RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Coaching Carousel (Basketball)
- Status
I heard May is getting a lot of love because of how low scUM was protected but almost everyone had a new roster
I’d say Dusty.
Does Boynton have a specialty or something he's known for?For those in the last thread that noticed Brad and Mike in the handshake line …
Where there’s smoke …
He generally had better defenses at OSU so I'd assume more of a defensive guy but who knows. If he is a defensive guy then I'd assume that means Yaklich isn't in the picture since he's also a defensive guy..
Honestly I've always thought Gard kinda sucked or was mediocre at best and that his Wisconsin have never really been that good(especially post Ryans recruits).
This year is his best coaching job by him and is his most dangerous team by far imo(I never thought the Johnny Davis team was that good).
I don't know if Gard just completely changed his philosophy or let another coach change some things(is Lance Randall behind the offensive change?).
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
The thing is that, overall, I think Underwood has the right characteristics to be a really successful head coach. I like how he sets a vision and builds a culture. He's very much a "CEO" head coach that I think a program like Illinois needs. As a CEO head coach, he does need good tactically-based assistant coaches to help implement and execute the Xs and Os. In other words, give me the really good "CEO" head coach over a great offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. It's why (after initially being against the hire for dumb reasons) I really like Bielema as a head coach.
No coach is perfect in every regard. Every coach has strengths and weaknesses. The mark of a great head coach is knowing the things to delegate and putting top people around him. Right now, the biggest issue is having a really strong X-O coach on the defensive side of things. Basically, like what Luke Murray is for UConn regarding offense is what we need on defense.
I would agree that Oats is the only coach available that has a very high probability of being a significant upgrade. Even there, it's not a complete slam dunk because no new coach has a 100% chance of success in a new position. Any other coach I can personally think of would have at least reasonable questions. Which is why I continue to advocate for Underwood staying with upgrading the staff with two assistants - including a defensive tactical expert.
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OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
To add to my previous post, if Whitman is saying he doesn't use the NCAA tournament when evaluating Underwood, I think that's somewhat short-sighted. I have long been on record that you can't SOLELY evaluate a coach based on the NCAA tournament. A single-elimination event has too many variables and random events to have that be the only data point for evaluation. However, I don't think you can completely discount tournament results in an evaluation. I feel like my previous comment about wanting to see a long-term trend of playing at or above (-1) of your expected seed line is a reasonable data point. So here are the Illini's NCAA seeds in the Underwood era.
Here are what the expectations would be related to a (-1) relative to a "chalk" seed line.
20-21 - Elite 8 (chalk would be Final Four, so -1 would be Elite 8 - we did not meet expectations)
21-22 - Second round (chalk would be Sweet 16, so meeting expectations)
22-23 - First round (9 seed, so chalk is losing in the first round - met expectations)
23-24 - We actually exceeded expectations by a game, because chalk for a 3 seed would be Sweet 16
This isn't perfect, but over time I'd want to see Illinois performing close to slightly above that (-1) relative to what chalk would be relative to their seeding. So for Underwood's four NCAA tournament performances, they are:
20-21 - (-2)
21-22 and 22-23 - 0
23-24 - +1
So for the four years, Underwood is at (-1) relative to this (admittedly crude) method of judging tournament performance. If they were a 6 or 7 seed this year, chalk would be second round. So a "0" would be making the second round. Sweet 16 would be a +1, Elite 8 would be a +2, etc. Like I said, I'd look at this over time. I would never use a single year's data point for evaluating a coach in the tournament.
Here are what the expectations would be related to a (-1) relative to a "chalk" seed line.
20-21 - Elite 8 (chalk would be Final Four, so -1 would be Elite 8 - we did not meet expectations)
21-22 - Second round (chalk would be Sweet 16, so meeting expectations)
22-23 - First round (9 seed, so chalk is losing in the first round - met expectations)
23-24 - We actually exceeded expectations by a game, because chalk for a 3 seed would be Sweet 16
This isn't perfect, but over time I'd want to see Illinois performing close to slightly above that (-1) relative to what chalk would be relative to their seeding. So for Underwood's four NCAA tournament performances, they are:
20-21 - (-2)
21-22 and 22-23 - 0
23-24 - +1
So for the four years, Underwood is at (-1) relative to this (admittedly crude) method of judging tournament performance. If they were a 6 or 7 seed this year, chalk would be second round. So a "0" would be making the second round. Sweet 16 would be a +1, Elite 8 would be a +2, etc. Like I said, I'd look at this over time. I would never use a single year's data point for evaluating a coach in the tournament.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
This is really, really hard for any coach. That is why it is such a big deal. The best team doesn't always win. But you do have to be really good to get there. If it were the top 16 teams playing 2 out of 3, the tourney wouldn't be as exciting, but more likely, I believe that the best team would be more likely to win.
USAFILLINI
- Florida
With the huge buyouts we are seeing, I think established coaches are less likely to be worried about that. Beating the drum a bit, but with NIL, you can turn a program over year to year with the right support. I can see coaches avoiding schools with a quick trigger and low donor support. Could be completely off base, but most of the programs who would turn coaches quick have some of the biggest donor/NIL support.
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
I noticed the 20-21 AP Poll final ranking last week when we were visiting the Underwood tenure and......I'm not sure what happened there? Did AP not release an end-of-tournament ranking?
They did not add an end-of-tournament ranking until last year:
AP adds new end-of-season Top 25 college basketball poll | The Associated Press
The Associated Press for the first time will release end-of-season Top 25 polls for men’s and women’s basketball following the NCAA Tournament
www.ap.org
Geno must have been incredibly lucky - he won 11 championships.
For anyone that thinks Tyler is just a nepo hire, I highly encourage you to listen to his radio interviews. He’s done a couple. Here’s one where he discusses putting together a potent offense in the off-season with a brand new team:
7/26/24 Hour 1: Thoughts on exploding QB market amid Tua's new deal; Tyler Underwood joins the show! | The Drive on ESPN 93.5
Derek, Kyle and Jimmy discuss the exploding quarterback market in the NFL amid Tua Tagovailoa's new contract and those who are soon to be paid. Later, Illinois basketball assistant coach Tyler Underwood joins the show to share his biggest takeaways from the batch of newcomers at Ubben this summer.tayandpiper.podbean.com
Tyler knows ball.
No debate that Tyler knows ball …
I think that he should’ve gotten his start being an Assistant Coach elsewhere … Director of Scouting or whatever the previous title was ? I was fine with that …
I wanted Brad to let Tyler go learn something outside of his watch and then if he developed and grew as an Assistant Coach and proved it … Then bring him in for a couple years and coach together before Brad retired … I don’t think anyone would’ve had a problem with that …
I think a lot of people’s main problem is Brad simply handed Tyler the reins as soon as he stopped playing …
Texas is VERY interested in Brad … Top of their list based on what I’ve gathered …
Big Jack
- Decatur
Big Jack
- Decatur
@Indy Illini Fan General coaching conversation. So did TA burn the bridge so bad in leaving that in the event that Brad would move on to Texas and take OA with him that Josh would allow TA back at Illinois? Wasn't sure if the dust up in him leaving was more Brad OA related or an issue with Josh. Might be a nice coach to have around to help retain a couple of key players. Obviosly not as the head coach but as an assistant kind of like when Bruce kept Wayne.
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TA will not be coaching again at Illinois … Don’t see it happening …
I also never said Brad was going to Texas and taking O … I said Texas wanted Brad and they do …
If Terry didn’t have a good tourney run … Brad was their top choice last go around …
With another good March run … Brad’s agent might be able to get him a Texas sized offer to go down there …
What, if anything, makes the Texas job more desirable to Brad than Illinois?
They are prepared to pay him more than we are currently and give him more NIL then we are … Of course we could counter and negotiate but that’s their pitch as of today …
They’ve got better facilities …
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Brad is Texas's third or fourth choice max
Weird they aren't going after the 7-8 coaches that would be available that clearly give them a better chance to win.
I thought the Ubben Renovation made it top notch and one of the nicest, if not the nicest, practice facilities in the country.
I’d love to hear that list of 7-8 coaches that would realistically take it …
McCasland isn’t leaving Tech based on what I’ve been told and that’s everyone’s #1 …
turnaround3
- 1st & Daniel
- Status