Now who for OSU?
Now that Bill Self has rejected OSU, where do the Cowboys turn? I say Mike Holder starts going down the list, and the top of that list will be impressive. OSU will not aim low. Will not try to find a hidden diamond, unless it comes to that. Here’s what the list might look like:
1. John Calipari: Memphis is a great job that pays him big, but OSU can counter with a better conference and even more money. Memphis in Conference USA is the equivalent of UNLV in the Big West in 1987-92, and while you can soar under such an environment, you also can stumble with no league support.
2. Tubby Smith: Would cost a bundle to get away from Minnesota, and Tubby in some ways would return the Eddie Sutton style of administration to OSU — assistants recruit, head coach coaches — but he’s a big name who has been a big winner and is nothing but class, going back to his Tulsa days.
3. Jaime Dixon: The Pitt coach is young, solid and sharp. Getting him away from Pittsburgh would be difficult; Pitt and OSU are comparable jobs, and Pitt is in a better situation right now. Would probably cost a ton.
4. Tony Bennett: He just announced he was staying at Washington State, but OSU is a better job — much better. I don’t know what buttons need to be pushed, but most people have buttons.
5. Chris Lowery: Southern Illinois is becoming the Miami-Ohio of college basketball; a cradle of coaches. Bruce Weber left and took Illinois to the NCAA finals; Matt Painter left and has Purdue riding high. And of course, Jack Hartman made his name at SIU before going to Kansas State.
6. Anthony Grant: Virginia Commonwealth would declare holy war on the state of Oklahoma. In 1985, Tulsa U. hired away VCU’s J.D. Barnett. In 2006, OU hired away VCU’s Jeff Capel. If OSU were to hire away VCU’s Grant…
7. Sean Miller: Would be a great hire, but two down sides. You’d have to pay Miller like he was coming from a power, not mid-major Xavier, and the speculation is that he would return to Pitt, his alma mater, when that job opens. Of course, if Dixon won’t leave Pitt, that wouldn’t be a problem.
8. Tim Floyd: Excellent coach who is in a solid position at Southern Cal. Would he leave? Depends on how much he likes the LA life? Some do. Some don’t.
9. Lon Kruger: Excellent resume’ and great ties to the Heartland, but is he still willing to hit the recruiting grind of banging heads with Texas and Kansas, not to mention other-conference infidels? Kruger sort of has it on autopilot at UNLV.
10. Mike Brey: The Notre Dame coach has been solid, which in the Duke Derby makes him a big winner, since most of Krzyzewski’s former players and lieutenants have struggled. Would probably take the job without a hard sell.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Holder should take his time and not worry about this years recruiting class. I’m beginning to think the cutting of ties with Sutton wasn’t decided until the season ended or Holder would have been farther along in the process. I’m not certain Calipari would be a good fit in Stillwater but the others, if interested, could probably work.
Coaches not mentioned with more than the normal amount of baggage and with Iba ties:
Larry Brown (Coached by Iba in the Olympics)
Nolan Richardson (Coached by Haskins at Texas Western)
James Dickey (Worked with Sutton)
Rob Evans (Worked with Sutton)
I would like to see Lon Kruger first, Jamie Dixon second, and Tubby Smith a distant third.
We, they, OSU, needs a high profile coach to attract high profile players to Stillwater. I can’t see anyone leaving the West Coast (players or coach) to come to Stillwater. What leave the beach, Hollywood, etc. for Stillwater.?? Duh! not much to think about there.