(03-24-2015 10:04 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 09:38 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  T.J. Cleveland played for Nolan. He played in that style as the starting point guard, and has coached with Mike since he left college. Yes, I'd give him a look. But Zimmerman was a student manager. I don't think he ever played in college under Nolan or anyone else. And he's never been a head coach at any college to my knowledge. He might be a fine young man, but he's not equipped to be the head coach at UALR.

He's as equipped as just about any assistant in the country, if you believe that Mike Anderson is a good coach, mentor, and teacher. Obviously, you don't. I would take someone who has worked under Coach K, Roy Williams, Bill Self, etc. for over ten years in a heartbeat. I just checked and Zimmerman worked under Anderson since 2002, so that is 13 years. That is a pretty long apprenticeship.
I will agree that there is no way we hire this guy- I just would have thought he would be someone you would be high on.

I can tell you one thing for sure about Matt Zimmerman- he's a really nice guy. I met and sat next to him on the airplane going to South Padre Island when both the Spiders and Mizzou were playing in the Thanksgiving basketball tournament there. If memory serves, I think he may be from the Russellville area. Outside of that I know nothing more than has already been posted here. But I see no reason why he wouldn't be a viable candidate. That would all depend on the competition, etc.

(03-24-2015 10:13 AM)PTJR Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 10:04 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 09:38 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  T.J. Cleveland played for Nolan. He played in that style as the starting point guard, and has coached with Mike since he left college. Yes, I'd give him a look. But Zimmerman was a student manager. I don't think he ever played in college under Nolan or anyone else. And he's never been a head coach at any college to my knowledge. He might be a fine young man, but he's not equipped to be the head coach at UALR.

He's as equipped as just about any assistant in the country, if you believe that Mike Anderson is a good coach, mentor, and teacher. Obviously, you don't. I would take someone who has worked under Coach K, Roy Williams, Bill Self, etc. for over ten years in a heartbeat. I just checked and Zimmerman worked under Anderson since 2002, so that is 13 years. That is a pretty long apprenticeship.
I will agree that there is no way we hire this guy- I just would have thought he would be someone you would be high on.

I can tell you one thing for sure about Matt Zimmerman- he's a really nice guy. I met and sat next to him on the airplane going to South Padre Island when both the Spiders and Mizzou were playing in the Thanksgiving basketball tournament there. If memory serves, I think he may be from the Russellville area. Outside of that I know nothing more than has already been posted here. But I see no reason why he wouldn't be a viable candidate. That would all depend on the competition, etc.

I would think he is a very viable candidate as well. He has certainly been a big part of several successful programs. If we want to play uptempo, gutterball, street ball, or whatever you chose to call it he should be our guy. I believe he will have some instate supporters behind him. Nothing like Joe will get, but I'm sure he has made a bunch of contacts in the State based on your comments about him.

I obviously know nothing about him, but we've talked for years about what we want in a new coach, the consensus has normally been someone who has a record of winning as a head coach at some level, or an assistant at a big name school.
Neither Joe nor Zimmerman meets these requirements. Downey does. That's why he's been my favorite from the get go.
However, whomever gets the job, I'll look forward to a fresh start. And if Zimmerman gets the job and brings a fresh and exciting approach, then I'll be all in. Especially if he wins.

(03-24-2015 12:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I obviously know nothing about him, but we've talked for years about what we want in a new coach, the consensus has normally been someone who has a record of winning as a head coach at some level, or an assistant at a big name school.
Neither Joe nor Zimmerman meets these requirements. Downey does. That's why he's been my favorite from the get go.
However, whomever gets the job, I'll look forward to a fresh start. And if Zimmerman gets the job and brings a fresh and exciting approach, then I'll be all in. Especially if he wins.

I am not advocating for Zimmerman. But UAB has been a reasonably well-regarded basketball program on the national level for a long time; No doubt Missouri is a big name basketball school; and while I hate to admit it, despite 15 years of mediocrity UAF is a big name school as well. Seems to meet your criteria. I would say he is someone worth looking at, but unless he simply "wows" Chasse I doubt he is who we hire.

(03-24-2015 10:23 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 10:13 AM)PTJR Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 10:04 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 09:38 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  T.J. Cleveland played for Nolan. He played in that style as the starting point guard, and has coached with Mike since he left college. Yes, I'd give him a look. But Zimmerman was a student manager. I don't think he ever played in college under Nolan or anyone else. And he's never been a head coach at any college to my knowledge. He might be a fine young man, but he's not equipped to be the head coach at UALR.

He's as equipped as just about any assistant in the country, if you believe that Mike Anderson is a good coach, mentor, and teacher. Obviously, you don't. I would take someone who has worked under Coach K, Roy Williams, Bill Self, etc. for over ten years in a heartbeat. I just checked and Zimmerman worked under Anderson since 2002, so that is 13 years. That is a pretty long apprenticeship.
I will agree that there is no way we hire this guy- I just would have thought he would be someone you would be high on.

I can tell you one thing for sure about Matt Zimmerman- he's a really nice guy. I met and sat next to him on the airplane going to South Padre Island when both the Spiders and Mizzou were playing in the Thanksgiving basketball tournament there. If memory serves, I think he may be from the Russellville area. Outside of that I know nothing more than has already been posted here. But I see no reason why he wouldn't be a viable candidate. That would all depend on the competition, etc.

I would think he is a very viable candidate as well. He has certainly been a big part of several successful programs. If we want to play uptempo, gutterball, street ball, or whatever you chose to call it he should be our guy. I believe he will have some instate supporters behind him. Nothing like Joe will get, but I'm sure he has made a bunch of contacts in the State based on your comments about him.

At our level pressing ball is like a knuckle ball pitcher or spread offense, it gives the smaller schools a way to beat the big guys.

Most of the time the half court looks bad as the bigs tend to be mobile and lack a post game., so they run dimple motion pass and screen away.

You have to build a system for what you can recruit.

I have not seen a lot of players that fit in a system like Belmont plays come to ualr.

Ark was 26th in assist to turnover and tech was 39th playing bad ole street ball junk ball evil sinful Jesus hates it.....

Winning flavor of ball.


  ImageUploadedByTapatalk1427220913.531633.jpg (Size: 119.84 KB / Downloads: 3)

(03-24-2015 01:13 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 12:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I obviously know nothing about him, but we've talked for years about what we want in a new coach, the consensus has normally been someone who has a record of winning as a head coach at some level, or an assistant at a big name school.
Neither Joe nor Zimmerman meets these requirements. Downey does. That's why he's been my favorite from the get go.
However, whomever gets the job, I'll look forward to a fresh start. And if Zimmerman gets the job and brings a fresh and exciting approach, then I'll be all in. Especially if he wins.

I am not advocating for Zimmerman. But UAB has been a reasonably well-regarded basketball program on the national level for a long time; No doubt Missouri is a big name basketball school; and while I hate to admit it, despite 15 years of mediocrity UAF is a big name school as well. Seems to meet your criteria. I would say he is someone worth looking at, but unless he simply "wows" Chasse I doubt he is who we hire.

I should look more carefully at what I post sometimes. Obviously neither has a record as a winning head coach. And that would be my priority. Both have been assistants. Joe has been head assistant and has extensive basketball experience as a player and has been extensively involved in coaching in practice for years. Zimmerman never played in college. He was a student manager as I recall. I don't know how much coaching Zimmerman has actually done. Does he run practices? Is the head assistant, or just someone who is on the staff? Obviously these are things Chasse will take into consideration.

Does anyone know who does most of the coaching in practices besides Anderson? What role does T.J. Cleveland play? I think of him as I thought about Anderson when Nolan was the coach. He was a point guard for Nolan at Fayetteville. Anderson was a point guard for Nolan when he was at Tulsa. He knows the system, both as a player and a coach. What I don't know is anything about his personality, his ability to recruit, and his ability to win as a head coach. He would at least be on my potential list.

(03-24-2015 02:08 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 01:13 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 12:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I obviously know nothing about him, but we've talked for years about what we want in a new coach, the consensus has normally been someone who has a record of winning as a head coach at some level, or an assistant at a big name school.
Neither Joe nor Zimmerman meets these requirements. Downey does. That's why he's been my favorite from the get go.
However, whomever gets the job, I'll look forward to a fresh start. And if Zimmerman gets the job and brings a fresh and exciting approach, then I'll be all in. Especially if he wins.

I am not advocating for Zimmerman. But UAB has been a reasonably well-regarded basketball program on the national level for a long time; No doubt Missouri is a big name basketball school; and while I hate to admit it, despite 15 years of mediocrity UAF is a big name school as well. Seems to meet your criteria. I would say he is someone worth looking at, but unless he simply "wows" Chasse I doubt he is who we hire.

I should look more carefully at what I post sometimes. Obviously neither has a record as a winning head coach. And that would be my priority. Both have been assistants. Joe has been head assistant and has extensive basketball experience as a player and has been extensively involved in coaching in practice for years. Zimmerman never played in college. He was a student manager as I recall. I don't know how much coaching Zimmerman has actually done. Does he run practices? Is the head assistant, or just someone who is on the staff? Obviously these are things Chasse will take into consideration.

Does anyone know who does most of the coaching in practices besides Anderson? What role does T.J. Cleveland play? I think of him as I thought about Anderson when Nolan was the coach. He was a point guard for Nolan at Fayetteville. Anderson was a point guard for Nolan when he was at Tulsa. He knows the system, both as a player and a coach. What I don't know is anything about his personality, his ability to recruit, and his ability to win as a head coach. He would at least be on my potential list.

I'm sure Melvin Watkins is the top assistant. He was the point guard on the UNC-Charlotte Final 4 team and has been a head coach at Charlotte and at Texas A & M, as well as a long time assistant and and associate head coach at Missouri (before Anderson and stayed with him) and now at Arkansas. At 60 years old, I assume that he is older than we are looking for.

(03-24-2015 12:30 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I obviously know nothing about him, but we've talked for years about what we want in a new coach, the consensus has normally been someone who has a record of winning as a head coach at some level, or an assistant at a big name school.
Neither Joe nor Zimmerman meets these requirements. Downey does. That's why he's been my favorite from the get go.
However, whomever gets the job, I'll look forward to a fresh start. And if Zimmerman gets the job and brings a fresh and exciting approach, then I'll be all in. Especially if he wins.

Again, not advocating for Zimmerman but (from Wikipedia)-

Upon completing his time in the military, Zimmerman entered the basketball coaching ranks in his home state of Arkansas. From 1995 to 1998, Zimmerman served as the Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach for the now defunct Plainview-Rover High School. While there he led the team to three conference titles and was selected as the conference coach of the year in 1996.

In 1998 Zimmerman took the head coaching job at Dardanelle High School in Dardanelle, Arkansas. In his four years there the team accumulated a 74-46 record and captured the Class 4A State Title in the 2001-2002 season. This success led Zimmerman to be named the KARV Dream Team Coach of the Year and River Valley Radio Coach of the Year in 2000.[5]


My only point, really, is that there are a ton of excellent candidates out there. Should Chasse hire Joe or Mark Downey? Maybe. The question is, should he do a real national search or should he hire someone quickly if he believes the right person is there for the picking.

Maybe he should hire the North Little Rock High School coach. He's won two state titles. Or how about Al Flanagin at Parkview. Well, he's probably a little older than we want right now. Come on. Zimmerman won at the high school level.
That's commendable. But in college you have to recruit, and that's a different animal. Well, the North Little Rock coach might have had some recruiting experience, so he might still be a viable candidate. But if Zimmerman has actually had anything to do with the coaching at Arkansas and knows the system and how to teach it, then yes, he becomes a viable candidate. But if he's not really been coaching, then I want someone with head coaching experience at some college level.

Big Joes my man

He might very well be the man.

(03-24-2015 06:23 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  He might very well be the man.

Big Joe is great guy and is loved around the State. I assume Chasse will be getting a ton of calls, emails, etc. in support of Joe. If some of those include pledges of financial support contingent on Joe being hired it will get interesting. My assumption has been that Chasse wouldn't have fired Steve if he didn't intend to clean house. What will happen now, I don't have a clue. But, I will check Hoopdirt several times a day for the latest info.

If joe is hired I would hope we will use the money that we will probably save to hire a good assistant that has recruiting ties in fertile basketball territories.

(03-24-2015 08:28 PM)LR Alum Wrote:  If joe is hired I would hope we will use the money that we will probably save to hire a good assistant that has recruiting ties in fertile basketball territories.

I don't know the details of the possible finances of it, but Chasse is on record wanting to get our assistants pay up to snuff.

RC @ HBU

RC @ EIU

RC @ Evansville

(03-25-2015 06:21 PM)TroJams Wrote:  RC @ HBU

RC @ EIU

RC @ Evansville

RC cola? What I am missing?