College Coaching Changes

It has been awhile since I blogged about anything. I have been busy with school, work, and other things, but the recent chain of coaches changing teams in College Basketball has brought me out of a mini-sabbatical. Now, I went to Creighton University, so I may come across as bias to some people, but please understand that these are upfront, honest opinions on the three hiring’s made over the last four days.

Oregon-Dana Altman



For 16 years (minus one day in Arkansas), Dana Altman has been the head coach at Creighton University. During that time, he racked up 327 wins and seemed to always have the Jays winning 20 games a year and contending for NCAA Tournament bids. It seemed after he flirted with Arkansas in 2007 that he would end up coaching at Creighton until he retired (by the way, he said that in his welcome back press conference in 2007). However, if there is one thing you can never trust, it is the words out of a college coach’s mouth. The timing of this hire seems a bit strange, considering Creighton was coming off a record of 18-16, as the Jays failed to win 20 games for the first time in about ever, and missed either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in about forever.

I knew that Oregon was in the midst of a long coaching search (38 days). They reportedly sought out Tom Izzo, Jamie Dixon, Brad Stevens, and most recently, Mike Anderson. All either were just rumors or told Oregon no. I never thought that Dana Altman would ultimately end up the head coach at Oregon, but it was clear to me after this was over, that Altman needed a change, as the program on “The Hilltop” as we in Omaha liked to call it, had grown stale.

So what is Oregon getting in a coach? Well, for one, a coach who seemed to have gone away from made Creighton successful up until 2007. This was a change I was looking for at the time, as I had wanted Creighton to contend for sweet 16 appearances and not just NCAA appearances; however, this move backfired. Altman went out and recruited athletic players that he could never find a way to gel in his system. By the end of this year, Altman was subbing 5 guys out at a time, and at no point during the year did Creighton show they could be a consistently good team. There were 20 point blowouts on more than one occasion and the season ended with a semi-final loss in the CIT, yes, I said CIT.

So, can Altman go back to his pre-2007 ways and make that work at Oregon? Not likely. He’ll need to adapt to the Pac-10 style of play (well, not the conference’s play this year for sure), or otherwise, there is no chance he’ll be around once his 7 year contract ends up.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: C+ (Oregon reached, had nowhere else to go)

Creighton-Greg McDermott



By 8p.m. Saturday night, Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen had been informed by Dana Altman that he had indeed accepted the head coaching job at Oregon. At a press conference today, Greg McDermott told of a story that occurred about 7 years ago. Following a loss in the MVC Tournament, McDermott was approached by Rasmussen and told him in some aspect that if Altman ever left Creighton, that he would be the first coach contacted. Rasmussen kept his word and contacted McDermott on Saturday night. By Sunday night, Rasmussen was in Des Moines and had offered McDermott the job. After sleeping on it, McDermott accepted and what seemed about 5 minutes after Altman’s press conference at Oregon ended, McDermott was announced by Creighton as a new coach.

So, what does Creighton get in McDermott as a coach? Well, he did struggle at Iowa State the last four years. He did not win a winning season, but if you take a look at the Iowa State athletic department as a whole, it is not very good. Even Gene Chizik, who struggled as Iowa State football coach, left for Auburn, and had a very good year down there. Cael Sanderson, who is wrestling to Iowa State, left to be head coach at Penn State. So perhaps McDermott was just not a good fit at Iowa State. That does not mean he is a bad fit at Creighton. In fact, in five years at Northern Iowa (a fellow MVC School), McDermott took Northern Iowa to the NCAA Tournament in his final three years at the school, including two-at large bids during that time. McDermott knows what it takes to win in the MVC, so it does not surprise me Rasmussen went to McDermott first. McDermott will have to work quickly to secure the remainder of the team and to convince incoming recruits to honor their commitments.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: B+ (the search went a little too quick, but in reality, there may have not been a better candidate.

Iowa State-Fred Hoiberg



“The Mayor.” Ask any Iowa State fan who that is, and they will tell you Fred Hoiberg. Tonight, it is being reported that Fred Hoiberg will be the new head coach at Iowa State. Seriously, Fred Hoiberg? I know he is probably the most popular player ever to play at Iowa State, but really? This is your hire? Iowa State, you are proving my point of having a terrible athletic department. Hoiberg played 10 seasons in the NBA, retiring with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2005. Since retirement, he has been in the Timberwolves front office, most recently being promoted to the vice president of basketball operations on September 27, 2009.

So, why is it a terrible hire? Hoiberg has ZERO coaching experience. Not just ZERO head coaching experience, ZERO assistant coaching experience, ZERO graduate coaching experience. I know Iowa State was working quickly to get a coach and unite the fan base, but apparently they wanted to go all style and no substance in securing a name hire like Hoiberg. Who is the biggest winner in this? Well, maybe Nebraska. Perhaps someone else (Iowa State), will finish last in the Big 12 instead of Nebraska next year.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: Below an F. 0.00%