CSNbbs

Can't link from my iPhone but check out the Twitter account from Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com.

Hate to create a separate thread - but here we go. Hope this ends well for us.

I feel a lot better about this happening now instead of a year from now. But remember VCU will have a lot of candidates including Will Wade (Chattanooga head coach - 40 wins in 2 years there) and possibly even Anthony Grant (who was VCU's coach before Smart and who was just fired at Alabama). Guess we'll just wait and see what happens.

(04-02-2015 10:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: [ -> ]I feel a lot better about this happening now instead of a year from now. But remember VCU will have a lot of candidates including Will Wade (Chattanooga head coach - 40 wins in 2 years there) and possibly even Anthony Grant (who was VCU's coach before Smart and who was just fired at Alabama). Guess we'll just wait and see what happens.

I tend to agree. Hope we're both right.

From everything Coach Rhoades has said since being hired, I would like to believe he would rather be the Shaka Smart of Rice than inherit an already established mid-major program.

What's to worry? We still have JK, and confidence has been expressed by many that he will always find great coaches. If Rhoades leaves, expect him to find somebody as good or better.

(04-02-2015 10:20 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]What's to worry? We still have JK, and confidence has been expressed by many that he will always find great coaches. If Rhoades leaves, expect him to find somebody as good or better.

I actually expect nothing else. But I think we'll have to settle for as good, because for what we need in that position, I can't imagine better.

(04-02-2015 10:23 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-02-2015 10:20 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]What's to worry? We still have JK, and confidence has been expressed by many that he will always find great coaches. If Rhoades leaves, expect him to find somebody as good or better.

I actually expect nothing else. But I think we'll have to settle for as good, because for what we need in that position, I can't imagine better.

We have confidence in JK in any situation. This would be a situation.

Is there any real danger of an unproven coach, with a losing record in his one season as head coach, getting hired away to replace the likes of Shaka Smart?

(04-02-2015 10:17 PM)mrbig Wrote: [ -> ]From everything Coach Rhoades has said since being hired, I would like to believe he would rather be the Shaka Smart of Rice than inherit an already established mid-major program.

I tend to agree, and hope this is the case, but Dr. K and David Leebron may have to ante up a bid more now in salary and commitment to ensure he doesn't think twice. From everything I've heard from Coach Rhoades he is committed to this program and these kids....and it appears his own young kids have taken to Houston.

(04-02-2015 10:27 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any real danger of an unproven coach, with a losing record in his one season as head coach, getting hired away to replace the likes of Shaka Smart?

maybe back at the place he came from. Kind of like Toad - who else was going to hire a 7 win, first year head coach away, but Tulsa, from whence he came.

(04-02-2015 10:27 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Is there any real danger of an unproven coach, with a losing record in his one season as head coach, getting hired away to replace the likes of Shaka Smart?

Yes, given he was Shaka's head assistant, and he and his family are from the Virginia area, and still have very strong ties there. Having said that, Coach Rhoades strikes me as a character guy, who is committed to building the program here....and I'm hoping he does not want to yo-yo his young children, who have only just now acclimated to Houston.

Does anybody know how happy his wife and children are here? That could be huge. We sometimes forget that coaches are people too.

Rhoades is not from Virginia - his HS and collegiate experience was in Pennsylvania, though he got his start in coaching in Virginia and wound up at Randolph Macon (and later VCU). It's about 18 years of his adult life - a good amount of time, with his kids born there.

I wouldn't oversell the "home" connections there, though he certainly has the recruiting connections to continue what VCU wants to do. And VCU is investing heavily in that program ($25M new practice facility, among other stuff). Not sure what he'd do, if he were to be considered.

Someone brought up Anthony Grant. Jeff Capel is also a former head coach there - he's actually the one who got them pointed in the right direction. But I have a feeling they're going to be able to hire well for that position. I guess that should make me scared.

Aaaaaand here we go:

Quote:Rhoades isn't as much of an energy guy as Shaka but he'd be the best basketball hire that athletic director Ed McLaughlin could make.

Not as much of an energy guy? That makes me a little frightened of Smart.

But all is not lost:

Quote:Early indications, according to multiple sources, is that athletic director Ed McLaughlin is leaning away from hiring a coach with ties to VCU and wants his "own guy".

(04-03-2015 01:00 AM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Aaaaaand here we go:

Quote:Rhoades isn't as much of an energy guy as Shaka but he'd be the best basketball hire that athletic director Ed McLaughlin could make.

Not as much of an energy guy? That makes me a little frightened of Smart.

But all is not lost:

Quote:Early indications, according to multiple sources, is that athletic director Ed McLaughlin is leaning away from hiring a coach with ties to VCU and wants his "own guy".

You keep your hands off my man!!!

(04-02-2015 10:17 PM)mrbig Wrote: [ -> ]From everything Coach Rhoades has said since being hired, I would like to believe he would rather be the Shaka Smart of Rice than inherit an already established mid-major program.

Agree. Rhoades looks to have a strong sense of commitment. I think he'll make a name for himself at Rice. We gave him his first big opportunity. He'll do big things and eventually move on, but not before he's fulfilled his obligations.

(04-03-2015 01:14 AM)ChicagoOwl (BS 07) Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-03-2015 01:00 AM)Brookes Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Aaaaaand here we go:

Quote:Rhoades isn't as much of an energy guy as Shaka but he'd be the best basketball hire that athletic director Ed McLaughlin could make.

Not as much of an energy guy? That makes me a little frightened of Smart.

But all is not lost:

Quote:Early indications, according to multiple sources, is that athletic director Ed McLaughlin is leaning away from hiring a coach with ties to VCU and wants his "own guy".

You keep your hands off my man!!!

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=deni...A251FC418E

VCU should hire as their new head coach Donnie Tyndall, last at Tennessee, and just complete the circle.

It might be a nice thing for Rhoades too to have one of his best friends in the coaching circle in the same state. If nothing else, you'd imagine we'll keep playing Texas in hoops. Maybe we'll even be able to host them once in awhile now (maybe even at Tudor or is that too much to ask for?).

I feel badly for the VCU fans. They went through the Shaka watch so much that they assumed he'd turn Texas down. Now their fan site is down and has been since last night due to grief overload. I got this one wrong - I figured he'd wait for the Florida job which could open up later this month.

I'd be surprised if VCU goes a completely different direction just because they do have quite a few candidates who are familiar with that program (another one is the Radford coach who has 22 win seasons the last two years). But this is the coaching carousel time of the year, so things should move quickly for them.

(04-02-2015 10:20 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote: [ -> ]What's to worry? We still have JK, and confidence has been expressed by many that he will always find great coaches. If Rhoades leaves, expect him to find somebody as good or better.

While I agree in general, I'm not sure it's that simple. Don't forget that we have a verbal from a Rivals Top 100 player for 2016 (who would most certainly be at risk) as well as a strong class coming in this year. There is also a ton to be said for some level of program continuity.

Sure to be a few tense days on the horizon.