Coaching changes

About a week ago, ESPNW had an article on who might take over for the iconic women's coaches. Of course one was on Mulkey; however, I dismissed the stuff on her replacement. However, now that I am convinced that Schaeffer will cause an earlier-retirement-than-thought, I feel that at least a minimum amount of bytes should be offered to a replacement coach in Wacko. So here it is......and I don't care who it is...…...just let her be gone (after Schaeffer beats her a couple of times).
Baylor's Kim Mulkey
In the family: Sytia Messer, Baylor assistant coach. Not many schools have more than one former conference Coach of the Year on the bench. Mulkey has an office full of Big 12 awards, but Messer was named the Ohio Valley Conference's best coach in 2010-11 while at Tennessee Tech. Like seemingly every coach currently in Texas, save her current boss, she has ties to Gary Blair, having played for him on a Final Four team at Arkansas. And since arriving at Baylor before the 2013-14 season, she has led recruiting efforts that have kept a lot of talent flowing through Waco.

Outsider: Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, Boston College head coach. This is the most difficult puzzle on the list. There are plenty of distinctive personalities among the upper echelon of coaches, but Mulkey and Baylor are a unique pairing. Plugging in an outside candidate is like trying to plug in an appliance in a foreign country. It's just a different voltage. So this is admittedly a wild swing. But Bernabei-McNamee has been quietly impressive at both Boston College and Albany. She also understands the standards and guidelines that come with coaching at a private college, from coaching at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky and West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
Moooooo said:
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Great step up for Kelby Jones. I have never met Jones personally, but he is obviously a very hard worker. Aston thought enough of him to create a position for him. I will be following the Mean Green, hoping that Jamie Carey can help Jalie Mitchell improve that program.
 
hoopsalot said:
Great step up for Kelby Jones. I have never met Jones personally, but he is obviously a very hard worker. Aston thought enough of him to create a position for him. I will be following the Mean Green, hoping that Jamie Carey can help Jalie Mitchell improve that program.
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Does anyone think Aston will coach this year? Or wait until next year? Or perhaps be done with coaching??
 
hoopsalot said:
Great step up for Kelby Jones. I have never met Jones personally, but he is obviously a very hard worker. Aston thought enough of him to create a position for him. I will be following the Mean Green, hoping that Jamie Carey can help Jalie Mitchell improve that program.
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I have no doubt that Jamie will help Jalie because she will actually be listened to......
 
Jacob Johnson said:
Does anyone think Aston will coach this year? Or wait until next year? Or perhaps be done with coaching??
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Doubt she would coach this year seeing that no high profile job would be opening up. But regardless of how some of our "fan base" felt about her, her resume is fairly impressive in relation to the general coaching pool. Any P5 opening would likely have her on their shortlist.
 
utfannforlife said:
Doubt she would coach this year seeing that no high profile job would be opening up. But regardless of how some of our "fan base" felt about her, her resume is fairly impressive in relation to the general coaching pool. Any P5 opening would likely have her on their shortlist.
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I agree. I see no good head coaching openings right now. Plus, Aston could want some time to rest and reflect. In the next couple of years, if Aston wants to coach, she will have opportunities. While she likely will not end up at a school with as high a profile as Texas, I can see her at a D1 school with decent resources for success, including another P5 school.
 
hoopsalot said:
I agree. I see no good head coaching openings right now. Plus, Aston could want some time to rest and reflect. In the next couple of years, if Aston wants to coach, she will have opportunities. While she likely will not end up at a school with as high a profile as Texas, I can see her at a D1 school with decent resources for success, including another P5 school.
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I think there are only 5-10 schools she wouldn't be a candidate for, but her resume isn't as bad as this board may make it seem sometimes. There are not very many coaches that have FF and worked under 2 HOF'ers as an assistant and an elite 8 with multiple sweet 16's on their resume. She under performed the bar largely reset by her.

Looking at ESPN's final top 25 poll, I dont think there is a single coach that finished outside the top 8 (Assuming McCray at MSU) that I would've been happy to trade Karen for. With the exception of Blair and Adia Barnes.
 
UTexRulz23 said:
McCallie exits as Duke's women's hoops coach

Similar situation to Aston and she opted out. Timing is bad. Will create a few dominos falling. Duke’s a good job to have but likely an assistant will get an interim nod. (Article does say search though so who knows?)

Wonder if any players/recruits will leave?
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Interesting. I know she just signed an Aussie grad-transfer from Cal; and, I think she also just signed a high schooler from Australia. We'll see what happens.
 
Yeah, I'm still surprised Coach Aston didn't (successfully) force the issue for a contract extension prior to agreeing to coach the last season of her existing contract. Just did not play it right, IMO.

As for Duke, would not shock me if Gail Goestenkors returned as an interim head coach . . .
 
Moooooo said:
Yeah, I'm still surprised Coach Aston didn't (successfully) force the issue for a contract extension prior to agreeing to coach the last season of her existing contract. Just did not play it right, IMO.

As for Duke, would not shock me if Gail Goestenkors returned as an interim head coach . . .
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I would have to think that she did "try" to force the issue at that point in time, but by then CDC was already thinking that he may have to go in a different direction, especially if she could not "right the ship" in that final year... I do believe CDC is an outstanding evaluator and her numbers and success based on the talent she had were simply not adding up. Add that to her appalling record against Baylor and well, I just think he wanted and expected alot more....
 
Bobcat said:
I would have to think that she did "try" to force the issue at that point in time, but by then CDC was already thinking that he may have to go in a different direction, especially if she could not "right the ship" in that final year... I do believe CDC is an outstanding evaluator and her numbers and success based on the talent she had were simply not adding up. Add that to her appalling record against Baylor and well, I just think he wanted and expected alot more....
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I'm sure Karen tried (prior to the start of the season). But, Coach McCallie did not allow herself to be held hostage while coaching the final year of her existing contract, and having to "coach to save her life". She took the extreme route, no doubt. I can respect that, even if it might have been a detriment financially.
 
Moooooo said:
I'm sure Karen tried (prior to the start of the season). But, Coach McCallie did not allow herself to be held hostage while coaching the final year of her existing contract, and having to "coach to save her life". She took the extreme route, no doubt. I can respect that, even if it might have been a detriment financially.
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I agree. However, McCallie did not have CDC as an Athletic Director. McCallie was another mediocre at best coach. I think that was the difference here as I truly believe CDC was already contemplating a change and simply would not allow Aston to do it. She had no leverage and he was not going to play that game.... Again, Aston simply had no leverage......
 
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Still carrying a grudge? I understand many of her former players had signed a petition requesting she return. They did not even get a chance to present it.
 
Interesting. Rumor is Duke will hire Kara Lawson as their new HC. Very little coaching experience at any level so unproven.
 
justabbfan said:
Interesting. Rumor is Duke will hire Kara Lawson as their new HC. Very little coaching experience at any level so unproven.
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It’s a done deal. Only coaching experience I can think of is Team USA 3x3 squads and 1 year as an assistant for the Boston Celtics.

 
Really surprised that Duke hired Kara Lawson with her lack of coaching experience! She was certainly not on anyone’s list as a potential candidate. I’m sure they are hoping for a Dawn Staley type of hire. Lawson was a great player under Summit so she comes with a good pedigree. But there were a lot of good young coaches they could have chosen from? I’ll bet she can recruit. She has the type of personality as seen on her time with ESPN. Good luck Kara.
 
Ellis21d said:
Really surprised that Duke hired Kara Lawson with her lack of coaching experience! She was certainly not on anyone’s list as a potential candidate. I’m sure they are hoping for a Dawn Staley type of hire. Lawson was a great player under Summit so she comes with a good pedigree. But there were a lot of good young coaches they could have chosen from? I’ll bet she can recruit. She has the type of personality as seen on her time with ESPN. Good luck Kara.
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Duke is running 4th (at best) in the ACC. Louisville isn’t slowing down, NC State is legit and I think Niele Ivey’s start at ND will have them bouncing back quickly. Duke needed a splash and Kara definitely gives them that. I know there were Vols fans who wanted her to replace Holly but Tennessee wasn’t going with someone without more coaching experience.
 
DFW_Horn said:
Duke is running 4th (at best) in the ACC. Louisville isn’t slowing down, NC State is legit and I think Niele Ivey’s start at ND will have them bouncing back quickly. Duke needed a splash and Kara definitely gives them that. I know there were Vols fans who wanted her to replace Holly but Tennessee wasn’t going with someone without more coaching experience.
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The new North Carolina coach is recruiting very well going into her second season; she came from the Ive League, and I certainly didn't expect her to be recruiting so well nationally. Don't forget about Florida State and Miami. Syracuse also welcomes a Top 5 national recruiting class and, recruiting very well for 2021.

So, I'd say Duke (with a very limited roster) is definitely around 6th at best for the short-term.
 
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