MGB: Fran Fraschilla talks about UNT job

[Brett Vito]

MGB:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2017/03/fran-fraschilla-unt-job-is-a-great-one.html/

[UNTFan23]

So we can scratch Fran off the possible candidates list.

[El Paso Eagle]

Fran should have been hired last time (IMO)

[the green rokemi]

2 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Fran should have been hired last time (IMO)

Ain't that the truth. Funny thing is that I remember when the final 3 names came out, most people had Fran as their #1 and EVERYONE had Benford as their #3

[Cooley]

Fran was never seriously interested in the job. He told me this directly. He briefly explored the idea because he resides in Highland Park. He stated that he did not want to give up his 5 month a year gig at ESPN and the money it paid him. 

 I actually urged him to move forward with the process because of his ties and knowledge of top foreign players. While we we talking, his son called him and he excused himself to take the call. He mentioned that his sons were another reason he was not interested. 

 

[Harry]

1 hour ago, Cooley said:

Fran was never seriously interested in the job. He told me this directly. He briefly explored the idea because he resides in Highland Park. He stated that he did not want to give up his 5 month a year gig at ESPN and the money it paid him. 

 I actually urged him to move forward with the process because of his ties and knowledge of top foreign players. While we we talking, his son called him and he excused himself to take the call. He mentioned that his sons were another reason he was not interested. 

 

You can't underestimate how critical the relationship between the AD and the HC candidate is.  It was huge when RV made the Benford hire.  For this hire it may be bigger since it is Wren's first at this level.  

AD's want a guy that will fit their leadership vision and will mesh well with their management team which in his case is the big 4.

Do I think this came into play on the last time around on Fran?  Absolutely.  Fran was sort of an independent entity and some might argue bigger nationally than anyone else at the school.  He was not going to be corralled.  If the practice facility didn't have restrooms he was going to scream loudly.

Publicly it was communicated that it was was a risky hire and Fran had been out of the coaching game too long.  But look at the woman's hire, Coach Pete was about as company man as you could have hired.

I for one hope Wren will be willing to go outside his comfort zone on this one but history on first hires seems to point to him going with a known commodity that he knows very well.

[GrandGreen]

When a coach is fired, it always seems that the opposite is the way everyone wants to go.   Benford was a long time assistant with a specialty in recruiting with no HC experience.   So now the search will probably be for candidates with hc experience and a good x and o's knowledge.  

Fraschilla really said nothing noteworthy in this interview, seems to thinks NT is a good place for a relative newcomer.  I don't think that is what Baker is looking for. 

I suspect Baker will go for a safe hire, meaning someone who is currently coaching with a good history.  I don't see Baker picking a coach with a questionable background, one with no hc experience, or a reach of any kind.