Would Tech be smart to hire Smart? Or does it need a Buzz?
D-Rad the AD figures to be a ramblin' guy the next two weeks. (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
The nice thing about this NCAA tournament is that it keeps offering up possibilities for programs seeking a coach, which describes Georgia Tech. (And also Kennesaw State. But no longer Georgia State, which has hired Ron Hunter of IUPUI.) To our Tech short list of last week, we attach Shaka Smart of VCU and Buzz Williams of Marquette. But we affix asterisks to both.
If you’re a program seeking a coach, what you hope is that your targeted man wins an NCAA game to pique your interest — and also your fans’ interest — and then loses before the first weekend is done. The trouble with Smart and Williams, and also Chris Mooney of Richmond, is that their teams are still playing. And a school seeking a coach can’t really interview a guy if his team’s still playing.
Georgia Tech spent last week preparing itself for this week. (Athletic director Dan Radakovich went to Columbus with the women’s team.) Tech has its list and figures to start interviewing candidates very soon now, but logistics could become an issue. About all Radakovich has said about his coaching vacancy is that he’d like to fill it it before the Final Four, which convenes Friday, April 1. That gives him 10 days.
But Richmond, Marquette and VCU don’t play until Friday night. That doesn’t mean it would be impossible to hire one of those coaches before March is done. (This assumes the coach’s team doesn’t qualify for the Final Four, which probably isn’t a safe assumption.) It does mean Radakovich would have to move really fast.
What to know about Smart: He’s 33 and has been a head coach only two seasons. He was an assistant at Clemson under Oliver Purnell and at Florida under Billy Donovan. The past two Rams coaches — Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant — have jumped to bigger jobs. (Although Capel just got fired at Oklahoma.) On Jan. 3 his team lost at Georgia State by 10 points. In the NCAA his Rams have beaten Southern Cal, Georgetown and Purdue by an aggregate 49 points.
What to know about Williams: He’s 38 and has taken Marquette to the NCAA tournament the past three seasons. He spent one season as head coach at New Orleans but resigned — in July — to accept a job as Tom Crean’s assistant at Marquette. His first real job came when, while still a student at Oklahoma City, he badgered the Texas-Arlington coach into hiring him. His nickname came from his days as a student at Navarro College, where the head coach described him as “buzzing” around the program. His given name is Brent.
Possible complication: Williams is considered the front-runner for the Oklahoma job, one of three schools — North Carolina State and Arkansas are the others — that figure to have more money to spend than Tech. That said: Wouldn’t a guy nicknamed Buzz fit better here than anywhere else?
(Oh, and I should probably say this again: I haven’t included Brad Stevens on any Tech list for the simple reason that I don’t think he’ll leave Butler anytime soon, if ever. I see Stevens as the new Mark Few, who remains at Gonzaga despite repeated attempts by richer schools to pry him away. But I’ve been wrong before, most recently about Purdue making the Final Four.)
By Mark Bradley
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217 comments Add your comment
Daniel
March 21st, 2011
10:49 am
GT Insider- care to share your info then?
FullMetalJacket
March 21st, 2011
10:49 am
Marshall would be a great fallback if Mooney goes eleswhere, but who knows? I would think that the interviews would be very important to Radakovich, maybe even moreso than with other schools and AD’s, and someone we haven’t even speculated on may win the day. IF someone made a good enough impression, Mark, do you think DRad might not even wait on some of the tourney coaches?
BigTimeTECHFan
March 21st, 2011
10:51 am
Chris Mooney would be awesome.
Good move for Samrt would be to move up to say Atlantic Ten level school, there are some very good B’Ball programs there.
FSU killed Notre Dame, Big East flopped, 11 teams and only 2 in Sweet 16, and one of those got in by playing another Big East Team.
FullMetalJacket
March 21st, 2011
10:52 am
On the other hand, DRad does seem methodical. If he found a near-perfect fit, he might still complete all his planned interviews (though I know it is a fluid list).
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
10:56 am
Shouldn’t we be helping the Falcons pick cheerleaders?
Mark, Jeff and the rest have a tough job actually.
I’ll prove it by saying something accurate that will get someone’s fans riled up.
Mark Price: too little, too late.
If he was hungry for the job, he would have been getting head coach experience and working his way up like Neal.
I have no doubt this will piss off his fans.
That’s what sportswriters have to contend with.
Say what you think and then expect to get bashed.
FullMetalJacket
March 21st, 2011
10:56 am
The Big East? The Big Whifffff!!!! The ACC was “down” this year, but 3 of the (only) 4 teams have made it to the Sweet 16. Then again, apart from VT, no other ACC school really should’ve gotten in. And the SEC has 2 of 5 in? Despite some pretty bad records and losses, maybe the ACC wasn’t quite as bad as some have said.
Atlanta Warrior
March 21st, 2011
10:57 am
I don’t see Buzz Williams leaving Marquette. Frankly, if money’s an issue for Tech than don’t bother calling Williams as he already makes over $1.5 per year and will be getting a raise. I think if Buzz goes anywhere it would be OU simply because his roots are in North Texas and he went to college in Oklahoma so a move to the Sooners might put him close to family. That said he appears to be very happy at Marquette and the Marquette nation is very happy with him.
FullMetalJacket
March 21st, 2011
11:00 am
Actually, I agree with Jackets2011. I love Price and he will always be a Tech legend, but on the coaching side he hasn’t paid his dues as a Div. I head coach. I’m not saying he can’t do the job, but there are clearly better “qualified” with better head coaching experience out there. Even his team mate Neal has more college coaching experience (assistant) and was one of the first to say he wanted the job (too eager?). If he were hired Mark Price might turn out to be as good a coach as he was a player, but it does not seem likely.
"Grand" Chicago Jacket
March 21st, 2011
11:01 am
I was at the VCU game last night. VCU’s true coach last night was the senior PG. The team has 6 upper classmen. They were impressive last night, not the coach. Not sold on Smart.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:02 am
Thanks FMJ.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:05 am
Basketball could be different but Curry, Goff and Shula were all very bad hires.
They also were difficult to fire even without the annual renewal.
Some insiders claim Price and Neal not in the mix.
Had Mark said it, his blog would have filled up fast with all of the Price fans who probably never see a game.
GT
March 21st, 2011
11:06 am
KSU should hire Barnes, kind of a Bobby Cremins and College of Charleston project. Historically Georgia State has been what they are, maybe KSU could be something different, they were very good at the lower division. Jeff Capel is another guy I think could have been a good coach in the right place, these guys like Capel and Hewitt seem to go backwards which in Hewitt’s case I believe, was poor assistant coaches replacing good ones.
Mooney sounds like our man. Basketball at Tech is a more close and personal relationship. I look down at the sideline at Johnson in football and it takes me a few minutes to focus on where he is and I am losing the game while I am looking. In basketball I have seats right across the floor and the coaches are very much there in my face. You get a real feel for the personality I am a little surprise no one is talking about the Wofford coach but I like Moody for this job. We need to get respect back to this program no experiments. I noticed you didn’t mention NC State. I would be more worried about them competing for Moody than the others you mentioned. The ACC doesn’t like being left out of the converstation as the best conference and especially in North Carolina you will see some money being spent to correct that. Those football schools may have it in their programs but you will find alumni more willing to spend money and more likely to have it to spend on basketball in the ACC.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:06 am
As a coach, has Mark Price ever stayed in one job more than a couple of years? It would be a great story if he led Tech to success as a coach, but it would be taking a big chance. He’d have to persuade the heck out of DRad, who does not have the luxury of making a nostalgic hire. Price or Neal would energize the fanbase, but after the first losing season it would start to get messy. We need hope and a reasonable expectation of success after the wasteland of the last Hewitt years, and only an established winning COACH can provide that, even if he’s slow out of the gate.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:07 am
I’ll give the Price backers one thing.
His honeymoon would probably be the best coach moneymoon ever.
P
March 21st, 2011
11:09 am
I am psyched. I’ve got Marquette beating UNC in the sweet 16 in my bracket, but then losing to Ohio State in the elite 8. Marquette is a fun team to watch and they’ve had some exciting wins this season. If Buzz already makes 1.5M, i agree he doesn’t seem like a good candidate for Tech but he would be a great hire if willing.
I like the idea of bringing in Neal (GT alum, head coaching experience) as HC, and Mark Price as an assisant focusing on shooting, fundamentals, and good PG play. This should satisfy all: bringing in GT alum to energize the fan base, having a solid up and comer with head coaching experience, and bringing in Price to get players shooting and handling the ball better than they have been.
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2011
11:09 am
re Mark Price – HC in the ACC is not an entry level position.
NCSU hired a former player who was point guard on a national championship game. He had even been an HC in the NBA – how did Sidney Lowe work out?
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:10 am
Mark Price deserves all the praise and respect he gets from Tech fans as a player and loyal alumnus. But to paraphrase DRad, this is “big boy” basketball and while Price may certainly be up to the challenge, many of his supporters seem more nostalgic and idealistic than practical.
GT hulk
March 21st, 2011
11:10 am
With Duke having a winning program always, plus their players stay 4 years, then why not go after a Duke assistant coach?
Tech Guy
March 21st, 2011
11:10 am
Mark Price would be a great coach at Tech.
dawgfan
March 21st, 2011
11:11 am
Whoever Tech hires, he needs to understand that balancing advanced calculus courses and basketball is no easy feat for these young men. That is why they don’t graduate. Kenny Anderson was so busy contemplating the complexities of string theory, that he blew his NBA millions like a kid in a candy store.
Thanks.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:11 am
Price is rich from his NBA days unlike some we know.
He seems to be dappling in coaching on the side about like a hobby.
He should have been getting more head coaching experience.
At least Neal has been working his way up.
The is a very important hire for DRAD.
He cannot base it on past player popularity.
Homer Rice could say “been there, done that”.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:11 am
dabbling not dappling.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:13 am
Hot Rod Barnes is a great guy, but I just don’t think he’s up to leading a major program. Like Lowe at NC State, Barnes kind of floundered at Ole Miss and it was difficult to let him go. His career is trending downward, I’m afraid, but there’s a message for the Hire Price crowd in there, too: alumni don’t usually make good coaches.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:14 am
Would two more years have helped Kenny mature enough to handle his money better?
I hate the NBA for not having to wait at least 3 years.
I’ll never attend another Hawks game.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:15 am
Someone who claims to be a Tech insider thinks Mooney is a done deal.
We’ll see.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:16 am
Hawks: for a lot of reasons.
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2011
11:16 am
Jack Daniels Terrier
Some alumni have made great coaches – Roy Williams and Gary Williams immediately come to mind. However, they had years of HC experience at major universities before taking over as HCs at their alma maters.
Having said that, Mark Price has no business being the next HC at GT.
blazer
March 21st, 2011
11:17 am
Hire Smart next weekend!! He will have his coat off and hit the floor running or should i
SAY Coaching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:18 am
What we need to do is find another year of illegibility for Price.
Then we could beat Duke.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:18 am
Agreed, Paul in RDU. Not all alumni are failures, but as you point out, the successful ones have established themselves elsewhere, or at least in the assistant ranks. I should have said that hiring an alumnus JUST BECAUSE he is an alumnus is not a good idea.
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:19 am
Well said Paul at RDU.
ATL Sports Fan
March 21st, 2011
11:19 am
There is a list of reasons Brad Stevens would not leave Butler. One is the fact he is the only thing on campus, coaching wise. He doesn’t share the lime light with anyone. He’s making great money and Indianapolis is his home. He gets good recruits and usually plays a tough out of conference schedule. Those are just a few reasons why he will not leave Butler.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:20 am
While we’re wishing, I wish the NCAA would stop being the lapdog/farm system for the NFL and especially the NBA.
Clarence
March 21st, 2011
11:22 am
Mark: Duh, why isn’t Sidney Lowe on your short list?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 21st, 2011
11:23 am
I sure am glad to see so many in here today who are not clamoring to hire Mark Price. Seems like most days there are more for him than not. As much as I love what he has done for Tech, both as a player, a representative of the institute, and an alum, hiring him as HC would probably be the worst hire ever made at Tech. At best, it is a gamble; at worst it could be the total collapse of the program.
R U Kidding Me?
March 21st, 2011
11:24 am
Tech Basketball – Who cares?
Tech Football – Who cares?
Tech Anything – Who cares?
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:25 am
Here are two reasons for alumni hires: Bill Lewis and Chan Gailey, both very bad fits with Tech’s fanbase.
Hewitt would not have been such a bad hire had he pulled a Bobby Ross and left after 2004.
Paul nails it though.
You don’t win games on fan admiration alone.
You have to know the in and outs of the job from having done them successfully.
Promethius
March 21st, 2011
11:26 am
How about Rick Barnes? I’m sure the love fest at Texas is beginning to wane. And, he is from Hickory NC, not that far from Atlanta. A long-term contract could be just what he needs to wind up his career.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:26 am
As the comic says, “you can’t fix stupid.” But if the NCAA and NBA would agree to make players get a little more maturity and stay in school, then they could at least mature a little more. Quickdraw Crittenton might have learned how to keep his gun holstered and Kenny Anderson might’ve learned how to keep his money. The players will still get their millions, but if they have degrees and a little more disicipline, they might also live longer and happier lives.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 21st, 2011
11:26 am
R U Kidding Me? You must care, or else you wouldn’t be making stupid posts on here. Are YOU kidding ME? Get a life, bubba
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:27 am
Tech fans care.
Get a life.
crackbaby
March 21st, 2011
11:28 am
“But I’ve been wrong before, most recently about Purdue making the Final Four.” – MB
Was that more recent than picking Georgia to beat UW and North Carolina last week? Jeez…
Jackets 2011
March 21st, 2011
11:28 am
Thanks for backing up my comments Jack Daniels Terrier.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 21st, 2011
11:29 am
If NC State is no longer interested in Rick Barnes (remember the fiasco with State’s former AD Fowler last time?), then he’d be great for Tech—if we could afford him. I imagine Tennessee & others would pay him more if he’s looking to leave….which he might be.
Dollar Bill
March 21st, 2011
11:29 am
How about Larry Brown as HC and Mark Price as AC and coach in waiting or Craig Neal may be a better choice.
Neal has the AAU contacts.
Is this who you were referring to T3 as a historic hire?
Skeezix
March 21st, 2011
11:29 am
It has become clear that, generally, those schools who have experienced players (minimizing the “one and dones”), are having the best results in the NCAA tourney–regardless of whether they are from a power conference or mid major.
PH
March 21st, 2011
11:32 am
Doesn’t matter who they hire–the ajc sportwriters will soon turn on him and get him fired in 3-4 years.
jojo sunshine
March 21st, 2011
11:36 am
Throw all of atlanta at Brad Stevens. Give him 2 million a year if that is what it takes, but get him now. He has proven himself. He will be the next coach K, Dean Smith, Billy Donovan, Thad Matta. He is the real deal. Show him the money.
OldSchoolTechFanatic
March 21st, 2011
11:36 am
2 words for ya. MARK PRICE !!! Could we please try to build some tradition around here. Could you just imagine Mark Price as head coach and Kenny Anderson an assitant. WOW !!! This should be a No Brainer. Lets get them in here and fill the seats up againg !!!
FullMetalJacket
March 21st, 2011
11:37 am
I don’t think Price or Neal would consider an Assistant postion at Tech, nor would I blame them. If I were DRad, I would file Neal away in the Rolodex for the next HC hiring, after he cuts his teeth as a head coach elsewhere. He has said Tech was his dream job. As for Price, if he gets into full-time coaching then I’d keep him in mind for the next HC also. Price doesn’t seem to want to be a full-time, 365/24/7 coach, and I don’t blame him. He doesn’t need the money or the hassle, and he has his family and values. Now is the time to hire a Mooney, a Marshall, or similar successful coach, to re-establish a flailing, failing program.