Could have had this guy but AD felt he wasn"t ready
Travis DeCuire - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Montana Athletics (gogriz.com)

The AD was ill-prepared to make a basketball hire. He was grasping at straws. One week after dismissing the previous coach Coach Fox looked good on paper. Unfortunately Coach Fox is not a very good communicator.

I believe Knowlton had already decided to hire Fox by the time Decuire interviewed. I heard Decuire was ticked off at what he felt was a waste of his time.

diva1 said:

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Could have had this guy but AD felt he wasn"t ready
Travis DeCuire - Men's Basketball Coach - University of Montana Athletics (gogriz.com)

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Which AD are you referring to?

After Monty, Sandy apparently wanted to hire DeCuire, but was overruled. Maybe Dirks didn't think he was ready, but it wasn't the AD who didn't think he was ready.

It isn't possible that Mike Williams didn't think he was ready. Williams hired Jones, who objectively was far, far, far, far less ready than DeCuire -- not only never been a HC, but never been more than a #2 assistant. Williams hiring Jones may have been the most significant move that headed Cal MBB down the path to being horrible, but there is no way he thought Jones was more ready than DeCuire.

And I don't think Knowlton primarily passed over DeCuire for not being "ready." In one sense, maybe -- Knowlton wanted P5 HC experience, even if it was proven mediocrity at best, so the entire class of mid-major HC's was pretty much "not ready." I seriously doubt, however, that Knowlton would have passed over DeCuire for Fox if you flip their chemistry with Knowlton. If Knowlton felt the connection with DeCuire he felt with Fox, and felt the connection with Fox he felt with DeCuire, then DeCuire probably gets the job instead of Fox in spite of no P5 HC experience.

Knowlton made clear right after the hire how important chemistry with the AD was in the hiring decision, making clear he wasn't focused on chemistry with the ones who matter in getting a winning program, recruits and players.

In the first two instances DeCuire didn't get the job, it definitely wasn't because the AD didn't think he was ready, and in the third instance, even if some of the "he's not ready" thinking was kind of present, I don't think that was a deciding factor.

It was Williams who ignored Montgomery's advice

diva1 said:

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It was Williams who ignored Montgomery's advice

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Then as 8285 says, "not ready" doesn't make sense. Jones was less "ready."

I think it was three years earlier that Monty was recommending Travis as his successor, which reportedly Sandy agreed with. However, Cuonzo, fresh off a Sweet 16 with Tennessee, was clearly better on paper than an unproven assistant and Sandy was overruled by Dirks.

Nothing to stop us from hiring Travis RIGHT NOW except Fox's buyout.

calumnus said:

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diva1 said:

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It was Williams who ignored Montgomery's advice

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Then as 8285 says, "not ready" doesn't make sense. Jones was less "ready."

I think it was three years earlier that Monty was recommending Travis as his successor, which reportedly Sandy agreed with. However, Cuonzo, fresh off a Sweet 16 with Tennessee, was clearly better on paper than an unproven assistant and Sandy was overruled by Dirks.

Nothing to stop us from hiring Travis RIGHT NOW except Fox's buyout.

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Except for the chemistry Knowlton feels with Fox and the vision of the future that Fox has convinced Knowlton he will achieve.

philbert said:

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Cal hoops current status report:

This still the craziest thing ever 😳
(h/t benbrekdesigns/TT) pic.twitter.com/f4ouq5w4Pj

— Overtime (@overtime) March 28, 2022

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Was that Okafor or Newell doing that and how do I book tickets for the Final Four for next year?