2025 WCBB Coaches Hot Seat edition

[MSSportsGuy]

Here's the ESPN article on the dismissal. Didn't remember that Auburn's current AD had been with Harris at Mississippi State, so this has got to me a double disappointment.

I suspect there isn't disappointment or love lost. Cohen was AD when Vic left for TX and Harris was his top assistant. She wanted the MSU job and Vic wanted her to get it. There was some bad blood between Cohen and Vic and I'd say it possibly played a factor in her not getting hired and the job went to McCray-Penson, who took a team ranked 6 in the preseason with many key players back and missed the tournament. To be fair it was the 20-21 COVID season, there was clearly a lot of internal issues, and I know her McCray's health wasn't the best. She "resigned" before the season started the following year due to health reasons but it was a very muted, brief explanation and her name never came up again at MSU. Sadly she lost her battle with cancer and while I know health was a factor I'm sure it wasn't the only thing and possibly not even the biggest.

Harris spent one year with Vic at TX before migrating to Auburn, only for Cohen to get hired in 2022. I suspected then she would have to really step things up or she would not last and after a small step forward last year, this season things went poorly so no shock she wasn't retained. I have no idea if Harris would have performed any better than McCray at MSU. It's possible it would have been the same or even worse but I loathe Cohen and his failures as MSU AD. The Auburn job could go to Purcell, who is an alum along with his wife who is Joe Ciampi's daughter who was the long time coach. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if that happened.

 

[YoDore]

Here's the ESPN article on the dismissal. Didn't remember that Auburn's current AD had been with Harris at Mississippi State, so this has got to be a double disappointment.

When coaches depart, you can almost guarantee some team members will hit the portal. Two names jump out at me:

- Taliah Scott had been a break-out frosh at Arkansas and transferred to Auburn to play for Harris. She only got to play three games for the Tigers. The 5'9" combo guard could very well make it three schools in three years....but she could have three years of elibiility.

The other interesting player is Yuting Deng, a 6'0" freshman from Hunan Province in China, who averaged just under 12 per game in 12 games for the Tigers. Will be interesting if she decides/advised to look for another U.S. school to matriculate at.

Auburn women fire Harris after early SEC exit

Auburn fired women's basketball coach Johnnie Harris on Thursday after posting a 58-63 record in four seasons.

www.espn.com

This saddens me. Johnnie Harris is one of the classiest people in the SEC or any other league. I won't argue that the results on the court were entirely satisfactory, but she seems to be plagued with bad luck when it comes to injuries. I'm sure she has a coaching future if she wants it, whether that be as a head coach or as an assistant. I hope so, anyway.

 

[Vowelguy]

In terms of P4 we’ve got

• Mizzou
• Auburn
• Houston

That’s it so far right?

 

[YoDore]

In terms of P4 we’ve got

• Mizzou
• Ark
• Auburn
• Houston

That’s it so far right?

Was Neighbors fired?

 

[GamecockFam]

In terms of P4 we’ve got

• Mizzou
• Ark
• Auburn
• Houston

That’s it so far right?

My mind still has trouble comprehending that Houston is a P4 university.

 

[southie]

Hiring someone with no collegiate head coaching experience is a huge risk. While I like Johnnie Harris just fine, I think Auburn could have made a better hire.

Conversely, Georgia hired the head coach from Central Florida and she isn't doing all that much better.

Miss. State seems to be progressing nicely with Purcell who I don't believe had any previous head coaching experience.

 

[southie]

Arkansas would have been pretty good this season had they not lost so many transfers the last couple of years.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Arkansas would have been pretty good this season had they not lost so many transfers the last couple of years.

There's a reason why they had so many transfers, and "the reason" is still coaching there.

 

[Dillon77]

This saddens me. Johnnie Harris is one of the classiest people in the SEC or any other league. I won't argue that the results on the court were entirely satisfactory, but she seems to be plagued with bad luck when it comes to injuries. I'm sure she has a coaching future if she wants it, whether that be as a head coach or as an assistant. I hope so, anyway.

Losing Scott was just a disaster. How do you make up a projected 20+ per game. Not a lot of patience there, particularly given she got Auburn into the NCAA;'s the year before that. So much for grace periods. Well, as noted, the top remaining players might bolt for other areas, if they don't move fast for the new coach to get to know the players.

BTW, I think Harris will do just fine. Will probably have to do an assistant gig next, but she's young enough to get a second shot.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Miss. State seems to be progressing nicely with Purcell who I don't believe had any previous head coaching experience.

?

Mississippi State is at or below 0.500 in the conference for the second straight season. Progression WHERE? Nine SEC wins his first season, eight last season, seven this season.

He may get the Auburn job, but my goodness--failing upwards.

Coach Yo > him

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Hiring someone with no collegiate head coaching experience is a huge risk. While I like Johnnie Harris just fine, I think Auburn could have made a better hire.

Conversely, Georgia hired the head coach from Central Florida and she isn't doing all that much better.

Miss. State seems to be progressing nicely with Purcell who I don't believe had any previous head coaching experience.

Considering Auburn isn’t exactly a top flight destination job she was possibly the best overall candidate.

Purcell hadn’t been a head coach until MSU and has been fine. Vic hadn’t been one either until he came to MSU and I think he turned out okay .

 

[MSSportsGuy]

This saddens me. Johnnie Harris is one of the classiest people in the SEC or any other league. I won't argue that the results on the court were entirely satisfactory, but she seems to be plagued with bad luck when it comes to injuries. I'm sure she has a coaching future if she wants it, whether that be as a head coach or as an assistant. I hope so, anyway.

She will land on her feet somewhere I’m sure. I wanted her to get the MSU job but not sure things would have turned out any better for us.

Now I watch to see if Purcell goes to Auburn.

 

[Vowelguy]

Was Neighbors fired?

Oh, thought, like Mizzou, they had announced he wouldnt be back. But not the case.

 

[Vowelguy]

And P4 changes that could still happen?

• ACC: UVa, SMU
• SEC: Arkansas
• BiG: NWern, Wisconsin, PennSt, Rutgers?
• B12: ASU, TxT, UCF, BYU, Ariz?

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Looks like Krieger is staying at Penn State.

https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-basketball/article301557149.html

 

[southie]

Considering Auburn isn’t exactly a top flight destination job she was possibly the best overall candidate.

Purcell hadn’t been a head coach until MSU and has been fine. Vic hadn’t been one either until he came to MSU and I think he turned out okay .

Actually, Vic had been the head coach at Sam Houston State for 7 years or so



VIC SCHAEFER'S COACHING EXPERIENCE

YEARS	SCHOOL	POSITION
2020-present	Texas	Head Coach
2011-20	Mississippi State	Head Coach
2003-11	Texas A&M	Associate Head Coach
1997-03	Arkansas	Associate Head Coach
1990-97	Sam Houston State	Head Coach
1989-90	Milby H.S. [Houston]	Assistant Boys Coach
1987-89	Sam Houston State	Assistant Men's Coach
1985-87	Milby H.S. [Houston]	Assistant Boys Coach

 

[JellyBean]

And P4 changes that could still happen?

• ACC: UVa, SMU
• SEC: Arkansas
• BiG: NWern, Wisconsin, PennSt, Rutgers?
• B12: ASU, TxT, UCF, BYU, Ariz?

Why is Arkansas on this list?

 

[Vowelguy]

Why is Arkansas on this list?

Did Ark announce that Neighbors was definitely back?

 

[southie]

?

Mississippi State is at or below 0.500 in the conference for the second straight season. Progression WHERE? Nine SEC wins his first season, eight last season, seven this season.

He may get the Auburn job, but my goodness--failing upwards.

Coach Yo > him

Well, according to the analysts on SEC Network, this is the first season that Charlie Creme had Miss. State safely in the NCAA tournament at the end of the regular season. Last couple of years they were on the bubble. And, Purcell got his first win ever in the SEC tourney yesterday. That seems like progress to me.

 

[dws3665]

There's a reason why they had so many transfers, and "the reason" is still coaching there.

That's just not it. Not saying that Neighbors is blameless (he definitely isn't), but the players who left did so for a variety of reasons. Most didn't hate playing for Neighbors - one did. Most of them like him.

Scott left because of locker room issues. Didn't like the fact that the upper classmen - especially Spencer, who was a very polarizing figure in the locker room -- treated her. A bit immature, a bit prima donna/me first, but didn't need to stand for some of the jealous, mean girl treatment she got.

Poffenbarger left for a few reasons, I think. She wanted to be nearer home, she didn't like getting yelled at consistently by her position coach, and she didn't want to play another year with Spencer. It wasn't just Scott who didn't like her.

Spencer left for money, plain and simple. She said so.

Dauda left because she didn't want to be the only good player left on the roster, and for better money (anything, literally, was better than what Arkansas was able to offer players last year). She barely gets scrub minutes at SC, which is really unfortunate.

Wolfenbarger - that's a different story. Lots of blame to go around here. She (and her family) did have beef with Neighbors, who they thought wasn't developing her to be a guard well enough. She also had some outside basketball things going on that interfered with her focus. A change of scene was probably what she needed. Though ... playing for Mulkey doesn't seem to have really upped her game all that much. At least she has accepted that she's better suited to play closer to the basket, which she would never have done at Arkansas.

Neighbors is responsible for the culture in the program, and he put too much faith in his seniors to keep things under control, imo. It blew up last year. And the crap recruiting the past two years just left the squad a shell of an SEC team.

Neighbors hasn't had any money to recruit since Scott's class signed. Which is why this year you had foreign kids and JUCOs mostly, and next year is two foreign kids and one pretty decent US player - and why he missed out on the top US kids he was going after (esp Snead). He claims that the Rev Share plan will allow them to be "uber aggressive" in the portal this offseason. We'll see.

 

[JellyBean]

Did Ark announce that Neighbors was definitely back?

As of right now, he is still the head coach of Arkansas.

 

[Vowelguy]

As of right now, he is still the head coach of Arkansas.

Reread my posts.

 

[cancontent]

I live in Madison and go to a fair amount of games and to be honest, I hope she does transfer. The Wisconsin program isn't going anywhere and will not contend for an NCAA tournament spot next season. The talent around her is below average at best and she gets very little help. UW has done a terrible job of keeping top recruits in the state. Lexi Donarski, KK Arnold, Ali Ziebell, Teagan Mallegni, Taylor Stremlow, Leailani Kapinus, and Grace Grocholski are currently playing for other teams. Next year the best players in the state are going to Minnesota, Michigan State and Maryland. If you go back further, you have players like Arike Ogunbowale and Misty Bass that chose to hit the road and play for other programs. I like Mosely and I was hoping she would succeed but I think it's time for a change.

I hear you but it sucks that it's happening. She's got big decisions to make during the off-season. I'll be a fan regardless where she ends up.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Actually, Vic had been the head coach at Sam Houston State for 7 years or so



VIC SCHAEFER'S COACHING EXPERIENCE

YEARS	SCHOOL	POSITION
2020-present	Texas	Head Coach
2011-20	Mississippi State	Head Coach
2003-11	Texas A&M	Associate Head Coach
1997-03	Arkansas	Associate Head Coach
1990-97	Sam Houston State	Head Coach
1989-90	Milby H.S. [Houston]	Assistant Boys Coach
1987-89	Sam Houston State	Assistant Men's Coach
1985-87	Milby H.S. [Houston]	Assistant Boys Coach

I didn’t realize that! My mistake.

Thank you for the information.