2012 College Coaching Carousel

[Assembly Hall]

Turns out Cuonzo Martin might want the Illinois job. That would be a good hire for them.

And it would please me greatly to have him gone from the SEC. He knows what he's doing.

Where did you read that at? I would find that hard to believe, but hey ya never know. BTW, those former Purdue players can be pains in butts, cant they?

I think the Illinois is a great job. But this the wrong time to be getting your feet wet in the B1G. Depending on early entries........Ohio ST, Indiana, and Michigan are stacked and that doesnt include their recruiting classes coming in next year. MSU has a great class coming in. Wisconsin will be Wisconsin. Purdue has a solid class coming in. Iowa is on the rise and Minnesota will be in the mix somewhere.

Tubby and Carmondy are on hot seats. I dont know if the Illini fans will be patient enough to give a coach 3-4 years to get it together.

[dabvu2498]

Where did you read that at? I would find that hard to believe, but hey ya never know. BTW, those former Purdue players can be pains in butts, cant they?

I think the Illinois is a great job. But this the wrong time to be getting your feet wet in the B1G. Depending on early entries........Ohio ST, Indiana, and Michigan are stacked and that doesnt include their recruiting classes coming in next year. MSU has a great class coming in. Wisconsin will be Wisconsin. Purdue has a solid class coming in. Iowa is on the rise and Minnesota will be in the mix somewhere.

Tubby and Carmondy are on hot seats. I dont know if the Illini fans will be patient enough to give a coach 3-4 years to get it together.

http://www.csnchicago.com/ncaa/news/...826&feedID=661

Sounds like, in retrospect, it was just a bit of over zealous "journalism."

[Assembly Hall]

http://www.csnchicago.com/ncaa/news/...826&feedID=661

Sounds like, in retrospect, it was just a bit of over zealous "journalism."

LOL.....I see what you are saying. But there are some truths in there. And there is some stuff that has been left out.

I think Illinois is a great job. But I think the fan base there expects too much. Martin would be great there, if he is willing to walk into a pressure cooker.

[WVRed]

LOL.....I see what you are saying. But there are some truths in there. And there is some stuff that has been left out.

I think Illinois is a great job. But I think the fan base there expects too much. Martin would be great there, if he is willing to walk into a pressure cooker.

Someone I'll throw in as a wildcard for the Illinois job is UK assistant Kenny Payne, although he may be a more likely candidate for Mississippi State.

Payne is a great recruiter and IIRC has ties to the Chicago area, which is how he brought in Anthony Davis. Assembly Hall is right in that the fans in Illinois expect too much, especially when Calipari has picked off the two top prospects to come out of the state in Davis and Derrick Rose.

Whoever gets that job will have Chicago in their backyard as a recruiting ground. Craig Robinson would be an interesting name to throw out just on politics alone (his sister, Michelle, is married to some guy named Barack who's pretty popular in Illinois).

[dabvu2498]

Someone I'll throw in as a wildcard for the Illinois job is UK assistant Kenny Payne, although he may be a more likely candidate for Mississippi State.

Payne is a great recruiter and IIRC has ties to the Chicago area, which is how he brought in Anthony Davis. Assembly Hall is right in that the fans in Illinois expect too much, especially when Calipari has picked off the two top prospects to come out of the state in Davis and Derrick Rose.

Whoever gets that job will have Chicago in their backyard as a recruiting ground. Craig Robinson would be an interesting name to throw out just on politics alone (his sister, Michelle, is married to some guy named Barack who's pretty popular in Illinois).

Payne has not been a head coach before. He'd be a tough sell as a head coach at either of those two places, imo.

[Assembly Hall]

Good stuff WVRed..........but honestly that has been the Illini's problem in my lifetime. They cant get the Chicagoland boys. DePaul used to do it. But not Illinois.

Shaka is great coach at the mid-major level, as is Stevens and several others.
But if I was on the "hiring" committe I would be looking at proven coaches that have big time basketball environment experience with the pressures that comes with it. And familiar with the landscape of the Big 10.

Rick Majerus?????? Tommy Ammaker?????? Buzz Williams?????? Steve Lavin???? Lon Kruger????????

Just throwing some names out there. Guys with proven track records that are at maybe lesser programs than Illinois.

[WVRed]

Payne has not been a head coach before. He'd be a tough sell as a head coach at either of those two places, imo.

Mississippi State more likely than Illinois.

Payne is from Mississippi and is a leading candidate. Payne and Sean Woods are the top two candidates from what I've been reading.

[WVRed]

Looks like K-State has an opening to fill. I have a feeling there is fire following the smoke in Manhattan.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...amecocks-coach

This should be a red flag:

Martin had made headlines Monday for another reason. Speaking during Sunday's broadcast of the NCAA tournament on CBS, he said that he regularly paid collegiate players who had played for him in high school when they had nowhere else to turn.

Working as an analyst on the telecast Sunday, Martin seemed to be making a case for better compensating collegiate players in need as he defended Kansas State senior Jamar Samuels, who was held out of the Wildcats' final game because of an eligibility concern.

"I coached 16 years in the same inner city in Miami that I grew up in. Do you know how much money I sent to kids that played for me in high school when they were in college because I knew where they came from?" Martin said, according to a transcript of the broadcast published by the Kansas City Star. "I knew they didn't have a father figure."

[Assembly Hall]

Martin wouldnt even be at K-State if it wouldnt have been for Huggins. Dont know what possible violations might be awaiting. I am surprised more coaches dont go to the SEC. Used to be Kentucky period. Billy has FLA built up. Kevin as well at Vandy. UT looks good at the present. Soon to expand to 14, and it is a football conference minus UK. Heck, I am going to apply for the Miss St job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Todd Gack]

Looks like K-State has an opening to fill. I have a feeling there is fire following the smoke in Manhattan.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...amecocks-coach

This should be a red flag:

Martin was trying to get out last year. Apparently he and the AD don't get along too well. It should tell you something considering USCeast might be the worst job in the SEC.

[Donder]

I heard yesterday that Illinois is looking at Ohio's Groce.

[Assembly Hall]

I heard yesterday that Illinois is looking at Ohio's Groce.

Yes, that is what has been going around. He very well might be a good fit. He has B1G experience, is familiar with the area, and from what I have seen has a good personality.

[bucksfan2]

Yes, that is what has been going around. He very well might be a good fit. He has B1G experience, is familiar with the area, and from what I have seen has a good personality.

If I am Groce I may stick around for one more year. Illinois is a nice job, but a mess right now. Groce has his entire starting lineup back next season. He has a top tier PG returning along with a bunch of nice other players. Its really the type of season that you dream about. Coming off a Sweet 16 run where you played against the best and having all those guys back.

That said $$$$$ often speak louder than common sense.

[Assembly Hall]

If I am Groce I may stick around for one more year. Illinois is a nice job, but a mess right now. Groce has his entire starting lineup back next season. He has a top tier PG returning along with a bunch of nice other players. Its really the type of season that you dream about. Coming off a Sweet 16 run where you played against the best and having all those guys back.

That said $$$$$ often speak louder than common sense.

Right on! Illinois is a nice job, but the fan base there thinks it is better than what it is. I hope Groce stays at Ohio, he will be on a short leash if he takes the Illini job.

[medford]

He's got to look at more than just money. Say he's offered the Illinois job this year, but turns it down. Even if he has an equally successful season next year, there is no garuntee he's offered a similar job next year, sometimes you have to jump when the iron's hot, if that is you goal.

Its obviously impossible to know which jobs will open up next season, but many knew Webber was on the hot seat at the end of last season, so there are some places you know where the seat is hot enough that 1 false step and it opens up.

P12 obviously has several canditates, but only 2 that would be on par or above Illinois. Would Groce even take a job out west is the first question. The biggest possibility is UCLA, but I have my doubts they'd take a mid west guy. The other possibility is Arizona as I've heard rumblings that Sean Miller isn't all enamored with living in Tucson, but that would take a sizable opening back in the East, I'd put the odds of that job opening up at less than 5%.

B12, Missouri, depending on Haith's ties to the Miami scandal and what breaks from that is a possibility. Of course they'll be SEC next year, which creates a different dynamic, but I'd put that job on par with illinois, or at least in the ball park with out doing much research. Don't see much else from the current B12 that I'd put on par w/ Illinois.

B10, there's several jobs in the B10 that I'd consider on par, or better than Illinois, just none that I see opening up. OSU, Michigan, MSU, Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin all seem firlmy entrechened with their current staff, baring a scandal breaking out. If the scandal's big enough to fire the entrenched coach, there's going to be some struggles out of the gate that Illinois doesn't have today.

SEC, neither UK nor Florida are opening up anytime soon, I'm not sure there's anothe program in the SEC on par with Illinois.

ACC, Massive headwinds created by UNC & Duke, neither of which is opening up next year, not that they'd hire Groce anyways. The Marylands, NC States GTechs of the ACC that might be on a similar level all have new coaches, wouldn't expect an opening anywhere in the ACC that is more attractive than Illinois next year.

Big East, Syracuse & Uconn could both open up due to retirement/scandal. Would be tough to replace a legend in either spot, not sure what coaching ties either school has to current coaches that they may turn to first. You wouldn't think Pitt would get rid of Dixon, but my gut tells me he's on shakier ground he should be, that would be a good fit as they prepare for the ACC.

At the end of the day, Illinois may well be the only opening in the next 2 seasons that Groce has a shot at, what lies beyond next year for OU, he may have little choice but to grab the cheese today, knowing that OU is in good shape for the next guy.