mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal with Do Not Contact Tag
I've been thinking about Keatts and what an upside he could have. Indications are that he may be both a great recruiter and a great coach, but we really don't have enough evidence to KNOW either. Of course, by the time that evidence is clear, he'll have a new contract somewhere else, if we don't get him.
Then again, if he flames out, we will be 3 or 4 years farther down the road, nay the superhighway, to obscurity.
Meanwhile, Cuonzo Martin would likely come in and recruit reasonably well, maybe even very well, and would likely have the team winning its share of games, maybe even having a great season if the recruits mesh really well. But I don't see him keeping us at the top of the Big Ten, or competing for the conference championship at all frequently -- he just hasn't done that anywhere else, even with great recruits. But he's not likely to flame out and drive the program any further into the ground. Odds are good that if we hire him now, and then eventually fire him in a few years, it will be because we've stopped making progress and need someone to further elevate us.
I guess what I'm saying is that right now -- as much as we may miss a potential diamond in the rough -- the prudent choice would be to hire a solid choice who will right the ship, get solid recruiting classes, and bring stability back, with some chance of greater upside. Once we are there, THEN we can start thinking about the next step to greater success. And at THAT point, we won't have to be looking for diamonds in the rough, we'll hopefully be able to attract established coaches with proven credentials in both recruiting and coaching.
So as much as Keatts intrigues me, Martin would be the better choice. Mussleman is probably somewhere in between -- possibly higher upside than Martin, but not as much of a known quantity.
This is 100% where I'm at.