I've heard some chatter that some basketball-related coaching news may take place in the coming days.
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I've heard some chatter that some basketball-related coaching news may take place in the coming days.
Please be men's basketball
Well this can't be good...
If it is basketball then you could potentially see why. Nick W situation (doesn't matter if Howland knew or not, but it speaks to culture), you have a transfer, you have Peters gone and his continuous inability to stay off social media.
You could convince me there are some cultural issues. Now I have zero clue what the OP is referring to. But if I had to guess this is where I would place my money.
I think we need a younger HC, but honestly I don't know who that would be.
Would be nice for the OP to at least give a sport...
Edited to add that it is basketball related.
With basketball its not just the on court results. Obviously being a 5 seed and making the tourney was a big step for us. But look at the fan base. I don't know one single State fan who is excited about basketball, and we were a 5 seed. What happens next year when we probably don't make the tourney if Howland is here? We need new blood. This was suppose to be the height of our program. A lot of juniors and seniors, two really good freshman. But in and out we are.
By Bye Coach Ben....
Vic is going to coach both the women's and men's team! Heard it here first!
https://media.giphy.com/media/xT9DPF...cNri/giphy.gif
Who would we hire?
Can Kermit recruit well enough?
Maybe Howland turned in his resignation and wants to move back to CA and spend time with his grandkids. Does he really want to try to get these kids in line at age 60? I think he's tired of all of it. Maybe he just hates Starkville.
What will be funny is when this wasn't even true and he is here next year.
From what I have gathered, Ben Howland is contemplating retirement. Nothing has been forced from the athletic department standpoint. He is making this decision on his own. Also, nothing has been decided for sure and he may come back for one more season.
Someone tell me again why Stands is gone.
Hmm....that's better news, I suppose. I'd hate to think we'd fire/let go a coach who just took us to the dance for the first time in a decade; team chemistry and fan support, notwithstanding, that would be horrible look nationally.
All that being said, if his heart isn't in it, its definitely time to hang it up.
Will be interesting to see how recruiting goes this cycle
Back the dump truck up to Eric Musselman. Just give them whatever the hell he wants. Musselman Coliseum has a nice ring to it.
He doesn't ever look like he enjoys it. He's made enough money that he's set for life, and both of his kids live in CA. Why would be want to stay in MS and try to get these these ego driven kids to play together? If I were him, I'd go retire in Malibu and spend time with my grandkids. Maybe get into some announcing or volunteer somewhere like Ron Polk.
I'm kind of meh about Howland. If we didn't have another basketball coach on campus who is elite, I'd probably feel better about him. But, you look at Vic and look at Ben it's just obvious who is in it to win it and who isn't.
If Howland retires, I think he will have done his job - which was get us back to a level of respectability instead of the clown show we had from the day Renardo Sidney's name was first mentioned until Rick Ray was fired.
There is zero chance Howland is being forced out. We didn't have a great team this year, and something was missing mentally and/or chemistry wise, but we had a solid if disappointing end result and the team wasn't full of players you hate. Weatherspoon finished up a great four year run although playing on mostly bad teams. Nick played hard defense until his suspension. Woodard was fun to watch. Even though Holman and to a lesser extent Peters went into a funk, to me they weren't players I disliked.
And it's not like we're about to drop off a cliff. Woodard and Perry are a good nucleus. Ado and Carter are good pieces. If Nick comes back, that's a strong starting five.
I'll just say I'll be very surprised if Howland isn't the coach next year. I guess he could have a change of heart but I expect him here next year.
If this happens, and I for one don't think it will judging from the talks I had with folks last week, I think these would need to be the candidates:
1. Eric Musselman- Has NBA pedigree, and has built Nevada into a powerhouse. Plays an attacking brand of basketball. This should be your number 1 target.
2. Dan D'Antoni- Turned Marshall around and is the brother of Mike D'Antoni. We'd be shooting a lot more 3's.
3. Matt McMahon- Been at Murray St. for 4 years. Seems to be able to recruit pretty well(see Ja Morant). Murray St. has been a breeding ground of good coaches in the past.
4. Kelvin Sampson- Revitalized Houston. Definitely seems to want out. His NCAA baggage is a definite detractor and depending on what Nick's issues are might be somebody we want to steer clear of.
5. Mike Miller- This would be the wild card. He's the assistant at Memphis right now but he knows how to recruit and he'd bring a fun style of basketball with him. Also be wildly entertaining to see him and Penny go up against one another in recruiting. Never being a head coach would definitely be a big question mark though.
6. Russell Turner- Been at UC Irvine for 9 seasons and has really built that program into a contender. Players absolutely love him and if you want a guy just like Kermit Davis then this is the guy.
7. Kermit Davis- people would be mad if I didn't add him. I'm 99.9% sure he'd tell us to shove it, but weirder things have happened.
8. Fred Hoiberg- Was at Iowa St before taking the Bulls job and flaming out. Still very well liked in NBA circles and a lot of people seem to beleive the T'Wolves will hire him, but might be worth it to kick the tires on him.
9. Johnny Dawkins- What he's done at UCF has been incredible. He's really revitalized his career after he flamed out at Stanford. And it obviously never hurts to be picking of the Mike Krzyzewski coaching tree.
10. Steve Jans- Has lit it up at New Mexico St the last two years and I loved the way that team played against Auburn.
Wouldn't surprise me to see Ben announce one more year, this would give us time to look around for a Coach and would be a nice way to go around the conference one more time on his retirement. I said the other day at Ben's age makes me wonder if he is fired up to be around much longer. Doesn't help with Peters situation, Nick's situation and even Perry's attitude.
Tough place to win, don't believe me then do some research and explain to me I'm wrong*
Basketball has always been the 3rd sport behind football and baseball at MSU.
I remember in 1991 very few people knew we were winning in basketball until the showdown with Shaq. Then we went on to lose the first game of the SECT and NCAA tournament.
1996, we had a midnight madness lined up for a team returning multiple starters from a sweet 16 team, as I was leaving the football stadium, a State fan ask me why everyone was going to the Hump.
On and on and on....