The Don Helman show this morning at 10 should be a good one. I hope Jay can come on and tell us what he thinks.

ESPN puts in their two cents :

"East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey."

(03-11-2023 10:16 AM)BigIslandBuc Wrote:  ESPN puts in their two cents :

"East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey."

"Tennessee assistant" *shudders*

(03-11-2023 10:46 AM)ThreedomHall Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 10:16 AM)BigIslandBuc Wrote:  ESPN puts in their two cents :

"East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey."

"Tennessee assistant" *shudders*

Yes for now no more assistants from there. Like Doc said, we are going to do a national search. I am so glad Sander is doing the hiring as I have no idea who to hire. Morrell sounds great but his overall record is not that good. I am sure Doc will look at everything and make us a great hire.

(03-11-2023 11:18 AM)bucfan81 Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 10:46 AM)ThreedomHall Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 10:16 AM)BigIslandBuc Wrote:  ESPN puts in their two cents :

"East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey."

"Tennessee assistant" *shudders*

Yes for now no more assistants from there. Like Doc said, we are going to do a national search. I am so glad Sander is doing the hiring as I have no idea who to hire. Morrell sounds great but his overall record is not that good. I am sure Doc will look at everything and make us a great hire.

What timeline is involved here for the new coach to come in and hire his assistants in order to utilize the Portal as much as possible? And, like Forbes going to Wake, will the new hire involve taking into consideration him bringing players with him?

(03-11-2023 11:44 AM)Buc66 Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 11:18 AM)bucfan81 Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 10:46 AM)ThreedomHall Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 10:16 AM)BigIslandBuc Wrote:  ESPN puts in their two cents :

"East Tennessee State opened Friday. Early names there include UNC Asheville's Mike Morrell, Morehead State's Preston Spradlin, Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey."

"Tennessee assistant" *shudders*

Yes for now no more assistants from there. Like Doc said, we are going to do a national search. I am so glad Sander is doing the hiring as I have no idea who to hire. Morrell sounds great but his overall record is not that good. I am sure Doc will look at everything and make us a great hire.

What timeline is involved here for the new coach to come in and hire his assistants in order to utilize the Portal as much as possible? And, like Forbes going to Wake, will the new hire involve taking into consideration him bringing players with him?

I am guessing that Doc acted yesterday in order to be better placed to get the coach he wants. He obviously had the donors to pay for it so it was worth the extra money to have the next three weeks to complete the search properly. If we had waited until April a lot of the available coaches may have been hired by someone else.

Spradlin is intriguing. Man can simply recruit if he got Broome to Morehead.

(03-11-2023 02:20 PM)DaBuc Brass Wrote:  Spradlin is intriguing. Man can simply recruit if he got Broome to Morehead.

I like him too, as well as Morrell. Of Forbes’ assistants, I would be ok with BJ McKie, but I’m not sure we should do down that way again. No UTK assistants either. Joel Justus has also been mentioned - current assistant at NC State formerly at Kentucky and Arizona State. Justus was mentioned when we ran Shay off, I believe.

Insider information: sander loves mike morrell and he has connections to him as well he was on Shaka Smart's staff at VCU when sander was up there. but some prominent boosters love Brooks Savage .... just sayin....

None of these names are folks I can get excited about. Just sayin...

(03-11-2023 08:47 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  None of these names are folks I can get excited about. Just sayin...

And there is the major problem with getting rid of a coach - at some point you face the reality of finding the replacement.

From Hoopdirt a site that tracks college basketball coaching changes :

"I have heard Wake Forest assistant Brooks Savage’s name mentioned at both ETSU and High Point. He had previously served as an assistant to Steve Forbes for 5 seasons at ETSU. Also, High Point is less than 30 minutes from Wake. Would be an easy move."

(03-11-2023 08:47 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  None of these names are folks I can get excited about. Just sayin...

Who would you be excited about? Who should they be going after?

(03-12-2023 08:44 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 08:47 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  None of these names are folks I can get excited about. Just sayin...

Who would you be excited about? Who should they be going after?

Honestly can't think of anyone. I guess I am just disappointed in the trajectory of ETSU athletics. Looking for a mens coach, a volleyball coach, a tennis coach. Just hired a softball coach, a women's coach, etc.
Dragging the university's momentum down.

Just a bummer/hard to win on the road Jay, kind of a time now.

(03-12-2023 08:51 AM)BucDoctor Wrote:  

(03-12-2023 08:44 AM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  

(03-11-2023 08:47 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  None of these names are folks I can get excited about. Just sayin...

Who would you be excited about? Who should they be going after?

Honestly can't think of anyone. I guess I am just disappointed in the trajectory of ETSU athletics. Looking for a mens coach, a volleyball coach, a tennis coach. Just hired a softball coach, a women's coach, etc.
Dragging the university's momentum down.

Just a bummer/hard to win on the road Jay, kind of a time now.

Without mentioning a name, I don’t know what would get you excited.

Coached leave, that’s part of it. Certainly volleyball and tennis are just leaving for either better opportunities or life changes.

I like this list we have going, and could be happy with several candidates on there. Athletic programs go through tough times. ALL OF THEM. No one is immune. But at least we are moving to getting things fixed.

I was told Scott Carter was a bad hire when he was hired, and the person that told me that was in a good position to tell me that. They were correct.

(03-11-2023 08:39 PM)buc nekkid Wrote:  Insider information: sander loves mike morrell and he has connections to him as well he was on Shaka Smart's staff at VCU when sander was up there. but some prominent boosters love Brooks Savage .... just sayin....

For what it is worth (if anything) both Savage and Morrell participated in the TopConnect leadership program that Doc Sander largely created. It is a group that gets assistant coaches, mostly at the Mid-Major level, together with ADs and head coaches to provide them information about what ADs are looking for in head coaches and what they can expect when they first become head coaches.

Mike Morrell

1 game above .500 in 5 seasons at UNCA.

Considering the SoCon has fallen to 23rd in conference ranking and Big South, where Morrell coaches is ranked 26th, don't see any reason to be excited about Morrell.

Regardless, ETSU is no longer an upper mid major job. Any up and coming coach will have aspirations to move on as soon as possible. When a team wins 25-30 games, wins the conference and doesn't win their tournament, they don't get an invite to play in the Big Dance. Coaches don't like that, their dream is to play on the biggest stage.They want to coach in a league that offers more than one chance to coach on the biggest stage, the BIG DANCE.

(03-12-2023 11:24 AM)Buc76 Wrote:  Mike Morrell

1 game above .500 in 5 seasons at UNCA.

Considering the SoCon has fallen to 23rd in conference ranking and Big South, where Morrell coaches is ranked 26th, don't see any reason to be excited about Morrell.

Regardless, ETSU is no longer an upper mid major job. Any up and coming coach will have aspirations to move on as soon as possible. When a team wins 25-30 games, wins the conference and doesn't win their tournament, they don't get an invite to play in the Big Dance. Coaches don't like that, their dream is to play on the biggest stage.They want to coach in a league that offers more than one chance to coach on the biggest stage, the BIG DANCE.

I’ve noticed you never seem to offer any solutions, just complaints about how bad of a conference, fanbase, facilities and general state of things that ETSU has going for it. Short of an invitation to the SEC do you have anything constructive to offer? Actionable ideas? The Socon has been a one bid league forever with one or two exceptions. Same as almost every mid major league. Young coaches always move on to new challenges after having success at the mid major level. If they dream of being on the big stage they have to work their way up. Nothing new there.

(03-12-2023 11:24 AM)Buc76 Wrote:  Mike Morrell

1 game above .500 in 5 seasons at UNCA.

Considering the SoCon has fallen to 23rd in conference ranking and Big South, where Morrell coaches is ranked 26th, don't see any reason to be excited about Morrell.

Regardless, ETSU is no longer an upper mid major job. Any up and coming coach will have aspirations to move on as soon as possible. When a team wins 25-30 games, wins the conference and doesn't win their tournament, they don't get an invite to play in the Big Dance. Coaches don't like that, their dream is to play on the biggest stage.They want to coach in a league that offers more than one chance to coach on the biggest stage, the BIG DANCE.

Wow. Missing the point here. Morrell built that team from the ground up - from 4 wins in year 1 to 26 in year 4. At Asheville, which doesn’t have the tradition as a mid major (last trip to the ncaas was 2016). Overall record definitely doesn’t tell the whole story there. With Stradlin, 23 wins each of 3 years at Morehead State, another place that’s hard to recruit to.

I agree with MT Buc: offer solutions, names, or a plan that you think would yield a better result. Otherwise, you’re just a whiner. Whiners are a dime a dozen.

(03-12-2023 12:23 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  

(03-12-2023 11:24 AM)Buc76 Wrote:  Mike Morrell

1 game above .500 in 5 seasons at UNCA.

Considering the SoCon has fallen to 23rd in conference ranking and Big South, where Morrell coaches is ranked 26th, don't see any reason to be excited about Morrell.

Regardless, ETSU is no longer an upper mid major job. Any up and coming coach will have aspirations to move on as soon as possible. When a team wins 25-30 games, wins the conference and doesn't win their tournament, they don't get an invite to play in the Big Dance. Coaches don't like that, their dream is to play on the biggest stage.They want to coach in a league that offers more than one chance to coach on the biggest stage, the BIG DANCE.

Wow. Missing the point here. Morrell built that team from the ground up - from 4 wins in year 1 to 26 in year 4. At Asheville, which doesn’t have the tradition as a mid major (last trip to the ncaas was 2016). Overall record definitely doesn’t tell the whole story there. With Stradlin, 23 wins each of 3 years at Morehead State, another place that’s hard to recruit to.

I agree with MT Buc: offer solutions, names, or a plan that you think would yield a better result. Otherwise, you’re just a whiner. Whiners are a dime a dozen.

The solution is MONEY, of course. Money to hire good and money to retain the good ones, even money to outbid or at least match Wake Forest. And, of course, money to build facilities.