah by what, 40 in the preseason.

Smith has 3 NCAA invitations in 3 years, Krystkowiak had that many in 10. This isn’t football. NCAA bids go to teams with quality wins regardless of conference. I recall that twice the Utes finished third in the Pac 12 and didn’t get a bid because of weak non-con schedule and terrible losses.

Pope comes from a stellar coaching tree and his team has a 6 seed in the NCAA playoffs after losing their best player. He can’t beat Few you say? Who can right now? Not any Pac 12 team. Give him time.

So many Utes disparage Smith and Pope because they come from rival in-state programs (that are presently superior). That kind of sour grapes isn’t a mature way of assessing this.

[EUte]

@SeattleUte

…Diego State for the MWC title, when the Aztecs were destined for a top seed and had beaten Utah by what, 40 in the preseason.Smith has 3 NCAA invitations in 3 years, Krystkowiak had that many in 10. This isn’t football. NCAA bids go to teams with quality wins regardless of conference. I recall that twice the Utes finished third in the Pac 12 and didn’t get a bid because of weak non-con schedule and terrible losses.Pope comes from a stellar coaching tree and his team has a 6 seed in the NCAA playoffs after losing their best player. He can’t beat Few you say? Who can right now? Not any Pac 12 team. Give him time.So many Utes disparage Smith and Pope because they come from rival in-state programs (that are presently superior). That kind of sour grapes isn’t a mature way of assessing this.

I read it as satire.

[DeezUtes]

@Ute_In_Texas

The Utes will be picking from 4 bins:

1. Current mid-major head coaches. Bruce Moser, Dennis Gates, Craig Smith, Niko Medved, etc.

2. Current P5 assistants. John Scheyer, etc.

3. Unemployed guys with a history. Gregg Marshall, Thad Matta, Rick Pitino, etc.

4. NBA coaches and assistants looking to come back to college ball. Brad Stevens, Kenny Payne, etc.

More names to follow once we do some research. These are the ones that came to mind in a couple of minutes.

Let the speculation begin!

What?!?!! No Alex Jensen?!?!?

[SeattleUte]

@Buhbye

I think (hope) he is joking with that list.

Ha. He got me.

[Carolina_Cycling_Ute]

@LAUte

In my opinion, not very much at all. So I hope Mr. wingnut tries to contribute constructively here.

Depends on the troll. Is it fun trolling, or just trolling to troll? So far Mr Nut is solidly in the troll to troll area.