2017 Coaching Changes - emphasis on MVC

[BirdsEyeView]

No way Simmons gets fired. If you were going to get rid of Simmons, you do it last year for sucking with talent. You don't sign an extension after that and then fire him after a year where you knew the team was going to struggle.

Lusk is the only one in trouble this year, and I don't know if MSU has the cash to make the move. I hope they do. They have enough returning talent to sell to a good incoming coach as not a total rebuild.

I agree with this. However, all that talent might transfer away too if they get rid of Lusk (risk you take with a coaching change). We know this very well with Tim Jankovich leaving and Nic Moore following him to SMU.

It's a risk, though one worth taking I think, as that talent with this coach clearly isn't getting it done. And I doubt Lusk is going to find himself on the bench of Larry Brown after he is fired.

How big of a mismatch is MSU Head Coach vs WSU Head Coach tomorrow (wowza!)

[Red]

No way Simmons gets fired. If you were going to get rid of Simmons, you do it last year for sucking with talent. You don't sign an extension after that and then fire him after a year where you knew the team was going to struggle.

Wasn't Marty literally one wild UNI shot from dancing last season?

[Redbirds4Life]

No way Simmons gets fired. If you were going to get rid of Simmons, you do it last year for sucking with talent. You don't sign an extension after that and then fire him after a year where you knew the team was going to struggle.

Wasn't Marty literally one wild UNI shot from dancing last season?

He sure was.

I guess my whole Marty thing is other than last year, have they ever been close to making the big dance in his 10 years....not really. It isn't like he hasn't had any talent, he has had guys like DJ Balentine and Colt Ryan, but great players. I just feel after 10 years of being mediocre at best, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think his job security should be in question.

^The signing Marty to a job extension was so baffling, I couldn't believe they did that... Maybe I am alone on this one, but I think he is a decent recruiter and an awful coach.

[Cdizzle]

No way Simmons gets fired. If you were going to get rid of Simmons, you do it last year for sucking with talent. You don't sign an extension after that and then fire him after a year where you knew the team was going to struggle.

Wasn't Marty literally one wild UNI shot from dancing last season?

One shot from going to OT.

Still, if you're pinning your career on a 3-day run to get an NCAA bid (which didn't happen) in Year 9, what does that say?

[ahunte1]

This is the way I see it...

Moser - Safe, but needs to take another step next year for him to feel really safe

Another step forward wouldn't hurt anything, but I don't see anyone in the administration wanting to make a change in the foreseeable future, and I don't see any of the precious few big money alums who care about athletics pushing for a change.

[BirdsEyeView]

No way Simmons gets fired. If you were going to get rid of Simmons, you do it last year for sucking with talent. You don't sign an extension after that and then fire him after a year where you knew the team was going to struggle.

Wasn't Marty literally one wild UNI shot from dancing last season?

One shot from going to OT.

Still, if you're pinning your career on a 3-day run to get an NCAA bid (which didn't happen) in Year 9, what does that say?

It says this conference sucks (although Evansville schedule shot them in the foot last year).

Looking at this year for ISUr (24-5, 16-1), we still need to win Arch to feel safe for making the NCAAs, it shows how poor our conference reflects on getting quality wins. Land mines are left and right.

ISUr, is riding a 3 day run to get in most likely too.

[BCPanther]

This is the way I see it...

Marshall - Safe, but could leave at anytime if the job/situation/price was right
Muller - Safe, maybe could leave for another job, but I agree with the person above, needs NCCA bid
Jacobson - Safe, but could leave at anytime if the job/situation/price was right
Moser - Safe, but needs to take another step next year for him to feel really safe
Hinson - Wild Card, SIU fans tell me a change is needed, but he is well regarded in the league so who knows.
Lusk - Hot Seat, if MSU can afford the buyout, he is gone for sure.
Wardle - Safe, team took a step in the right direction this year, but needs to keep building next season.
Simmons - Hot Seat, I would think this year would do him in, but you never know with Evansville.
Lansing - Seat is getting hotter, I think they give him at least one more year, but he needs a good year.

And...

Drake - Who knows what direction they will go....I'd contest that if they could ever get Keno Davis back, which is a big IF, I would think about it. He is the only coach who has had real success in the last decade or so. I know he kind of bailed after one year, but he also might be your ticket to getting back to more competitive basketball...but that's also if Drake wants him and if Keno would come.

Careful on Keno. Dr Tom did most of the work and took all of the losses in the rebuild and handed Keno the keys to a team that was going to be pretty good and Emmenecker, out of nowhere, made them really good.

Keno failed spectacularly in the old Big East and has had some success at CMU built largely on the back of one great scorer (Keene?) and they don't play defense at all, which won't exactly lead to success in the Valley as long as Wichita, UNI and Illinois State continue to build their programs on defense.

[DUBulldog]

Drake - Who knows what direction they will go....I'd contest that if they could ever get Keno Davis back, which is a big IF, I would think about it. He is the only coach who has had real success in the last decade or so. I know he kind of bailed after one year, but he also might be your ticket to getting back to more competitive basketball...but that's also if Drake wants him and if Keno would come.

I'm not sure I'd want Keno back. In nine seasons since leaving Drake, he's 123-124. Currently in his 5th season at Central Michigan, his team is 6-9 in the MAC. In his one season at Drake, his recruiting was terrible. Not bad, but terrible.

Two of his three fall recruits never came to Drake at the request of the coaching staff that followed. One of them ended up playing D3 ball and the other ran track at one of the Dakota schools. The third was at Drake for two years, and literally never played a minute.

At the end of his 28-5 season, he had one scholarship left.....and he used it to get a commitment from a juco point guard that Drake had asked to walk-on two years prior. If a former walk-on candidate is the best you can do coming off a top 20 season, then you cannot recruit.

[PurpleAcesFootball]

We are in year 10 of the Simmons era.

165-159 and 12 wins coming against sub-D1 competition

74-105 in MVC play (60-65 in last 7 years if you want to consider that a bright spot??)

Finished above .500 twice

Has coached the schools #1 and #2 all time leading scorers and all time leading rebounder

Never played in a postseason tournament that wasn't a pay for play

Year 10, a team with 6 seniors and 1 RS Jr is considered a rebuilding year.

Why would this be considered a bad track record?

[BirdsEyeView]

We are in year 10 of the Simmons era.

165-159 and 12 wins coming against sub-D1 competition

74-105 in MVC play (60-65 in last 7 years if you want to consider that a bright spot??)

Finished above .500 twice

Has coached the schools #1 and #2 all time leading scorers and all time leading rebounder

Never played in a postseason tournament that wasn't a pay for play

Year 10, a team with 6 seniors and 1 RS Jr is considered a rebuilding year.

Why would this be considered a bad track record?

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