Who is your top choice for a replacement?

Who is your top choice for a replacement?

  • Jeff Walz

  • Kellie Harper

  • A top mid-major coach Fortier, Baranczyk, Krieger or Banghart

  • Other (please post who)

Results are only viewable after voting.
#176
#176
I find people talking about well I hope the new coach can keep 100% graduation rates laughable.

Tonight while watching the Vols I'm not going to be thinking you know an Elite 8 would be great but I really hope they all graduate.
 
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#178
#178
volman128 said:
My first pick would be Kelly Graves. Always successful at Gonzaga and has turned Oregon into a great program. He's a great, offensive-minded coach.

I still wouldn't mind Hammon or Niele Ivey. They are wildcards because they are consistent but I think recruits would flock to play for either one. Ivey is one of the best recruiters in the country, and arguably the best not named Shea Ralph (and maybe even then...). She won a NC at ND, and can coach an offense. But it would be a question as to whether she would go back to her alma mater when it comes open when Muffet retires, but Beth Cunningham likely has that job when it's open. Also, Hammon has proven her worth as an assistant in the NBA. I think either could be successful especially given the right staff. But that's more of an instinctual thing.

I still think Gail could do very well here but I don't think she wants to coach in college again. But she would be a top choice for me.

I'm actually not a huge Walz fan because of his shady recruiting. He doesn't cheat but he's shown himself to be a slimeball on more than one occasion at Louisville, and he was also on Freese's staff at Maryland for years. Must we forget how he tried to get Mercedes Russell to come there by offering her teammate (who was clearly not LVille material) and then he pulled her offer when Cedes picked TN, right before signing day? But in terms of overall potential to take the program back to FFs, SEC championships and compete for NCs? He's the best out there in terms of actual results to gauge out of coaches that would leave their schools. He's arguably as good as any coach in the country not named Geno, Muffet or Tara. I mean, I wouldn't mind the hire, but he wouldn't be my first pick. His players do seem to enjoy playing for him and he certainly knows how to recruit and motivate players. He just lost an assistant to a HC job and he has another assistant that is in the running for Ga Tech. Regardless if he comes or stays, he will have to replace a great recruiter in Samantha Williams.

In terms of former LVs, the only coach that should be remotely considered should be Kellie. I wouldn't be absolutely mad over the hire, but I have my reservations. First, she couldn't keep her husband on staff because of state nepotism laws, so how would that work out? Kellie has proven nothing as a major D1 coach. I think she is a natural born coach and she seems to be a great motivator. I have questions about recruiting. It could work out with the right staff, but I have my doubts, and she wouldn't be a top choice for me.

Nikki has done nothing at all at LSU to warrant consideration. Honestly if she had stayed at UCLA they were on their way to becoming a powerhouse, but she got greedy and went to a school where she can't recruit. At UCLA she had recruits in her own back yard. Also, she can't coach offense. The only way she would be remotely successful is if she had a great offensive mind on her staff, like Melanie Balcomb. As it stands, Tasha Butts has been on her staff since she was at UCLA and is her top assistant, and, for all the love I have for her as a LVFL, she has proven nothing in terms of coaching or recruiting ability. I only bring this up b/c she would be very likely to follow Nikki here if she were hired.

Wildcards for former LVs are Kara Lawson and Nikki McCray. Kara has no college coaching experience, but I wouldn't be opposed at all to her being an assistant on the staff. I think she has great knowledge of the game and would be a great resource in terms of coaching and recruiting. McCray simply hasn't proven anything as a HC yet, although she obviously was a fantastic assistant at SC and was instrumental in recruiting there and getting them that NC.
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This is the best post of the day. You are spot on with your choices. Phil, I hope you read this
 
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#179
#179
k-town_king said:
Thank the Lord he didn't. He wasn't a good coach. Nwver even should have been a head coach. Nepotism at its worst.
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1st class ride on his mommies coattail. He should’ve never been a walk on on the men’s basketball team either, he was an average high school player.
 
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#180
#180
I go for offering Lawson. She is a student of the game; her analysis is great,she played until a few years ago( thus knows modern basketball); she’s quite bright; she is very strong; she is relatively young; she is astute and disciplined; she has instant name recognition; she knows LV traditions, and she presents well.
 
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#182
#182
Kentucky Courier Journal lists 15 possible Coaches for Tennessee. In this year’s NCAA Tournament, Brenda Frese, MD, has 3 Final Fours and 1 National Championship, but her team was beaten by Cori Close’s UCLA team. Close has 4 Sweet 16’s and an Elite 8, she is said to be an ace recruiter and offensive mind. There are 5 Coaches on the list that are still in the Tournament and are playing this Friday and Saturday, if one wants to watch how they coach during important games. They are: Cori Close-UCLA, Kellie Jolly-Harper-Missouri State, Wes Moore-NCST, Scott Rueck-ORST, and Jeff Walz-Louisville.
 
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#183
#183
bballnut90 said:
In the options I have not included coaches like Muffet, Frese, Schaefer, Mulkey, Moore, Staley, Graves and Rueck because the odds of those coaches leaving their program are incredibly slim IMO. I also left out Kara Lawson/any top assistants since I only see individuals with head coaching experience as being realistic options at this point. No Goestekors either, although she'd be my top pick.


Out of the options below, my top pick would be a mid-major coach who has found consistent success based primarily on coaching ability above all else. I think any of Fortier, Baranczyk, Krieger and Banghart fit the ball. All are young and will be able to make their mark on Tennessee with better resources IMO.


Walz would be my next pick over Harper because he has done a very good job at Louisville building the program and overachieving the past 2 years. For better or worse, his approach feels much more "business like" rather than personal/family oriented. The reports that he's campaigning hard of the LV jobs while his team is still in the tournament speaks volumes. His business like has resulted in an awful transfer rate. From his 2008-2016 classes, 18 of the 36 players he signed didn't finish their career at Louisville. This is a terrifying number. People are also quick to overlook that the first 10 years his success was very spotty...inconsistent results and his teams never looked that strong IMO. His recruiting tactics are a little questionable and the style of coaching and atmosphere he'll bring to Tennessee will be VERY different than what we've had under Pat and even Holly.

Harper would be my last choice out of this crop of coaches. She has done a good job running multiple mid-majors to successful seasons and is a beloved Lady Vol, but I fear that if she isn't successful at Tennessee she'll face the wrath of scorned fans. Her results have been up and down overall and I think she needs to prove herself at a P5 conference before she takes the LV job. Hopefully this current run lands her a good job elsewhere.
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I like several possible Coaches, including Walz, but this transfer rate and his coaching style you are telling us about is definitely concerning. Eventually word gets around if a Coach is miserable to play for.
 
#184
#184
We need Geno, in the worst way, to restore this program. However, no way he would be willing to take a step backwards and a step down to come to Knoxville. That leaves you with secondary elite coaches in womens basketball.....anything less than a Brenda, Staley, or Vic hire is completely unacceptable!
 
#188
#188
GAVol1945 said:
This is the best post of the day. You are spot on with your choices. Phil, I hope you read this
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That should have read "because they are assistants" not "consistent". I guess my fingers got ahead of my brain - or the other way around. lol
 
#190
#190
secking said:
Wes Moore

He could bring Lawson as asst coach, they are friends
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Wes Moore does have Tennessee connections too. I think both of his graduate degrees are from the University of Tennessee. I think Lawson could handle the head job herself.
 
#191
#191
mutt said:
Wes Moore does have Tennessee connections too. I think both of his graduate degrees are from the University of Tennessee. I think Lawson could handle the head job herself.
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When has Lawson ever been an assistant coach at any level? What would make you think she could handle being the HC at the University of Tennessee?
 
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#192
#192
Eric Viesturs said:
I understand why some of those names are on the list, but not Rueck. yes, the odds are slim but not incredibly slim. If the wallet is open, that would be a good choice.
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Rueck is from the northwest and is playing at his alma mater. He also has a very good squad coming back and should be strong the next couple of years. I just don't see him uprooting his family 2500 miles away to Tennessee, which is a very different lifestyle than living in Oregon. Walz moving from Louisville to Knoxville is a much easier transition and his team wont be nearly as strong next year without Durr/Carter/Fuehring. I'd prefer Rueck over Walz but I don't see Rueck leaving.
 
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#193
#193
OnlyGodForgives said:
The kneejerk choice would be Paul Westerberg (nothing wrong with that option), but I always thought Tommy Stinson's bass bridged the gap between low-fi fuzziness and radio-ready pop propulsion.
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I'd prefer Alex Chilton if he were still alive but will settle for Bob Mould.

If a female coach, Juliana Hatfield.
 
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#194
#194
CagleMtnVol said:
When has Lawson ever been an assistant coach at any level? What would make you think she could handle being the HC at the University of Tennessee?
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She's incredibly bright and I believe had good reviews as a 3v3 coach. That said, there's no incentive for her to leave her solid gig to be an assistant somewhere. If she enters the coaching ranks, she should hold out for a solid head coaching gig like Whalen did. Lawson is inherently risky due to her lack of experience, based on what I know about her, I think she'd excel in any career she chooses.
 
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#195
#195
CagleMtnVol said:
When has Lawson ever been an assistant coach at any level? What would make you think she could handle being the HC at the University of Tennessee?
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Just my opinion but I feel that she is one of those rare people that can do anything she puts her mind to. She is highly intelligent, self motivated ,great people skills,knows the game and is able to disect the who, what ,when and where's quickly with ease. I feel that although there are many things she would have to learn, she would learn them and learn them fast. She would surround herself with people strong in those areas . She is self disciplined and would require others to be disciplined too. Just my take on Kara. I also feel she has so much respect from all areas of the Vol Nation that she may be the one person that everyone could rally behind.
 
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