(03-12-2020 08:45 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(03-12-2020 07:53 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  I'm not sure what some fans on here are expecting in terms of a hire. We suck at MBB. We are the place where coaching careers go to die. Our basketball program is infected with the BB equivalent of COVID-19. What type of coach do you think we are going to get? Shaka Smart/Rick Pitino/Roy Williams/John Calipari ain't walking through that door. Lower your expectations.

AD - The answer is a much higher caliber than Dean and Lou, and hopefully even a step up over Matt.

We're walking into a new arena that is likely the 2nd best in VA, and we all believe at a higher compensation rate than we've offered in the past. This is by far the best tools we've had to attract a new Men's Basketball coach. Are we willing to spend $450k, $500k, $600k, or $700k? Each lever obviously gives you more options.

I go back and forth on different coaches at this point, but we'll see once hired what we get. I don't imagine we won't all think the new coach will be an improvement. I'm hoping it's someone that really excites me, but I'm not expecting it.

Russell Turner really excites me in combination with Taylor as his assistant.

I still think Wes Miller would be a solid hire.

There's been other options discussed that I thought would be solid.

Here's some feedback from an assistant coach in yesterday's DNR

MID-MAJOR ASSISTANT: “Honestly, I’d be thrilled if they hired my current boss. There’s so much potential there. They sell out their football stadium, right? I think their women draw too. If they could win how long would it be before they had an atmosphere like VCU?”

That's also my "biased" opinion as well and what I have continued to say and think.

I also believe that we need an upgrade over previous regimes, and the higher salary we expect to offer will provide us with a talented coach. The issue is that we are looking for big names, but we (probably) aren't getting a Lefty type name this time around. I also think Turner would be a good coach. His team has been above average offensively and defensively this season. Wes Miller has been a very good coach, and we will see what this carousel means for him. We need a good coach, not necessarily a big name.