Rebuilding Genos Legacy

[Tonyc]

There has been alot of chatter about what happens to UConn when Geno retires. It is obvious to me that with Tonya being hired along with the current staff under Geno, UConn is preparing for Geno's retirement. They have a plan. My ole saying.... People dont plan to fail they fail to plan. IMO the first part of the plan is in place. That is building a coaching staff that can implement Genos system. I would bet there are discussions going on about who would replace Geno. That person would have to be attract top players or Geno's system would have to continue to develop players at the highest level and continue to win championships. Yes Geno would be impossible to replace because of what he has built and his records. That cannot be duplicated over night. It took Geno time and it would take any coach time.

Kids come to UConn because of Geno and they want to play for him. So what coaches out there can attract/recruit players???? Thats the question. I dont think there is anyone who can compare with Geno, so lets not even go there. So my answer would be build a program at UConn with the coaching staff that will run Genos system. What Geno/UConn have done is hire coaches who can implement what Geno has built. Those coaches have been worked with Geno, know his system, and know how to implement it. That will be the key to continue Genos legacy. That key would be to implement the system which in turn will continue to draw kids to UConn. We see the list of players who have committed to UConn and some of those players are a couple of years down the road. Im sure the one of the first questions kids ask when being recruited is how long will Geno be on board to work with me.

Another question would be will Geno stay on in a part time status running practices at a lesser scale? Most likely imo UConn would want him to be around because of what the program has become. Bottom line is your not going to replace Geno with someone else so you build around what Geno's built to continue his legacy. You do that with the coaching staff and by recruiting kids now for the future.

 

[topogigio]

Just like UConn's 111 game winning streak, nothing lasts forever. Geno will enjoy a well deserved retirement, and life will go on for the basketball team. Enjoy the team today and don't fret about tomorrow.

 

[broooce]

One comparison I've not read regarding this topic is that many other men's programs have survived the retirement of long-time coaches to return to the top of the game, and I can only think of Tennessee as the one women's example that might be considered as a comparison to UConn women's basketball, with Stanford facing the same issue in the years to come.

I think of UConn first of course: Jim Calhoun - Kevin Ollie - Dan Hurley all won national championships
UNC: Dean Smith - Bill Guthridge (FF appearances) - Roy Williams (although a few years in the wilderness under Matt Doherty)
Kansas: Larry Brown - Roy Williams (FF appearances) - Bill Self
Duke: Mike Krzyzewski - Jon Scheyer (TBD)
Villanova: Rollie Massimino - Jay Wright - Kyle Neptune (TBD)

I'm sure there are others. These programs had very good transitions and maintained top programs after the change including top rankings and highly successful recruiting.

Tennessee WBB is fighting its way back after Pat Summitt and Kellie Harper seems to working her butt off - I think she'll get there in the near future.

And of course there are the top coaches who just do a great job because of themselves, Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley come immediately to mind. Coaches like them will be successful anywhere.

So there are several ways to approach the succession plan that have worked for top programs in the past. Just avoid whatever UNLV and Georgetown did after their coaches retired as those programs haven't returned to consistent prominence after their NCAA successes.

 

[CTBballfan243]

UConn will go the way of Old Dominion and LaTech if UConn doesn’t get into one of the 4 power conferences. Conference affiliation will ultimately decide UConn’s fate.

 

[JellyBean]

As always Tonyc, great conversation topic. When Coach G decides to step down, whoever comes in, just has to be themselves and coach to the best of their ability. If it is someone within the ranks, they just have to coach to their skill set. Like you said, Geno is one of a kind. What made him such a success won't work for the next person. The program's history and high standards will always be something that stands out. I look at Alabama football and Arizona softball, just to name a few successful programs, the Standard is the Standard and the right coach can push and recruit players to maintain those standards. Arizona is in the works on that part. Caitlin Lowe is a decent coach and she is finding her groove.

What I am getting at is, no matter if the future coach is sitting on the UConn bench right now or if they have to go out and hire a new coach from some other program, the UConn Standard is the Standard. The new coach will have to figure out how to blend their talents with the UConn Standards. Having Coach G around may or may not hurt the new coach. A lot depends on the parties involved and their egos.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

It comes to mind that whoever takes over for Geno might want to hire their own ass't coaches!
The other question that must be answered at that time is if wanted who'll stay?
Chris Dailey has already said when Geno is done, so is she!
Jamelle, Morgan, Tonya, & Ben Kantor may have other plans.
An example is if Carla Berube comes to UCONN from Princeton does she bring her staff with her?
Another ? I came up with, would Geno have to announce his impending retirement a year or two in advance so as not to shortchange in-coming freshmen?
Would Jamelle. Tonya, Morgan think of applying for the job?
Whenever Geno decides it will not be a simple process, He will definitely not want to hurt anybody in the process!
In reference to above comments I don't think it'll be a good idea for Geno to hang around!
The break has to be clean so the new coach and staff establish their own footing!

 

[Bone Dog]

The two components of UConn's success are extraordinary discipline and deep commitment to team concept among the players. This is what Geno recruits for and what he builds. One revealing element of this is assessing a player's willingness to play team defense. Geno has often said HS scorers are not hard to find, but kids willing to make the sacrifices necessary for team defense are rare and maybe more important. One way to attract the talented kids every other coach is trying to get is the well-documented success rate of Huskies in the WNBA. One important part of Geno's reputation is based on preparing kids to play professionally.

My two candidates to succeed Geno are Carla and Nikki Collen. Carla brings deep knowledge of Geno's system and a proven record of success at a 'mid-major' school that regularly challenges opponents in the tournament. This shows she knows how to build team cohesiveness and coach self-discipline. This is one supremely important side of Geno's success. But what she lacks is a record of preparing players for the WNBA, and this is just a consequence of coaching at an Ivy.

Nikki is a coach with WNBA experience, but also one who can build team cohesiveness. She took over a program in a shambles at Baylor, hung on to a few players and built a team around that. In some ways, the team last season, Once Egbo and Smith had moved on, with only Caitlin Bickle and Sarah Andrews left from Kim's tenure, says a lot about Nikki as a coach. Against us last season, Baylor worked relentlessly to stay in that game, even leading for much of the first half. This was an undersized team (Bickle was their tallest player) that had to outrun us everywhere. That sort of commitment is a testament to Nikki's ability to inspire a team concept in her kids. In the end, Azzi and Aubrey were just too much for them in the 3rd quarter. So Nikki shares some of Carla's virtues, but also has a WNBA reputation.

I can't think of any other candidates who look like a good fit for UConn personality-wise or in terms of reputation, and who might want to take on the challenge.

 

[Next 12]

I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on this topic. My only comment will be that GENO being GENO will solve the problem, whatever comes up. His love for Uconn would not let him cause any stress for Uconn. I hope that decision is 5-6 years away and until then, I will enjoy watching the Huskies dominate their rivals. GO GENO!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[sun]

Geno's current contract ends in April, 2025.
After that UConn & Geno can agree to 2 one year extensions.
After that he can choose between a severence package or 5 years of employment with the Athletic Dept.
UConn & Geno can also agree to a new contract, but that would be very speculative.

Geno won't ever need to have his legacy rebuilt because he has helped to build the UConn brand which is his real legacy.
I think that Chris Daily would take over for Geno for a short term transition period if needed.
She might not want to take the job long term but that seems to be part of her job right now.
It all depends on the circumstances of how long the hiring process takes & who is available that UConn wants to hire.
If anything were to happen to Geno during the season that interferes with him fulfilling his contract. then I don't doubt that Chris Daily would be the person to take over.
And she may even be willing to stay on as the assistant or head coach for a time to provide continuity to insure that the UConn brand continues to function as normal.
As far as UConn having a plan in place, that's about as far as it goes.
Geno may or may not have already made up his mind about when & how he wants to retire.
However UConn & Geno made those contractual arrangements in contemptlation of how to proceed when the contract ends.
That includes Chris Daily too.

There's possibly going to be a difference between when they each choose to end their careers.
If a new coach is close to Geno, then that increases the chances that they will be close to Chris Daily too which would allow for a mutual transition between all 3 parties.
No way do I see anyone on the current staff becoming Chris Daily's new boss.
That could create a very awkward situation.
I doubt that UConn's plans go beyond Chris Daily as being the interim head coach at this point.
Otherwise it's just a routine national search for a new head coach with all of the options being open with the priority being preserving the UConn brand which includes Geno's legacy.
But in the end the UConn brand will need to remain dintinguished on its own.
That will probably include eventually joining a new conference.
There will be a transition period & contingenies for everything.

 

[JellyBean]

The two components of UConn's success are extraordinary discipline and deep commitment to team concept among the players. This is what Geno recruits for and what he builds. One revealing element of this is assessing a player's willingness to play team defense. Geno has often said HS scorers are not hard to find, but kids willing to make the sacrifices necessary for team defense are rare and maybe more important. One way to attract the talented kids every other coach is trying to get is the well-documented success rate of Huskies in the WNBA. One important part of Geno's reputation is based on preparing kids to play professionally.

My two candidates to succeed Geno are Carla and Nikki Collen. Carla brings deep knowledge of Geno's system and a proven record of success at a 'mid-major' school that regularly challenges opponents in the tournament. This shows she knows how to build team cohesiveness and coach self-discipline. This is one supremely important side of Geno's success. But what she lacks is a record of preparing players for the WNBA, and this is just a consequence of coaching at an Ivy.

Nikki is a coach with WNBA experience, but also one who can build team cohesiveness. She took over a program in a shambles at Baylor, hung on to a few players and built a team around that. In some ways, the team last season, Once Egbo and Smith had moved on, with only Caitlin Bickle and Sarah Andrews left from Kim's tenure, says a lot about Nikki as a coach. Against us last season, Baylor worked relentlessly to stay in that game, even leading for much of the first half. This was an undersized team (Bickle was their tallest player) that had to outrun us everywhere. That sort of commitment is a testament to Nikki's ability to inspire a team concept in her kids. In the end, Azzi and Aubrey were just too much for them in the 3rd quarter. So Nikki shares some of Carla's virtues, but also has a WNBA reputation.

I can't think of any other candidates who look like a good fit for UConn personality-wise or in terms of reputation, and who might want to take on the challenge.

Props on showing Coach Collen some love. I think that she is a solid coach with a great eye for talent and developing players.

 

[Cuango]

As always Tonyc, great conversation topic. When Coach G decides to step down, whoever comes in, just has to be themselves and coach to the best of their ability. If it is someone within the ranks, they just have to coach to their skill set. Like you said, Geno is one of a kind. What made him such a success won't work for the next person. The program's history and high standards will always be something that stands out. I look at Alabama football and Arizona softball, just to name a few successful programs, the Standard is the Standard and the right coach can push and recruit players to maintain those standards. Arizona is in the works on that part. Caitlin Lowe is a decent coach and she is finding her groove.

What I am getting at is, no matter if the future coach is sitting on the UConn bench right now or if they have to go out and hire a new coach from some other program, the UConn Standard is the Standard. The new coach will have to figure out how to blend their talents with the UConn Standards. Having Coach G around may or may not hurt the new coach. A lot depends on the parties involved and their egos.

I have to ….question your take on Caitlin Lowe. So far her tenure has been a disaster. While she did sort of stumble her way to the WS (with Candrea’s roster and a lot of luck) she’s been unable to hold onto her best players and has been completely hapless on the recruiting front. To be fair, Candrea was already having trouble getting the top recruits, especially pitchers, but she, as far as I know, isn’t getting so much as a sniff from the kind of players that were fairly common during the program’s glory days. That is the only path to a resurgence of this storied program and she’s just not getting it done! Equally alarming, there seems to be a question as to whether her players even like her. I’m a huge Az softball fan and desperately want them to be great again but I have to say, I think Lowe was a mistake. When Candrea retired, the program still had enough cachet to have attracted some of the top coaches. That cachet is slowly seeping away under Lowe, whose main accomplishment so far is to strengthen our archrival (UCLA) with two of our best players.
As for Geno’s replacement, I think it’s pretty clear that the first look should go to Shea, Carla, or Marisa! Not necessarily in that order but those are the three candidates I would hope would get an offer when the sad day arrives.

 

[Cuango]

The two components of UConn's success are extraordinary discipline and deep commitment to team concept among the players. This is what Geno recruits for and what he builds. One revealing element of this is assessing a player's willingness to play team defense. Geno has often said HS scorers are not hard to find, but kids willing to make the sacrifices necessary for team defense are rare and maybe more important. One way to attract the talented kids every other coach is trying to get is the well-documented success rate of Huskies in the WNBA. One important part of Geno's reputation is based on preparing kids to play professionally.

My two candidates to succeed Geno are Carla and Nikki Collen. Carla brings deep knowledge of Geno's system and a proven record of success at a 'mid-major' school that regularly challenges opponents in the tournament. This shows she knows how to build team cohesiveness and coach self-discipline. This is one supremely important side of Geno's success. But what she lacks is a record of preparing players for the WNBA, and this is just a consequence of coaching at an Ivy.

Nikki is a coach with WNBA experience, but also one who can build team cohesiveness. She took over a program in a shambles at Baylor, hung on to a few players and built a team around that. In some ways, the team last season, Once Egbo and Smith had moved on, with only Caitlin Bickle and Sarah Andrews left from Kim's tenure, says a lot about Nikki as a coach. Against us last season, Baylor worked relentlessly to stay in that game, even leading for much of the first half. This was an undersized team (Bickle was their tallest player) that had to outrun us everywhere. That sort of commitment is a testament to Nikki's ability to inspire a team concept in her kids. In the end, Azzi and Aubrey were just too much for them in the 3rd quarter. So Nikki shares some of Carla's virtues, but also has a WNBA reputation.

I can't think of any other candidates who look like a good fit for UConn personality-wise or in terms of reputation, and who might want to take on the challenge.

Agree on Carla but certainly not on Collen, who seems to me to be a middling coach at best who has done basically nothing with one of the great programs in Women’s College Basketball! Surely both Shea and Marisa, who actually coached and/or played under Geno would be better than someone who has already presided over the sad decline of a once great program?

 

[Blueballer]

I'm content to enjoy the rest of Geno's HC tenure and let the future take care of itself.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Your title @Tonyc threw me off. Immediately my brain kicked out an indignant Geno's legacy needs no rebuilding.

 

[JellyBean]

I have to ….question your take on Caitlin Lowe. So far her tenure has been a disaster. While she did sort of stumble her way to the WS (with Candrea’s roster and a lot of luck) she’s been unable to hold onto her best players and has been completely hapless on the recruiting front. To be fair, Candrea was already having trouble getting the top recruits, especially pitchers, but she, as far as I know, isn’t getting so much as a sniff from the kind of players that were fairly common during the program’s glory days. That is the only path to a resurgence of this storied program and she’s just not getting it done! Equally alarming, there seems to be a question as to whether her players even like her. I’m a huge Az softball fan and desperately want them to be great again but I have to say, I think Lowe was a mistake. When Candrea retired, the program still had enough cachet to have attracted some of the top coaches. That cachet is slowly seeping away under Lowe, whose main accomplishment so far is to strengthen our archrival (UCLA) with two of our best players.
As for Geno’s replacement, I think it’s pretty clear that the first look should go to Shea, Carla, or Marisa! Not necessarily in that order but those are the three candidates I would hope would get an offer when the sad day arrives.

Question away. I am not ready to call Coach Lowe's two-year (going into year three) tenure a disaster. I would say a little bump in the road to getting back to Arizona softball Standards. Catch me after year four then I might be a little worried until then, Coach Lowe is a decent coach who is finding her groove.

 

[visitingcock]

There has been alot of chatter about what happens to UConn when Geno retires. It is obvious to me that with Tonya being hired along with the current staff under Geno, UConn is preparing for Geno's retirement. They have a plan. My ole saying.... People dont plan to fail they fail to plan. IMO the first part of the plan is in place. That is building a coaching staff that can implement Genos system. I would bet there are discussions going on about who would replace Geno. That person would have to be attract top players or Geno's system would have to continue to develop players at the highest level and continue to win championships. Yes Geno would be impossible to replace because of what he has built and his records. That cannot be duplicated over night. It took Geno time and it would take any coach time.

Kids come to UConn because of Geno and they want to play for him. So what coaches out there can attract/recruit players???? Thats the question. I dont think there is anyone who can compare with Geno, so lets not even go there. So my answer would be build a program at UConn with the coaching staff that will run Genos system. What Geno/UConn have done is hire coaches who can implement what Geno has built. Those coaches have been worked with Geno, know his system, and know how to implement it. That will be the key to continue Genos legacy. That key would be to implement the system which in turn will continue to draw kids to UConn. We see the list of players who have committed to UConn and some of those players are a couple of years down the road. Im sure the one of the first questions kids ask when being recruited is how long will Geno be on board to work with me.

Another question would be will Geno stay on in a part time status running practices at a lesser scale? Most likely imo UConn would want him to be around because of what the program has become. Bottom line is your not going to replace Geno with someone else so you build around what Geno's built to continue his legacy. You do that with the coaching staff and by recruiting kids now for the future.

Just want to applaud the growth of your writing skills over the past couple of years. Kudos to you Mr. Sunshine. Your posts are fun to read now.

Aw shucks, I like you - even if we are opposites on the optimism scale.

 

[Tonyc]

Just want to applaud the growth of your writing skills over the past couple of years. Kudos to you Mr. Sunshine. Your posts are fun to read now.

Aw shucks, I like you - even if we are opposites on the optimism scale.

Mr Sunshine I wrote a song and named it Sunshine.

 

[maccca3232]

I am curious whether UConn will continue to receive the same level of financial support if they stop being a dominant program (e.g. chartered flights, ongoing facility maintenance and/or upgrades, coaching & support staff level and salaries)?

Those types of things will be just as important as who the next head coach is.

Will it be the chicken or the egg? Do the results impact the support or will the support impact the results?

 

[Skeets]

It comes to mind that whoever takes over for Geno might want to hire their own ass't coaches!
The other question that must be answered at that time is if wanted who'll stay?
Chris Dailey has already said when Geno is done, so is she!
Jamelle, Morgan, Tonya, & Ben Kantor may have other plans.
An example is if Carla Berube comes to UCONN from Princeton does she bring her staff with her?
Another ? I came up with, would Geno have to announce his impending retirement a year or two in advance so as not to shortchange in-coming freshmen?
Would Jamelle. Tonya, Morgan think of applying for the job?
Whenever Geno decides it will not be a simple process, He will definitely not want to hurt anybody in the process!
In reference to above comments I don't think it'll be a good idea for Geno to hang around!
The break has to be clean so the new coach and staff establish their own footing!

With the transfer portal, coaching changes are less of a big deal now as compared to the old days. No one is held hostage. In recruiting the "sell" should be don't worry when Geno might retire. If the recruit would rather play for her second favorite coach (assuming that's not Geno's replacement) she is free to do so. It would be nice if Geno's replacement was everyone's second favorite coach.

 

[Skeets]

Mr Sunshine I wrote a song and named it Sunshine.

Are you guys going to do kissy face?

 

[Rowdy831]

One comparison I've not read regarding this topic is that many other men's programs have survived the retirement of long-time coaches to return to the top of the game, and I can only think of Tennessee as the one women's example that might be considered as a comparison to UConn women's basketball, with Stanford facing the same issue in the years to come.

I think of UConn first of course: Jim Calhoun - Kevin Ollie - Dan Hurley all won national championships
UNC: Dean Smith - Bill Guthridge (FF appearances) - Roy Williams (although a few years in the wilderness under Matt Doherty)
Kansas: Larry Brown - Roy Williams (FF appearances) - Bill Self
Duke: Mike Krzyzewski - Jon Scheyer (TBD)
Villanova: Rollie Massimino - Jay Wright - Kyle Neptune (TBD)

I'm sure there are others. These programs had very good transitions and maintained top programs after the change including top rankings and highly successful recruiting.

Tennessee WBB is fighting its way back after Pat Summitt and Kellie Harper seems to working her butt off - I think she'll get there in the near future.

And of course there are the top coaches who just do a great job because of themselves, Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley come immediately to mind. Coaches like them will be successful anywhere.

So there are several ways to approach the succession plan that have worked for top programs in the past. Just avoid whatever UNLV and Georgetown did after their coaches retired as those programs haven't returned to consistent prominence after their NCAA successes.

The only programs that should be mentioned with this UCONN coach would be Wooden's UCLA program, and Pat Summit's Tennessee program. In my opinion the shoes are too big to fill and if they try to do it with former player they will suffer the same fate as Tennessee. I hear names thrown out there that I have no idea who they are that coach at schools that have mediocre or less programs. Those people have zero chance of success at UCONN.

I would expect Geno to coach as long as Vandiver just to ensure he has the most wins so he will be at UCONN a few more years. When he is done the school will do a national search and pick the best person out there which gives them a fighters chance to carry on after Geno.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

There has been alot of chatter about what happens to UConn when Geno retires. It is obvious to me that with Tonya being hired along with the current staff under Geno, UConn is preparing for Geno's retirement. They have a plan. My ole saying.... People dont plan to fail they fail to plan. IMO the first part of the plan is in place. That is building a coaching staff that can implement Genos system. I would bet there are discussions going on about who would replace Geno. That person would have to be attract top players or Geno's system would have to continue to develop players at the highest level and continue to win championships. Yes Geno would be impossible to replace because of what he has built and his records. That cannot be duplicated over night. It took Geno time and it would take any coach time.

Kids come to UConn because of Geno and they want to play for him. So what coaches out there can attract/recruit players???? Thats the question. I dont think there is anyone who can compare with Geno, so lets not even go there. So my answer would be build a program at UConn with the coaching staff that will run Genos system. What Geno/UConn have done is hire coaches who can implement what Geno has built. Those coaches have been worked with Geno, know his system, and know how to implement it. That will be the key to continue Genos legacy. That key would be to implement the system which in turn will continue to draw kids to UConn. We see the list of players who have committed to UConn and some of those players are a couple of years down the road. Im sure the one of the first questions kids ask when being recruited is how long will Geno be on board to work with me.

Another question would be will Geno stay on in a part time status running practices at a lesser scale? Most likely imo UConn would want him to be around because of what the program has become. Bottom line is your not going to replace Geno with someone else so you build around what Geno's built to continue his legacy. You do that with the coaching staff and by recruiting kids now for the future.

When he retires, it will be a clean and complete break. No coach can operate with a legend looking over her shoulder (and it's for certain that a woman will replace Coach Geno in the premier women's basketball program in the nation). He will go on to commentate on ESPN or somewhere else. He might publish a book, and go on tour. But for many months, he will not be seen at the basketball facilities at Storrs. That's just the way it has to be.

 

[sun]

When he retires, it will be a clean and complete break. No coach can operate with a legend looking over her shoulder (and it's for certain that a woman will replace Coach Geno in the premier women's basketball program in the nation). He will go on to commentate on ESPN or somewhere else. He might publish a book, and go on tour. But for many months, he will not be seen at the basketball facilities at Storrs. That's just the way it has to be.

There's 2 sides to every story.
If Geno wants to remain as an advisor then he can choose to.
Especially if UConn hires someone that he mentored or coached in the past.
Plus that allows him to remain in close contact with the players that he actually recruited so that there's not a mass exodus out of the program through the transfer portal.
He'd be letting them know that he's still available to help guide them on a personal level.
Continuity could be very important during the transition period which the final choice is up to Geno.
He can chose to be a UConn ambassador & available for advice if he's interested in doing that instead of taking the severance package & a swift goodbye.
UConn has already decided that Geno won't be forced to make a clean break right away because the UConn brand is his legacy & he can help with the post-Geno transition in some ways.
Geno also has investments in that area of CT & it wouldn't have any of the pressure of a full time year round job.

 

[sun]

There's 2 sides to every story.
If Geno wants to remain as an advisor then he can choose to.
Especially if UConn hires someone that he mentored or coached in the past.
Plus that allows him to remain in close contact with the players that he actually recruited so that there's not a mass exodus out of the program through the transfer portal.
He'd be letting them know that he's still available to help guide them on a personal level.
Continuity could be very important during the transition period which the final choice is up to Geno.
He can chose to be a UConn ambassador & available for advice if he's interested in doing that instead of taking the severance package & a swift goodbye.
UConn has already decided that Geno won't be forced to make a clean break right away because the UConn brand is his legacy & he can help with the post-Geno transition in some ways.
Geno also has investments in that area of CT & it wouldn't have any of the pressure of a full time year round job.

This is why I favor Jen Rizzotti or another ex-player from the UConn family to be Geno's long term replacement.
They're such good friends that there wouldn't be any animousity or a need for Geno to make a clean break.
Just like if Chris Daily was named head coach for a year post-Geno due to the circumstances favoring her.
Geno could take the new coach under his wing & give advice on the periphery & mostly behind closed doors to guide them without it being an imposition.
It would be for the benefit of the program & the new head coach whether they're the long term replacement or not.