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(04-03-2016 12:33 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 11:56 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  He also benefits from the recruiting efforts of his predecessors. After those recruits have left the program and he has to play with his own recruits....he fails miserably and is fired. He would need a strong recruiter in an area he has zero knowledge of.

Okay. I did a little more research and my original seat-of-the-pants analysis was totally off base. It seems he does recruit really well and was fired from UCLA after his 1st and only losing season(after multiple consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA appearances). At St Johns he lead them to one of the biggest turnarounds in Big East in his first year. His stint at St Johns included missing practically an entire season dealing with cancer and another season dealing with his grandfather's death. He and St Johns agreed to part ways. He can obviously coach, but the question is why he really left UCLA and St Johns and why he hasn't been mentioned for other big time jobs - burnout?; personality conflicts?. I suspect he would be a very short-time coach at UAB were he hired...

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/2/4/197...teve-lavin

(04-03-2016 12:54 PM)mobileblazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 12:33 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 11:56 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  He also benefits from the recruiting efforts of his predecessors. After those recruits have left the program and he has to play with his own recruits....he fails miserably and is fired. He would need a strong recruiter in an area he has zero knowledge of.

Okay. I did a little more research and my original seat-of-the-pants analysis was totally off base. It seems he does recruit really well and was fired from UCLA after his 1st and only losing season(after multiple consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA appearances). At St Johns he lead them to one of the biggest turnarounds in Big East in his first year. His stint at St Johns included missing practically an entire season dealing with cancer and another season dealing with his grandfather's death. He and St Johns agreed to part ways. He can obviously coach, but the question is why he really left UCLA and St Johns and why he hasn't been mentioned for other big time jobs - burnout?; personality conflicts?. I suspect he would be a very short-time coach at UAB were he hired...

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/2/4/197...teve-lavin

Yeah. Maybe it's a tad biased but I'm sure a lot of that is spot on. The Baron Davis quote about being the only team to make the tournament without a coach is great. I'll stand by my opinion that this would be a terrible hire.

(04-03-2016 12:54 PM)mobileblazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 12:33 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 11:56 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  He also benefits from the recruiting efforts of his predecessors. After those recruits have left the program and he has to play with his own recruits....he fails miserably and is fired. He would need a strong recruiter in an area he has zero knowledge of.

Okay. I did a little more research and my original seat-of-the-pants analysis was totally off base. It seems he does recruit really well and was fired from UCLA after his 1st and only losing season(after multiple consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA appearances). At St Johns he lead them to one of the biggest turnarounds in Big East in his first year. His stint at St Johns included missing practically an entire season dealing with cancer and another season dealing with his grandfather's death. He and St Johns agreed to part ways. He can obviously coach, but the question is why he really left UCLA and St Johns and why he hasn't been mentioned for other big time jobs - burnout?; personality conflicts?. I suspect he would be a very short-time coach at UAB were he hired...

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/2/4/197...teve-lavin

Ouch. Thanks Mobile. I retract my earlier statement.

Let's take a wait and see attitude. Let this thing play out.

That's an example of hiring a name.

(04-03-2016 01:07 PM)BlazerPhil Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 12:54 PM)mobileblazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 12:33 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(04-03-2016 11:56 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  He also benefits from the recruiting efforts of his predecessors. After those recruits have left the program and he has to play with his own recruits....he fails miserably and is fired. He would need a strong recruiter in an area he has zero knowledge of.

Okay. I did a little more research and my original seat-of-the-pants analysis was totally off base. It seems he does recruit really well and was fired from UCLA after his 1st and only losing season(after multiple consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA appearances). At St Johns he lead them to one of the biggest turnarounds in Big East in his first year. His stint at St Johns included missing practically an entire season dealing with cancer and another season dealing with his grandfather's death. He and St Johns agreed to part ways. He can obviously coach, but the question is why he really left UCLA and St Johns and why he hasn't been mentioned for other big time jobs - burnout?; personality conflicts?. I suspect he would be a very short-time coach at UAB were he hired...

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/2/4/197...teve-lavin

Ouch. Thanks Mobile. I retract my earlier statement.

Considering what UCLA fans put Gene Bartow thru, the fact that they Lavin is a plus for me.

I don't know much about Driscoll, but a little research says that he's on the Homer Drew coaching tree. He was an assistant winning at schools with less resources than their main competition (Wyoming, Clemson, Valpo, Baylor). He was a pretty well regarded assistant. He got a chance to be a head coach at North Florida. He took NF from Division II to Division I and won the A-Sun (over Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast) the last two years, with an NCAA bid and an NIT. He's 51. Needs to make a move now if he's ever going to get a shot at a P5 job someday, because that's unlikely after you get past 55 or so. But he could also do quite well and have a nice long run at UAB.

I don't think most here will give him a hard look because they don't know him, but he's not a throwaway candidate, and is probably the most likely to put down roots and stay here of anyone I've seen mentioned.

I'm not pushing him, just saying that he's better than he looks at first glance.

(04-03-2016 01:20 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Considering what UCLA fans put Gene Bartow thru, the fact that they {hate} Lavin is a plus for me.

Bartow was the guy who followed the guy though. That's a pretty well known phenomenon. A fan base who had Wooden had a right to feel entitled, they had been throughly spoiled.

Yeah, but they are still that way 40 years later.

I'd say "hell no" to Lavin, and my feelings for Driscoll are "meh."

Neither would be an exciting hire, but at least Driscoll understands the work required at a small-market team.

I'd still rather take the relative "unknowns" with Ehsan than invest in the "knowns" of either Lavin or Driscoll.

If Driscoll coached under Scott Drew at Baylor, then I say hell no.

In a recent secret poll among coaches CBS reported that the coach most other coaches felt was dirty was Scott Drew.

(04-03-2016 01:42 PM)jthrashr Wrote:  I'd say "hell no" to Lavin, and my feelings for Driscoll are "meh."

Neither would be an exciting hire, but at least Driscoll understands the work required at a small-market team.

I'd still rather take the relative "unknowns" with Ehsan than invest in the "knowns" of either Lavin or Driscoll.

My feelings exactly. If we are going to hire a head coach from a small midmajor I'd rather hire someone like Steve Forbes, based on what little I know about him. Of course I havent heard his name mentioned since Ingram started conducting interviews so he may not even be interested.

Lavin was mentioned in the UNLV search. Glad that Chris Beard got the job.

Neither would inspire.

Both are old farts.

I'd be surprised if this went on past the middle of next week.

A lot of things could be over by the middle of next week.

(04-03-2016 02:12 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Neither would inspire.

Both are old farts.

I thought Lavin was only 51??

(04-03-2016 02:18 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  A lot of things could be over by the middle of next week.

What?

Mid next week at the latest sounds right. If McGrath is the choice they may wait until Wed after the championship game. They may wait until Wed regardless, who knows.

What exactly would McGrath offer?

(04-03-2016 02:25 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  What exactly would McGrath offer?

Pretty much the same thing Haase did.