IF Miller Were to Leave....

[zls44]

Why would Miller be leaving ? I think he's a fine coach . Uconn fans making a big mistake throwing the staff under the bus, like none of this has to do with talent meshing . Even Hobbs , who could replace him that his chops? Hobbs would probably end up on his buddy Steve Clifford (hornets coach ) bench.

He failed at two ivy league schools, was loathed at both and has done very little in the way of advancing development of big men at UConn. They have the NYC POY (Facey) who has barely improved in three years and their best bigs are a transfer in from the Ivy League and a solid big man in Brimah who makes the same mistakes as a junior he made as a Freshman.

How would they replace Glenn Miller? The answer: it'd be pretty easy to clear a bar this low.

As for Karl Hobbs...he did a very good job at GW, but that was a long time ago. There are plenty of discarded coaches who have had the same type of career more recently. Get one of them. He's a more-successful Bruiser Flint or Bill Carmody. That's something you think they can't improve on? Really? Talk about lowered expectations.

Karl did a great job as an assistant and a recruiter under JC. He also departed that job in 2001. It's been 15 years. Maybe its time.

 

[zls44]

He's my second pick after The Truth.

NO MORE HIRING PEOPLE WITH NO COACHING EXPERIENCE TO THE STAFF OF A TOP-10 JOB

It worked with KO. It has not worked otherwise.

This is not the way business is conducted at major programs. It is not a retirement home. Go get the best to coach the best, not guys we all loved as players who you'd like to see on the sideline as a coach because "look at the great games they played!".

 

[Fishy]

A guy I'd spend a long time looking at is Butch Pierre.

Former point guard at Mississippi State, very bright guy, good recruiter and is somewhere in his mid-50's, so he has more time under his belt than KO, but is close enough to relate.

Got his Master's while he was an assistant at MSU, spent a long time at LSU before losing his job when John Brady got canned - I'd imagine the same thing is about to happen with Ford at Okie State, so he'll likely be available.

Recruited some big names to both schools - not a perfect fit, but a pretty darned good one.

 

[zls44]

A guy I'd spend a long time looking at is Butch Pierre.

Former point guard at Mississippi State, very bright guy, good recruiter and is somewhere in his mid-50's, so he has more time under his belt than KO, but is close enough to relate.

Got his Master's while he was an assistant at MSU, spent a long time at LSU before losing his job when John Brady got canned - I'd imagine the same thing is about to happen with Ford at Okie State, so he'll likely be available.

Recruited some big names to both schools - not a perfect fit, but a pretty darned good one.

I always enjoy when people say "YOU CAN'T NAME ANYONE BETTER YOU'RE JUST A MESSAGE BOARD NERD" and then Fishy proves again that, unfortunately, he CAN name someone better and DOES have a perfectly good replacement.

 

[superjohn]

NO MORE HIRING PEOPLE WITH NO COACHING EXPERIENCE TO THE STAFF OF A TOP-10 JOB

It worked with KO. It has not worked otherwise.

This is not the way business is conducted at major programs. It is not a retirement home. Go get the best to coach the best, not guys we all loved as players who you'd like to see on the sideline as a coach because "look at the great games they played!".

My buddy played for Miller at Conn College when they went to D3 final four, he said the guy was impossible to play for. He has clearly mellowed in more recent years but I would not at all be opposed to replacing him. There simply needs to be changes to the staff. I want no part of Travis Ford, I have some personal knowledge on him and the guy is a major .

 

[Tenspro2002]

I'd prefer to finally bring in someone from the outside -- we need a new perspective on the staff.

Give me someone well-connected to AAU programs in a talent-rich part of the country we're otherwise not reaching and/or someone with hints of success in developing talent at lesser programs. Actually, I'd say the latter is more important.

 

[Devland]

I am curious, would someone actually running/directing a big man camp be a consideration for an assistant coaches job? Are there NCAA regs prohibiting such individuals due to the amount of time in contact with athletes at their camps?

To play devil's advocate. Why aren't these people running these big man camp's currently coaching? Just because they are running a camp doesn't mean they are good at it.

 

[Fishy]

My buddy played for Miller at Conn College when they went to D3 final four, he said the guy was impossible to play for. He has clearly mellowed in more recent years but I would not at all be opposed to replacing him. There simply needs to be changes to the staff. I want no part of Travis Ford, I have some personal knowledge on him and the guy is a major .

Not Travis Ford - no use for him. He'll be fine coaching at Southeast Oklahoma Tech A&M or wherever he ends up when OSU fires him.

Butch Pierre is on his staff at Oklahoma State...recruited Marcus Smart, etc. Lots of recruiting connections in the southeast/Louisiana and in Big 12 country, which hopefully becomes an issue for us.

 

[Chief00]

Chief.

Quite frankly, while I recognize that's a sentiment that's out there, it's unlikely that I would accept. I suggested Rasheed Wallace.

 

[Bonehead]

Agreed
People are foolish and have no idea what it takes to coach at a high level.

Enlighten us please.

How about a 5 point bullet on the top five things the foolish people have no idea about in coaching at a high level?
And how Miller fits those points better then any other asst coach?
It should help the post along.

 

[Phorcys]

Is World Wide Wes available?

Imagine our recruiting class if he was sitting on the bench as an assistant coach.

To be sure, adding him to the staff would indubitably end with fire, brimstone, and eternal NCAA sanctions … but it might be one fun ride down into the abyss.



Otherwise, I trust Kevin Ollie—by all indications a man of integrity with an incredible work ethic—to make the decisions.

Admittedly, he has proven to be a bit of a disappointment. In his four years as our head coach, he has given us four 20-win seasons, but only one National Championship.

 

[dennismenace]

He's my second pick after The Truth.

Walter Berry?

 

[uchusky32]

I guess in all fairness this post could reasonably be interpreted as me throwing him under the bus. It really isn't though. I was just curious what names might appeal to some of the more knowledgeable posters assuming Miller were to one day leave.

If you love our staff then I respect that.

Second mistake.

Knowledgeable posters. Right!

 

[Palatine]

Alex Oriaki.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ollie desperately needs someone who understands that a college team cannot run an antiquated NBA isolation offense that relies on winning one on one battles. I don't care which assistant goes, we need the equivalent of a great offensive coordinator to come in and install a motion/passing offense. Steve Kerr would be nice.

 

[ktuck911]

Has Clyde Vaughn been pardoned by the state and the university for his error in judgement yet? We were having some serious success with our bigs when he was here.

 

[CL82]

Has Clyde Vaughn been pardoned by the state and the university for his error in judgement yet? We were having some serious success with our bigs when he was here.

It will never happen, but he did a great job here.

 

[Kitaman]

The one on the left, deflects any blame on coaching staff regarding non development:

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

A guy I'd spend a long time looking at is Butch Pierre.

Former point guard at Mississippi State, very bright guy, good recruiter and is somewhere in his mid-50's, so he has more time under his belt than KO, but is close enough to relate.

Got his Master's while he was an assistant at MSU, spent a long time at LSU before losing his job when John Brady got canned - I'd imagine the same thing is about to happen with Ford at Okie State, so he'll likely be available.

Recruited some big names to both schools - not a perfect fit, but a pretty darned good one.

Interesting potential candidate. Good post.

 

[Horatio]

The one on the left, deflects any blame on coaching staff regarding non development:

The one on the left should've been present when Caron was honored. He is greatness.

 

[intlzncster]

Why would Miller be leaving ? I think he's a fine coach . Uconn fans making a big mistake throwing the staff under the bus, like none of this has to do with talent meshing . Even Hobbs , who could replace him that his chops? Hobbs would probably end up on his buddy Steve Clifford (hornets coach ) bench.

I also don't understand how everyone has pegged Miller as the weak link. He does well on the recruiting trail. Seems to be one of the few X's and O's guys on the staff. And our free throw shooting has definitely been very solid (and sometime fantastic) under his tutelage. Brings solid HC experience.

Where exactly is he failing?

 

[intlzncster]

What if there is a dearth of talent on the roster , notwithstanding two brand new "graduate transfers" that are suppose to be malleable enough to start on a contender ?

Look an argument could be made whether purvis or Hamilton were not developed under the staff, but there's two sides to this coin , perhaps their evaluations were off basis in Hs from the jump. I've read some crazy stuff on the yard suggesting JC could turn brimah into a lotto pick , which is just nuts.

I would love to sit here and chastise the staff but every blue moon in a game they run tremendous action that yield great looks. It makes me think the players aren't executing the game plan due to lack of leadership , raw talent on the floor, and I guess continuity. Perhaps they are expending uncomfortable amounts of energy within KOs layered defensive scheme ( Miller Gibbs haven't done anything like this at the d1 level, the attentiveness to ball screen d. Both look crazy gassed at times. As does Hamilton).

Someone mentioned "the shiny new toy" over in the Purvis thread. Looks like it applies to coaches as well.

I agree with your post, but I'd add that if the talent is there, it's very much the responsibility of the Head Coach to mesh that talent. It's one of the primary responsibility of the job.

EDIT: And I think you are underselling 'continuity'. I would argue that is one of the most important factors that affects team performance, year in year out.

 

[intlzncster]

Who's the coach from Louisville who ran the whorehouse?

Hey, if I got those kinds of extracurriculars, I'd play my ass off for him. It's not a wonder his teams always play hard. Now that's how you turn a phrase.

 

[superjohn]

Not Travis Ford - no use for him. He'll be fine coaching at Southeast Oklahoma Tech A&M or wherever he ends up when OSU fires him.

Butch Pierre is on his staff at Oklahoma State...recruited Marcus Smart, etc. Lots of recruiting connections in the southeast/Louisiana and in Big 12 country, which hopefully becomes an issue for us.

My bad, I totally read that wrong.

 

[intlzncster]

He's my second pick after The Truth.

Is Pierce even going into coaching?

And aren't you a knicks fan? You are supposed to hate PP.