Ben Johnson per a video posted on that other site. Players are speaking and maybe WSU should listen. I bet he would come on the cheap and if he were to follow the Bennett model there is a chance for success. I bet this would get some traction with the fan base who remembers those glory years.
Robbie Cowgill supports...
- Thread starter WACougFan
- Start date
Hard pass (still).
Cowgill is going to want his old coach. Akey's players wanted Akey, too. Wulff's old teammates wanted Wulff is well. They are to close to Johnson to be objective.
Chun needs to make his OWN hire.
If after due consideration and evaluating candidates, the best candidate is Ben Johnson, so be it. But not because any of the last 'great' Coug team is mounting a campaign.
Now, if Klay wants to kick in $35M, he can name the coach, build a practice facility with him name on it and coach the team himself on off-nights in the Bay Area.
If after due consideration and evaluating candidates, the best candidate is Ben Johnson, so be it. But not because any of the last 'great' Coug team is mounting a campaign.
Now, if Klay wants to kick in $35M, he can name the coach, build a practice facility with him name on it and coach the team himself on off-nights in the Bay Area.
Who knows if Robb would have had success or not. Wulff never was an assistant at WSU so I think that is a different situation. I personally would not be up in arms if he were hired. Doubt it will happen because the trigger could already be pulled and it isn't a sexy hire plus everyone wants to pave their own road and I am sure Chun is no different.
So WA are you drunk? Do you want Ben Johnson or Robb(ie? Cowgill) to be the coach? And that "other site" is Brand X.
That said, Robbie's comments are old news and on the heals of what Low said. Although as a Ben Johnson fan, I say yah!
Yes, Robb Akey. I will support whoever is selected until they show me that they are no longer worthy of my support. That could be character or on the court.
I will be honest in that I though Ben should have been the guy when Tony left. Not sure if he could do the heavy lifting for this rebuild but I truly feel he could have kept the success going if he was handed the reins in the first place...as long as fan expectations were reasonable. Maybe no one would have been able to live up to the Tony.
Now back to my drink.
I will be honest in that I though Ben should have been the guy when Tony left. Not sure if he could do the heavy lifting for this rebuild but I truly feel he could have kept the success going if he was handed the reins in the first place...as long as fan expectations were reasonable. Maybe no one would have been able to live up to the Tony.
Now back to my drink.
Wulff is comparable to Akey because he came highly recommended by those who knew him best. Of course Low and Cowgill are going to plug their old coach, he was a good coach who helped them reach the highest heights they ever hit. I'm not going to criticize them for wanting someone they undoubtedly respect to be the next head coach.
I'd be more interested in the opinion of Klay Thompson and Aaron Barnes on Been Johnson. Each has NBA Champions rings and if they were to say Johnson was the guy, I'd give that a lot of weight. But I know Klay has mentioned a Warriors assistant as a great candidate and Barnes hasn't come out and endorsed the guy who recruited him to WSU.
Of course the next guy has my support, but the Ben Johnson name is another example of Clickbait.com pushing a story to get pageviews.
The problem with finding a new coach is much like finding under the radar players. There are certainly coaches available who could do a good job in Pullman. Trying to prroject who that might be is the hard part. One thing I would not do is put a lot of weight on a coaches recruiting record.
I think we need a high energy guy who can teach fundamentals, because kids arent coming in to college with passing skills and the ability to move without the ball. Need a system coach, but he should have the ability to tweak that system . Most important, you need shooters
I think we need a high energy guy who can teach fundamentals, because kids arent coming in to college with passing skills and the ability to move without the ball. Need a system coach, but he should have the ability to tweak that system . Most important, you need shooters
Oh. Never mind. Guess we know who was the drunken one..........
I agree, Bob. With regard to recruiting, I would pay attention to a coach's recruiting success if he has been coaching at a school with somewhat similar challenges as WSU. If they coached at a rural, ag school, for instance, were they able to identify and sign players who ended up being successful? A lot of that is related to development. Finding coachable, hard working kids who have at least some talent, but will improve with instruction and effort. That seems to be the best formula for what works in Pullman.
I'm not necessarily a big fan of retreads or someone else's hand-me-downs, but Tim Miles still looks like a good candidate to me. He's familiar with the rural, ag schools (Nebraska, Colorado State, North Dakota State), has high energy and a good personality, and has actually shown to recruit pretty well wherever he's been. I think he'll be owed for one year ($2.25 million) when Moos fires him. I don't think he would expect to make close to that kind of money in his next job, and I know he wants badly to keep coaching.
I think I'd still rather have a young up-and-comer, if possible....but I'd take Miles over Leon Rice.
Glad Cougar
Klay likes Kyle Smith at USF: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/03...-recommend-for-washington-state-coaching-job/
First and foremost you need a coach who can recruit at a college like WSU. Dick, Tony Bennet, broke the mold, by recruiting talented, but lower, lesser talented, lesser athletic, lesser ranked, lesser starred, raw, less developed, then developing them into winners.
Raveling, Sampson were great recruiters at WSU that is PART of why they were successful.
So it starts with great recruiting. Next the coach needs to have the ability to put together a awesome staff, who can both recruit, develop, etc.
Next the coach needs to have a system, and needs to be able to recruit to that system at WSU, and needs to be able to tweak system, and recruit to tweaking.
Next the coach needs to be able to develop, teach fundamentals, teach players to out execute, ala Leach, Bennet.
Next the coach needs to place highest priority on DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, NO TURNOVERS, over run, gun, offense.
Next Coach needs to have great X's and O's
Next Coach needs to be aware of the difficulties, of recruiting to, winning at Pullman, and needs to be able to use that awareness to overcome those difficulties.
Next coach needs to get a great offense, great shooters, passers, PG, Big Men, Wings.
Next coach not only needs to recruit well, but also needs to recruit to needs in order to create a balanced roster. A 5 star PG is no good if have no big men or 1 star big men, or a 5 star 3 or 4 or 5 does no good if dont have or only have 1 stars at the other positions. Better to have 3,4 stars at all positions, then to have 1 4,5 star, and 1 stars at all the other positions.
Now those are all needed but it starts with RECRUITING as the FOUNDATION.
WSU needs coaches who fits the above description to be able to consistently win.
There are plenty of such coaches, the trouble, difficulty, will be finding such a coach, and in getting such coaches to come to WSU.
Raveling, Sampson were great recruiters at WSU that is PART of why they were successful.
So it starts with great recruiting. Next the coach needs to have the ability to put together a awesome staff, who can both recruit, develop, etc.
Next the coach needs to have a system, and needs to be able to recruit to that system at WSU, and needs to be able to tweak system, and recruit to tweaking.
Next the coach needs to be able to develop, teach fundamentals, teach players to out execute, ala Leach, Bennet.
Next the coach needs to place highest priority on DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, NO TURNOVERS, over run, gun, offense.
Next Coach needs to have great X's and O's
Next Coach needs to be aware of the difficulties, of recruiting to, winning at Pullman, and needs to be able to use that awareness to overcome those difficulties.
Next coach needs to get a great offense, great shooters, passers, PG, Big Men, Wings.
Next coach not only needs to recruit well, but also needs to recruit to needs in order to create a balanced roster. A 5 star PG is no good if have no big men or 1 star big men, or a 5 star 3 or 4 or 5 does no good if dont have or only have 1 stars at the other positions. Better to have 3,4 stars at all positions, then to have 1 4,5 star, and 1 stars at all the other positions.
Now those are all needed but it starts with RECRUITING as the FOUNDATION.
WSU needs coaches who fits the above description to be able to consistently win.
There are plenty of such coaches, the trouble, difficulty, will be finding such a coach, and in getting such coaches to come to WSU.
Interesting. Maybe Klay would be willing to make a nice donation to the "Pay off Ernie Kent Fund" in exchange for Smith getting the job. But seriously folks, Smith wouldn't be a bad choice. 3 straight 20+ win seasons at USF, successful at an Ivy League school, and a top assistant for Randy Bennett before getting a head coaching position. Cal will be looking at Smith as well.
Glad Cougar
Couple of things.
First, it is great to see Coug BB alums still being interested in WSU - especially when it is an NBA all-star.
Second, as a quiet guy, maybe Klay has made a big donation or two that we don't know about. Although you would think word would get out, and WSU would want word to get out to spur others to follow suit in their own way. If not, it is really baffling. Has Klay ever even been approached? Has he been and said no? I find it almost impossible to believe that, given his continuing affinity for his alma mater, he would flat out say no.
