Tech’s search: Craig Neal, Doug Wojcik and D-Rad’s timetable
Craig Neal (foreground): Is the Georgia Tech man in with a chance? (Photo courtesy of New Mexico)
Georgia Tech has begun its interviews, and there has been much debate over whether one of the projected interviewees would actually be interviewed. It was Tweeted on Wednesday that Doug Wojcik of Tulsa would be granted an audience with the Tech committee. (Yes, Tech has a committee, although athletic director Dan Radakovich and consiglieri Eddie Fogler are the guys who matter.)
Later that day Wojcik told the Tulsa World he hadn’t heard from Tech and described the Twittered reports as “hilarious.” Well, Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News reported Thursday that Wojcik would indeed be interviewed, and DeCourcy isn’t known for flights of fancy.
So let’s just assume Wojcik has had some manner of contact with Tech. And now we ask: What exactly would the Jackets see in Doug Wojcik?
Beats the heck outta me.
He has been at Tulsa six seasons and hasn’t yet lifted the Golden Hurricane to the NCAA tournament. (And it is possible to get Tulsa to the NCAA. Nolan Richardson did it. J.D. Barnett did it. Tubby Smith took it to the Sweet 16, and Bill Self to the Elite Eight.) Wojcik was also part of the only North Carolina staff, meaning Matt Doherty’s, to get fired over the past half-century.
I don’t know why Tech would have interest in Wojcik. Maybe Fogler, once a Tar Heel assistant, sees something in this former Tar Heel assistant. Even if that’s the case, I can’t imagine a scenario in which Wojcik would be Tech’s first choice or even its third. He just seems like someone to interview while you’re waiting to interview somebody else.
That said, I’m beginning to think there could be a way for Craig Neal — who was interviewed Wednesday and whose candidacy I advocated – to become the next Tech coach. I’m not sure Noodles would be the first choice, but he might well be the third. Or the second. (And his tactic of saying he would seek to hire Mark Price as his assistant was rather inspired, don’t you think?)
One thing more: In Radakovich’s latest “Good Word” on RamblinWreck.com, he offers this intriguing sentence: “While there are no guarantees in this difficult world of coaching searches, I still feel strongly that we might be able to have a new coach selected before next weekend’s Final Four in Houston.”
Key word: Might. Previously Radakovich had said he wanted to have a coach by the time the Final Four commenced, and I outlined Tech’s rationale the other day. But I interpret the word “might” as D-Rad’s nod to reality: Chris Mooney and Richmond are still alive in the NCAA tournament — the Spiders play Kansas tonight — and Gregg Marshall and Wichita State have advanced to the NIT semifinals, which will be staged Tuesday in Madison Square Garden.
I still believe Mooney and Marshall are the two leading possibilities at Tech, but there’s a chance the Jackets wouldn’t be able to talk to either before the Final Four. Which might, to invoke the (good) word of the day, render Radakovich’s target date null and void.
By Mark Bradley
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218 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
March 25th, 2011
12:21 pm
I’m not saying Marshall wouldn’t be a good choice. He would. I’m saying I’d prefer Mooney, given my druthers.
John
March 25th, 2011
12:22 pm
I actually prefer Neal and Price. No matter how good a coach is (emphasis on good which excludes bad) the great bball Tech alums will bring the best of best local, regional, and national talent to Ga Tech. Ga Tech bball should be to Atlanta what UGA football (argh) has done with the state. James Forrest is running a first class AAU program located in Atlanta and has top national talent from ages 10-18. Hewitt, for whatever reason, failed to listen to Forrest, Anderson, the Barrys, etc. over the past years. Neal/Price is well worth the shot.
Mark Bradley
March 25th, 2011
12:24 pm
As for the notion that Marshall would be the “safer” choice … why? Has he taken his latest school to the NCAA? No. He did it with regularity at Winthrop, yes. But he hasn’t done it at Wichita State, which is a higher level of competition. And that is, for better or worse, the standard of judging mid-major coaches: Did you get to the NCAA?
Mooney has done it the past two seasons. No question he’s the hotter guy.
Hewitt Fan
March 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
It looks like i was right!..No coach with a good resume wants to come to GT…Mark Bradley is the one to blame!
Hewitt Fan
March 25th, 2011
12:28 pm
@ Tech Forever…
If you really coached at GT, where were you in 2005 when Hewitt got reprimanded after the Duke game? I don’t believe you at all!
ATLER Ramblin Wreck
March 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
M B you are a loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATLER Ramblin Wreck
March 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
Kudos, to me!!!!!!!!!!
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
12:33 pm
Brainiac
Wow. That sucks.
blewitt
March 25th, 2011
12:35 pm
Word is that Mooney is the first choice if he wants it. Price/Neal is being strongly considered and is getting a big push from former players and supporters of the program. If Mooney turns us down It sounds like Price/Neal (one or both) would get the job.
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
12:41 pm
Hewitt Fan
In 2005 I was working for the Tennessee Titans.
GTT
March 25th, 2011
12:42 pm
I’m appointing myself an ex officio member of the committee and voting for Craig Neal. Mark Price might not take an assistant’s job, but Kenny Anderson would.
J W
March 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
Craig Neal.
Jim Shorts
March 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
Mark Bradley, you might want to keep an eye on a website called Inside Tulsa Sports. They reported Wojcik’s connection with Georgia Tech last Sunday and were the first to report he would interview this week. They had an update on it today as well.
collegeballfan
March 25th, 2011
12:58 pm
Do all the coaching record comparisons you want, but bottom line is Tech is a school full of Nerds and Brad Stevens looks like a Nerd. He would be the perfect fit for Tech.
Plus you can compare his record to anyone now coaching, retired or dead.
And yeah, I hear all the “He won’t leave Butler” stories also.
Make him an offer. Let him say NO before giving up on him.
Delbert D.
March 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
Tech doesn’t need “top talent” (one-and-done prima donnas.) Tech needs student-athletes who can be coached to win.
Delbert D.
March 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
Stevens said he would leave Butler if they fired him. He’s under contract through 2022. He’s from the Indy area, close family ties to the area, community active and his wife is a lawyer there.
Gordon
March 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
“And that is, for better or worse, the standard of judging mid-major coaches: Did you get to the NCAA? Mooney has done it the past two seasons. No question he’s the hotter guy.”
Hiring the “hot” guy gets people in trouble sometimes. Even though Marshall hasn’t gotten WSU into the NCAA’s, he HAS won 52 games the last 2 seasons. He’s less risky because he has a good coaching record for the last decade and a half.
The good news here is that either one of these choices will probably work out well, and some other school somewhere will have a great coach with the one that is not hired here. No matter who is hired, I will be behind them 100%.
Gordon
March 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
Thank heavens that Radakovich will make his hire based on the probability of success rather than emotion or nostagia. Neal should be about the 5th or 6th choice behind (at least) Marshall, Mooney, Smart, Martin, and Mack. Price shouldn’t be considered at all. As far as the assistants go, it will be the head coach that decides that. Price coming in a package deal with Neal is a gimmick. I love Price and Neal to death, and have many great memories of them both, but there are much better choices for Georgia Tech at this time.
sportsfan
March 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
Mooney is 1st on list.
T3
March 25th, 2011
1:19 pm
It seems like the honrable thing to do to
intereview former GT alum/great Mark Price and Craig Neal.
D-Rad interviewed also John Tenuta for the Football HC job.
The point being Tenuta had ABSOLUTELY ZERO chance of getting that job.
I strongly doubt D-Rad would choose Price or Neal.
However, I do think D-Rad wants to (needs to) make a “splash” with this B-Ball hire.
He just spent $50+ MIllion to make a BIG chnage.
Now is NOT the time to scrimp on a Head Coach.
Like I’ve been saying. I wouldnt rule out the possibility
of Jamie Dixon from PItt or Jim Beiline of Michigan.
PItt has “hit the ceiling” on what they (and the State of Pennsylvania)
can pay Dixon.at $1.2+ MIllion. For $1.2+ PLUS Incentives,
GT looks a HELLUVA LOT better than Pitt.
I think Dixon could be the guy.
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:20 pm
T3
Drad interviewed Neal earlier in the week I believe.
T3
March 25th, 2011
1:20 pm
Dixon or not, I’m reamin confident D-Rad will make the right choice.
UGA=YAWN
March 25th, 2011
1:22 pm
Lol. Wichita St – Richmond!!?? Dude – we are getting the coach from Butler!!!! That is why it is a ‘might’!!!!
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:23 pm
UGA=YAWN
Well he’s my 1st choice but I don’t see it happening nor see any reason why he’d leave Butler for Tech…..I wouldn’t
UGA=YAWN
March 25th, 2011
1:28 pm
Anyone would leave wherever they are to coach in the ACC week in and week out versus the likes of Duke and UNC. We still are, irregardless of what the NCAA committee thinks, the premier college basketball conference in the country. And last I checked, Atlanta is a spectacular city to do it in!!!
Butwadduino
March 25th, 2011
1:32 pm
I could support Mooney or a couple of the other ‘next great coaches’, but I’d prefer Craig Neal. He may not be the absolutely best qualified candidate on paper, but his legitimate college and NBA resume as a player, coach, and administrator, combined with unique intangibles (e.g., well-liked alumnus who would not have to adapt to Tech, energetic and engaging personality friendly with the media, solid recruiter with Atlanta and GA connections, reasonably affordable) make him a very solid choice to resurrect the program. If DRad believes Neal has all of the inherent tools necessary to succeed but that the lack of HC experience is a weakness, it should not prevent him from going with Neal. Instead, hire Neal and address this potential issue by (1) augmenting him with a strong staff and (2) hiring a recently retired HC (Fogler?) for a year or two to act as a consultant/consigliore to ‘the program’ and to advise on any part of the job that only an experienced HC could know.
okiemon
March 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Might as well get into the fray. I could get excited about Neal, but primarily because he’s got a decent coaching – though not head coaching, yet – resume. The fact that he’s a Tech b-ball alumnus is icing on the cake, but not the reason we should hire him. That didn’t work out so well with Bill Curry in football, did it?
Having said that, I agree with collegeballfan – his name-calling and poor logic aside – that if DRad wants Stevens, he should ask him. But if he does ask him, and he says no, we’ll probably never know that he asked. So it would be nuts to assume we “gave up on him”.
My money’s on Mooney.
BYRDDAWG
March 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
I say bring back phewitt!!!!! He’d coach for nothing & we REALLY like him! Just sayin…
Gordon
March 25th, 2011
1:36 pm
Look at this from Stevens’ point of view. If he were to come here, the expectations would be sky high. If he hadn’t won the ACC or taken us to the final four in the first 3 years people would be disappointed. He would have to do this competing against two elite programs in our conference. I just don’t think he wants to sign up for that.
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
UGA=YAWN
Oh I don’t know. I do think the ACC is still the premier conference, but Stevens has an opportunity to be the John Wooden of Butler basketball. He already makes over $1M per year. He’s a talent-rich region of the country. He has a fraction of the pressure other places put on coaches. I mean I’m not so sure I’d leave Butler if I were him. Byrd has been asked 1000 times why he’s never left Belmont and his response is always something to the effect of “why would I leave? I make more than enough money, I love where I live, I love the university. Leaving would just be fueling my ego and uselessly fattening my wallet.”
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
Gordon
Well said.
Marquis
March 25th, 2011
1:45 pm
What about Anthony Grant??
Dink
March 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
I agree Mark, definitely Mooney.
BTW, wondering what your thoughts are on Arizona. Were you surprised at the ease with which they handled Duke? Do you think ‘Zona and the Buckeyes are the two best teams right now?
UGA=YAWN
March 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
Kansas is the best team and will win it all!
GT hulk
March 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
Whoever we get, hope he goes after 4 year players and less tattoos. No wonder GT players cant hit free throws, all those tattoos weigh arms down.
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:50 pm
Having said that about Byrd, I could see the Knoxville native leaving for the Tennessee job. But that would have nothing to do with the SEC or money and everything to do with a 57 year old man ending his career at the school he grew up in love with and then played at.
Tech Forever
March 25th, 2011
1:52 pm
Ken Pomeroy has picked the NCAA Champion 6 years straight and 8 of the last 9. I’m going with him and the Buckeyes.
Buzzzed
March 25th, 2011
1:56 pm
@Hewitt Fan
I said that Duke getting calls from the ACC refs was “good for business”. Now here is the proof. Looks like Duke floats the ACC. Check out the entry from March 14:
http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/author/prishe/
TECHLOSERS
March 25th, 2011
1:56 pm
Why don’t we hire Dennis Felton, I think he beat us once or twice he was at the best BB program in GA. I personally think we should hire Bruce Pearl!!!
Not A Hewitt Fan
March 25th, 2011
1:57 pm
I aint so sure bout this Princeton O. That being said, look at our Football O. If we gonna be weird on the Flats, might as well go ALL the WAY (turnt up).
William Satterwhite
March 25th, 2011
1:59 pm
Mark, while Wojcik from Tulsa obviously shouldn’t be Tech’s top candidate, I think you’re being a bit too harsh. For one thing, comparing him to past Tulsa coaches ignores on vital fact- Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith and Bill Self (don’t know anything about the other guy you mentioned) never had to compete for an NCAA against an elite John Calipari-built Memphis program like Wojcik had to do for all but the last two seasons. And that’s not to mention the likes of UAB, UTEP and Houston (and now Southern Miss and UCF could be added to that list) who are solid programs in their own right. When dealing with mid-major coaches, overall postseason appearances (and how the team does in those appearances) are a much better barometer of their success and Wojcik holds his own in that regard. Again, he’s clearly a step behind Marshall and Mooney but as long as those guys aren’t available yet anyway, he’s a good guy to interview and have on the shortlist.
Buzzzed
March 25th, 2011
2:07 pm
Wojcik wouldn’t excite the fan base. This would be compatible to Auburn hiring Chizik, who had a horrible record, as FB coach. The Chizik hire has turned out well for them recently though – the whole national championship thing and all.
Buzzzed
March 25th, 2011
2:08 pm
correction – “This would be comparable… “
blewitt
March 25th, 2011
2:16 pm
Not a chance they hire Wojcik.
the murf
March 25th, 2011
2:22 pm
Maybe MB should run a column on who will not be the next Tech coach…
GT
March 25th, 2011
2:23 pm
Craig Neal’s not Noodles any more. I would not have pick him out of a lineup.
Hewitt Fan
March 25th, 2011
2:28 pm
@Buzzzed that was an interesting article..but it still is not fair!.
Dennis Benedict
March 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
Craig Neal would be an outstanding choice, former Georgia Tech star, former NBA player, former NBA coach, sports agent, and the man who calls the offensive shots in New Mexico. He also is an Indiana native who has strong connections to the basketball talent in that state. You can’t go wrong with this guy!!!
TomB
March 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
Mooney is the best fit for Tech, no doubt. Is he interested? I don’t know why not. I believe this is who Drad is waiting for.
Now, if it comes down to the former GT players, then I would prefer Price as Head coach and Neal the assistant. Why has Neal not been asked to be a head coach? No one has taken a chance on him. Why not? He has years of experience as an assistant and now associate head coach, but still no offers. Makes Neal more of a gamble in my opinion. I would take the smarter player, and Price has the best basketball IQ of any former player out there. If I had to gamble, then it would be on Price.
G
March 25th, 2011
3:01 pm
Craig Neal? Come on you can’t be serious