Dilemma of the elite coach

[Bestiarius]

Often, the downfall of highly successful leaders is their inability or unwillingness to develop a successor. They continue on blissfully until it’s too late for a good outcome to result once their inevitable decline occurs.

But what can be done to avoid this dilemma? Hire from the outside? How can assistants be developed to take over from a dynamic legend? How does the University satisfy the constituents? The outgoing revered coach? The players? The fans? The University? The recruits?

I think Geno does a pretty good job of getting his coaches known and respected by the world. Agree? Who else in the coaching world is doing a good job of planning their own demise?

 

[Sonny44]

No one can match the John Thompson's of Georgetown, eh?

 

[schmendrick]

[I think Geno does a pretty good job of getting his coaches known and respected by the world. Agree? Who else in the coaching world is doing a good job of planning their own demise? [/quote]

So who, pray tell, is Geno's successor? CD the Elder? Shea? Jen Rizzotti?

 

[semper]

He'll be coaching for 15 more years, I think...so his successor might not even be a gleam in the eye yet. Could be someone 30 years old, or even younger....This stuff is really premature, although entertaining, of course.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

He'll be coaching for 15 more years, I think...so his successor might not even be a gleam in the eye yet. Could be someone 30 years old, or even younger....This stuff is really premature, although entertaining, of course.

If Geno coaches for 15 more years I will be shocked. Till he's 73?? Yes, folks do it, but it doesn't strike me as likely in his case. I don't think he will feel he has that much to prove.

 

[Icebear]

Geno will always be coaching just not necessarily for pay, maybe just as a grandpa. You can take the coach out of the position but you can't stop him from coaching.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Ten National Championships sounds like a nice round number to retire with. I can see that as one of Geno's unspoken goals, so Geno retires after he gets #10.

 

[Sonny44]

[I think Geno does a pretty good job of getting his coaches known and respected by the world. Agree? Who else in the coaching world is doing a good job of planning their own demise?

So who, pray tell, is Geno's successor? CD the Elder? Shea? Jen Rizzotti?[/quote]

I would guess Rizzotti as the sentimental choice.
But would she be successful?

 

[wes33]

So who, pray tell, is Geno's successor? CD the Elder? Shea? Jen Rizzotti?

I would guess Rizzotti as the sentimental choice.
But would she be successful?[/quote]

 

[Icebear]

The temptation is to believe that hiring a former player maintains the mystique of a program. I am not sure that is historically true beyond a couple of instances.

 

[wes33]

Coach K at Duke is in a similar boat but a little further a long in age. It is a shame with all the success they have enjoyed that contempt from a lot fans is also along for the ride.

 

[connboy77]

He'll be coaching for 15 more years, I think...so his successor might not even be a gleam in the eye yet. Could be someone 30 years old, or even younger....This stuff is really premature, although entertaining, of course.

Geno will be coaching at UCONN at least until Breanna Stewart, and Diamond if we get her graduates. After that is anyone's guess.

 

[UcMiami]

I think in the ideal situation, Geno will know a few years before he makes the decision to retire and he and the AD set up a succession plan. I think the ideal situation is to bring in the heir at least a year in advance so they are already on staff and connected with players being recruited in the coming years and the current team. Whether that is possible is a whole other thing. I think it would be possible for a current assistant, or for some of his coaching tree. For someone outside that group ... who knows.
When you look around at coaches who choose when they retire (as opposed to being forced out or fired) there is no clear cut route to success.
And when you look at situations that are completely out of control it just makes it harder. I am really curious to see what happens with Penn State Football, which I never really followed before, but will for the next few years, partly because I am a Patriot fan.
(And that last comment is not meant to relate in any way to what in happening in TN. The ONLY similarity is that the coach was/is a legend and the events were/are outside the control of the institution.)

 

[schmendrick]

He'll be coaching for 15 more years, I think...so his successor might not even be a gleam in the eye yet. Could be someone 30 years old, or even younger....This stuff is really premature, although entertaining, of course.

Not to toll gloom and doom, but a few years ago, those over in Knoxville were saying the same about Pat . . .

 

[NCorBust]

He'll be coaching for 15 more years, I think...so his successor might not even be a gleam in the eye yet. Could be someone 30 years old, or even younger....This stuff is really premature, although entertaining, of course.

Perhaps LV fans thought the same thing

 

[Jonathan Husky]

My guess is that Geno, if his health remains good, will probably coach for another 5-8 years. I would be surprised if during this time Jen doesn't accept a caoching position at a major university. She is the top young coach in the country given her USA coaching successes. If Texas is willing to take the chance it would be a great choice for them.

At the point Geno retires Jen will be the first choice to replace him. Shea and Jamelle depending on what they do over the next 5-8 years will be the next in line. There would be no reason to go outside.

Tn's situation is different, Warwick and DeMoss have been assistant coaches there for 20 years and probably won't be picked to succeed Pat.They need to change direction. If they stay within the Tn family it will be Kelly Harper or possibly Caldwell. I think Tn will be more likely to look ouside at a major school coach than UConn.

In any case WCBB at Tn will still be a major commitment for the University and I suspect after an adjustment period they will once again be one of the top five teams in the country.

 

[trb123]

I have nothing but respect for Coach Pat. But I cannot get the following secenario out of my head.

1. PHS ia diagnosed with alzheimer

2. She announces it publicly too late to choose a new coach for LV.

3. That gives the TN assistants an opportunity to coach with Pat's input from the sidelines.

4. A successful season would give the holy warlock a leg up on other candidates. Would Pat do this for her assistants?

Based on what is known so far, can we rule this out?

 

[Wonkster]

Coach K at Duke is in a similar boat but a little further a long in age. It is a shame with all the success they have enjoyed that contempt from a lot fans is also along for the ride.

You can blame Dork Vitale for half of the anti-Duke venom. His out-of-control Duke idolization has nauseated many fans over the years. I can't tolerate listening to that jerk.
.

 

[schmendrick]

[4. A successful season would give the holy warlock a leg up on other candidates. Would Pat do this for her assistants?]

Holy warlock, that sounds like a plan!

 

[ed4ourgirls]

If Geno coaches for 15 more years I will be shocked. Till he's 73?? Yes, folks do it, but it doesn't strike me as likely in his case. I don't think he will feel he has that much to prove.

After seven national championships and god knows how many BE championships and
coach of the year awards, I wouldn't suppose that he feels he has much to prove now.

I expect he will continue to coach for as long as he continues to enjoy coaching, to enjoy molding chmpionship contenders from a group of talented young women, to enjoy just
being in the game.

That could be a while yet.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Shea would get my vote before Jen...

 

[TroySNA]

Geno speculation abounds...

"...15 more years"
until "...Ten National Championships..."
until "...Diamond graduates..."
"...probably coach... for 5-8 years."

If the pisan goes eight more years, w/ what he has in the pipeline, he'd be at about 14 NatChamps...
Then, he pulls the plug, gathers a bunch of the old crew together, buys a WNBA franchise, builds a basketball complex adjoining one of the "Geno's Restorante"s (off I-84), and plays 2-3 home games a week...
with 4-5 days a week of bocce ball and California vino fino from the Taur-Emma vinyards

 

[Sonny44]

Shea would get my vote before Jen...

Why so?

 

[Icebear]

Geno himself said if he can coach kids like Stef he would coach for another 20 years. People in the UConn cloning labs are working on replicating Stef right now.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Why so?

because she a current member of the staff... and is very familiar with UConn's routine & recruiting style.