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Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?

AUChizad

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Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« on: March 15, 2010, 02:30:25 PM »
These are the 11 serous candidates I have heard of at this point.

Who's your favorites?

My personal wish list is in the following order.

1) Sam Mitchell
2) Tony Barbee
3) Chuck Person
4) Johnny Jones
5) Mike Anderson
6) Travis Ford
7) Frank Haith
8) Chris Collins
9) Mike Davis
10)Chris Mooney
11) John Brady

*Further research dropped Mike Davis two spots.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2010, 07:45:05 PM by AUChizad »
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Jumbo

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2010, 02:32:05 PM »
These are the 11 serous candidates I have heard of at this point.

Who's your favorites?

My personal wish list is in the following order.

1) Sam Mitchell
2) Tony Barbee
3) Chuck Person
4) Johnny Jones
5) Mike Anderson
6) Travis Ford
7) Mike Davis
8) Frank Haith
9) Chris Collins
10)Chris Mooney
11) John Brady
I take 2 and 5.
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2010, 02:44:33 PM »
I take 2 and 5.

I'm not sure about Mike Anderson.

We'd have to pay him more than we're paying Chizik, and that just doesn't seem equitable.

Consider that he turned down over $2mil a year to coach at UGA. Plus he signed a 7 year extension a year ago. I think if money is no object, then yes, he'd be in my top two as well, but as awesome as he'd be, I just don't think he'd be worth the price tag at Auburn.
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Pell City Tiger

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2010, 08:20:20 PM »
1, 2, or 6.

edited to add that the choices mentioned are based off Chad's order.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2010, 08:22:32 PM by Pell City Tiger »
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AUTailgatingRules

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2010, 09:46:51 PM »
I'm a Chuck Person Guy.  After all who really thinks a great BBall prospect is ever going to graduate anyway.
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2010, 06:03:42 PM »
Tony Barbee's UTEP team is looking good. Solid game planning.

12-seed UTEP up 33-27 against 5-seed Butler at the half.

He's creeping his way to my #1 choice.
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War Eagle!!!

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2010, 06:20:28 PM »
Tony Barbee's UTEP team is looking good. Solid game planning.

12-seed UTEP up 33-27 against 5-seed Butler at the half.

He's creeping his way to my #1 choice.

I have heard a lot of the national media say that he may be the best coach in the tourny this year...period. That is without any mention of him leaving or whatnot...just that he is a great coach...
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Jumbo

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2010, 06:20:58 PM »
Tony Barbee's UTEP team is looking good. Solid game planning.

12-seed UTEP up 33-27 against 5-seed Butler at the half.

He's creeping his way to my #1 choice.
He's my #1 for sure.
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Kaos

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2010, 06:27:47 PM »
None of those names really excite me, but then again I don't know if there's really one who would.  Auburn -- for whatever reason you want to use -- is not in a position to draw a top-flight coach.  Blame apathy, fanbase, facilities (not anymore), tradition, location, coaching, clueless AD, whatever makes you happy but the reality is that Auburn just isn't an attractive job.

We're going to have to find somebody looking for the next rung on the ladder and hope that he'll find enough to like about AU to stick around for a while.  

At some point I'd hope we'd get back to having a program that's relatively competitive.  

At the moment, however, I'd settle for a coach who could bring the following to the table:

1) Enthusiasm.  It would be nice to have a coach who could energize the team and make people realize Auburn has a basketball team.  Lebo rarely ventured out, he had zero relationship with the high school coaches in the state (something that was also apparent after two years) and he was an underwhelming recruiter.

2) Confidence. I'm sick of mealy mouth, "we really tried hard and I hope we get better.."  I want somebody who has the nuts to say what he WILL do.  

3) Fundamentals. I never saw a cohesive philosophy of offense, defense or gameplanning with Lebo.  We consistently shot free throws like the ball was square, the "run and gun" was nothing but reckless backyard ball and we rarely had any effective ball movement. Everything was sloppy and poorly executed.

Auburn basketball is in about the same situation as Auburn football circa 1980.  The wrong hire then could have plunged us into a Mississippi State-esque abyss from which we might never have recovered.  I shudder to think of what could have happened had we hired some of the others under consideration at the time.  

I keep hearing about how people trust Jacobs to make the right hire because Chizik "turned out so well" but spunk on a cracker, people, he's been there one season and had moderate success. It's WAY too early to turn that spigot of love on.  This is a critical hire for anybody who gives half a damn about AU basketball.

The right guy resurrects the program in two years.  The wrong guy will just extend the misery of the last six years (which any fool knows should have been three, max).

FWIW, I'm beginning to think Alabama made a poor selection in Anthony "Just because he's black" Grant.  He doesn't bring much enthusiasm to the program, he hasn't made any real inroads with the high school coaches, he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence and Bama's fundamentals were hardly better than Auburn's.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2010, 06:30:08 PM by Kaos »
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Saniflush

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2010, 07:40:54 AM »
None of those names really excite me, but then again I don't know if there's really one who would.  Auburn -- for whatever reason you want to use -- is not in a position to draw a top-flight coach.  Blame apathy, fanbase, facilities (not anymore), tradition, location, coaching, clueless AD, whatever makes you happy but the reality is that Auburn just isn't an attractive job.

We're going to have to find somebody looking for the next rung on the ladder and hope that he'll find enough to like about AU to stick around for a while.  

At some point I'd hope we'd get back to having a program that's relatively competitive.  

At the moment, however, I'd settle for a coach who could bring the following to the table:

1) Enthusiasm.  It would be nice to have a coach who could energize the team and make people realize Auburn has a basketball team.  Lebo rarely ventured out, he had zero relationship with the high school coaches in the state (something that was also apparent after two years) and he was an underwhelming recruiter.

2) Confidence. I'm sick of mealy mouth, "we really tried hard and I hope we get better.."  I want somebody who has the nuts to say what he WILL do.  

3) Fundamentals. I never saw a cohesive philosophy of offense, defense or gameplanning with Lebo.  We consistently shot free throws like the ball was square, the "run and gun" was nothing but reckless backyard ball and we rarely had any effective ball movement. Everything was sloppy and poorly executed.

Auburn basketball is in about the same situation as Auburn football circa 1980.  The wrong hire then could have plunged us into a Mississippi State-esque abyss from which we might never have recovered.  I shudder to think of what could have happened had we hired some of the others under consideration at the time.  

I keep hearing about how people trust Jacobs to make the right hire because Chizik "turned out so well" but spunk on a cracker, people, he's been there one season and had moderate success. It's WAY too early to turn that spigot of love on.  This is a critical hire for anybody who gives half a damn about AU basketball.

The right guy resurrects the program in two years.  The wrong guy will just extend the misery of the last six years (which any fool knows should have been three, max).

FWIW, I'm beginning to think Alabama made a poor selection in Anthony "Just because he's black" Grant.  He doesn't bring much enthusiasm to the program, he hasn't made any real inroads with the high school coaches, he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence and Bama's fundamentals were hardly better than Auburn's.


Can't argue with any of that except that Lebo was the same as what you say we are looking for.  Someone who was trying to get to the next rung.  His pedigree and lineage were solid, he just couldn't cut it.  I am not near naive enough to think we would attract a top tier coach.  We can't.  We are gonna have to find a Pat Dye type of coach who hopefully finds a home where he is employed.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2010, 07:43:30 AM by Saniflush »
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Buzz Killington

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2010, 08:36:30 AM »
I got an email this morning from one of the Auburn sites that said Auburn is making a big push for Tubby Smith.  They really shouldn't send that kind of shit out before folks at least have their coffee in hand to spit on their monitors.

 :cage:
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AUTiger1

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2010, 10:05:42 AM »
Tony Barbee's UTEP team is looking good. Solid game planning.

12-seed UTEP up 33-27 against 5-seed Butler at the half.

He's creeping his way to my #1 choice.

Speaking of Butler, I have mentioned his name a few times on here, but Brad Stevens would be a good hire.
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2010, 10:07:36 AM »
None of those names really excite me, but then again I don't know if there's really one who would.  


You're basically saying, "I'm going to bitch, come hell or high water."

As mentioned in this thread Tony Barbee is frequently cited as the best coach in the NCAA right now.

How can that not excite you as a very real possibility for Auburn's HC? He's a young up-and-comer who has proven himself as a head coach. He seems to fit your criteria above perfectly.

Sam Mitchell does nothing for you? The 2007 NBA coach of the year? At Auburn?

There are some very real possibilities that could be amazing hires. We may not get the guys mentioned above, but several others on that list will be a real improvement over Lebo, especially in terms of meeting the criteria you laid out.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2010, 10:08:33 AM by AUChizad »
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2010, 11:48:22 AM »
I got an email this morning from one of the Auburn sites that said Auburn is making a big push for Tubby Smith.  They really shouldn't send that kind of shit out before folks at least have their coffee in hand to spit on their monitors.

 :cage:
Looks like this may be for real. I find it hard to believe he'd come here, but if Jacobs can pull that off, that would be amazing. He may be the only coach out there I'd be cool with paying Chizik money or more.

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2010/03/minnesota_ad_has_heard_the_rum.html

Quote
Minnesota AD has `heard the rumors' that Auburn may make move on Tubby Smith
By Charles Goldberg -- The Birmingham News
March 19, 2010, 10:25AM

Tubby Smith (AP photo)University of Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi says he's "heard the rumors" that Auburn may make a play for Gophers'  basketball coach Tubby Smith, "but I haven't gotten the call,'' he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press this morning.

Maturi said neither Auburn nor Smith has contacted him about the rumors.

The Birmingham News reported this morning that  Auburn may be considering Smith, who makes $1.75 million a year at Minnesota. The News reported Auburn is prepared to make its new basketball coach one of the highest paid in the Southeastern Conference.

Maturi said in a Pioneer Press story Thursday that Minnesota can't afford to give Smith a raise because of a salary freeze, and the school can't compete with the $2 million salaries of other successful coaches in the Big Ten.

"We can't match that. We won't begin to match that,'' he told the newspaper.

 Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs has not publicly identified who Auburn is considering, but has said no official contact would be made with candidates until after their basketball seasons are complete. Minnesota faces Xavier in the NCAA Tournament today.

Maturi expressed disappointment that rumors about Smith arose before Minnesota's tournament appearance today. Smith was linked to the vacant Oregon job last week.

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, citing an unnamed source, wrote this morning that Auburn is "close to hiring" Smith, though he added, "It could be nothing."

Auburn began looking for a new coach after firing Jeff Lebo last Friday.
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Saniflush

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2010, 11:51:54 AM »
OK.  Let's assume this is true.  Thoughts?


Off the top of my head I gotta say although I think Tubby is a good person he always underwhelmed me a bit as a coach.
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"Hey my friends are the ones that wanted to eat at that shitty hole in the wall that only served bread and wine.  What kind of brick and mud business model is that.  Stick to the cart if that's all you're going to serve.  Then that dude came in with like 12 other people, and some of them weren't even wearing shoes, and the restaurant sat them right across from us. It was gross, and they were all stinky and dirty.  Then dude starts talking about eating his body and drinking his blood...I almost lost it.  That's the last supper I'll ever have there, and I hope he dies a horrible death."

AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2010, 11:57:12 AM »
http://blog.al.com/auburnbeat/2010/03/could_tubby_smith_be_atop_aubu.html
Quote
Could Tubby Smith be atop Auburn's wish list?
By Evan Woodbery
March 19, 2010, 10:38AM
As Minnesota coach Tubby Smith prepares to lead his team into the NCAA tournament today, he's fending off rumors about his future. Several schools, including Auburn, could be suitors for Smith.

CBS Sportsline reporter Dennis Dodd wrote today that Auburn was "close" to hiring Smith, according to a trusted source.

Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi said he hadn't been contacted by Auburn, but had heard the rumors.

Being "close" to hiring a coach who is about to participate in the NCAA tournament and whose AD has not yet been contacted would be a major breach of protocol (which isn't to say it doesn't happen frequently). Auburn AD Jay Jacobs has said he will pursue coaches through "the front door" by requesting formal permission and not using back channels.

Smith would cost a lot of money, and he has a buyout at Minnesota. So is this just typical March scuttlebutt, or the real deal? Stay tuned.
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Buzz Killington

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2010, 11:57:41 AM »
OK.  Let's assume this is true.  Thoughts?


Off the top of my head I gotta say although I think Tubby is a good person he always underwhelmed me a bit as a coach.

His time at UK aside, he has resurrected two programs from the doldrums in UGA and Minnesota.  He has also coached 17 straight 20 win seasons between Tulsa, Georgia, UK and Minnesota.  How many past Auburn coaches can say that?

I personally would like to see somebody younger and more dynamic, but he's a proven commodity...even if he is near the end of his career.
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2010, 12:01:53 PM »
OK.  Let's assume this is true.  Thoughts?


Off the top of my head I gotta say although I think Tubby is a good person he always underwhelmed me a bit as a coach.
That gets a "Hell yes" from me.

Tubby Smith is a college basketball coaching legend, right next to Mike K & Bobby Knight. It would be amazing if we got a guy like that.

He won a NC at UK, although granted, in his first year and never did again in the decade he was there, but at least he was in the tournament throughout his entire tenure.  Not to mention he also brought Minnesota to the NCAA tournament back-to-back for the first time in 15 years.

I think it would bring a huge excitement factor to Auburn basketball like very few other coaches could.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2010, 12:03:21 PM by AUChizad »
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Buzz Killington

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2010, 12:04:13 PM »
Tubby Smith is a college basketball coaching legend, right next to Mike K & Bobby Knight. It would be amazing if we got a guy like that.
:jaw:
Don't make me go all Kaos on you...
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AUChizad

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Re: Who Do You Want As New Basketball HC?
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2010, 12:06:15 PM »
http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2010/03/auburn_prepared_to_pay_up_for.html
Quote
Auburn basketball willing to pay for hot name; Tubby Smith enters coaching buzz
By Charles Goldberg -- The Birmingham News
March 19, 2010, 5:47AM

This story appears in Friday's Birmingham News:

AUBURN -- Auburn, which has spent $90 million on a basketball arena that will open next season, is prepared to make another sizable investment in the sport when it hires its new basketball coach. 

People familiar with the search process say the university is willing to significantly increase what it has paid former coaches in order to attract someone with a proven record to replace Jeff Lebo, who was fired last Friday. A list of candidates includes coaches who could command high salaries, such as Minnesota's Tubby Smith, who has SEC experience at Kentucky and Georgia. Auburn may make a play for him.

TubbySmith5AP.JPGTubby Smith (AP photo) TonyBarbee2AP.JPGTony Barbee (AP photo)The new coach, depending on his experience, could emerge as the fourth or fifth highest-paid basketball coach in the SEC.

The four highest-paid coaches in the SEC are Kentucky's John Calipari, at $3.9 million; Florida's Billy Donovan, at $3.4 million; Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, at $2.4 million; and Alabama's Anthony Grant, at $1.8 million. Lebo was the lowest-paid coach in the SEC, at $750,000 annually.

Depending on who Auburn hires, the new coach's salary could be close to that of football coach Gene Chizik, who will make $2.1 million this year.

College candidates for the Auburn job include Minnesota's Smith, whose team plays Xavier in the NCAA Tournament today. Smith is appearing in his 16th NCAA Tournament in the past 17 years. Smith's annual compensation at Minnesota is $1.75 million.

FoxSports.com last week mentioned Smith as a candidate at Oregon.

"There's always talk about coaches leaving and players leaving. It's part of the business. We're happy here,'' Smith said in a follow-up story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Another possible candidate is Texas-El Paso coach Tony Barbee. UTEP lost to Butler in the tournament Thursday. Another possible candidate is Missouri coach Mike Anderson, whose team plays Clemson today. Anderson is a Birmingham native and former UAB coach. 

Other candidates could include former Auburn player Chuck Person, who is a special assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers; and Sam Mitchell, a former NBA coach of the year who is from Columbus, Ga.

The search may still be in its early stages because most candidates have been preparing for the NCAA Tournament. Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said he won't contact any coach that is still in the tournament. 

Auburn's coaching search that ultimately led to Lebo six years ago included interviews during the Final Four in San Antonio. This year's Final Four concludes April 5 in Indianapolis. Auburn signed Lebo in 2004 to an eight-year contract. Auburn is paying him a $1.5 million buyout.
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