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Potential Candidates

I know there is support for Fox, formerly from UGA. I just read this on AJC.com. Fox is currently traveling with the ATL Hawks on their 5 game western/midwestern roadtrip. Told ESPN he has been contacted about multiple openings but will not be available to talk to any school for at least a week. This Sunday the Hawks are in Houston. Their last road game is Wednesday the 28th in Minneapolis. Fox would not be my first choice but would support him as he is a high integrity guy.
The last couple days there has been support for Greg. I read his bio again. Basically a 40 year assistant who has never been a HC at any level. Has worked for 3 top-notch coaches in Krueger/Altman/Davis. So should know his stuff. Would appreciate reading different perspectives that obviously I am missing on Greg.
Lastly, several have opined we aren’t capable of a home run hire. I would leave you with this. A school can generate media & fan buzz generally via football & the 2 basketball teams. No secret there is a malaise around the football program. Women basketball seems to have plateaued 2 years ago & NO ONE I spoke to at the tourney in Texas thought the women would be any better next year. Which leaves men’s basketball. I think both our Prez & AD are aware of how critical this hire is. They saw the excitement & butts in the seats a top 25 ranking generated. If they whiff here we could be 0 for 3 and go into Spring with no energy. Will be surprised and more than a little disappointed if we settle for a career assistant. But anxious to consider perspectives I may have missed.
 
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Looking at th roster. It’s going to be a rebuilding year. I hope the fan base is prepared for a rough one. It would be like that with Kermit.
 
I don’t know much about Greg Grensing other than what I’ve read on here. It does make you wonder why he never ran his own show. Again, I don’t know the profession of coaching and I don’t even know if being an assistant that long is necessarily a strike against him.
 
No doubt it is a rebuilding year. Top 3 scorers gone. Those 3 provided better opportunities for others against weaker defenders. That’s said we still have some really good pieces.
I’ll do a preview at some point close to the start of when school starts.
Sims, Dixon
Johnson, Green, Simmons, Shelton-Schmidt
Massenburg, Thomas
Hawthorne, Gamble
Out of these 10 there are 3 that really stand out... Johnson (scorer), Green (shooter), and Sims (creator). Those 4 bigs NEED to develop.
 
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Because of our reliance on JC and transfers, every year has a bit of a rebuild. This past year, none of us knew King would be an all american. The year before we didn't know Williams would be CUSA POY.

We have talented players on our roster. But because of the roster design its a big unknown most every year.
 
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I don’t get the idea we can’t make a big hire.

Look at Witchita State prior to Gregg Marshall. Witchita State had not been relevant in basketball since the late 80s when Mark Turgeon got there. He took them to 1 NCAA and a few NITs before going to A&M (had a.580 winning %). The Shockers hired Gregg Marshall for less than 1 million to start and the rest is history.


We were irrelevant until the last 7 years since the late 80s. CKD was more successful than Turgeon. We can offer 750,000 to 1 million to steal a coach.

I just hate this we can’t get a home run hire mentality. No, we are not going to get a coach that wants 2 million a year, but we sure can make a great hire.

Why can’t we get a Jeff Burkhamer or another coach that’s rolling in D2? Why cant we get a Ryan Odom, Earl Grant, Nathan Davis, or the like? Why can’t we get Travis Steele or Ron Sanchez if we go the up and coming assistant coach.

I hate the idea that we just need to take whichever assistant CKD didnt take or a coach who just got fired at a P5 school because that’s the best we can do.
 
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RaiderDawg78 said:
I don’t get the idea we can’t make a big hire.

Look at Witchita State prior to Gregg Marshall. Witchita State had not been relevant in basketball since the late 80s when Mark Turgeon got there. He took them to 1 NCAA and a few NITs before going to A&M (had a.580 winning %). The Shockers hired Gregg Marshall for less than 1 million to start and the rest is history.


We were irrelevant until the last 7 years since the late 80s. CKD was more successful than Turgeon. We can offer 750,000 to 1 million to steal a coach.

I just hate this we can’t get a home run hire mentality. No, we are not going to get a coach that wants 2 million a year, but we sure can make a great hire.

Why can’t we get a Jeff Burkhamer or another coach that’s rolling in D2? Why cant we get a Ryan Odom, Earl Grant, Nathan Davis, or the like? Why can’t we get Travis Steele or Ron Sanchez if we go the up and coming assistant coach.

I hate the idea that we just need to take whichever assistant CKD didnt take or a coach who just got fired at a P5 school because that’s the best we can do.
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I think we can find a solid coach, I think the argument is it isn't a big splash. Wichita State had more basketball history than MT, plus BB is the lead dog, no FB to compete with. I think every name on your list is possible.
 
MT could have hired Gregg Marshall - he wanted the job when Boots hired Kermit.

Now the program is in MUCH better shape so it should be even easier to hire the next Marshall/Kermit/Pearl
 
Probably the Local Nashville Media 5 candidates are
Buzz Peterson
Rick Byrd
Kevin Stallings
Rob Lanier
Jim Fey
 
MTLynn said:
That would be like hiring Watson Brown for football
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Which Massaro did try to do.....Watson had the job if he wanted it but didn't like the pay offer.

I have little to no faith we will hire a coach who can keep our class intact, avoid a mass exodus, and continue our success.
 
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To me, Grensing = Stockstill

A life long asst coach who looked to be aging past his chance for a HC position. Make no mistake about it, at that time Stockstill was hired MT HC position was an unattractive job that many did not want. It was an opportunity for Stockstill he likely would not have had elsewhere, and Massaro knew him to be a quality character guy and friend from South Carolina.

I can't imagine Grensing would be on a shortlist. Really underwhelming all things considered.

At this place and time, MT basketball is a highly attractive job. Kermit has gotten it to a great place with the last few home games demonstrating just how much potential MT has to be a top flight national program.
 
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I am hearing some rumors of Nick McDevitt, UNC-Ashville's head coach. 38 years old, 98-65 overall at UNCA, his only stop in coaching. Was an assistant from 2001-2011, Asst. HC from 2011-2013, HC 2013-Present. Either won the tournament championship or conference championship the last three years.
 
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McDevitt has ONLY been at UNC-Ashville his ENTIRE career. As a player and on staff. Weird to me and makes you wonder how he could build a staff with what you would think would be limited meetings with other potential staff.

Other people have posted this before, so not trying to steal their thunder just agreeing with them and makes me wonder about building a staff.
 
BlueIsTheNewOrange said:
McDevitt has ONLY been at UNC-Ashville his ENTIRE career. As a player and on staff. Weird to me and makes you wonder how he could build a staff with what you would think would be limited meetings with other potential staff.

Other people have posted this before, so not trying to steal their thunder just agreeing with them and makes me wonder about building a staff.
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Agree but I would take him over Casey Alexander or Greg Grensing for whom most seem to be clamoring for.
 
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McDevitt is not a bad hire. I've watched his team play multiple times this year. Very talented team, and had USC dead to rights in the NIT. Refs helped USC in that big time along with some very timely lucky 3's to force more OT. His UNCA team had a really talented international prospect as well. Tall, athletic dude who could bomb from 3. I think he was from France or something??? Was a late game I was half asleep.

I was very impressed from a talent standpoint on UNCA. Reminded me a lot of MT as I watched them play. We could do a lot worse than McDevitt, but I really wanted Forbes. Can't believe that clown won't leave ETSU. I hope they lose 20 games next year.
 
Based on what you said ... this is our next coach.

Chris Massaro’s interview states to have a coach that could recruit international.

You’ve heard it here first: John is predicting McDevitt as our next coach.
 
JohnDavidBlue said:
Based on what you said ... this is our next coach.

Chris Massaro’s interview states to have a coach that could recruit international.

You’ve heard it here first: John is predicting McDevitt as our next coach.
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Read the lounge - You are a little late ;)
 
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Where the hell is Nick McDevitt's twitter?

Please tell me he uses social media....
 
I'll be honest, the every-coach-has-to-have-a-South-Carolina connection is getting F'ing old. Like really dude?

Hire the best candidate. Not the good ole' buddy candidate.
 
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SpaceRaider said:
murfreesboro post:
Top candidates emerging
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I would be fine with any of these outside candidates. Brannen, McDevitt, and Odom are young coaches that have turned around smaller programs. Steele is considered one of the top assistant to head coach candidates in the country.

I like the direction this is going, so I am now afraid of how our administration will screw this up.
 
If assistants are on list, what about Al Pinkins. Former Blue Raider assistant, now in the elite eight with Texas Tech.
 
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