Which 5, Current Head Coaches Would Be Your Top Picks to Succeed JC?

[UCweCONN]

In this order: Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Sean Miller, Billy Donovan (I doubt he would leave FL). Mark Few is a helluva a coach and would be right there with Smart and Stevens but he'll turn 50 this year and I want a coach in his thirties to early 40's. I'm not in the "We have to name a UCONN alum as coach" crowd. I want an experienced coach who is a great recruiter and gets guys to buy into the team concept.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Leonard Hamilton is an interesting choice. If he were to leave Florida State to come here, it would certainly help maintain the image of UConn as a big-name program (which it might not be perceived as if we were to either hire from within or settle for a coach from a low-major conference).

 

[NHUConnfan]

Izzo, please.

Well that's shooting for the stars!

 

[uconnbill]

I like Stevens and Smart but think Ollie should get the job.

 

[rw005]

Something I just thought of,

If we do hire the successor for UConn, what's our OOC going to look like, the last thing I want to see is us turning into Dook and scheduling mediocre teams at home, even though I want to see 2 of those games each year just to serve as a warm-up.

 

[Tenspro2002]

the last thing I want to see is us turning into Dook and scheduling mediocre teams at home

Dude, I hate to burst your bubble, but we already schedule a ton of mediocre teams at home. This year's cupcake schedule just appeared less cupcakey than usual (leading to our good SOS) because so many of those teams (Harvard, Wagner, Fairfield) happened to be near the top of their low-major conference.

 

[djct1999]

1. Billy Donovan
2. Sean Miller
3. Kevin Ollie
4. Dan Hurley
5. Tom Moore

 

[rman726]

I wouldn't necessarily pick him, but Mick Cronin has done a pretty good job at Cincy recently for being the 2nd school in Ohio. His team is tough and plays good defense.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I wouldn't necessarily pick him, but Mick Cronin has done a pretty good job at Cincy recently for being the 2nd school in Ohio. His team is tough and plays good defense.

Forget that. Cincy basketball is second in Cincinnati. Living there for two years made me realize Xavier basketball is as, if not more, popular than the Bearcats.

 

[Dove]

If things don't break right for UConn and Drummond, AO, Lamb and others leave and then the suspension comes maybe JC does retire. And no coach listed in this thread is heading to UConn. Maybe JC rides the rough waters and stays on. When he does retire maybe the program is still elite. If that is three or four years from now then I wouldn't mind seeing Chris Mack get a call. He is signed through 2017, I think, but all he does is win. Looks cerebral and runs a clean program. Two other posters mentioned him prior. Surprised not more.

 

[NHUConnfan]

If things don't break right for UConn and Drummond, AO, Lamb and others leave and then the suspension comes maybe JC does retire. And no coach listed in this thread is heading to UConn. Maybe JC rides the rough waters and stays on. When he does retire maybe the program is still elite. If that is three or four years from now then I wouldn't mind seeing Chris Mack get a call. He is signed through 2017, I think, but all he does is win. Looks cerebral and runs a clean program. Two other posters mentioned him prior. Surprised not more.

He majorly flubbed up the image of the university after the Cincy brawl. This man would crumble under the pressure of Big East media.

Also, Xavier had more talent than most teams did at the beginning of the season...and they go on to finish 4th in the A-10. It was an epic collapse, basically because the team lost its will to fight. Sound familiar? The fact that they're still in the tourney I think is more a matter of luck than skill. They actually matched up well against Notre Dame and getting Lehigh was a joke.

Pass.

 

[Nostical]

Ollie can recruit. he should and will get the job. if he can recruit he will win big at uconn.

There's pretty good precedent not to hire an inside assistant like Kevin Ollie. Here are the last 6 UConn head coaches.

1946-63 Hugh Greer 286-112--.719
1963-67 Fred Shabel 72-29---.713
1967-69 Burr Carlson 16-32---.333
1969-77 Dee Rowe 120-88--.577
1977-86 Dom Perno 139-114--.549
1986-xx Jim Calhoun 627-244--.720

They all had assistants looking to move up. After Hugh Greer's death, we went outside to Duke for Vic Bubas ' assistant Fred Shabel who was a success. After Shabel, we hired his bench assistant Burr Carlson--not so good. After Carlson we went outside to Worcester Academy for Dee Rowe. He was a high school coach and we took a risk. Dee can be fairly evaluated as up and down in his career. After Rowe, we hired his bench assistant and former scrappy UConn player Dom Perno (see any similarities to KO?)---not so good. And after Perno there were some who wanted to hire his bench assistant Howie Dickenman, who never was really in the mix. We went outside for Jim Calhoun, a successful head coach at a smaller program after a committee search that came up with three final candidates: Nick Macarchuk of Canisius, Mitch Buonaguro of Fairfield and Jim Calhoun of Northeastern. That's the lesson of history. BTW, Susan Herbst is a great student of history.

 

[uconnsox23]

Ok I'm just gonna throw this out there for coaches. Scott Drew from Baylor. I think he's done a solid job making Baylor prominent. I know he had a little miscue with recruiting but who hasn't. It may be a long shot though, he song a 10 year contract a few years ago. I also like sean miller

 

[beakumhawks]

Ok I'm just gonna throw this out there for coaches. Scott Drew from Baylor. I think he's done a solid job making Baylor prominent. I know he had a little miscue with recruiting but who hasn't. It may be a long shot though, he song a 10 year contract a few years ago. I also like sean miller

Drew is a slimeball. I'm convinced that at some point in the not so distant future Baylor is going to be nailed by the NCAA

 

[MattMang23]

For everyone suggesting Leonard Hamilton, why would UConn replace a 69 year old (or older by the time he retires) Jim Calhoun with someone who is only 6 years younger?

 

[Tenspro2002]

For everyone suggesting Leonard Hamilton, why would UConn replace a 69 year old (or older by the time he retires) Jim Calhoun with someone who is only 6 years younger?

Wow, he looks great for 63. I thought he was maybe 50-55. Nevermind then.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Scrolled through this one and it seems to be a list of the obvious. Remember JC will have a big say in who is the next HC so straying far from the family tree will be a hard row to hoe. That means Hobbs, Miller (not Sean) and Ollie are already on the A list. A name I haven't seen is Mike Rice. JC has been near effusive in praising what he has done in a short HC career. I would put him on the A list how about that RU Al?

 

[Burnsbros23]

I cant believe leonrard hamilton is 63. That is insane.

 

[Inyatkin]

Scrolled through this one and it seems to be a list of the obvious. Remember JC will have a big say in who is the next HC so straying far from the family tree will be a hard row to hoe. That means Hobbs, Miller (not Sean) and Ollie are already on the A list. A name I haven't seen is Mike Rice. JC has been near effusive in praising what he has done in a short HC career. I would put him on the A list how about that RU Al?

If Mike Rice is our coach I'm finding a new team.

OK, I'd still root for the Huskies, but it would be a painful three years before he got fired.

He's near Mike Brey on the All-Irritating list.

 

[uconnsox23]

Brad Stevens
Sean Miller
Shaka Smart
in that order

 

[Marty Jackson]

really surprised that Tom Moore isn't mentioned in more than one post. The guy is a major recruiter and has had some success at Quinnipiac. Just about every major recruit we've had from 94 through 2007 was because of Moore.

 

[UCweCONN]

really surprised that Tom Moore isn't mentioned in more than one post. The guy is a major recruiter and has had some success at Quinnipiac. Just about every major recruit we've had from 94 through 2007 was because of Moore.

Wasn't there a near or full blown player revolt on his team this season? I recall reading about it at some point. He needs to be a little more careful in the players he recruits. Finding the RIGHT kids is also a huge part of recruiting especially when it's your own team.

 

[UCFBfan]

I will admit I didn't read all this thread...I only read the first two-three pages and then saw there were 7 of the same stuff so I skipped to the end....I've been wondering this same question in regards to who is next.

My biggest hesitation on why Ollie won't be the next head coach is the question of why didn't they let him coach this season when Calhoun was out? If he truly is the next in line why Blaney as HC? I think the answer is that Ollie isn't the next in line and so wasn't given the shot. I couldn't think of a better setup to see what he can do than what transpired this season. Yet where was his chance to coach? Instead they gave it to Blaney.....just makes me wonder.

In terms of the next coach I think it's gotta be someone young with tournament experience. No one wants to see this become a revolving door job where we hire the big name, near the end of his career coach. That's why you're seeing Smart and Stevens come up. Both have had tournament success in big ways and both are very young into their careers. They can settle in at UConn for the long haul, assuming they work out. So while some may be sick of hearing their names thrown out there I think they are the top two coaches on any major programs list.

In terms of coaches from other big time programs, why would they leave to come to UConn? I just can't see anyone making a lateral move from one big program to the next. I think you'll see either Ollie (70% chance) or a younger coach with a proven track record in the NCAA Tournament. At least I hope we see this!

 

[Inyatkin]

Moore needs to take his team to the NCAA tournament at least once before you can say he's had some success as a head coach. It's not exactly Big East competition down there.

 

[Dann]

tom moore is having alot more trouble at quinn then he signed up for.