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(04-13-2021 08:05 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(04-13-2021 08:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(04-13-2021 07:40 AM)Murph45 Wrote:  If we were hiring a guy with zero head coaching experience with no connection to UC I would understand the greater concern. Its a riskier move than hiring some mid major up and comer who has won as a HC. But Erik Martin has had many years of assisting a guy who despite his flaws is a hell of a bball coach and knows how to win, AND brings a toughness and mentality that is part of our BBall DNA. Michigan and Memphis went with guys with no real HC experience because they were bringing back guys who had been part of their program who know the program and its identity. So it isn’t like we would be hiring some random assistant who’s yet to coach as a HC. This is a guy who was part of the program when it had its greatest success (excluding the 60s). Its a risk no doubt. But the last time we hired a mid major up and comer with no connection to the school it didn’t work out too well. So HC experience is no greater guarantee.

My hope is that we go with the Michigan model and bring in a coach with significant HC experience, successful or not, as an associate to help EM understand in-game situations better. We've seen what has happened at Memphis with Penny getting into his own way a lot despite the talent he has thrown on the court every year...I worry that if we have no on the job mentoring going on, or at least someone on staff who he can lean on in situations, then we're going to have a rough go of it. Hell, listen to some of the Michigan insider podcasts with Phil Martelli...it gives a ton of insight into just how unicorn-ish Howard. He is not the rule when it comes to this situation, he is the exception to it.

Howard also didn't spend a decade and a half in college coaching. Martin isn't just a former player coming home. He's an accomplished, experienced assistant coach in major college basketball. Like Roy Williams when Roy went to Kansas. I wish people stopped ignoring Martin's coaching career.

I'm not ignoring it, if anything, I'm using it to inform my own slight misgivings about the likely hire...I just know from a college athlete's perspective what many assistant coaches do on staffs (regardless of sport). He likely manages practices and works on skill development with a specific player group (I would assume forwards given his background), but the man has never had to make an in-game decision...that's what I'm referring to. He has a multitude of experience in the locker room and practice gym, which is why I'm not up-in-arms as I would be with a NVE hire. It's very different watching a guy do something from down the bench for 15 years vs. having to do it for the first time yourself. I hope my hesitancy is unfounded, but I'm guessing there will be a lot of learning experiences and head scratching things going on in the first year or two if there isn't someone on that staff who has lead a team in game-time before.

Ask yourself, would we have a segment of the fanbase literally jumping all over themselves with happiness about this if it wasn't a Hugg's disciple and just a random assistant coach who had 15 years of experience? Would Jerome Tang elicit this type of positive fan-swell, or is it mostly because he is a former player from back in the early 90's (that no high school recruits remember or care about as a player)? I just don't want THAT to be the primary reason to hire a head coach of a crown jewel program when we're on a knife's edge in our current financial/league situation and need positive moment for the mid-20's when the music starts playing once again.