MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Next Man Up]

(btw - a CCIW alum w/ ties to two conference members is a likely finalist.)

I mean, everyone is thinking Steve Schweer so why be intentionally vague with the name?

Itsnotmeitsyou has been regaling us for several pages with how some things are at North Central and how others should be with regard to the process for hiring a new basketball head coach. In the beginning of the search, he told us about a "likely finalist" who won't be one. This "finalist" might not have even applied, and if he did there was never much of a chance of his being selected for a number of reasons. Those really familiar with NCC athletics would have known this.

[devildog29]

Is Coach Rose committed to a lifetime in central Illinois?

If a trend develops of hiring young, then perhaps CCIW gigs are stepping stones as opposed to destinations.

On the theme of not having experience prior to being hired, Ron Rose had been a high school head coach, but had no such college experience prior to being hired by IWU. And, even those of us whose favorite color is not green would have to say he has done pretty darn well for himself.

Until VERY recently, IWU did not offer undergraduate degrees that included Education (whether Elementary, HS, or any specialty) as a major.  There was a huge period of time where there were no teachers graduating from IWU, none.  There was not a very large pool of IWU alums that were in the coaching business to choose from.  Ron Rose was a 1988 Business Admin. and Math major who went to work at State Farm as an actuarial assistant (he was a HS head coach with prior D1 and NAIA college experience). John Baines was a Math major at IWU.  The vast majority of basketball players at IWU thru the last couple of decades have been Business Admin/Marketing/Math/Accounting/Pre-Professional type majors - not the typical course of study for aspiring coaches (college or otherwise).

Denny Bridges was a "search committee" of one.  He was ONLY going to hire a former IWU player for his job when he retired.  I don't know that any other IWU alumni had any head coaching experience other than Rose.  The only other potential players would have been way too young - David Kunka, Mark Edmundson, etc.

Define VERY recent?  I was at IWU 25 years ago and had plenty of friends and classmates in education.  Also, for someone who really likes to present themselves as the smartest guy in the room here, I'd think you would know Dennie Bridges didn't hire Ron Rose as his replacement.  Scott Trost was hired.  You know, a non-IWU alum let alone basketball player under Bridges. 

[WUPHF]

Define VERY recent?  I was at IWU 25 years ago and had plenty of friends and classmates in education. 

I was curious about that remark.

I don't think you could find a university in Illinois that does not offer education as a major (excluding the few obvious exceptions such as schools of medicine, divinity, etc) and has not for basically forever.  For many, that was the first major they offered.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

And ya, let's bring in some guy with head coaching experience. No matter that he's had a losing record in a conference nowhere near as tough as the CCIW. No matter that several of his recruits are guys no or few CCIW coaches had near the top of their wish lists. No matter the personality of the guy. No matter he'll alienate as many people as he will make friends of the program. No matter that he's not a NCC guy. No matter because he's been a head coach and that's all that matters.

NMU - Let's continue, shall we?....

When evaluating a potential candidate who is a current head coach, you focus on some SPECIFIC areas:

1) What is the "state" of his program now vs when he inherited it? Is there an upward trend/momentum? How has he fared compared to previous coaches in his position to provide a relative context to his job performance? Is there obvious evidence of a "program builder" or status quo?
2) Given the advantages/challenges his school/program has, what is his track record in recruiting? Is he attracting quantity AND quality relative to his conference? (You wouldn't hold it against the coach at UIC for NOT having Big 10-caliber players when he is applying for the Illinois job, would you? I mean if he went after Big 10-caliber players he recruiting would not be very good - cause he ain't getting those kids) Has he attracted kids that are worthy of conference honors/awards?
3) Is he meeting, exceeding, or failing to live up to what you would expect of the program relative to their conference? (If the school is considered a "middle of the pack job" in that conference, is his program in the upper tier, middle tier, or lower tier based on season performance?)
4) It's possible he's taken a middle or lower tier program and improved it but not yet won a conference title or received an NCAA bid, so how has his team competed (if given the opportunity) vs the school he's applying to (or fellow conference opponents)?
5) When the AD watches a game, how does his team play? What's his coaching style/sideline demeanor like?
6) What evidence is there that he has created/directed/conducted program-building activities like: fundraising, alumni development, community service, program promotion?

If I'm an AD, I don't need a coach who is "liked" by everyone (Rairdon CERTAINLY was not! He was a miserable curmudgeon)... I want a leader who I know will drive the program forward to achieve success - however success is defined at my given institution based on the current state of the program.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Also, for someone who really likes to present themselves as the smartest guy in the room here, I'd think you would know Dennie Bridges didn't hire Ron Rose as his replacement.  Scott Trost was hired.  You know, a non-IWU alum let alone basketball player under Bridges.

Forgive my ambiguous misplacement of the personal pronoun "his"....

So what you're saying is that the longest tenured CCIW coach at the most storied program in the league hired, over all the IWU candidates, a coach with head coaching experience in the league - not some first timer?  And THEN, when that guy used IWU as a stepping stone to a D2 job after a short run, turned to an alum who also had head coaching experience (albeit at a local HS) so that he wouldn't leave after a cup of coffee?...

More proof that this league is not a place for first-timers.

[kiko]

It's fascinating that you are using first-timer Ron Rose as an example of how this league is not for first-timers.  But please, carry on...

[Next Man Up]

And ya, let's bring in some guy with head coaching experience. No matter that he's had a losing record in a conference nowhere near as tough as the CCIW. No matter that several of his recruits are guys no or few CCIW coaches had near the top of their wish lists. No matter the personality of the guy. No matter he'll alienate as many people as he will make friends of the program. No matter that he's not a NCC guy. No matter because he's been a head coach and that's all that matters.

NMU - Let's continue, shall we?....

When evaluating a potential candidate who is a current head coach, you focus on some SPECIFIC areas:

1) What is the "state" of his program now vs when he inherited it? Is there an upward trend/momentum? How has he fared compared to previous coaches in his position to provide a relative context to his job performance? Is there obvious evidence of a "program builder" or status quo?
2) Given the advantages/challenges his school/program has, what is his track record in recruiting? Is he attracting quantity AND quality relative to his conference? (You wouldn't hold it against the coach at UIC for NOT having Big 10-caliber players when he is applying for the Illinois job, would you? I mean if he went after Big 10-caliber players he recruiting would not be very good - cause he ain't getting those kids) Has he attracted kids that are worthy of conference honors/awards?
3) Is he meeting, exceeding, or failing to live up to what you would expect of the program relative to their conference? (If the school is considered a "middle of the pack job" in that conference, is his program in the upper tier, middle tier, or lower tier based on season performance?)
4) It's possible he's taken a middle or lower tier program and improved it but not yet won a conference title or received an NCAA bid, so how has his team competed (if given the opportunity) vs the school he's applying to (or fellow conference opponents)?
5) When the AD watches a game, how does his team play? What's his coaching style/sideline demeanor like?
6) What evidence is there that he has created/directed/conducted program-building activities like: fundraising, alumni development, community service, program promotion?

If I'm an AD, I don't need a coach who is "liked" by everyone (Rairdon CERTAINLY was not! He was a miserable curmudgeon)... I want a leader who I know will drive the program forward to achieve success - however success is defined at my given institution based on the current state of the program.

No itsnotmeitsyou, let's NOT continue.
I'm done responding to your insignificant dribble.
You are what is referred to as a troll, and your clock has expired.
Your time is up.

I'll just leave you with one little tidbit. I know this will probably make your head spin given your insistence that the next coach have immediate past head coaching experience. But I'm hearing that only one of the finalists for the NCC head position is currently a head coach. 

[Next Man Up]

CARTHAGE RECRUIT

Quentin Villa, a 6'3" 220 pound PF from Lincoln-Way West HS in New Lenox, IL has committed to Carthage.
All-Conference player who also played football.

[Next Man Up]

Coaching searches aren't a one size fits all thing.   Institutions, particularly private ones, will do searches how they see fit.  What lands you a position at one school might not be desired at another.  They will do what they want on their own timeline. 

My favorite will always be Olivet several years ago now announcing their 4 finalists for their men's head basketball coaching position in a nice tidy press release with profiles of each candidate and then hiring someone outside that press release a week or two later.

I sense that, as with many aspects of society, politics found its way into the decision making process in the late stages. It's often puzzling why some people are involved in decisions when there are others readily available who have been much more closely integrated in a program, and consequently have a much deeper understanding of what qualifications will better insure success going forward.

[Gregory Sager]

It's often puzzling why some people are involved in decisions when there are others readily available who have been much more closely integrated in a program, and consequently have a much deeper understanding of what qualifications will better insure success going forward.

It's often puzzling why some people stick their noses into a situation and pretend that they know what's happening behind closed doors when there are others readily available who have been much more closely integrated in a program, and consequently have a much deeper understanding of who is being hired, who is doing the hiring, and why.

[Next Man Up]

It's often puzzling why some people are involved in decisions when there are others readily available who have been much more closely integrated in a program, and consequently have a much deeper understanding of what qualifications will better insure success going forward.

It's often puzzling why some people stick their noses into a situation and pretend that they know what's happening behind closed doors when there are others readily available who have been much more closely integrated in a program, and consequently have a much deeper understanding of who is being hired, who is doing the hiring, and why.

Very true.
And it's equally puzzling why an outsider would think that someone deeply ingrained in a situation couldn't possibly know what's going on just because he doesn't occupy a desk behind those closed doors, or have a certain title attached to his name. 

[Gregory Sager]

 

[Next Man Up]

While it's not in the CCIW, there may soon be another head coach spot open in the near future. This is due to a rather shocking development right down the street from North Central, at nearby Benedictine University of the NACC.

It seems that at an open gym session recently a heated exchange developed between BU head coach Keith Bunkenburg and one of his players, and that during the argument he angrily used the N-word in addressing the player. As a result the university has removed Bunkenburg's name from the school's athletic website, and has named assistant Jordan Townsend interim coach in his place. Townsend has only been at Benedictine for one year.

*There is an article on the Front Page/Top Stories

[Next Man Up]

North Central on campus finalist interviews began today with Todd Kelly, former NCC Head Asst, and former HC at Illinois Tech from 2014-15 through 2019-2020 when he resigned from coaching and moved to Texas.

Interviews will continue next M-W.

Vince Kmiec — Current NCC Head Asst
Anthony Figueroa — Current HC at Parkland JUCO
Joe Kennedy — Current asst at D1 Holy Cross

Seems like a strange mixture. Not sure how the atmosphere at a JUCO meshes with that which exists at a highly rated NCAA D3 institution. And have to wonder why a D1 asst wants to move down to D3 rather than up to a more prominent D1.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Just learned, through sources, the identities of the finalists at NCC. Gotta admit - I'm surprised at the pool here (as well at NPU). Generally speaking, there isn't a common thread amongst them. Certainly a wide variety of backgrounds. Two candidates that would accept the gig in a heartbeat (since they essentially don't have an alternative right now; two others that would have decisions to make (a D1 asst. and a Juco HC).  (You'd have a 75% of winning if you bet the new coach has a last name that starts w/ the letter "K".

Definitely not the caliber of experiences that are worthy of the top job in a premier conference, IMHO.

Will be interesting to see if this wraps up late next week (as you might think) or if the recent death of a close family member of the NCC President will delay a decision. My source doesn't honestly know who is making the hire - the AD or the V.P. (w/ a Presidential rubber stamp) or if the President is more heavily involved.

Curious to see if one of the candidates "burning of the bridges"-reaction when bypassed for another recent CCIW gig will be held against him... (my guess is the Admins at NCC don't have a clue that the emotional, and borderline unprofessional, response occurred).