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Post by Tipp City Raider on Apr 7, 2010 20:18:08 GMT -5
Here we go again........................ Wake goes bold, but smart? April 07, 2010 Filed Under: Coaches, ACC Wake Forest made the bold move in firing coach Dino Gaudio. That 1-5 record in the ACC and NCAA tournament the last three years wasn’t good enough for athletic director Ron Wellman. “This was not a decision based upon a one-year performance,” he said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We can put up with a disappointment. We have disappointments all the time. But there is a pattern here that needed to be addressed, a 3-year pattern that needed to be addressed.” Now we’ll see if the bold move was actually the smart move. It’s not that I’m defending Gaudio’s record (61-31), his postseason failures or the behind-the-scenes issues between Wellman and Gaudio. But firing a coach is easy. Hiring a better one is the hard part. As Oregon and St. John’s discovered recently, the first rule of a coaching search is that your school might not be the dream job you envision. Unless you have a coach in mind – and he’s on board with the move – you could be stuck with a series of rejections that turn your job into settling for someone you don’t hate. And who might have been just as good as the guy you fired. Wake will almost certainly approach Butler coach Brad Stevens, but it’ll have to get in a long line. And that line starts with Oregon and all its Nike money. If Stevens passes, there’s speculation Wake will turn to Wright State coach Brad Brownell, who used to be at UNC-Wilmington and has produced four straight 20-win seasons.Wellman’s seen as a shrewd guy who doesn't do anything rashly. As he puts it: “you don’t want to be caught unaware or off-guard or unprepared for something like this.” Now we’ll see if his list actually produces the coach he wants. beyondthearc.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/04/07/2260663.aspx
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Apr 8, 2010 11:32:48 GMT -5
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Post by Fastbreak on Apr 8, 2010 12:08:35 GMT -5
I haven't seen anything besides that one quote above associating Brownell with the Clemson openning. In regards to Wake forest, I don't think they would have gotten rid of such a successful coach if they didn't already have someone else in line with a better resume. No offense to Brownell, but the guy they just fired has a better W/L record and got to the post season more consistently than he has. I think it would be a nightmare for WF's AD to announce him as their next coach with his inferior resume.
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Post by Raider4Life on Apr 8, 2010 16:09:38 GMT -5
I think Stevens will turn them down and I don't think they offer Brownell. I agree with Fastbreak, the guy they fired had a better resume than Brownell. Their AD would look like an idiot firing him for Brownell.
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Post by Raider Rowdies on Apr 8, 2010 17:49:43 GMT -5
The search for the next Wake Forest head coach The past 24 hours have been crazy for Wake Forest fans. Every head coach in the country has seemingly been thrown around, feasible or not. Here is a look at the most realistic candidates for the Wake Forest coaching job, as well as a couple of reaches. Brad Stevens- The majority of Wake Forest fans (as well as many other schools) would like for Ron Wellman to hire Brad Stevens. He led the #5 Butler Bulldogs to the National Championship game this year, and came within 3 inches of being crowned the champs. Stevens is 89-15 (49-5 in the Horizon League) in 3 years at Butler and has made the Big Dance in each of those years. It may be tough to lure Stevens away from Butler because the Bulldogs are a preseason Top 5 team if Heyward, Mack and Howard all stay. Wake Forest and Butler are similar schools in terms of academics and size, which would appeal to Stevens to go along with the lure of the ACC and bigger money. Travis Ford- Although a relative unknown around ACC country, Wake Forest fans may remember him as the point guard for Kentucky in the early 90's. He currently coaches at Oklahoma State and was at UMass for three years before that. His career coaching record is 168-138 (Cambellsville, Eastern Kentucky, UMass and OSU). What many Demon Deacon fans will not like is his unproven success in the postseason. He has made the NCAA tournament only three times, and advanced to the second round only once. If Ron Wellman fired Dino for lack of success in the postseason, Ford does not seem like a legitimate move for Wake Forest. Scott Drew- The current head coach at Baylor University rejuvenated a program that was set back years from a murder scandal involving players on the team. Drew has been able to successfully recruit to Waco, Texas to compete in the Big 12 against Texas and Kansas. After taking over in the 2003-2004 season, Drew suffered through 3 years of mediocrity (to put it kindly) before the NCAA punishments took full effect. In the past three years Drew has made two NCAA appearances, and made the NIT title game in the year that he did not make the tournament. Drew is only 109-103 at Baylor, but given the circumstances Drew has done a phenomenal job. Some people have questioned Drew's recruiting tactics, which may turn Ron Wellman off of him given the "fit" that Wellman is looking for. Gregg Marshall- Marshall is the head coach at Wichita State University currently. He has his ties to the Carolinas from 9 years coaching at Winthrop University. In those 9 years Marshall made the NCAA Tournament 7 times, but only once advanced past the first round. Marshall has spent the past three years at Wichita State, compiling a workmanlike 53-47 record that includes 25-10 this past season. The knocks on Marshall are that he does not have big time head coaching experience, he has not proven he can win in the postseason, and his personality may not fit in well at Wake Forest. Although he has experienced success at lower level schools, I do not know if Marshall is the guy for the job. Brad Brownell- Only the diehard college basketball fans have heard this name before. Brownell is the current head coach at Wright State University. This past season he led the Raiders to a 20-12 record and no postseason. Brownell coached at UNC-Wilmington for four years and led the Seahawks to two NCAA appearances in four years. His overall record at Wright State, and UNC-W is 167-85 with three NCAA Tournament appearances. He has yet to win a game in the tournament, and probably lacks the pedigree that Wellman is looking for in his next hire.Tubby Smith- Perhaps the best known coach of all those on the list so far to the average fan. Smith was the head coach at Kentucky for 10 years, leading the Wildcats to an NCAA championship in his first year. He reached four Elite Eights, two Sweet Sixteens, and never failed to advance past the first round, while making the tournament every year. Smith has been to the NCAA Tournament 16 out of the last 17 years at four different schools. He is currently coaching at Minnesota University, where he has been for three years. His overall record is 450-184, and has proven he can win at any coaching job at any level. I think Smith would be a great hire to elevate Wake Forest to challenge Duke and UNC every year for the top two spots. Brian Gregory- Gregory is currently the head coach at Dayton University. In seven years at Dayton, Gregory has compiled a 150-80 record with four postseason appearances (two NCAA appearances). Dayton captured the NIT Championship this year, and in the process defeated North Carolina, which is always something we should look for in a coach. Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State before Dayton, and stems from the Izzo coaching tree, which is also a positive. I am not sure that Gregory has proven he can win on the big stage, and only has one NCAA tournament win to his resume. The coaches above are the ones (in my opinion) that have the best shot of being hired by Wake Forest. I am sure that Wellman is shooting for some high names as well, and a name that has come up is Jay Wright (head coach at Villanova). I believe that Wright is happy at Villanova and wants to stay there, but he would be a great hire. Dana Altman has been talked about on a lot of websites, and some even had him headed to Wake Forest for a tour (although these rumors have been refuted by reputable inside sources). He has been at Creighton for 16 years, and is likely not what Wellman is looking for. Coaching searches are always a time of uneasiness because a team has given up the sure thing and decided to take a high risk, high reward approach to moving the program to a higher level. For Wake Forest, I am sure that Ron Wellman knows exactly what he is doing and hopefully our hire will bring us to the next level that we have not been able to reach under previous coaches. www.bloggersodear.com/2010/4/8/1411568/the-search-for-the-next-wake
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Post by Scoops_Callahan on Apr 8, 2010 19:35:14 GMT -5
Dino Gaudio has a 129-155(.454) career record and was 61-31 (.663) at Wake, and 27-21(.563) in conference play. He finished higher than 5th in the ACC only once.
Brad Brownell has a 167-85(.662) career record and is 84-45 (.651) at WSU, and 49-21 (.700) in conference play. He has never finished lower than 3rd in the Horizon League.
Check the facts before we so eagerly discredit the job Brad has done and say he doesn't compare to a guy with a below .500 career record.
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Post by Retired Coach on Apr 8, 2010 20:18:16 GMT -5
If Wake Forest hired Brownell (which will not happen), Wright State could hire Dino Gaudio which would be an upgrade for Wright State. Dino had a better record in a better conference. Any WSU fan would take that trade in a heart beat. Donlon will be replacing Brad when he eventually moves on.
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Post by Admin on Apr 8, 2010 22:37:59 GMT -5
www.independentmail.com/blogs/greg-wallace/2010/apr/08/al_skinner/Thoughts on Clemson's first interviews The Clemson Sports Blog By Greg Wallace Posted April 8, 2010 at 10:57 p.m. According to online reports on FoxSports.com and TigerIllustrated.com, Clemson has completed its first two interviews in its quest to replace Oliver Purnell. And here’s hoping there are more lined up. Because if you’re a Clemson fan, the first two weren’t exactly inspiring. According to reports, Clemson interviewed former Boston College coach Al Skinner and Wright State coach Brad Brownell. First to Skinner, who was fired by Boston College last Wednesday – after his second losing season in three years. The Eagles had a 15-16 mark this season and were eighth in the ACC; they were 14-17, 11th in the ACC three years ago (although they did rebound for a 22-12 record and second-round NCAA Tournament finish in 2008-09). Skinner was allowed to interview for St. John’s vacancy (which ultimately went to ESPN analyst Steve Lavin) with the knowledge that he had already been fired by the Eagles; it was intended to boost his chances of getting another job. He was 247-165 in 13 years at BC, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances (the best a Sweet 16 in 2005-06). But he isn’t known as a recruiter, and quite honestly, he just isn’t very exciting. Skinner’s teams play the flex offense, and they love to bash and bang. In five years of watching BC teams in the ACC, I can think of two players (Tyrese Rice and Jared Dudley) that were genuinely exciting to watch. After Purnell’s flashy, pressurized style, hiring a guy like Skinner to replace him would be a major step back, in my opinion. Brownell, meanwhile, has some solid results, but isn’t a name known by many Clemson fans. In eight years at UNC-Wilmington and Wright State, he’s 167-85, winning at least 20 games in each of his last five seasons. He has three NCAA appearances (two at UNCW, and one at Wright State in 2006-07). In 2003, the Seahawks lost to defending national champion Maryland on Drew Nicholas’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer, and in 2006, they blew an 18-point first-half lead and lost to George Washington in overtime. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about these interviews? They’re the first. Friday will likely bring more interviews – and perhaps more appealing candidates to talk about.
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Apr 8, 2010 23:08:54 GMT -5
If you read their boards, they definitely don't want Brownell or Skinner.
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Post by Raider Country on Apr 8, 2010 23:31:17 GMT -5
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Post by ilm2day on Apr 9, 2010 8:19:30 GMT -5
Brad ALWAYS outcoached Capel when they were in the CAA. He didn't win every game because he was short handed a couple of years but he cerainely outprepared him every time.
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Post by Rush the Court on Apr 9, 2010 8:56:12 GMT -5
Because Wellman is known for keeping his own counsel, and because he handles such a predominant role in the search himself, reliable information is rarely forthcoming whenever Wake Forest is searching for a new coach. Battle said he does not know who Wellman is considering, but names mentioned around the program included Tubby Smith of Minnesota, Brad Brownell of Wright State, Chris Mooney of Richmond, John Groce of Ohio University and Brian Gregory of Dayton.www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/apr/09/coaching-search-may-take-time/sports/
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Post by raiderland on Apr 9, 2010 9:09:00 GMT -5
Source: Clemson meets Wright State's BrownellPosted on: April 9, 2010 9:56 am Edited on: April 9, 2010 9:57 am Wright State's Brad Brownell met with Clemson officials Thursday about the school's coaching vacancy and is a serious candidate to replace Oliver Purnell, a source has told CBSSports.com. An attempt to reach Brownell was unsuccessful Friday morning. Brownell has won at least 20 games four straight years and was widely considered the Horizon League's best coaching prospect until Butler's Brad Stevens rose to prominence this season. The Indiana native was in play for the Indiana job that went to Tom Crean two years ago. His candidacy at Clemson suggests the ACC school is considering hiring a rising star as opposed to someone whose career is on the decline like Al Skinner, the 57-year-old former Boston College coach who also interviewed with Clemson on Thursday, according to FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman. Boston College fired Skinner last month. Another possible candidate at Clemson is VCU coach Shaka Smart. He's a former Clemson assistant. gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/20821709
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Post by Rush the Court on Apr 9, 2010 9:09:25 GMT -5
Brad ALWAYS outcoached Capel when they were in the CAA. He didn't win every game because he was short handed a couple of years but he cerainely outprepared him every time. I don't think any of the schools that have interviewed Brad over the last 4 years didn't hire him because they were worried about his ability to be a great X and O coach. I think the biggest knock on Brad is and always has been his recruiting. He has demonstrated that he can bring in average recruits and get them to play above their collective skill level in his system and be successful against other mid-major teams. I really think he needs to show that he can land a few recruits at a higher level than where he coaches at and take a team to the next level before he gets one of these type of positions. Brad hasn't won a post season game yet and when he plays BCS schools over the years he has something like a 2-9 or 2-10 record vs them. I think these programs are worried that Brad is like another Todd Lickliter who was a very good X and O coach but was never able to recruit kids with BCS talent to Iowa. If Brad really want to get a job at the next level he should be spending less time running all around the country interviewing for every open job and get his butt on the recruiting trail and land the impact JUCO post player we need for next year and upgrading our schedule for next year. Nothing is going to make him a hot commodity more than to get back to the NCAAs and win a game or two.
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Post by Big D on Apr 9, 2010 10:44:30 GMT -5
At this point, I honestly don't care if he goes or stays. I like him as a coach and will be happy if he stays. If he goes, I think we will be able to hire Donlon as our next coach and I think he will do a great job here. The only thing I care about right now is our late signing period recruiting. Until the Wake Forest and Clemson opennings are filled, it is going to be hard to sign a JUCO post player in the spring because no one wants to sign with a program if you don't know for sure who your coach is going to be. We just lost out on one of our JUCO options when Brandon McGee committed to Georgia State yesterday. You have to think that he would have picked WSU over Georgia State if he would have been more comfortable with our coaching situation. How many more recruits are we going to loose in the meantime?
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