2017 Coaching Carousel

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#2,528      
Someplace in these 102 pages, I think that I remember reading that we should only look at head coaches as a new coach hire. Why not assistants? Collins was an assistant at Duke and he has Northwestern playing well after only three years.
 
#2,529      
Someplace in these 102 pages, I think that I remember reading that we should only look at head coaches as a new coach hire. Why not assistants? Collins was an assistant at Duke and he has Northwestern playing well after only three years.

I'm all for it in theory. Chris Collins was the #1 guy on my list when Groce was hired.

But other than Jeff Capel, who has other head coaching experience, there isn't really a college assistant who fits the bill.
 
#2,530      
If this is about his three years at Gardner-Webb I'm going to be very upset.

LOL... No, I actually had forgotten about that. Holtmann is a very close friend of Groce and one of his former assistants at Ohio. I had read an interview a while back and this guy was sounding just like Groce, some of the meaningless coach-speak that Groce uses (e.g., "Illini guy", I believe he had said "Butler guy", etc.). He is riding the coattails of a very established mid-major success at Butler and personally I have doubts he will be able to keep Butler at that level. Too early to be considered at UI, but I would also make a clean break from the Groce regime and tree if we were to make a change.
 
#2,531      
What makes you think Whitman would look at Silas? And what makes him an intriguing candidate?

Ivy League educated--that Whitman likes smart people thing
Top NBA assistant
Excellent teacher and top notch motivator
Recommendations--Kerr, Curry, Lin, and Larry Brown
Character is impeccable
42 years old
AA
Wants Dad (Paul) to be able to coach with him and be part of family
Wants to be HC and prefers college game to NBA grind
 
#2,532      
Ivy League educated--that Whitman likes smart people thing
Top NBA assistant
Excellent teacher and top notch motivator
Recommendations--Kerr, Curry, Lin, and Larry Brown
Character is impeccable
42 years old
AA
Wants Dad (Paul) to be able to coach with him and be part of family
Wants to be HC and prefers college game to NBA grind

Interesting. His name hasn't come up in ANY conversations I've had with people that either have inside info or know people that do. Hmm. He sounds like a solid B choice.
 
#2,533      
Ivy League educated--that Whitman likes smart people thing
Top NBA assistant
Excellent teacher and top notch motivator
Recommendations--Kerr, Curry, Lin, and Larry Brown
Character is impeccable
42 years old
AA
Wants Dad (Paul) to be able to coach with him and be part of family
Wants to be HC and prefers college game to NBA grind

Not a chance, if it is someone from the NBA (which I personally doubt) it would be someone better known.
 
#2,535      
Big NO to Holtmann, but Chris Mack is someone I would definitely approach, in my top 3. Can he be persuaded? Not sure, but definitely below the group of coaches that I do not believe there is any chance they will move to Illinois.

Is Holtmann a big no because of his ties to Groce and feasability, or something else? Not seeing any justification for that considering his performance at Butler thus far, unless you are worried about recruiting.

EDIT: Just saw your comment above, I think it's a little unfair to lump him in with Groce considering their resumes are just so so different.
 
#2,537      
Someplace in these 102 pages, I think that I remember reading that we should only look at head coaches as a new coach hire. Why not assistants? Collins was an assistant at Duke and he has Northwestern playing well after only three years.

We've discussed assistants a little bit, I mentioned Jeff Capel which was semi-controversial, but it's pretty hard to key in on assistants and differentiate their impact from the rest of a staff/HC. As such, the only resumes we can really evaluate there are assistants with previous HC experience, hiring someone who does not fit that mold would require inside info, recommendations, interviewing IMO and that is obviously something we cannot do :) But certainly possible in the search.

I think what you are referring to is a quoting of Thomas' rule -- he only hired coaches with HC experience, no assistants. Some people share that philosophy, certainly, but it is not a requirement. Just difficult for us to assess.
 
#2,540      
I think either I or others have mentioned them, but the big names are Sean Miller (maybe not a pipe dream), Tony Bennett (not thrilled at UVA?), and Cuonzo Martin.

So 2 big names and an average coach have come up. So basically going for average because don't see first two coming.
 
#2,545      
Is Holtmann a big no because of his ties to Groce and feasability, or something else? Not seeing any justification for that considering his performance at Butler thus far, unless you are worried about recruiting.

EDIT: Just saw your comment above, I think it's a little unfair to lump him in with Groce considering their resumes are just so so different.

I think my earlier "Big NO" was probably too strong, suggesting something personally wrong with him. The strong ties to Groce is a negative IMO but also not a big name, untested, and riding the coattails of long established success at Butler. We can do better.
 
#2,546      
I think my earlier "Big NO" was probably too strong, suggesting something personally wrong with him. The strong ties to Groce is a negative IMO but also not a big name, untested, and riding the coattails of long established success at Butler. We can do better.

This is insanity. Holtmann is a tremendous coach who took over Butler under extremely difficult circumstances and has not just survived but thrived in a conference that, the Brad Stevens era or not, Butler had no business being in. He'll be on any list for bigger jobs.

He'd be a great hire for Illinois, it's just tough to imagine him stepping over the grave of his four-year college teammate, former boss at Ohio, and person who surely had a hand in him getting a slot at Butler when Brandon Miller took over after being on Groce's staff.
 
#2,548      
This is insanity. Holtmann is a tremendous coach who took over Butler under extremely difficult circumstances and has not just survived but thrived in a conference that, the Brad Stevens era or not, Butler had no business being in. He'll be on any list for bigger jobs.

I doubt it, maybe in couple of years, but I do not think Holtmann will be a candidate at Illinois, neither should he be.
 
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