$, timing, and Holly

#51
#51
Nute Gunray said:
Gail Goestenkors
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Coach GG, when at Duke, had a lot of question marks around her, in the sense of being a great recruiter but not a good game coach. Even Duke fans referred to have too many deer in the headlight moments. I think some affirmation of that limitation came when she moved to Texas and flopped. She could not plug into that region's recruiting circuits and her teams were disastrous on the court. When the change is made, I would hope that the new LV coach is riding a wave of success run rather than having been fired and regarded as a major mistake (as per GG at Texas).
 
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#53
#53
name been mentioned on here before -- Becky Hammon -- probably would have to pay her more than Warlick makes though
 
#54
#54
madtownvol said:
Wade Houston had 5 seasons; Buzz Peterson had 4 seasons and neither ever made it to the NCAA tournament. Holly has 3 elite 8s and 3 SEC titles. Yes, much of that success occurred in her first 4 years but the LVs were still 25-8 last season (disappointing given the expectations but still far better than what Houston, Peterson or 11 year coach Don DeVoe ever accomplished). I am not saying that Holly is the greatest coach in the world but the facts don't quite match your assessment of what the UT men's b-ball program would tolerate.
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Why is your Avatar, Michael Jackson?
 
#57
#57
madtownvol said:
Coach GG, when at Duke, had a lot of question marks around her, in the sense of being a great recruiter but not a good game coach. Even Duke fans referred to have too many deer in the headlight moments. I think some affirmation of that limitation came when she moved to Texas and flopped. She could not plug into that region's recruiting circuits and her teams were disastrous on the court. When the change is made, I would hope that the new LV coach is riding a wave of success run rather than having been fired and regarded as a major mistake (as per GG at Texas).
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Wikipedia has the following article on Gail's tenure at Duke:

"Goestenkors accumulated an impressive record at Duke and is one of the most accomplished women's basketball coaches in the nation. She received recognition as the ACC Coach of the Year a record 7 times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007). In the 2001-02 season, Goestenkors led the Blue Devils to the first undefeated regular season in ACC women's basketball history — a feat she would repeat two other times during her tenure at Duke (2003, 2007). During her final ten seasons at Duke, Goestenkors led the Blue Devils to NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearances every year, seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four appearances, and two appearances in the NCAA Championship game. During her tenure, her teams won five ACC tournament championships and eight ACC regular season titles. Goestenkors holds the ACC record for fewest games required to achieve 300 wins (387 games). "

I don't think we would have this conversation if Holly had a similar record. Texas was not the best fit for Gail. Tennessee is a better fit.
 
#58
#58
No one is debating that she had a great record at Duke. If you look at the stories about her Texas era, you will see that she resigned before she was fired and cited fatigue with coaching as a big reason. She did a short stint with the LA Sparks and also quit because of fatigue and burnout. She is now 55 and has been out of coaching for about 5 years. That is younger than Holly but I think it might be time to go with someone in the 30-40 year age range who has energy and some fresh ideas and build interest among the students, someone like Dawn Staley back when she was hired. Becky Hammon's name has been floated (no chance for that I think) and she would be close to my dream choice.
 
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#59
#59
madtownvol said:
No one is debating that she had a great record at Duke. If you look at the stories about her Texas era, you will see that she resigned before she was fired and cited fatigue with coaching as a big reason. She did a short stint with the LA Sparks and also quit because of fatigue and burnout. She is now 55 and has been out of coaching for about 5 years. That is younger than Holly but I think it might be time to go with someone in the 30-40 year age range who has energy and some fresh ideas and build interest among the students, someone like Dawn Staley back when she was hired. Becky Hammon's name has been floated (no chance for that I think) and she would be close to my dream choice.
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Does Becky have experience as a head coach? I think it would be a mistake to hire someone who does not have a proven track record as a good head coach.
 
#60
#60
Nute Gunray said:
Does Becky have experience as a head coach? I think it would be a mistake to hire someone who does not have a proven track record as a good head coach.
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Not sure what her coaching experience was before becoming Coach Pop's assistant.,

I see the concern but that is some pedigree.
 
#62
#62
lvocd said:
Terrific post, madtown.
I want to clarify my thoughts about Kara Lawson taking over. What I’m suggesting is that IF there was a mid-season emergency firing, and IF the university wanted to hire someone in a temporary capacity that could jolt the team into better play to finishout the season well enough to at least make the Tourney, then I’d trust Lawson to be able to get that done.

UT couldn’t get another top coach to leave their program mid-season (Duh! Who’d even ASK such a ridiculous thing!), but ESPN might let Kara go on leave for three months to do a mission of mercy for her alma mater.

She could go right back to her broadcasting career after a sabbatical and after the season is over.
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This is a marvelous idea.

This would give Kara a chance to see if she wants the job, and would give the University a good idea of how she would handle it. Kara has a high, and very positive profile. She knows the game and has great connections and rapport with other coaches. I believe ESPN would be delighted to give her a leave of absence for the balance of the season. So it all boils down to the question of whether Kara would want to do it.

Fan response would be positive. Kara would have a chance to work with the existing staff for a decent amount of time. If she is offered the job and accepts at the end of the year she'd be able to make whatever staff changes she wants and -- as I said -- she is well connected and could assemble a dynamite staff. And I don't think recruiting would suffer. Holly could be offered another position in the Athletic Department in a negotiation that would mitigate her buyout cost.

If she stumbles, or decides she doesn't want the job going forward, then the University could search for the best coach available.

The key here is to jettison all the sentimental factors that really are no longer relevant to decisions regarding the future success of the program. The legacy, history and successes of Pat and the Lady Vol program are secure and will never be forgotten, diminished or dismissed. It's time now to look to the future.
 
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