PLEASE Conduct a NATIONAL Coach Search

rojomojo · March 22, 2023

When Mac leaves for Tech, I have a dreadful feeling that the AD will pull a "Texas moment" and only reach out to coaches within a 100 mile radius of Denton. Why is this such a negative aspect? It boils down to the fact that this UNT job should be much more valuable than just throwing the coaching job to somebody found within the "good ol boy" coaching network of Texas. College basketball is an entirely different beast than college football. Local recruiting and high school connections are not nearly as important in basketball than football. Take a look at the current UNT roster, most of these guys are either found through national basketball camps, tournaments, and the recruiting portal. Part of what made Mac succuscful at UNT was his ability to recruit on a national level and bring interest from guys all across the country, therefore establishing a national brand, and elevating the program from what it has ever been.

With that being said, here are my suggestions...

Shantay Legans, Portland

Austin Claunch, Nicholls State

Bob Richey, Furman

Jonnyeagle · March 22, 2023

Just now, rojomojo said:

When Mac leaves for Tech, I have a dreadful feeling that the AD will pull a "Texas moment" and only reach out to coaches within a 100 mile radius of Denton. Why is this such a negative aspect? It boils down to the fact that this UNT job should be much more valuable than just throwing the coaching job to somebody found within the "good ol boy" coaching network of Texas. College basketball is an entirely different beast than college football. Local recruiting and high school connections are not nearly as important in basketball than football. Take a look at the current UNT roster, most of these guys are either found through national basketball camps, tournaments, and the recruiting portal. Part of what made Mac succuscful at UNT was his ability to recruit on a national level and bring interest from guys all across the country, therefore establishing a national brand, and elevating the program from what it has ever been.

With that being said, here are my suggestions...

Shantay Legans, Portland

Austin Claunch, Nicholls State

Bob Richey, Furman

Sorry man, I am calling bullshit on that. Ross Hodge is a great coach and he is already with us. If Mac leaves we owe Ross this job for what he has done for us. If we pass on him it would be a slap in the face to both him and Mac.

MeanGreen_MBA · March 22, 2023

Why are assuming Grant leaves for TT

MeanGreenTexan · March 22, 2023

16 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

Sorry man, I am calling bullshit on that. Ross Hodge is a great coach and he is already with us. If Mac leaves we owe Ross this job for what he has done for us. If we pass on him it would be a slap in the face to both him and Mac.

I don't think we "owe" coach Hodge anything.
However, if you like being ranked #1 in the nation in scoring defense, you'd be wise to interview him as soon as the proverbial ink dries on McCasland's buyout. He's a very good coach that has EARNED that opportunity. I'm honestly surprised he didn't land a HC job this past offseason.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

Only look beyond Hodge if Hodge doesn't want it.

Edited March 22, 2023 by CMJ

Andrew · March 22, 2023

22 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

Why are assuming Grant leaves for TT

It’s a done deal 😞

Edited March 22, 2023 by Andrew

MeanGreen22 · March 22, 2023

35 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

Sorry man, I am calling bullshit on that. Ross Hodge is a great coach and he is already with us. If Mac leaves we owe Ross this job for what he has done for us. If we pass on him it would be a slap in the face to both him and Mac.

We don’t “owe” him anything more than consideration. Just instantly turning to him and not doing the DD is a disservice to your fans and donors.

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

17 minutes ago, CMJ said:

Only look beyond Hodge if Hodge doesn't want it.

I think it's the only way to maintain continuity, and maybe a way to not let our roster get illegally scalped.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

I remember several of us were screaming to keep one of JJ's assistants, but we went outside the family. That worked out well.

LOL.

Edited March 22, 2023 by CMJ

Cr1028 · March 22, 2023

Jared Mosley knows basketball. We will be fine regardless of what decision he makes regarding our basketball programs.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Cr1028

GMG_Dallas · March 22, 2023

I wish we'd just admit we're better off being a basketball school and allocate more to the basketball budget. We're saving how much again from SL's salary to Morris' salary? I realize the new assistant pool is larger but the budget is likely still smaller. As to basketball, we can build a consistent winner with the money currently spent on football. McCaslands are hard to come by. If doubling his current salary could keep him here, I'd take that over dumping that amount in football. College basketball simply has a better postseason and winning in college basketball is more attainable for a non-power school, IMO.

Edited March 22, 2023 by GMG_Dallas

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

8 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

I wish we'd just admit we're better off being a basketball school and allocate more to the basketball budget. We're saving how much again from SL's salary to Morris' salary? I realize the new assistant pool is larger but the budget is likely still smaller. As to basketball, we can build a consistent winner with the money currently spent on football. McCasland's are hard to come by. If doubling his current salary could keep him here, I'd take that over dumping that amount in football. College basketball simply has a better postseason and winning in college basketball is more attainable for a non-power school, IMO.

Yes. And yes. And yes.

And it's not even an opinion. It's fact. It's far more doable to snab 10 ballers on the hardwood to compete at a very high level than it is to recruit and please 40-45 (2-deep) football players. And those of you that are in the mindset that we can be great at both. Not only are you wrong (we don't have the resources), we should just stretch the budget real thin and get baseball back.

MGNation92 · March 22, 2023

If Hodge wants to go elsewhere, I wouldn't mind looking at Scott Cross.

Had a couple bumpy years at Troy, but has been respectable the last two, and was amazing at UTA

aztecskin · March 22, 2023

I don't think it is bad to interview a couple of guys nationally. I think it is going to Hodge (if Hodge is not going to Tech with Mac) and I am fine with that for a lot of reasons.

I think he can be a part of the process.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · March 22, 2023

1 minute ago, aztecskin said:

I don't think it is bad to interview a couple of guys nationally. I think it is going to Hodge (if Hodge is not going to Tech with Mac) and I am fine with that for a lot of reasons.

I think he can be a part of the process.

His main goal is to be a head coach, I doubt he’d follow him to Tech. It’s a no brainer to promote, even the big sources are saying/begging for NT to hire him

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

I will say, this might be a first time D1 AD's easiest path to a first hire ever. And no one will hold him accountable for the hire, because most want it. Only accountable when/if the plug needs pulling.

MGNation92 · March 22, 2023

Joe Golding would be an interesting option too.

Mosley hired him at ACU, so the connection is there.

Cooley · March 22, 2023

1 hour ago, rojomojo said:

When Mac leaves for Tech, I have a dreadful feeling that the AD will pull a "Texas moment" and only reach out to coaches within a 100 mile radius of Denton. Why is this such a negative aspect? It boils down to the fact that this UNT job should be much more valuable than just throwing the coaching job to somebody found within the "good ol boy" coaching network of Texas. College basketball is an entirely different beast than college football. Local recruiting and high school connections are not nearly as important in basketball than football. Take a look at the current UNT roster, most of these guys are either found through national basketball camps, tournaments, and the recruiting portal. Part of what made Mac succuscful at UNT was his ability to recruit on a national level and bring interest from guys all across the country, therefore establishing a national brand, and elevating the program from what it has ever been.

With that being said, here are my suggestions...

Shantay Legans, Portland

Austin Claunch, Nicholls State

Bob Richey, Furman

You stole my thunder. 100% agree! Now I don’t know enough about the coaches you mentioned. This “best defense” in the country is very misleading when you consider the stall ball we’ve seen the past couple of years. (However, this has not been the case in the NIT)

I want a SERIOUS national search and not just the next person in line. This is what happened to SMU after Larry Brown left. I’ve never had a job in life where I was promoted automatically when my bosses moved on. And yes, I was more than qualified.

Go get the best person for the job within your budget. (To build on what has been established; instead of just keeping the ship sailing)

MrAlien · March 22, 2023

I think it would almost have to be Hodge, waiting until April to start the search is going to effect recruits and re-recruits, and how many quality available coaches will be left by then. With Hodge he would be able to continue some of Mac's recruiting strategy.

DentonLurker · March 22, 2023

I say we back the Brinks truck up to Mac's house and see what it would take to get him to stay. I think he's on the verge of getting this program to be a perennial at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, while also being in conference championship conversations annually. I would also love to see us break ground on a new arena sooner than later. Texas needs a school to sell-out to be the basketball school in the state. Let's be that school. Ryan Arena has a nice ring to it!

cousin oliver · March 22, 2023

14 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

Joe Golding would be an interesting option too.

Mosley hired him at ACU, so the connection is there.

I don't know if he would be my first choice.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

13 minutes ago, Cooley said:

You stole my thunder. 100% agree! Now I don’t know enough about the coaches you mentioned. This “best defense” in the country is very misleading when you consider the stall ball we’ve seen the past couple of years. (However, this has not been the case in the NIT)

I want a SERIOUS national search and not just the next person in line. This is what happened to SMU after Larry Brown left. I’ve never had a job in life where I was promoted automatically when my bosses moved on. And yes, I was more than qualified.

Go get the best person for the job within your budget. (To build on what has been established; instead of just keeping the ship sailing)

The "stall ball" that's got us to our best ever run in the history of our program. Listen, I've long respected your knowledge, but you've made it apparent the last few seasons that you'd rather lose entertainingly than win. Which IMHO is garbage. Winning IS entertaining.

Mentioning Larry Brown is also misleading because before Jankovich even went to SMU as an assistant, that was the plan. This would be more like Few being promoted. I'm sure if you'd been living in Spokane you woulda bitched that he was taking over the program.

Edited March 22, 2023 by CMJ

MeanGreenTexan · March 22, 2023

15 minutes ago, Cooley said:

You stole my thunder. 100% agree! Now I don’t know enough about the coaches you mentioned. This “best defense” in the country is very misleading when you consider the stall ball we’ve seen the past couple of years. (However, this has not been the case in the NIT)

I want a SERIOUS national search and not just the next person in line. This is what happened to SMU after Larry Brown left. I’ve never had a job in life where I was promoted automatically when my bosses moved on. And yes, I was more than qualified.

Go get the best person for the job within your budget. (To build on what has been established; instead of just keeping the ship sailing)

The "stall ball" is part of that defensive ranking, sure! Pace of play. We dictate it.
And it doesn't only go for the offensive end of the floor. I'm sorry, but when you just finished holding OKSt. to a halftime score of FRIGGIN 17, your defense is really good.

GMG_Dallas · March 22, 2023

10 minutes ago, CMJ said:

Mentioning Larry Brown is also misleading because before Jankovich even went to SMU as an assistant, that was the plan. This would be more like Few being promoted. I'm sure if you'd been living in Spokane you woulda bitched that he was taking over the program.

Hopefully McCasland looks at that situation and considers what those two coaches are doing now. Monson had a few decent seasons at Minnesota and has been at Long Beach State since then. Few has to be one of the current longest tenured coaches at any D1 basketball program. That could have been Monson had he stayed. He gambled and it didn't work.

I'm curious as to how long your typical D1 coach lasts without winning a national championship once they reach a power conference school. If McCasland goes to Texas Tech, how long will they be willing to pay $4-$5 million per year if he doesn't regularly make Final 4s? Is it worth it to move your family (again) if you may be looking for a new job in a few years if you don't perform? Not that I think he won't succeed wherever he goes but it's a huge gamble and there's little loyalty when the checks are that big. I won't be surprised if he goes to Lubbock but I'm not sold yet either.

drex · March 22, 2023

Good idea...let's conduct a two year tutorial for the next coach who comes from 1,000 miles away. Why do people assume that all the geniuses come from hundreds of miles away?