MBB: NESCAC

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The coaching carousel is rather quiet at the D3 level, particularly in the Northeast. Credit to the current coaches in place and the seemingly positive direction of their respective programs.

One change is at UMaine-Farmington, where Coach Meader recently retired. In 44 years of college coaching he amassed over 500 wins – kudos to a great career.

I think a large part of this is our current situation with coronavirus. I suspect a number of schools have decided this is the last thing they need to focus on (coaching hires, decisions) and will just ride things out for now. This will result in likely giving some coaches a one-year reprieve. It also may cause programs to get one more year in the hole.

[SpringSt7]

There's also an argument to made that everything stems from the very top at the D1 level, and it's tough to fire the top coaches for missing the tournament (guys like Shaka Smart come to mind) when it got cancelled before Selection Sunday. When you think about the trickle down, from hiring new assistants, to replacing those new assistants, some of which are invariably head coaches at a lower level, and so on and so forth, I think they are all connected in one long chain.

[Pat Coleman]

D-III doesn't actually lose a lot of head coaches to D-I assistant jobs. The Carousel at D-III is pretty independent of what is going on at D-I and I concur with Dave's assessment.

In addition to it not being a great time to spend HR and department resources on this, it's also logistically difficult to interview candidates.

[nescac1]

This is a great oral history:

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/where-it-started-a-look-back-at-williams-college-mens-basketballs-first-run-to-the-d-iii-final,602206

[nescac1]

Wow.  Hixon retiring!!  Toomey time?

[Pat Coleman]

Here's the story.

Our story mentions whether there will be a search:
https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2020/04/amherst-dave-hixon-will-not-return

[jayhawk]

Amherst article:
http://athletics.amherst.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/releases/20200413f1w5uz

Amherst is my understanding forming a search committee to select a coach to replace David Hixon

Besides Aaron, there are a number of active coaches  who have apprenticed with David who might be considered

[jayhawk]

ESPN article on Hixon's retirement

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29029572/amherst-college-coach-david-hixon-announces-retirement-42-years

[JEFFFAN]

Serious bummer as an Amherst graduate but good for Hixon.   What a career he had as a coach - truly legendary.   

[amh63]

Just read the story wrt to Hixon.  No mention of his input/participation in the selection of the next HC.  Hixon was also listed as an associate AD in the dept.  Many former players and present D3 Head Coaches may/will apply for the job...for sure...imho.  Best wishes to him.  One son graduated from Wesleyan Un. and went West to seek a film industry job...number of Amherst alums opened the doors.  Recalled his younger son dived for several D1 schools and for America in the Olympics.   Hope to see him in the stands and chat with him this upcoming season.  Met his parents in Salem, Va...stayed in the same hotel/motel...many years ago. 

[amh63]

JEFFFAN...forgot that you and Hixon overlapped at Amherst.  Any stories you want to share? 

[NEhoops]

Bittersweet news about Hixon, much deserved retirement, but the league won't be the same without him. Amherst will have plenty of qualified options for his replacement.

Congrats to Brian Baptiste, head coach at UMass-Dartmouth, who now takes the reins as winningest active coach in New England (among all three divisions).

Nescac1, thanks for sharing the article on first Final Four run for Williams. Interesting to see what New England teams have appeared in the Final Four - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_III_Men%27s_Basketball_Tournament 

[old_hooper]

Not surprised to hear Coach Hixon decision but sorry hear it anyway.  Sure there will be many outstanding candidates applying.  Outside the Hix tree, one name that would be a serious contender, Eric Bridgeland from Whitman College.  He was in the thick of things when Wash U hired after Mark Edwards retired.  Big question would he and family trade west coast for New England.  His style of play and success would be interesting for the NESCAC.

[JEFFFAN]

AMH63 - I actually did not overlap with Hixon as he graduated in May 1975 and our class entered in September 1975.   Of interest, however, is that there were members of the Class of 77 and Class of 78 teams that both played with Hixon and were coached by him.   This includes the great Jim Rehnquist, son of the chief justice, who graduated in Class of 77.  Rehnquist was an extraordinary player at Amherst - a terrific shooter before the three-point shot was introduced.  So folks from those classes might have overlap stories.

In May 2014, at an Amherst reunion, Hixon came and spoke to our class.   He sheepishly agreed that Duncan Robinson moving on was a good thing for Amherst.  I asked him who the best player he had ever seen in his 40 something years of D3 hoops was and without hesitation he said "Jim Rehnquist".   Not sure what he would say now with what Robinson has done, but Rehnquist was terrific.

[Pat Coleman]

Bittersweet news about Hixon, much deserved retirement, but the league won't be the same without him. Amherst will have plenty of qualified options for his replacement.

Congrats to Brian Baptiste, head coach at UMass-Dartmouth, who now takes the reins as winningest active coach in New England (among all three divisions).

Nescac1, thanks for sharing the article on first Final Four run for Williams. Interesting to see what New England teams have appeared in the Final Four - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_III_Men%27s_Basketball_Tournament

Note that in our story it mentions that Baptiste is the winningest active coach in Division III overall as well.