MGB: Source -- UNT expects to have new coach in place by end of week

Brett Vito · March 13, 2017

MGB:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2017/03/unt-closing-in-on-naming-new-coach.html/

techdawg88 · March 13, 2017

that's awfully fast, they must have started the search before actually firing Benford

VideoEagle · March 13, 2017

16 minutes ago, techdawg88 said:

that's awfully fast, they must have started the search before actually firing Benford

Shocked, shocked that they would start before Bedford was gone.

Wag Tag · March 13, 2017

With the quick timing does anybody stand out as a possibility? We know it can't be any coach or Asst in the tournament. I hope Cross!! GMG

TreeFiddy · March 13, 2017

Sounds like Harper is out of the running if we are this close to naming a new coach. The three that Vito named would make a great list of finalists. All have been actively recruiting Texas for the last several years.

A little odd that Kaspar gets a prominent mention in this article. Would be on board with any of the three. Sentimentally, I would like to see Kaspar get it, even though I am not a fan of his offense. There would be a bit of 'safeness' to the Kaspar pick. With him being an alum, I think WB would build some goodwill with a lot of folks. Plus, I think the quirkiness of the offense allows his teams to win at a high enough clip that he shouldn't experience a free fall season like we had to endure this year.

However, if these three truly are the finalists and we have a chance at all three I think that McCasland would be the leading candidate from WB's point of view. I initially thought his buyout would put him out of reach since he just completed his first year at ASU, but this Scout article makes it look like his buyout would only be $300k if I am reading it correctly. McCasland fits the young, up and coming coach that also has experience running successful programs at the lower levels, tutored under Drew at Baylor, and turned around ASU this season. The fact that ASU's AD hired McCasland is also a plus in my book. It also looks like the original GMG thread on McCasland is mysteriously no longer available, so there is the conspiracy theory angle.

I guess we will soon find out.

ETA: forgot to mention that UTA is in the NIT so assuming Cross is not in the running if we are expecting to name a coach this week.

Edited March 13, 2017 by TreeFiddy

TheTastyGreek · March 13, 2017

2 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

With the quick timing does anybody stand out as a possibility? We know it can't be any coach or Asst in the tournament. I hope Cross!! GMG

Cross is in the NIT. This rules out a lot of the names people were kicking around last week.

greenminer · March 13, 2017

Why do we keep coming back to Fran? He's not gonna be coaching here, and you can get the same UNT is an attractive place media speak from just about anyone.

UNT Mean Green · March 13, 2017

10 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

Sounds like Harper is out of the running if we are this close to naming a new coach. The three that Vito named would make a great list of finalists. All have been actively recruiting Texas for the last several years.

A little odd that Kaspar gets a prominent mention in this article. Would be on board with any of the three. Sentimentally, I would like to see Kaspar get it, even though I am not a fan of his offense. There would be a bit of 'safeness' to the Kaspar pick. With him being an alum, I think WB would build some goodwill with a lot of folks. Plus, I think the quirkiness of the offense allows his teams to win at a high enough clip that he shouldn't experience a free fall season like we had to endure this year.

However, if these three truly are the finalists and we have a chance at all three I think that McCasland would be the leading candidate from WB's point of view. I initially thought his buyout would put him out of reach since he just completed his first year at ASU, but this Scout article makes it look like his buyout would only be $300k if I am reading it correctly. McCasland fits the young, up and coming coach that also has experience running successful programs at the lower levels, tutored under Drew at Baylor, and turned around ASU this season. The fact that ASU's AD hired McCasland is also a plus in my book. It also looks like the original GMG thread on McCasland is mysteriously no longer available, so there is the conspiracy theory angle.

I guess we will soon find out.

ETA: forgot to mention that UTA is in the NIT so assuming Cross is not in the running if we are expecting to name a coach this week.

It looks like the start date on the contract at Arkansas State was April 1, 2016 according to the article. If that is the case, and McCasland was the pick, you would assume that we are buying out the $300,000 effective April 2, 2017 or something near that.

McCasland definitely fits all of the desired criteria as a candidate and would be an awesome pick!

TheTastyGreek · March 13, 2017

7 minutes ago, UNT Mean Green said:

It looks like the start date on the contract at Arkansas State was April 1, 2016 according to the article. If that is the case, and McCasland was the pick, you would assume that we are buying out the $300,000 effective April 2, 2017 or something near that.

McCasland definitely fits all of the desired criteria as a candidate and would be an awesome pick!

National signing period opens on April 12th. So, you don't want to wait 3 weeks to ink your coach.

And we're apparently making it official this week. So, if it is McCasland, we're paying half a million on top of whatever his salary is to get him.

Mean_Green09 · March 13, 2017

10 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

Sounds like Harper is out of the running if we are this close to naming a new coach. The three that Vito named would make a great list of finalists. All have been actively recruiting Texas for the last several years.

A little odd that Kaspar gets a prominent mention in this article. Would be on board with any of the three. Sentimentally, I would like to see Kaspar get it, even though I am not a fan of his offense. There would be a bit of 'safeness' to the Kaspar pick. With him being an alum, I think WB would build some goodwill with a lot of folks. Plus, I think the quirkiness of the offense allows his teams to win at a high enough clip that he shouldn't experience a free fall season like we had to endure this year.

However, if these three truly are the finalists and we have a chance at all three I think that McCasland would be the leading candidate from WB's point of view. I initially thought his buyout would put him out of reach since he just completed his first year at ASU, but this Scout article makes it look like his buyout would only be $300k if I am reading it correctly. McCasland fits the young, up and coming coach that also has experience running successful programs at the lower levels, tutored under Drew at Baylor, and turned around ASU this season. The fact that ASU's AD hired McCasland is also a plus in my book. It also looks like the original GMG thread on McCasland is mysteriously no longer available, so there is the conspiracy theory angle.

I guess we will soon find out.

ETA: forgot to mention that UTA is in the NIT so assuming Cross is not in the running if we are expecting to name a coach this week.

Would give us an identity on both sides of the floor. Mainly on defense.

outoftown · March 13, 2017

10 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

Sounds like Harper is out of the running if we are this close to naming a new coach. The three that Vito named would make a great list of finalists. All have been actively recruiting Texas for the last several years.

ETA: forgot to mention that UTA is in the NIT so assuming Cross is not in the running if we are expecting to name a coach this week.

Not sure about Harper being out of the running if I read the post. After all he heads a 15 seed that plays on thursday. You could kind of expect that there is a good chance that he is out by the saturday at the latest and could then be presented. with Cross and the NIT however, it would be very unsure how long it would take to for him to finish the season.

Mean Green 93-98 · March 13, 2017

Wow, this is definitely quick. It seems that hiring a search firm was only a formality.

Brett, thanks for the scoop. But Fran Fraschilla might prefer that you stop sticking "n"s in his last name.

MeanGreenDan · March 13, 2017

It leads me to believe it could be someone with a history with Wren. I have not kept up with much of the chatter on rumored coaches, but to make a decision so quick, I am thinking it has to be someone he knows and was already in discussions with for awhile.

MCMLXXX · March 13, 2017

44 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

National signing period opens on April 12th. So, you don't want to wait 3 weeks to ink your coach.

And we're apparently making it official this week. So, if it is McCasland, we're paying half a million on top of whatever his salary is to get him.

Everything is negotiable. If it is McCasland, then Arkansas State has as great an interest in getting a coach in place before national signing day as we do. How many scholarships do we have to give?

GreenN'walinsVet · March 13, 2017

30 minutes ago, MeanGreenDan said:

It leads me to believe it could be someone with a history with Wren. I have not kept up with much of the chatter on rumored coaches, but to make a decision so quick, I am thinking it has to be someone he knows and was already in discussions with for awhile.

I think it just points to the Search Firm was hired and in place for awhile and has been doing a lot of behind the scenes work. (Hence, the need for one).

Harry · March 13, 2017

15 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

Everything is negotiable. If it is McCasland, then Arkansas State has as great an interest in getting a coach in place before national signing day as we do. How many scholarships do we have to give?

That's what I was thinking -- signing period could benefit us to the detriment of another program.

greenjoe · March 13, 2017

Do we have $300,000 laying around that I don't know about ? We're still paying off 2 guys. Now, we'd pay off a third that didn't even work here ? I'm sure McCasland is a good coach but how long can we throw money into the air and not get anything in return ?

Is the notion of a 3 or 4 year contract completely out of the question ? While I'm sure the next guy will take us to the promised land, I felt the same way about Benford, and Johnny, and Jank, and Trilli, and Newman, and Gales. How about a 3 year deal loaded up front with a agreed extension (both sides) of 1 or 2 afterward ? Some of our top paid people don't set foot on the campus anymore.

Harper sounds like the most "gettable." What happened to Kyle Talin (?) ? Would Kaspar leave ? And more to the point, would Cross leave ?

GO MEAN GREEN

Edited March 13, 2017 by greenjoe

UNTFan23 · March 13, 2017

8 minutes ago, greenjoe said:

Do we have $300,000 laying around that I don't know about ? We're still paying off 2 guys. Now, we'd pay off a third that didn't even work here ? I'm sure McCasland is a good coach but how long can we throw money into the air and not get anything in return ?

Is the notion of a 3 or 4 year contract completely out of the question ? While I'm sure the next guy will take us to the promised land, I felt the same way about Benford, and Johnny, and Jank, and Trilli, and Newman, and Gales. How about a 3 year deal loaded up front with a agreed extension (both sides) of 1 or 2 afterward ? Some of our top paid people don't set foot on the campus anymore.

Harper sounds like the most "gettable." What happened to Kyle Talin (?) ? Would Kaspar leave ? And more to the point, would Cross leave ?

GO MEAN GREEN

Well, I'm sure we have whatever we were paying Benford that is available, especially come the beginning of April which is what his contract was good through.

wardly · March 13, 2017

All three coaches were successful in the Sun Belt, and in my opinion C.U.S.A. in general and U.N.T. in particular is not a professional step up.

GrandGreen · March 13, 2017

9 minutes ago, wardly said:

All three coaches were successful in the Sun Belt, and in my opinion C.U.S.A. in general and U.N.T. in particular is not a professional step up.

Anything that pays significantly more is a step up just like any other job.

1 hour ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

Wow, this is definitely quick. It seems that hiring a search firm was only a formality.

Brett, thanks for the scoop. But Fran Fraschilla might prefer that you stop sticking "n"s in his last name.

If NT does name someone this week, it would be great; but I bet Baker has been looking for his whole tenure.

11 hours ago, TheTastyGreek said:

Cross is in the NIT. This rules out a lot of the names people were kicking around last week.

Not sure why some think that an active coach couldn't announce his departure, that is not all that rare. Missing a NIT tournament for example, is not going to stop a lot of coaches from moving on.

In general, I think a lot of long time NT fans are the worst predictors of the merits of a NT job opportunity. We have lived with the frustrations and general ineptness of the NT program for a long time. We have watched and endured two of the all-time worst college head coaches in college basketball history sandwiched around a good solid but not great coach in Jones. What we don't pay attention to is a lot of programs that draw poorly and don't have a lot of the advantages in terms of location and even facilities that NT has.

Many have mentioned the impossibility of getting Cross, a long shot in my mind. However, I doubt he is happy with the fan support he is getting at UTA in light of a new arena and a great record. As bad as support for NT basketball has been, NT's attendance was substantially better than three CUSA teams. In fact, reported attendance in CUSA had half the teams above a 3000 average and half below. NT at 2089 reported attendance is bad, but it should be easy to move up into the first half of the conference.

Wag Tag · March 13, 2017

1 hour ago, wardly said:

All three coaches were successful in the Sun Belt, and in my opinion C.U.S.A. in general and U.N.T. in particular is not a professional step up.

Uh uh $150,000 to $250,000 raise kinda proves you wrong! GMG