Jankovich to SMU

[jocoshock]

From Joe Henricksen at Twitter

Long anticipated SMU staff coming together for Larry Brown. Expect ISU head coach Tim Jankovich to officially be on board later today.

[DUShock]

This sucks for ISUred and the Valley as it is occurring awfully late in the year.

Go Valley!!

Go Shocks!!!!

[SubGod22]

And with it being so late in the year, who have the missed a chance at because they've signed on to coach other schools by now? It's going to be hard for them to find that guy I think. I won't be surprised if for right now, they hand the reigns over to one of the assistant coaches. Maybe there's still a quality assistant out there that would take the job...Dana Ford to ISU rumors?...

[jocoshock]

From Jeff ******* at CBS Sports..

Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich told CBSSports he is going with Larry Brown to SMU.

[newshock1234]

What a D-bag, he certainly took his time.

[Shox21]

What a D-bag, he certainly took his time.

I disagree. Coaching is a profession -- to some it is just a job. Take the sentiment and passion out of it and that is what you are left with -- a job. I think Jank was waiting until he had a GUARANTEE from SMU that he would be coach-in-waiting and that was what was holding everything up.

[Aargh]

According to IlSU fans, Jank never got the "coach-in-waiting" clause in his contract. It's strictly a handshake deal. If that's the case, Jank held out for it, SMU wouldn't budge, and Jank blinked.

[SubGod22]

According to IlSU fans, Jank never got the "coach-in-waiting" clause in his contract. It's strictly a handshake deal. If that's the case, Jank held out for it, SMU wouldn't budge, and Jank blinked.

Wow. So when Brown retires again in 5 years and SMU still sucks, Jank will probably be looking for work elsewhere and end up as an assistant again to Self or in the Southland or Summit. I don't see this ending well for him.

Stay at ISU and make the dance and get a shot at a better job to be the head man or go to SMU to be an assistant with no guarantees of anything in a few years...... Must be all about the immediate money...

[ShockTalk]

The Illinois St fans that come on here have made their program my favorite non-WSU Valley basketball team. That said, I will not be sad to see Jank go and I hope they will be better off without him. I still believe he has under performed more than not.

Yes, this team will be picked to be to be #2 or #3 in Valley next year and they have everyone back. Nevertheless, they were 4-14/12-19 two years ago, this last year finished the regular Valley season 1-3 including an OT loss @ Ind St (8th place) and a 1 point win @ BU (last place) to finish 9-9 with 4 other teams, one game out of 8th place. Their run in the MVC tourney got them noticed, however, I remember the year before when Ind St got "noticed" at 12-6 and their sweep of the MVC tourney. They were picked to do great things last year. Not saying this will happen to the Redbirds, but the situation is similar.

For me, I'll put it at Jank's feet if they don't do well this year, however, if they do well, I'll give credit to their new coach. Nice to not be able to be proven wrong. :wink-new:

[jocoshock]

Brown said Jankovich didn't have to be a coach-in-waiting, but he said SMU wanted a standing head coach next to him on the bench.

There is no time limit on when Jankovich would take over for the 71-year-old Brown.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncb/story/_/id/7859037/tim-jankovich-agrees-smu-coach-waiting

Not sure how fans would "know" it isn't in his contract. May be in, may be not in, but I am not sure why SMU would want a coach-in-waiting and then not be willing to put it in writing. Time will tell...

[jocoshock]

On a related note:

SMU makes Tim Jankovich college basketball’s highest paid assistant

The consensus is SMU had no choice but to overspend because it wanted Jankovich to leave an established head coaching gig. The Mustangs needed a credible coach-in-waiting both as an insurance policy in case the 71-year-old Brown leaves in two or three years and to combat the perception among recruits that there's instability atop the program.

On the one hand, he had an Illinois State team returning that was capable of challenging Creighton and Wichita State next season after making the Valley title game and the NIT second round last season. On the other hand, he had the promise of a hefty raise and an opportunity to one day coach in the Big East after learning under a Hall of Fame coach for a few years.
In the end, that was apparently too much to pass up.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/smu-makes-tim-jankovich-college-basketball-highest-paid-163313263.html

[SubGod22]

I never understood why ISUb was being picked so high this year. I had them no better than 5th in my preseason and figured they'd be 6th or 7th. I know I wasn't alone with that thinking. I'd be shocked if anybody really thinks that ISU will finish that low. If anybody has them lower than 4th I'd be surprised and I'd bet most have them 2nd or 3rd.

The only thing that they share with ISUb is a good weekend in STL.

[RoyalShock]

You have to consider the possibility that a guy like Nic Moore could ask for his release. Unless he's already come out and said he's staying, I'd be a very nervous Redbird fan. Without Moore, I'd drop them a spot or two in my pre-season prognostications.

[wu_shizzle]

Here's to the Redbirds getting a coaching upgrade.

[SubGod22]

You have to consider the possibility that a guy like Nic Moore could ask for his release. Unless he's already come out and said he's staying, I'd be a very nervous Redbird fan. Without Moore, I'd drop them a spot or two in my pre-season prognostications.

Most definitely. The thing that hurt them the few years before last was PG play. They brought in a couple of JC guys that just didn't provide what they needed. If Moore leaves, I'm not sure ISU can compete for the top spot and would fall to 4th in my eyes behind us, CU and UNI.