Elzy no longer on staff

[DonnieVol]

She needs to hire somebody that can RECRUIT. Holly and her assistants haven't got a single commitment for next year. That's pitiful. They are either lazy or don't know what they are doing. Until something changes it will be more of the same next year.

 

[livefaith]

Every change in staff is an opportunity to hire someone who can offer a fresh perspective and add skills that will make the team stronger. I'm sure all UT fans wish Kyra Elzy well and hope Holly capitalizes on the chance to bring in an assistant who can upgrade the offense and help develop players. It should be a desirable job, especially with all the talent coming back. Hope we reach high, instead of looking for a bargain.

Remember the large assistant exodus after year 2 for Dools? Remember how much he had to pay for a DC, and remember what he got for the price? This has similar markers, although it's post year 4 for CHW. Two things come to mind about the current assistants and next ones.

First, coaches diligently navigating their futures should be on the hunt THIS year. If they can land a equal or better gig, then they should give it a hard look. Another major underperformance next season, and they'll probably be forced to find another job. And when they do, their "reputation" will be as part of a group that failed and were fired. Don't know the full story on CKE yet, but I don't blame that girl at all. Based on the timing, she's looking really wise right now.

Second, getting a top notch replacement will almost certainly require finding a "diamond in the rough". No (and I mean NO!) top flight assistant or lower level HC who is looking for a + gig to move up the coaching ladder is going to take this position. Any "hot" coach smart enough to help us improve, has way more sense than to board a possibly sinking ship. Holly will be forced to go for "top potential talent" from a much smaller school / less experience, which = risk. Or she'll be required to "pay an exorbitant amount" to get a bigger name to come. IMO, any coach (ie like Sunseri), who is willing to board this ship probably is not sharp enough to help bring us an offense, player development, or a final four. Here's hoping for a young, hungry, energetic, and BBall smart type who is looking for a giant opportunity and gets it done.

 

[livefaith]

She needs to hire somebody that can RECRUIT. Holly and her assistants haven't got a single commitment for next year. That's pitiful. They are either lazy or don't know what they are doing. Until something changes it will be more of the same next year.

Well, hopefully the silver lining to that dark cloud is that they did not sign a couple of scrubs.

 

[Vols4life]

Was Elzy the recruiting coordinator?

Also, who was/is the No. 1 assistant on this staff? You should have a comer in the position--someone who has chops and the potential to be a head coach sooner rather than later. Elzy might have fit that description but i don't think she was the No. 1. That's how you build a coaching tree: you hire crack assistants, some leave for head gigs and have the potential to return--or they have the potential to take over the head job if the veteran retires or gets sacked. PS never really created a good coaching tree because her assistants all stayed too long--see Warlick, and DeMoss was the No. 1 for a long time before eventually leaving for a head gig. Neither Law nor Lockwood are ideal No. 1s, that's for sure. The truth is, we need a top-to-bottom staff overhaul.

If Elzy was the recruiting coordinator, I have to believe there was tension about the debacle this year--HW might have been displeased. But then Elzy might have been equally displeased with the clusterf--k that was this team this year, and was probably not exactly thrilled with the entire situation. I suspect too that HW is a rather insecure head coach; in fact, that has been obvious since day 1. Lockwood and Law are probably loyal to her--because nobody is beating down the door to hire away either of them--but Elzy was different, and so perhaps we had one ambitious coach with potential on a veteran staff that's not been doing a good job. That might have been a volatile dynamic that precipitated this, and surely the recruiting situation was another factor. What was a weak staff overall is now even weaker, unless Elzy just wasn't good as a recruiter. But recruiting cuts both ways. The program needs a strong recruiting coordinator--and the recruiting coordinator needs a program that is going well and thus attractive to recruits.

Basketball Staff
Holly Warlick – Head Coach
Pat Summitt – Head Coach Emeritus
Kyra Elzy – Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Jolette Law – Assistant Coach
Dean Lockwood – Assistant Coach
Michael Beaumont – Director of Basketball Operations
Janet McGee – Assistant to the Head Coach
Josh Boucher – Video Coordinator
Jasmine Jones - Graduate Assistant

That was the staff this past year...my guess is Elzy wanted to change some things and Holly wanted no part....Elzy can get the recruits to campus talk to them and what not but ultimately the recruits have to like the head coach and my guess is a lot of them do not like Holly...do not be surprised if Elzy is very successful at her next stop

 

[livefaith]

With Diamond, Meme and Russell they have a classic set up for a triangle offense. Dunbar could be the Steve Kerr (The weakside 3-pt outlet) and all we need is to develop a Horace Grant to clean up the triangles miscues.

Perfect for this group

Grant and Kerr never won an NBA title together.

Nevertheless, that plan is probably better than our dribble around until the shot clock expires offense from this season. Maybe. :-o

 

[DeerPark12]

Now she needs to part ways with Dean(I personally would get Alex fuller she has done a damn good job coaching post players at MTSU and most recently ole miss) and Coach Law(anyone at this point) find someone who can REALLY COACH and RECRUIT to take elzys place and then warlick needs to retire. At that point I think we're good.

Well, this is one of the most ignorant things I've ever seen on this board.

 

[DeerPark12]

That was the staff this past year...my guess is Elzy wanted to change some things and Holly wanted no part....Elzy can get the recruits to campus talk to them and what not but ultimately the recruits have to like the head coach and my guess is a lot of them do not like Holly...do not be surprised if Elzy is very successful at her next stop

Yeah, none of this is even remotely correct, but thanks for playing.

 

[Vols4life]

Yeah, none of this is even remotely correct, but thanks for playing.

I've worked in athletic departments in the past...not everyone gets along...but it's okay if you don't take off your orange glasses to see it....I step back and look at a lot of situations...I know they're your friends and you don't want to say anything bad but come on man get real

 

[vol66]

Coach Tyndell(sp?)
available?

In 3 to 5 years.

 

[WVU05UT09]

Yeah, none of this is even remotely correct, but thanks for playing.

Did you read the article in the KNS? can you square away the differences in what you guys are saying and the tone of that article. They don't line up.

 

[Chitownvol1129]

No chance. They lose Mitchell, Imobviah and Sessions, but get Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis to replace them. Those two plus the inside game of Wilson and Coates is far, far better than anything the SEC has to offer. They will have multiple outside threats to go along with their dominant inside game. No team would be stupid enough to dare them to shoot from outside the way Syracuse was able to in the tournament.

The only way SC doesn't plow through the SEC is if Bianca Cuevas is a complete trainwreck at PG. At this point, she's about the same as Te'a Cooper, so it's not out of the question to expect that she will be more capable come next year.

Really, I would let Davis be her selfish self all day, she shoots worse than our guards from behind the line, and is trouble with a capital D, Dawn will either run her off, or she will ride the bench, she will not gel with that team!

 

[dapeak]

Well, this is one of the most ignorant things I've ever seen on this board.

Explain why it would be ignorant to let Dean go? Obviously Mercedes has lived up to expectations(sarcasm). Bashaara reached her full potential(sarcasm). What us ge doing that shows he deserves to stay? Also. If you wouldn't mind I prefer to not have ANYTHING I say be referred to as ignorant. Thanks.

 

[VolFootballlover]

Basketball Staff
Holly Warlick – Head Coach
Pat Summitt – Head Coach Emeritus
Kyra Elzy – Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Jolette Law – Assistant Coach
Dean Lockwood – Assistant Coach
Michael Beaumont – Director of Basketball Operations
Janet McGee – Assistant to the Head Coach
Josh Boucher – Video Coordinator
Jasmine Jones - Graduate Assistant

That was the staff this past year...my guess is Elzy wanted to change some things and Holly wanted no part....Elzy can get the recruits to campus talk to them and what not but ultimately the recruits have to like the head coach and my guess is a lot of them do not like Holly...do not be surprised if Elzy is very successful at her next stop

Lol yeah yeah , Holly didn't want to win or make the team better..good grief you negative Nancy's are reaching.

 

[21VOL]

How about Tennessee hire a head coach who can coach.

 

[Amb3096]

Really, I would let Davis be her selfish self all day, she shoots worse than our guards from behind the line, and is trouble with a capital D, Dawn will either run her off, or she will ride the bench, she will not gel with that team!

Excluding Diamond (who she is at worst equal to), Kaela Davis is light years better than any of Tennessee's perimeter players. Even at her worse, she's still so much better than them it's not even funny. And now she's on a team with other backcourt and frontcourt stars where she doesn't have to carry the team. She is going to fit in perfectly.

(Ironically, what's also funny is that you could replace "Kaela" with "Diamond" in your post, and you will get exactly what people were saying about Tennessee this year.)

In any event, SC on paper will be the team to beat for the NC and should repeat their SEC sweep. They are loaded.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Basketball Staff
Holly Warlick – Head Coach
Pat Summitt – Head Coach Emeritus
Kyra Elzy – Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Jolette Law – Assistant Coach
Dean Lockwood – Assistant Coach
Michael Beaumont – Director of Basketball Operations
Janet McGee – Assistant to the Head Coach
Josh Boucher – Video Coordinator
Jasmine Jones - Graduate Assistant

That was the staff this past year...my guess is Elzy wanted to change some things and Holly wanted no part....Elzy can get the recruits to campus talk to them and what not but ultimately the recruits have to like the head coach and my guess is a lot of them do not like Holly...do not be surprised if Elzy is very successful at her next stop

++++++++++++

Elzy will be a success.

Her recruiting is not why the program struggled.

 

[Spook1]

Based on what??? She couldn't even help convince one recruit to commit this year....

epper:Elzy has a track record of being a good recruiter at Kentucky and initially with Tennessee. The recruiting problem is Holly Warlick...who wants to come to Tennessee with her as coach. If you really want to know what is happening Mickey Deerstone, radio, could tell us all except UT has to approve him on the radio position...so he has to keep his mouth shut to keep his job.

 

[T-TownVol]

Is that a play on words or something?

Typical of this LV staff....."KNOW" attention to detail......

 

[armchair]

It sounds to me as if there was a rift between HW and Elzy, which had to be related to recruiting, her trying to get other jobs, and perhaps other factors. I don't think HW would have pushed her out to make room for someone else (as may have happened in our soccer program), as I don't think Elzy would be the one I'd nudge.

As for T.Summitt, he'd be better off staying at LaTech than coming here as an assistant, IMO. He needs to keep growing as a coach/leader etc.--and that will stop if he becomes an assistant. He doesn't need to be an assistant here to be groomed for the head job: he needs to prove he'd be /good/ for the job. He has NOT done that yet--and he's not going to prove it sitting on our bench.

 

[DeerPark12]

Explain why it would be ignorant to let Dean go? Obviously Mercedes has lived up to expectations(sarcasm). Bashaara reached her full potential(sarcasm). What us ge doing that shows he deserves to stay? Also. If you wouldn't mind I prefer to not have ANYTHING I say be referred to as ignorant. Thanks.

Then don't post things that are ignorant.

Dean Lockwood is one of the most respected assistants in women's basketball and probably the best at scouting opponents in the game. If he was let go, he'd be out of work for about 10 minutes and whoever hired him would wonder what the hell UT was thinking letting him get away.

 

[mlindsay]

Then don't post things that are ignorant.

Dean Lockwood is one of the most respected assistants in women's basketball and probably the best at scouting opponents in the game. If he was let go, he'd be out of work for about 10 minutes and whoever hired him would wonder what the hell UT was thinking letting him get away.

So where were the in game adjustments then? We were miserable in the second half of most games. If he is great at scouting opponents and we still struggled against the teams Holly obviously wasn't listening to his insight. So if she isn't listening to Dean and wasn't listening to Elzy that would explain the whiff on recruits as well as the poor performance and season that we had. Coaching who having assistant coaches yet don't accept their input are useless.

 

[SoDak_LV_Fan]

What about Tamika Catchings coming on board to replace Kyra? Tamika is a forward which is something we need and what recruit out there wouldn't want to work with her?! I think hiring Tamika will give us a great advantage. Texas got some great recruits when they hired Tina.
Or Candace Parker? She currently does not play overseas.

 

[DeerPark12]

So where were the in game adjustments then? We were miserable in the second half of most games. If he is great at scouting opponents and we still struggled against the teams Holly obviously wasn't listening to his insight. So if she isn't listening to Dean and wasn't listening to Elzy that would explain the whiff on recruits as well as the poor performance and season that we had. Coaching who having assistant coaches yet don't accept their input are useless.

Or, the coaches crafted a gameplan (and made adjustments) based on the scout and input and the players didn't execute them.

People that are for whatever reason predisposed to not like Holly can come up with whatever theory they want. They underachieved in the regular season, but still reached the Elite Eight.

But, as I see in this thread, no matter what I say, it is going to be called "orange-colored glasses" or the "company line" or whatever. Not worth arguing about.

If ya'll want to actively root against a head coach at Tennessee that has won three SEC titles and finished in the Elite Eight in three out of four years, then I guess that's your business. People accuse me of not seeing the forrest for the trees, but I think it's the other way around. At the end of the season, UT was in it's usual spot in the second weekend of the tournament. No January loss to Florida or lackluster performance against Arkansas changed that. Yet, some people want to judge her for the process, rather than the actual result.

 

[VOL720]

Or, the coaches crafted a gameplan (and made adjustments) based on the scout and input and the players didn't execute them.

People that are for whatever reason predisposed to not like Holly can come up with whatever theory they want. They underachieved in the regular season, but still reached the Elite Eight.

But, as I see in this thread, no matter what I say, it is going to be called "orange-colored glasses" or the "company line" or whatever. Not worth arguing about.

If ya'll want to actively root against a head coach at Tennessee that has won three SEC titles and finished in the Elite Eight in three out of four years, then I guess that's your business. People accuse me of not seeing the forrest for the trees, but I think it's the other way around. At the end of the season, UT was in it's usual spot in the second weekend of the tournament. No January loss to Florida or lackluster performance against Arkansas changed that. Yet, some people want to judge her for the process, rather than the actual result.

I get your point, the season is over with, but some fans still are worried about the direction this program is headed in and I think recent recruiting is a main issue. The way Syracuse was playing, I think the only team that could of defeated them were UConn. They were hitting ridiculous shots all Tournament long until they met up with UConn. Improve recruiting will give us a little confidence and help us see some light.

 

[therickbol]

With Diamond, Meme and Russell they have a classic set up for a triangle offense. Dunbar could be the Steve Kerr (The weakside 3-pt outlet) and all we need is to develop a Horace Grant to clean up the triangles miscues.

Perfect for this group

As a HS basketball coach who has seen them play a lot, I will respectfully disagree. That is a terrible group for the triangle. Especially to include Meme. Saw Meme play quite a bit in HS. She has opportunity to be a big asset to the team as a defender and glue player. Her offense will always struggle in college. To run triangle Russell needs to have a strong back to the basket game. She does not. When she played so well down the stretch of the NCAA, many of her baskets were layups created by drives/bad defense/extended pressing defense. The strong side of the court would be very clogged too. They would not contest Diamond/Meme at the 3pt line. Neither are a threat.

They need to hire an offensive coach that brings in a system that involves a lot of player movement and ball movement. Screens set off the bad as much as they are set on the ball. And they need to recruit more players that can shoot the basketball from the perimeter so defenders will be forced to chase and press up on our perimeter players.