E-mailed 3/30/11
I wasn't there for the fifth down but I had one foot on the wall for the kicked-ball Nebraska game and this feels shockingly similar. Mizzou did everything we needed to win the day, but fate seemed to get in our way. And, to piss us all off even more, Buzz Williams signed an 8-year deal moments after the Painter news got announced. The happiest people on the face of the earth: the family of the Purdue Athletic Director because he'll get to keep his job. If Painter left and he signed off on that letter to athletic donors, he was a goner for sure.
If you are looking to find some humor in this horrible situation: Perhaps the funniest thing in all of this is that no-one seems to know for sure where Painter is physically located. The Purdue press release about Painter signing an eight year contract says he is still in FL. Everyone reported he physically met with his players on campus. Some players also tweeted about being at a team meeting. Pretty funny if you ask me.
At any rate, time to move on, although a lot of people, me included aren't going to be too inclined to do so. Of the remaining options, everyone looks like shit. They aren't, but they sure look that way when compared to back-to-back-to-back-to-back 25 win seasons in a "power conference" (term used loosely). Its also hard because Painter was such a stand-up guy. At the end of all of this an un-named athletic department staffer responded "Not at all" when asked if Mizzou felt that Painter played them. Bottom line: there's not another Painter out there. Everyone looks like shit (sorry, already said that).
This list as it now stands:
Terrible Choices:
Shaka Smart -- Head Coach of VCU. Plays a similar style of defense as our team does now. Only been at VCU two years. He would jump at the chance to come to Mizzou. I think this would be a terrible choice. The next Quinn Snyder (says Jason Witlock)
Scott Sutton -- Head Coach of Oral Roberts since 1999. Taken Oral Roberts to the NCAA Tourney three times, exiting in first round each time. Another terrible choice.
Anthony Grant -- Head Coach at Alabama for two years, three before that at VCU. Two NCAA appearances (both at VCU). Pass. Not enough experience and a habit of jumping teams every 2-3 years.
Gregg Marshall -- Head coach of Wichita State. St. Louis media are obsessed with the Missouri Valley Conference and he's allegedly the best coach in that conference. I would file him under "Terrible Choices" but I hate the MVC. Greg Kampe -- Head Coach of Oakland since...1984. Not a misprint. 1984. 7 NCAA trips during that time. File under "Terrible Choices." The only things he has going for him are (1) He looks the part of someone from Missouri, and (2) Pat Forde (an ESPN Alumn) mentioned his name as a possible replacement.
Hopefully We Can Do Better:
Randy Bennett -- Head Coach at St. Mary's since 2001. Has shown he can run a program but the bottom line is he couldn't get over the hump and be better than Gonzaga. Can he really get over the hump and be better than kU?
Ben Jacobson -- Head Coach of Northern Iowa since 2006. Two NCAA appearances, one to the Sweet 16. Makes under 500,000 a year. Last time we hired someone from Northern Iowa to coach our team, we ended up naming out basketball court after him. Can beat Kansas.
Hopefully We Can Seal the Deal:
Mick Cronin -- Head coach of Cincinnati. The Big East has around 96 schools in their basketball conference and he is in the lower half in terms of pay and UC sucks so bad as a University they can't afford to pay him more. He turned around a program that under Bob Huggins hadn't graduated a single student. Oh, ya, he also out-coached Anderson this year in the tournament.
Dave Rose -- Head Coach of BYU for six years. Went to the NIT his first year, NCAA all years after. Currently in Sweet 16. Has won 20 games every year as head coach. He's coaching BYU and is Mormon. BYU is starting its own national TV network. No reason for him to leave. He's at his dream job. National media keeps saying he's interested...and would come.
Kevin Stallings -- Head Coach of Vanderbilt since 99. Coached IL State before that. 7 NCAA appearances and two Sweet 16's. The world wouldn't end, but I wonder if its better to chose someone with more upside than someone who is established, yet not spectacular.
Get Real:
Brad Stevens -- Head Coach of Butler. Four years as head coach, four NCAA tournaments, one final four. He can go anywhere he wants. He's not coming to Mizzou.
I can't even bring myself to type much more about these ass-clowns. But here goes...Anthony Grant. Word is he's not under consideration, so I'll take him off the list (meaning he'll be hired before the NCAA deadline of noon tomorrow). In my wildest dreams I can't see us hiring Greg Kampe. I'm confident in taking his name off the list. People are talking about the Colorado coach being an option. I'm not even bothering to look up his name. But if you hear that rumor, don't be surprised. People are also talking about Tubby Smith, who is over 60 and not coming. Don't be surprised if you hear that. KC Star first to name next up on Alden's list: Shaka Smart, Dave Rose, Mick Cronin, Ben Jacobson, Randy Bennett, and Tubby Smith. They are idiots for mentioning Tubby Smith. The Post Dispatch says we shouldn't aim lower and suggest Dave Rose, Brad Stevens, and Shaka Smart. If you're looking for humor in this, in that article a quote stands out: "There is no truth to the rumor that the UT athletic department runs the Big 12 Conference in its spare time. It just seems that way."
I don't even know how to reorganize the coaching list. I guess I would do it like this:
Next Targets:
Brad Stevens
Dave Rose
Mick Cronin
Kevin Stallings
Targets after the "Next Targets" all tell us no:
Shaka Smart
Scott Sutton (this one still just mystifies me)
Ben Jacobson
Randy Bennett
Gregg Marshall
The hardest to place on a list are Shaka Smart and Scott Sutton. The "Next Targets" list are all similar in that they have been at a "big time" (Butler, kind of) school and had some form of sustained success there. Sutton doesn't fit on there because his "sustained success" came at Oral Roberts. Shaka Smart doesn't fit on there because he hasn't had sustained success (only been at VCU two years). The "Targets after "Next Targets"" list are folks who are at smaller schools with varying degrees of success and would move up to a power conference.
Here are reasons folks would reject us or we should reject them:
Brad Stevens -- I would say the only other coach who was a hotter name nationally than Painter this spring is Stevens. He's a God at Butler and wants the Indiana job. He's not coming.
Dave Rose -- Told our old friend Joe Castegilone (sp) at Oklahoma no yesterday. Jimmer coming back for his senior year and they are giving him a new contract. Deets here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700122629/BYU-basketball-Dave-Rose-not-interested-in-Oklahoma-job.html
Kevin Stallings -- When your wikipedia page notes "Stallings has been the subject of heavy criticism for inconsistent performances and weak season finishes," you have some problems. Clearly he's taking some heat at Vandy and would probably love to jump ship but I don't know if Alden would be interested. I don't think Alden would be interested. His stock is falling.
Shaka Smart -- His team is a on a run, but he's unproven. Only two years at VCU. Alden probably interested, but shouldn't be.
Scott Sutton -- Because he's a Sutton and because he coaches at Oral Roberts.
Ben Jacobson -- Not even the best coach in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). He beat Kansas. That doesn't make you a great coach.
Randy Bennett -- If you can't overcome Gonzaga you can't overcome Texas and Kansas.
Gregg Marshall -- Supposed "best coach" in MVC but never led his team there to the NCAA tourney.
That leaves us with Mick Cronin. He almost made the list because he published a Children's book after he go to Cincinnati entitled "Hello, Bearcat!" Start praying that we get Mick Cronin. I think we'll get Scott Sutton or Ben Jacobson. There could be a wild card out there who no one is talking about and will step up at the prospect of 2 mill/year. I don't know nor can imagine said person.
Among a lot of frustrations today is the fact that we'll hear no more about new coaches until Tuesday when the Final Four is...um...finalized.
I'm headed out in the cold rain to walk to my car and take a long, cold, wet car ride home.
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