962 replies to this topic

[BSLZackKiesel]

Yeah, this is basically a done deal. And the strong rumors started this morning about Willard, so safe to say the team probably wasn’t playing their best for a reason.

[BSLMikeLowe]

What sucks is now Holloway has to do damage control with his team right after the biggest win in program history and another big game to play. WTF is Willard saying that for? Guy hasn’t officially been named yet and I already have a reason not to like him.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

What a disaster

[BSLChrisStoner]

Balt Sun: What is Maryland looking for in its next men’s basketball coach? Athletic director Damon Evans says the Terps are casting a wide net.

[BSLChrisStoner]

There are variables to the hire that we won't know, because we aren't conducting the interviews. 

 

There is more than their career records. 

Part of it is feel.  

Does the guy have a presence?  Are you a leader of men? How well does he communicate?  (Players, Boosters, Administration, Media.)

Who would he bring in as Assistants?  What's recruiting going to look like with him?  Does he have any preexisting relationships with the local programs? Does his would be Assistants? 

 

What has he done with his existing program?  What's the most success they've had?  Trending up? 
Has he had multiple stops?  Won multiple places?  

Was he an Asst for someone good? 

 

What's his style of play? 

 

What do you think the ceiling is with the guy? What's the flame out potential? 

 

If you are willing to hire someone early into their coaching career... do you want to go with someone that has direct program ties? 

If you hired someone (Juan) that meant everything with the program, and it went badly... how does that end?

Do you want a voice that is completely new to the program? 

 

Do you want a younger coach? 

Do you value experience? 

How badly does the guy want the job?

 

Would you like to prioritize hiring an African-American? 

 

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have landed on Willard, but I'm willing to concede the obvious that there is more being evaluated than only his career record. 

 

Either way, I believe by Year 2 he will have a Top 25 team.  Then we will see where MD goes from there. 

But first... these coming initial few weeks / Month is going to be huge to hit the ground running. 

[Chris B]

Willard saying that is a big time swing and a miss, putting two coaches (inc. himself) and three programs in really awkward spots.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Willard saying that is a big time swing and a miss, putting two coaches (inc. himself) and three programs in really awkward spots.

Yeah, I do agree there.

As I said above, part of my criteria would be how do you communicate?  

 

I'd thinking coming from Seton Hall, and the press there, he'd be a bit more savvy than that quote showed. 

 

Though I'll cut him a little slack for being excited about his former Asst... and there is some suggestion out there that he has already been hired at MD.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Time to get on board. It’s uninspiring, but that’s how a lot of Patriots fans felt when they hired Bill Belichick. I don’t need to be inspired as much as I need to see positive results, that’s all that matters here. There are definitely some things to really like about Willard.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Time to get on board. It’s uninspiring, but that’s how a lot of Patriots fans felt when they hired Bill Belichick. I don’t need to be inspired as much as I need to see positive results, that’s all that matters here. There are definitely some things to really like about Willard.

The thing for a fan like me it doesnt move the needle at all. So yeah, I need results before I invest any energy again. And not Mark Turgeon results. I know this guy ca likely get MD NCAA tourny appearances as #8 seeds. Not good enough to make me care.

[BSLZackKiesel]

Jon Rothstein confirmed this morning that Willard will be Maryland’s next head coach. The choice that seemed like the inevitable one from the beginning will be the final one after all.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Why does UM waste money on search firms?

 

Willard is going to have to win me over, because this just feels like a Turgeon reboot, and I’m not here for that.

[Mackus]

It's fine. It's Turgeon redux, but Willard isn't doomed to the disappointment that Turgeon provided. He could deliver on the potential that Turgeon (and he) had. Go get some wins.

[BaltBird 24]

Is paying money for a "search firm" a common thing in college sports? What's the point?

[BSLZackKiesel]

Is paying money for a "search firm" a common thing in college sports? What's the point?

I believe Maryland has done it for all of their football and men’s basketball hires in the last 10-15 years. It’s pretty common, and allows the athletic director to focus on interviews and not identifying candidates.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Is paying money for a "search firm" a common thing in college sports? What's the point?

They gotta do something with all that TV cash so they can cry poor when people wonder why the players who make all that money don’t get any.

[BaltBird 24]

I believe Maryland has done it for all of their football and men’s basketball hires in the last 10-15 years. It’s pretty common, and allows the athletic director to focus on interviews and not identifying candidates.

Doesn't seem like it'd be very difficult for an athletic director to identify who would be a good candidate to run their athletic teams, but maybe I'm overestimating their abilities.

[BSLRoseKatz]

It is not unique to UMD or basketball coaches

 

https://www.bannerso...-football-coach

[mweb08]

It's fine. It's Turgeon redux, but Willard isn't doomed to the disappointment that Turgeon provided. He could deliver on the potential that Turgeon (and he) had. Go get some wins.

Exactly my thinking.

Also, it seems like some are thinking what Willard has done at Seton Hall is what he will do here, which doesn't make much sense imo. Sure, that's possible, which would be him failing to live up to the potential. However, be elevated the Hall a great deal so it stands to reason that he has the ability to elevate Maryland as well with the latter having the higher floor and ceiling as a program.

I would have preferred someone like the Vermont coach though or ideally identify a younger version of him.

[BSLZackKiesel]

Adam Zagoria reporting that an announcement on Willard's hire should come on Monday.

[Mike in STL]

Is paying money for a "search firm" a common thing in college sports? What's the point?

Paying way too much money for something so simple is definitely a college thing, because they don’t want people knowing how much $$$ they are raking in. So if profit stays low or in the red on the books, they can justify raising the prices on everything else.

Towson paid a consulting firm for 18 months of work to come up with their generic TU logo that a kid with an iPad could have made in about 5 minutes.