Most successful basketball coach in Texas deserves a shot

Harry · March 4, 2013

Every athletic director in the nation should flog themselves every time one of their men’s basketball hires flops if they didn’t take the
time to at least talk to Danny Kaspar.

Kaspar runs the most successful college basketball team in Texas, and he can’t get a sniff from a big-time job. It’s part of the deal when you coach at Stephen F.
Austin.

The Lumberjacks are the best team in Texas — it may be the only team from this state that makes the NCAA Tournament — and the
chances are good Kaspar’s phone won’t ring when the season ends.

Kaspar’s case is part of a trend that is seeing successful mid-major coaches get squeezed because they don’t have a name and because they won’t win an
opening press conference, even if they could potentially win games.

Despite a résumé as impressive as any mid-major coach in the nation not named Mark Few (Gonzaga) or Brad Stevens (Butler), Kaspar can’t buy an
interview from a bigger job.

“Do I want to move on?” Kaspar asked in a phone interview. “I took this job because I wanted to win and to get to the NCAA Tournament. I didn’t take the job to win and to get the
hell out. I wanted to create a winner and, if something great comes my way and I could enjoy living and making a little bit more money, I would
have to look at it. It’s not something that weighs on my mind.”

Kaspar’s Lumberjacks have the best winning percentage of any of the 21 Division I programs in Texas since the 2007-08 season. He has won regular-season
conference championships. He has won conference tournaments. He has been to NCAA Tournaments.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/03/4656887/most-successful-basketball-coach.html

UNT90 · March 4, 2013

Hopefully no one else gives him a chance for 2 more years...

untbowler · March 4, 2013

We should have given our alum a chance this year

Mean Green 93-98 · March 4, 2013

Any A.D. looking to hire a basketball coach but doesn't interview Kaspar should be kicked in the groin.

UNT90 · March 4, 2013

RV had been. Time and again this year.

greenjoe · March 4, 2013

Danny Kaspar met all the criteria. Prior head coach experience. Successful head coaching experience. Knows how to recruit Texas. Probably would come to North Texas for less than a zillion dollars. Oh yeah, HE'S AN ALUM. He could be our Johnny Jones coming back after proving himself at SFASU.

GO LUMBERJACKS

GO MEAN GREEN

greenminer · March 4, 2013

Did Kasper apply?

I hope it's not a case of RV only reading applications, and Kasper not applying unless he gets a phone call.

curtisdaa · March 4, 2013

Did Kasper apply?
I hope it's not a case of RV only reading applications, and Kasper not applying unless he gets a phone call.

He tried RV would not accept nor return his phone calls. Nor did RV call back the those that called on his behalf, coach Barnes at UT and Greg Popavich (sp?) are just a couple of examples of people that called for Kaspar.

MeanGreenTexan · March 4, 2013

He tried RV would not accept nor return his phone calls. Nor did RV call back the those that called on his behalf, coach Barnes at UT and Greg Popavich (sp?) are just a couple of examples of people that called for Kaspar.

This kinda sounds like a vicious rumor that cannot be validated.

I, and probably just about everyone else on here, would love to hear your source.

curtisdaa · March 4, 2013

This kinda sounds like a vicious rumor that cannot be validated.
I, and probably just about everyone else on here, would love to hear your source.

Not a rumor. If I named my source I would hurt a very good friend. Not wiling to risk losing a friend when it would not change what happened. Edited March 4, 2013 by curtisdaa

Harry · March 4, 2013

Not a rumor. If I named my source I would hurt a very good friend. Not wiling to risk losing a friend when it would not change what happened.

Times have changed. People share stories without revealing sources all the time. You shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that. We appreciate your for sharing the info.

cdizzle86 · March 4, 2013

Sounds like we opted for the "splash" hire instead of the right hire. I can think of one other time where this happened...

TheTastyGreek · March 4, 2013

Did Kasper apply?
I hope it's not a case of RV only reading applications, and Kasper not applying unless he gets a phone call.

I believe curtisdaa, and I think it's beyond unfortunate how that may have been handled. Because in 2 years (sooner?), Kaspar is one of the guys I'd love to have in here to handle what it seems will be a rebuilding effort.

But, and I don't mean this as any criticism of Kaspar, I don't think he was the right choice for us last year. In 2 years, we probably won't be the best choice for him... But last year, he wasn't the right guy at the right time.

Turns out, the guy we hired wasn't the right guy for us this year (or any year?)... But Kaspar as a top notch titanium square peg wasn't going to be a better fit for what this season could/should have been than the deceptively round-looking balsa wood peg we wound up trying to fit into our round hole.

Good coach, great season at SFA this year. I will be interested to see where he does end up next season.

UNT90 · March 4, 2013

Not a rumor. If I named my source I would hurt a very good friend. Not wiling to risk losing a friend when it would not change what happened.

I have also heard the same from someone who would know.

UNT90 · March 4, 2013

I believe curtisdaa, and I think it's beyond unfortunate how that may have been handled. Because in 2 years (sooner?), Kaspar is one of the guys I'd love to have in here to handle what it seems will be a rebuilding effort.

But, and I don't mean this as any criticism of Kaspar, I don't think he was the right choice for us last year. In 2 years, we probably won't be the best choice for him... But last year, he wasn't the right guy at the right time.

Turns out, the guy we hired wasn't the right guy for us this year (or any year?)... But Kaspar as a top notch titanium square peg wasn't going to be a better fit for what this season could/should have been than the deceptively round-looking balsa wood peg we wound up trying to fit into our round hole.

Good coach, great season at SFA this year. I will be interested to see where he does end up next season.

I don't know, Tasty. He wins by playing defense. This UNT team damn sure can't shot the ball, so I think a defensive minded coach, with these athletes, may have been able to get the performance we and everyone else expected.

Lord knows it would have had to be better than the completely inconsistent defensive effort we have seen this year.

If you can't score the basketball, a good plan is to make it where your opponent can't score the basketball even more.

Green Dozer · March 5, 2013

Curtis is correct!

drex · March 5, 2013

The worst thing for anyone to do if applying for a major job an North Texas is to let them know you are a North Texas alum.

emmitt01 · March 5, 2013

FIFY

This kinda sounds like a vicious rumor that cannot be validated.

I, and probably just about everyone else on here, would love to believe.

Green P1 · March 5, 2013

Sadly... Once we've given this train wreck conductor his fair three years on the job Kaspar will be overqualified to sign up for our still burning two man handcar job.

untjim1995 · March 5, 2013

I believe curtisdaa, and I think it's beyond unfortunate how that may have been handled. Because in 2 years (sooner?), Kaspar is one of the guys I'd love to have in here to handle what it seems will be a rebuilding effort.

But, and I don't mean this as any criticism of Kaspar, I don't think he was the right choice for us last year. In 2 years, we probably won't be the best choice for him... But last year, he wasn't the right guy at the right time.

Turns out, the guy we hired wasn't the right guy for us this year (or any year?)... But Kaspar as a top notch titanium square peg wasn't going to be a better fit for what this season could/should have been than the deceptively round-looking balsa wood peg we wound up trying to fit into our round hole.

Good coach, great season at SFA this year. I will be interested to see where he does end up next season.

I agree here. Sadly, if Kaspar was even in the mix for being hired here, people wouldn't have been happy with getting SFA's coach to come here, even if he was an alum. Most people would've wanted a sexier name. Danny Kaspar will get a better gig than here very soon--I would be willing to bet that Texas A&M will be his next head coaching job. But the point remains that a guy with head coaching experience and has won, even if it s at a lower level, is still preferable to an unproven assistant coach as a new hire to be your head coach.

Assuming we will have to make a decision to go after a new coach in 2015, at the earliest, if I were the AD, I'd start with a list of guys like Steve Shields and Bob Marlin. Maybe even look at a D-2 coach who has won, as well. The key is to find someone who knows how to lead and has shown the ability to get the job done. Vic Trilli and Tony Benford didn't work--even Jankovich, who was an assistant at OSU before he got hired here, never got us over the hump as a program, even though he was more successful than either of those two.