2025 WCBB Coaches Hot Seat edition (merged) | Page 15 | The Boneyard

2025 WCBB Coaches Hot Seat edition (merged)


nwhoopfan said:
What is he hanging on for? Just digging a deeper hole for his program that whoever follows him will have to try to get out of.
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At least at Northwestern the school itself is part of the draw. Moreso than most
And with the portal ….
 
Vowelguy said:
At least at Northwestern the school itself is part of the draw. Moreso than most
And with the portal ….
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Is that really a draw anymore? That was Stanford's thing for forever...until suddenly it wasn't.
 
Per Northwestern Coach Joe McKeown retirement....after the 2025-26 season. Incidentally, that's his 40th year of head coaching and 18th at Northwestern. Given that the Wildcat administration has given Joe a victory lap and a 40 anniversary, I wonder when the contract ran/runs out.

In any case, Uncle Joe will get a year, but this certainly won't help with HS recruiting for 2026...or beyond. That said, NW athletic department can spend a bunch of time lining up candidates. I believe that Northwestern will get a certain kind of player (much like the Ivies) but if they want to stay competitive in the B1G, the new coach will have to stock up on transfers that meet the academic grade.
Tough situation for all involved, save Uncle Joe, who gets his victory tour.

nusports.com

Joe McKeown Announces Retirement as Northwestern’s Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Conclusion of 2025-26 Season - Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern Women's Basketball head coach Joe McKeown , the longest-tenured and winningest head Women's Basketball coach in Northwestern history, has announ...
nusports.com nusports.com
 
Not sure I agree he warrants this “farewell tour”. Seems like a nice enough guy but has done NOTHING FOR 5 years.
 
DefenseBB said:
Not sure I agree he warrants this “farewell tour”. Seems like a nice enough guy but has done NOTHING FOR 5 years.
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Please note: I didn't say he warranted his "victory tour" -- I wrote the administration has granted him a victory tour. To the contrary, I've been one of the folks urging him to take the high road and have a joint retirement party with Doug Bruno.

I found a Northwestern press release noting his last contract ran through the end of this season: 2024-25. So a conscious decision was made to give him this last year. From most of our perspectives, this was not the way to go.
 
Dillon77 said:
Please note: I didn't say he warranted his "victory tour" -- I wrote the administration has granted him a victory tour. To the contrary, I've been one of the folks urging him to take the high road and have a joint retirement party with Doug Bruno.

I found a Northwestern press release noting his last contract ran through the end of this season: 2024-25. So a conscious decision was made to give him this last year. From most of our perspectives, this was not the way to go.
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We, me included, focus on wins and losses. But the AD and the school have additional concerns. Costs for one. But also integrity of the program, player treatment, etc. if he treats his players well and they all graduate, and are good community members, maybe the school can live with that for another year. Competing at that level is a 0-sum game; not every team can be above average in wins, and if you don’t have additional metrics ….
Also universities may be more conscious of expenses in this political environment, outside of FB and MCBB
 
I knew it was coming.

NAU's loss is Santa Clara's gain as coach Loree Payne makes a move that takes her closer to home.

nauathletics.com

NAU Women’s Basketball’s Loree Payne Departs for Santa Clara - Northern Arizona University Athletics

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 24, 2025) – After eight seasons at the helm of the Northern Arizona University women's basketball program, head coach Loree Payne has announced
nauathletics.com nauathletics.com

So if there's a change down in the dirty t all four Arizona wbb programs will have new coaches next year.
 
Vowelguy said:
We, me included, focus on wins and losses. But the AD and the school have additional concerns. Costs for one. But also integrity of the program, player treatment, etc. if he treats his players well and they all graduate, and are good community members, maybe the school can live with that for another year. Competing at that level is a 0-sum game; not every team can be above average in wins, and if you don’t have additional metrics ….
Also universities may be more conscious of expenses in this political environment, outside of FB and MCBB
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Thanks...points all taken and understood (FWIW, you're conversing with a 10+ year plus accredited coach who certainly knows it's not all w's and l's). From all accounts, Uncle Joe and N'Western have played ball and overseen their students the right way. I have a friend who attends multiple games per year and she likes the way the team conducts itself.

That said, it sure looks like Joe M.'s contract was over at the end of the season, so it's not as if they're eating a contract year or two.
In fact, they may extending one. And the W-L record has been in a linear progression the wrong way.

Are there other extenuating factors here? Maybe? And/or do they just want to give the guy a solid for his 18+ years? Don't know, but that's the direction they've chosen on the Shores of Lake Michigan. Don't think it will be a very interesting year on the courts, but I'll keep track of who they bring in next. Thats' it for me on this team until then. :)

Now...what the heck didn't happen in Happy Valley? ;)
 
Grand Canyon wastes no time a sign of a program administration that's on the ball. Hope we hear from NAU soon!
FB_IMG_1742929874266.jpg
 
azfan said:
Loree Payne makes a move that takes her closer to home.
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We're gonna need to consult the board's geography experts. I'm not sure how going from Arizona to California gets her closer to Montana. Born in Bozeman but was in Havre when she graduated high school. Played college ball in Seattle but that's not home.
 
nwhoopfan said:
We're gonna need to consult the board's geography experts. I'm not sure how going from Arizona to California gets her closer to Montana. Born in Bozeman but was in Havre when she graduated high school. Played college ball in Seattle but that's not home.
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who?
 
Dillon77 said:
Well, the AD should certainly not be sleeping well....
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I thought I’d misread at first. Surely it’s Wisconsin-Green Bay or Wisconsin-Whitewater?!

That’s the most depressing hire I’ve ever seen in any major sport. And I saw South Carolina football hire Will Muschamp.
 
nwhoopfan said:
We're gonna need to consult the board's geography experts. I'm not sure how going from Arizona to California gets her closer to Montana. Born in Bozeman but was in Havre when she graduated high school. Played college ball in Seattle but that's not home.
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Dillon77 said:
Mitchell Got His Own Thread, but we've been keeping track of must coaching coming and goings in this thread, so here's one entry on Coach Mitchell being back on the court, albeit in a new conference.

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Thank you. I looked for this thread to post the Mitchell announcement but for some reason couldn't find it.
 
Dillon77 said:
Please note: I didn't say he warranted his "victory tour" -- I wrote the administration has granted him a victory tour. To the contrary, I've been one of the folks urging him to take the high road and have a joint retirement party with Doug Bruno.

I found a Northwestern press release noting his last contract ran through the end of this season: 2024-25. So a conscious decision was made to give him this last year. From most of our perspectives, this was not the way to go.
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I don't think I intimated you said anything. I simply stated His poor results did not warrant granting him an additional year. I also note that yes, the school takes other things into consideration but sadly if the bar is "he treats players right, they graduate and are good community members" which frankly that should already be a criteria (which we all know is NOT the case in far too many programs) than yeah, give him another year. He should have the integrity himself to realize he has not competed well for himself or the players under his charge so whatever goodwill he had built up with me, is lost (but I am not writing his check so what does it matter what I think).

Trust me that if I think you said something I disagree with I would make abundantly clear. For your clarity, win against TCU and then get demolished against Texas....:D (Irish Green emoji).
 
nwhoopfan said:
We're gonna need to consult the board's geography experts. I'm not sure how going from Arizona to California gets her closer to Montana. Born in Bozeman but was in Havre when she graduated high school. Played college ball in Seattle but that's not home.
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Santa Clara closer to Montana than Flagstaff....10 out of 10 geographers agree. :)

Already REALLY missing Payne.

Edit - @nwhoopfan - you are absolutely correct those 10 geographers must have been ASU graduates. Flagstaff is 120 miles closer to coach Payne's hometown. Obviously she took the job for other reasons as I suppose the WCC is a step up from the Big Sky.
 
Last edited:
azfan said:
Santa Clara closer to Montana than Flagstaff....10 out of 10 geographers agree.
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Montana is a REALLY big state. It depends on which part of Montana you are aiming for. A quick look at a map seemed to indicate Havre was pretty much due north of Flagstaff. Santa Clara is west and probably south too, so she's going the wrong direction!
 
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