Baylor hire?

[KY Card Fan]

Agreed - Megan Duffy, Nicki Collen, or one of the Baylor assistants (Brock or Messer).

Is Nicki Collen related to Tom Collen (former coach at Louisville and, later, at Arkansas?)

 

[Urshurak]

Is Nicki Collen related to Tom Collen (former coach at Louisville and, later, at Arkansas?)

I believe so.

Nicki Collen Was Her Husband's Assistant Coach. Now, She's WNBA Coach Of The Year.

As Nicki Collen followed her husband from job to job, she sometimes worried that people doubted her coaching skills. Then last year she led the Atlanta Dream to the playoffs.

www.wbur.org

 

[Vowelguy]

Why is the Florida Gulf Coast coach still at Florida Gulf Coast?

Maybe he’s happy there?

nice place to live and he’s got that job for life pretty much

if you go for a bigger job you uproot your family and in 5 years you could be unemployed. Obviously most people consider it worth the risk but maybe not everyone.

and/or he will only leave for a few places and if those don’t happen he’s content where he is

 

[Bear11]

I don't follow the WNBA even a little, anyone have some background on Collen?

 

[SECbbfan24]

if you go for a bigger job you uproot your family and in 5 years you could be unemployed. Obviously most people consider it worth the risk but maybe not everyone.

While true you can make bank during that period as well

 

[dws3665]

Yes, Nikki is Tom’s wife. She was an AC on Tom’s last few staffs at Arkansas, and she was a very, very good coach — she was responsible for the defense, and those last couple of Collen teams were pretty tough on D.

I think this is a smart hire, but one that isn’t likely to be a “wow” hire.

 

[Vowelguy]

Yup 2018 coach of the year in the W.

(since then 15-41)

WNBA coaching has improved a lot from the early days but I still wouldn’t put them on par with the top college coaches. And Collen was not even a top W coach.

 

[SimpleDawg]

Good hire, my Bear friends from the West. You can leave Molly Miller to us next year.

When I heard Rhodes flew to Atlanta this morning, I was sure he was personally coming for Joni Taylor, but this is possibly a better hire.

 

[Go/huskies]

Question is can she get top talent to Waco. “I know what it will take to get to the WNBA” could be a decent recruiting pitch.

 

[eebmg]

Big question is can she get top talent to Waco.

I think former WNBA coaches would be attractive to recruits who have WNBA goals. She also seems to have a rah rah personality that is popular. Guessing her salary took a massive bump

 

[dws3665]

Big question is can she get top talent to Waco.

This is a very good question. Curious to see a) who her staff will be, and b) what Messer and Brock do.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I’m not familiar with Messer but is she a good recruiter?

 

[Vowelguy]

and b) what Messer and Brock do.

SoCal job?

 

[dws3665]

I’m not familiar with Messer but is she a good recruiter?

Baylor fans seem to think so. I think BU’s HS recruiting has dipped over the past 2-3 years, but that might not be due to Messer.

SoCal job?

Interesting. Arkansas has an open assistant position after Osahor left for Oklahoma, but ... I think that Messer (who was at Arkansas when Blair was on the staff) is probably too senior for it.

 

[SimpleDawg]

Question is can she get top talent to Waco. “I know what it will take to get to the WNBA” could be a decent recruiting pitch.

Vic is gonna get all the Texas recruits now.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Interesting choice and one I wouldn't expect but maybe it will work out. Baylor still has plenty on the roster.

 

[triaddukefan]

Vic is gonna get all the Texas recruits now.

Naw.... Mulkey and Lawson gonna grab their share.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Baylor fans seem to think so. I think BU’s HS recruiting has dipped over the past 2-3 years, but that might not be due to Messer.

I get the impression with the transfer portal that Kim narrowed her HS recruiting prospects and just adds in from the portal

I hope she actually tries to recruit elite talent out of HS at LSU but Baylor’s HS recruiting the last few years have been meh

 

[Go/huskies]

Naw.... Mulkey and Lawson gonna grab their share.

Hopefully Baranczyk can grab a few.

 

[SimpleDawg]

I can now just imagine all those empty seats at Farrell. 😇

It sounds like lots of Baylor fans aren't gonna support this new coach.

Nikki McCray Penson had the entire fanbase supporting her because they all thought she was the bomb, and she flopped even with those highly favorable conditions. I highly doubt Collen would be worse. At worst, she sweeps through the entire Big 12 except for Vic, and is probably be seen as at least good though not at the level Baylor is used to playing.

 

[Plebe]

Baylor fans are hoping this turns out better than the last WNBA HC-turned-NCAA HC (S. White). (At least I'm not thinking of any others who have followed that path since; someone correct me if needed).

 

[Vowelguy]

Baylor fans are hoping this turns out better than the last WNBA HC-turned-NCAA HC (S. White). (At least I'm not thinking of any others who have followed that path since; someone correct me if needed).

Didnt Van Chancellor go to Ole Miss after Comets? (and not do well)

 

[Go/huskies]

I can now just imagine all those empty seats at Farrell. 😇

It sounds like lots of Baylor fans aren't gonna support this new coach.

Nikki McCray Penson had the entire fanbase supporting her because they all thought she was the bomb, and she flopped even with those highly favorable conditions. I highly doubt Collen would be worse. At worst, she sweeps through the entire Big 12 except for Vic, and is probably be seen as at least good though not at the level Baylor is used to playing.

That will probably happen for this season, but with the current roster I think a few Big12 teams will pass Baylor in the 22-23 season.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Didnt Van Chancellor go to Ole Miss after Comets? (and not do well)

He was with the Comets then went to LSU later on, but he was way past his prime when he came to LSU.

Vandy was a train wreck under white. Hopefully this works out better for Baylor

 

[Plebe]

Didnt Van Chancellor go to Ole Miss after Comets? (and not do well)

Went to LSU before Fargas, but that was surely before the White hire at Vandy.