I was looking at Dooley's bio and he was very young when he took the ECU job (only 50 now). What happened during his tenure? He was only at ECU 4 years but was above .500 during that time.



I ask because he's doing pretty well at Florida Gulf Coast right now. In ECU's next coaching search, would you look at him?

AAC basketball is composed of 3 distinct groups.

Group 1: UConn (Ollie), Temple (Dunphy), Cincinnati (Cronin), and Memphis (Smith).

Group 2: SMU (Jankovich), Tulsa (Haith), Houston (Sampson), and Tulane (Dunleavy).

Group 3: UCF (Dawkins), USF (Antigua), and ECU (Lebo).

These groups are divided in rivalry, athletic focus, and geography. I know in Group 2, the Larry Brown hire had a remarkable impact on the subsequent hires of Sampson, Haith, and Dunleavy (all accomplished coaches as well). They also fish in the same recruiting waters. SMU recruits Tulsa and of course all of them recruit in and around Texas.

The AAC mainly needs to revitalize Group 3. They have their own geography. Dawkins (a Duke grad) was a good start and Tacko gives him a great piece to build around.

But, what do USF and ECU need to do to revitalize their hoops programs?

Obviously, their focus should be in the Southeast (Florida to the Carolinas). I think UCF-USF-ECU need to play off each other like the other two AAC groups are doing. They should recruit the same waters to foster rivalry and enhance their profiles within their shared region with recruits, who talk amongst each other and may see playing against one another as a good sell.

Which brings me back to Dooley. Might his Florida ties put him in good standing for a return to ECU? What kind of coach would fit there (or at USF)?

Of course, Florida ties aren't required but we do need to raise the AAC's profile in that region, especially if we are to hold more tournaments in Orlando. I think USF's first choice, Masiello, would have thrived. Nevertheless, if the American is going to pop that region there does need to be some shared focus.