New Coach

[drendo74]

Steve Gentry

[kyzrex]

Steve Gentry

I’d be against that, at least until he gets some major COLLEGE coaching expereince. There is A LOT more to being a college coach than there is with being a HS coach. While it is obvious that he does have a future in coaching if he wants it, to the best of my knowledge he has not worked on any college staffs. Taking over a high major college program with no prior college expereince is not the recipe for success. See Jerry Faust- Notre Dame for example #1.

But.....congratulations to Steve are on order for the excellent job he has done at Deer Park HS!

[drendo74]

See Urban Meyer, St. X ---------------------------->Ohio State for example #2

[kyzrex]

See Urban Meyer, St. X ---------------------------->Ohio State for example #2

I don’t get that one? Urban was a position coach at STX, then a grad assistant at OSU, then an assistant coach on the college level for 14 years before getting his first head coaching gig at Bowling Green. He has certainly done well as a HC, but he also had loads of expereince on the college level before becoming a HC.

Where there problems at OSU as a grad assistant?

[muskieman]

See Urban Meyer, St. X ---------------------------->Ohio State for example #2

I don’t get that one? Urban was a position coach at STX, then a grad assistant at OSU, then an assistant coach on the college level for 14 years before getting his first head coaching gig at Bowling Green. He has certainly done well as a HC, but he also had loads of expereince on the college level before becoming a HC.

Where there problems at OSU as a grad assistant?

I'd like to see Steve get an assistant coach job first and that could be at X but going from head coaching a D1 school out of high school...show me the track record of that success?

[Musketeer1]

The notion of another assistant to HC gives me agita. It seems an inevitable (and repeating) progression of incremental success followed by disappointing departure. Would anyone be surprised if Steele had a four or five year stint then left for IU, or Butler, even? Are we consistently committed to the same fate just because it is easier in the short term? This is a watershed moment. "Our guy," an alum who donned the very Running Man jerseys whose return we gleefully heralded this season just left us for a "unique opportunity" with a university of ill repute. It is time to clear the decks.

[posaune]

I'm a little surprised that no one's even talking about Eric Musselman. Can someone shed light on why he'd be a poor candidate - I can't think of one. NBA HC experience, currently killing it at Nevada, and an Ohio guy. What am I missing?

[xu9697]

I mentioned Musselman on another X site. I am a fan of that pursuit- at least bringing him in.

Musselman, Matta and Miller for me. I just don't envision the same old route working this time. If Steele gets the job, I desperately hope I am wrong.

[Xavier2005]

not in any order of preference....Steve Lavin, Matta, Kelsey, Posey, D West, Steele, Schmidt, the Loyola coach, Larkin and Sunderman(co head coaches lol), etc...

[tacitus]

I do not want a connected and experienced coach on his way out looking to relive past glories.

I want an up-and-coming coach who is going to reguvinate and energize the program, the way each of our last 5 coaches have. Not even if we "steal" a coach (back) from a power 5 school.

Matta is past his prime, on his way toward retirement and has health issues.

Miller is in his prime, but possibly facing forced retirement due to legal issues.

There is bad blood between both of them and Xavier Nation.

Musselman is interesting in the sense that he would be a novel hire for us and is a character, but he is essentially a burned out pro coach.

Moser is having a year for the history books an it is appealing to hop on his wave. But this season is a serious anomaly in his career. He is .387 at L-CHI and has made the tournament once in seven years. He was on nobody's radar until now. His coaching pedigree is not that impressive either. Too risky for my blood.

Posey is interesting because he has two NBA rings as a player and one as an assistant coach. Not quite the same caliber hire as hall of famers Mullin and Ewing, but he also has an NBA pipeline.

D-West is a two-time all star and our best all-around player ever. But he has no coaching experience. Assuming he retires after this season, he may want to take a year or two off before doing anything else.

Pipe Dream: Posey as head coach and D-West as an assistant would be very interesting. That would cause a lot of buzz, for sure.

Steele and Kelsey are obviously the first two options, and Steele has the inside track as the current associate head coach.

It will most likely be Steele. We all know that. None of the other names popping up in the chatter, not even Moser, compare. There are plenty of big names we would love to have, but none our going to even consider.

But I would love for Posey to be a top assistant and D-West to be a big man coach with Steele.