It’s simple to assume as a result of Boston School employed Jim Christian final time that the Eagles can’t get a great candidate to be their head males’s basketball coach. Hiring Christian was an odd selection and maintaining them so long as they did was an odd selection.
BC doesn’t have the assets or the historical past that a lot of their ACC compatriots, however there are good candidates on the market who’d doubtless take the job and be an enormous improve after the varsity fired Christian Monday:
Let’s begin with the obvious:
Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure head coach – The Bonnies coach just isn’t solely a BC alum, however he’s gained at a spot that’s arduous to win at in comparison with different groups in his league. He’s a wise program builder and has a historical past of game-planning his method to victories over groups with extra expertise.
Howard Eisley, Michigan assistant – Eisley starred at Boston School within the mid-Nineties. He’s at present a prime assistant at Michigan, which boasts one of many nation’s prime recruiting lessons and is poised for a No. 1 seed in subsequent month’s NCAA Event. If BC needs an assistant, he needs to be their prime name.
Head coaches who’d make sense:
Andrew Toole, Robert Morris – RMU has produced loads of good head coaches and Toole has been as profitable as any of them. On prime of that he has ties to the Hoop Group, which offers beneficial connections up and down the East Coast for AAU and prep colleges.
Chris Mooney, Richmond – He’s not a horny rent, however the Spiders have comparable hurdles to BC navigating excessive tutorial requirements (though BC tends to magnify this difficulty contemplating Duke and Wake Forest have succeeded within the ACC). Mooney’s modified model of the Princeton offense can maintain BC aggressive towards the league’s excessive profile groups.
Ryan Odom, Maryland-Baltimore County – In college-sports ignorant Boston, this may be a great attention-grab rent. The coach of the primary No. 16-seed ever to beat a No. 1 has UMBC in first place in America East once more this yr.
John Becker, Vermont – The Catamounts coach has dominated America East, however whilst an assistant, Vermont is the highest-profile college he’s ever labored at. Some would take a look at that as a purple flag for anyone making an enormous soar in leagues.
Porter Moser, Loyola-Chicago – The Ramblers coach gained fame by taking his workforce to the Last 4. The higher BC administration would love with the ability to say they employed a man already accustomed to Jesuit tutorial values.
Tommy Amaker, Harvard – Amaker goes to get talked about lots for this opening and he’d be an excellent rent if he’d take it. However the former Seton Corridor and Michigan coach has reportedly had possibilities for greater jobs earlier than. He’s acquired a great factor moving into Cambridge. Does he wish to give that up for a job that’s arduous to win at?
James Jones, Yale – It’s arduous to win at Yale and he’s made the Bulldogs constant contenders. However colleges don’t wish to make the identical mistake twice even when it solely appears to be like like repeating the identical transfer. BC failed with Steve Donahue, who thrived within the Ivy earlier than and after his time in Chestnut Hill.
However right here’s a worthwhile level about Amaker and James Jones. If both of them needs the job, they may in idea begin working instantly relying on their contract language. The Ivy isn’t enjoying this yr due to the pandemic. They might at the least begin recruiting and presumably begin operating practices and video games. and many others. There wasn’t a ton of causes for BC to drag the set off this early on Christian except that they had another motivation.
Pat Kelsey, Winthrop – Since famously leaving UMass on the altar, Kelsey has continued to thrive at Winthrop and continued to have his title tossed round for vacancies. However athletic administrators have been leery about pulling the set off. Even Xavier, his alma mater, went elsewhere. He’s a great coach, however he’s a little bit of of venture.
Dennis Gates, Cleveland State – He’s a great coach and his wife Jocelyn is a senior affiliate athletic director at BC. However there can be bizarre optics to hiring him due to that tie-in. Actually, in the event that they have been going to think about Gates, they need to have let Christian end the season so it wouldn’t appear like this was a fait accompli.
Prime assistants who’d make sense:
Jason Williford, Virginia – He is aware of the league from his 12 years at Virginia and he is aware of Boston along with his 5 years as a BU assistant. Any individual goes to rent him quickly.
Gerry McNamara/Adrian Autry Syracuse – There’s a extremely good likelihood certainly one of these guys finally replaces Jim Boeheim. That’s a greater gig than BC, however how lengthy do both wish to wait and the way assured is every one of their likelihood to be Syracuse’s selection? Both can be a great goal for the Eagles.
Dwayne Killings, Marquette – The Amherst native has labored at Boston College, UConn and was at Temple beneath Fran Dunphy when BC athletic director Pat Kraft was the Owls’ athletic director. If Kraft thinks as extremely as most individuals within the business do, the previous UMass walk-on’s candidacy shouldn’t be neglected.
“Dwayne is the entire package deal! He is aware of basketball, is extremely organized and considerate, and is nearly as good at constructing genuine relationships as I’ve been round,” Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski told Stadium.
Luke Murray, Louisville – He performed at Fairfield and was an assistant coach at Quinnipiac and Rhode Island giving him New England ties. He’s been a rising star alongside Chris Mack at each Xavier and Louisville. On prime of that, his father was in “Ghostbusters,” “Groundhog Day” and “Caddyshack.”
Bino Ranson, Maryland – A star participant at Southern New Hampshire, he’s been a well-respected assistant at Xavier beneath Mack and now with Mark Turgeon in Maryland.
Unlikely however:
Rick Pitino, Iona – If the disgraced Corridor of Fame coach referred to as would BC hear? He nonetheless may face a large NCAA penalty which he’d should serve wherever he’s teaching. However he’d deliver consideration to that program regardless that Invoice Curley and Malcolm Huckaby aren’t strolling by way of that door.
