Coaching Carousel

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#1,851      
I don't pay for insider stuff but that's the first time I've seen Chin and Kansas talked about from a news source...

Another name mentioned as a possible replacement is fellow Illinois assistant Ron "Chin" Coleman, sources told Borzello, but it's believed that pursuit is not as far along as Antigua. Coleman could decide to return to Champaign and has also been linked to the assistant coach vacancy at Kansas, sources said.

rollercoaster GIF
 
#1,852      
I've heard that James Augustine is interested in coaching. He has no coaching experience I'm aware of but he could assume the role of "big man coach" assuming he knows how to teach skills. Ex-Illini players would have more buy-in to our program and probably only leave for head coaching jobs. It works for Duke. Let's turn this seeming blow to our advantage and keep the rebuild/resurgence going. Deon Thomas has prior coaching experience. Brad should call Ex-Illini players first in my opinion. Build the Illini culture.
 
#1,854      
Only two guys that would even have an outside shot of leaving would be Podz and Payne. Would be surprised by either though
 
#1,856      
Arizona State is replacing two assistant coaches and director of team operations. It happens all the time to major colleges with successful assistants. We have had such mediocre assistants that never leave. It is a sign of success if your assistants are turning over for better pay.
 
#1,857      
I've heard that James Augustine is interested in coaching. He has no coaching experience I'm aware of but he could assume the role of "big man coach" assuming he knows how to teach skills. Ex-Illini players would have more buy-in to our program and probably only leave for head coaching jobs. It works for Duke. Let's turn this seeming blow to our advantage and keep the rebuild/resurgence going. Deon Thomas has prior coaching experience. Brad should call Ex-Illini players first in my opinion. Build the Illini culture.
Count me out on anyone without coaching experience. Get the best guys for the job now and steer former players who want to coach in the right direction to be ready for consideration next time imo.
 
#1,858      
I love Brad Underwood, but the question must be asked. Is this a leadership flaw? Or is this the business?

In 4 years we have lost TWO Mr. Basketball's and 2 elite Assistant Coaches. I personally think it's the current climate of college basketball. That being said, its something to wonder about.
 
#1,861      
The decommits, I'm speculating, are the '22 commits. Kind of expected it. Have to re-recruit them when we get the new staff in place.
 
#1,863      

JW

Vancouver
The Five Stages of emotion to losing an important Assistant Basketball Coach and Recruiter:

Denial - “No way he’d leave a place as special as Illinois.”

Anger - “What!? WHHAAATTT? You mean he’s REALLY thinking of leaving a place as special as Illinois?”

Bargaining - “Maybe we can throw a bunch of money at him and he’ll want to stay!”

Depression - “So it’s official, huh? He’s gone? That just sucks big time! Man, what a downer. All is lost...”

Acceptance - “We’ll be fine without him. We don’t need him. He’s making a mistake to leave a place as special as Illinois.”

Joining a program like Kentucky that is legacy roundball royalty is sort of taking the easy way out. Duke. Gonzaga. Michigan State... Blah, blah, blah. It’s like Alabama or Clemson or Ohio State in football. Easy road to success. Always bag the top players. Always grab the national media attention. Always tilting the table in your favor every single year and thereafter and making things that much tougher for everybody else. Where winning is seen as a boring divine right of obligation and not winning a championship is seen as abject failure and unworthiness.

Blessed is the man or woman who takes on the challenge of building up a program that does not feast on the spoils of entitlement and generational wealth. Blessed is a man like Coach Underwood who took on a struggling program with the goal of re-elevating it to an elite level. Who sets the bar at the highest level and challenges those around him to raise a proud State’s profile and successfully compete with anyone regardless of the challenges faced and how they may have stacked the deck against you.

Agreed. While we can certainly be shocked and upset (I am slowly approaching Acceptance), I am reminded that 5 years ago we were stuck in the basement of the Big Ten and routinely punching our ticket to the NIT. Under Underwood (ha!) we are one of the top teams in the country (objectively supported by our year-end ranking) and putting together competitive teams.
 
#1,864      
He didn't lie to him. This is yet another fantasy you want to attribute to reality.

"I don't know who wants me. But I know I'm the basketball coach at Oklahoma State. I'm going to be here until they put me in the ground or something else happens."

Two weeks later he took the Illinois job. Did Underwood lie?
no, "something else happened."
 
#1,865      

Loyalillini10

Urbana, IL
I love Brad Underwood, but the question must be asked. Is this a leadership flaw? Or is this the business?

In 4 years we have lost TWO Mr. Basketball's and 2 elite Assistant Coaches. I personally think it's the current climate of college basketball. That being said, its something to wonder about.
Who are the 2 elite assistant coaches?
 
#1,867      
Best wishes to OA! He greatly helped turn this ship around and I hope he does well at KY and gets another crack at being a head coach somewhere soon.

I would love to keep him here in orange and blue, but this is what you want/expect if you're going to be a top tier program.

Same to coach Chin if he moves on as well!
 
#1,870      
Having seen their disaster season first hand this year... I can confirm this sentiment.
I don't think you understand my question... If Kentucky has a season next year that mirrors ours from this year but they make the Sweet 16, are the people happy or upset with Cal and his assistants?
 
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