2020 Coaching Carousel

[Muskie]

Step Right Up.... it's that time of year again: (hired or fired in Blue indicates Xavier connection, Orange indicates Big East)

Alabama State: Lewis Jackson (Fired)
Alcorn State: Montez Robinson (Out of Contract);
Air Force: Dave Pilipovich; Joe Scott
Central Ark: Russ Pennell (Resigned); Anthony Boone (Interim)
Evansville: Walt McCarty (Fired); Todd Lickliter (Interim)
E. Tenn St: Steve Forbes (Resigned);
Georgia Southern:Mark Byington (Resigned); Brian Burg (Assistant Texas Tech)
Grand Canyon: Dan Majerle; Bryce Drew (Broadcaster)
Idaho: Don Verlin (Fired); Zac Claus (Idaho Assistant and fmr Interim)
Iona: Tim Cluess (Resigned); Rick Pitino
James Madison: Louis Rowe (Fired); Mark Byington (Georgian Southern)
Loyola Maramount: Mike Dunlap (Fired); Stan Johnson (Assoc. HC Marquette)
N. Colorado: Jeff Linder (Resigned); Steven Smiley (Assistant N. Colorado)
Samford: Scott Padgett (Fired); Bucky McMillan (Mountain Brook H.S.)
Southeastern Missouri St: Rick Ray (Fired); Brad Korn (Assistant Kansas State)
Tarleton State: Chris Reisman (Fired); Billy Gillispie (Ranger Junior College Coach and AD)
UAB: Rob Ehsan (Fired); Andy Kennedy (Broadcaster)
UIC: Steve McClain (Fired); Luke Yaklich (Assistant Texas)
UNC-Wilm: C.B. McGrath (Fired);Takayo Siddle
Wake Forest: Danny Manning (Fired); Steve Forbes (HC East Tennessee St)
Western Illinois: Billy Wright (Fired); Rob Jetet (Assistant UNLV)
Western Michigan: Steve Hawkins; Clayton Bates (Assistant W. Michigan)
Wyoming: Allen Edwards; Jeff Lindner (N. Colorado)

[GoMuskies]

Allen Edwards out in Wyoming.

[GoMuskies]

Also, Air Force's Dave Pilipovich done.

[X-band '01]

Mike Dunlap also out at Loyola Marymount.

[sirthought]

Dan Majerle out at Grand Canyon University

[Xavgrad08]

Will the Corona virus cause a delay in some firings? Don’t Ad’s at big schools use private Charter planes to meet with potential candidates? I think Wake has to make a change from Danny Manning. Will DePaul Fire Dave? What will Texas do with Shaka?

[bjf123]

Will the Corona virus cause a delay in some firings? Don’t Ad’s at big schools use private Charter planes to meet with potential candidates? I think Wake has to make a change from Danny Manning. Will DePaul Fire Dave? What will Texas do with Shaka?

I think the servers at Skype, Zoom, WebEx, etc. are going to be getting hammed the next few months (stock buying opportunity?). At work, we’ve canceled all travel and only employees are allowed in the building.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Braun]

Slick Rick coming back (https://twitter.com/mattnorlander/status/1238887700431691777?s=21)?

[paulxu]

Hah! Great reply in that link:

Already Miss Sports
@multipleof6
·
48m
Replying to
@MattNorlander
and
@CBSSports
Strippers on high alert to see what city Rick goes to.

[paulxu]

Rick is back at Iona.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28902504/rick-pitino-returns-college-basketball-iona-coach

[GIMMFD]

Rick is back at Iona.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28902504/rick-pitino-returns-college-basketball-iona-coach

Lmfao it ALWAYS takes just one, Briles at FAU, Freeze, McGaw at Liberty, etc.

[sirthought]

FYI... Iona is in New Rochelle, which is the so-called "containment area" for NY's COVID-19 struggles. With Pitino being up there in age, he's going to have to keep a low profile in the community for a while. It's a pretty idyllic zip code, overall, and I could see a lot of people wanting to wind down their careers there, near the ocean, NYC, etc.

Iona is a Catholic school about the size of Xavier. I wonder if this high profile hire will usher in them trying to elevate the school to a more competitive conference?

[X-band '01]

KWCH-TV - Grant Sherfield to Transfer From Wichita State (https://www.kwch.com/content/sports/Grant-Sherfield-to-transfer-from-Wichita-State-568836381.html)

GoMuskies, you are the eyes and ears of all things Wichita State on this board. Can you fill us in on why 6 Shockers are now in the transfer portal? Is Gregg Marshall about to take another job or could something happen that would get him axed from WSU?

[X-band '01]

Step Right Up.... it's that time of year again: (hired or fired in Blue indicates Xavier connection)

Air Force: Dave Pilipovich
Central Ark: Russ Pennell (Resigned); Anthony Boone (Interim)
Evansville: Walt McCarty (Fired); Todd Lickliter (Interim)
Grand Canyon: Dan Majerle;
Idaho: Don Verlin (Fired); Zac Claus (Interim)
Iona: Tim Cluess (Resigned); Rick Pitino
James Madison: Louis Rowe (Fired)
Southeastern Missouri St: Rick Ray (Fired)
UAB: Rob Ehsan (Fired);
UIC: Steve McClain (Fired)
UNC-Wilm: C.B. McGrath (Fired);Rob Burke (Interim)
Western Illinois: Billy Wright (Fired); Takayo Siddle
Western Michigan: Allen Edwards
Wyoming: Allen Edwards

Kind of harsh for Allen Edwards to be fired from two head coaching gigs. I can only assume you meant to say that Steve Hawkins was dismissed from WMU.

[GoMuskies]

KWCH-TV - Grant Sherfield to Transfer From Wichita State (https://www.kwch.com/content/sports/Grant-Sherfield-to-transfer-from-Wichita-State-568836381.html)

GoMuskies, you are the eyes and ears of all things Wichita State on this board. Can you fill us in on why 6 Shockers are now in the transfer portal? Is Gregg Marshall about to take another job or could something happen that would get him axed from WSU?

I think it's just because Marshall is kind of a dick. Hate to see Burton and Sherfield leaving. Never heard of two of the other guys, and Erik Stevenson is awful and shoots a LOT and Fernandes was a fairly lightly used backup PG.

[paulxu]

He only has one LOI, so there's a lot of holes to fill.

[xavierj]

I think it's just because Marshall is kind of a dick. Hate to see Burton and Sherfield leaving. Never heard of two of the other guys, and Erik Stevenson is awful and shoots a LOT and Fernandes was a fairly lightly used backup PG.

Steele and Hayes immediately followed Burton over the weekend so who knows, you may be able to still watch and root for him.

[Masterofreality]

He only has one LOI, so there's a lot of holes to fill.

Speculation only: Somebody(s) leaving...
Very possibly more than 1.

[JTG]

Speculation only: Somebody(s) leaving...
Very possibly more than 1.

@ X ? Names ?

[paulxu]

I was talking about Marshall only having one LOI.

[GoMuskies]

Samford has canned my goofball high school classmate Scott Padgett.

[xubrew]

Samford has canned my goofball high school classmate Scott Padgett.

:(

[X-band '01]

Bryce Drew replacing Dan Majerle at Grand Canyon.

Word for GCU is that the Majerle firing was eerily similar to Dave Bezold at NKU - let him coach just long enough to help them transition up to D-1 and can him right after (or a few years after in the case of the Lopes) they're eligible for NCAA Tournament play.

[Muskie]

I think that hire will end up working for Grand Canyon.

[sirthought]

Bryce Drew replacing Dan Majerle at Grand Canyon.

Word for GCU is that the Majerle firing was eerily similar to Dave Bezold at NKU - let him coach just long enough to help them transition up to D-1 and can him right after (or a few years after in the case of the Lopes) they're eligible for NCAA Tournament play.

There was more to Bezold's firing. The school just didn't want to make a public showcase of it and the larger hoops community wasn't paying attention to what the NKY players had been doing, and accused of. Let's just say Bezold wasn't making sure players behaved themselves enough of what's expected.

It worked out for them with Brannen. Hard to say if Bezold would have had similar success.

[X-band '01]

There was more to Bezold's firing. The school just didn't want to make a public showcase of it and the larger hoops community wasn't paying attention to what the NKY players had been doing, and accused of. Let's just say Bezold wasn't making sure players behaved themselves enough of what's expected.

It worked out for them with Brannen. Hard to say if Bezold would have had similar success.

I had a feeling that might have been the case - I didn't understand the firing at all back then. Then again, with NKU being a public university, it should be harder to keep things like that hushed up.

Honestly, I wonder if similar stuff was going on at Wake when Dino Gaudio got fired. His firing and replacement by Jeff Bzdelik literally torpedoed a solid program.

[sirthought]

I had a feeling that might have been the case - I didn't understand the firing at all back then. Then again, with NKU being a public university, it should be harder to keep things like that hushed up.


Well, there were a lot of stories in the Enquirer written over a period of time by a news reporter, not a sports one, that focused on issues at NKU around sexual harassment at different levels of the staff and student body. Issues brought up with players were discussed in those articles, but it was somewhat vague and I thought the reporter's approach was really painting NKU with a broad brush of 'they messing up big time.' Bezold said he handled the incidents by the book but there seemed to be some second guessing. Those players left the school at the end of that season. NKU had the advantage that as a brand new D1 school no one was expecting them to perform all that much and didn't pay attention to larger program issues.

But there was also an issue of NKU's athletic director doing some kind of scam with budget money being used for Kroger gift cards or something, then he was buying meals and food for some females in the department, who I guess were not his wife, and things somehow went out of control for him, he was reported and found out...now in prison.

[Muskie]

Updated.

[XU 87]

Is Lickliter still considered the head coach at Evansville? He lost every game after he took over mid-season. I think he went 0-13.

[Muskie]

Is Lickliter still considered the head coach at Evansville? He lost every game after he took over mid-season. I think he went 0-13.

As far as I've seen, yes.

[XU 87]

As far as I've seen, yes.

In terms of basketball success, what more did Lickliter have to do to no longer be considered a permanent head coaching candidate? I wonder if he signed a multi-year contract when he came back.

[XU 87]

Bryce Drew replacing Dan Majerle at Grand Canyon.

Word for GCU is that the Majerle firing was eerily similar to Dave Bezold at NKU - let him coach just long enough to help them transition up to D-1 and can him right after (or a few years after in the case of the Lopes) they're eligible for NCAA Tournament play.

Majerle was fairly successful at Grand Canyon, particularly under the circumstances.

Head coaching record
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Grand Canyon Antelopes (Western Athletic Conference) (2013–2020)
2013–14 Grand Canyon 15–15 10–6 3rd CIT First Round
2014–15 Grand Canyon 17–15 8–6 T–2nd CIT First Round
2015–16 Grand Canyon 27–7 11–3 T–2nd CIT Quarterfinal
2016–17 Grand Canyon 22–9 11–3 T–2nd
2017–18 Grand Canyon 22–12 9–5 3rd CBI First Round
2018–19 Grand Canyon 20–14 10–6 3rd CBI First Round
2019–20 Grand Canyon 13–17 8–8 T–5th
Grand Canyon: 136–89 (.604) 67–36 (.650)
Total: 136–89 (.604)

[Muskie]

Majerle was fairly successful at Grand Canyon, particularly under the circumstances.

Head coaching record
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Grand Canyon Antelopes (Western Athletic Conference) (2013–2020)
2013–14 Grand Canyon 15–15 10–6 3rd CIT First Round
2014–15 Grand Canyon 17–15 8–6 T–2nd CIT First Round
2015–16 Grand Canyon 27–7 11–3 T–2nd CIT Quarterfinal
2016–17 Grand Canyon 22–9 11–3 T–2nd
2017–18 Grand Canyon 22–12 9–5 3rd CBI First Round
2018–19 Grand Canyon 20–14 10–6 3rd CBI First Round
2019–20 Grand Canyon 13–17 8–8 T–5th
Grand Canyon: 136–89 (.604) 67–36 (.650)
Total: 136–89 (.604)

If that gets you fired at grand Canyon without some sort of scandal... then I don't understand.

[XU 87]

If that gets you fired at grand Canyon without some sort of scandal... then I don't understand.

Maybe they were upset about the lack of success in the CBI or CIT............

[GoMuskies]

They must have had a deal with Bryce Drew before they got rid of Thunder Dan. Crazy to me that a local hero like Dan got fired so quick after one mediocre season.

[XU 87]

They must have had a deal with Bryce Drew before they got rid of Thunder Dan. Crazy to me that a local hero like Dan got fired so quick after one mediocre season.

Well, Bryce did so well at Vanderbilt...................

Vanderbilt Commodores (Southeastern Conference) (2016–2019)
2016–17 Vanderbilt 19–16 10–8 T–5th NCAA Division I First Round
2017–18 Vanderbilt 12–20 6–12 13th
2018–19 Vanderbilt 9–23 0–18 14th
Vanderbilt: 40–59 (.404) 16–38 (.296)

Based on his last season, maybe Evansville should have been interested in him. They seem to like coaches who lose all their conference games.

And I realize Vandy lost Darius Garland after 5 games in 18-19 season, but still................

[Muskie]

If you're a former UK coach, this is apparently your year to make a come back....

[GoMuskies]

If you're a former UK coach, this is apparently your year to make a come back....

However, if you're a former UK player....not good.

[Xavgrad08]

Wake Forest has parted ways with Danny Manning. https://www.journalnow.com/sports/college/wfu/wake-forest-fires-danny-manning-after-six-seasons/article_2f481a56-f5a3-56e0-9961-2cf663117db0.amp.html

[XU 87]

Wake Forest has parted ways with Danny Manning. https://www.journalnow.com/sports/college/wfu/wake-forest-fires-danny-manning-after-six-seasons/article_2f481a56-f5a3-56e0-9961-2cf663117db0.amp.html

Wake has pretty much sucked since they fired Dino Gaudio.

[Muskie]

Wake has pretty much sucked since they fired Dino Gaudio.
It seems like an odd time to get rid of him. Wonder if something pushed them to make a decision.

[paulxu]

ETSU's Forbes slated to go to Wake.

SoCon is ACC training ground. Mike Young to VaTech last year.

[GoMuskies]

Forbes is a great coach. Probably not good enough to win big at Wake, but I'm glad he's getting his payday.

[X-band '01]

KWCH-TV - Grant Sherfield to Transfer From Wichita State (https://www.kwch.com/content/sports/Grant-Sherfield-to-transfer-from-Wichita-State-568836381.html)

GoMuskies, you are the eyes and ears of all things Wichita State on this board. Can you fill us in on why 6 Shockers are now in the transfer portal? Is Gregg Marshall about to take another job or could something happen that would get him axed from WSU?

Speaking of Gregg Marshall:

ESPN.com - Wichita State investigating Gregg Marshall (https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/30074157/wichita-state-investigating-coach-gregg-marshall-amid-misconduct-allegations)

Good luck to Marshall getting another job if the stuff reported here is true.