2006-07 Coaching Changes
Every season, plenty of programs change coaches and for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the previous coach is fired or forced out because of bad performance; in others, unfortunately, the coach is fired because of a violation of some sort. Still others decide to move on from coaching altogether, whether for a career change or to retire. Following from that, we have cases where the coach leaves for a better job in some way, whether it’s at a school in a higher-level conference, closer to his hometown or a higher salary, or some combination thereof. Whatever the reason, there is a change at the top, one that programs hope will be for the better.
One thing that has become increasingly clear is the importance of coaches knowing the landscape at many schools. Some athletic directors have made rather puzzling hires relative to this over the years, and it has shown up in the results. There are exceptions, of course; Herb Sendek did a lot of winning at North Carolina State despite no clear ties to North Carolina when he took the job. But a good number of coaches who have been fired or otherwise let go were in situations where they didn’t know the landscape.
An interesting note on the coaching changes has to do with head coaching experience. In recent years, there have been some coaches hired at high-major programs who had no prior head coaching experience and were not assistants in the same program, and who have not turned out well. As this has been the case a few times, it was sure to be an item to watch for this off-season. In the end, the only new head coaches at high-major programs with no prior head coaching experience were assistants at their school: Sean Sutton at Oklahoma State, Fred Hill at Rutgers and Tony Bennett at Washington State.
Here is a look at the coaching changes this off-season, many of which were already in place by the time the season was over.
Arizona State
Previous coach: Rob Evans
New coach: Herb Sendek
Analysis: The Sun Devils will try again with a coach that has some similar qualities. Rob Evans is a class act and ran a clean program, but didn’t get enough wins to keep his job. Sendek is one of the good guys in college basketball and a solid coach who won in a tough setting at North Carolina State. There were constantly calls for his job despite bringing the Wolfpack to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and more wins than all but three coaches in the school’s history. He’s also getting it done on the recruiting trail very quickly for his second season and beyond in Tempe.
Ball State
Previous coach: Tim Buckley
New coach: Ronny Thompson
Analysis: John Thompson does it again, as he now has two sons in the Division I head coaching ranks. Ronny Thompson brings some NBA experience with the Philadelphia 76ers to the table in addition to helping Stan Heath bring Arkansas back to the NCAA Tournament in recent years. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant in Fayetteville after five seasons at Georgetown, his alma mater.
Brown
Previous coach: Glen Miller
New coach: Craig Robinson
Analysis: Miller was said to be a candidate for a couple of job openings in April before he took the job at Penn. In June, the school hired Robinson, who was a former Player of the Year at Princeton and spent many years in the financial sector before becoming an assistant at Northwestern. The big question is if, as a Princeton alum, he is married to the Princeton offense, as several other Ivy League schools have tried it and failed thus far. Miller had success running a motion offense.
Canisius
Previous coach: Mike MacDonald
New coach: Tom Parrotta
Analysis: MacDonald had some talent, but never did as much with it as many thought possible, ending his tenure with four consecutive seasons of 20 or more losses. In comes Parrotta, a former Hofstra assistant who has a track record of winning and who has recruited talent from around Canisius’ home base, as Loren Stokes and Chris Gadley are from that area. The Golden Griffins and their fans certainly hope he keeps that talent closer to home, which would help turn their fortunes around.
Central Michigan
Previous coach: Jay Smith
New coach: Ernie Zeigler
Analysis: Detroit native Ziegler comes to his home state after helping lead UCLA to the national championship game. He spent five seasons as an assistant under Ben Howland at Pittsburgh and UCLA, so he worked for a winner before taking this job. Ziegler is also a little familiar with the MAC, having been an assistant at Bowling Green in 2001. With his roots in the state and experience coaching an AAU team, he should prove to be a solid choice for the Chippewas.
Cincinnati
Previous coach: Andy Kennedy (interim)
New coach: Mick Cronin
Analysis: Kennedy did an excellent job in a tough situation, as he not only had to take over for a legend but also had a team that was riddled with injuries. Cronin is a Rick Pitino disciple and known for his recruiting, but let’s face it: Murray State has a tradition and recruiting and winning there certainly isn’t as difficult as it will be at Cincinnati in the 16-team Big East. That’s not to say he isn’t capable of getting the job done there, only that it will be a major challenge.
The Citadel
Previous coach: Pat Dennis
New coach: Ed Conroy
Analysis: Conroy takes over at his alma mater after working for Buzz Peterson for six years, following him from Tulsa to Tennessee and Coastal Carolina. It has all the looks of a good hire: besides being an alum, he is familiar with the Southern Conference, as his experience also includes work at VMI when they were in the conference and Furman during the 1990s.
Cleveland State
Previous coach: Mike Garland
New coach: Gary Waters
Analysis: Garland didn’t last long in Cleveland, fired after three short seasons. Taking his place is Waters, who was let go by Rutgers but should be a better fit now that he’s back in the Midwest. He did plenty of winning out there before, so this looks like a very good hire for Cleveland State.
College of Charleston
Previous coach: Tom Herrion
New coach: Bobby Cremins
Analysis: Herrion’s firing in mid-June made no sense for a couple of reasons. For starters, he was 80-38 in four seasons – not exactly a pedestrian record, even though the number of wins declined each year. The team was likely to be a favorite in the Southern Conference next year. It also made little sense because of the timing – just a couple of weeks before the crucial July recruiting period began. Reports are that athletic director Jerry Baker and Herrion were not on the same page – fine, but did it really take until mid-June to figure that out? Cremins missed coaching and wanted to return, and he has an excellent track record, so they got a good replacement.
Delaware
Previous coach: David Henderson
New coach: Monte Ross
Analysis: Ross is a solid hire for Delaware, and he becomes one of the youngest head coaches in the country at age 33. He had a large hand in the recruitment of Jameer Nelson and was Phil Martelli’s top assistant. In recent years, the Hawks have become a consistent postseason team (six straight years) and one that has won a lot of games in the month of March.
Duquesne
Previous coach: Danny Nee
New coach: Ron Everhart
Analysis: The latest to try his hand at reversing this team’s fortunes is Everhart, who remembers the good days of basketball at the school when he was growing up a little ways from there. The Dukes have had one winning season in 20 years and haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in 30 years, so on the surface it appears Everhart has a tall order ahead. He’s certainly made basketball relevant there again, as there has been a big increase in season ticket demand already while he’s completely overhauled the roster. Whether that translates to consistent winning remains to be seen. September’s tragic shooting of five players didn’t make it easier in the immediate, but basketball isn’t the most important outcome of that and judging any coach’s tenure can’t be done on just the first year, anyway.
Fairfield
Previous coach: Tim O’Toole
New coach: Ed Cooley
Analysis: Cooley takes the job after a great run as an assistant at Boston College, where he helped recruit a number of key players to the Eagles’ recent success. He knows how to find players who can play the game and especially those who fly under the radar, which are always important at a mid-major. In many respects, that mirrors his career, as he’s a solid recruiter and coach but never had his name come up in discussions of top assistant coaches.
Florida Atlantic
Previous coach: Matt Doherty
New coach: Rex Walters
Analysis: Doherty made it a short run in the Sunshine State, leaving after just one season for SMU. He said last year that Walters, who was his associate coach last year, will be a head coach one day, and that day has arrived already. Walters played at Kansas and has a solid reputation for his knowledge of the game, so he’s certainly well-qualified for the job.
Furman
Previous coach: Larry Davis
New coach: Jeff Jackson
Analysis: Davis left to take an assistant coaching position on Mick Cronin’s new staff at Cincinnati. Jackson, who most recently was an assistant at Vanderbilt, has head coaching experience as he was once the head coach at New Hampshire. He has made his mark as a recruiter over the years as an assistant at Stanford and Vanderbilt, and he also put together a nice class at New Hampshire one year.
Hampton
Previous coach: Bobby Collins
New coach: Kevin Nickelberry
Analysis: Collins’ resignation not long after Hampton won the MEAC Tournament to reach the NCAA came as a real surprise. Nickelberry, the new head coach, comes with an excellent track record as an assistant at places like Holy Cross, Charlotte and Clemson. He’s done a lot of recruiting and a lot of winning in his career thus far. Once he got the job, he formed a staff quickly, and they were seen early and often on the road in April checking out recruits for this year and beyond. However, two have already moved on, so the task gets a little more challenging.
Hartford
Previous coach: Larry Harrison
New coach: Dan Leibovitz
Analysis: Harrison was the America East Coach of the Year, but resigned with a year left on his contract after there had been talk for a while that he was on the hot seat. Leibovitz comes with solid credentials as one of the good young coaches in the game after 10 years as an assistant under John Chaney at Temple. He knows the game well, and he’s been a key recruiter for most of his career, so he’s ready for this challenge.
Idaho
Previous coach: Leonard Perry
New coach: George Pfeifer
Analysis: Pfeifer takes over after spending last season as an assistant at the school. Prior to this, he turned around the fortunes of Lewis-Clark State College (his alma mater), where he was head coach for 16 seasons after two seasons as an assistant. He comes with a solid reputation as a coach, and has won after working as an assistant before, so there’s reason to think that Idaho has some better days ahead.
Idaho State
Previous coach: Doug Oliver
New coach: Joe O’Brien
Analysis: O’Brien did plenty of winning at junior colleges with three national titles, which would seem to bode well in this job. Many Big Sky teams go the junior college route for recruits, and now they have someone who knows that landscape well and has proven he can win.
Indiana
Previous coach: Mike Davis
New coach: Kelvin Sampson
Analysis: This will be an intriguing hire for a lot of reasons. Sampson is not an Indiana guy, which many felt would be a must given the fractured fan base in Bloomington. He’s also had mixed results in the NCAA Tournament, and may also bring NCAA sanctions with him. He’s had a good deal of success in his career, but it remains to be seen if his not being an Indiana guy and the sanctions trump his abilities as a coach.
Iowa State
Previous coach: Wayne Morgan
New coach: Greg McDermott
Analysis: McDermott was one of the hot names thanks to the job he did at Northern Iowa, and Iowa State moved quickly to snag him before another high-major did. His winning ways will be welcome at Iowa State, where inconsistency has been the norm for a while now.
Kansas State
Previous coach: Jim Wooldridge
New coach: Bob Huggins
Analysis: Wooldridge had his moments while running the show in Manhattan, but it wasn’t enough. So now Huggins makes his return to the world of college basketball, and he’s quickly made the school in the “Little Apple” relevant again on the college basketball scene. His track record speaks for itself, so before long it won’t be a surprise if the Wildcats are contending for Big 12 titles on a regular basis.
Lamar
Previous coach: Billy Tubbs
New coach: Steve Roccaforte
Analysis: Tubbs retired after his second stint as the school’s head coach and stayed on as athletic director. Roccaforte was promoted from within and is a good choice, as he was the recruiting coordinator and thus knows the players on this team well. He has a long record of recruiting excellent talent to build winning teams, so don’t be surprised if the Cardinals are contending again the Southland before long.
Manhattan
Previous coach: Bobby Gonzalez
New coach: Barry Rohrssen
Analysis: Gonzalez was ticketed for a Big East program for a few years, and it finally happened this spring when he took the job at Seton Hall. Taking over for him is Rohrssen, an excellent hire given his ability to recruit New York players and with his reputation for being a tireless worker. He was a big reason the Panthers have had the success they have had recently with players from there. He hired a staff with plenty of knowledge of the New York area, so don’t be surprised if he steals a high-major player or two along the way.
McNeese State
Previous coach: Tic Price
New coach: Dave Simmons
Analysis: Price’s firing was a bit surprising considering it came in late July, but he didn’t quite keep the program at the level it was when he took it over. Simmons comes with a winning background from the past seven seasons as an assistant at Northwestern State, and he knows the Southland Conference from that time. Prior to his recent stint, he was part of the staff of two other Southland champions, so he also knows about winning in the conference.
Mississippi
Previous coach: Rod Barnes
New coach: Andy Kennedy
Analysis: Kennedy did an excellent job under very difficult circumstances last season, and his reward is a return to his home state. He takes over for Barnes, who had signed a nice recruiting class before resigning after the season. Kennedy has proven he can coach and the cupboard isn’t bare, but it will be at least a couple of seasons before the Rebels have the talent to contend in the SEC, which figures to be excellent in 2006-07.
Missouri
Previous coach: Quin Snyder
New coach: Mike Anderson
Analysis: Snyder was on arguably the hottest seat in America before his resignation near the end of the season, so most knew this job was going to open up. Anderson did a terrific job at UAB with his fast-paced teams, as they loved to push the tempo and get after opponents. He’ll certainly get fans interested again in Columbia, and his track record suggests the results will follow.
Montana
Previous coach: Larry Krystkowiak
New coach: Wayne Tinkle
Analysis: Krystkowiak got the program going again and moved on to the NBA as an assistant coach. Tinkle was promoted from his job as the top assistant, meaning the continuity will be there as he has been with the program for five years through three head coaches. He also wasted little time making an impact on the recruiting trail, as he secured a summer commitment from the state’s top player, 6’10” forward Derek Selvig.
Montana State
Previous coach: Mick Durham
New coach: Brad Huse
Analysis: Durham retired after 16 years as head coach at the school and a Big Sky record 246 career victories. Huse takes over after two seasons at in-state rival Montana and was once an assistant under Durham during the mid-1990s. He has a good knowledge of basketball in the state, having played at Montana Tech as well, and is well-respected in Big Sky circles.
Morehead State
Previous coach: Kyle Macy
New coach: Donnie Tyndall
Analysis: Macy went 106-144 in nine seasons, but they never quite fulfilled the promise they had at times during his tenure. An alum, Tyndall was most recently the associate coach at Middle Tennessee State, so he knows the general area well. He has a solid history as a recruiter and not just in the region, as he also had success in one season on the staff at Idaho.
Morgan State
Previous coach: Butch Beard
New coach: Todd Bozeman
Analysis: Ten years ago, Bozeman looked like he might be one of the rising stars in coaching when he was a very young head coach at California. Then he paid $30,000 to a recruit’s family, and suddenly the fact that the Golden Bears underachieved wasn’t the most important thing about his tenure there. He got the “show-cause” tag, which meant that a school who wanted to hire him would have to go in front of the infractions committee and explain how they would pro-actively monitor the coach for NCAA compliance. Certainly, Bozeman brings notoriety to a school that doesn’t normally get much while playing in a small conference. What else he brings remains to be seen, having been out of the college game for a while, although in that time he did NBA scouting, summer league and international coaching and working camps and clinics.
Murray State
Previous coach: Mick Cronin
New coach: Billy Kennedy
Analysis: Cronin made the move to Cincinnati, taking over for interim coach Andy Kennedy there. Kennedy comes after a good run at Southeastern Louisiana that included going 44-18 the last two seasons and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2005. He faces a new challenge now: whereas Southeastern Louisiana was struggling when he took the job, Murray State won the Ohio Valley last year and is a traditional power, so now his challenge is to keep up the winning ways.
Nebraska
Previous coach: Barry Collier
New coach: Kenneth “Doc” Sadler
Analysis: Collier left in July to become the athletic director at his alma mater. He didn’t get a contract extension after the season, so it might have been just a matter of time before this job opened up despite some recent success there. Speaking of recent success, Sadler has had plenty of it. He’s one of the fast-rising coaches, having had a good run at UTEP before getting this job.
New Orleans
Previous coach: Monty Towe
New coach: Buzz Williams
Analysis: Towe left to become the top assistant on Sidney Lowe’s staff at NC State. In his place is Williams, who has been a top assistant at a couple of schools, most recently at Texas A&M. He has an excellent background and a solid work ethic, and that’s what the doctor ordered in a city that is still suffering from the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina.
North Carolina State
Previous coach: Herb Sendek
New coach: Sidney Lowe
Analysis: What can be said about this job search that hasn’t been said already? It was well-chronicled because fans and the media basically chased Herb Sendek out of town after a great run, and that was likely one reason it was not an easy job to fill. Lowe hasn’t been handed the best situation, as the Wolfpack had no one on the road during the April recruiting period and he inherits a team that has lost a good deal of talent and experience. How good will he be? His NBA track record isn’t impressive, but the college game is different and this is his alma mater, so the jury is out.
UNC-Wilmington
Previous coach: Brad Brownell
New coach: Benny Moss
Analysis: There have been a number of questions surrounding this program since the end of the season, starting with Brownell’s surprising departure for Wright State. There have been rumors about the athletic program moving to a smaller conference, and some news stories in the local media suggest that athletic director Mike Capaccio is on the hot seat. So Moss doesn’t come into an easy situation at all, though the program has done a great deal of winning in recent years, including four CAA titles in seven seasons.
Northeastern
Previous coach: Ron Everhart
New coach: Bill Coen
Analysis: Northeastern has a terrific hire in Coen, known as one of the top talent evaluators in the country. He had a lot to do with the recent success at Boston College, from recruiting players who flew under the radar and became college stars to his knowledge of the game. The Huskies may struggle this year with a depleted lineup, but Coen will surely get everything possible out of his team and will have to recruit the same types of players he recruited to Boston College. He and his staff know the Boston area well, and they should clean up with local mid-major talents and improve the program’s image, which (undeservingly) has taken a hit in recent years despite the winning.
Northern Colorado
Previous coach: Craig Rasmuson
New coach: Tad Boyle
Analysis: Rasmuson moved on to become the school’s Director of Athletic Development after seven years as head coach at the school and 12 overall as a college head coach. Boyle returns to his hometown, taking over in late April after an excellent run over the past six seasons as the top assistant on Mark Turgeon’s staff at Wichita State. He has a solid track record as an assistant, having also worked at Oregon and Tennessee under Jerry Green.
Northern Iowa
Previous coach: Greg McDermott
New coach: Ben Jacobson
Analysis: Many figured McDermott would be headed to another school in the state, and that wound up being the case as he took the Iowa State job. The program moved quickly to promote Jacobson, doing what several Missouri Valley schools have done recently with plenty of success – promoting a top assistant to the head job.
Oklahoma
Previous coach: Kelvin Sampson
New coach: Jeff Capel
Analysis: It was an off-season of surprises in Norman with this job, as no one imagined Kelvin Sampson becoming the next Indiana head coach and the choice of Capel surprised many as well. Capel has an outstanding basketball background and is already on track for a great coaching career. At VCU, he was a consistent winner in his first head coaching job, but there’s more than numbers to him. He’s far more worldly than your average 31-year-old and has a keen sense of what needs to be done to succeed. One shouldn’t be surprised if the Sooners remain a national power and even reach new heights under Jeff Capel.
Oklahoma State
Previous coach: Eddie Sutton
New coach: Sean Sutton
Analysis: The Cowboys have had a good deal of personnel turnover the last couple of years, so Sean Sutton takes over for his dad at a crucial time for the program. Sutton knows the program very well, having played there and spent the last 13 years as an assistant coach, but the jury is out on him as a head coach. One plus in being designated three years ago as his father’s successor is that he already has plenty of experience in dealing with the media.
Penn
Previous coach: Fran Dunphy
New coach: Glen Miller
Analysis: Miller was rumored to be a candidate for a couple of openings before he took the job at Penn, replacing Fran Dunphy after he moved north to take the job at Temple. Miller had a good deal of success at Brown, which included an NIT appearance – rare for an Ivy League team. He’ll be the only coach in the Philadelphia Big 5 without clear ties to Philadelphia, but he knows the Ivy League and will try to keep the Quakers on top.
Pepperdine
Previous coach: Paul Westphal
New coach: Vance Walberg
Analysis: Walberg comes with a solid track record out west, most recently at nearby LA City College, where he went 133-11 in four seasons. His style of up-tempo, high-scoring basketball should be well-received since the west coast is known for being more wide-open, and he could have some good improvement right away since he inherits a team that returns 12 letterwinners, although that team went 7-20.
Portland
Previous coach: Michael Holton
New coach: Eric Reveno
Analysis: Holton’s teams showed some promise at times during his tenure, but the Pilots just never quite got going. Reveno comes to the school after helping Stanford, his alma mater, win a lot of games the last nine years. Not only does he bring solid experience from an elite academic program, he also spent a couple of years working at a mentoring organization that trains young men to become professional athletes.
Prairie View A&M
Previous coach: Darrell Hawkins (interim)
New coach: Byron Rimm II
Analysis: Hawkins was not offered the permanent position after coaching the team on an interim basis in 2005-06. Rimm, an assistant coach this past season at the school, has a background that includes plenty of experience on the west coast in junior college and Division II schools, as well as a year as the head women’s coach at Texas College. His hire means there is continuity with the staff since players are familiar with him, and he has a good reputation as a recruiter.
Rutgers
Previous coach: Gary Waters
New coach: Fred Hill, Jr.
Analysis: The choice to succeed Waters was, well, the worst-kept secret on the coaching carousel, as many predicted this as soon as Hill came to Rutgers from Villanova last year to be the top assistant coach. Waters was on the hot seat for a couple of years, and the team’s struggles in Big East play sealed his fate. A New Jersey native whose father is the head baseball coach at the school, Hill is an excellent recruiter and knows the game very well, so he might be just the guy to finally turn them around. Rutgers has struggled to get top tier talents in New Jersey, a state that always has plenty of talent, and that’s one thing the school surely hopes he can change. That would be the first step in getting the program to turn the corner, and the early returns on his efforts in the spring and summer indicate that he’s hit the ground running.
St. Peter’s
Previous coach: Bob Leckie
New coach: John Dunne
Analysis: Leckie retired on a good note, as his team had a good run with star guard Keydren Clark. In his place is Dunne, a good guy and one who knows that recruiting kids who fly under the radar in talent-rich New York and New Jersey is the key to success at this school. He’s a good choice given that and his background, which most recently includes time as an assistant at Seton Hall.
Seton Hall
Previous coach: Louis Orr
New coach: Bobby Gonzalez
Analysis: Orr never got going with recruiting the New Jersey talent, and it ultimately led to his demise – but he also proved he could coach along the way and will surely get another job before long if he wants one. In steps Gonzalez, a golden boy of sorts as far as his image goes but also a coach who won a lot at Manhattan and can recruit the New York area. This is a whole new challenge, as the recruiting battles for New York and New Jersey kids are sure to be interesting over the next few years, but it’s one many have projected for Gonzalez for a while now and his record is evidence that he will be up to the task.
South Carolina State
Previous coach: Ben Betts
New coach: Jamal Brown
Analysis: Betts left to join Jeff Capel’s staff at Oklahoma, and former Bulldog player and assistant Brown takes over. Brown has had success at the school in both roles and also helped Tennessee State improve over the past three seasons while there as an assistant. While they won’t return immediately to the level of success they enjoyed while he played at the school, the Bulldogs should move in that direction under his tenure.
Southeast Missouri
Previous coach: Gary Garner
New coach: Scott Edgar
Analysis: Garner didn’t have his contract renewed after a 7-20 season and a nine-year run of 126-132 at the school. Edgar, who had most recently been an assistant at Tennessee, has head coaching experience, perhaps none more important than his time in the Ohio Valley Conference at Murray State, where he went 56-16. His head coaching experience bodes well for this position, a school that has had teams with potential but hasn’t really broken through yet.
SMU
Previous coach: Jimmy Tubbs
New coach: Matt Doherty
Analysis: Doherty’s return to coaching last year got plenty of notoriety, and a year later he’s changing addresses again, this time to Dallas. Will this stop be a good one? It’s not easy to predict, but he will be in a fertile recruiting area and inherits a team with some good talent.
Temple
Previous coach: John Chaney
New coach: Fran Dunphy
Analysis: Chaney retired after last season, and whoever got this job would surely have a difficult one as replacing a legend is never easy. Enter Dunphy, a college friend of Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw and former head coach just down the road at Penn. Dunphy is a contrast to Chaney in a lot of ways, but one thing he has done consistently is win, as Penn remained a consistent power in the Ivy League during his tenure. Like Chaney, he’s never been afraid to test his team with a tough non-conference schedule, so that’s one thing we shouldn’t expect to change.
Texas-Arlington
Previous coach: Eddie McCarter
New coach: Scott Cross
Analysis: McCarter resigned in March after 14 seasons as the head coach. In his place is Cross, who had been the top assistant on McCarter’s staff for the past three seasons (he has been an assistant there the past eight seasons). He immediately becomes one of the youngest head coaches in the country at age 31, having coached there since after he played at the school. Cross has been around the program since 1995, meaning he knows the program and the Southland Conference well, and he is regarded as a solid recruiter.
Texas-Pan American
Previous coach: Robert Davenport
New coach: Tom Schuberth
Analysis: Davenport was not retained after two seasons where the team went 11-40 against Division I teams and couldn’t escape being near the bottom of the Division I RPI. Schuberth, most recently the top assistant at UCF, has 24 years of assistant coaching experience at several levels of Division I. His recruiting background will certainly help him in attempting to raise the talent level.
Texas-San Antonio
Previous coach: Tim Carter
New coach: Brooks Thompson
Analysis: Carter was reassigned within the athletic department after 11 seasons as the head coach. Thompson was most recently an assistant for two seasons at Arizona State, but before that he was a head coach in the junior college ranks. He went 55-14 in two seasons at Yavapai College in Arizona, and his experience at that level will surely prove valuable in recruiting since Southland schools often tap the junior college ranks for players.
Texas State
Previous coach: Dennis Nutt
New coach: Doug Davalos
Analysis: Davalos brings head coaching experience from the Division III level, as he went 72-35 in four seasons at Sul Ross State in Texas. He also did some winning as a high school coach in the state of Texas in the mid-1990s, so he has plenty of Texas ties that will only help him in this job.
UAB
Previous coach: Mike Anderson
New coach: Mike Davis
Analysis: After six years full of peaks and valleys in Bloomington, Davis comes to his home state to succeed Anderson, who is off to Missouri. This is a great move for the Blazers, as they get a coach who can win and is now in a setting where he will feel welcome, meaning he can focus on coaching.
UTEP
Previous coach: Kenneth “Doc” Sadler
New coach: Tony Barbee
Analysis: Sadler left in August for the Nebraska head coaching job after continuing the success that Billy Gillespie began. Barbee, who was believed to be the eventual successor to John Calipari at Memphis, now gets the chance to keep it going. The first African-American head coach at the school, he brings a winning background and good knowledge of Conference USA to the program, which is all reason to think he may continue the recent winning ways.
VCU
Previous coach: Jeff Capel
New coach: Anthony Grant
Analysis: Capel put together an impressive run and got a big contract extension prior to getting the Oklahoma job. That means Grant has a tough act to follow, but as he was one of the most highly-regarded assistants in the country he’s certainly well-qualified to do it. He had a big hand in making Florida a national player in basketball and ultimately last season’s national champions. It was only a matter of time before he became a head coach, and the Rams are the team lucky enough to get him right now.
Washington State
Previous coach: Dick Bennett
New coach: Tony Bennett
Analysis: The elder Bennett retired after bringing the program back to respectability, to the point where they were a tough out even though they weren’t contending in the Pac-10. Now, it’s up to son Tony to take the next step with them. He was groomed as his dad’s successor and assumed more duties as time went along, so he won’t have as much of a learning curve in going from assistant to head coach as some do.
Weber State
Previous coach: Joe Cravens
New coach: Randy Rahe
Analysis: Cravens was fired after some recent struggles, but wasn’t without some success in his tenure. Rahe will hope to return them to that success after spending 15 seasons working for and with two excellent coaches in Stew Morrill and Ray Giacoletti. He’s done a lot of winning out in that part of the country and looks like a good selection for Weber State going forward.
Wright State
Previous coach: Paul Biancardi
New coach: Brad Brownell
Analysis: Wright State is the beneficiary of one of the more stunning coaching changes, as they got one of the top young head coaches in the game when Brownell wanted out of Wilmington. Brownell has lived a basketball life, being from Indiana and having spent the past 12 years in North Carolina, and the winning he did at UNC-Wilmington (83-40 in four seasons) as the conference got tougher is impressive. Don’t be surprised if Wright State becomes a regular contender in the Horizon League now.
