Moose
Well-known member
https://theathletic.com/1743409/2020/04/15/ranking-the-best-and-worst-coaching-hires-from-2015/
Top mid-major hires
East Tennessee State: Steve Forbes
Hired: March 26, 2015
Record: 130-43
Postseason: 2 NCAA Tournament appearances; * CIT
Team record five years prior: 86-78, no postseason since 2010
Liberty: Ritchie McKay
Hired: April 1, 2015
Record: 154-87
Postseason: 2 CIT; 2 NCAA Tournament appearances;* beat Mississippi State in 2019 NCAA first round
Team record five years prior: 67-97; no postseason since 2013
Skinny: Any Liberty fans who felt jilted when McKay left in 2009 to become Tony Bennett’s assistant at Virginia have come around in his second go-round. He has seamlessly ushered the Flames from the Big South to the Atlantic Sun, winning the league crown the past two seasons.
Nevada: Eric Musselman
Hired: March 25, 2015
Record: 110-34
Postseason: 3 NCAA Tournament appearances; Sweet 16; CBI title
Team record five years prior: 77-84; no NCAA Tournament since 2007
Skinny: Known as a journeyman coach, Musselman first got noticed for his propensity to remove his shirt in celebration. Eventually, people realized he was a home run hire. The only caveat not to pushing this choice higher: He bolted for Arkansas after four years.
* Won conference tournament and earned at-large bid before season was canceled
Top Power 5 hires
Arizona State: Bobby Hurley
Hired: April 9, 2015
Record: 92-69
Postseason: Two NCAA Tournament appearances
Team record five years prior: 81-81; no NCAA Tournament since 2014
Skinny: Hurley’s Sun Devils were poised to earn their third consecutive NCAA bid this year, a string that hasn’t been matched at Arizona State since the 1960s. With its rival school down the road in NCAA turmoil, ASU reads as the picture of stability, with Hurley turning down other jobs to stay put. He also just landed top-10 prospect Josh Christopher, the highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to ASU.
Tennessee: Rick Barnes
Hired: March 31, 2015
Record: 104-63
Postseason: Two NCAA Tournament appearances; Sweet 16
Team record five years prior: 98-77; no NCAA Tournament appearances since 2014
Skinny: Plenty of people thought Tennessee did little more than offer a life preserver to a coach who had been axed at Texas. Turns out the Vols got the perfect coach to rebuild a program decimated by NCAA investigations involving two of its coaches — Bruce Pearl and Donnie Tyndall — and a third hightailing it out of town. Barnes also has a $5 million buyout, which means he’s not going anywhere.
Mississippi State: Ben Howland
Hired: March 23, 2015
Record: 98-67
Postseason: One NCAA Tournament appearance; one NIT
Team record five years prior: 75-86; no NCAA Tournament since 2009
Skinny: Mississippi State, which has been to one Final Four, managed to lure a man with three Final Four appearances to Starkville. This in and of itself is a master stroke. However, a sudden and strange revolving door at Mississippi State — five players have announced their decision to transfer — this ranking may soon change.
Worst overall hires
St. John’s: Chris Mullin
Fired: After four seasons
Record: 59-73
Postseason: One NCAA Tournament appearance, in 2019
Team record five years prior: 92-72; two NCAA Tournament appearances; two NITs
Skinny: The great nostalgia experiment did not go well for the Red Storm, Mullin steering his alma mater to one First Four appearance and the fan frenzy stoked by his hire cooling amid lousy results.
Utah State: Tim Duryea
Fired: After three seasons
Record: 47-49
Postseason: None
Team record five years prior: 108-57; one NCAA Tournament appearance
Skinny: Before he retired, Stew Morrill led the Aggies to nine NCAA berths. In the last two seasons, Craig Smith and Utah State have won the Mountain West in each of the last two seasons. In between? Not good.
VMI: Dan Earl
Record: 44-111
Postseason: None
Team record five years prior: 82-78; CIT semifinals
Skinny: This is a hard job, admittedly. But in Duggar Baucom’s final season, the Keydets won 22 games and lost in the conference semifinals. VMI hasn’t won more than 11 games in a season since.
Top mid-major hires
East Tennessee State: Steve Forbes
Hired: March 26, 2015
Record: 130-43
Postseason: 2 NCAA Tournament appearances; * CIT
Team record five years prior: 86-78, no postseason since 2010
Liberty: Ritchie McKay
Hired: April 1, 2015
Record: 154-87
Postseason: 2 CIT; 2 NCAA Tournament appearances;* beat Mississippi State in 2019 NCAA first round
Team record five years prior: 67-97; no postseason since 2013
Skinny: Any Liberty fans who felt jilted when McKay left in 2009 to become Tony Bennett’s assistant at Virginia have come around in his second go-round. He has seamlessly ushered the Flames from the Big South to the Atlantic Sun, winning the league crown the past two seasons.
Nevada: Eric Musselman
Hired: March 25, 2015
Record: 110-34
Postseason: 3 NCAA Tournament appearances; Sweet 16; CBI title
Team record five years prior: 77-84; no NCAA Tournament since 2007
Skinny: Known as a journeyman coach, Musselman first got noticed for his propensity to remove his shirt in celebration. Eventually, people realized he was a home run hire. The only caveat not to pushing this choice higher: He bolted for Arkansas after four years.
* Won conference tournament and earned at-large bid before season was canceled
Top Power 5 hires
Arizona State: Bobby Hurley
Hired: April 9, 2015
Record: 92-69
Postseason: Two NCAA Tournament appearances
Team record five years prior: 81-81; no NCAA Tournament since 2014
Skinny: Hurley’s Sun Devils were poised to earn their third consecutive NCAA bid this year, a string that hasn’t been matched at Arizona State since the 1960s. With its rival school down the road in NCAA turmoil, ASU reads as the picture of stability, with Hurley turning down other jobs to stay put. He also just landed top-10 prospect Josh Christopher, the highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to ASU.
Tennessee: Rick Barnes
Hired: March 31, 2015
Record: 104-63
Postseason: Two NCAA Tournament appearances; Sweet 16
Team record five years prior: 98-77; no NCAA Tournament appearances since 2014
Skinny: Plenty of people thought Tennessee did little more than offer a life preserver to a coach who had been axed at Texas. Turns out the Vols got the perfect coach to rebuild a program decimated by NCAA investigations involving two of its coaches — Bruce Pearl and Donnie Tyndall — and a third hightailing it out of town. Barnes also has a $5 million buyout, which means he’s not going anywhere.
Mississippi State: Ben Howland
Hired: March 23, 2015
Record: 98-67
Postseason: One NCAA Tournament appearance; one NIT
Team record five years prior: 75-86; no NCAA Tournament since 2009
Skinny: Mississippi State, which has been to one Final Four, managed to lure a man with three Final Four appearances to Starkville. This in and of itself is a master stroke. However, a sudden and strange revolving door at Mississippi State — five players have announced their decision to transfer — this ranking may soon change.
Worst overall hires
St. John’s: Chris Mullin
Fired: After four seasons
Record: 59-73
Postseason: One NCAA Tournament appearance, in 2019
Team record five years prior: 92-72; two NCAA Tournament appearances; two NITs
Skinny: The great nostalgia experiment did not go well for the Red Storm, Mullin steering his alma mater to one First Four appearance and the fan frenzy stoked by his hire cooling amid lousy results.
Utah State: Tim Duryea
Fired: After three seasons
Record: 47-49
Postseason: None
Team record five years prior: 108-57; one NCAA Tournament appearance
Skinny: Before he retired, Stew Morrill led the Aggies to nine NCAA berths. In the last two seasons, Craig Smith and Utah State have won the Mountain West in each of the last two seasons. In between? Not good.
VMI: Dan Earl
Record: 44-111
Postseason: None
Team record five years prior: 82-78; CIT semifinals
Skinny: This is a hard job, admittedly. But in Duggar Baucom’s final season, the Keydets won 22 games and lost in the conference semifinals. VMI hasn’t won more than 11 games in a season since.
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