Coaching candidates -- who's on your mind?

M

Moooooo

5,000+ Posts
I am having tunnel vision, and right now the only coach I can seem to focus on is Louisville's Jeff Walz . . .

The Link

Walz's success can be traced back to recruiting. He is known as a tireless recruiter and has not let up since becoming a head coach. In just his first season, Walz and his staff brought in the highest ranked recruiting class in Cardinal history. He has since followed it up with three consecutive Top 10 classes, with the 2010 class ranked fifth in the nation. The 2011 class made school history with two McDonald's All-Americans.
 
Ironic... i called out Walz a few years ago as my choice for TEXAS.

Check the archive.

SEATTLE
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Seattle I couldnt go back into the archives, but if you rememeber what post that was on I'd love to see it because that would show some amazing forethought on your behalf because he was a little known assistant at Maryland at the time and I dont think a university the calibur of Texas should hire someone without proven results. None the less, I too have tunnel vision as I am focused on Walz, I wouldnt be dissappointed to have Caldwell either.
 
Caldwell would be a good choice, too, but since she's been at LSU just one season, and just had a baby last week, I don't see her making another move so soon, unless it was for Tennessee.
 
I'm pretty confident the next head coach will be someone who is currenlty in the college ranks. Not someone from the WNBA and not someone who has been out of coaching.
 
Well I think Leiberman was coaching the Legends (Dallas Mavs development league squad) as recently as last season. Her name came to mind only considering what most think were Coach G's main weaknesses at Texas. Recruiting prowess in Texas and aloofness. Nancy has those covered in spades.
 
Through her basketball camps, Lieberman probably has more ties to AAU ball in Texas than anyone I can think of, if not nationwide. She's a Hall of Famer, former Olympian, WNBA player/coach and household name in women's basketball. A WBB TV analyst for years and has even coached in the NBA develpmental league recieving high praise from her (male) players . There's not a high school coach on the planet that would not at least take her phone call. I think she has the personality and X's & O's acumen to pull it off at Texas. She's lived in the state for decades and has contacts all over the world. I would give her some thought if she were even slightly interested.
 
I wonder if Kara Lawson has aspirations to become a head coach; I think she would do a great job if that is what she wanted to do someday.
 
I think Kara would be intriguing... not sure if she has any Texas connections. Yes to Kamie as well.

Up and coming is what Texas needs.

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No to Kara IMO because I don't think we would or should ever take a shot on someone with NO college coaching experience. And no to Kamie because although she was great for Texas many moons ago, is KSU where we want to go as a program? And furthermore, just because she played for Texas doesn't necessarily mean that she has cultivated that many relationships that are still alive today. As none of her previous stops have recruited Texas well. Just my opinion and mine alone.

I would also like to say that I have a growing concern in my gut that there hasn't been any chatter in the media about cp trying to contact Walz, he's been out of the tournament almost a week. Go after him hard and with an agressive package that he simply cannot refuse. I believe that we need to have a coach in place before the April recruiting period begins. Preferably by the final 4 actually.
 
I probably should have clarified that I was not proposing Kara Lawson for our current head coaching job. I was just wondering if she had head coaching asprirations (someday) as I think she would be a good coach.

In all fairness, there has been no "chatter" anywhere since Monday's announcement about who Plonskay has contacted. I did watch KTBC-Fox news in Austin last night, and Dave Cody was discussing Longhorn sports with Clendon Ross (who owns/operates one of the Longhorn sports fans websites -- InsideTexas, at one time). Dave sort of asked him about the women's hoops job, but Dave himself then mentioned the names "Muffet McGraw and Katie Meier", but he just seemed to be throwing out names, not actually reporting anything of substance which he may have been told.
 
Kamie deserves to be on the list due to her UT connection and Big 12 experience. But, no. That isn’t going to happen, even if it was a good idea. Even if I think she would be a very poor fit I understand why people keep mentioning Mulkey. That isn’t going to happen either. Not if hell freezes over. I really don’t think Texas is going to hire anyone who doesn’t have significant D1 head coaching experience and success. It doesn’t matter if they have the ability. It would be too easy for that to be used negatively in recruiting, and frankly facing the expectations at Texas without prior comparable success just isn’t a fair thing to ask. The only exceptions might be, and I still think it is a serious reach, long term assistants with experience at perennial powers like Tennessee, UConn, or Stanford.

Texas is still a great coaching destination. It pretty much sells itself. Money will not be an issue. One of the things that will be a benefit in a coaching search is that Texas did not turn on Coach G because elite results did not come immediately. Any incoming coach will want to know that the University will support them, and that they do not have to worry about stability.

I’m fine with an up and comer if they have significant D1 success, an ability to recruit, are great representatives of the school and program, and are willing to hire a staff that will enhance recruiting. But, I would rather have a truly elite coach and I think that will be the first choice. There are at least three of those candidates, maybe as many as five, that we have all discussed that seem possible. I hope the search doesn’t go any deeper into the list than that.

And, I keep think about Jeff Walz too….(Just wanted to spell his name correctly once.)
 
I think we can do better than a young coach whose team scored only 26 points in an NCAA tournament game. KE needs more seasoning and successes.
 
Actually that is not what I said. I said I did not personally think she would be a good fit, but it didn't matter because it wouldn't happen even if hell did freeze over.
 
someone on my watch list: Dawn Staley of South Carolina. knowledgable, history of success and program building at Temple & South Carolina. Certainly driven and an excellent recruiter. Kinda of a yankee,
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but has three years in a southern college.
 
I would be happiest with Walz, like several others on this board. If true that no man would be considered, that would make the decision-makers here rigid sexists and would be kind of depressing. There won't be any daring, out of the box choices. This is a pretty conservative institution. I'd love to give Cynthia Cooper or Nancy Lieberman a try, but it won't happen. I don't get the talk about Balcom at Vandy -- she may be a good coach, but does not have a charismatic personality at all. Why are so many people high on Caldwell? I haven't followed her that closely. Even if we wanted to try for Mulkey, which we wouldn't, Baylor would match or exceed any amount of money we would offer, and I mean without limit ---50 million dollars or whatever. Their pride couldn't take her being stolen by UT. Any why would she want to come? She's got a great thing going at Baylor. I think that is true of all the obvious top coaches, such as Muffett. If they've got a good thing happening, any salary offer we make will be matched. I don't know how attractive a draw Texas is going to be. Other than being willing to pay a lot, what do we have to offer that's so great right now? A team having a prolonged bad stretch, no super great players to work with, a disgruntled fan base, small and shrinking crowds, fair to poor local media coverage --- all of that, yet with very high expectations. I'd think twice about coming here after Gayle's experience.
 
"A team having a prolonged bad stretch, no super great players to work with, a disgruntled fan base, small and shrinking crowds, fair to poor local media coverage --- all of that, yet with very high expectations. "

Well, that's basically the same situation that Coach G walked into except that the fans are probably even more disgruntled and the crowds smaller. And yet she came because itwas Texas that was offering. And she left Texas with a better talent pool and some outstanding recruits coming in. In that department, it is a better situation for the new coach.

Texas fans certainly have a "results now" mindset with little patience for building. A sense of entitlement from fans goes a long ways toward creating the "why haven't you won yet" syndrome. I certainly hope the best coach, whether male or female, who is hired understands that. They will be recruiting instate against three established coaches in OU's Coale, BU's Mulkey, and A&M's Blair.

And he or she better have a thick skin. I look at the candidates run by posters here and at other sites and wonder why they would come here. It's a challenge to rebuilt this program and not much time before results are expected given what the university is likely to be paying. Most, if not all, potential candidates are building or sustaining what they have built. Which one will want to leave that? Guess we will find out in about 2-3 weeks. I'm guessing someone will be hired not much after the end of the NCAA tournament.
 
Every person, regardless of their profession, has certain reasons why they would consider a job at one company, and not at another. Same goes for coaches.

Now, IMO, most coaches have large egos. They are competitive, want to be winners, and sometimes accepting a new challenge drives them to believe they can have success where their predecessor(s) failed.

Here's a link to a message board with more opinions:

The Link

I've read a lot of support for Karen Aston, but I remember that she bailed on Texas prior to Jody's last season, and fled off to Baylor in a lateral move. Some say she was upset that she was told she would not be considered to replace Jody when that day came. I get the feeling she burned her bridge at that time, and won't be welcome back. But, who knows?
 
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