The Weekender : Baker Mayfield is Out of Cleveland and the College Hoops Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning

By 11W Staff on March 20, 2022 at 11:30 am
Archie Miller
Eleven Warriors
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Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.

Mayfield out of Cleveland?

Baker Mayfield had himself a wild week.

First, it was reported that the Browns were meeting with now-former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (more on that below). Once that word leaked, Mayfield posted a heartfelt letter on his Twitter page to Cleveland.

But then the Browns were notified they would not be landing Watson, and were looking to mend things with Mayfield. But

Then, in a stunning turn of events, Watson said he would in fact waive his no-trade clause to go to Cleveland, where he subsequently signed a five-year contract extension worth $230 million fully guaranteed, which is a new NFL record

Now, we will see what fate awaits Mayfield. In any event, there is no shortage of drama in Cleveland. 

College Hoops Coaching Carousel Heats Up

Since only 68 teams make the March Madness field, many men's and women's teams are looking for new coaches once the regular season ends. One of those is Xavier, and it appears that their new coach will be one of its old coaches, Sean Miller.

Miller previously coached at Arizona from 2009-2022.

Meanwhile, Miller's brother, Archie, former head coach of Dayton and Indiana, is now headed to another Atlantic 10 school, Rhode Island.

Florida, which lost its former head coach Todd White to SEC rival Georgia, hired San Francisco coach Todd Golden on Friday. Golden led the Dons to their first NCAA tournament since 1998 this season.

Finally, Missouri is close to hiring Cleveland State head coach Dennis Gates to the same position. Gates won the Horizon League regular season championship this season and made the NCAA Tournament in 2021.   

Transfer Portal Never Stops Spinning

While the college basketball coaching carousel spins for only a short time, the transfer portal never stops. Florida's Emory Jones is the latest high-profile quarterback to put his name in the portal. 

Some might remember Jones as a one-time Ohio State commit before the Buckeyes ultimately signed Matthew Baldwin instead.

ICYMI

Ohio State Gives Its Best Defensive Performance in Years

The Buckeyes have struggled on the defensive side of the ball all season, but they locked down Loyola during their first-round win over the Ramblers, delivering their best defensive performance in a season.

Buckeye Pipelines: Mike Nugent, Kirk Herbstreit, A.J. Hawk and Michael Bennett Among Ohio State's Finest from Centerville

Our 11W staff takes a deep dive into a rich Ohio State football pipeline. 

An Open Letter to Sister Jean

Johnny Ginter politely asks Loyola-Chicago chaplain Sister Jean to get Loyola to lose to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Looks like the plea worked. 

What's Next

  • Men's Basketball: Today vs. Villanova (NCAA 2nd Round, 2:40, CBS)
  • Women's Basketball: Monday vs. LSU (NCAA 2nd Round, ...)
  • Women's Ice Hockey: Today vs Minnesota-Duluth (Frozen Four National Championship, 4:00, ESPNU)
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