Georgia Tech’s thinning search: Is anyone left? Why, yes
Shaka Smart and his astounding VCU victors: Can Tech afford to wait on him? (AP photo)
We’ve been saying for a while that Georgia Tech would have to focus on a mid-major coach due to money, or the lack thereof. Trouble is, this looks more and more like the wrong time to be hiring a mid-major coach. Because Chris Mooney just re-upped at Richmond. Because Cuonzo Martin just made the leap from Missouri State to Tennessee. And this leaves the Jackets … where?
Maybe with Gregg Marshall of Wichita State, whose Shockers are still playing in the NIT. Maybe with Brian Gregory of Dayton, although the reaction Friday night to a series of Tweets indicating Tech had already offered Gregory the job was so negative it had to give pause. Maybe even with Doug Wojcik of Tulsa, although I can’t believe he’d be received any more positively than Gregory would.
And what of Shaka Smart? The VCU wonder — no coach in NCAA history has ever had to win five times just to reach the Final Four — has at least one more game on his calendar, and waiting to interview Smart would not only put Tech far behind its April 1 target but would also leave the school open to being turned down at a very late date.
The loose consensus — on the outside, if not the inside — was that Tech had been waiting on Mooney. He apparently interviewed Sunday and then went home and said, “More money to stay in place? I’ll take it.” That he’s no longer available and that Martin, whom I’ve trumpeted for six weeks, is moving to Knoxville limits the Jackets’ options but doesn’t mean they still can’t find the right coach.
Last week I thought it would be Mooney or Marshall, in that order. Now I think it will be Marshall. But I’m also thinking the candidacy of Craig Neal — the former Jacket who’s a New Mexico assistant — is growing longer legs with every day.
By Mark Bradley
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347 comments Add your comment
TomB
March 27th, 2011
9:26 pm
If you take Drad at his word then money cannot be the issue. He said Tech would have considerable resources to throw at a new coach. Now, either he was being less than honest, or Tech should still be in play for anyone around 1.5 million annually. Did Mooney get this big of a raise? Everyone keeps saying Tech doesn’t have the money, but this doesn’t square with Drad’s statements in my opinion.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:26 pm
Oh yeah Mark – I actually like your comment about Chris Collins – what’s your take on him?
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:27 pm
thwg: haha. Still talking about Tubby? Your “inside info” must involve “KY”. Really, anytime anyone says “I have inside info” on one of these sites you can hear the laughter across the Southeast. At first I pitied you, but now I see you are really just joking. What a hoot.
Lethal Weapon
March 27th, 2011
9:27 pm
hey inbredvilles, any uga astronauts flying over your s___hole in the past decade or ever for that matter? thought not, maybe you are the joke, you finished in football with the same sorry record of 6 and 7, and that was with all your 5 stars…geez guess that makes you inbreds from the woodsheds
if Shaka is leaving, GT will be the place if DRAD can wait another week. GT and company need to find a way to get to Shakas people(agent, wife, relative, best friend just to see if he would talk after the tournament. otherwise why waste this time. Surely, Shaka is aware of the deadline that is becoming an issue.
Now all the Mooney lovers are jumping on the Marshall bandwagon, why Marshall? Even if he wins the NIT, so what? I lived in SC and none in that state is as impressed with him as much as you people on this blog seem to be. (just 22 yr olds that went to Winthrop when he was coach there) Why did not SC or Clemson hire the former Winthrop darling? Both passed on him and now GT is stuck with him?
GT should call Bobby Cremins and offer him the job before going after Marshall. NOT IMPRESSED.
PRICE AND NEAL should be the choice. There are plenty who want that so do not think you Marshall people have the overwhelming majority because you do not.
BTW, when some of the reports said that Dayton coach was coming to GT, the Dayton fans on their blogs were celebrating and hoping to get rid of him.
William Satterwhite
March 27th, 2011
9:27 pm
Delbert, Alford at Iowa seems to be kind of like Sendek at NC St as a case where the fans became dissatisfied with the coach not being successful enough for their tastes.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:27 pm
But the Alford/Iowa divorce was an ugly one. He left to take the New Mexico job having taken the Hawkeyes to the NCAA three times in seven seasons and having never had a losing season.
Iowa’s an odd place. Fans there are very passionate about basketball. But you’ll recall Lute Olson left Iowa to coach Arizona.
Delbert D.
March 27th, 2011
9:28 pm
Bobby Hurley is currently an assistant to his brother Dan at Wagner. I picked that up from the 60 Minutes piece on Bob Hurley tonight. But, read Bobby’s Wiki entry and check out his financial problem with the loan on the race horse he owned.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:28 pm
And what would you think if it is Marshall? When do they play next and who do they play – sorry, I’ve been too busy with the NCAA
Isiah Rider
March 27th, 2011
9:29 pm
i can coach……………..
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:29 pm
Wichita State plays Washington State Tuesday night.
Ed Stone
March 27th, 2011
9:30 pm
Not that he’d be interested but what about Tommy Amaker? He had a good run with Seton Hall and who could blame him for the train wreck he inherited at Michigan? He made a winner out of Harvard who has no athletic scholarships.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:31 pm
Thanks Mark.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:31 pm
I think Marshall is a good coach. I believe I’ve mentioned that an AD of my acquaintance — not Dan Radakovich, I should attest — calls him the best mid-major coach in the country. I’m not sure about his personality. He’s said to have a healthy ego.
Then again, so do I.
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:31 pm
Tech has plenty of money to find a good coach, but not to get into a bidding war with a NC State. I agree that DRad would not have made a point of saying money was not really an issue if it weren’t true. There would be no reason to mislead anyone. But even NC State, who has floated out the figure $3 million a year several times, has found few really worthy, big names available. They will make a big hire eventually, I think. But Tech isn’t as desperate as State and shouldn’t have to pay as much to find a suitable hire.
Tim
March 27th, 2011
9:31 pm
It’s Gregory. Done deal and will get announced before noon tomorrow.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:33 pm
Let me ask y’all a question: If it IS Brian Gregory, how would you feel?
Gordon
March 27th, 2011
9:33 pm
Oh really, Tim? As of 2 days ago Radakovich hadn’t even spoken to the Dayton AD.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:33 pm
It’s not Gregory.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:34 pm
Don’t want Gregory – would rather have Alford and Alford would leave for GT in a NY minute.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:34 pm
Let me go on the record: Brian Gregory will or will not become the next Tech coach.
Skeezix
March 27th, 2011
9:35 pm
Bobby Hurley learned coaching from his Hall of Fame father and, of course, from K. He and his brother have made significant improvement at Wagner –but he has never been a head coach and I don’t think he would coach in the ACC as long as K is still coaching at Duke (unless it is at Coach K’s side).
moorman
March 27th, 2011
9:35 pm
on the real, what i would do is is TRY and rework hewitt’s contract where they could pay him on the back end, use the money upfront and get shaka smart. laugh, tech is in a peculiar situation, they HAVE to market this team. shaka would bring more than coaching, he would bring at least two years of excitement and anticipation to the program. they got to do it….
Delbert D.
March 27th, 2011
9:35 pm
Didn’t Eddie Fogler say that as well? Or maybe somebody said the same thing about Wojcik. This is getting to be confusing.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
It’s worth noting, Drad isn’t going to hire someone now that he could hire in 2 weeks after taking a shot at Smart, Stevens or Marshall. Gregory, Neal, Price, etc, etc will all be there in 3 weeks
Tim
March 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
Alford knows GT is a black hole. Gregory is the only guy who can win a press conference that is willing to jump to a tough spot right now.
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
There is something about Shaka Smart’s enthusiasm and passion that reminds me of a young Bobby Cremins. And every head coach he’s worked for raves about him. But he’s winning his way right out of our price range. (Yes, we have money, but we don’t have enough to throw away on a gamble, lest we end up worse off than Hurley on his racehorse.)
Tim
March 27th, 2011
9:36 pm
Smart and Stevens are definitely not coming. Marshall, who knows what he might do.
Gordon
March 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
I would feel very very disappointed. To not even talk with Marshall would be a mistake (unless he has said he has no interest behind the scenes). I would rather have the Tulsa guy (record not bad if you look closer) or Neal before Gregory. Neal is a risk, but he comes cheap and said something I really liked: “I would have to hire my assistants with my weaknesses in mind”. But he is at least 3rd on my list. Gregory is way down the list, and hiring him means surrender to mediocrity.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
People, if it was going to be someone who isn’t coaching any more we’d have already hired them.
Skeezix
March 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
Don’t know why no one has called Dino Gaudio–a proven ACC head coach who is available and has something to prove.
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
DRad knows more about Tech’s needs and situation than all of us put together. It’s fun to speculate and pontificate, but I’m willing to trust him.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Let’s put it this way, Gordon: I would be stunned if Gregg Marshall had said behind the scenes he has no interest in Tech.
5150 UOAD
March 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Mark
Funny
Tech will HAVE a new coach. That much I do KNOW. LOL
Dollar Bill
March 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Ok so our first choice has said he will be staying put.I wonder if Marshall would dance again with NCSU? Yow will handle the situation much better. Heck he may go to OU now that Buzz Williams is rumored to re-up at Marquette. OU has to be sweating it. Amaker still in play for GT I would imagine.
gomabman2
March 27th, 2011
9:38 pm
Mark, nice blogs running on the GT coaching search. Shaka Smart would be the right coach for the program and is worth the wait for the asking. I do believe that they should not get desperate on the count of money. A couple of other names come to mind. Hmmm…Danny Manning, Rod Strickland. And what of the Anthony Grant and Brad Stevens situation?
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
Well said, Gordo.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
I don’t know, Skeezix. Dino Gaudio wasted so much talent at Wake Forest.
Delbert D.
March 27th, 2011
9:39 pm
I said this earlier, but I took another look at Gregory’s bio on the Dayton site, and I don’t understand all of the negativity, even though I pounced quickly and hard on the BS Sports (whatever) website rumor on Friday. It looks as if Dayton fans are similar to Iowa fans.
gomabman2
March 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Gregory isnt even liked in Dayton. I’ve seen several blogs in his area wanting him to leave. Doesnt sound too inviting.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:40 pm
Exactly Mark – GT is an upgrade for 90% of the jobs out there. Tulsa, Wichita, Richmond, VCU – are you kidding? If offered, any of those guys would come. Steven is building Butler like Few did at Gonzaga – no real reason for him to leave, but would love it if he would.
Skeezix
March 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
GT can just forget about Smart and Stevens—ain’t gonna happen.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:41 pm
Grant makes too much money, gomabman2. Stevens isn’t leaving Butler, at least not anytime soon. Strickland just got demoted from assistant coach to administrative assistant at Kentucky after another DUI. Danny Manning works for the guy who got outcoached by Shaka Smart.
FullMetalJacket
March 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
One reason why searches are kept secret is the “Catch 22″ that if you hire the first guy you like you are open to criticism for not shopping around, and if you interview too many guys and pick an earlier guy, you then you look like you’ve been spurned and you’re settling.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
Mark – how about the coaches at George Mason, Marquette or Morehead State?
Delbert D.
March 27th, 2011
9:42 pm
FullMetalJacket – I bet that Smart can pronounce “nemesis”, as opposed to Bobby Cremins’ “nemis”.
thwg
March 27th, 2011
9:43 pm
Oh yeah, I also heard the coach from BYU might leave since they have a conference change next year?
Gordon
March 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
If you are right, Mark, we should go after him with everything we’ve got. I would be very excited if we hired him, and would be a Mooney fan forever for not coming. If he doesn’t come, I think the Tulsa coach should be plan B and Neal plan C.
Mark Bradley
March 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
Having grown up two hours from Dayton, I can say this: That’s a mid-major that takes the sport very seriously. (The Flyers were NCAA runners-up to Lew Alcindor’s first UCLA team.) I believe he’s a good coach with a good pedigree. But this was supposed to be a very talented Dayton team, and it didn’t make the NCAA. There’s a lot of disappointment up there at the moment.
Bill
March 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
From someone who actually got to watch Dayton a few times, I really don’t want Gregory. His teams play hard defense, but he does something Hewitt used to do….call TIMEOUTS at inappropiate points of the game. This is a very bad sign as any Tech fan should know.
Find it funny that geniuses on this board are calling Tech a ‘Black Hole”. Atlanta, ACC and NBA players. My guess is Mooney didn’t get enough ( as in $$) to leave. REMEMBER this…sometimes hiring a hot coach from a mid major can be deadly. Keno Davis led Drake to the NCAA’s and Providence jumped on him after one fabulous yaer at Drake. Three years later, he is gone.
That being said, Mooney would have been a good fit for Tech. Hopefully, Rad will not hire the next comparable Chan Gailey as Men’s Hoops coach.
gomabman2
March 27th, 2011
9:44 pm
Speaking of Danny Manning…he is in part responsible for the talent that Kansas gets. No lack of coaching ability. They ran into a buzz saw. But it does not negate the fact that they know how to get ready for the dance.