To counter that, again using Ryan as an example, he was only at UWM for 2 seasons before being picked to be the Wiscy head coach. Before that he was at D3 Wisconsin-Platteville for a long time. He literally only had 2 seasons of D1 coaching experience before moving on to the P5 level. Keatts has 3 years now, plus was an assistant at D1 schools Marshall and Louisville (almost as bigtime as it gets). I'd wager he's at least as ready if not more than Bo was at the time he was hired by Pat Richter, UW's AD at the time.
Oh, another guy who had only a few years of D1 coaching experience before moving on to P5, after having a lot of lower level (HS, D3, and D2) coaching experience? John Beilein.
Keatts. Train.
1. That would be wrong. He was head coach at Hargrave for a rather long time. That said, why would him being a HC for 3 years be a knock when he's obviously demonstrated a great deal of success over that 3 years already? He turned around a dumpster fire in ONE year!
2. So what? A lot of the candidates being bandied about don't have deep Midwest connections. That aspect is overrated IMO.
3. Maybe not a name, but as hashed out previously there is a good chance at least a few of them would stay, especially after meeting him. He did a very good job of recruiting as as assistant at Louisville. He has from all accounts an engaging personality, and he's AA which though it shouldn't matter almost certainly doesn't hurt. Win a lot early on and the "name" things stops mattering really quick. He'd establish his own name here.
1. That would be wrong. He was head coach at Hargrave for a rather long time. That said, why would him being a HC for 3 years be a knock when he's obviously demonstrated a great deal of success over that 3 years already? He turned around a dumpster fire in ONE year!
To counter that, again using Ryan as an example, he was only at UWM for 2 seasons before being picked to be the Wiscy head coach. Before that he was at D3 Wisconsin-Platteville for a long time. He literally only had 2 seasons of D1 coaching experience before moving on to the P5 level. Keatts has 3 years now, plus was an assistant at D1 schools Marshall and Louisville (almost as bigtime as it gets). I'd wager he's at least as ready if not more than Bo was at the time he was hired by Pat Richter, UW's AD at the time.
Oh, another guy who had only a few years of D1 coaching experience before moving on to P5, after having a lot of lower level (HS, D3, and D2) coaching experience? John Beilein.
Keatts. Train.
Any word on who would coach the team in the NIT?
The advantage of a more extended track record is that it demonstrates an ability to win with multiple sets of players. Sure you are losing seniors every year, but 5 years of success necessitates "building a culture" that more short term success does not.
I support Keatts, and will be happy if he's hired, but let's not pretend he checks every box.
Right. If you tacked on a 12-19 then a 17-14 season to the front end of his UNCW tenure (which would be totally understandable given what he inherited), it seems like some people would be saying that would make him a stronger candidate. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Because the narrative right now is "John Groce is going to be fired, and deservedly so" and it gains momentum with each passing minute.
If his mind was made up, he honestly should've made an announcement after the game yesterday. I know that's easier said than done, but from a pure optics standpoint, time is your enemy here.
Grant was a great hire, I agree.
But like, this thing about the relative strength of the CAA...do you see how that doesn't fit?
What Grant and Keatts have in common is that neither one ever had to play against VCU, y'know? How do you get credit for a stronger conference when you're AT the program that's making it a stronger conference?
I don't know the make up of his roster, but 5 years would show that he was winning with his recruits.
The advantage of a more extended track record is that it demonstrates an ability to win with multiple sets of players. Sure you are losing seniors every year, but 5 years of success necessitates "building a culture" that more short term success does not.
I support Keatts, and will be happy if he's hired, but let's not pretend he checks every box.
Reading more into Grant's resume makes him look like about as surefire a mid major coach as you're ever gonna find.
With so much instate talent, Illinois should be always be good, and often great, in basketball.
+1
And glad to be out of the straw man argument that if I point out Keatts' warts then I must only want a home run Lovie hire.
Yes Keatts is great but also agree if there is a Lovie type hire out there I am all in. Just haven't been convinced there is one yet. Who knows it could happen
Heard from a source that Groce will not be coaching in the NIT and will he fired Sunday.
I know it's already been talked about, but I think Anthony Grant is more of a comp than some realize, and I think even more of a "unicorn" type resume.
Yes, he inherited a better situation, but he took them to 3 straight outright titles. For Keatts, he took over right after the conference lost its top programs. VCU left the CAA in 2012, George Mason and Old Dominion after 2013. Losing arguably the 3 historically strongest programs from a conference can crush it.
Grant was coaching in a much stronger conference at the time. He had significantly more assistant coaching experience. His last 4 seasons at Florida he was Associate Head Coach.
He was really a great hire on paper.
The biggest difference is that Grant's winning percentage got worse each season at VCU, while Keatts has improved each season.
I don't mean to make fun. If there's someone out there you like better, make the case!
No, the biggest difference is that Keatts inherited a program that hadn't won more than 13 games since 2008.
The biggest difference is that Grant's winning percentage got worse each season at VCU, while Keatts has improved each season.
Nah. It would have actually been the worst timing to do so if he was leaning towards keeping Groce.
First, Whitman would not have done it before the end of regular season, it would have shown bias of making his own personal evaluation before having complete information from he entire season. Especially when that decision would be controversial.
Second, he would not have done it yesterday after the Michigan loss. IF he was leaning towards keeping Groce, that would have been the absolute worst timing to make an announcement. C'mon... he'd have to be really dumb to have made that announcement yesterday. Even if he was leaning towards firing, he would not have done it yesterday, especially to someone who he respects, like Groce. He would not have disrespected Groce and the team, especially seniors.
Third, with the tournament announcement being on Sunday, when Illini likely find their next opponent in the NIT, making an announcement before Monday would divert all attention away from the team and seniors. It would be disrespectful.
Personally, I do not believe there will be an announcement before Monday, no matter the decision, and it is very likely that there is no announcement even on Monday (or before end of post-season, IF we make the NIT), with a probable interim statement from the AD that he will not make an announcement before end of post-season (e.g., let's support the team/seniors, etc., etc.).
That's really nitpicking. In his last season there, they had 10 losses, 4 in conference. The non-conference losses were to Rhode Island, East Carolina, Vandy, OU, Nevada, and UCLA. All teams you would consider "higher-level" than VCU except for probably East Carolina.
Anyways, the point is moot. I doubt Grant is a candidate here after his run at Alabama.
And I would have no problem if Keatts were the choice, just pointing out a similar/better resume to his that failed.
And it's one, really. And that one is sui generis for a lot of reasons.
We don't know as much about Whitman as the narrative around him implies.
This is why I see things like "Illinois to play New Mexico State at the United Center" and a little chill goes up my spine. He's as smart as he sounds, right? He does actually get it, right? ray: