Hmmm...

[NMBRCRNCHR]

...anyone else wonder where Smith was when when Tony bailed? Seems to me like he would have been an awesome follow-up coach to the Bennett style.

Yeah yeah, it was 10 years ago and I have no clue what Smith was doing or his credentials at the time, it's just exciting to see a similar brand of ball that we know can be successful in Pullman.

 

[etowncoug]

...anyone else wonder where Smith was when when Tony bailed? Seems to me like he would have been an awesome follow-up coach to the Bennett style.

Yeah yeah, it was 10 years ago and I have no clue what Smith was doing or his credentials at the time, it's just exciting to see a similar brand of ball that we know can be successful in Pullman.

I believe he was still an assistant at St. Mary's.

We got a good one in Smith. He has a track record of turning perennial doormats into teams that finish in the top half of the conference. But especially when he was in the WCC he was blocked from making the tournament by dominant programs. This kept the buzz on him as an up and comer to a minimum.

But in the Pac-12, if he gets us into the middle of the conference we'll be playing in the post season every year and make a few NCAA tournaments. Recruiting will get easier too.

Bone looked pretty good on paper, though. Won a SPU, was considered the brains of Romar's resurrection of the UW program, turned Portland St into a winner overnight. I don't think he had Smith's underdog mentality though. Felt sorry for himself that he didn't have all the bells and whistles of other Pac-12 schools.

 

[Glad Cougar]

Tony Bennett actually wanted to hire Kyle Smith as an assistant off the St. Mary's program. Smith wasn't ready to leave and I think wasn't going to exit from Randy Bennett until he had a head coaching job, which he got at Columbia. Who knows? Had Bennett succeeded in hiring Smith, Kyle may have ended up as his successor.

Glad Cougar

 

[COUGinNCW]

...anyone else wonder where Smith was when when Tony bailed? Seems to me like he would have been an awesome follow-up coach to the Bennett style.

Yeah yeah, it was 10 years ago and I have no clue what Smith was doing or his credentials at the time, it's just exciting to see a similar brand of ball that we know can be successful in Pullman.

The real question is where was he when Ernie was hired but since he wasn't a drinking buddy of Moos, it probably would not have mattered.

 

[Coug1990]

I believe he was still an assistant at St. Mary's.

We got a good one in Smith. He has a track record of turning perennial doormats into teams that finish in the top half of the conference. But especially when he was in the WCC he was blocked from making the tournament by dominant programs. This kept the buzz on him as an up and comer to a minimum.

But in the Pac-12, if he gets us into the middle of the conference we'll be playing in the post season every year and make a few NCAA tournaments. Recruiting will get easier too.

Bone looked pretty good on paper, though. Won a SPU, was considered the brains of Romar's resurrection of the UW program, turned Portland St into a winner overnight. I don't think he had Smith's underdog mentality though. Felt sorry for himself that he didn't have all the bells and whistles of other Pac-12 schools.

Smith was still an assistant with St. Mary's when Bennett left. One year later, Smith left to take over Columbia. Assistant coaches from non P5 schools usually have to work their way up coaching smaller schools first, much like Smith did. Assistant coaches from P5 conference schools, much like the uw's Mike Hopkins', sometimes make the immediate jump to a head coaching job with a P5 school..

It is interesting to think what would have happened if Smith took Bennett's offer to be an assistant at WSU. He could have followed to Virginia. He could have taken over WSU. He could have gone back to St. Mary's. Or, something else. In the end, glad we have him now.