MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Seatfiller]

HSC will make an announcement as early as today regarding new b'ball coach. I do not know who the lucky person is but he better hit the ground running.

Good luck to whoever they hire.  It's good for the ODAC when all the teams are competitive. IMO I still think it's one of the best if not the best d3 bball conference in the country.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I think we know who will take the job...

[thescottharris]

HSC will make an announcement as early as today regarding new b'ball coach. I do not know who the lucky person is but he better hit the ground running.

It's not going to be Aaron Toomey. He was offered the job but turned it down after Amherst doubled his salary and named him head coach in waiting.

I know with 99% certainty who it's going to be. I won't say it though because I don't know if background checks and all the red tape that can hold up a hire have gone through yet.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Number one candidate turned the job down .... Is this unusual or business as usual within the coaching ranks ?

[Tigerfan]

It's business as usual in the coaching ranks as in any other job: employee uses offer from elsewhere as leverage for better deal with current employer.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Surprising to me; I would think the conversation would be had before an offer is tendered .... if offered, will you accept the position assuming benefits, salary are in the range previously discussed ?

[thescottharris]

Number one candidate turned the job down .... Is this unusual or business as usual within the coaching ranks ?

Wouldn't say it happens regularly in coaching but it's not exactly uncommon. Sometimes the best way to get a raise and/or a promotion is for someone else to be willing to give you one.

Surprising to me; I would think the conversation would be had before an offer is tendered .... if offered, will you accept the position assuming benefits, salary are in the range previously discussed ?

That's really putting someone on the spot and makes the interviewer look desperate. Most people would want time to reflect on their visit and interview instead of having to give an answer right away with little time for thought.

[thescottharris]

Well since the cat is out of the bag now at hoopdirt.com, Caleb Kimbrough will be H-SC's next head coach. Set to be announced tomorrow
https://hoopdirt.com/diii-dirt-hampden-sydney-college-set-to-name-new-head-coach/

[tigerFanAlso2]

that does not light me on fire. if he is going to be the coach I wish him well and will support him. hope he brings lots of energy because he is going to need it, what a job he is facing; to rebuild what was once a proud program. makes me tired just thinking about it. I guess he has no hope to recruit for the incoming freshman class or am I wrong on that ? I look forward to the formal announcement. 

[scottiedoug]

I watched Huntingdon play several times lately. Kimbrough's Huntingdon teams got better as he had time with them as head coach.  They were aggressive and worked hard. 

[Seatfiller]

that does not light me on fire. if he is going to be the coach I wish him well and will support him. hope he brings lots of energy because he is going to need it, what a job he is facing; to rebuild what was once a proud program. makes me tired just thinking about it. I guess he has no hope to recruit for the incoming freshman class or am I wrong on that ? I look forward to the formal announcement.

I was wondering the same thing. Most D3 players by now have had to apply to college.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

HSC will make an announcement as early as today regarding new b'ball coach. I do not know who the lucky person is but he better hit the ground running.

It's not going to be Aaron Toomey. He was offered the job but turned it down after Amherst doubled his salary and named him head coach in waiting.

I know with 99% certainty who it's going to be. I won't say it though because I don't know if background checks and all the red tape that can hold up a hire have gone through yet.

scott - normally I wouldn't think anything you wrote wasn't accurate, but I know for a fact this post is completely inaccurate. Well nearly inaccurate.

First off, this post resulted in me getting some individuals reaching out to me to correct the information. I am sorry it took me this long. I have been busy with other things including my health.

Here is what I know:
- Aaron did NOT get a raise other than a usual small "bump" anyone would get on a yearly basis.
- Aaron did apparently have a serious conversation with HSU about the job, but was NEVER given a former offer ... thus he didn't really turn anything down. That said, I am told it "didn't fit everything he wanted and/or what they wanted or needed."

Now to the "coach in waiting" stuff per Amherst - it is categorically false. If and when Dave Hixon retires, there will be a national search. NO ONE is a "coaching in waiting" including Aaron Toomey. Furthermore, anyone who believes that would be true I don't think does some basic thinking on the topic. Think about the number of assistant coaches who served under Hixon and now are head coaches, some at some very good schools and doing very well. Does anyone really think Toomey would be the "coach in waiting" over others who might be interested in the job? Let's name a handful of former assistants who are head coaches who might be interested: Luke Flockerzi, Kevin Hopkins, Matt Goldsmith, Adam Hutchinson. That is just off the top of my head and I know I am missing coaches.

There is no way Amherst is handing the program to Toomey right now. IMO, Toomey is going to need to find a head coaching job and be successful with it if he wants to be a contender for that job. I just can't see Toomey getting the job over any former assistant who has been a successful head coach - unless every single one of them is not interested in the job. This is similar to the rumors last year of Dane Fischer being the front runner at WashU. It didn't make sense anytime it kept being posted by other entities.

[algernon]

I guess he has no hope to recruit for the incoming freshman class or am I wrong on that? I look forward to the formal announcement.

I was wondering the same thing. Most D3 players by now have had to apply to college.

May 1 is the typical deadline for enrollment deposits, and there are high school players who have not yet made a decision.

[thescottharris]

HSC will make an announcement as early as today regarding new b'ball coach. I do not know who the lucky person is but he better hit the ground running.

It's not going to be Aaron Toomey. He was offered the job but turned it down after Amherst doubled his salary and named him head coach in waiting.

I know with 99% certainty who it's going to be. I won't say it though because I don't know if background checks and all the red tape that can hold up a hire have gone through yet.

scott - normally I wouldn't think anything you wrote wasn't accurate, but I know for a fact this post is completely inaccurate. Well nearly inaccurate.

First off, this post resulted in me getting some individuals reaching out to me to correct the information. I am sorry it took me this long. I have been busy with other things including my health.

Here is what I know:
- Aaron did NOT get a raise other than a usual small "bump" anyone would get on a yearly basis.
- Aaron did apparently have a serious conversation with HSU about the job, but was NEVER given a former offer ... thus he didn't really turn anything down. That said, I am told it "didn't fit everything he wanted and/or what they wanted or needed."

Now to the "coach in waiting" stuff per Amherst - it is categorically false. If and when Dave Hixon retires, there will be a national search. NO ONE is a "coaching in waiting" including Aaron Toomey. Furthermore, anyone who believes that would be true I don't think does some basic thinking on the topic. Think about the number of assistant coaches who served under Hixon and now are head coaches, some at some very good schools and doing very well. Does anyone really think Toomey would be the "coach in waiting" over others who might be interested in the job? Let's name a handful of former assistants who are head coaches who might be interested: Luke Flockerzi, Kevin Hopkins, Matt Goldsmith, Adam Hutchinson. That is just off the top of my head and I know I am missing coaches.

There is no way Amherst is handing the program to Toomey right now. IMO, Toomey is going to need to find a head coaching job and be successful with it if he wants to be a contender for that job. I just can't see Toomey getting the job over any former assistant who has been a successful head coach - unless every single one of them is not interested in the job. This is similar to the rumors last year of Dane Fischer being the front runner at WashU. It didn't make sense anytime it kept being posted by other entities.

Already discussed this with Dave privately, but what I was told came more or less directly from a person involved in the process and confirmed by two more involved and an external constituent who has additional sources in the know. All people who confirmed it heard the same story directly from the same person or indirectly from people who heard it from the same person. It unfortunately appears the story is fake if what Dave says is true, and I have no reason to doubt it from my conversation with him.

[thescottharris]

Hampden-Sydney has gotten students enrolled as late as August. Getting them enrolled will not be a problem.

The application deadline was March 1 though. I do not know how flexible they are with that but there is a lot of pressure on the admissions to bring in a pretty big class this year, think the goal would make it the biggest ever if I remember correctly, so I can imagine there is going to be some flexibility there but that's simply me speculating.