No reason for Schmidt to leave Bona for Duquesne, none at all. Let's look at realistic candidates. These would be assistants at second tier schools, and lower level head coaches. If it's a head coach, I want a guy whose teams defend. A guy that consistently posts winning records. One whose teams are always described as "well coached". I don't want to hear about "exciting styles of play", or that "we're gonna run, and kids will want to play for us". We've been hearing that for 40+ years.

ElDuque wrote:

Some names to toss out:
Pat Skerry at Towson. 1-31 his first year, 85-65 since.
Tim Cleuss at Iona. 118-54. No NCAA appearance. Unfortunately I could have a field day if he turns out to be clueless.
Nathan Davis at Bucknell. Big numbers at D3 level. Bucknell has 15 wins this year.
King Rice at Monmouth. 18-5 this year. ACC pedigree.
Brian Gregory, formerly of Dayton and Georgia Tech. Fired after a 21 win season.
Assistants: Kenny Payne at Kentucky, Bacari Alexander at Michigan, Jeff Boals at Ohio State, and Bobby Lutz, who used to coach at Charlotte.
Johnny Dawkins, now at UCF, 170-123 career record, former Blue Devil.

Good list.  I wouldn't want Gregory or Lutz as I think they are in the same line as the Nee hire.  

Cleuss actually has been to the tournament three times at Iona.  Look at his record since taking over the program:
25-12, 25-8 (NCAA 1st Round), 20-14 (NCAA 2nd round), 22-11 (NIT), 26-9 (NIT), 22-11 (NCAA1st round).  I think we would all be very happy with those results.    

 Skerry is very good too, but would he want this job?  Assistants are also fine with me and I think the ones you named are good.  

My choice is Pat Kelsey at Winthrop.  

Last edited by Simms (2/02/2017 8:08 pm)

Duques102 wrote:

http://www.uncwsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=190

This would be my #1 choice. I know he's winning and going to tournaments but the A10 would still be a step up in terms of leagues. Former Pitino guy. A hire like this would signify a commitment to success by the department and a huge step in the right direction. A true winner.

Step up and give him a big contract.

This is the type of hire that could put Duquesne back on the map and be taken seriously.

I would love this hire but I don't think we have a chance.  Personally, I think Pitt should have hired him.  I think Keates is waiting for a good, big time job.

I'm thinking Matt McCall of Chattanooga might be someone to look at. Last season was his first at Chattanooga after 4 years as an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida. 29 wins and NCAA appearance including wins over Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton breaking Dayton's 27 game home winning streak. 15-6 this season with a win over Tennessee.

Simms wrote:

WashPaRick wrote:

I'm thinking Matt McCall of Chattanooga might be someone to look at. Last season was his first at Chattanooga after 4 years as an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida. 29 wins and NCAA appearance including wins over Georgia, Illinois, and Dayton breaking Dayton's 27 game home winning streak. 15-6 this season with a win over Tennessee.

My worry there is that he was winning with Will Wade's players.  He took the VCU job after his success at Chattanooga.  

Good point but that's a lot better than losing with Will Wade's players.

Excellent thread.  All the above seem well qualified to coach A-10.  On other hand:

1. Ferry given passable* steady Win/Loss progress why Harper/DU extended. (*Of course, DU's collegiate sports budge is bare from no national sponsorship, no one in seats and too few TV paydays - about on par with NEC.)

2. Think in terms of the RMU's, LIU's and Sacred Hearts for perspective when coach searching.

3. Will take one tough SOB in order to achieve here in MBB.  While many of the above coach choices ought to be courted, it says here, reach to proven winners in the vein of a Lonergan, or perhaps a Rice; pure victims of today's political culture, someone heavily incented to untarnish his rep and with something to prove.  After all, neither Bobby Knight nor Rick Majerus would have made it out of coaching CYO living with today's nonsense.

4. At DU nice guys finish last.

 

Hilltopper wrote:

Excellent thread.  All the above seem well qualified to coach A-10.  On other hand:

1. Ferry given passable* steady Win/Loss progress why Harper/DU extended. (*Of course, DU's collegiate sports budge is bare from no national sponsorship, no one in seats and too few TV paydays - about on par with NEC.)

2. Think in terms of the RMU's, LIU's and Sacred Hearts for perspective when coach searching.

3. Will take one tough SOB in order to achieve here in MBB.  While many of the above coach choices ought to be courted, it says here, reach to proven winners in the vein of a Lonergan, or perhaps a Rice; pure victims of today's political culture, someone heavily incented to untarnish his rep and with something to prove.  After all, neither Bobby Knight nor Rick Majerus would have made it out of coaching CYO living with today's nonsense.

4. At DU nice guys finish last.

 

 
Can you explain #1 please? Ferry was extended because he had a clause if Amodio left during his contract he would get an automatic extension. Harper's only role was being saddled with Ferry for an extra two years. I also don't understand the "progress" comment. The only progress we've seen in basketball is from Suzie to Dan Burt: good to great.

Ferry may be a peach of a person and I'm sorry he's in a situation in which it's necessary to make a change. However he's proven he can't coach at this level. The progress here has been from decent to deplorable, and that's why attendance is down.

If Mr. Harper can't get somebody with a successful head coaching resume that includes making post-season appearances on a regular basis, I think he should contact Nebraska assistant coach Kenya Hunter to see if he would be interested in returning to Duquesne.  The former Dukes' star began his coaching career as an assistant at Duquesne in 1998-2000 and then moved on to coach at North Carolina State, Xavier, Georgetown and Nebraska with teams that have made one NIT and 10 NCAA appearances in the past 12 years.  He has coached with and against some of the best coaches and some of the top conferences in the country.  If he gets the Dukes back on track, he may be willing to stay a while at his alma mater and in a part of the country that is closer to his hometown of Arlington, VA as well as his wife's hometown of Durham, NC.

I still say we shoot for the stars and go for the one guy who would basically be a sure bet to turn the program around in Kevin Keats. If Harper was able to bring a strong presentation to him that would show him a financial and administrative commitment to what he needed to revive this program maybe we could snatch him. We would also have to offer big money but still.

Yeah a guy like this could go from Wilmington to a bottom feeder power 5 school in the next couple years but to get one of the really great jobs he will still need to prove himself at a higher level than the CAA. I see us as a very good fit in that regard. He's young, he's a star recruiter, and he wins, big time. Why be pessimistic and say no chance we get him?

If this new AD is serious about bringing change and success to this program this would be the type of move to signify that in a real way. Even going after him would show initiative and a change on philosophy to me.

http://dubhub.blogs.starnewsonline.com/21086/hoops-m-richard-pitino-calls-kevin-keatts-one-of-the-best-recruiters-in-the-country/

duq81 wrote:

WashPaRick wrote:

Simms wrote:

My worry there is that he was winning with Will Wade's players.  He took the VCU job after his success at Chattanooga.  

Good point but that's a lot better than losing with Will Wade's players.

Of course Will Wade is winning with Shaka Smart's players at VCU.
Kevin Keats would be a World Series winning grand slam. He was stained a bit in the Louisville stripper scandal, which may have kept him from getting a big job. He wouldn't be here long if he came, but he'd probably get us back to the Red Manning days.
 

 
Keats is a helluva poet as well!

As was suggested by a few people, I sent my "open letter"  that I posted on this board last week to David Harper.  He responded within an hour or two, which really surprised me.  He tanked me for the e-mail and for my "passion for Duquesne basketball."  He added that he will make note of my thoughts "accordingly."  

Hey, it's better than just getting blown off.  

unclemark527 wrote:

As was suggested by a few people, I sent my "open letter"  that I posted on this board last week to David Harper.  He responded within an hour or two, which really surprised me.  He tanked me for the e-mail and for my "passion for Duquesne basketball."  He added that he will make note of my thoughts "accordingly."  

Hey, it's better than just getting blown off.  

You don't exactly think he's going to tell you that Ferry is toast? That would be beyond unprofessional. Appropriate moves should be made at the appropriate time. Just because we want Ferry out, doesn't mean that we should want him to be treated disrespectfully by the school.