Coaching Hot Seat 2021

[DefenseBB]

Nikki seems like a good person and means well, but this line of business is tough and this comes with the job. IMO she would be a great assistant. She is clearly knowledgeable, great defensive coach, good motivator. Just not good with roster management and recruiting. Unfortunately those are pretty critical components to being able to run a top program

Um, I am not sure her ego would let her take that "demotion" as opposed to her taking on a mid-major program like La Tech or SMU when those gigs come open. Being #2 in a P5 just seems like acknowledgement she's not cut out for HC so....

 

[SECbbfan24]

She will get a HC opportunity somewhere after LSU. I said she would be a good assistant but she doesn't seem like the type of take a demotion.

 

[Vowelguy]

Travis Mays out at SMU

opening #9 (per Raoul)

 

[Rooster C.]

My guess in is 5 years, Elzy still has the Kentucky job while McCray will be looking elsewhere, as will Fargas.

What I am curious about is Ole Miss and how they look next year if Austin is gone.

I think Elzy and McCray have both underachieved to some extent. I think that's normal adjustment to being put in that new situation. The same could be said for Banghart at NC (she lost to Miami home-and-away for starters) while Wyckoff has slightly overachieved at FSU.
I see Banghart has brought in her old PG from Princeton to run her offense next year and she has a super recruiting class coming in so she should improve. The jury is still out on Lawson at Duke since she quit the season early but recruits are coming in so she has a good opportunity to show her coaching skills going forward.
I think recruiting is such a big factor in a team's success. Kentucky got 3 top-100 in 2020 and MS had 1 who is now a starter, and they each have 1 top-100 coming in next year as well. Getting to the NCAAT is one thing but I've observed that getting to the Sweet 16 is paramount to getting TOP recruits for a year or two after....success breeds success.
As for coach Yo I wondered the same. She has recruited well and her team has been very competitive in nearly every game but without Austin and no 2021 recruits to speak of things could get rough.....at some point you have to go from being "very competitive" to winning.

 

[DefenseBB]

Banghart has made NC more relevant in her 2 years than what Sylvia Hatchell did the last 4 years. Kelly was a top guard to sign on with the Tar Heels but seemed to have very little impact for them. I would not put Courtney in the category as Elzy or McCray.
Wyckoff, as noted seemed to do well after some initial game gaffs early in the season-did you see my "Top Assistants Vote" thread (Shameless self promotion...)?
Lawson, sigh, VERY disappointed she let the team quit this year. Especially when you look at all the schools that did quit in P5-UVA, Vandy who were atrocious anyway and whose coaches need to show something. Credit has to be given to Auburn and Cal who "buckled up" and gave it a go with very bad teams. Lawson, took a creditability hit in my book on this....

 

[southie]

Banghart has made NC more relevant in her 2 years than what Sylvia Hatchell did the last 4 years. Kelly was a top guard to sign on with the Tar Heels but seemed to have very little impact for them. I would not put Courtney in the category as Elzy or McCray.
Wyckoff, as noted seemed to do well after some initial game gaffs early in the season-did you see my "Top Assistants Vote" thread (Shameless self promotion...)?
Lawson, sigh, VERY disappointed she let the team quit this year. Especially when you look at all the schools that did quit in P5-UVA, Vandy who were atrocious anyway and whose coaches need to show something. Credit has to be given to Auburn and Cal who "buckled up" and gave it a go with very bad teams. Lawson, took a creditability hit in my book on this....

I will be curious to see if Deja Kelly remains at UNC another season or transfers somewhere closer to Texas.

Banghart seems to be recruiting very well at UNC; sometimes that results in more talented newcomers displacing returning players/starters, and the transfer portal is their next destination.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I think one thing we are seeing with Mays departure this season and the gift year for White is schools are loathe to pay a buy out of a contract unless their hand is forced. We all know there are only about twenty or so schools who really put much emphasis or major resources into the sport. Those programs, for example a Texas or Tennessee, have to make changes when things get rocky because they have a fan base and support that expects something. For some others there isn't any push to make a change that would inconvenience them or cost money unless there is a scandal involved or complete insurrection.

The sport doesn't really make money anywhere and the national scene relatively small. This is largely why some zombie programs are allowed to exist.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Banghart has made NC more relevant in her 2 years than what Sylvia Hatchell did the last 4 years. Kelly was a top guard to sign on with the Tar Heels but seemed to have very little impact for them. I would not put Courtney in the category as Elzy or McCray.
Wyckoff, as noted seemed to do well after some initial game gaffs early in the season-did you see my "Top Assistants Vote" thread (Shameless self promotion...)?
Lawson, sigh, VERY disappointed she let the team quit this year. Especially when you look at all the schools that did quit in P5-UVA, Vandy who were atrocious anyway and whose coaches need to show something. Credit has to be given to Auburn and Cal who "buckled up" and gave it a go with very bad teams. Lawson, took a creditability hit in my book on this....

Bangart is just getting started.

She's bringing in the third or fourth best class in the country. #9, #17, #18, and #20.

I like Key and McPherson a lot. If they don't see any bump out of that then I would start to worry, but she seems very much on schedule at this point.

 

[sivad40]

Banghart has made NC more relevant in her 2 years than what Sylvia Hatchell did the last 4 years. Kelly was a top guard to sign on with the Tar Heels but seemed to have very little impact for them. I would not put Courtney in the category as Elzy or McCray.
Wyckoff, as noted seemed to do well after some initial game gaffs early in the season-did you see my "Top Assistants Vote" thread (Shameless self promotion...)?
Lawson, sigh, VERY disappointed she let the team quit this year. Especially when you look at all the schools that did quit in P5-UVA, Vandy who were atrocious anyway and whose coaches need to show something. Credit has to be given to Auburn and Cal who "buckled up" and gave it a go with very bad teams. Lawson, took a creditability hit in my book on this....

Kelly started every game except for one and came on strong the last five games of the season. The thing is if a team is dependent on freshmen to be major factors like UNC and Oregon did this season at least one of them have to come out of the gate and perform a high level. If they don't and the upper-classmen can't pick up the slack, the team will be inconsistent like UNC and Oregon was.

 

[Vowelguy]

Wisconsin lost 67-42 to Illinois, not exactly a BiG power
Tsipsis is on the clock.

 

[LETTERL]

Wisconsin lost 67-42 to Illinois, not exactly a BiG power
Tsipsis is on the clock.

I know it was Wisconsin but Illinois came out on fire and determined to play another day. This was a big win for Nancy Fahey.

 

[DaBball]

Wisconsin lost 67-42 to Illinois, not exactly a BiG power
Tsipsis is on the clock.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Good to see some programs pulling the trigger. I'm afraid I'll have to wait another year but I sure hope my school can do the same.

 

[Vowelguy]

Auburn, Wisconsin, SMU, Memphis ==> who are some candidates?

 

[DaBball]

Auburn, Wisconsin, SMU, Memphis ==> who are some candidates?

Maybe Megan Duffy or Amaka Agugua-Hamilton for Wisconsin. Not familar with the South Dakota or South Dakota State head coaches, but they’ve clearly had great sustained success.

Auburn is an interesting one. I feel like the Troy coach has done a nice job, but not sure if she has a strong enough resume. Coach Flo was a good hire on paper.

 

[Vowelguy]

Maybe Megan Duffy or Amaka Agugua-Hamilton for Wisconsin. Not familar with the South Dakota or South Dakota State head coaches, but they’ve clearly had great sustained success.

Auburn is an interesting one. I feel like the Troy coach has done a nice job, but not sure if she has a strong enough resume. Coach Flo was a good hire on paper.

Not sure Wisconsin is going to want to take another coach from the McGraw tree so soon.

 

[Vowelguy]

Perusing the standings and doing a little research, I'll throw out a few names:

• Tina Langley Rice
• Natasha Adair Delaware
• Shauna Green Dayton
• Mark Kellogg SF Austin
• Aaron Johnston SDak St
• JP McCallie
• GG

 

[Dillon77]

Not sure Wisconsin is going to want to take another coach from the McGraw tree so soon.

Here's the interesting thing about that.

• Megan played for McGraw (& Tsipsis, btw), but never coached at ND
• Her on-the-job coaching mentor is actually Kim Barnes-Arrico, both at St. John's and Michigan
• In between those gigs, she was Tsipsis original top assistant and had a lot to do with both the recruiting and development of the core group of that team, before joing Arrico again in Michigan.

That said, she (only) had two years at Miami and Marquette. If I'm an AD, I'd want to see how her recruiting acumen plays out.

On the opposite sideline of that Illinois-Wisc. game, I think Fahey sticks for another year.

 

[Matthew1589]

Auburn, Wisconsin, SMU, Memphis ==> who are some candidates?

For Wisconsin they should consider Jennie Baranczyk at Drake or Amaka Agugua-Hamilton at Missouri State. They would both be great choices and know the territory for recruiting. Wisconsin is a total rebuild and Jennie has done that at Drake while AAH has kept that program going at a high level.

 

[triaddukefan]

Auburn, Wisconsin, SMU, Memphis ==> who are some candidates?

East Tenn State is also open now.

 

[Vowelguy]

East Tenn State is also open now.

Yeah there are 10 openings right now; I was just going with the major ones.
Or sorta-major.

 

[Sifaka]

Badgers fire women’s basketball coach Jonathan Tsipis

MADISON (WKOW) — The University of Wisconsin has fired women’s basketball head coach Jonathan Tsipis. Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced a search will begin immediately for a new head

wkow.com

 

[Vowelguy]

Meanwhile, URI coach Tammi Reiss was named A10 COY in her 2nd season. Their conference record was their best in 25 years.

As a UVa alum, perhaps a future successor to Tina Thompson?

 

[Dillon77]

For Wisconsin they should consider Jennie Baranczyk at Drake or Amaka Agugua-Hamilton at Missouri State. They would both be great choices and know the territory for recruiting. Wisconsin is a total rebuild and Jennie has done that at Drake while AAH has kept that program going at a high level.

Good suggestions for Wisconsin. I'd add three from the Horizon League -- which spans the Midwest -- in no particular order of preference:

• Katrina Merriweather, Wright State, just won the 2021 title over IUPUI. She's done a stellar job at Wright State since 2016 and is very well connected to the AAU scenes in Ohio and her native Indianapolis.
• Austin Parkinson, HC of IUPUI, who made that school a force in the Horizon. My only caveat here is that I think he's a natural to take over Purdue -- if there's a change there -- because he comes from a long line of Purdue hoopsters.
• (Ms.) Kyle Rechlicz, Milwaukee. Just done a superb job there since taking over some 9 years ago. Should be noted that her Panthers beat Marquette this year. Before coming to Milwaukee, she was a longtime asst. coach at Dayton, then spent a year at Wisconsin.

All three know the territory for recruiting and all three coach who they get really well.

 

[Coler]

GG would be a good choice for UW. But I'd much prefer to see her get Purdue.