Lot's of good programs looking for their next HC, this should be interesting.

(03-14-2024 12:43 PM)CaliforniaCowboy Wrote:  Lot's of good programs looking for their next HC, this should be interesting.

Any names being discussed? OSU has a strong basketball history so it should be an attractive job.

(03-14-2024 03:11 PM)FreshPrinceOfDarkness Wrote:  

(03-14-2024 12:43 PM)CaliforniaCowboy Wrote:  Lot's of good programs looking for their next HC, this should be interesting.

Any names being discussed? OSU has a strong basketball history so it should be an attractive job.

I've only seen on article on it so far: Anybody from the Scott Drew coaching tree, or maybe...

Danny Sprinkle – Utah State

Sprinkle is easily one of the best up-and-coming coaches in college basketball. Ranked No. 18 by the end of the season, Utah State finished with a 26-5 overall record, 14-4 in conference play

Josh Schertz – Indiana State

Schertz has completely revived the Indiana State program, as the Sycamores are currently 28-6 overall and 17-3 in the Missouri Valley this season. And the turnaround at ISU has been very quick as they went 11-20 in his first season and 25-13 in year two.

Darian DeVries – Drake

Tied into the previous head coach, DeVries just led his team to a Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship over Indiana State. Drake finished this past season with a 28-6 overall record and 16-4 in MVC play. In his six seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs, DeVries has posted a 150-54 overall record and 78-33 in MVC play.

UPDATE OK ST BASKETBALL search
Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/16/24

Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten has formulated this alphabetically ordered list of 12 coaches who could become involved in Oklahoma State’s search for a new head basketball coach

Johnny Dawkins, UCF head coach
Age 60: After having been in the Duke backcourt in 1982-86, Dawkins had a nine-season NBA run with the Spurs, 76ers and Pistons. He was a Mike Krzyzewski assistant at Duke for nine seasons. As the Stanford head coach, Dawkins had four teams that recorded at least 23 wins. He has been UCF’s head man since 2016.

Darian DeVries, Drake head coach
Age 48. Five of his six Drake teams finished no worse than second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and each of his last four teams recorded at least 25 wins.

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon head coach
Age 49. The former Valparaiso star is the younger brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew. Bryce Drew had a tough experience at Vanderbilt, where he was fired in 2019, but this season his Grand Canyon team was the WAC champion. His three-season record in conference play is 50-18.

Doug Gottlieb, former OSU point guard
Age 48. While having done sports-talk radio and TV work for more than 20 years, the former OSU point guard has sustained relationships in Stillwater and throughout all of college basketball. Gottlieb has never been on a college staff but did get an interview for the OSU job in 2017. During the 2023-24 season, he was a consultant for Mike Boynton.

Anthony Grant, Dayton head coach
Age 57. Formerly the head man at VCU (2006-09) and Alabama (2009-15), Grant was an OKC Thunder staff member for two seasons before getting the Dayton job. In 2019-20, his Flyers were 29-2 and Grant was the Naismith College Coach of the Year. His six-season Dayton record is 146-59.

Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston head coach
Age 48. At Winthrop, he won four Big South Conference titles. Over the last two seasons at the College of Charleston, Kelsey’s teams are a combined 58-11 with two league titles.

Jai Lucas, Duke associate head coach
Age 35. The younger brother of former Oklahoma State star John Lucas III. Jai Lucas played college basketball at Florida and Texas. Two years ago, he became the first Duke assistant in 30 years who hadn’t played in the Blue Devil program.

Paul Mills, Wichita State head coach
Age 51. A former longtime Scott Drew assistant at Baylor. Mills is a tremendous tactician and recruiter whose first Wichita State team finished 13-18. In 2017-18, his first Oral Roberts team was 11-21. His fourth ORU team upset Ohio State and Florida in a drive to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, his sixth and final ORU team was 21-0 in the Summit League.

Brian Montonati, Owasso High School head coach
Age 47. A former Eddie Sutton-coached OSU big man who has summer-basketball connections all over the country. In their last 48 games, Montonati’s Rams are 41-7. This season, they captured the Class 6A title.

Scott Sutton, OSU assistant coach
Age 53. Sutton played for his father at Oklahoma State. In 18 seasons as the Oral Roberts head man, Sutton recorded a program-record total of 328 victories.

Will Wade, McNeese State head coach
Age 41. After having been 105-51 as the LSU head coach, Wade was fired in 2022 after there were allegations of recruiting violations. As the first-year coach at McNeese State this season, his Cowboys are 30-3 and champions of the Southland Conference.

Kimani Young, UConn associate head coach
Age 49. A Queens, New York, native and a former Rick Pitino assistant at Minnesota, the highly regarded Young is a six-season member of Dan Hurley’s UConn staff. The Huskies captured the 2023 national title.

(03-15-2024 06:56 AM)Ye ol Fool Wrote:  UPDATE OK ST BASKETBALL search
Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/16/24

Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten has formulated this alphabetically ordered list of 12 coaches who could become involved in Oklahoma State’s search for a new head basketball coach

Bleh... that TW reporter is a hack.... most of that list is just plain silly.

Amir Abdur-Rahim, USF Head Coach
- AAC Coach of the year 2024
- ASUN Coach of the year 2023 (Kennesaw State)
- Hugh Durham Award 2023

Doug Gottlieb would be an objectively hilarious hire. They should do that.

(03-15-2024 08:14 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Amir Abdur-Rahim, USF Head Coach
- AAC Coach of the year 2024
- ASUN Coach of the year 2023 (Kennesaw State)
- Hugh Durham Award 2023

I see what you're doing, UCF fan lol. Dude is a great coach and probably kills it there though.

(03-15-2024 09:39 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Doug Gottlieb would be an objectively hilarious hire. They should do that.

Don't make a Drexler hire. OSU should not be that desperate.

(03-15-2024 10:33 AM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  

(03-15-2024 08:14 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Amir Abdur-Rahim, USF Head Coach
- AAC Coach of the year 2024
- ASUN Coach of the year 2023 (Kennesaw State)
- Hugh Durham Award 2023

I see what you're doing, UCF fan lol. Dude is a great coach and probably kills it there though.

Just an innocent suggestion, no ulterior motives. I'm not scared.

(03-15-2024 09:39 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Doug Gottlieb would be an objectively hilarious hire. They should do that.

yeah, Haisten only put his name in there because he was writing to the OSU fan base in Tulsa, where several local yahoo's throw Doug's name into the mix every time we are hiring a new HC.

Actually Gottlieb has been doing some "consulting" work for Boynton this season, FWIW.

Johnny Dawkins to Oklahoma State makes no sense, either from his standpoint or OSU's. Too many other good candidates on that list to choose from, other than Gottlieb. That would be the most comical choice.

(03-15-2024 06:56 AM)Ye ol Fool Wrote:  UPDATE OK ST BASKETBALL search
Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/16/24

Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten has formulated this alphabetically ordered list of 12 coaches who could become involved in Oklahoma State’s search for a new head basketball coach

Johnny Dawkins, UCF head coach
Age 60: After having been in the Duke backcourt in 1982-86, Dawkins had a nine-season NBA run with the Spurs, 76ers and Pistons. He was a Mike Krzyzewski assistant at Duke for nine seasons. As the Stanford head coach, Dawkins had four teams that recorded at least 23 wins. He has been UCF’s head man since 2016.

Darian DeVries, Drake head coach
Age 48. Five of his six Drake teams finished no worse than second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and each of his last four teams recorded at least 25 wins.

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon head coach
Age 49. The former Valparaiso star is the younger brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew. Bryce Drew had a tough experience at Vanderbilt, where he was fired in 2019, but this season his Grand Canyon team was the WAC champion. His three-season record in conference play is 50-18.

Doug Gottlieb, former OSU point guard
Age 48. While having done sports-talk radio and TV work for more than 20 years, the former OSU point guard has sustained relationships in Stillwater and throughout all of college basketball. Gottlieb has never been on a college staff but did get an interview for the OSU job in 2017. During the 2023-24 season, he was a consultant for Mike Boynton.

Anthony Grant, Dayton head coach
Age 57. Formerly the head man at VCU (2006-09) and Alabama (2009-15), Grant was an OKC Thunder staff member for two seasons before getting the Dayton job. In 2019-20, his Flyers were 29-2 and Grant was the Naismith College Coach of the Year. His six-season Dayton record is 146-59.

Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston head coach
Age 48. At Winthrop, he won four Big South Conference titles. Over the last two seasons at the College of Charleston, Kelsey’s teams are a combined 58-11 with two league titles.

Jai Lucas, Duke associate head coach
Age 35. The younger brother of former Oklahoma State star John Lucas III. Jai Lucas played college basketball at Florida and Texas. Two years ago, he became the first Duke assistant in 30 years who hadn’t played in the Blue Devil program.

Paul Mills, Wichita State head coach
Age 51. A former longtime Scott Drew assistant at Baylor. Mills is a tremendous tactician and recruiter whose first Wichita State team finished 13-18. In 2017-18, his first Oral Roberts team was 11-21. His fourth ORU team upset Ohio State and Florida in a drive to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, his sixth and final ORU team was 21-0 in the Summit League.

Brian Montonati, Owasso High School head coach
Age 47. A former Eddie Sutton-coached OSU big man who has summer-basketball connections all over the country. In their last 48 games, Montonati’s Rams are 41-7. This season, they captured the Class 6A title.

Scott Sutton, OSU assistant coach
Age 53. Sutton played for his father at Oklahoma State. In 18 seasons as the Oral Roberts head man, Sutton recorded a program-record total of 328 victories.

Will Wade, McNeese State head coach
Age 41. After having been 105-51 as the LSU head coach, Wade was fired in 2022 after there were allegations of recruiting violations. As the first-year coach at McNeese State this season, his Cowboys are 30-3 and champions of the Southland Conference.

Kimani Young, UConn associate head coach
Age 49. A Queens, New York, native and a former Rick Pitino assistant at Minnesota, the highly regarded Young is a six-season member of Dan Hurley’s UConn staff. The Huskies captured the 2023 national title.

A New Name has Emerged as the current Favorite Coaching Candidate for the OK St Coaching position. Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/17/24

Mined from the latest flurry of calls and messages was this nugget: former Indiana prep phenom Steve Alford is said to be interested in Oklahoma State’s basketball job, and it is said also that Alford is on the radar of OSU’s decision-maker — athletic director Chad Weiberg.

This comes from a strongly connected source. Alphabetically, Alford commands the top spot on the Tulsa World’s list of possible Cowboy candidates. With regard to lining up with what is believed to be Weiberg’s preference — a candidate with head-coaching experience — Alford currently may be the top person in every sense.

The 59-year-old Alford’s only connection to OSU is that his college coach — Indiana’s Bobby Knight — had a close relationship with Cowboy basketball legend Henry Iba.

Having coached at Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico, UCLA and at Nevada since 2019, Alford quietly has a major-college career win total of 605. He took Missouri State to the 1999 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and his 2014, 2015 and 2017 UCLA teams advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

It was announced on Thursday that Mike Boynton would not be retained for what would have been an eighth season as the Cowboy coach. While his final OSU squad was 12-20 and finished in a tie for last place in the Big 12, the 59-year-old Alford’s Nevada Wolf Pack is 26-7 and finished second in the Mountain West Conference regular-season standings.

Nevada is an NCAA Tournament at-large participant. The NCAA bracket was unveiled on Sunday. (#10 Nevada plays #7 Dayton in the West region, winner plays winner of #2 Zona vs # 15 Long Beach St)

As OSU made only one NCAA Tournament appearance during Boynton’s seven seasons, Weiberg now is consumed by the process of identifying the Cowboys’ next head man.

If the Weiberg search does center first on figures who have a history of head-coaching success, it would be advantageous for potential candidates like Alford, UCF’s Johnny Dawkins, Wichita State’s Paul Mills, Dayton’s Anthony Grant and an interesting, extremely accomplished small-school coach — Northwest Missouri State’s Ben McCollum.

Because transfer-portal activity can so dramatically impact a roster, the Weiberg hiring process is rushed. The next portal window opens on Monday and closes on May 1.

However, as Nevada is an NCAA Tournament team, Alford would not be available for duty for another week or so at the earliest. If the Wolf Pack advances to the second weekend of the tournament, and if Weiberg is determined to hire him, this process could be stretched through the end of the month.

Managing portal movement is important, but not as important as hiring the right person — a coach who can excite the OSU fan base and build a Big 12-contending program.

This season, at 13,611-seat Gallagher-Iba Arena, OSU’s home-attendance average was 6,603. That average ranked 12th in the 14-team Big 12.

Since the Eddie Sutton era ended in 2006, the Cowboy program is 136-168 in conference play.

With regard to starting pay for a new coach, it is believed Weiberg won’t want to go beyond $3 million. Seven Big 12 Conference coaches made more than $3 million this season.

Boynton made $3 million. With four seasons remaining on his contract, he is due to collect slightly less than $8 million in buyout money.

It is not known whether OSU and Boynton already have negotiated terms of the buyout. When Travis Ford was fired in 2016, he was scheduled to collect $7.2 million. He was presented with an option: instead of getting the $7.2 million in payments over an extended period, he could accept $3.9 million in one lucrative transaction. Ford chose the latter.

Thad Matta is a strong name on the list as well.

(03-18-2024 04:34 AM)Ye ol Fool Wrote:  

(03-15-2024 06:56 AM)Ye ol Fool Wrote:  UPDATE OK ST BASKETBALL search
Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/16/24

Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten has formulated this alphabetically ordered list of 12 coaches who could become involved in Oklahoma State’s search for a new head basketball coach

Johnny Dawkins, UCF head coach
Age 60: After having been in the Duke backcourt in 1982-86, Dawkins had a nine-season NBA run with the Spurs, 76ers and Pistons. He was a Mike Krzyzewski assistant at Duke for nine seasons. As the Stanford head coach, Dawkins had four teams that recorded at least 23 wins. He has been UCF’s head man since 2016.

Darian DeVries, Drake head coach
Age 48. Five of his six Drake teams finished no worse than second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and each of his last four teams recorded at least 25 wins.

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon head coach
Age 49. The former Valparaiso star is the younger brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew. Bryce Drew had a tough experience at Vanderbilt, where he was fired in 2019, but this season his Grand Canyon team was the WAC champion. His three-season record in conference play is 50-18.

Doug Gottlieb, former OSU point guard
Age 48. While having done sports-talk radio and TV work for more than 20 years, the former OSU point guard has sustained relationships in Stillwater and throughout all of college basketball. Gottlieb has never been on a college staff but did get an interview for the OSU job in 2017. During the 2023-24 season, he was a consultant for Mike Boynton.

Anthony Grant, Dayton head coach
Age 57. Formerly the head man at VCU (2006-09) and Alabama (2009-15), Grant was an OKC Thunder staff member for two seasons before getting the Dayton job. In 2019-20, his Flyers were 29-2 and Grant was the Naismith College Coach of the Year. His six-season Dayton record is 146-59.

Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston head coach
Age 48. At Winthrop, he won four Big South Conference titles. Over the last two seasons at the College of Charleston, Kelsey’s teams are a combined 58-11 with two league titles.

Jai Lucas, Duke associate head coach
Age 35. The younger brother of former Oklahoma State star John Lucas III. Jai Lucas played college basketball at Florida and Texas. Two years ago, he became the first Duke assistant in 30 years who hadn’t played in the Blue Devil program.

Paul Mills, Wichita State head coach
Age 51. A former longtime Scott Drew assistant at Baylor. Mills is a tremendous tactician and recruiter whose first Wichita State team finished 13-18. In 2017-18, his first Oral Roberts team was 11-21. His fourth ORU team upset Ohio State and Florida in a drive to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, his sixth and final ORU team was 21-0 in the Summit League.

Brian Montonati, Owasso High School head coach
Age 47. A former Eddie Sutton-coached OSU big man who has summer-basketball connections all over the country. In their last 48 games, Montonati’s Rams are 41-7. This season, they captured the Class 6A title.

Scott Sutton, OSU assistant coach
Age 53. Sutton played for his father at Oklahoma State. In 18 seasons as the Oral Roberts head man, Sutton recorded a program-record total of 328 victories.

Will Wade, McNeese State head coach
Age 41. After having been 105-51 as the LSU head coach, Wade was fired in 2022 after there were allegations of recruiting violations. As the first-year coach at McNeese State this season, his Cowboys are 30-3 and champions of the Southland Conference.

Kimani Young, UConn associate head coach
Age 49. A Queens, New York, native and a former Rick Pitino assistant at Minnesota, the highly regarded Young is a six-season member of Dan Hurley’s UConn staff. The Huskies captured the 2023 national title.

A New Name has Emerged as the current Favorite Coaching Candidate for the OK St Coaching position. Bill Haisten. Tulsa World Sports Columnist & Writer. 3/17/24

Mined from the latest flurry of calls and messages was this nugget: former Indiana prep phenom Steve Alford is said to be interested in Oklahoma State’s basketball job, and it is said also that Alford is on the radar of OSU’s decision-maker — athletic director Chad Weiberg.

This comes from a strongly connected source. Alphabetically, Alford commands the top spot on the Tulsa World’s list of possible Cowboy candidates. With regard to lining up with what is believed to be Weiberg’s preference — a candidate with head-coaching experience — Alford currently may be the top person in every sense.

The 59-year-old Alford’s only connection to OSU is that his college coach — Indiana’s Bobby Knight — had a close relationship with Cowboy basketball legend Henry Iba.

Having coached at Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico, UCLA and at Nevada since 2019, Alford quietly has a major-college career win total of 605. He took Missouri State to the 1999 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and his 2014, 2015 and 2017 UCLA teams advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

It was announced on Thursday that Mike Boynton would not be retained for what would have been an eighth season as the Cowboy coach. While his final OSU squad was 12-20 and finished in a tie for last place in the Big 12, the 59-year-old Alford’s Nevada Wolf Pack is 26-7 and finished second in the Mountain West Conference regular-season standings.

Nevada is an NCAA Tournament at-large participant. The NCAA bracket was unveiled on Sunday. (#10 Nevada plays #7 Dayton in the West region, winner plays winner of #2 Zona vs # 15 Long Beach St)

As OSU made only one NCAA Tournament appearance during Boynton’s seven seasons, Weiberg now is consumed by the process of identifying the Cowboys’ next head man.

If the Weiberg search does center first on figures who have a history of head-coaching success, it would be advantageous for potential candidates like Alford, UCF’s Johnny Dawkins, Wichita State’s Paul Mills, Dayton’s Anthony Grant and an interesting, extremely accomplished small-school coach — Northwest Missouri State’s Ben McCollum.

Because transfer-portal activity can so dramatically impact a roster, the Weiberg hiring process is rushed. The next portal window opens on Monday and closes on May 1.

However, as Nevada is an NCAA Tournament team, Alford would not be available for duty for another week or so at the earliest. If the Wolf Pack advances to the second weekend of the tournament, and if Weiberg is determined to hire him, this process could be stretched through the end of the month.

Managing portal movement is important, but not as important as hiring the right person — a coach who can excite the OSU fan base and build a Big 12-contending program.

This season, at 13,611-seat Gallagher-Iba Arena, OSU’s home-attendance average was 6,603. That average ranked 12th in the 14-team Big 12.

Since the Eddie Sutton era ended in 2006, the Cowboy program is 136-168 in conference play.

With regard to starting pay for a new coach, it is believed Weiberg won’t want to go beyond $3 million. Seven Big 12 Conference coaches made more than $3 million this season.

Boynton made $3 million. With four seasons remaining on his contract, he is due to collect slightly less than $8 million in buyout money.

It is not known whether OSU and Boynton already have negotiated terms of the buyout. When Travis Ford was fired in 2016, he was scheduled to collect $7.2 million. He was presented with an option: instead of getting the $7.2 million in payments over an extended period, he could accept $3.9 million in one lucrative transaction. Ford chose the latter.

Unless the $7.2 million contract had a new job offset and the $3.9 million offer did not, it seems like a bad decision. Based on being a retired CPA and MS in Tax.

(03-18-2024 07:59 AM)doss2 Wrote:  Unless the $7.2 million contract had a new job offset and the $3.9 million offer did not, it seems like a bad decision. Based on being a retired CPA and MS in Tax.

I think it had a reduction if he got a new job, which he took at St Louis almost immediately

I think Alford could get it done at a place like OkState if they were able to get their fans to step up from day one and support him and make a statement that he is the guy they wanted and he has time to get a few things corrected

if you look at his time at UCLA (a different time prior to portal madness) he was improving as far as tournament performance went getting to a final four one year prior to being fired very early in the next season and if you look at the results of that season he was fired they won 17 games so who knows if that was BECAUSE of "old guy gone lets have fun" or it it was because "had a good team and could have had a few more and made the tournament if we rode it out"

and his replacement seems to be trending in the opposite direction in a PAC 12 that is falling off badly overall in basketball.....started string with a final 4 (after no post season because of.... his first year) and then sweet 16s and then no post season this year in a very weak PAC 12.....some need to understand that you can have a "regular season guy" or a "tournament guy", but it is very very very hard to have both in todays college basketball because the "regular season guy" will be working the hell out of his players and can wear them out and grind them down and get them angry.....and then into the portal especially if the post season does not go as well as the regular season made it seem like it would

with Alford they would need to know can he bring the portal guys in too....I believe he has the coaching ability, but he will need to show he can get the guys.....and part of that will be VOCAL fan support and excitement from day one

sometime Doug Gottlieb can be unstoppable. He is still pushing his case even though I (reporter) know he was told that he would not be considered.

“You know I want that job,” Gottlieb said on radio in Oklahoma City. “[I understand] what we have, what we need, what needs to be fixed, how to get the culture back in line, how to bring back the alumni, how we need to connect better with Stillwater and with the students and all of Oklahoma. I fully believe I can fill up the gym and I can get the NIL.”

Gottlieb is confident. He is determined, and that means he will not quit campaigning.

What will Chad Weiberg.Ok St President do?????
No info or “leaks” has come for the office of the Prez
In Ok st’s financial situation/status, (Trying to raise 350 million in sports facility improvements) u thunk, very few P5 coaching candidates available

Will Ok St pony up the $$$$ for NIL, Facility improvements, & Coaching assistants?

All Local sports writers (Stillwater, Ok City, & Tulsa) hav NO inside info
Except when a current coach mentions that they might B "interested" in the Ok St coaching job.

Another article in what a few locals R saying "could b" a favorite candidate.

Tough to say no: Steve Alford's competitive nature might make Oklahoma State 'the perfect fit’ by Tyler Waldrep OSU Sports Writer. Tulsa World editor’s pic. 3/22/24

There’s one word that comes up again and again when Nevada coach Steve Alford’s name comes up.
“Competitive.”
While hardly a unique word to describe Division I basketball coaches, it might be the most significant thing driving Alford’s reported interest in the Oklahoma State opening.
“Steve, he doesn’t want the easy way,” former Missouri State athletic director Bill Rowe said. “He knows he’s coming into a situation like that. He’s got to have all of his guns loaded, get a great coaching staff with him. He already knows the country from the areas he has coached before. … That is the type of situation he likes. I questioned whether they could do it in New Mexico, and he was able to do it with them.”
Rowe gave Alford his first D-I head coaching job in 1995 when Missouri State was still known as Southwest Missouri State. Alford rewarded Rowe with a four-year run that included the program’s first Sweet Sixteen finish in 1999.

Since then, Alford coached Iowa (eight seasons), New Mexico (six), UCLA (5.5) and is in his sixth season at Nevada. He’s 605-327 in his head-coaching career and 12 of his teams earned NCAA Tournament bids.

Three of his UCLA teams finished in the Sweet Sixteen.
“He is a competitor, and to get back on that bigger stage. … my own gut feeling is he would probably want to jump up to that next level, and then he’s moving a lot closer to the Midwest,” Loren Cook II said. “He’s got those Midwest roots.”

Cook formed a friendship with Alford during his Southwest Missouri State days and has since watched one of his own daughters graduate from Oklahoma State.

“If he got that job, that would be the perfect fit, I mean culturally,” Cook said. “I think OSU has got a real tight-knot family, it is just a different culture in Stillwater. … They would fit in well, and the fanbase, alums, would really gravitate toward them and I think it would be a perfect fit.”

This week, a conference-record eight Big 12 teams are participating in the NCAA Tournament. No conference sent more this season, and four of those teams received a top-four seed.

Furthermore, Big 12 teams won two of the last three national championships and finished second in 2019.

Both Cook and Rowe said they believe that level of success in the conference would make the Cowboys’ job an attractive opening to Alford.
Both men added that proximity to loved ones would be a factor in Oklahoma State’s favor should Alford decide to leave Nevada. His parents still live in Indiana.

“It wouldn’t be the overall, but that matters to him,” Rowe said when asked if Alford would prefer to live closer to his parents. “That is how his inner body works. He still takes care of them.”
Rowe again stressed how important being competitive in conference play would be for Alford if he was offered the Oklahoma State opening or any other job offer. Oklahoma State is 136-168 in Big 12 play since 2006.

“He’s got to know that they are financially stable to do what they need to do, the transfer portal that is in now, the NIL stuff,” Rowe said.

While Oklahoma State’s financial investment in basketball remains up for debate, the Cowboys paid former coach Mike Boynton $3 million per year. Alford’s total pay at Nevada is reported to total less than $1.3 million.

“He’s done it all in life, especially in the game of basketball,” Cook said. “He’s been there done that on the largest stages you can ever do. He’s been there before so he can do it again. He’s got that overall experience. I think that is what really sets him apart probably from the other candidates in there.”
++++++++++++
My Dark Horse candidate
Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State

McCollum's name has been circulating a little more around vacant positions already and his jump to Division I seems to be a "when" and not "if."
The Northwest Missouri State head coach has had the Bearcats as an elite program since he took over as head coach prior to 2009-10. Entering the year, he had a 365-86 record and he's been named the NABC's Division II National Coach of the Year five times, the most in division history.
12x MIAA Conference Champs
8x MIAA Conference Tourney Champs

The Bearcats have won four national championships with McCollum, including a threepeat from 2019-22 making Northwest the first Division II men's program to win three in a row.

“He really, really understands culture and what goes into winning from a people standpoint,” Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said in McCollum's profile on Northwest's website. “Then he’s a great coach on both ends of the floor. And like the way that they play, you can tell he teaches guys and helps guys grow in how to play as opposed to little parts of the offense or parts of the defense. He teaches them to understand how to put it all together.”

(03-22-2024 07:46 AM)Ye ol Fool Wrote:  What will Chad Weiberg.Ok St President do?????
No info or “leaks” has come for the office of the Prez
In Ok st’s financial situation/status, (Trying to raise 350 million in sports facility improvements) u thunk, very few P5 coaching candidates available

Will Ok St pony up the $$$$ for NIL, Facility improvements, & Coaching assistants?

All Local sports writers (Stillwater, Ok City, & Tulsa) hav NO inside info
Except when a current coach mentions that they might B "interested" in the Ok St coaching job.

Another article in what a few locals R saying "could b" a favorite candidate.

Tough to say no: Steve Alford's competitive nature might make Oklahoma State 'the perfect fit’ by Tyler Waldrep OSU Sports Writer. Tulsa World editor’s pic. 3/22/24

There’s one word that comes up again and again when Nevada coach Steve Alford’s name comes up.
“Competitive.”
While hardly a unique word to describe Division I basketball coaches, it might be the most significant thing driving Alford’s reported interest in the Oklahoma State opening.
“Steve, he doesn’t want the easy way,” former Missouri State athletic director Bill Rowe said. “He knows he’s coming into a situation like that. He’s got to have all of his guns loaded, get a great coaching staff with him. He already knows the country from the areas he has coached before. … That is the type of situation he likes. I questioned whether they could do it in New Mexico, and he was able to do it with them.”
Rowe gave Alford his first D-I head coaching job in 1995 when Missouri State was still known as Southwest Missouri State. Alford rewarded Rowe with a four-year run that included the program’s first Sweet Sixteen finish in 1999.

Since then, Alford coached Iowa (eight seasons), New Mexico (six), UCLA (5.5) and is in his sixth season at Nevada. He’s 605-327 in his head-coaching career and 12 of his teams earned NCAA Tournament bids.

Three of his UCLA teams finished in the Sweet Sixteen.
“He is a competitor, and to get back on that bigger stage. … my own gut feeling is he would probably want to jump up to that next level, and then he’s moving a lot closer to the Midwest,” Loren Cook II said. “He’s got those Midwest roots.”

Cook formed a friendship with Alford during his Southwest Missouri State days and has since watched one of his own daughters graduate from Oklahoma State.

“If he got that job, that would be the perfect fit, I mean culturally,” Cook said. “I think OSU has got a real tight-knot family, it is just a different culture in Stillwater. … They would fit in well, and the fanbase, alums, would really gravitate toward them and I think it would be a perfect fit.”

This week, a conference-record eight Big 12 teams are participating in the NCAA Tournament. No conference sent more this season, and four of those teams received a top-four seed.

Furthermore, Big 12 teams won two of the last three national championships and finished second in 2019.

Both Cook and Rowe said they believe that level of success in the conference would make the Cowboys’ job an attractive opening to Alford.
Both men added that proximity to loved ones would be a factor in Oklahoma State’s favor should Alford decide to leave Nevada. His parents still live in Indiana.

“It wouldn’t be the overall, but that matters to him,” Rowe said when asked if Alford would prefer to live closer to his parents. “That is how his inner body works. He still takes care of them.”
Rowe again stressed how important being competitive in conference play would be for Alford if he was offered the Oklahoma State opening or any other job offer. Oklahoma State is 136-168 in Big 12 play since 2006.

“He’s got to know that they are financially stable to do what they need to do, the transfer portal that is in now, the NIL stuff,” Rowe said.

While Oklahoma State’s financial investment in basketball remains up for debate, the Cowboys paid former coach Mike Boynton $3 million per year. Alford’s total pay at Nevada is reported to total less than $1.3 million.

“He’s done it all in life, especially in the game of basketball,” Cook said. “He’s been there done that on the largest stages you can ever do. He’s been there before so he can do it again. He’s got that overall experience. I think that is what really sets him apart probably from the other candidates in there.”
++++++++++++
My Dark Horse candidate
Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State

McCollum's name has been circulating a little more around vacant positions already and his jump to Division I seems to be a "when" and not "if."
The Northwest Missouri State head coach has had the Bearcats as an elite program since he took over as head coach prior to 2009-10. Entering the year, he had a 365-86 record and he's been named the NABC's Division II National Coach of the Year five times, the most in division history.
12x MIAA Conference Champs
8x MIAA Conference Tourney Champs

The Bearcats have won four national championships with McCollum, including a threepeat from 2019-22 making Northwest the first Division II men's program to win three in a row.

“He really, really understands culture and what goes into winning from a people standpoint,” Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said in McCollum's profile on Northwest's website. “Then he’s a great coach on both ends of the floor. And like the way that they play, you can tell he teaches guys and helps guys grow in how to play as opposed to little parts of the offense or parts of the defense. He teaches them to understand how to put it all together.”

Alford a candidate for Loserville? That is close to Indiana!
Waiting for Woodson to get canned at IU?