Ifyouonlyknew.....

[basedog]

Who you got as the next women's BB Coach? Or what you are hearing, I did hear we interviewed the Old Dominican Coach. I saw a youtube video of her, very impressive!

[KOdawg1]

I'd be down with McCray. Love her or hate her, but Dawn Staley endorsing you says a lot

[Ifyouonlyknew]

You have to shoot for the big fish 1st Jeff Walz & Kelly Graves. If they don't bite I think you go to Matthew Mitchell & hope he wants to come home. If those don't pan out I go hire Nikki McCray.

[basedog]

10 years in the Pro's, her resume is pretty impressive, she seems to have some "swag"!

[TheLostDawg]

Looks like she's Staley's Johnnie.
Look at her record.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_McCray

Only downside is her leaving for Tennessee when things get going. Worth the risk unless there is someone else very successful that is a big name and good coach that doesn't have ties to a place they'd leave for. Get the best person but if you have to pick between a couple that are ultimately the same, get the person that is likely to stay

[basedog]

You have to shoot for the big fish 1st Jeff Walz & Kelly Graves. If they don't bite I think you go to Matthew Mitchell & hope he wants to come home. If those don't pan out I go hire Nikki McCray.

I'm not sold on Matthew Mitchell, good Coach but I think he had his chance. I have no idea if Walz or Graves would be interested but they are two top Coaches. What about Johnnie Harris?

[KOdawg1]

Supposedly, we're making a run at Jeff Walz. It's gonna take a chunk of cash to get him away from Louisville but if you can get him, you don't miss a beat in terms of competing for the SEC

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I'm not sold on Matthew Mitchell, good Coach but I think he had his chance. I have no idea if Walz or Graves would be interested but they are two top Coaches. What about Johnnie Harris?

Mitchell has 3 Elite 8's & 2 Sweer 16's hes a really good coach. I don't fault him not taking the job the last go around. He had a better job why go backwards. Now it's a step up.

Me personally I wouldn't hire Johnnie. Nothing against her but I think we should be past hiring a career assistant with no HC experience. McCray is a younger Johnnie with 3yrs of HC experience. I just don't see the need to reach on Johnnie. I'm not willing to just keep this current roster together at the expense of our program potentially suffering 4-5yrs down the line.

[AlSwearengen]

Walz is from Kentucky and Graves is from Utah, which is more like Oregon than MS. We are going to have to seriously out spend most any P5 schools to lure a top flight coach here.

Don’t see it happening.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Walz is from Kentucky and Graves is from Utah, which is more like Oregon than MS. We are going to have to seriously out spend most any P5 schools to lure a top flight coach here.

Don’t see it happening.

I mean we were already outspending most P5 teams. Adding a few more hundred thousands isn't a stretch.

[basedog]

Walz is from Kentucky and Graves is from Utah, which is more like Oregon than MS. We are going to have to seriously out spend most any P5 schools to lure a top flight coach here.

Don’t see it happening.

Regardless some HC's gonna get some raises.

[basedog]

Mitchell has 3 Elite 8's & 2 Sweer 16's hes a really good coach. I don't fault him not taking the job the last go around. He had a better job why go backwards. Now it's a step up.

Me personally I wouldn't hire Johnnie. Nothing against her but I think we should be past hiring a career assistant with no HC experience. McCray is a younger Johnnie with 3yrs of HC experience. I just don't see the need to reach on Johnnie. I'm not willing to just keep this current roster together at the expense of our program potentially suffering 4-5yrs down the line.

I can somewhat agree in what u are thinking and saying. I don't think Harris is gonna get it the job now either. I do wish we could keep Harris because of her experience at Msu. I know it's me, but I can't see Walz or Graves leaving, maybe I am wrong.
After reviewing McCray's resume and watching they youtube, see has some really good qualities for a HC. Her Pro experience could be a big plus. I read the "rumors" on Mitchel back in 2016 with assistants and players leaving, something bad was wrong with his program, too much drama for me.

[Irondawg]

I love the system Graves runs but it's harder to recruit to and I'm worried about culture shock. He'd be my #1 and his head assistant should get a call as well.

After him is Walz and then after that I don't honestly know.

McCrary-Penson did a nice turnaround at Old Dominion on paper and the video I watched makes her seem like a good candidate as well. She has the pedigree and now some HC experience. Johnnie is a wild card to me because I don't think I've ever heard her speak and so all I have to go on is her reputation. She might well be the best in terms of fit, but I just have nothing to go on other than Vic loves her.

I'm not against someone with a great assistant record even if they have limited or no HC experience if you think they are the right person.

There's no guaranteed formula for success unless you find a top flight person with a good track record of success.

[Cooterpoot]

Mitchell has 3 Elite 8's & 2 Sweer 16's hes a really good coach. I don't fault him not taking the job the last go around. He had a better job why go backwards. Now it's a step up.

Me personally I wouldn't hire Johnnie. Nothing against her but I think we should be past hiring a career assistant with no HC experience. McCray is a younger Johnnie with 3yrs of HC experience. I just don't see the need to reach on Johnnie. I'm not willing to just keep this current roster together at the expense of our program potentially suffering 4-5yrs down the line.

He's only had two sweet 16s since 2013. The TX coach that was fired had like 4. His average SEC record is 10-6 in that time frame too. He'd be behind McCray for me. Never been impressed with him.
I'd beg Walz. He'll be a tough pull. I don't see Kelly as a real option. But he's a Cohen type ****** hire. McCray and Johnnie after them. Johnnie would have to blow me away and have a hell of a plan and staff ready.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

He's only had two sweet 16s since 2013. The TX coach that was fired had like 4. His average SEC record is 10-6 in that time frame too. He'd be behind McCray for me. Never been impressed with him.
I'd beg Walz. He'll be a tough pull. I don't see Kelly as a real option. But he's a Cohen type ****** hire. McCray and Johnnie after them. Johnnie would have to blow me away and have a hell of a plan and staff ready.

True but I do think he had a Sweet 16 team this year.

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

If only Howland could coach the women! *

[Todd4State]

If only Howland could coach the women! *

At times I thought he was.**

[KB21]

This is setting up like the baseball coaching search.

You have the two “big fish” in Kelly Graves and Jeff Walz. They are the analogs to Jim Schlossnagel and Dan McDonnell.

Then there is the local guy who can come home to coach. For this search, that is Matthew Mitchell. For the baseball search, it was Butch Thompson. Both made statements early in the process about being committed to where they are currently at.

Then you have the current head coach who comes with high recommendation. For this search, that is Nikki McCray-Penson, who is getting recommended by Dawn Staley. For baseball, that was Chris Lemonis, who was highly recommended by Dan McDonnell.

Then there is the internal promotion, though with some differences. Gary Henderson came in as a guy with head coaching experience while Johnnie Harris lacks that.

[KOdawg1]

This is setting up like the baseball coaching search.

You have the two “big fish” in Kelly Graves and Jeff Walz. They are the analogs to Jim Schlossnagel and Dan McDonnell.

Then there is the local guy who can come home to coach. For this search, that is Matthew Mitchell. For the baseball search, it was Butch Thompson. Both made statements early in the process about being committed to where they are currently at.

Then you have the current head coach who comes with high recommendation. For this search, that is Nikki McCray-Penson, who is getting recommended by Dawn Staley. For baseball, that was Chris Lemonis, who was highly recommended by Dan McDonnell.

Then there is the internal promotion, though with some differences. Gary Henderson came in as a guy with head coaching experience while Johnnie Harris lacks that.

Lots of parallels for sure. Also the team Lemonis walked into and the team the new WBB coach will walk into was/is loaded with talent and poised to contend immediately. That is if we can keep Rickea from leaving

[Martianlander]

Van Chancellor ****

[maroonmania]

I'm not sold on Matthew Mitchell, good Coach but I think he had his chance. I have no idea if Walz or Graves would be interested but they are two top Coaches. What about Johnnie Harris?

Yea, I would not consider Mitchell among the elite college coaches and if we can't get a top of the line head coach I think I would prefer to give Harris a shot.

[maroonmania]

Mitchell has 3 Elite 8's & 2 Sweer 16's hes a really good coach. I don't fault him not taking the job the last go around. He had a better job why go backwards. Now it's a step up.

Me personally I wouldn't hire Johnnie. Nothing against her but I think we should be past hiring a career assistant with no HC experience. McCray is a younger Johnnie with 3yrs of HC experience. I just don't see the need to reach on Johnnie. I'm not willing to just keep this current roster together at the expense of our program potentially suffering 4-5yrs down the line.

The biggest piece of college basketball is recruiting. If Harris is the biggest force behind the recruiting classes we have been bringing in, which is what I hear, then she deserves a shot. Plus we already know she can develop player skills.

[Santiago]

I mean we were already outspending most P5 teams. Adding a few more hundred thousands isn't a stretch.

Agree, and Cohen wants a championship and we have a program knocking on the door.

[jdelta02]

The biggest piece of college basketball is recruiting. If Harris is the biggest force behind the recruiting classes we have been bringing in, which is what I hear, then she deserves a shot. Plus we already know she can develop player skills.

Coach Harris....has proven to be 1 of women's college basketball's top recruiters.

Also, Coach Lovato is a very good recruiter as well.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

The biggest piece of college basketball is recruiting. If Harris is the biggest force behind the recruiting classes we have been bringing in, which is what I hear, then she deserves a shot. Plus we already know she can develop player skills.

Or we could hire a good HC who is also a great recruiter (IE: Walz or McCray).

[basedog]

Or we could hire a good HC who is also a great recruiter (IE: Walz or McCray).

I would love one of those.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

You have to shoot for the big fish 1st Jeff Walz & Kelly Graves. If they don't bite I think you go to Matthew Mitchell & hope he wants to come home. If those don't pan out I go hire Nikki McCray.

I thought it was Walz>Mcray>Harris??

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I thought it was Walz>Mcray>Harris??

If those are the 3 candidates then that's how it should go.

[Cooterpoot]

Three good candidates regardless. Nobody should end up disappointed.

[Commercecomet24]

Three good candidates regardless. Nobody should end up disappointed.

Yep

[TheLostDawg]

I thought it was Walz>Mcray>Harris??

At this point, that's how I would approach it. Unlikely to get waltz but why not try. McRay is like Johnnie but with experience. If she can recruit then approach her second and then offer Harris if that doesn't work for whatever reason

[jdelta02]

Read where Jeff Walz indicated that he has not been offered the Miss. State coaching job.

[TheLostDawg]

Read where Jeff Walz indicated that he has not been offered the Miss. State coaching job.

Probably still doing the interviews so it can be a "complete" search. I don't disagree because we don't want someone to turn it down and not know the direction to go next . That being said it should be obvious which direction we should go. Also that night be a good sign. If they are working out a deal, hopefully he has enough respect for his girls that he wants to tell them first before he tweets out a picture of him with a cowbell.

[Captain Falcon]

Feel like it will end up being McCray. Just have a hard time seeing Walz making the move, and apparently McCray is higher on our pecking order than Harris.