Search For The Next Head Coach

[Joe Akron]

2 hours ago, Gallucci said:

I have never before considered posting on zipsnation, in fact I rarely ever visit the site (only occasionally to see what fans are complaining about). But after reading some of these conversations since the MAC tournament I finally had to register to make a post. I have plenty to say and doubt I can effectively communicate everything I would like to say, but I will give it a try:

 

The first thing I can't believe I haven't seen is people wanting us to hire from within. Coach Dambrot just finished an unparalleled run of success all while pretty much keeping his staff in tact- so to me the obvious thing to do is promote one of his long time assistant coaches (Rick McFadden). Would this guarantee success? No, not necessarily, but it seems more likely to me that he would continue to be successful than someone else. For those of you who want "something new" I'm not sure why? I mean if it's a more exciting playing style that you are looking for, ok fine- Just look at some other programs in the league who play what you may think is "more exciting basketball" (Central, Toledo, or even BG who wants to play fast). Now look at their history of success, it doesn't look anything like what Coach Dambrot and his staff have done. If you are looking for something more, once again I understand. We all would like to win MORE MAC championships, and win in the NCAA tournament (Nobody wanted that more than Coach D). But please remember that we DID win more than anyone else in the conference- Just look at the last 9 years: 3 MAC Tournament Championships and 4 MAC Regular Season Championships. And as for more we were obviously a shot here or there from winning more Tournament Championships, which then gives you more opportunities in the Big Dance where it is all about matchups. As for the NCAA tournament our best chance was lost when our best team had just lost its starting point guard, and then Walsh and Forsythe got the flu the night before the game. Luck is a huge part of NCAA tournament runs (buzzer beaters, injuries, officiating, or matchups) as a fan all you can ask is to put yourself in position to win. And Coach Dambrot and his staff have done that better than anyone else, so why not keep the same old boring 20 wins, regular season championship, tournament finals and then roll the dice? 

 

The next thing that I see is complaining about the schedule, whether it be about the way Coach D scheduled, of the way you want the next coach to schedule. Once again, I understand- I would rather see a few more tough games and a few less Ark Pine Pluffs. But the reality is our schedule has provided opportunities against high major teams (all on the road) as well as quality mid major teams. If you want a tougher schedule it will mean going on the road and giving up home games- and I have recently seen some of you bring up Coles Miami teams and their scheduling. It is often mentioned how those tough games get you ready for tournament play, and one person said of those Miami teams "They were always prepared for tournament play, MAC or NCAA". Well guess what if you look at the previous paragraph our "soft schedule" that you complain about has gotten us prepared BETTER THAN ANYONE in the league for the MAC tournament.

 

Now finally for those of you thinking that Akron is a good job- IT IS NOT. Now I am sure that we will be able to hire a good coach who has good experiences on their resume, but not because of anything about our program. Coaches will want this job because it offers them a chance to be a head coach, or because it offers a pay raise, but not because it offers more potential than other schools in the league (look at facilities, financial situations etc). Akron has won, not because we have more to offer, but because we had a better coach/coaching staff, so why not keep it going with someone who not only knows the blueprint, but has helped design and implement it?

 

 

I guess we can put you down as a firm "No Change".

You reinforced some other posters' ideas, but in keeping with the theme, you rattled a few cages..

 

As for me, I'm meh, because, I'm just Joe Akron.

 

By the way, always loved your sister, SusanLucci.. 

[Blue & Gold]

5 minutes ago, Joe Akron said:

As for me, I'm meh, because, I'm just Joe Akron.

I'm surprised you even know who Keith Dambrot is.

[Joe Akron]

3 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

I'm surprised you even know who Keith Dambrot is.

 

The heating and cooling guy, right?

[NWAkron]

The asst.manager at Sully's Tool and Party Rental.

[K92]

16 minutes ago, Joe Akron said:

 

 

I guess we can put you down as a firm "No Change".

You reinforced some other posters' ideas, but in keeping with the theme, you rattled a few cages..

 

As for me, I'm meh, because, I'm just Joe Akron.

 

By the way, always loved your sister, SusanLucci.. 

Susan Lucci had an even harder time getting to the next level than KD.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soap-star-susan-lucci-wins-first-emmy-after-19-nominations

[NWAkron]

I'm jonesing here.  Can someone please find a random tweet that will tell us who are new coach might be?  Kitten Attack is also waiting for a clue.

[ZippyRulz]

Take your time, do it right....wasn't that an 80's song?

 

[K92]

6 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

Take your time, do it right....wasn't that an 80's song?

 

 

[NWAkron]

I'm predicting John Groce and I'm apparently psychic.  Notice "Sully" in bottom of video like Sully's Tool and Party Rental...big Zips sponsor.  I also predicted the SE Ohio earthquake.

[LZIp]

 

[Captain Kangaroo]

5 hours ago, Gallucci said:

Akron has won, not because we have more to offer, but because we had a better coach/coaching staff, so why not keep it going with someone who not only knows the blueprint, but has helped design and implement it?

I would say the primary things working against Rick McFadden are:

 

1.) He's never been a head coach at any level. If you recall - Coleman Crawford was an assistant to Bob Huggins. That staff continuance didn't help the Zips. In fact, it was really really bad.

 

2.)  This is THE hire for Larry Williams. It's his chance to make a splash/impact hire that takes him to the next AD level. If I'm Larry Williams, do I want to turn my nationally recognized top mid-major program over to a completely untested/unproven assistant? 

 

3.) I haven't seen any comment from Rick McFadden that he wants the job. He's out-of-site-out-of-mind. He's already listed as a Duquesne assistant. If he wants the job, he needs to pick up the phone and call the PD and Beacon...get on the local talk shows...he needs to campaign for it. 

 

4.) Rick is a Youngstown kid. He knows Jim Tressel from Tressel's days at OSU and Akron. He served on the same Akron staff as former YSU HC Dan Peters. Yet he wasn't really even considered for that lowly job. Yeah, YSU's preference isn't the best barometer for determining a D1 basketball Coach's merit...but the fact that he is a local kid with such close ties to Tressel, yet was never a serious candidate, is a concern. 

 

5.) Even if McFadden is "The Second Coming of Keith Dambrot," is he the best available Head Coach candidate in the nation? 

 

6.) Dambrot's last couple recruiting classes have been disappointments. If Big Dog blew an ACL, we'd have been at the bottom of the MAC. In the past 2 seasons we've essentially seen a mix of transfers, and projects. 

 

5 hours ago, Gallucci said:

Now finally for those of you thinking that Akron is a good job- IT IS NOT

 

I would disagree. But if it is indeed not a good job, it's because there have been too many recent BJ Gladden's and Peter Agba's. We need some pillars to allow projects like Olijapoke to grow, and we haven't seen any pillars recruited for a couple seasons. What role does McFadden play in that dry spell?

 

7.) In this era of athletes Tweeting every thought that pops into their head...I haven't seen one existing Zips player stumping for Rick McFadden? I recall when Lee Owens left (football), the players universally clamored for Paul Winters to get the job. Typically when a HC departs, if there's a beloved assistant, the players let you know it.

 

8.) Dambrot had his prejudices against the MAC. A lot of fans became tired of hearing about the JAR facilities...the "1-bid league" complaints. Maybe Dambrot is right. Maybe it is impossible to win at a level beyond what he accomplished. But maybe he's wrong? Maybe there is a better coach out there who can recruit a little better...assemble a little better staff...strategize a little better...take us to another level? Obviously not a "Gonzaga of the East" level...I think we all realize we don't have the $$$ to play in that game. But we can be an "MTSU".

 

I would say the primary things working FOR Rick McFadden are: 

 

1.) He dropped a football scholarship at OSU to play basketball for the Zips. That alone should make him a UA folk hero.

 

2.) He's been around the Program for over a decade, and I've never heard a bad word spoken about his character. He's a solid guy.

 

3.) He brings continuity to a program that's been very successful at the MAC level. He knows the bus trips, the hotels, the opposing coaches and players...he basically just needs to move into KD's bigger vacant office and he's ready to go. There's a lot of value in continuity.

 

4.) If successful, he'd likely be here for 10 years. He's obviously not a job-hopper.

 

5.) I'd like to be a fly-on-the-wall in his interview, so I'd know what he states he'd do differently than Coach Dambrot. If he says "Hey Larry...I'm going to give you exactly what you've had for the past 12 years," I probably wouldn't hire him. If he gave a convincing, fresh, passionate plan for the next 10 years I'd be intrigued.

 

I see Rick McFadden as a viable candidate to interview. But do I really think he's the best available mid-major HC candidate in the nation? Probably not. If becoming a HC is his goal, he needs to break free from Dambrot and coach at Tiffin...Wittenberg...Wooster...Hiram...somewhere and cut his teeth at the HC level before taking-on a nationally-respected mid-major program like Akron. Build a staff. Grow something. Then, interview at UA.

 

But that's just one man's opinion.

[NWAkron]

19 minutes ago, LZIp said:

 

Thank you.  I was about to reach for the bottle of Scotch in my desk.  Only two that look promising are Groce and Jamion Christian and maybe Anthony Stewart.   Jim Christian???  Where's McDevitt?

[kreed5120]

28 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

I'm predicting John Groce and I'm apparently psychic.  Notice "Sully" in bottom of video like Sully's Tool and Party Rental...big Zips sponsor.  I also predicted the SE Ohio earthquake.

 

New arena funding strategy: We're going to give @NWAkron money to play the lottery with numbers he picks.

[mes102]

31 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

Thank you.  I was about to reach for the bottle of Scotch in my desk.  Only two that look promising are Groce and Jamion Christian and maybe Anthony Stewart.   Jim Christian???  Where's McDevitt?

Remember, This person didn't have Jack Owens in his list of names for the Miami job. So there still is a chance that our next head coach is not in that tweet. However, I think McDevitt might be staying at UNC-A or might be going to Furman.

Russell Turner is a former coach at Wake Forest and is the current head coach at UC-Irvine. I much rather have McDevitt than Jamion Christian, but I understand what Jamion has done at Mount St. Mary's is enticing.

If I had to rank that list, it would have to be this:

John Groce
Russell Turner
Jamion Christian
Anthony Stewart
John Loyer
Me
Jim Christian

 

Edited April 3, 2017 by mes102

[zippy5]

Oh god not Jim Christian

[NWAkron]

Jim Christian would be reason to give up season tickets in the lower bowl.  That has to be a decoy.

[tpsjugglerdude]

A lot of my UNCW friends were clamoring for Jamion Christian to be their new coach and didn't get their wish.  He would bring the high intense defense some posters here want. He was an assistant at VCU under Shaka and took the scheme with him. 

[zippy5]

2 minutes ago, tpsjugglerdude said:

A lot of my UNCW friends were clamoring for Jamion Christian to be their new coach and didn't get their wish.  He would bring the high intense defense some posters here want. He was an assistant at VCU under Shaka and took the scheme with him. 

Sign me up! This was his first year winning the NEC regular season though. He hasn't been all too successful yet.

 

I'm liking what I read about Russell Turner. He seems to have "KD'd" UC-Irvine. Consistently winning their conference regular season. Probably hungry for a bigger opportunity.

 

Loyer - don't know much about him. He's been an interim NBA head coach. That's something. But he's been out of the college game since 2000.

 

I'd hope for 

Groce

Stewart

Christian (not Jim)

Turner

 

I'd really like Travis Steele if he were an option

 

[mes102]

14 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

 

I'm liking what I read about Russell Turner. He seems to have "KD'd" UC-Irvine. Consistently winning their conference regular season. Probably hungry for a bigger opportunity.

 

Ironically, Turner was one of the 34 names I originally gave to AD Larry Williams in an email. He didn't make my top ten though, because I didn't think he would leave the West Coast. I would be happily surprised if he decided to come to Akron.

Groce, Turner, and Jamion Christian were all on the list of 34 names I gave to the AD.   Keeping my eye on the other names as well just in case this is a curveball, That twitter account missed on the Cleveland State, Miami(OH), and Duquesne hires. Did mention the right names for the Dayton and Indiana jobs.

I think the person with that twitter account being in Phoenix this weekend along with our AD being there, I don't think that tweet is a coincidence. Just wondering if any names were left out on purpose...

[NWAkron]

I wonder if the search firm floats names as part of some strategy.  I doubt they are trying to gauge the reaction of us here at Zipsnation

[zippy5]

3 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

I wonder if the search firm floats names as part of some strategy.  I doubt they are trying to gauge the reaction of us here at Zipsnation

Sure, they need some interest in some guys for their next hire

[tpsjugglerdude]

5 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

I wonder if the search firm floats names as part of some strategy.  I doubt they are trying to gauge the reaction of us here at Zipsnation

 

If they were trying to gauge the reaction of ZN, they should know that Jim Christian is a huge turnoff and I probably wouldn't support the team until he was gone. lol

[skip-zip]

30 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Loyer - don't know much about him. He's been an interim NBA head coach. That's something. But he's been out of the college game since 2000.

 

Grew up nearby in Galion.

Played at Akron.

Guard on the 1986 OVC Championship and NCAA Tournament team.

Assistant to Huggins at Akron

Longtime assistant to Huggins at Cincinnati.  

 

That's what you have, in a nutshell, previous to all of his NBA work.  

 

I stated this earlier, but I love everything about the idea of him being the next coach......if it wasn't for the long absence from college ball.  So, I think we share a similar concern.     

[skip-zip]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

I'm surprised you even know who Keith Dambrot is.

 

Most of "Joe Akron" probably really doesn't know who he is.  And I think much of that blame is on our media coverage....including our own hometown paper.  I'd love to do a poll of Akron area sports fans and see how many people know Dambrot, and how many people know Thad Matta.  I bet more know Matta.  

 

My wife and I were talking the other day about one of your normal conversations about how to get more poeple to the JAR.  And we both agreed that the first step was probably just to see if any of them would even know how to FIND the JAR.  

[NWAkron]

10 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Grew up nearby in Galion.

Played at Akron.

Guard on the 1986 OVC Championship and NCAA Tournament team.

Assistant to Huggins at Akron

Longtime assistant to Huggins at Cincinnati.  

 

That's what you have, in a nutshell, previous to all of his NBA work.  

 

I stated this earlier, but I love everything about the idea of him being the next coach......if it wasn't for the long absence from college ball.  So, I think we share a similar concern.     

But can he recruit Akron?