MBB: Northwest Conference

[etule]

It will be fun to watch! He is a very good coach!

[nwhoops1903]

Wow!!  Good luck to coach Hayford.  I wonder if Craig Fortier goes with him.

[Gregory Sager]

I want to wish the best of luck to Coach Hayford, too. I always root for D3 guys when they move to another division (e.g., Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth).

[A Buc Forever]

What Hayford has created at Whitworth is special. He could not have done it without Bill Robinson as his president. As a Whitworth alum, I have been so happy with how the basketball program and the school have progressed with these guys on campus.  I believe that we have found the right person to take over for Bill.  Now we need to find the right person to take over for Jim. Transitions are scary when things are going so well, especially when the bar has been set so high. I hope we can keep up the high standards that have been set on the field and in the classroom. I know it's too much to expect, but it's just been so much fun.

[etule]

Going to be a tough act to follow. The bar is definitely high.

[89Pirate]

Had most (10) of the players over a couple of fridays ago for dinner.  Bob Castle and Warren the AD as well.  Great bunch of guys...man some of them can really put down the chow.  All unsure of the future at Whitworth with new staffing coming.  Played pool and chatted for awhile...

On a different note...EWU gets 14 year NBA veteran (Craig Ehlo) as an assistant coach under Hayford.  That will be big for recruiting.

[etule]

Any word on who will replace Hayford? Ehlo will definately help! Heard there may be some players leaving Eastern. Not because of the coach !

[NWCer]

Whitworth has their guy.....

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/02/whitworth-settles-logie-new-basketball-coach/

[Gregory Sager]

Boy, was that fast. It took Whitworth barely a month to find, interview, and hire a new head coach. It's usually a six- to eight-week process to do this, if not longer.

[(509)Rat]

A big welcome to Coach Logie!

Now the million $$ question...can he recruit at the DIII level? Not easy when you can't give kids money.

[bbaddict]

The million $$ question is -- why him?   It seems like he's really young & looking at their schedule from last year, their team didn't seem all that successful.  Am I missing something?  Yeah, I get that he's from D-I -- not sure if that helps him with DIII athletes.

Speaking of missing something . . .does anyone know what's going on with the AD at Willamette?  Was at a baseball game on Sunday and people were talking about the "new" AD.   Wondered what's up?

[(509)Rat]

This, I guess, is why:

Here's the complete press release on Logie
http://www.whitworth.edu/Athletics/Teams/BasketballMen/Releases/10_11/Logie.htm

[bbaddict]

Yeah, thanks Rat.   I read that, but it was after I posted my comment.   I'm sure he'll be a great coach for Whitworth, but you're probably going to miss Hayford a lot.  It's only fair for us to question & examine the new coach -- that's what everyone did when Gordie retired.

[(509)Rat]

bbaddict,

You are absolutely right about missing Hayford. He was a schmoozer, a winer and diner, and very good at two things: Raising $$$ for the program and getting talented players to play for him.

In all honesty, it's my opinion that guys like Wecker and Fortier did just as much for the program in terms of "coaching" (ie X's and O's, teaching technique, off season workouts, etc.). Of course, that is often times the case for assisstant coaches, but Hayford was definitely a "CEO-type" head coach where his biggest attribute was bringing in all of the necessary parts. I think Logie will be one of the best coaches in the conference in terms of game-planning and "strategery"...but without the talent, there will be no deep playoff runs.

Whitworth was so good as of late because the Pirates were simply more talented than everyone else in the conference. If Logie can target and land the Pecht's, Young's, Nakamura's, Riley's, Beal's, Montgomery's, Taylor's...this list could go on forever...and keep milking Hayford's contacts for $$ then Whitworth won't miss a beat. They have enough talent next year returning to, again, be at the top of the conference. But so did Lunt...and look where UPS is once Bridgeland's recruits left...

For the Whitworth fans, here's a story the Spokesman did on Logie's Northwest roots
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/03/new-whitworth-coach-brings-hoops-pedigree/

[etule]

Heard from the grapevine that Whitworth got another Montana guard ! Amazing! Any other news? Who is the favorite this year? Whitman looks good and Whitworth probably the top two!