Mac mention for Wichita State opening

[cousin oliver]

With Turgeon off the board, it’s unclear which direction Saal is turning in the Wichita State basketball coaching search. National analysts peg WSU as one of the more intriguing open positions in the country, which should drum up interest from the crop of up-and-coming mid-major coaches who have led their teams to the Big Dance this week. Furman’s Bob Richey and Oral Roberts’ Paul Mills are two potential targets, according to sources, while other potential candidates who are sitting head coaches in the tournament include Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May, North Texas’ Grant McCasland, College of Charleston’s Pat Kelsey, Drake’s Darian DeVries and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Steve Lutz. May, McCasland, Kelsey and DeVries have all been rumored to be candidates for power-conference openings. WSU would face stiff competition to land any one of them, but it’s a battle the Shockers very well could win, given what the program has to offer in tradition, fan base, resources and proven track record of winning.

Read more at: https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article273178050.html#storylink=cpy

[MrAlien]

Salary-wise I think UNT could offer more then WS... However there are perks to coaching in a small town as appose to a suburb, more attention in the local media, could be a better launching point to a top program.  

[GMG_Dallas]

Seems like a lateral move. I've read posts on the Twitters suggesting Wichita State would be a step up simply because men's basketball is their premiere sport but even if that's true, I don't see it as a big enough leap for the likes or McCasland or Dusty May to take the job. Same conference in a few months, same national visibility, similar overall resources and you have to do a rebuild when you've got a good squad where you are. Unless it's one of their dream jobs, which I doubt, it doesn't make sense.

[RiseUNT]

[DeepGreen]

Hey!  Wichita State, keepa you handsa offa our coach!   Capeesh?

 

Your first warning.

[MCMLXXX]

I don't think Mac is going anywhere. He is a big football fan and he especially isn't going to a school that doesn't have a football team.

[NT80]

4 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

I don't think Mac is going anywhere. He is a big football fan and he especially isn't going to a school that doesn't have a football team.

He is a Texas guy.  Wichita, KS is not in Texas.

[CMJ]

1 hour ago, MrAlien said:

Salary-wise I think UNT could offer more then WS... However there are perks to coaching in a small town as appose to a suburb, more attention in the local media, could be a better launching point to a top program.  

Well, their previous coach's base salary was 1.2 million a year.  That's more than Mac gets with incentives.

[emmitt01]

[CMJ]

1 hour ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Seems like a lateral move. I've read posts on the Twitters suggesting Wichita State would be a step up simply because men's basketball is their premiere sport but even if that's true, I don't see it as a big enough leap for the likes or McCasland or Dusty May to take the job. Same conference in a few months, same national visibility, similar overall resources and you have to do a rebuild when you've got a good squad where you are. Unless it's one of their dream jobs, which I doubt, it doesn't make sense.

I would say Wichita State is a step up, but it's not so much of a step up as to be worth leaving here.

[Mean Green 93-98]

31 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

I don't think Mac is going anywhere. He is a big football fan and he especially isn't going to a school that doesn't have a football team.

I have no idea whether or not he is interested, but thinking that he's going to make his decision based on whether or not they have a football team he can cheer for?  That is plain delusional.

[RBP79]

If Mac wants butts in seats...yea they pull more fans..7000+ what I saw. Think the potential is better at NT...

 

[MrAlien]

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

Well, their previous coach's base salary was 1.2 million a year.  That's more than Mac gets with incentives.

Thats why I said UNT could offer more... Hopefully the university realizes his importance.

 

 

[Wag Tag]

Quality of life? It’s Wichita Kansas!

[CMJ]

31 minutes ago, RBP79 said:

If Mac wants butts in seats...yea they pull more fans..7000+ what I saw. Think the potential is better at NT...

 

The Shockers have made 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times.  They also have an NIT title and one other trip to the NIT Semis

 

We have four trips to the NCAAs and one time in the Round of 32.  We boast a CBI title.

 

I'd say they have plenty of potential there.

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

The Shockers have made 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Final Four twice, the Elite Eight four times, and the Sweet Sixteen six times.  They also have an NIT title and one other trip to the NIT Semis

 

We have four trips to the NCAAs and one time in the Round of 32.  We boast a CBI title.

 

I'd say they have plenty of potential there.

Had. 

[GrandGreen]

Have any of you ever been in Wichita, Kansas?

If McCasland wants a new gig, there are a lot of better location IMO.

[CMJ]

4 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Had. 

It's a better job, even after we're in the same league it's a better job. It's like Kentucky is a better job than Florida even if they're both in the SEC.  But as I said, it's not enough of a better job once we're in the same conference, that it's worth jumping.

Edited March 16, 2023 by CMJ

[CMJ]

11 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Have any of you ever been in Wichita, Kansas?

If McCasland wants a new gig, there are a lot of better location IMO.

I have been actually.  I'm not saying it's a "destination" to vacation to.  But as far as the ability to build a basketball power goes outside the "Power Leagues"...it's tough to beat.

Edited March 16, 2023 by CMJ

[greenminer]

The location argument just doesn't carry a ton of weight, IMO, especially in MBB.

Tons of programs have built incredible successes, traditions, and brand recognition at campuses that are NOT, shall we say, tourist friendly.

Think of those Kansas schools.  UNM and UTEP were the faces of southwest CBB for a couple decades.  in the pre internet era!! communities were even more isolated/removed than they are now.

I'm sure there are more examples. @CMJ

[CMJ]

2 minutes ago, greenminer said:

The location argument just doesn't carry a ton of weight, IMO, especially in MBB.

Tons of programs have built incredible successes, traditions, and brand recognition at campuses that are NOT, shall we say, tourist friendly.

Think of those Kansas schools.  UNM and UTEP were the faces of southwest CBB for a couple decades.  in the pre internet era!! communities were even more isolated/removed than they are now.

I'm sure there are more examples. @CMJ

At the very least I'd add Creighton.

[Arkstfan]

21 hours ago, MrAlien said:

Salary-wise I think UNT could offer more then WS... However there are perks to coaching in a small town as appose to a suburb, more attention in the local media, could be a better launching point to a top program.  

Wichita State is paying out $12.5 million in buyouts. Apparently money ain’t an issue there.

Mac left Jonesboro in less than a year, basically closed up shop a few weeks early. Quit Abilene without coaching a game. I don’t think he’s look for a smaller community, though Wichita metro is 647,000 so not tiny. Biggest media market in the state other than Kansas City.

[Arkstfan]

1 hour ago, greenminer said:

The location argument just doesn't carry a ton of weight, IMO, especially in MBB.

Tons of programs have built incredible successes, traditions, and brand recognition at campuses that are NOT, shall we say, tourist friendly.

Think of those Kansas schools.  UNM and UTEP were the faces of southwest CBB for a couple decades.  in the pre internet era!! communities were even more isolated/removed than they are now.

I'm sure there are more examples. @CMJ

Montana State is really good this year and was last year and Bozeman, MT the whole county is 118,000 people. The AVERAGE low in December, January and February is under 20 degrees.

[Arkstfan]

1 hour ago, greenminer said:

The location argument just doesn't carry a ton of weight, IMO, especially in MBB.

Tons of programs have built incredible successes, traditions, and brand recognition at campuses that are NOT, shall we say, tourist friendly.

Think of those Kansas schools.  UNM and UTEP were the faces of southwest CBB for a couple decades.  in the pre internet era!! communities were even more isolated/removed than they are now.

I'm sure there are more examples. @CMJ

Seriously some of the historically best basketball programs have been schools in the Ohio and Missouri valley regions (geography not the conferences).

Gonzaga is in a smaller metro area than Wichita and the school has less than 5,000 undergraduate students. Lexington is smaller than Spokane, WA

[Jonnyeagle]

1 hour ago, greenminer said:

The location argument just doesn't carry a ton of weight, IMO, especially in MBB.

Tons of programs have built incredible successes, traditions, and brand recognition at campuses that are NOT, shall we say, tourist friendly.

Think of those Kansas schools.  UNM and UTEP were the faces of southwest CBB for a couple decades.  in the pre internet era!! communities were even more isolated/removed than they are now.

I'm sure there are more examples. @CMJ

Yes but TV ratings do matter and location has a lot to do with that as well.