Shocky reports in his monster thread that the following four candidates are receiving second interviews: Travis DeCuire, Russell Turner, Mike Brey and Ben Howland. He does NOT mention if there might still be other candidates.

My take:

4. Howland: Please, no.
3. Brey: meh
2. Turner: Nice resume interms of experience, but I'd want more confirmation that he's a real up-and-comer, as I'm not really seeing that, but maybe he is.
1. DeCuire: Maybe the best of this bunch, but comes with question marks, for sure.

What happened to Capel? (not that he excited me much) Geez, there's not a young fireball who's HC at a mid-major or asst. at a major program who would like to be making some relatively big bucks trying to make it in the Pac 12?

I think it's very unlikely Sandy makes a "home run" hire. Whoever the next coach is, we are going to have to hope for the best. If those are the names on the board, the logical thing to do would be to hire DeCuire.

That I'm praying it's Decuire is kind of sad.

Big C_Cal;842301492 said:

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Shocky reports in his monster thread that the following four candidates are receiving second interviews: Travis DeCuire, Russell Turner, Mike Brey and Ben Howland. He does NOT mention if there might still be other candidates.

My take:

4. Howland: Please, no.
3. Brey: meh
2. Turner: Nice resume interms of experience, but I'd want more confirmation that he's a real up-and-comer, as I'm not really seeing that, but maybe he is.
1. DeCuire: Maybe the best of this bunch, but comes with question marks, for sure.

What happened to Capel? (not that he excited me much) Geez, there's not a young fireball who's HC at a mid-major or asst. at a major program who would like to be making some relatively big bucks trying to make it in the Pac 12?

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Sad. Oh well #teamtd

Get ready for Howland Ball at Cal. If history repeats itself, Sandy is going for the guy with the track record and Howland certainly has that.

At this point, I will be shocked by nothing. TD is a risk, but it might be the risk we need to take at this time. If he's the guy, we should know by the 3rd year whether he has a clue or not.

If this is the final four....and even though I am on #teamtd.....I hope you all join with me on #firesandy

#TeamTravis

I'm hoping of those that Travis is the choice...time for something fresh...lets avoid stale.

Big C_Cal;842301492 said:

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Shocky reports in his monster thread that the following four candidates are receiving second interviews: Travis DeCuire, Russell Turner, Mike Brey and Ben Howland. He does NOT mention if there might still be other candidates.

My take:

4. Howland: Please, no.
3. Brey: meh
2. Turner: Nice resume interms of experience, but I'd want more confirmation that he's a real up-and-comer, as I'm not really seeing that, but maybe he is.
1. DeCuire: Maybe the best of this bunch, but comes with question marks, for sure.

What happened to Capel? (not that he excited me much) Geez, there's not a young fireball who's HC at a mid-major or asst. at a major program who would like to be making some relatively big bucks trying to make it in the Pac 12?

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About what I'd expect. A guy like Shaka Smart is not coming to Cal when there are better jobs out there that will soon be available

This seems about right. Surely nothing to be shocked about. Let's go Travis.

Though I still don't get the Brey thing. Does he not have a large buyout?

IF this is the final 4 it certainly is not very dynamic or creative or impressive! Wow! I hope it's TD if this is the list or it will feel a little like a punch to the gut. Did Sandy do homework on Howland and where he left with recruiting?

Brey said these are rumors and not true

I am definitely hoping it'll be TD. However it does concern me how the team
seemed to often come out flat, with little chemistry. Is that all on Monty(?), or once Travis is the HC, will the Team's respect and connection to him translate into a style of play that is productive from the opening tip?

socaltownie;842301508 said:

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If this is the final four....and even though I am on #teamtd.....I hope you all join with me on #firesandy

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So I know you and the shockster are rarely on the same page, but don't you see some youthful excitement with TD, JL, and TR running the hipsters?

RDB73;842301518 said:

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I am definitely hoping it'll be TD. However it does concern me how the team
seemed to often come out flat, with little chemistry. Is that all on Monty(?), or once Travis is the HC, will the Team's respect and connection to him translate into a style of play that is productive from the opening tip?

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I think that when it comes to energy and motivation, kids play for and reflect their HC, not the assistants. It doesn't mean that TD will be good in this regard, but I would not put anything on him for the way the team so often came out flat to begin games.

If this is really the final four list of candidates, I am now all in for Travis.

socaltownie;842301508 said:

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I hope you all join with me on #firesandy

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I'm on board. Have been for 4 years now.

Given those choices, in my opinion, any AD would have to be crazy not to offer the job to Howland.
Let's be honest, he's a far better coach than the others.

I think he's probably learned a few things about himself while at the pressure cooker of ucla.

RicoRico;842301534 said:

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Given those choices, in my opinion, any AD would have to be crazy not to offer the job to Howland.
Let's be honest, he's a far better coach than the others.

I think he's probably learned a few things about himself while at the pressure cooker of ucla.

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Tell me everything you know about this Howland guy.

tsubamoto2001;842301536 said:

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Tell me everything you know about this Howland guy.

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What I`m curious about is who has been successful AFTER leaving ucla...Lavin has had moderate success at St. Johns...but anyone else come to mind?

SRBear;842301538 said:

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What I`m curious about is who has been successful AFTER leaving ucla...Lavin has had moderate success at St. Johns...but anyone else come to mind?

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Larry Brown. Harrick had some success, but he eventually got tagged tagged by the NCAA at Georgia. I don't doubt that Ben could be successful at Cal, but that's only if he learned some lessons from UCLA. His fall was a spectacular one and there were many reasons why it occurred. Does he know those reasons? And if he is aware of them, what has he done or will do differently next time (if there is a next time)? I'm not confident he will change as he is a stubborn person by nature.

RicoRico;842301534 said:

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Given those choices, in my opinion, any AD would have to be crazy not to offer the job to Howland.
Let's be honest, he's a far better coach than the others.

I think he's probably learned a few things about himself while at the pressure cooker of ucla.

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Sorry Rico but this type of thinking scares the hell out of me.

I would not be happy with Brey, but Howland is the only guy whose hiring would cause me to boycott Cal basketball. It would be an unmitigated disaster. The worst hire I can imagine.

tsubamoto2001;842301541 said:

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Larry Brown. Harrick had some success, but he eventually got tagged tagged by the NCAA at Georgia. I don't doubt that Ben could be successful at Cal, but that's only if he learned some lessons from UCLA. His fall was a spectacular one and there were many reasons why it occurred. Does he know those reasons? And if he is aware of them, what has he done or will do differently next time (if there is a next time)? I'm not confident he will change as he is a stubborn person by nature.

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He is a stubborn, arrogant a*hole. People think Monty came off bad in recruiting? Monty was snarky, but at least he is honest and not an a*hole and at least Monty can coach. Howland will have to continue to increasingly rely on shady recruiting practices, but the kids that the Pump Brothers could convince to go to the glamor of UCLA for a year or two in spite of Howland will be hard pressed to go to Cal. And if people think that at Cal he can just go back to the rugby on hardwood style he had at Pitt in the old Big East, before the rule changes, they are delusional. Especially with the current roster. So expect player transfers, APR troubles, NCAA sanctions, and boring basketball, all while paying him $millions...

When he was hired at UCLA, I said his eventual implosion would take time, but would be inevitable. At Cal, it would be immediate. Worst hire I can imagine.

OdontoBear66;842301520 said:

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So I know you and the shockster are rarely on the same page, but don't you see some youthful excitement with TD, JL, and TR running the hipsters?

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Well I am in on #teamtravis but honestly - you are gauging your belief about youthful energy from SHOCKY, not the world's most reliable journalist (IMHO)

calumnus;842301527 said:

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I think that when it comes to energy and motivation, kids play for and reflect their HC, not the assistants. It doesn't mean that TD will be good in this regard, but I would not put anything on him for the way the team so often came out flat to begin games.

If this is really the final four list of candidates, I am now all in for Travis.

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Monty's teams at Stanford almost always came out strong. At Cal I think he recruited players without the same competitive drive. Not all of them, of course no one played harder than Jorge, but too many.

All I want is no Howland.

Sluggo

Big C_Cal;842301492 said:

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Shocky reports in his monster thread that the following four candidates are receiving second interviews: Travis DeCuire, Russell Turner, Mike Brey and Ben Howland. He does NOT mention if there might still be other candidates.

My take:

4. Howland: Please, no.
3. Brey: meh
2. Turner: Nice resume interms of experience, but I'd want more confirmation that he's a real up-and-comer, as I'm not really seeing that, but maybe he is.
1. DeCuire: Maybe the best of this bunch, but comes with question marks, for sure.

What happened to Capel? (not that he excited me much) Geez, there's not a young fireball who's HC at a mid-major or asst. at a major program who would like to be making some relatively big bucks trying to make it in the Pac 12?

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I believe what Shocky said was that candidates getting second interviews included those four. I am hoping that is not the entire universe of candidates at this point. If it is, I hope Travis gets the job.

LocoOso;842301513 said:

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About what I'd expect. A guy like Shaka Smart is not coming to Cal when there are better jobs out there that will soon be available

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It was never going to be Smart or Few or fill-in-the-blank, but I'm surprised we haven't come up with some names that maybe we haven't heard much about, but are very highly regarded as future stars.

calumnus;842301548 said:

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He is a stubborn, arrogant a*hole. People think Monty came off bad in recruiting? Monty was snarky, but at least he is honest and not an a*hole and at least Monty can coach. Howland will have to continue to increasingly rely on shady recruiting practices, but the kids that the Pump Brothers could convince to go to the glamor of UCLA for a year or two in spite of Howland will be hard pressed to go to Cal. And if people think that at Cal he can just go back to the rugby on hardwood style he had at Pitt in the old Big East, before the rule changes, they are delusional. Especially with the current roster. So expect player transfers, APR troubles, NCAA sanctions, and boring basketball, all while paying him $millions...

When he was hired at UCLA, I said his eventual implosion would take time, but would be inevitable. At Cal, it would be immediate. Worst hire I can imagine.

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To add to the above, there are many reports that Howland burned many bridges in California recruiting circles. If there is even a small bit of truth to that, it should be a deal breaker and we should not be hiring him. I have no desire to watch Howland's horrible offense with less talented players. I don' think any elite players will want to play for Howland at Cal.

My concern is that Sandy and her "consultants" may have no clue about these types of issues and/or no appreciation for how important recruiting is in college hoops.

calumnus;842301548 said:

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He is a stubborn, arrogant a*hole. People think Monty came off bad in recruiting? Monty was snarky, but at least he is honest and not an a*hole and at least Monty can coach. Howland will have to continue to increasingly rely on shady recruiting practices, but the kids that the Pump Brothers could convince to go to the glamor of UCLA for a year or two in spite of Howland will be hard pressed to go to Cal. And if people think that at Cal he can just go back to the rugby on hardwood style he had at Pitt in the old Big East, before the rule changes, they are delusional. Especially with the current roster. So expect player transfers, APR troubles, NCAA sanctions, and boring basketball, all while paying him $millions...

When he was hired at UCLA, I said his eventual implosion would take time, but would be inevitable. At Cal, it would be immediate. Worst hire I can imagine.

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Seriously. Howland is Monty without the warmth and charm. No sense of humor, either, as far as I can detect. He recruited good players at UCLA because it was UCLA. He was a good coach for a while; I actually loved his early Bruin teams, but now he epitomizes "past the curve".

Originally Posted by LocoOso View Post
About what I'd expect. A guy like Shaka Smart is not coming to Cal when there are better jobs out there that will soon be available

and then by Big C.
It was never going to be Smart or Few or fill-in-the-blank, but I'm surprised we haven't come up with some names that maybe we haven't heard much about, but are very highly regarded as future stars.



Losco - what is coming available? Right now it looks like minimal movement ANYWHERE. Wake and BC didn't free up anything. Right now very little firing going on (Bone, Braun, and who else of note?). I am not seeing (but perhaps there will be) anyone making the major jump to NBA unless Calipari (and even then) wants to go back. It is among the most quiet years on the coaching front in a decade - which is why I am surprised that this is all we are hearing about in the second interviewees.

Big C_Cal;842301614 said:

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It was never going to be Smart or Few or fill-in-the-blank, but I'm surprised we haven't come up with some names that maybe we haven't heard much about, but are very highly regarded as future stars.

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This kind of comment is mystifying me. If some one is "very highly regarded" then by definition they're not going to be "names that we haven't heard much about"!

socaltownie;842301620 said:

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Originally Posted by LocoOso View Post
About what I'd expect. A guy like Shaka Smart is not coming to Cal when there are better jobs out there that will soon be available

and then by Big C.
It was never going to be Smart or Few or fill-in-the-blank, but I'm surprised we haven't come up with some names that maybe we haven't heard much about, but are very highly regarded as future stars.



Losco - what is coming available? Right now it looks like minimal movement ANYWHERE. Wake and BC didn't free up anything. Right now very little firing going on (Bone, Braun, and who else of note?). I am not seeing (but perhaps there will be) anyone making the major jump to NBA unless Calipari (and even then) wants to go back. It is among the most quiet years on the coaching front in a decade - which is why I am surprised that this is all we are hearing about in the second interviewees.

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You're surprised because you live in a fantasy world about how attractive the job is. And what really kills me is that when your fantasies don't come true you conclude that the people who are in charge are incompetent. Are you sure that's really more likely than you simply being wrong?

antipattern;842301625 said:

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You're surprised because you live in a fantasy world about how attractive the job is. And what really kills me is that when your fantasies don't come true you conclude that the people who are in charge are incompetent. Are you sure that's really more likely than you simply being wrong?

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+1. Can we get any of the top assistants from Michigan State, Syraucse, Wisconsin? I know the top assistant from Duke is at Marquette now.

Considering the history of the UCI program, Turner has done well. Similar to TD is a sense that they are from the Monty coaching tree but Turner has experienced being a Head Coach.

antipattern;842301625 said:

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You're surprised because you live in a fantasy world about how attractive the job is. And what really kills me is that when your fantasies don't come true you conclude that the people who are in charge are incompetent. Are you sure that's really more likely than you simply being wrong?

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Well no, I DO know she is incompetent. Her hire didn't win a BCS game. He MIGHT win one next year.

Is it possible that Turner's success at getting UCI its first 20-win season in a long time has more with his ability to bring an 8-footer to the team than his coaching ability?

Big C_Cal;842301492 said:

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Shocky reports in his monster thread that the following four candidates are receiving second interviews: Travis DeCuire, Russell Turner, Mike Brey and Ben Howland. He does NOT mention if there might still be other candidates.

My take:

4. Howland: Please, no.
3. Brey: meh
2. Turner: Nice resume interms of experience, but I'd want more confirmation that he's a real up-and-comer, as I'm not really seeing that, but maybe he is.
1. DeCuire: Maybe the best of this bunch, but comes with question marks, for sure.

What happened to Capel? (not that he excited me much) Geez, there's not a young fireball who's HC at a mid-major or asst. at a major program who would like to be making some relatively big bucks trying to make it in the Pac 12?

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To clarify the process - John Wilton will make the final call with input from Sandy and a "rubber stamp" from the Chancellor. Pursued but told no were Ammaker, Few, Boyle, Brey....in the running next were TD, Pasternack, Mussleman and Turner.....Pasternack with his known recruiting prowess and experience at a high profile team is giving TD a solid push. TD with Monty's support and the leverage of continuity is in the lead following the failure to lure a Big Name.
The key question is: can the current staff up their recruiting game to keep the local high profile players made more difficult, without the proven coaching skill of MM?