Cooley is pretty much 2001 Amaker as a candidate. I think he’d recruit at a super high level here, but his offenses would be pretty brutal to watch.
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Got interested in Ed Cooley. Here’s a little pile of links for others who might be. Clearly, the guy can connect with both players and the public.
My biggest questions, were I interviewing him, would be about how he sees the game evolving, himself adapting as a coach, and the kind of players (and assistants) that he’d recruit to fit that vision:
If it’s Cooley he’d have to change the Offense he runs, it’s absolutely brutal to watch, and would limit the teams ceiling big time
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Cooley never finished a season with less than 11 losses at Providence. Never finished a season ranked in the top 25. Produced only one first round draft pick in 8 years. Is 1-5 in the NCAA Tournament. Is 71-73 in conference play over an 8 year span in the Big East.
I’ll pass
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I was sort of talking myself into Cooley after looking at his recruiting (its really freaking good for providence). However looking at his results now, based on his recruiting he has probably underachieved on the court.
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I was thinking the same!!
I don’t offer these as a mark of my support, btw, but just because he loomed as a subject of interest. My preference would be for Juwan Howard; the more I poke around the more I think that he has the serious nature and cache to keep Michigan succeeding. Don’t think he’s in any way a prima donna, and that would be a bonus. As for truly great basketball minds, I’m not sure I see any available out there. We’re all going to miss Beilein’s offenses.
Would be interested in Donovan if someone could convince me he’s clean; loved his example as a young (Providence) player and know that, early on, he inspired his kids. Made a negative comment about him the other day and removed it because I realized I was going more on stuff I’d heard than what I could verify. . .
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If I were Teske, CC or Davis, I would beg Warde to bring back Juwan. On the other end, Juwan likely will need someone on his staff to coach the backcourt.
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I’m not really concerned with how clean Donovan was in the past. He’s never been in trouble with the NCAA and he’s not going to be implicated in any ongoing investigation. I’m more concerned with whether he’s willing to abide by Michigan’s standards if he coaches here. I imagine that will be discussed in every interview and candidates will be informed of Michigan’s predilection for self reporting and self sanctioning. If Donovan wants the job under those conditions I’d have no problem hiring him.
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i would prefer the clean route and Donovan was not that. Which makes me question not only his integrity but his coaching prowess.
if you wanna be clean, you either (1) have to hit it out of the park/get lucky or (2) you go 6-7 million to one of these white whales and go all in on getting something (Stevens, Bennett, Wright)
i personally hope option 2 is explored and we don’t go cheap for the sake of recreating a new JB. the odds are against it happening
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That 6-7 million might look cheap a decade down the road if you filled Crisler with happy fans and hadn’t been subjected to sanctions, but this all assumes that anyone of such stature could be lured away.
For me, Beilein maybe came closest to embodying what we all, at one time, thought John Wooden was. I’d ask who comes closest now, then move heaven and earth to get him.
I realize that’s kind of an old timer’s approach!
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Cooley is a great guy that will get you to the tournament consistently, but not the final four or conference championing, IMO. solid but limited ceiling.
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100 percent agreed, look at harbaugh… team hasnt won titles yet, but he is a year round marketing ambassador for the university.
JB has made michigan relevant from December to April. you don’t go in with scared money when you have the budget and lose that type of exposure for the university IMO
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If the athletic department goes the cheap route, that tells me we are back to them not caring about the program.
Might as well dim the lights and let water start leaking from Crisler’s roof again.
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Absolutely no on Cooley.
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I prefer clean too, but how much do we really know about a lot of the candidates in that regard? Guys that cut corners at lower profile schools mostly fly under the radar.
I think your preferred scenario is mostly unrealistic. I just don’t see Virginia or Villanova letting their coaches walk away because Michigan offers more money. All we would be doing is raising the pay scale for programs at our level, which Villanova and UVA are.
Stevens doesn’t sound like someone who wants to return to college coaching. $6-7 million isn’t an exceptional salary in the NBA. If Boston isn’t willing to match it, other NBA teams almost certainly would.
I think the $6-7 million price tag might be what it takes to get a top level coach like Donovan to come if they were looking to make a move, not enough to get top coaches to leave arguably better jobs they’re happy with.
i hear you. but my point is if i offer coach k money to one of those three, which is 7 mill and is nearly double each of there salaries… i make them say no and their school/the competition increase their costs of doing business. and if i get one of these young guys, my program is secured for another 5-8 years minimum
worst case your making your enemies pay more and more vulnerable. as for nba, only 5 teams pay coaches 7 mill or more (Donovan makes 6). then you go to your lesser candidates and you try to go diamond in rough route and play moneyball. but you dont not talk to a guy because of that price tag/start moneyball path first
so if youre going donovan route, sounds like salary more or less the same anyway. also if we get a stud, can we please make a buyout clause? that is one thing i cant believe we didnt add in JB contract last year (maybe we tried, dunno)
edit: had no idea holtman/coach k make 7 and 9 respectively. my numbers may be too low lol
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I’m not against trying. I’m just saying I think it’s unrealistic to think it will work.
I do kind of agree that the first step is to decide what you would be willing to pay if you could get anyone you wanted, then see if it’s enough to get them interested.
Michigan does need to move fast. A bad scenario is to get strung along by coaches just looking for a raise to stay where they are. They need to avoid that one.
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bingo… the downside of approach laid out is you over do it, get 5-6 guys pay raises and then the image is its a job no one wants
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and Drew ain’t taking the third spot in the pecking order