mes102

McDevitt

To be honest, on the surface, this isn't appealing to me. However, if he can recruit like he has and connect with the community(aka HS coaches, etc.), then I see this as a win-win. It's a win for Groce, and a win for us. If Groce leaves, then that means we won an NCAA Tournament game or two, and our head coaching job will possibly be more enticing than it is right now.

Since this search is coming to an end it seems, here was the list of names I gave our AD on 3/28, a week ago from today. ========================================== Tom Crean - Former Indiana & Marquette head coach John Groce - Former Illinois & Ohio head coach Jack Perri - LIU-Brooklyn former head coach ============================================ Jeff Boals - StonyBrook current head coach Brian Jones - North Dakota current head coach John Becker - Vermont current head coach Nick McDevitt - UNC-Asheville current head coach Russell Turner - UC-Irvine current head coach Jim Less - UC-Davis current head coach Pat Skerry - Towson current head coach Greg Kampe - Oakland current head coach John Brennan - Northern Kentucky current head coach King Rice - Monmouth current head coach Tim Cluess - Iona current head coach Jamion Christian - Mount St. Mary's current head coach Rick Byrd - Belmont current head coach Ray Harper - Jacksonville State current head coach Brett Reed - Lehigh current head coach Mike Slessinger - New Orleans current head coach Rod Barnes - Cal State-Bakersfield current head coach ================================================= Lamont Paris - Wisconsin current associate head coach, NOW HIRED AS CHATTANOOGA HEAD COACH Travis Steele - Xavier current associate head coach Larry Davis - Cincinnati current associate head coach Kenny Johnson - Louisville current associate head coach Larry Harrison - West Virginia current associate head coach Dwayne Stephens - Michigan State current associate head coach Matt Figger - South Carolina current associate head coach, NOW HIRED AS AUSTIN PEAY HEAD COACH Rod Balanis - Notre Dame current associate head coach ================================================== Brian James - Northwestern assistant coach Steve Lutz - Creighton assistant coach Jerrance Howard - Kansas assistant coach Chris Jent - Ohio State current assistant coach Billy Donlon - Michigan current assistant coach, former Wright St head coach Terry Johnson - Butler current assistant coach

When you have a coach like Dambrot for as long as we did, it's hard to get that regular season matters mentality out of the way.

Just looked at that twitter account. Looks like that twitter account has been accurate when it comes to hires. They had the Owens to Miami before a lot of people, Pasternack to UNC-W, and many others. I think this is a done deal. Groce is our next head coach. Wish it was someone like Jamion Christian or Nick McDevitt, but we could have done a lot worse I guess.

For probably one more year at most. Trying to get ahead of it, instead of after the fact. Makes sense to me why he would want the Akron job, but it makes no sense for Akron to want him...

Please leave

Even if we did go independent, I still think we would schedule Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and West Virginia to balance out some of the travel we would be do anyways.

While I was trying to find any more rumblings on twitter about the next 48 hours, I came across this: I know this isn't Akron related, but for me, I may be watching if this turns to be a dumpster fire or a genius hire to see if this starts a trend on the Women's side.

Here's what I'll say: If it's John Loyer or Jamion Christian, I'll buy season tickets. If it's Anthony Stewart or Russell Turner, i'll have to see his staff but I'll probably buy season tickets. Groce will be just single game tickets. If it's Jim Christian, the university will owe me season tickets. And if it's a curveball and my favorite, Nick McDevitt, as the next head coach, I'll buy myself season tickets and a random ZN.o poster season tickets

What coaching search?

Success is still success to me. Doesn't matter if it's at a lower level or not. Just as long as they're the head coach, and not an assistant coach.

Do you think so? Jamion Christian and Nick McDevitt fit those 2 qualifications. And those are just the two that I know.

I don't even know if that one inbounds play is even considered an inbounds play. It's more like, "just get the ball in because I don't trust you to score off of an inbounds play" situation.

Someone with - young successful DI head coaching experience - open minded in X's and O's of basketball - willing to make changes within the program when needed - be involved in the community - Energetic, young coach that is looking to move up EDIT: Forgot to add one last one Willing to play a tough non-conference schedule, but not a suicidal non-conference schedule.

well then... Welcome to Akron, Coach Groce!!!!!!!!!!

That's okay, because there's a lot to the general basketball fan that's hard to figure out zone and man because of the principles of man defense where a solid man-man team with help-side defense could look like a zone, and then you have matchup zones that look a lot like man-man defense because of their matchup tendencies. What gets fun at the high school level is fooling opposing coaches, which happens a lot more than you may think. We've had coaches thinking we're running man when we're actually running a zone, and vice versa. Or they think we're running a specific zone, and we're running an entirely different zone altogether. As long as you get everyone in the program to buy in, it's a treat to watch in the eyes of the general basketball fan and the basketball coaching fans.

I'm coming around to Jamion Christian and Russell Turner. I wouldn't mind Loyer or Stewart either. But if my guy isn't going to be in the running, my next two would be Christian and then pick'em between Turner, Loyer, and Stewart. Groce and Jim Christian are re=treads. I don't want them. I much rather have Groce. Like I showed in my preference list, I'd rather be the coach of the Zips than Jim Christian.

It's okay, you should look at it as a blessing. As a high school basketball coach, there were too many moments where I was freaking out because we weren't making the right adjustments, matchups, etc. Especially in the MAC tournament. Those are the moments I wish I didn't know what switching/hedging ball screens, slip screens, "L" cuts, "V" cuts, zipper cuts, etc. meant so that I can enjoy games more with teams that I have a rooting interest in college basketball and other basketball. Zips could win by 15 and the normal Zip fan would love the win while I'm the one freaking out about something that could kill us in a closer game. Just the life of coaching the sport I love along with rooting for the teams I love on a daily basis. Definitely not good for my health.

What about the A-10 or American Athletic Conference? Does Anyone think they would take a soccer-only Akron member?

Jobs now opened in order of basketball budget New Mexico Akron Furman LIU-Brooklyn Portland State Bethune-Cookman Florida A&M Alabama A&M Coppin State Grambling State

Georgetown now off the list.

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...

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

Thanks for the clarification. I took that first post as you only wanted someone with an Akron connection.