So a source from UNLV and the editor of the Albuquerque Journal are tweeting that Marvin Menzies being offered the assistant coaching job to Dan Majerle. Have any of my GCU brethen here heard anything about this?

If that’s true, I see good and bad things about it. Obviously he’s very experienced and led NMSU to conference titles. However, someone on here already said that it was Jans who had elevated the Aggies to remain top dogs in a conference whose members have all collectively improved quite a bit over the last four years. So maybe Menzies has kinda capped out in terms of getting a team as far as he could?

Thoughts?

Nope. I've only seen what I am sure are the same Twitter rumors and speculation as everyone else. GCU completed this same search for an associate HC last season, so they may already have a core group of qualified candidates who are interested and/or who they would like to target.

If GCU offers 4 others first and they turn GCU down, then I think Menzies chances are good.

I doubt he is going to GCU. If he is going to be hired as an assistant, it's going to be at a P-5. I wouldn't be surprised if UCLA offers him a position on their staff.

So, we have opinions ranging from Marvin Menzies has capped out his abilities in the WAC to he will be a high-major assistant. Got it.

(04-12-2019 03:25 PM)gleadley Wrote:  So, we have opinions ranging from Marvin Menzies has capped out his abilities in the WAC to he will be a high-major assistant. Got it.

As a "head coach" Menzies is capped out. As a P5 assistant coach, he is a top level recruiter. The personality traits which make him a really good recruiter are also the one that limit him as a head coach. He can really connect with recruits on a personal level; a Father Flannigan type mentor. Honestly, all his present and former players love him. However, he lacks the drill sergeant mentality (severing emotion) to really push his players to excel (quickly). Only self starter types (who don't need to be pushed) really excel in Menzies' program. i.e. Wendell McKines, Pascal Siakam, Daniel Mullings. The rest take most of their college careers to develop anywhere near their potential. Menzies' teams were always prone to committing silly turnovers and low IQ plays. Don't get me wrong, they always played hard for their coach but not always fundamentally sound. Most Menzies coached games were not esthetically pretty to watch.

(04-10-2019 04:03 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  If GCU offers 4 others first and they turn GCU down, then I think Menzies chances are good.

Exactly

Wow. Ridiculous that GCU is hiring Menzies for they are reporting for around $500,000 a year! This dude makes more than all the coaches in the WAC, including Jans! This GCU hire as one Aggie poster said on our message board, "reeks of desperation". https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr9KRhR...b9NTsaH5o-

Who is reporting $500K/year? Link?

I don't expect NMSU fans would have a single postive thing to say about any GCU hire, so nothing coming out of the Aggie board about Menzies or GCU would surprise me at this point.

Here is the reality: Nothing has changed with this hire. Aggies are still the kings of the conference, and will be until someone another team in the conference consistently proves otherwise. Every WAC school is making moves they believe will get them closer to that objective, and GCU is no exception.

(04-17-2019 11:13 PM)gleadley Wrote:  Who is reporting $500K/year? Link?

I don't expect NMSU fans would have a single postive thing to say about any GCU hire, so nothing coming out of the Aggie board about Menzies or GCU would surprise me at this point.

Here is the reality: Nothing has changed with this hire. Aggies are still the kings of the conference, and will be until someone another team in the conference consistently proves otherwise. Every WAC school is making moves they believe will get them closer to that objective, and GCU is no exception.

Menzies should help GCU find more athletic physically imposing big men to battle in the paint with NMSU. NMSU is not much more talented now than their days with Menzies. Jans' Aggie roster is just deeper, more mature, and they play a higher IQ brand of basketball.

GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

I think some of Menzies recruits were real tough. Siakam and McKinnis were probably some of the toughest players I have ever seen. EVerything else you said is spot on. Hiring Menzies will not get GCU over the hump, if anything, its gonna create problems when the players all gravitate to Menzies cause of his demeanor and thats gonna piss Majerle off.

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

Would other Aggie fans agree that this is a good take? I can think of a few soft Menzies players, but it generally seemed like for every Tanveer, there is a Sim. For every Wilkins, a Nephawe. I also realize, however, that GCU fans only got to see 3 years worth of Marv's teams.

(04-18-2019 10:52 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

I think some of Menzies recruits were real tough. Siakam and McKinnis were probably some of the toughest players I have ever seen. EVerything else you said is spot on. Hiring Menzies will not get GCU over the hump, if anything, its gonna create problems when the players all gravitate to Menzies cause of his demeanor and thats gonna piss Majerle off.

Those 2 were tough, beyond them in 9 years there was not really anymore. Like pointed out in 9 years of his recruits, 90% wouldn’t make a Jans team in toughness alone. Great point on how it may creating problems, when daddy scolds them they’ll go running to mommy.

(04-18-2019 11:00 AM)gleadley Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

Would other Aggie fans agree that this is a good take? I can think of a few soft Menzies players, but it generally seemed like for every Tanveer, there is a Sim. For every Wilkins, a Nephawe. I also realize, however, that GCU fans only got to see 3 years worth of Marv's teams.

I think some will, but for some reason some say he was a great recruiter. Sim was just the biggest guy in the WAC but soft. Chili was big and athletic but not a skilled player. Trust me, if he was still here you guys would be sitting atop of the mountain right now. I’m sure you would agree with that.

(04-18-2019 11:17 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 11:00 AM)gleadley Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

Would other Aggie fans agree that this is a good take? I can think of a few soft Menzies players, but it generally seemed like for every Tanveer, there is a Sim. For every Wilkins, a Nephawe. I also realize, however, that GCU fans only got to see 3 years worth of Marv's teams.

I think some will, but for some reason some say he was a great recruiter. Sim was just the biggest guy in the WAC but soft. Chili was big and athletic but not a skilled player. Trust me, if he was still here you guys would be sitting atop of the mountain right now. I’m sure you would agree with that.

No idea if we would or not. My appreciation for Menzies actually grew over time, so I probably respected him and his teams the most at the end. I also realize, though, that it was from afar. Few if any GCU fans followed the game-to-game/day-to-day of Menzies and NMSU close enough to also understand the failures and shortcomings like you all.

(04-18-2019 11:29 AM)gleadley Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 11:17 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 11:00 AM)gleadley Wrote:  

(04-18-2019 10:47 AM)Trod0 Wrote:  GCU already has problems for having soft players. Menzies recruits even softer players than they already have. Menzies recruits softer players than himself so he could be their leader and for them to respect him. His type of recruits will fold once Dan chews their ass in the middle of the game in front of a crowd. The majority of his recruits are athletic, not much basketball skill and not mental tough. 90% of his recruits at NMSU wouldn’t make a Chris Jans team for toughness alone.

Would other Aggie fans agree that this is a good take? I can think of a few soft Menzies players, but it generally seemed like for every Tanveer, there is a Sim. For every Wilkins, a Nephawe. I also realize, however, that GCU fans only got to see 3 years worth of Marv's teams.

I think some will, but for some reason some say he was a great recruiter. Sim was just the biggest guy in the WAC but soft. Chili was big and athletic but not a skilled player. Trust me, if he was still here you guys would be sitting atop of the mountain right now. I’m sure you would agree with that.

No idea if we would or not. My appreciation for Menzies actually grew over time, so I probably respected him and his teams the most at the end. I also realize, though, that it was from afar. Few if any GCU fans followed the game-to-game/day-to-day of Menzies and NMSU close enough to also understand the failures and shortcomings like you all.

Menzies does not recruit "soft" players. McKines, Siakam, Rahman, Watson, Mulling, Laroche were all tough on the court. I think some Aggie fans are construing "soft" with not being "fundamentally sound". A lot of Menzies players were underdeveloped in their understanding and execution of the game. They played sloppy because Menzies didn't possess the toughness as a head coach. Menzies was soft; not his players. With the right coaching and accountability, many of the Aggie players would have achieved their potential quickly instead of floundering on the court (not mentally sharp) through much of their college careers.

Menzies is a phenomenal recruiter. That is his strong suit. He was the top recruiter under Rick Pitino and Steve Fisher. Recruiting is why he did well in the WAC. NMSU had taller/better players than the rest of the WAC. He brought in a freaking 5* player to UNLV (and make no mistake, McCoy was a 5* talent at UNLV) and the top juco in the country. That my friends is recruiting 101. But MM is a terrible coach. Any team with McCoy and Juiston should have done better than what they did under MM.

GCU hired him to be a recruiter and I suspect he will thrive in that role.

(04-18-2019 02:06 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  Menzies is a phenomenal recruiter. That is his strong suit. He was the top recruiter under Rick Pitino and Steve Fisher. Recruiting is why he did well in the WAC. NMSU had taller/better players than the rest of the WAC. He brought in a freaking 5* player to UNLV (and make no mistake, McCoy was a 5* talent at UNLV) and the top juco in the country. That my friends is recruiting 101. But MM is a terrible coach. Any team with McCoy and Juiston should have done better than what they did under MM.

GCU hired him to be a recruiter and I suspect he will thrive in that role.

Spot on. Another concern for GCU, although he is not the head coach, is his inability to connect with the fan base. Attendance dropped dramatically under Menzies at NMSU, although there were other factors that contributed, but attendance also dropped big time at UNLV as well while he was there.