OK, here’s a question I’d like to see answered. I am assuming that it is important for a college basketball coach at the P5 level to have prior experience as a head coach. In other words, I am assuming that a PAC-12 HC job is not an entry-level position. Am I wrong? Seriously. People seem to think that Alex Jensen, Johnnie Bryant, or Keith van Horn could successfully step right in to be head coach at Utah. Am I worrying too much about prior experience at doing all the things that P5 head coaches have to do?
I believe there are examples and counter examples to support/oppose any type of hire.
If recruiting experience trumps everything else, we should look at tier 3 (washed up former coaches) or tier 10 (current assistant coaches at P5 programs). None of the mid major candidates (tier 2) have recruited 5-star players. They’ve all been lucky with their collection of 2-star players, and they know how to coach. But there’s a reason they are tier 2, just like there’s a reason AJ and JB are tier 1.
Recruiting is about salesmanship, charisma and momentum. Experience is surely valuable, but you can’t always teach charisma.
One thing that Majerus and Larry both learned the hard way is that you can’t chase the five star guys at Utah. It’s a time sink that never pans out. Hopefully, JB doesn’t have to also learn that the hard way.
This reminds me of what Malcolm Gladwell has said many times: To be a true expert at something, to be truly proficient and world-class, you have to do that thing for at least 10,000 hours, or approximately 10 years. That has been true in my experience as a lawyer, and it seems like ought to carry over to things like coaching basketball at the highest levels. Just a thought as we consider the type of experience the next head coach should have. I have a hunch that Harlan is thinking the same way.
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I am less concerned about recruiting. Utah will never recruit like UCLA or Kentucky or Arizona. But nowadays, it’s not about four and five stars. Ones and dones can cause damage to a program. There are a lot of good players out there. Since joining the Pac 12, Utah has regularly recruited better than ever before. I don’t think our disadvantage is what it used to be. I think generally Krystkowiak’s staff recruited well enough to win some Pac 12 championships and regularly get into the tournament. The Utes have had enough talent to raise our hopes.
Here is what I want: a coach with a solid track record of buy-in from players, keeping the needed players in the program, a fanatical commitment to defense, and team play on offense–probably a motion offense given the talent. Look at Gonzaga, Villanova, Oregon, Texas Tech, strong programs we can aspire to, that is the coaching formula. It’s also what has made Utah’s tradition.
Keep posting! We might even influence the decision. Social media is a powerful thing.
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You are making case for Tier 3 (washed up former coaches). Also, we fired Larry right as he was becoming truly proficient and world-class at being the head coach at the University of Utah.
There is only one thing I’ve logged 10,000 in - setting up/taking down chairs in LDS cultural halls. I’m a Gladwell-certified expert at that.
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What’s Roger Reid doing these days?
Does the new coach keep anyone from the old staff? Maybe Tommy Conner?
I’m hoping the new coach keeps Martinez and Jones. If not, there goes two more players, I’m guessing.
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Not at all. By the time he came to Utah Big Rick had the 10,000 hours and had been a coach at two mid-majors (after apprenticing with Al McGuire as an assistant). That doesn’t guarantee success–LK probably had 10,000 hours too. The number doesn’t really matter, just the experience, the development of a track record, the mistakes, the recovery from the mistakes, the hard knocks, the recruiting ups and downs, the crazy parents, the double-crosses, the great successes, and so forth. It’s a question of what threshold you want to set. If you’re choosing an orthopedist to perform your knee replacement, you don’t want a beginning orthopedic resident–you want a guy who’s done hundreds of them well.
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Agreed.
When I was in charge we used a string to line the chairs up properly.
My response to this is I’d rather have a Pimm or a Majerus than a Romar or a Rice.
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If you listen to the Jonas, Grant and Johnsen interviews, there’s only one choice: Alex Jensen. There is no other choice in their minds. Call Alex and don’t take no for an answer.
If you listen to Jonas, LK should still be coach and Harlan should be fired.
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I think you have to make the call, and Alex after all did interview with BYU 2 years ago, but I see it as a very difficult if not impossible situation
I cant see Alex, as the lead assistant, taking off on the Jazz during this particular year midseason. And from our side, we can’t wait until June/July for a coach to start working (assuming he wants and takes the job). By then, the transfer portal has scraps and you are even further behind on 2022 prospects.
I just heard Riley interviewing Gordie Chiesa about the Jazz. He asked Gordie if Alex could make the jump to college hoops, and by the time Gordie was done I was much more interested in Alex being the new HC. I’d forgotten that Alex played for Maji and also coached with him at St. Louis. He’s also learned from Quin Snyder. So he has the know-how. Gordie did raise the problem of Alex’s contract with the Jazz. He’d have to leave immediately to get on top of the Utah job, recruiting new players, keeping his current players, keeping some of his coaching staff, etc.
Whit continually says that it is all about the players. In football, we have not, until recently, landed ready to start freshmen. We have landed kids who have upside and who want to progress and develop. This is also true in basketball. So, the coaching staff needs to have guys who can identify the type of player we want and can get and then recruit that kid to Utah. Sharieff Shah was not a very good corner coach when he arrived at Utah. He received a lot of help from Scalley and Whit. It took him a few years to develop the coaching skills. From the get go, however, he could identify talent and recruit. IMO, the ability to attract talent (both players and assistant coaches) is the biggest factor. The second is developing the basketball skills needed to compete. The third is x’s and o’s. I think Alex or Johnnie could come in and with the right staff hit the ground running. I don’t think Van Horn has the experience you need. The question with both Alex and Johnnie is whether they want to spend the time and energy involved in recruiting. If you don’t, stay in the NBA.
I look at the names being circulated and I don’t think there is a slam dunk winner among them.
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I heard that interview as well. If you take an NBA guy, that’s an issue. If that guy can get his staff on board, I think you are okay since there are no on campus visits or home visits currently allowed.
Johnsen doesn’t believe he’ll leave the Jazz for a variety of reasons, but, that Utah should throw everything they have at him to get him. All three agree he’s the home run guy.
They probably read my tier list.
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Indiana suffers from the same affliction that Utah and UNLV suffer from. Unrealistic expectations brought by a once in a lifetime head coach from a bygone era.
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