Thursday, April 2, 2009

Coaching Rumors for Thursday

Some interesting news directly and indirectly impacting our program:
UGA interviews -- Chip Towers says that the Dawgs will meet with Oliver Purnell and Frank Haith in Detroit. My sources tell me that these are just two of many interviews the Dawgs will have today and tomorrow. I've also gotten the sense that Haith is on the list, but not the Plan B or C candidate that Andy Katz and others describe. Haith's agent is a miracle worker. He's managed to get the guy listed as a Plan B candidate for every open job in the country including the CFO position at General Motors. (Update: Not unexpectedly....Katz and Towers have better sources than me. That shouldn't shock you. lol. On the brightside, Haith is a good recruiter.)

Personally, I think Haith, Purnell, Sendek and Hamilton are all basically Chan Gailey with better suits. They'll win just enough games to make it hard to fire them after an inexplicable post-season loss in Boise. We could do worse than Sendek I guess, but he doesn't blow my skirt up.

Leonard Hamilton -- Hamilton is 61 years old, and he's about to get an extension from FSU. With only four career NCAA appearances and his advancing age, we're hearing that he's not a viable candidate. Despite media reports that he could be on the Plan B list. Hamilton's greatest strength is Atlanta area recruiting ties.

Memphis searching for a Pearl -- Tiger High may pursue Bruce Pearl with an offer for $21 million over seven years. I would expect UT to match any offer the Tigers make. It doesn't help UGA to have the Vols enter the coaching carousel this year.

Pearl Losing Ace Assistant -- The Boston Globe and ESPN are reporting that UT assistant Tony Jones appears headed to Boston University as head coach. Jones is described by some as an exceptional recruiter for the Vols. His departure from Knoxville is a good thing for UGA.

Arizona/USC/Pitt/UConn/Memphis Impact Us -- Arizona's move to pick up Tim Floyd from USC opens a slot for Jamie Dixon of Pitt. Dixon is an LA guy, and Andy Katz reports that his wife is a Trojan alum. If he leaves Pitt, Sean Miller of Xavier will likely step into that job. Also, there's the issue of Jim Calhoun's age and health. The 66 year old dual form cancer survivor has seen better days. There are rumors that Detroit is his swan song. UGA will be unable to have a meaningful discussion with Miller until the UConn, Memphis and Pitt situations sort themselves out. Miller may be a candidate at all three spots.

At this point, it's anyone's guess who we end up with, but I wouldn't freak over the names that are leaked. Yet.

PWD

No comments:

Post a Comment