Hypothetically, if Thad Matta left OSU, who would you want coaching the Buckeyes? Who is the basketball equivalent of Urban Meyer? After reading this article on ESPN, my vote would go to Tom Izzo.
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Brad stephens from butler
O'Deez330
stark county football
I would imagine some of his assistants would get a look, but besides that I would like Brad Stephens or maybe look into someone like Shaka Smart
The list begins and ends with those two. Stevens and smart.
Isn't Stephens a member of the Matta coaching tree?
Shaka Smart or however you spell that.
Brad Stephens was already taken.
Chris Jent
I think Jent is being groomed for the job.
I agree. Jent may not have NCAA head coaching experience, but he has a helluva resume and obviously, ties to the school. Recruits want to play in the NBA, and no doubt Jent could prep them for that.
Jent will go back to the nba...doesn't love the maintenance of coaching college
Groce
The question of who would be the best fit and who is the "Urban Meyer" of college BBall is not necessarily the same thing... To find this mythical chimera, you need someone with ties to the University, superstar status already, willingness/desire to "come home," and the ability to win at a high, high level. Does that person even exist?
"Urban Meyer" could also mean simply "rock star coach", to which there could be several candidates that fit that bill.
In one sense, I was genuinely interested to know if there are any coaches out there in the wild who have an Ohio State connection; an up and comer who bleeds scarlet and gray, in other words.
The challenge with recruiting a "name" as established as Urban, to keep with the analogy, is the Tubby Smith conundrum... It seems like it's much easier to make lightning strike twice in football (Miles, Meyer, Saban, Spurrier) than it is in roundball, save perhaps Roy Williams.
You can make a case that Michigan State has done that. Heathcote was a fine coach; Izzo has been a better one.
I don't really have a good answer to the question, mostly because I don't know if we have the sort of stature yet where we could steal a coach from another successful big name program, the way North Carolina could get Roy Williams from Kansas, or Kansas get Bill Self from Illinois. (I'm thinking here of someone like Sean Miller, who heads up a program that has been better than ours for most of the last 30 years, but not the last several years.)
Assuming we don't promote an assistant (always a risk though it's worked for plenty of teams), the preference would obviously be to find a new Matta--a youngish proven success at a mid-major. Aside from the names already covered, I would also throw out Josh Pastner, who is still just in his mid-30s. The reservation about him is that he has no experiencing working in or recruiting in this part of the country.
The most "loud mouth, disrespect" poster on 11W.
As much as I am a hater, wouldn't John calipari fit the bill of rock star coach? Not saying he would come here, because he would not, but he is the best recruiter of b ball talent I have ever seen.
I know you are just tossing out a "what if" scenario and all but Tom Izzo's not going anwyhere. He is Sparty for life. If Matta were no longer OSU's coach, as others have said, you have to go after Brad Stevens or Shaka Smart. I wouldn't be surprised if a guy like John Groce gets a look. I doubt Jeff Boals or Chris Jent would get the job due to their lack of head coaching experience.
ANDYVANCE...excellent points and, as we both know, the basketball equivalent of Urban Meyer does not exist at this time.
In my opinion, OSU is no place for on the job training. Being an assistant is one thing but calling the shots is another. Just as players mature, so do coaches. I'd prefer someone with some pedigree, understands recruiting his kind of player and those who fit the culture at OSU, has proven he can work through the highs and lows of a typical season, and is proven at managing a game and late-game situations. Go Bucks!
Groce or Smart. Brad Stevens will be the next head coach at Duke once Coach K retires. I almost want to guarantee that, he just seems like Duke's kind of guy
Everyone keeps saying that but I don't believe it I see duke keeping it in the family.
I'd rather not even imagine this scenario.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
I hope Matta doesn't retire or leave OSU for at least another decade. Because by then, Craft would have found out that he isn't right for the NBA, start being an assistant coach under Matta and learning the craft (pun intended) and then taking over as the Urban Meyer superstar former player that actually could be the equivalent of Tebow coming back to be the head coach at UF.
My vote is for Aaron Craft althought this is based on Matta being at OSU for those 10 years and most likely winning at least 2 national championships like he deserves.
Keith Dambrot is doing an awesome job at Akron this year and deserves a look as well.
Also Jeff Boals, just because Mark Titus likes him.
But please, please, not Greg Paulus.
I think back to when Gary Williams left for Maryland, one of the guys we offered was Rick Barnes. Then we had Randy Ayres (did awesome with Gary Williams recruits), Jim O'Brien (did awesome by using ineligible players), and Now Thad Matta who is arguably one of the best overall coaches in the game. And the best in making in game adjustments according to the flow of the game.
Barnes is still at texas and is considered the most overrated coach in the game according to SB NAtion.
Ill take a Thad Matta clone.... I'm sure we have the technology.
Favorite Buckeye: Obviously BJ Mullens
1) Ohio State would never attract the basketball equivalent to Urban Meyer. The program just won't attract that caliber of coach. Plus in basketball those guys are all lifers at their schools. College basketball coaches just seem to stick with programs longer.
Since, it's purely hypothetical then, I'll take Rick Pitino. Could you imagine what that man's press would do with Craft and Scott????? WOW!!!!
Stevens and Smart are great up and comers, but I have a feeling they'll be discussed for much much larger jobs that will be coming up in the pretty near future. Plus, i'm not convinced Stevens will leave. That's home to him, and he's built them into a great program.
Unfortunately, this. I feel like part of it is timing as well. If Matta leaves at the wrong time and OSU needs to compete with one of the elite "basketball" schools for a great HC, we're probably going to get a Silver Medal coach (not second tier, just not the Urban Meyer home run hire).
If Matta leaves and all other big schools are secure with their coaches, we might be able to strike gold and get a really great hire.
That being said, I'm glad we don't need to think about that right away. Very pleased with Matta and I think he's still building.
Actually BT, can you imagine what Pitino could do with Scott and the incoming play of Kameron Williams? He could become the next Russ Smith. He is so acrobatic with his shots and aggressive. With just those 2 alone Pitino would have his full press defense. Thompson would flourish in Pitino's style too. Amir would be riding the bench and also would be Pitino's favorite player. He always talks about how he loves the work ethic of some bench player. lol
Sean Miller, Bobby Knight or Kerry Coombs
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
I think Chris Jent would be considered. I read an article awhile back that a head coaching job is what he wants so maybe Thad is grooming him to succeed him? I hope Thad never goes away, but a coach like Jent would not bother me at all!
Go Buckeyes
Brad stephens or sean miller
Rock star coach? I'd say Flea. Or Phil Jackson. Mythical chimera posed by Andyvance, you're stuck with Clark Kellogg or LeBron.
If Clark wasn't so darn good behind the mic, I'd love to see him get into coaching - he's a rock star in my book, and super accessible and down to earth (interviewed him once back in my radio days).
Also, I would accept and be excited for anyone but Crean or Kelvin Sampson. Calipari, Bo Ryan, Chris Collins, or Wojo would take a little while.
No way to Bo Ryan or Calipari (Calipari is garbage)! For Ryan, the slow down style/run down the shot clock every possession of Wisc, Northwestern and from former Buckeye coach Jim O'Brien is often hard to watch, YES it's their best chance to win with lesser rated recruits and Ryan does a damn good job with it...but I prefer the style of offense that excites and brings in the better athletes.
Steve Alford, Shaka Smart,
D. Anthony
My feeling about Smart or Stevens is, Ohio State wouldn't be their destination, it'd be stepping stone. I'd say sometime in the next 5-10 years both Duke and Syracuse will be open. Also, Pitino is around 60 now so Louisville will be coming open, and you just never know when Calipari will get a wild hair and leave OR the program could be in trouble and he'll take off ahead of that. Roy Williams isn't exactly a spring chicken either. So in the next 10 years, there were certainly be higher profile jobs coming open and those 2 coaches are going to be on everyone's list. Hell, Thad may be as well.
In my opinion, if Thad left for some reason and Smart or Stevens were hired, we'd have them for 3-5 years until one of the blue bloods comes calling. Florida won two titles recently, and I'm not sure if Donovan bolted for the NBA, Stevens or Smart would go down there. There's no doubt that is a program with a higher stature than Ohio State.
I agree with the Stevens and Smart picks, also wouldn't mind seeing Groce return. Hell, Give it 5-10 years and Aaron Craft could be on the staff. Wouldn't be surprised (assuming he's not a doctor by that time)
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite