MBB: NESCAC

[jumpshot]

Doubling one assistant coach's salary and committing to hire without an open search is a lawsuit waiting to happen. He may well ultimately get the job, just not that way.

[NEhoops]

An assistant being named a coach in waiting is nothing new and is perfectly legal. Schools have various reasons for doing it even though they miss out on being able to pull from a vast pool of potential candidates.

Also, giving a raise an assistant is common place. Being named a coach in waiting and getting a raise aren't always related actions.

Amherst has some advantages related to their recruiting/coaching budgets, they might as well utilize that as much as they can. 

[jumpshot]

NEhoops,

Don't confuse the rule of law with what is commonly challenged ....

[WUPHF]

In higher education, open searches go unnoticed all the time. 

I am not saying that Amherst did this, I am just saying...

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

FYI ... what I just posted on the ODAC board:

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.

[nescac1]

Thanks Dave -- that does sound like the far more plausible scenario.

Beyond the tremendous Amherst coaching tree, you never know what other coaches may emerge if and when Hixon decides to hang em up -- which as others have noted, may be awhile.  Williams went (more or less, App was a one-year assistant) outside the Eph family for its last two coaching hires, and no one is complaining about how Maker and App performed as coaches ... Amherst is and always will be one of the top five D3 coaching jobs in the country, after all. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Thanks Dave -- that does sound like the far more plausible scenario.

Beyond the tremendous Amherst coaching tree, you never know what other coaches may emerge if and when Hixon decides to hang em up -- which as others have noted, may be awhile.  Williams went (more or less, App was a one-year assistant) outside the Eph family for its last two coaching hires, and no one is complaining about how Maker and App performed as coaches ... Amherst is and always will be one of the top five D3 coaching jobs in the country, after all.

Absolutely. I didn't even venture into the "non-Hixon" angle. Amherst is going to be a highly sought after job if and when Hixon retires. This is not a knock on Toomey, but he just won't have the "CV" (as they say) as a LOT of candidates who will apply for that job. Amherst would be foolish not to do a thorough search.

The same can be true with the Catholic job that is open right now. I shot down one person's rumor, but it has persisted with another who is so confident he is trying to bet me money. I am not saying the person might not be considered, I just know they are not the "front runner." CUA will do their due diligence and will get a wealth of applicants they should consider before a former player who is an assistant coach at a D1 should be considered. That's just smart business.

BTW - the person who is still pushing the CUA rumor is also the one who pushed the Dane Fischer rumor last year and has gotten other DIII hires wrong in the past. I like the guy, but sometimes he gets fed the wrong information I feel is being pushed by those who have alternative agendas. And I am fully aware my friend could be reading this post. Hi!

[WUPHF]

Not that it matters, but I do not remember a Dane Fisher as a front-runner rumor here.  I am not sure what I am missing.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Not that it matters, but I do not remember a Dane Fisher as a front-runner rumor here.  I am not sure what I am missing.

Trust me ... it was being pushed for several weeks by other entities.

[WUPHF]

Ah, you must be talking about Voldemort.

Incidentally, Dane Fisher is headed to William and Mary as their next head coach.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Ah, you must be talking about Voldemort.

Incidentally, Dane Fisher is headed to William and Mary as their next head coach.

Yeah ... amazingly, that information proved to be true this year. SMH

[jayhawk]

David Hixon is not retiring soon
Period
As I said he just had a very successfui year with excellent players many of whom sophomores

He is extremely excited about coaching and his players and team moving forward

The internet loves to push rumors and sometimes ideas that are not based in reality

Time to move on

[WUPHF]

David Hixon is not retiring soon
Period
As I said he just had a very successfui year with excellent players many of whom sophomores

He is extremely excited about coaching and his players and team moving forward

The internet loves to push rumors and sometimes ideas that are not based in reality

Time to move on

[thescottharris]

From the ODAC board ... as with all unsourced posts on an internet forum, who knows whether or not this is accurate:

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.

For the record, my info came more or less directly, word for word, from a person very closely and directly involved in the hiring process. Two other people I know involved in the process confirmed they were told the same thing by the same person. Additionally, an external constituent who knew others involved in the process said they were also told the same thing. So it was most certainly not made up by me. I showed Dave McHugh my evidence to prove it.

I talked with everyone today other than the person who originated the info and suffice to say they were surprised to hear that what they were told was not true. It appears one person decided to make up a story and told everyone involved the same thing.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I appreciate scotth coming on and discussing it. I do have the proof and my feeling is the same - this was a story spun up by someone to make the situation maybe look better? I have no real idea. It makes no sense to me especially when things like this can be so easily disproven.

BTW ...

David Hixon is not retiring soon
Period
As I said he just had a very successfui year with excellent players many of whom sophomores

He is extremely excited about coaching and his players and team moving forward

The internet loves to push rumors and sometimes ideas that are not based in reality

Time to move on

... who is spreading rumors that Hixon is retiring? No one has said anything of the sort.