There are actually two openings with a pair of interim coaches right now: Manhattan and North Carolina A&T.
But, one thing I do enjoy is speculating and of course, to everyone else here, being a big old meany to people who continually wonder why Becker isn't getting P5 offers. Additionally, we've got some very early signs of jobs that really should be opening, and ones that are very much in an identity crisis (Georgetown, Syracuse, others).
Also, in some other thread, everyone was poo-pooing the next great Italian-American basketball coach, Jared Grasso. There were talks that his antics would keep him at Bryant for a while. There was also someone who said he'd likely end up at a usually unsuccessful AAC school and then like everyone else, get fired from it.
To point one: sure he might not be leaving Bryant after this year, or maybe the next, or ever. I don't know what the future brings. Some ADs won't hire for his antics, but plenty of others could be intrigued. Like it or not, his players like him, his style of play, and his attitude, and I'm going to guess what is seen as asshole behavior for opponents could and would be embraced by schools in dire need of winning and an injection into the program. This shouldn't be breaking news to some given how athletics departments at all levels routinely bend morals for all sorts of reasons. Hiring someone who is only guilty of being an asshole, with teams that can match his demeanor. is quite tame in comparison.
This, brings me to another point: Grasso's next move probably isn't right into South Florida whatever bottom-feeder AAC school needs a jolt...he's far more likely to move on to another one-bid league that has a raised profile and more resource-rich schools. For example, there's a certain former AE member in a new league that is currently struggling and if it weren't for thinking they'd look like clowns upon joining the new league would have fired their current coach last year. Stony Brook absolutely would consider Grasso, and I think he'd consider them too. They can pay well, have good resources, it's a much more competitive league by all metrics than the one he is in, and it could offer a much better springboard than going directly from Bryant. He keeps doing his thing, well now he's won at two places. It can make it harder to ignore that a guy, still pretty young (42) is able to attract talent, and win basketball games, and that brashness just might be worth the headache for many other teams.
Also, if Grasso got South Florida or some other job he likely will get fired from, he's done better than a vast majority of coaches at the AE level. People forget that you are much, much more likely to be fired from a head coaching position in the AE than you are to be hired away to get another job. Since 2010, every team but UNH has changed its coach. Only 5 of them were because their current coach got another job. The other 13 changes were firings.
Anyway hot seat big board is as follows:
One bid: NJIT, North Florida, Hampton, Stony Brook, Green Bay, Robert Morris, Columbia, Dartmouth, Rider, Canisius, Holy Cross, Valparaiso, Houston Christian, UL Monroe, Northeastern*, Albany**
*Shocked by how badly they've struggled. I don't want to fully put them on here, because I think Coen can turn it around, but yikes. Doesn't help they have former players playing well at Big 10 and Pac 12 schools right now that would have made things a lot different.
**This is more of my take that Killings will bail out to join a high-major staff at the season's end.
Multi bids: South Florida, St. Joseph's, Syracuse, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Cal...there are plenty of others off to good starts right now but could be looking very grim in January.
But, one thing I do enjoy is speculating and of course, to everyone else here, being a big old meany to people who continually wonder why Becker isn't getting P5 offers. Additionally, we've got some very early signs of jobs that really should be opening, and ones that are very much in an identity crisis (Georgetown, Syracuse, others).
Also, in some other thread, everyone was poo-pooing the next great Italian-American basketball coach, Jared Grasso. There were talks that his antics would keep him at Bryant for a while. There was also someone who said he'd likely end up at a usually unsuccessful AAC school and then like everyone else, get fired from it.
To point one: sure he might not be leaving Bryant after this year, or maybe the next, or ever. I don't know what the future brings. Some ADs won't hire for his antics, but plenty of others could be intrigued. Like it or not, his players like him, his style of play, and his attitude, and I'm going to guess what is seen as asshole behavior for opponents could and would be embraced by schools in dire need of winning and an injection into the program. This shouldn't be breaking news to some given how athletics departments at all levels routinely bend morals for all sorts of reasons. Hiring someone who is only guilty of being an asshole, with teams that can match his demeanor. is quite tame in comparison.
This, brings me to another point: Grasso's next move probably isn't right into South Florida whatever bottom-feeder AAC school needs a jolt...he's far more likely to move on to another one-bid league that has a raised profile and more resource-rich schools. For example, there's a certain former AE member in a new league that is currently struggling and if it weren't for thinking they'd look like clowns upon joining the new league would have fired their current coach last year. Stony Brook absolutely would consider Grasso, and I think he'd consider them too. They can pay well, have good resources, it's a much more competitive league by all metrics than the one he is in, and it could offer a much better springboard than going directly from Bryant. He keeps doing his thing, well now he's won at two places. It can make it harder to ignore that a guy, still pretty young (42) is able to attract talent, and win basketball games, and that brashness just might be worth the headache for many other teams.
Also, if Grasso got South Florida or some other job he likely will get fired from, he's done better than a vast majority of coaches at the AE level. People forget that you are much, much more likely to be fired from a head coaching position in the AE than you are to be hired away to get another job. Since 2010, every team but UNH has changed its coach. Only 5 of them were because their current coach got another job. The other 13 changes were firings.
Anyway hot seat big board is as follows:
One bid: NJIT, North Florida, Hampton, Stony Brook, Green Bay, Robert Morris, Columbia, Dartmouth, Rider, Canisius, Holy Cross, Valparaiso, Houston Christian, UL Monroe, Northeastern*, Albany**
*Shocked by how badly they've struggled. I don't want to fully put them on here, because I think Coen can turn it around, but yikes. Doesn't help they have former players playing well at Big 10 and Pac 12 schools right now that would have made things a lot different.
**This is more of my take that Killings will bail out to join a high-major staff at the season's end.
Multi bids: South Florida, St. Joseph's, Syracuse, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Cal...there are plenty of others off to good starts right now but could be looking very grim in January.
