When you look at the recent track record of the university, it would be unwise to conduct a coaching search until we get on a little better footing. We struck out on 1st and 2nd choices for our last football hire, our last basketball hire, and even our new A.D..
Whitman needs time to unveil his vision for the sports programs at U of I so that potential coaching candidates will know what kind of boss they would be working for. As it stands now, the Illini basketball job does not appear to be the top tier job that it once was perceived as. The image needs to be polished before it is put on the open market. Whitman also should be given time to objectively look at our basketball program and decide what kind of coach he needs to go after. If Groce is let go, I think the last thing we would want would be a hire in haste.
I have always been a big believer of the potential of the basketball program and have stated that multiple times. And I like the Whitman hire. But the image of the basketball program will not change just because we hired a new AD. The only way the image of the basketball program changes is if we start winning consistently, and if that happens, you obviously do not need to conduct a coaching search. Whitman is a young AD who I think has potential. But he is not a magician.