E-mailed 3/24/11
Since college basketball is the only college sport I'm following form here forward (or at least until our football program signs with a real conference), events in the past week have been pretty fascinating to say the least. Lots of press out there. I have the good fortune to have a pretty free day at work today. If you are interested, here are the links out there that you might want to peruse:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/23/2748700/missouri-should-land-a-quality.html -- Very aggressive article by the KC Star. If you're feeling bitter, you HAVE to read this.
http://college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/28049887?source=rss_blogs_NCAAB -- General article that says the same thing as the Star, just less aggressively and more objectively (in the event anyone felt the first link was biased)
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/mar/23/andersons-bad-breakup-leaves-unpleasant-aftertaste/ -- This link is worth clicking even if you don't read it...look at the photo as Alden thanks Anderson for his service to Mizzou. Look at the players faces.
http://m.stltoday.com/STL/db_260518/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=BXWec6H2&full=true#display -- Solid article with a paragraph: "And there's another reason the MU job should interest some fine candidates: The new coach will instantly become the most popular man in Boone County. It wasn't easy for Snyder to succeed the living legend, Norm Stewart. It wasn't smooth for Anderson. The Anderson style of basketball, while successful over the last three years, was irritating to watch at times. Even those of us who respect Anderson's work grew tired of watching the same frenetic game — with the same, stupid mistakes — over and over again. By now, I don't think any reasonable person will resent the new coach for not being Norm Stewart. And I think a lot of people are ready for a change in strategy in Mizzou's approach to the game. And I think it's safe to say many fans are upset at Anderson for the way he duped Mizzou after the university went to great lengths to satisfy his wishes."
Also if you are interested, here is the list of potential candidates found mentioned in all of the articles I read:
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.
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.
Bob Burchard -- Currently the men’s basketball coach at Columbia College. The Cougars have advanced to the NAIA Men's National Basketball Championship 14 times during his tenure, including 13 of the past 16 seasons. The Missourian actually listed him as a candidate. My response: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Jon Sunvold -- Former Mizzou player. A great choice. If he was actually a coach.
Kim Anderson -- Current Coach at Central Missouri. Former players and assistant coach for the Tigers. At Central he has coached his teams to five NCAA DII Tournaments in the past six years. Everyone wants him to come "home." A bad choice for the program.
Cuonzo Martin -- Current Coach at Southwest Missouri State Teachers College for two years. ZERO NCAA appearances. St. Louis media is jocking him b/c he recruits well in St. Louis. I'd take Kim Anderson over him. I'd even take Bob Burchard over him.
Hopefully We Can Do Better
Mark Fox -- Head Coach of Georgia 09-11, Nevada before that 04-09. 7 years coaching, four years in NCAA, never out of second round. Almost hired over Anderson. It would worry me he would leave after only two year at Georgia.
Chris Mooney -- Head Coach of Richmond since 2005. Turned the program around and just now coming into his own as a coach with two back-to-back NCAA appearances.
Brian Gregory -- Head Coach of Dayton since 2003. Taken them to the NCAA twice and he won the NIT in 09-10. One would think he would be on the next plane to BoCoMo if offered. I'll pass, but would take him over Scott Sutton.
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
Matt Painter -- Head Coach of Purdue since 05, Southern IL 03-04. 155-66 record, 7 NCAA appearances in 8 years as a Head Coach. Two Sweet 16's. St. Louis radio reported he wants the job. I was all over him as a candidate until I found out he's a Purdue grad. He ain't leaving. If he does, we should question his integrity at least minimally. Feel free to move him to "Get Real" list.
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.
Buzz Williams -- Head Coach of Marquette for three years, all three with NCAA tournament appearances. He coaches in the Big East, best college basketball conference in the country. He has Big 12 ties. And let's just say, he looks the part of a Missourian. Perfect choice, but I don't know if heading to Mizzou from Marquette and Big East (where is both successful and worshiped) is the right move for him. He's not coming to Mizzou.
Conclusions:
I'm guessing we'll announce Stallings, Jacobson, Bennett or Mooney. If you are overly optimistic hope for Williams or Painter.
In two days (3/26) Mike Anderson will have come into the lives of Missouri sports fans exactly five years ago. Let's recap what life was like then:
* A radio play-by-play announcer (Link) had just fired our head coach (Synder)
* Our Athletic Director (Alden) was getting called in front of the Board of Trustees to presumably get fired.
* We had no recruits in the pipeline
* Our current players were defecting...quickly
* Our program was a national embarrassment
* Our head coach was a drug user
Anderson was hired sans search committee and quickly declared himself a "Mike Alden guy" possibly saving Alden's job. In the five years since we've been to the tournament 5 times and the Elite 8 once. There have been some troubling and frustrating times sprinkled in there. Those five years, however, were much better than the five before. Five years from now I think we will look back and find that Mike Anderson era at Mizzou will be remembered for him saving Alden's job and bringing the program back into the national conversation.
Bottom line: I don't think we'll be remembering his classless appearance in the NCAA's this year and his classless avoidance of the media in Columbia on the night he resigned.
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