College Coaching Rumors

Continuing the KY spin:

You know the Gators were only good because of the 4 kids that stayed. Now that they're leaving, just wait till next year when they don't win anything and we'll see that hiring Donovan wasn't going to work out anyway. :laugh:

 

Gillispie to Lexington, now Texas A&M is in need of a coach.

 

UK got tired of hearing "no." It was either going to be Gillespie or Crean, but the UK faithful wanted the hotter commodity in Gillespie. Both would've been slam-dunk "yes" answers, and either would've been spun to try to stave off the huge embarassment of being turned down by Donnovan and Barnes.

I'm a little surprised at Billy G getting the nod, but UK had to have someone. BG's yes to A&M and then bolting just days later is not going to sit well in recruiting and back in Aggie land. Still, you have to wish BG well. He's not in College Station anymore.

Now, who does ARK and A&M get? Can A&M replace BG with a good name, or will they have to pick an up-and-coming mid-major coach?

Here's a name that may get some consideration somewhere: former Tennessee coach Kevin O'Neill. Now that he's made his money in the NBA, he wants to get back into coaching. He recruited the talent that Jerry Green used to win two SEC reg titles in the late 90s and take UT to the Sweet 16 in 2000. All five of those starters played in the NBA or NBA-D, two of which were NBA starters. Expect him to get some looks, though his Vesuvius-like temper and demeanor is not going to win him any votes.

 

The talk in Razorbackland is that they are making another push for Calipari.

If that doesn't happen then it might end up being Grant.

I would be happy with either one.

 

Michigan hired John Beilein from WVU. Hope he can bring Michigan basketball back to national prominence.

 

I think he is in a better place at Memphis because of the players in HS ball around there, and Ar. gets a lot of players from there. Look at a kid from Memphis and take him to Fayetteville and Chickendale, that is a shock for them.

 

John Pelphrey (S. Alabama) to Arkansas.

Mark Turgeon (Wichita St.)to TAMU.

 

I'm a little surprised at both hires, more so by Pelph going to ARK. Turgeon was bound to get a high-level job. His Wichita St teams were not teams you wanted to play in the 1st round of the NCAAs (or, if you're my Vols, the 2nd round in 2006).

Kentucky fans will probably say this is Pelph's testing ground for when Billy G goes from being the flavor of the month to being the guy that just won with Tubby's talent. :laugh: Seriously, this is a big step up for Pelph, but he can probably handle it, though I don't think he's going to be a contender right away. Depends on who they can keep happy and home there.

 

I'm willing to give Phelphrey a chance, but let's just say I'm not brimming with excitement.

 

I would have taking either Ford or Pelphey at UK so I think you got a very exciting young up and coming coach.

It will be strange when we play you guys especially when he comes to Rupp...

 

A lot of rank-and-file fans wanted the sentimental faves in Ford and Pelph (why not get Feldhaus, Sean, and Richie Farmer to come back and just have the whole Unforgettables coach?) I respect those guys, btw, not a slam. Anyway, the ruling class of the Big Blue Nation found those names unacceptable. They wanted Billy D. They wanted Rick Barnes. They wanted a marquee name. After hearing two "no" answers, they got their "yes" in Billy G. While certainly not the marquee they wanted, he is one of the hottest coaches in America right now not named Bruce Pearl. I believe Gillespie is a better hire right now than Crean, but the orchestrated celebreation to welcome him was a bit surprising. If Roy Williams or Donnovan or Pat Riley came home, okay. But for a coach who has not made only one trip to the Sweet 16? I appreciate the UK enthusiasm, but I'm not buying the sell-job that this was the man all along. I also don't buy bridges in Brooklyn

I still find it hard to believe that former Xavier and VA coach Pete Gillen, former NW and Tenn coach and NBA coach Kevin O'Neill, and former Stanford and Golden State coach Mike Montgomery aren't getting some looks.

 

C.M. Newton "Surprised" by Gillespie hire

http://www.al.com/sports/birmingham.../sports/117602055952920.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

Another article: "We'll love [Gillespie] unles....."

http://www.kentucky.com/285/story/36525.html

There are others, both good and bad. at www.kentucky.com

 

Now, I really think Gillespie was Mitch's #2 choice. Barnes was never offerred the job. He was on the B list but I don't think he would have been offerred the job before Billy G.

 

After watching the press conference I couldn't be happier with John Pelphrey as the new head baskeball Hog. His enthusiasm and presence is 180 degrees the opposite of Dana Altman's last Monday. He will return the Hogs to the attacking style of basketball on offense and defense that Nolan Richardson brought to Fayetteville.

I think that within three seasons he will return the Hogs to national prominence and I wouldn't be surprised at all to the see the Hogs back in the Final Four within four seasons.

This will be the first Hog basketball season that I will really be excited about going into it in probably a decade.

GO HOGS GO!

 

As upscale and rich and growing as northwest Arkansas is I doubt that.

 

AF - Barnes was offered the job and he is considered a smarter hire than Billy Clyde. It will be interesting to see how Billy Clyde does without relying on his Texas recruiting connections. He's a great gameday coach but expectations in Lexington are unreal.

It was good to see Pelphrey get the Hoggies job. He's a classy Christian coach who many at my alma mater wished would've been given more consideration before we made our hire.

 

I still have not seen the source showing that Barnes was offerred the job. I know he was on the list to be interviewed and he turned the job down before officially being asked to accept the job.

I much prefer Billy G over Barnes, but like I keep saying time will only tell...

 

As I said before - I think billy clyde will do well at KY, but expectations are so much higher there than anything he has ever faced - good thing he is single!

Turgeon will I hope be good at A&M, he is another up and coming mid major coach with ties to TX, and the high schools here. Billy Cydes greatest asset was his ties with the TX high school coaches - hopefully Turgeon can continue those relationships and keep the great TX athletes coming in. We will see if he is able to hold onto his recruiting class.

As an aside, the money in college coaching is going nuts right now.

 

He hurt his self at UVa. badly. He did great at Xavier, where he wasn't playing a top team every week.. He did more with less there and at UVA he less with more. If he gets another shot it will be a mid-major or lower.
Look at his pal at Wake Forest, he is doing a little of the same.