It's time to at least start the dialogue. Not sure why Chris Lang of the N&A is cavalier about the state of the program when we're at all time lows at RPI, perception, attendance, and/or just pick about any point about the men's basketball program. Look and you'll find us wallowing in our own muck unable to find answers and continual Coach speak of where the program is and why we lost. And with no plan or idea how to change it.

With that premise, who can we entice to resurrect the program. Let's start with Gregg Marshall of Wichita State. I know it's a stretch but here's a possibility of how it could work. He knows LU from his days at Winthrop. He's achieved most everything he can at Wichita being there 8 years, going deep into the finals and gaining a national reputation and winning. What would it take to entice him, or a hotshot assistant to LU.

Two things, lots of money and lots of assets to support someone like Marshall in re-building the LU program. A hefty salary for a new coach and assistants he would want to bring with him plus performance bonuses when he achieves a certain level of success. Jeff Barber made a good hire in Turner Gill. He needs to make another good hire with the men's basketball program.

It was great yesterday watching the Lady Flames demolish High Point in women's basketball. High Point is a good team. Yesterday LU was better, much better. Cary Green is now 15 years at LU and is the 12th most winning active coach in women's basketball. Let's empower AD Barber to have the same vision with the MBB program, even if it's not achievable, at least have the vision as a goal to strive for.

It is very sad that our men's basketball program is in it's current state when the FB and WBB programs are maintaining and improving their play and perception. There are so many upbeat athletic things going on at LU, it's sad our MBB is in the doldrums. Gregg Marshall is a pie in the sky wish for a new head coach and likely to never happen. But the dialogue needs to begin now for a change. Change it AD Barber. Change it now.

Marshall is more than just a pie in the sky. That dream is never going to happen. He makes 1.75 million, has a plane at his disposal for recruiting. If he ever leaves it will be for one of the big time programs like UK, UCLA, Kansas. Here's a name I think we should consider. Jeff Meyer. Meyer did great work at liberty. Since he's been an assistant at Indiana and Michigan. He's been the lead recruiter for some of the best players in the country. Give him a chance to come and be the top man for 5 or do years until he's ready to retire.

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Marshall is a top on many top programs wish list. That's why I mentioned it would take lots of funds to pry him away. As I mentioned in my post, it's a longshot at best but we need to start the discussion. Meyer may be an interesting consideration if there is no baggage left over from his last stay at LU.

There's a little baggage with Meyer, but it's been a long time since all that happened.

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(01-04-2015 05:11 PM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  There's a little baggage with Meyer, but it's been a long time since all that happened.

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What positives do you see with Meyer? Would you rather have him on a younger up and coming assistant?

1. Jeff Meyer
2. Chris Holtmann (if he isn't retained by Butler and we offer enough money)
3. Reggie Theus
4. Kevin Keatts
5. Tom Crean (if he's fired by IU and we have very deep pockets)

No thanks to Tom Cream. That guys is a lose canon and a hot head. Got into an agreement the other night with the coach from Nebraska.

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Holtmann is now the head coach at Butler.

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The positives with Meyer is he knows liberty. He knows recruiting is a little harder for us. I can only imagine he's made allot of relationships over the past few years while recruiting the top 50 players. In not sure if he wants to be "the man" again. I'm sure he's had some coaching opportunities, but he remains an assistant.

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It appears Meyer currently makes $165,000 plus incentives. Liberty should have a problem with that salary. For a laugh I looked up what UK assistants make. Robic and Payne make $500,000 each. Slice makes $375,000. That's crazy money.

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I knew Holtmann was the interim coach. I didn't realize rhey hired him permanently.

How about John Pelphrey, the Florida assistant? He has head coaching experience and a good pedigree. I don't know about his faith, but if the shoe fits, he might be a good choice.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/221...15/page/10

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This article is several months old, but names the top 10 assistants.

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(01-04-2015 06:57 PM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  It appears Meyer currently makes $165,000 plus incentives. Liberty should have a problem with that salary. For a laugh I looked up what UK assistants make. Robic and Payne make $500,000 each. Slice makes $375,000. That's crazy money.

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Regarding salaries, what should LU expect to pay the HC? I would think LU would expect to pay big bucks for a top flight assistant on the rise up, and really big bucks for someone Marshall-like. What salaries are we talking here and what would LU agree to pay to Meyer (whom I'm not sold on), a high assistant or for a big name? Get the LU checkbook out on this one.

No more than they pay Gill I would think. $400,000 or so I would guess.

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A name that gets tossed around allot is Jason Allison. Jason is an alumni and was an assistant at VMI for 10 or 11 years. This year he moved on to App State. He's been the recruiting coordinator and has really done well in that area. The risk factor is he's never been a head coach, but I can't imagine a more motivated candidate.

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(01-04-2015 10:05 PM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  A name that gets tossed around allot is Jason Allison. Jason is an alumni and was an assistant at VMI for 10 or 11 years. This year he moved on to App State. He's been the recruiting coordinator and has really done well in that area. The risk factor is he's never been a head coach, but I can't imagine a more motivated candidate.

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I'm out of the loop on HC prospects. $400k+ would seem competitive for a low level D1 coach or assistant. If LU made a statement and doubled that, what's the likelihood of catching a top fight assistant from a premium conference school? If we're going FBS we've got to do this sometime.

That's not necessarily true. Going FBS has little to do with hiring a big name in basketball. At $400,000 we should be able to get a quality coach. Throwing money around to get a "name" doesn't always work out. Liberty is a football school at this point, so I don't see any scenario we spend $700,000 or $800,000 on a basketball coach. That would be foolish in my humble opinion.

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(01-05-2015 09:20 AM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  That's not necessarily true. Going FBS has little to do with hiring a big name in basketball. At $400,000 we should be able to get a quality coach. Throwing money around to get a "name" doesn't always work out. Liberty is a football school at this point, so I don't see any scenario we spend $700,000 or $800,000 on a basketball coach. That would be foolish in my humble opinion.

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L1, rather than foolish it may be an aggressive and wise position. It's the chicken and egg scenario. Does the school invest in a coach with a proven track record as a past head coach or a highly acknowledged assistant? As example, the hiring of McKay was a great step for the program. For whatever reasons, it was not enough to keep him in the Liberty fold when the UVA assistant position became available. I am sure that salary was certainly a determining factor in his departure. I'm still peeved at McKay from seeing his wife, at a halftime show, exude the love, peaches and cream she and her husband had for LU, and then he departs shortly thereafter.

If we made the statement now with a high profile hire, rather than waiting, it's another overt commitment by the school admins to evolve the MBB program. Another lower/mid level coach/asst hire will not change the perception of fans and those FBS prez monitoring LU as a potential candidate. The program is at such an all time low, we need to make a big splash, as big as we can, to have the program be an asset of the school rather than a detriment, which it is now.