Unfortunately, we’re not in the best negotiating position, and any candidate with a smart agent will know that. Beilein left at a very awkward time, we’ve already lost one recruit, and could lose the other. We need to move quickly, and our options are limited.
1 Like
I missed the Cavs one. Lakers gig I only ever heard Lue, Williams, Vogel?
Howard has interviewed for openings with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers this spring and will likely meet with Rosas in Chicago during the NBA’s draft combine, league sources said.
Huh.
Well I guess he didn’t make the short list, as the palace intrigue in Lakerland was surrounding the choice between Williams and Lue, prior to it all going sideways and weird.
Edit:
Blockquote
“The Lakers also have plans to interview Ty Lue in person sometime this week, while they plan to conduct a phone interview with Philadelphia assistant Monty Williams. Hiring Howard, who has never been a head coach, would be a surprise.”
2nd EDIT:
I now recall hearing that the Cleveland coaching search was secretly aimed at identifying assistants for their…clandestine #1 choice.
Most people seem to prefer Howard over Shaka here (I think I’m in that same boat), but here’s a question: if getting Shaka also guarantees that UM retains Yaklich on staff, does that tip the scales at all? Yak isn’t ready to coach a big-time program yet, but certainly seems to be on that path, and is an excellent recruiter by all accounts.
You hope warde is smart enough to recognize yak and discuss integrating current staff with Howard if he goes that direction.
2 Likes
I am in the smart>Howard category but I think it’s pretty likely(maybe even more likely) juwan keeps some of the staff.
3 Likes
I’d be OK with that. I’ve gone back and forth on Shaka but I’m coming back around to the idea. He’s pretty young still (early 40s), has a decade of experience under his belt, recruits well, and has been to the Final Four (even if he hasn’t had much tourney success since). We could do worse than that. Retaining Yak would be great, but for Smart I’m more concerned about his offenses.
2 Likes
I’m not worried about defense with Smart or recruiting. Retaining Yak might help us keep Wilson, but I don’t think it’s important to take that into consideration. Shaka might be able to get a recruit or two of his own. He’s almost always had rim protection (haven’t looked at the stats, but he has a history with long athletic big men).
I’m more worried about offense.
3 Likes
I’ve mentioned on this very thread how opposed I am to a Smart hire. I haven’t been impressed by his Texas squads. But, a Smart-Yak combo deal is intriguing. I would prefer Howard-Yak, but to me Yak is just a coaching talent you’d hate to lose. We would definitely need some help on the offensive end though if this turns out to be the case.
Btw if Juwan says in his interview that he does not plan on keeping any of the current staff that pretty much would end it for me. As a first time head hc and first time college coach I can’t imagine hiring a candidate that would have no interest in keeping some members of the staff of a top 10 program this decade.
2 Likes
You could also make an argument that Juwan probably should bring in at least one new assistant, right? Would it worry you guys at all to not have a single coach on the roster with any head coaching experience?
3 Likes
I’d love a one year Tim miles rental
But to your point, gotta have at least one of your guys going into a new situation, I know I’d want one to feel comfortable.
1 Like
Who are some available assistants out there with that experience (not disagreeing, genuinely curious if there’s any candidates with connections)?
I have been pushing the idea of a Tim miles or Bryce drew type, yaklich, and Saddi staff for a while
1 Like
Not sure as far as names… It probably won’t be a just fired high-major head coach like Miles or Drew (I suspect they’d rather sit out a year and then get another HC job) but there are plenty of assistant coaches out there with significant experience. Think of Jeff Meyer, Billy Donlon or Jerry Dunn when they were at Michigan, all had HC experience.
I also don’t think the timing would be a huge issue as far as hiring assistants. It would probably depend on connections that whichever coach is hired has and how he wants to fill out his staff.
3 Likes
If it is Howard, does that leave Sadi in no mans land? Howard can coach bigs so you don’t need another big specialist?
Dan Dakich
The Wolves, Cavs and Lakers interviewed him this year. The Pistons and Knicks interviewed him last year.
I place less emphasis on keeping Yak than many seem to. Realistically, how long is he going to stay? It looks like Smart and Howard would be likely to want him on their staff. That’s good, don’t get me wrong.
Let me ask the question a different way. What if Yak says he’ll stay if Smart is hired but go to Texas if Howard gets the job? Do you prefer Smart then? What if it’s reversed with him going to the Cavs if Howard doesn’t get the job?
If I’m in Warde’s position, I’ll listen to what plans each candidate has for his staff. I’ll provide the money they need within reason. If they say they want to retain much of the current staff, not just Yak, but Sanderson for example, fine. If they say they’ll keep everyone, I’ll doubt they put enough thought into it. If they want to bring in all their own guys (hard to see that with Juwan), I’d need to know more. I want to evaluate their vision for the program as a whole. It would be a mistake to focus on one assistant.
3 Likes