Isn’t this the guy Klay wanted?
- Thread starter kougkurt
- Start date
Now maybe Klay will want to make a sizable donation, if he hasn't already!
I think this could be a good hire, about as good as could be expected.
Glad Cougar
I think this could be a good hire, about as good as could be expected.
Glad Cougar
Quick look at USF's schedule shows that the Dons this year beat both Stanford and Cal, beat St. Mary's, and only lost by 4 to Buffalo. They lost a couple of head scratchers, including to Pepperdine in the conference tournament and lost their last 4 games of the season. Still a pretty good season overall.
Also, he must have international connections. 4 of his USF players this year were from other countries: Australia, Finland, Belarus, and Estonia.
Glad Cougar
Also, he must have international connections. 4 of his USF players this year were from other countries: Australia, Finland, Belarus, and Estonia.
Glad Cougar
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Would be interesting. I like the way his teams played this year. USF had been nowhere for a long time.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–2000 San Diego (assistant)
2000–2001 Air Force (assistant)
2001–2010 Saint Mary's (assistant)
2010–2016 Columbia
2016–present San Francisco
Those aren't exactly power schools so he's been used to having to do some heavy lifting.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–2000 San Diego (assistant)
2000–2001 Air Force (assistant)
2001–2010 Saint Mary's (assistant)
2010–2016 Columbia
2016–present San Francisco
Those aren't exactly power schools so he's been used to having to do some heavy lifting.
What concerns me is that he has never really improved a program. Both Columbia and USF stayed about the same throughout his tenure.
I'll take 20 wins a year....haha.
They lost their last few this season, which is a bummer, but I think WSU could've done a lot worse. I'm already way more psyched about this hire than I was with Ernie.
When he took over Columbia, he guided them to their first winning season in 33 years. Also upped their scoring average per game by 10 points.
Was with Sant Mary's when they developed into a consistently good program, 3 tourney appearances, and regularly ranked. Worked with their offense.
Helped make San Fran a solid winning program once he took over.
Not a flashy hire, but every team he's been with has gotten better during his tenure with them.
1. I like that he has a lot of time spent coaching/working in California. That is very important for recruiting, as he should have plenty of connections out west.
2. Klay approves
Was with Sant Mary's when they developed into a consistently good program, 3 tourney appearances, and regularly ranked. Worked with their offense.
Helped make San Fran a solid winning program once he took over.
Not a flashy hire, but every team he's been with has gotten better during his tenure with them.
1. I like that he has a lot of time spent coaching/working in California. That is very important for recruiting, as he should have plenty of connections out west.
2. Klay approves
Me too. I approve of this, which of course is paramount to the program. Good, solid hire. International connections, Klay likes him, lots of time (but not all) on the West coast.
And, while I'm not suggesting low ball, I bet he makes about $300K. (I'll look it up later, probably have to go to the 990 since they are private). So we can pay him a solid salary (no CA income tax and San Fran vs Pullman cost of living) and not kill the checkbook.
Columbia I'm not concerned by but USF sure. I am forgetting Rex Walters with USF was solid.
Our defense just improved a ton. International recruiting is his strength. Will be curious who his assistants end up being.
Quickly comparing Rex Walters and Kyle Smith's records at USF. Smith blows Walters record away. In eight years, Walters had three winning seasons and won 20 games twice. In three years, Smith had three winning seasons, each with at least 20 wins.
Also, in his last four years at USF, Walters had one winning season,
Columbia was dismal before he got there as well. It looks like a good hire to me.
It will be interesting to see who he brings in as assistants.
With Ernie’s buy out and the state of our basketball infrastructure, this was always going to be a bridge hire. Hope to mine the midmajor ranks for a capable coach who can bring stability to the program.
We weren’t going to spend money on a flashy coach. No way. The hope is that Smith can win some games on the cheap while we hopefully devise a way to invest in the programs foundation.
We weren’t going to spend money on a flashy coach. No way. The hope is that Smith can win some games on the cheap while we hopefully devise a way to invest in the programs foundation.
I'm quite pleased with this hire. We found a guy in a lesser conference who will struggle to finish ahead of St Mary's and Gonzaga each year, but hasn't won a couple tournament games in March so he has a ton of better offers. If he gets us to any post season play in the next few years, his stock will greatly improve. If he gets us to the NCAA tournament, he'll be up for one of the games best jobs. Plus he has Klay's endorsement and El C's scorn.
He was on the short list of candidates I thought brought a lot of value to the program. Thank the Lord we didn't end up with on of Clickbait's top choices: Ben Johnson, Decurie, or Leon Rice.
He was on the short list of candidates I thought brought a lot of value to the program. Thank the Lord we didn't end up with on of Clickbait's top choices: Ben Johnson, Decurie, or Leon Rice.
I know that dont want to potentially hinder a new coach's ability to succeed, choose own assistants, by choosing assistant staff for new coach, but I think WSU is the exception, where I think its necessary this time as exception.
Either Seltzer or Haskins, whichever is the better assistant coach, recruiter, recruited, has the best ties to most of the players, etc, needs to be assistant to new coach.
The only way WSU is not going to lose the best players off this team, by those best players transfering, is for either Haskins or Seltzer to be assistant to the new coach.
So the new coach keeps 1 assistant, and brings in whoever he wants to fill the other assistants.
Either Seltzer or Haskins, whichever is the better assistant coach, recruiter, recruited, has the best ties to most of the players, etc, needs to be assistant to new coach.
The only way WSU is not going to lose the best players off this team, by those best players transfering, is for either Haskins or Seltzer to be assistant to the new coach.
So the new coach keeps 1 assistant, and brings in whoever he wants to fill the other assistants.
Here's a podcast on more of Kyle Smith. Topics range on recruiting, Princeton offense, his efficiency offense.
https://player.fm/series/solving-basketball/episode-7-kyle-smith-san-francisco
EDIT: About the 9 minute mark Michigan recruiting discussion turns into WSU recruiting, Tony Bennett, Robbie Cowgill and Josh Akognon. Dude pays attention. This interview is from 19 weeks ago.
https://player.fm/series/solving-basketball/episode-7-kyle-smith-san-francisco
EDIT: About the 9 minute mark Michigan recruiting discussion turns into WSU recruiting, Tony Bennett, Robbie Cowgill and Josh Akognon. Dude pays attention. This interview is from 19 weeks ago.
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Wow, great find. My only hesitation is the Eastman-factor when it comes to communicating to the players. We definitely need a Rotchestie-type PG that will get it. I do like that he likes playing with 2 point guards.
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This was a good listen, and he sounds like somebody that could succeed at WSU. And yes, our best Bennett teams had 2 guys out there that could handle the point, sometimes 3 if you count Weaver.
Winnie ElC
Winnie ElC
Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff...
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=Awr46udZcJtcF2AA2cb7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTByZWc0dGJtBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMQ--?p=Winnie+the+Pooh+tickling&vid=fc619c291d35e4ae437a172a5d8cf171&turl=https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OVP.MCiAj85F0CMLjRXlGrEXsQEsDh&pid=Api&h=225&w=300&c=7&rs=1&rurl=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6azEXNafEAo&tit=<b>Winnie</b>+<b>The</b>+<b>pooh</b>+-+cartoon+<b>tickling</b>+scene&c=0&h=225&w=300&l=30&sigr=11b0abrug&sigt=124j7nsnn&sigi=12qbq83jb&age=1447991888&fr2=p:s,v:v&fr=mcafee&tt=b
Great hire. Probably the best hire we could make. He has been at two programs where they don't win very much and won there. He's had 4 straight 20 win seasons. He's the perfect fit for Wazzu.
Listening to that podcast he sounds like he's made for Pullman. That is a school he wants to be at. He doesn't get caught up in the recruiting hoopla, he goes out and finds basketball players that want to be here and want to be coach. This is no different from the Bennett's philosophy. He's a analytic nerd, he has a system that he runs and it's proven to work. Him and Randy Bennett took over a 2-27 St. Mary's team and within 4 years made the NCAA Tournament.
It's gonna be kind of ugly the first few years I think because he is taking over a team where players were in a system that had ZERO emphasis in valuing the ball and not committing turnovers. If the players buy into the system, they could win a a few games next year, but it will be a complete shift of what we've been doing for the past 5 years, which is nothing.
I'm looking forward to seeing what his nerd powers can do with Wazzu.
Credit to reddit. Someone on there recommended to take a listen. Glad they provided the goods.
For the most part I liked what I heard--a lot. What I didn't hear was much about the defensive side of the ball. Besides shutting down the 3 what other defensive philosophies are there? When he was mentioning the Bennetts I would have loved to hear a reference to Packline. Will matter who he names as defensive assistant.
"We" finished 11th in a 12 team conference - and arguably by year end #12 was playing as well as anyone in the league (meaning, they got better during the year - AND Cal just fired their head coach with the expectation they will get MUCH better).
Whether the current players stay or goes is their call - but it is illogical to hope any of them stay or make concessions to keep assistants unfamiliar with Smith's system for the purpose of hoping one or two players don't bolt. If they do, they do. They finished ELEVENTH in a bad league. Some may have potential, some may need more coaching - but as with football, the wheat needs to get separated from the chaff (mike is a Lincoln County guy - he should know what that means).
Keeping any of the existing coaching staff doesn't make sense. Leach/Moos kept Tormey around for a bit for admin/recruiting purposes - but every single assistant in football brought in had no affiliation with the prior staff. Kyle Smith needs to do the same, get his own guys in there as fast as possible and save the sinking ship.
That means all new assistants too. Kyle Smith is the captain of the ship now and, until proven otherwise, it looks like he knows what he is doing.
Gonna be awesome having a coach who values not turning it over and hoping to make it up in volume.
Agree he needs his own people. If he sees any of the current coaches being his people fine. Otherwise let them go. Any player turnover can't be any worse than what we've seen the last 4 years.
IF IF new coach doesnt retain 1 assistant for ONLY 1 year, before replacing, and IF IF 8,9 to 12 players leave, because of that, and IF IF new coach is not able to replace those 8,9 to 12 players with quality replacements, and IF IF it takes 8 years for WSU to win, and IF IF new coach FAILS because of those things, then new coach FIRED, and Chun should get FIRED for not requiring 1 assistant to be temporarily retained for 1 year, IF THOSE THING HAPPEN.
That's a Hell of a lot of panic conjecture about a coach who hasn't even been officially hired yet.
This hire might not work, but we had to make an affordable hire given Kent's buy out and the overall state of our basketball infrastructure. We won't know if this will pay off, but I agree with the logic Chun used regarding the hire. Get a system guy who's system doesn't necessitate 4* recruits to win. Play solid defense, don't turn the ball over, manage the game.
I understand where you're coming from, but at least someone has this view whenever there is a coaching change in any major sport, and 99% of the time, it's disregarded for all the reasons you can imagine. The other 1% of the time, from the small number of examples I can recall, the AD/coach wind up wishing they had gone with the 99%.
This is especially important in basketball with the small size of the staff. Let Smith do what he wants within the budget he's given. I'm OK with whatever happens in terms of player retention, up to and including Elleby leaving (although I'm hopeful that won't happen, and which probably is a decision that might be made regardless of whether Seltzer stayed on staff).
Some player turnover is part of the cost of having to change coaches and, along with the buyout, a big reason why an AD really needs to make damn sure he gets hires right and, should a coach succeed, that he does what is needed to keep him around if reasonably possible.
He talked in one of these clips about running Pack-Line stuff in 2016 at Columbia. Not that the Pack-Line is the only thing in defenses.
