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Is March Madness the time for coaching changes in the PAC-10? |
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Written by Chris Sturgeon
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Thursday, 29 March 2007 |
I know that the college basketball world is focused on Atlanta right now, but there really is a lot going on for schools that did not make the NCAA tournament. Especially in the best conferences in the country, now is the time for universities to make a move if one is needed. Believe me, there should be some head coaching jobs available in the PAC-10 Conference over the summer.
In this era of huge salaries and program budgets, Athletic Directors are rightfully demanding of their men's basketball coaches. For some schools, the success of their basketball team is the main factor in the Athletic Director keeping or losing his or her own job. Although winning is the ultimate goal, there are several other factors which go into a successful coach and basketball program. Consider the U.N.L.V. Running Rebels in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Head coach Jerry Tarkanian built a powerhouse in college basketball. However, poor graduation rates and discipline problems plagued that program during that period. If it could both raise its graduation rates and recruit quality young men to its program, it had the potential of becoming the west coast version of Duke University. Unfortunately, although the program increased its graduation rates, the quality of basketball has gone down since Coach Tarkanian moved on.
Some PAC-10 teams have had their share of problems on and off the basketball court during recent seasons. Coaching salaries for PAC-10 coaches are among the highest in the country, and rightfully so. Television revenue, the blunt economic reality of college basketball, continues to pour in for the conference. With the emergence of Fox Sports and ESPN, as well as the continuing telecasts on ABC, the conference continues to get national exposure, and has shown the entire country that the PAC-10 is the most competitive conference in the country.
Here are some PAC-10 schools that could make a coaching change:
Oregon State: The Beavers are simply a mess right now. When Coach Jay John took on the program, it was not in very good shape. Although he has had one winning season, the Beavers do not look to rise from the bowels of the conference any time soon. Recruiting has been tough at best, and with pressure from boosters to renovate Gill Coliseum, a change simply has to be made. Recently, the Athletic Director, Bob De Carolis, has come out in support of Coach John. However, keeping him just does not seem feasible at this point. The Beavers finished ninth in the conference this year, and could potentially finish last next year if some drastic changes aren't made. It is tough to fundraise several million dollars when you cannot be competitive on the court. Although Beaver fans would take Ralph Miller back if they could, I think if the money is right, former Sacramento King and Portland Trailblazer coach Rick Adelman could be available. This could make a lot of sense for the university, especially considering the success another former professional coach, Dennis Erickson, had in Corvallis. Adelman will not be around long, however, as my sources indicate that he is very interested in getting another job with the Portland Trailblazers.
Arizona State: This is also an easy target, as the Sundevils play in one of the best cities in America and would have trouble beating local high school teams on some nights. At 8-22 (2-16 PAC-10), ASU would like to give Coach Herb Sendek some more time to build his program. How much longer will Sun Devil fans have to wait for a decent team? If he is not let go by June 1, look for him to be cut loose if the Sun Devils don't at least make the NIT next season.
Oregon: This probably surprises a lot of you, but not anyone who closely follows the PAC-10. New Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny has come into Eugene with one goal: make the UO basketball team into a national powerhouse. He is a fundraising machine who will be able to get enough money out of the Duck boosters and private businesses to build the new arena the Ducks so desperately need. Although they made the Elite Eight this year, Head Coach Ernie Kent has dropped out of favor with the Duck faithful. He is a recruiting genius, but his coaching style has not pleased everyone, including the new Athletic Director. Keep in mind that Kilkenny is very close with Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few. Very close. Imagine what Few could do in Eugene. It is frankly scary to the rest of the PAC-10.
By the way, this might be the best Final Four in the past ten years. The UCLA/Florida rematch should be a great game, and Georgetown will certainly have its hands full with Ohio State and Mr. Oden. Even though I am a PAC-10 guy, I am picking Ohio State to win it all on Monday. I can't wait for this weekend.
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Random Hoops
“For a college basketball player or coach, to reach the Final Four is la-la land. You've achieved, you've got your stamp of approval. My first team to do that was in 1986. Then we did it in '88, '89 and '90. Mike Krzyzewski
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