The Annual HCGM's WSU Future

[wu_shizzle]

Does he have any long-term assistants? They seem like a school that would fit the Wisconsin path.

There's a Xavier/Butler tree if they want to keep that culture.

[Stickboy46]

Not a good look for the Ohio State Athletic Department today.

Yea ... basically firing a long term coach because he lost a few recruiting battles ...

[robertfoshizzle]

OSU will go after guys like Billy Donovan, Chris Mack (Xavier), and Sean Miller IMO. I think they may give Gregg Marshall and Mick Cronin a look, but I don't think they will go after either one unless they whiff on their top candidates. OSU is going to want someone with experience pulling in big-time recruits.

[ShockCrazy]

OSU will go after guys like Billy Donovan, Chris Mack (Xavier), and Sean Miller IMO. I think they may give Gregg Marshall and Mick Cronin a look, but I don't think they will go after either one unless they whiff on their top candidates. OSU is going to want someone with experience pulling in big-time recruits.

I don't know that Marshall will be interested, but they are certain to wiff on Donovan and Miller. No chance they leave their situations for tOSU. Mack makes the most sense for both parties though.

[Cdizzle]

If I'm Mack, no way I leave Xavier where my program is more stable and nationally relevant to begin with, to go be 3rd fiddle to football at OSU.

[AndShock]

I've never viewed the Ohio State job as a top-tier job. I don't even think Mack would take it.

[robertfoshizzle]

Yeah, I don't necessarily think any of those guys would go to OSU either. But Donovan's situation at OKC is not what he was hoping for when he took the job two years ago. If he has a feeling that they aren't getting any help in free agency this summer, he may not want to go through another year of being a Westbrook injury away from being one of the worst teams in the league.

[WSUwatcher]

For whatever reason, Ohio seems to have a lure for natives.

So, although I don't know what sort of connections or back stories make this more or less likely, I hope this doesn't end with Mick Cronin leaving Cincinnati (any Bearcat fans feel free to comment) -- he seems to have their program perking along reasonably well, and I'm looking forward to having them be a solid competitor in the American.

Needless to say, I can't imagine the fit for Marshall (on either side).

[robertfoshizzle]

For whatever reason, Ohio seems to have a lure for natives.

So, although I don't know what sort of connections or back stories make this more or less likely, I hope this doesn't end with Mick Cronin leaving Cincinnati (any Bearcat fans feel free to comment) -- he seems to have their program perking along reasonably well, and I'm looking forward to having them be a solid competitor in the American.

Needless to say, I can't imagine the fit for Marshall (on either side).

Mick doesn't fit what they're looking for. He has a great system, but he recruits a lot of under-the-radar guys and looks for diamonds in the rough. OSU expects multiple 4-star and 5-star guys in every class.

[ShockCrazy]

If I'm Mack, no way I leave Xavier where my program is more stable and nationally relevant to begin with, to go be 3rd fiddle to football at OSU.

On a better trend very recently but calling Xavier more nationally relevant than OSU is crazy. OSU has been to 2 Final Fours in the past decade alone, Xavier has none, OSU 3 Elite Eights in that time frame, as many as Xavier has total.

[ArtVandalay]

Terrible timing. Matta made OSU relevant. Now, OSU thinks they can fire a coach with two final fours and a .740 winning percentage and then find an upgrade in June?

[ShockCrazy]

Terrible timing. Matta made OSU relevant. Now, OSU thinks they can fire a coach with two final fours and a .740 winning percentage and then find an upgrade in June?

My guess is that the original rumor that Matta would coach this year and retire was what he wanted, but admin realized that it would lead to a lost season this year, along with a coach coming in ANOTHER year behind on recruiting unless they had some sort of HCIW agreement which seems not to be the case.

[XManCometh]

OSU will go after guys like Billy Donovan, Chris Mack (Xavier), and Sean Miller IMO. I think they may give Gregg Marshall and Mick Cronin a look, but I don't think they will go after either one unless they whiff on their top candidates. OSU is going to want someone with experience pulling in big-time recruits.

Nobody in college with big time recruiting experience is going to want to leave their current situation go to that school unless they dump a truck load of money at their feet and that's all that motivates them. Chris Mack definitely isn't leaving. He loves Xavier.

You're always going to be 2nd to football there. Always and forever.

I could see Donovan taking the job possibly just to get out of the NBA. It's obvious he's in over his head up there. Without Westbrook, that team finishes under .500 and he's probably getting fired.


Also, (this isn't directed at anyone on this board in particular) HCGM isn't taking that job. He'd never want to play 2nd fiddle to Urban Meyer and football, so we might as well pump the breaks on that discussion right now.

[Cdizzle]

I could see Donovan taking the job possibly just to get out of the NBA. It's obvious he's in over his head up there. Without Westbrook, that team finishes under .500 and he's probably getting fired.

Does that really mean he's 'in over his head up there'? Would any coach lead that OKC team, minus Westbrook, to a .500+ record?

[robertfoshizzle]

Does that really mean he's 'in over his head up there'? Would any coach lead that OKC team, minus Westbrook, to a .500+ record?

No, but he's not going to win a championship in OKC. The Warriors are built to last and OKC isn't going to compete with them unless they find two star players to play with Westbrook. And I just don't see Westbrook as the kind of guy who will attract big-name free agents. He marches to the beat of his own drummer... I doubt he's going to be out there actively recruiting.