MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

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Ernst to Calvin 

Would anyone be surprised if Calvin was coached next year by someone who coached in the league this year? (Not Ernst...)

[Pat Coleman]

John Ross? Wouldn't be surprised to see him coaching at Calvin next year. Something other than tennis, I mean.

[Jameswys]

Ernst to Calvin 

Would anyone be surprised if Calvin was coached next year by someone who coached in the league this year? (Not Ernst...)

Sam Hargraves?

[sac]

Actually heard John Ross for the women's program a few weeks ago.  Sam Hargraves is the obvious Calvin grad in the room, I think there are one or two others at the D2 or high school level that would be interested.  Maybe even AD Jim Timmer.

[GoKnights68]

A young and upcoming perhaps dark horse I wonder if there would be any interest either way... David Kool.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

So the MIAA now has a single coach with over 10 years on the job.  Current situation in the MIAA (through the 18-19 season):

Adrian - Kyle Lindsay - 3 seasons
Albion - Jody May - 11 seasons
Alma - Sam Hargraves - 8 seasons
Calvin - Open
Hope - Greg Mitchell - 5 seasons
Kalamazoo - Jay Smith - 3 seasons
Olivet - Open
Trine - Brooks Miller - 8 seasons

I had heard rumblings that Jay Smith (due to health reasons) may also be leaving...

[Flying Dutch Fan]

A young and upcoming perhaps dark horse I wonder if there would be any interest either way... David Kool.

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

[KnightSlappy]

A young and upcoming perhaps dark horse I wonder if there would be any interest either way... David Kool.

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

I do not have a preference that the coach have direct ties to Calvin. KVS himself was not a "Calvin man" until he became one.

Obviously, though, ties to Calvin are a thing that might make a current D3 or D2 coach want to apply for the job.

[ziggy]

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

Putting aside all my strong feelings about how the "Michigan Man" moniker has been so badly mis-understood, mis-interpreted and mis-applied, I am not particularly concerned with any candidate's previous connection to the school. (University!)

I think all I would really like to see is some kind of track record of success and for the job to not be used as a stepping-stone for someone looking to move up the ladder. I understand a D3 job may not be the ultimate desired final destination for everyone but I would hope the next coach is hired with a 10+ year outlook.

[GoKnights68]

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

Putting aside all my strong feelings about how the "Michigan Man" moniker has been so badly mis-understood, mis-interpreted and mis-applied, I am not particularly concerned with any candidate's previous connection to the school. (University!)

I think all I would really like to see is some kind of track record of success and for the job to not be used as a stepping-stone for someone looking to move up the ladder. I understand a D3 job may not be the ultimate desired final destination for everyone but I would hope the next coach is hired with a 10+ year outlook.

As a Michigan fan, I concur with all this.

[Gregory Sager]

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

Putting aside all my strong feelings about how the "Michigan Man" moniker has been so badly mis-understood, mis-interpreted and mis-applied, I am not particularly concerned with any candidate's previous connection to the school. (University!)

I think all I would really like to see is some kind of track record of success and for the job to not be used as a stepping-stone for someone looking to move up the ladder. I understand a D3 job may not be the ultimate desired final destination for everyone but I would hope the next coach is hired with a 10+ year outlook.

Ironically, that's often why an alumnus has a leg up on everybody else in the hiring process for a new coach, even if he's been away from the school for awhile. The presumption is that a coach's alma mater is typically his dream destination, and that he'll put down roots and stay there for the rest of his career if you hire him.

[KnightSlappy]

Actually heard John Ross for the women's program a few weeks ago.  Sam Hargraves is the obvious Calvin grad in the room, I think there are one or two others at the D2 or high school level that would be interested.  Maybe even AD Jim Timmer.

Hargraves (Alma), Christner (Waynesburg), and Sall (Northern Michigan) are the obvious Calvin grads that stick out to me in the D3/D2 coaching ranks.
Other D3 coaches with (West) Michigan roots or Christian-faith ties could likely apply as well.
I don't know the High School scene at all.

[ziggy]

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

Putting aside all my strong feelings about how the "Michigan Man" moniker has been so badly mis-understood, mis-interpreted and mis-applied, I am not particularly concerned with any candidate's previous connection to the school. (University!)

I think all I would really like to see is some kind of track record of success and for the job to not be used as a stepping-stone for someone looking to move up the ladder. I understand a D3 job may not be the ultimate desired final destination for everyone but I would hope the next coach is hired with a 10+ year outlook.

Ironically, that's often why an alumnus has a leg up on everybody else in the hiring process for a new coach, even if he's been away from the school for awhile. The presumption is that a coach's alma mater is typically his dream destination, and that he'll put down roots and stay there for the rest of his career if you hire him.

For sure, and it's natural that early speculation would focus on coaches who have existing relationships with the school. It just doesn't make a lot of sense to suggest that some random coach with no previous connection would be a top candidate or have interest. Any list of possible candidates I would come up with would have Calvin ties; I just don't believe that should be of high priority as the process plays out internally.

[realist]

John Ross appeared on the men's bball coaching  scene last year as the season started.  While no one commented on it at the time it may be more than it first appeared to be.  I doubt he would go back to the women's program at Calvin when he left it 3 years ago.

[Gregory Sager]

Leads me to a question for the Calvin fans out there- do you have any preference for the coach to be a "Calvin" man?

Putting aside all my strong feelings about how the "Michigan Man" moniker has been so badly mis-understood, mis-interpreted and mis-applied, I am not particularly concerned with any candidate's previous connection to the school. (University!)

I think all I would really like to see is some kind of track record of success and for the job to not be used as a stepping-stone for someone looking to move up the ladder. I understand a D3 job may not be the ultimate desired final destination for everyone but I would hope the next coach is hired with a 10+ year outlook.

Ironically, that's often why an alumnus has a leg up on everybody else in the hiring process for a new coach, even if he's been away from the school for awhile. The presumption is that a coach's alma mater is typically his dream destination, and that he'll put down roots and stay there for the rest of his career if you hire him.

For sure, and it's natural that early speculation would focus on coaches who have existing relationships with the school. It just doesn't make a lot of sense to suggest that some random coach with no previous connection would be a top candidate or have interest.

I think you'll be quite surprised at how much interest the Calvin job is going to draw. As D3 coaching jobs go, Calvin men's basketball is a pretty desirable gig: location within a safe and well-regarded city, massive arena, large and dedicated fan base, great academic reputation, a long tradition of winning basketball, a high level of media attention for a D3 program (you can thank your good friends at Hope for helping to make that possible ), and the kind of all-sports national success that demonstrates a continuous track record of administrative support for Calvin athletics. Perhaps most of all, Calvin has something that practically no other school in the division has all to itself -- a network of high schools affiliated with Calvin's denomination, many of which are local, that has been a feeder system for the Knights for decades.