Who does Memphis get?

#53
#53
I have no idea if this Knight story is legit or not, but I agree that the local media would definitely know this stuff before a national outlet.
 
#54
#54
Well hat you are right again. Dan Wolken of the Commercial Appeal said the report was erroneous. So Knight is probably in town, but didn't interview.
 
#56
#56
CALISKING said:
[/b]

Yes. They beat ESPN and national news on all details of the Cal saga. Calkins actually told Dan Patrick today that Memphis offered more money than UK. He was shocked. All stuff on ESPN scroller was approximately 12-24 hours behind what was being reported in Memphis.
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Cal works for ESPN?
 
#57
#57
ledhed43 said:
Well hat you are right again. Dan Wolken of the Commercial Appeal said the report was erroneous. So Knight is probably in town, but didn't interview.
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Here is his blog:

Bob Knight, etc.
Posted by Dan Wolken

I must say, while I have been fairly in tune with what’s going on today on the coaching search front, the Ch. 5 report that Bob Knight was in town threw me way off.

I do not believe - and it has been refuted by a source already - that Knight was in town to interview. Was Knight in town today? Possibly. But in my opinion, it would only be as a consultant to this process. As I reported in tomorrow’s paper, FedEx VP Alan Graf, who is essentially running this search from the booster’s side, is very close with Digger Phelps, the ESPN analyst and former Notre Dame coach. Digger is very close to Bob Knight. If there was an interview, perhaps it was a courtesy. But if anyone at Memphis is serious for even a second about hiring Bob Knight, they should be fired on the spot. The Memphis job is a recruiting job, and even considering Bob Knight shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what this job is.

Likewise, anybody floating the idea of Nolan Richardson is completely off their rocker and should not be taken seriously as a voice in this process.

I have tons and tons of thoughts on the search, Calipari, etc., but I’m extremely tired. I just had to get this up.
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#61
#61
I also don't think Knight is the right guy for MEM. I wouldn't mind seeing some chairs thrown around FEF, though.
 
#62
#62
I'm hearing now that Memphis is starting to circle in on five names. Andy Kennedy, Derek Kellogg, Avery Johnson, Scott Drew, and Reggie Theus. Personally, I'd like to have Theus (b/c Avery will never come), but that's just me.

Edit: There is a dark horse candidate for the job. Chris Douglas-Roberts, per his facebook status, will be applying for the head coaching position at Memphis.
 
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#63
#63
volfan55 said:
I'm hearing now that Memphis is starting to circle in on five names. Andy Kennedy, Derek Kellogg, Avery Johnson, Scott Drew, and Reggie Theus. Personally, I'd like to have Theus (b/c Avery will never come), but that's just me.

Edit: There is a dark horse candidate for the job. Chris Douglas-Roberts, per his facebook status, will be applying for the head coaching position at Memphis.
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The first 2 are the legitmate options. Avery is a joke, just like Nolan. I have heard Scott Drew but that would be a HUGE mistake. I have heard Reggie's name a few times but not sure that is too serious.
 
#64
#64
I saw that FedEx is laying off 1,000 employees. This may have an effect on what coach they get if FedEx execs who contribute fall into a need to save a little publicity. This may only mean they will not get a coach like Bobby Knight, or any other coach that would demand to be in the top 5 of the pay scale.
 
#65
#65
trbonevol said:
I saw that FedEx is laying off 1,000 employees. This may have an effect on what coach they get if FedEx execs who contribute fall into a need to save a little publicity. This may only mean they will not get a coach like Bobby Knight, or any other coach that would demand to be in the top 5 of the pay scale.
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The $$ to pay the Memphis coach does not come from FedEX payroll, but from the wealth of the Ambassodors who happen to work at FedEx. All upper management took a huge paycut this year.

T. Boone Pickens said it best, "It's my money and I'll spend it how I want."
 
#66
#66
CALISKING said:
The $$ to pay the Memphis coach does not come from FedEX payroll, but from the wealth of the Ambassodors who happen to work at FedEx. All upper management took a huge paycut this year.

T. Boone Pickens said it best, "It's my money and I'll spend it how I want."
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And to add to that, Bobby Knight and Nolan Richardson are NOT coming to Memphis.
 
#67
#67
Here you go Hat, more Dan Wolken:

Myths about the Memphis coaching search

1. Scott Drew was a smokescreen designed to throw the media off, and Memphis was never interested in hiring him.

You can believe this garbage all you want, but folks, this is just not true. Memphis was very serious about hiring Drew yesterday. No contract was offered, but money and contract terms were discussed. Why would Alan Graf tell Drew and his people yesterday that he was the guy if he wasn’t the guy? The problem is, as the day dragged on and Johnson was “hemming and hawing” on getting a deal done, Drew started to wonder if he was being set up as a fallback option. If you’re a guy like Drew, who has a strong standing at Baylor right now, you can’t sit there and wait while Memphis is dragging its feet or else you are going to damage yourself with your AD and recruits.

2. R.C. Johnson & Co. are still working behind the scenes on a “Wow” hire that will blow everyone away.

Does not appear to be true, unless you consider Leonard Hamilton a “Wow” hire. Because that’s the name that was buzzing around college basketball last night. Leonard gets good players at Florida State, and he would probably get good players at Memphis, too. But his reputation as a poor coach is well-earned; he’s been to just 4 NCAA Tournaments in 20 years at Florida State, Miami and Oklahoma State. And he’ll be 61 years old in August, so this would essentially be a well-paid retirement job for him. But if you’re talking about “name” guys, Hamilton is probably the best Memphis can do. Hamilton, or Billy Gillispie (he would take it). Because nobody who is in a good situation wants this job right now. You could offer Jay Wright the same contract you offered Calipari, and he’s not taking it. The sooner people realize that, the better.

3. Reggie Theus would be a home-run hire and would keep Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins in the fold.

This is nonsense. First of all, Theus might be a good hire, but he would be a risky hire. Getting a bunch of transfers and talented misfits out to New Mexico State and then parlaying a good season into an NBA job doesn’t prove that you know how to build a program. Lots of questions in the coaching world about Theus’ work ethic. Is he really interested in getting into the recruiting nitty-gritty, or is he going to be jetting off to L.A. whenever he can? The stuff about Henry and Cousins is also ridiculous. This idea is being peddled by Otis Hughley, who is trying to position himself for a job on Theus’ staff. But Hughley has no influence anymore on the Cousins situation, and anyone who knows what’s really happening with Cousins knows this to be true. The chances of Henry playing at Memphis? As it was put to me by a trusted source close to the situation last night: Zero.

4. Hiring an NBA person like Avery Johnson or Isiah Thomas would be a good idea .

It would in fact be an awful idea. If you have never recruited a college player, you have no business being in this job. The lure of college kids wanting to play for NBA guys is incredibly overrated. Those guys don’t have the grass-roots connections to AAU basketball. That’s where it’s at these days.

5. Andy Kennedy should be disqualified due to the cab incident last December.

Unfortunately, this appears to be a legitimate concern from the Shirley Raines office and a major reason why Kennedy isn’t higher on the list. But it’s misguided. While embarrassing, this incident is small potatoes. The amount of bad publicity Memphis might receive would be extremely mimimal. Kennedy has a ton of upside as a coach.

6. Derek Kellogg wouldn’t come after just one year at UMass, his alma mater.

It would take a good offer (something in the $1.4-1.5 million range), but Kellogg would come. Trust me on this. And John Robic would probably stay, too, to help him on the bench. My prediction is that if Kellogg got this job, Joe Jackson, Tarik Black and Mardracus Wade would all commit to Memphis in short order. Those kids love DK.
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#68
#68
What about Phil Martelli guys? I've been hearing some small talk about him, but im not sure. Thoughts?
 
#71
#71
Ruh Roh:

Billy Gillispie, anyone?
Posted by Dan Wolken on April 5, 2009 at 10:08 pm

If you’re looking for a “Wow” hire, there’s one that Memphis could make tomorrow.

Yep, Billy Clyde Gillispie.

Let’s pretend that John Calipari, instead of leaving for Kentucky, had gone to the NBA this year. Who’s the best, most accomplished coach on the market? There’s no doubt, it’s the guy who has been coach of the year twice in the Big 12 and once in the SEC. Now, could Memphis fans stomach the idea of essentially trading coaches? I’d think of it more as the two parties who got screwed over by Kentucky joining forces with something to prove.

Any thoughts? (And remember, this is a school that appears to be ready to hire Leonard Hamilton, so keep it in context).
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#72
#72
myrobbins7 said:
What about Phil Martelli guys? I've been hearing some small talk about him, but im not sure. Thoughts?
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You're talking ab the St. Joe's coach rite? If not, then disregard what is said. I don't think he would be a good fit for MEM because it is a recruiting job. People criticized Cal for constantly bringing in one and dones, but hell, they got to play somewhere. Martelli has been on record saying that this takes away from the integrity of the game (which it may), but Mem needs these kinds of players to survive, IMO.
 
#74
#74
so why is memphis having such a hard time landing a coach? Besides the city itself, what would the drawbacks be. Seems like a very good basketball job to me. I am surprised at the difficulty they are having.
 
#75
#75
It's still a mid major. Cal is one of the best coaches in college basketball and he was why Memphis was so nationally competitive. You can't just replace that.

C-USA is a major drawback to the job. Granted, the Forum is great and the money is good, but that conference schedule just kills them.
 
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