JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
We have heard people say this school or that school is a top X job, etc...I have felt Illinois was one of the best jobs in then nation, but clearly that is not the case as they have been turned down by some higher profile names the last two times they have gone looking for programs.
The best programs don't do this, or rarely...the best programs don't usually pluck from the mid-major pool, they get marquee names.
Let's see how this lines up with the Big Ten.
IOWA:
Lute Olson came from LB State
George Raveling came from Washington State
Tom Davis came from Stanford, BC before that
Steve Alford came from SW Mo State, Sweet 16 hot name
Todd Lickliter came from Butler
Fran McCaffery came from Sienna, lifer mid-major HC
-Olson: Iowa was coming off the Dick Schultz era, then the worst in Iowa history. Olson turned it around and had Iowa flying
-Raveling turned Wazzu around and it was a BCS to BCS move
-Davis: Another BCS to BCS move
-Alford: He was THE hot name at the time from the lower ranks
-Lickliter: Coach of the Year, but Iowa job not as valued at this time
-McCaffery: Iowa had little chance at any buzz name due to state of program
McCaffery has always been a builder, which is what Iowa was going to need. He is getting the fans back, the facilities have been upgraded and Iowa has a chance at creating some great momentum and get the program back to national relevance, which will help them the next time they are looking for a coach.
Now, do the same with Illinois...I have had them wrong...as this exercise may illustrate:
Lou Hensen was the longtime Illinois coach, 1975-1996. Illinois was a very good program, and they were able to get a solid coach from a BCS conference in Lon Kruger, who had, three years prior, taken Florida to the Final Four.
When Kruger left after four mixed years (4th, 1st, 11th, 5th), the program dipped into the mid-major ranks and hired Bill Self from Tulsa. At the time, Tulsa was pumping out good coaches...Self was the hot name and Illinois got him.
Self leaves Illinois for Kansas, which is a bit of a mark against Illinois as a Top program and Illinois gets turned down by some big names, and turns to Bruce Weber. Weber did a solid job at SIU, but that program had a good history of great regular season basketball. He inherited a very talented team that Self put together and they made it to the Sweet 16 in his first year and were the runner up in his second year. Since then, they made four NCAA tourney's never getting out of the second round, one NIT and this year's nothing and he is gone.
Now, Illinois is struggling to find a coach. Shaka turns them down. The program is not an elite destination any longer.
Elite destination usually get a top tier name from an established BCS conference school, or a school who has been a player on the national scene for a number of years (say a Xavier, Gonzaga, although that didn't work out for Minnesota). (Speaking of Minnesota..it has sneaky appeal due to the city of Minneapolis and the talent pool)
Kansas: Hired Self from Illinois
UNC: Hired Roy Williams from KU, which may make it the most elite of elites
Kentucky: Hired Calipari from Memphis, got Pitino
Indiana: Hired Crean from Marquette, got Sampson from successful OU run
UCLA: has regularly hired coaches from BCS jobs
In the Big Ten, you don't find too many jobs that fit this model. Izzo came from within. Ohio State hired Thad Matta out of Xavier. Michigan did pull John Belein from WVU, so there is one. Wisconsin plucked Bo Ryan from the lower levels. Tubby went to MN, but he had worn out his welcome in Kentucky. Purdue hired Painter from one year at SIU, with Purdue ties.
There are really few 'Elite' jobs...but you can probably find them through their coaching hiring history, or at least support the argument
The best programs don't do this, or rarely...the best programs don't usually pluck from the mid-major pool, they get marquee names.
Let's see how this lines up with the Big Ten.
IOWA:
Lute Olson came from LB State
George Raveling came from Washington State
Tom Davis came from Stanford, BC before that
Steve Alford came from SW Mo State, Sweet 16 hot name
Todd Lickliter came from Butler
Fran McCaffery came from Sienna, lifer mid-major HC
-Olson: Iowa was coming off the Dick Schultz era, then the worst in Iowa history. Olson turned it around and had Iowa flying
-Raveling turned Wazzu around and it was a BCS to BCS move
-Davis: Another BCS to BCS move
-Alford: He was THE hot name at the time from the lower ranks
-Lickliter: Coach of the Year, but Iowa job not as valued at this time
-McCaffery: Iowa had little chance at any buzz name due to state of program
McCaffery has always been a builder, which is what Iowa was going to need. He is getting the fans back, the facilities have been upgraded and Iowa has a chance at creating some great momentum and get the program back to national relevance, which will help them the next time they are looking for a coach.
Now, do the same with Illinois...I have had them wrong...as this exercise may illustrate:
Lou Hensen was the longtime Illinois coach, 1975-1996. Illinois was a very good program, and they were able to get a solid coach from a BCS conference in Lon Kruger, who had, three years prior, taken Florida to the Final Four.
When Kruger left after four mixed years (4th, 1st, 11th, 5th), the program dipped into the mid-major ranks and hired Bill Self from Tulsa. At the time, Tulsa was pumping out good coaches...Self was the hot name and Illinois got him.
Self leaves Illinois for Kansas, which is a bit of a mark against Illinois as a Top program and Illinois gets turned down by some big names, and turns to Bruce Weber. Weber did a solid job at SIU, but that program had a good history of great regular season basketball. He inherited a very talented team that Self put together and they made it to the Sweet 16 in his first year and were the runner up in his second year. Since then, they made four NCAA tourney's never getting out of the second round, one NIT and this year's nothing and he is gone.
Now, Illinois is struggling to find a coach. Shaka turns them down. The program is not an elite destination any longer.
Elite destination usually get a top tier name from an established BCS conference school, or a school who has been a player on the national scene for a number of years (say a Xavier, Gonzaga, although that didn't work out for Minnesota). (Speaking of Minnesota..it has sneaky appeal due to the city of Minneapolis and the talent pool)
Kansas: Hired Self from Illinois
UNC: Hired Roy Williams from KU, which may make it the most elite of elites
Kentucky: Hired Calipari from Memphis, got Pitino
Indiana: Hired Crean from Marquette, got Sampson from successful OU run
UCLA: has regularly hired coaches from BCS jobs
In the Big Ten, you don't find too many jobs that fit this model. Izzo came from within. Ohio State hired Thad Matta out of Xavier. Michigan did pull John Belein from WVU, so there is one. Wisconsin plucked Bo Ryan from the lower levels. Tubby went to MN, but he had worn out his welcome in Kentucky. Purdue hired Painter from one year at SIU, with Purdue ties.
There are really few 'Elite' jobs...but you can probably find them through their coaching hiring history, or at least support the argument
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