CC: Are we still hype on Dusty May?
A first round exit to a once-in-a-generation (e.g. pretty decent!) Northwestern team is a little troubling. But May’s track record over the past few seasons, IMO, should still warrant him being one of our primo candidates.
I didn’t have a chance to watch the game, but are there any takeaways that give you pause about his candidacy? Discuss.
I think so, but I want others to assure me how to think and feel on this…
I think all the candidates stink.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
Who are the main candidates?
May/DeVries/Abdur-Rahim?
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
Man, you sound like an entitled crybaby.
I don't think he sounded entitled, just pessimistic?
Username fits...
Pessimistic and not entirely unrealistic. I think there's no obvious home run hire out there, at least not among people who will realistically take the job. I think we're going to end up gambling no matter what. It's just a question of what risks you prefer to take.
I watched that game and FAU made bad decisions, bad plays and looked lost from the final minute of regulation and the entire OT.
I was not impressed, especially after enduring Juwan's constant end of game failures.
Agree so JB it is...we can't not afford to fade off into the sunset like late 90s 2000s
N of 1 (game) means something because it's the tournament and all, but what it means is less than clear. FAU looked pretty discombobulated near the end of regulation and most of OT. (Northwestern OTOH played extremely good defense and surprisingly well on offense when the game was on the line.)
To me the problem with Dusty is his short-ish track record. As Brian has said (and written), his Final Four run last year was amazing but can he show consistency with a different roster? No one knows.
Our supposed list of candidates has not done well in the first round of this year's tournament. How does this relate to how any of them might do as Michigan's head coach? Absolutely no one knows.
This hire is a dice roll--not exactly random but at best an educated guess.
Nobody with a track record is on the market that we know of. Not impressed with Medved and dubious of mountain west basketball. This is where interviews matter, not just efficiency numbers and win totals. Juwan failed because he didn’t build a cohesive team and couldn’t stop fighting people.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:28 PM ^
I would guess Steve Alford would listen if Warde called. He is not young, he is not the least bit exciting, and he wanders from city to city like a 1970s anti-hero, but he does have 600+ wins.
His Iowa baggage is a most likely a disqualifier. Feel free to google the details if you like, but short story is he had a player accused of sexual assault (who eventually reached a plea bargain deal) and his handling of the situation was not great.
No f-ing way. He's an awful human being who, during his eight years in the B1G here at Iowa, went 61-67 (.477) in conference play and never made it past the NCAA round of 32. He's right where he belongs at a mid-major that nobody cares about and where he just lost (again) in the NCAA round of 64 after what appeared to be a promising regular season. HARD pass.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:26 AM ^
Dude, he took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four. And it wasn't just a matter of getting hot at the end of the season; FAU won 35 games last year.
There's a reason he's at the top of every open school's wish list.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
Weren't they preseason Top 10 or near it this year? I'm asking, not sure, but I definitely wasn't excited by anything I saw yesterday. It looked like they lost to a better coached team.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:52 AM ^
We should always make judgments based off one game.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:02 PM ^
Similarly, many people are turned off to Medved after their game against Texas. Wild how many people will look to individual games to evaluate the candidacy of a coach.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
The flipside is that many people were turned on by his performance against Virginia.
I’ve been facetiously saying that were basing our coaching decisions entirely on single game performances, but I actually think some people here are doing that.
I know Ward hate is very popular now, but I think having a level head in this search is going to serve us very well…
Nothing warde has done gives me any confidence he knows how to pick the right coach.
i would like beilein to be a part of any coaching search team
I'd like Beilien to return with a known successor as assistant
People were already turned on from his entire body of work at Colorado State (Furman as well), the Virginia game certainly helped, but it wasn’t the only source of the hype nor the origin of it.
He was mentioned as a top candidate well before that Virginia game
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
Sounds like that guy he went against yesterday is a pretty good coach.
Chris Collins should be the guy. Pony up and outbid NW if need be.
Collins has taken full advantage of the Covid rule these last two years. Look at his whole body of work.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:00 PM ^
Their run in the tournament was special, but they really didn’t beat anyone of note IN season. Best win in non-conference looks like a 2 point win over a Florida Gators squad that finished below .500 and then ran through a pretty weak C-USA. 35 wins is still incredible but it was a pretty easy schedule as well.
He then returned virtually the entire team from last year and they had a worse season. The rest of his career has been mediocre at best, and I think there’s some valid concerns with a candidate with such a short track record of success.
I think you overrate how difficult it is to make a splashy hire. Every realistic guy brings some degree of risk.
Louisville's about to hire May, incidentally.
Well there are risks with every coach. I’m merely stating how there are concerns with a guy that went 66-56 through his first four seasons and whether he can create sustained success. That’s a fair concern for someone with such a short track record of success. Especially considering he returned the whole team that went to the final four and lost in the first round to Northwestern.
I’m not looking too much into that specific game or downplaying him as a candidate, but I see validity in the concerns and a desire for someone who has shown a bit more sustained success.
It seems Louisville will make him their top priority as their pie in the sky candidates all predictably told them to pound sand.
I like how Dusty made FAU respectable immediately despite being a truly horrific program historically. He doesn't feel like a home run to me, but there is not a home run available if you ask me.
I personally think I prefer DeVries, who did a similar thing at Drake but more quickly and consistently. I hadn't realized how bad Drake had been before him honestly. But what tf do I know? I've just scrolled sportsreference and some articles.
edit- I meant that Dusty is my top choice and will lead us to 20000 consecutive titles.
I May have, I May have not. I’m at a crossroads, and I can’t see because the Rhodes are Dusty.
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:01 AM ^
You must be indecisive as a result of eating too much yellow snow.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:09 AM ^
At least our football team knows how to watch out where the Huskies go.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
We rubbed in that yellow snow with a vigorous circular motion previously unknown to mankind.
Im not getting my hopes up about any particular candidate because I know we won't hire who I think I want.
People overreact to tourney performance. May built up the FAU program from nothing. Only one other coach in program history has a record above .500. They had one tourney appearance before him. People want to say this year was an underperformance with the same players but they moved to a tougher conference. This season was actually encouraging for him as a candidate because it showed last season wasn’t a fluke.
I'm all in on Chris Collins
+1d but I’m also interested in learning a little more about Bryce Drew
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^
Vanderbilt had been one of a dozen programs which had never before lost 20 games in a season. Drew did it twice.
Vanderbilt had never before had a losing conference record at home. Drew did it twice.
GCU is a good fit for Drew. Michigan is not.
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:07 AM ^
Agreed.
Some coaches are a better fit at a smaller program. Brady Hoke is a perfect example of this. Fine for the MAC; not so much for the Big Ten.
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:20 AM ^
People grow and learn. He comes from a family of good coaches. And he’s still young enough to coach 15 years if he delivers.
Not saying he’s my first choice but I’d talk to him.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:56 PM ^
No. The guy flopped hard at Vanderbilt which supports the BBall program and has been historically successful and used to have a great fan base when he was there. Beating an overrated St. Mary's doesn't mean crap in terms of if he's a good coach.
Unfortunately Collins said No but as I’ve said before he was my choice when they hired Juwan. Most Michigan fans threw a fit when some suggested him. Things would be a lot different now if he was hired. Guy is a stud coach
Collins would of been a seamless transition from JB because they do such similar things on offense
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:12 AM ^
Brain categorically rejected his candidacy on the podcast by scoffing and not allowing a logical discussion about his potential. That was a bit irksome - as Brian is usually about as conscientious as anyone when it comes to coaching hires.
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:17 AM ^
Brian and basketball doesn’t mix. I don’t know enough on football to make that statement between him and football stuff. But on basketball I confidently say he just doesn’t understand the game enough to make those statements. It’s not a knock on him either.
March 23rd, 2024 at 10:56 AM ^
I didn't listen. Was his problem the Tommy Amaker connection?
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:12 AM ^
Or the Duke tree in general? (Which if we’re honest is Bob Knight’s tree.)
March 23rd, 2024 at 11:35 AM ^
Upvote for “Brain”.
March 23rd, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
Reminds of Jared Leto on the show My So-Called Life. I think it was early 90’s.
Brian is below the Mendoza line when it comes to coaching selection picks, but everyone still takes his word as gospel.