Timing of Coaching Changes?

[DC_Area_Panther]

In former times when players had to sit a year if they transferred; there was no transfer portal, no NIL and most High School recruits stayed at a school for their entire 4 years and it was rare for anyone to leave early to go pro in the NBA or overseas and a school wanted or needed to replace their coach it made sense for the process to go like this:

1. Fire coach at season‘s end in March.

2. Began coaching search after the NCAA tourney.

3. Sign the new coach in time for him to get on the recruiting trail and sign some recruits on signing day in November.

Does this model still make sense in today’s environment?

IMHO, it no longer does make sense since it sets any progress in turning things around back an extra year as you lose the opportunity to do anything beneficial in the portal and leaves you too late to recruit quality incoming freshmen to sign in the fall.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fire the coach mid-season (like Louisville just did) and hopefully have the new guy on board early enough to land some talent immediately so that the rebuild can begin early—-in time to have its initial progress already underway by September with a bunch if players from the portal and spring signing period already in school?

For Pitt shouldn’t this mean either getting rid of Capel now or waiting until mid-season in 2022-2023 would be preferable to getting rid of him at this season’s end in March and not having a replacement named in time to make any roster improvements for the 2922-2023 season?

 

[gary2]

In former times when players had to sit a year if they transferred; there was no transfer portal, no NIL and most High School recruits stayed at a school for their entire 4 years and it was rare for anyone to leave early to go pro in the NBA or overseas and a school wanted or needed to replace their coach it made sense for the process to go like this:

1. Fire coach at season‘s end in March.

2. Began coaching search after the NCAA tourney.

3. Sign the new coach in time for him to get on the recruiting trail and sign some recruits on signing day in November.

Does this model still make sense in today’s environment?

IMHO, it no longer does make sense since it sets any progress in turning things around back an extra year as you lose the opportunity to do anything beneficial in the portal and leaves you too late to recruit quality incoming freshmen to sign in the fall.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fire the coach mid-season (like Louisville just did) and hopefully have the new guy on board early enough to land some talent immediately so that the rebuild can begin early—-in time to have its initial progress already underway by September with a bunch if players from the portal and spring signing period already in school?

I am for anything that has Capel gone sooner

 

[Silkky1982]

Yes it would in my opinion, and even give yourself a chance to talk to existing players and try to keep who you want on board

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

In former times when players had to sit a year if they transferred; there was no transfer portal, no NIL and most High School recruits stayed at a school for their entire 4 years and it was rare for anyone to leave early to go pro in the NBA or overseas and a school wanted or needed to replace their coach it made sense for the process to go like this:

1. Fire coach at season‘s end in March.

2. Began coaching search after the NCAA tourney.

3. Sign the new coach in time for him to get on the recruiting trail and sign some recruits on signing day in November.

Does this model still make sense in today’s environment?

IMHO, it no longer does make sense since it sets any progress in turning things around back an extra year as you lose the opportunity to do anything beneficial in the portal and leaves you too late to recruit quality incoming freshmen to sign in the fall.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fire the coach mid-season (like Louisville just did) and hopefully have the new guy on board early enough to land some talent immediately so that the rebuild can begin early—-in time to have its initial progress already underway by September with a bunch if players from the portal and spring signing period already in school?

Ideally, yes. As soon as you have made the decison, then that's the time to fire. However, there isn't a GREAT advantage until waiting until season's end. You might gain a week or so. More importantly though, you can get back channel agreements with prospective coaches.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Yes it would in my opinion, and even give yourself a chance to talk to existing players and try to keep who you want on board

Yes, that too.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Was there ever really a time that a school that fired their coach at the end of the season waited until after the NCAA tournament to begin their search for a new coach?

If so, that time was a very, very long time ago. As in many decades.

 

[docpanther26]

No doubt, if you know its not working (our situation???) you let go midseason. This season is already over so get on with finding the next head mens basketball coach. As others have said, try to maintain relationships with those players you deem appropriate for this level and start looking to bring others in.

 

[gary2]

Was there ever really a time that a school that fired their coach at the end of the season waited until after the NCAA tournament to begin their search for a new coach?

If so, that time was a very, very long time ago. As in many decades.

We need to and should have an agreement in place before the end of the tournament. Should be announced as soon as legally possible.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

This season is already over so get on with finding the next head mens basketball coach.

You don't have to fire your current coach to be starting the process of finding the next guy.

 

[docpanther26]

You don't have to fire your current coach to be starting the process of finding the next guy.

Yes, we all agree on that.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

We need to and should have an agreement in place before the end of the tournament.

But isn't that the way that it always was? Or at least always meaning the last several decades?

When we fired Stallings we didn't wait to start looking for his successor until after the tournament was over. When we let Dixon leave we started looking for a replacement basically the same day (if not before that). When Howland left the search started immediately. And so on.

When was the last time that someone fired their coach at the end of the season and then waited and "began coaching search after the NCAA tourney"?

Pretty much never.

 

[gary2]

But isn't that the way that it always was? Or at least always meaning the last several decades?

When we fired Stallings we didn't wait to start looking for his successor until after the tournament was over. When we let Dixon leave we started looking for a replacement basically the same day (if not before that). When Howland left the search started immediately. And so on.

When was the last time that someone fired their coach at the end of the season and then waited and "began coaching search after the NCAA tourney"?

Pretty much never.

Agree and it better not happen now. We can’t afford that.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

In the current world of college hoops any sort of a long drawn out coaching search is the kiss of death to any early salvage of the program. The new guy has to be named and hit the ground running on recruiting almost the day after the former coach is gone in order to try and keep the players you should keep and to both recruit the portal and any available high school kids. Failure to have a new coach on board promptly will delay the rebuild progress by a year.

 

[220/22traveler]

In former times when players had to sit a year if they transferred; there was no transfer portal, no NIL and most High School recruits stayed at a school for their entire 4 years and it was rare for anyone to leave early to go pro in the NBA or overseas and a school wanted or needed to replace their coach it made sense for the process to go like this:

1. Fire coach at season‘s end in March.

2. Began coaching search after the NCAA tourney.

3. Sign the new coach in time for him to get on the recruiting trail and sign some recruits on signing day in November.

Does this model still make sense in today’s environment?

IMHO, it no longer does make sense since it sets any progress in turning things around back an extra year as you lose the opportunity to do anything beneficial in the portal and leaves you too late to recruit quality incoming freshmen to sign in the fall.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fire the coach mid-season (like Louisville just did) and hopefully have the new guy on board early enough to land some talent immediately so that the rebuild can begin early—-in time to have its initial progress already underway by September with a bunch if players from the portal and spring signing period already in school?

For Pitt shouldn’t this mean either getting rid of Capel now or waiting until mid-season in 2022-2023 would be preferable to getting rid of him at this season’s end in March and not having a replacement named in time to make any roster improvements for the 2922-2023 season?

NOW

 

[andypappas]

I had to turn the game off with 3 minutes to go in the 1st half. To put up a performance in the 1st half against a team that is 1 game better in the standings is a disgrace. I know members on the board and certain media members say Capel should be back, why? I understand the buyout may be large, but another year of this? If there was some hope with a couple good recruits coming in, then I'd be ok, but with nothing coming in and a good chance some of these guys leaving, next year will be even worse than this year.

 

[Saboteur II]

In former times when players had to sit a year if they transferred; there was no transfer portal, no NIL and most High School recruits stayed at a school for their entire 4 years and it was rare for anyone to leave early to go pro in the NBA or overseas and a school wanted or needed to replace their coach it made sense for the process to go like this:

1. Fire coach at season‘s end in March.

2. Began coaching search after the NCAA tourney.

3. Sign the new coach in time for him to get on the recruiting trail and sign some recruits on signing day in November.

Does this model still make sense in today’s environment?

IMHO, it no longer does make sense since it sets any progress in turning things around back an extra year as you lose the opportunity to do anything beneficial in the portal and leaves you too late to recruit quality incoming freshmen to sign in the fall.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fire the coach mid-season (like Louisville just did) and hopefully have the new guy on board early enough to land some talent immediately so that the rebuild can begin early—-in time to have its initial progress already underway by September with a bunch if players from the portal and spring signing period already in school?

For Pitt shouldn’t this mean either getting rid of Capel now or waiting until mid-season in 2022-2023 would be preferable to getting rid of him at this season’s end in March and not having a replacement named in time to make any roster improvements for the 2922-2023 season?

Yes it would.