I overheard last night at Ely’s - assistant Sam Purcell from Louisville is the hire. Amazed it’s not Novak after missing on the Florida Gulf Coast HC.
Women’s basketball search
- Thread starter dawgstudent
- Start date
I have no problem with this. I’m sure there will be some “wHo iS tHiS!!!1!1!” reactions but it’s a good hire.
Im sure we will get a Leeshouldveflanked hot take here momentarily.
Im sure we will get a Leeshouldveflanked hot take here momentarily.
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Maybe I’m in the minority, but I really don’t care who we hire as WBB HC.
I’m more focused on us fixing mens BB and getting the HC we want. I really want that program back to the 2000s type atmosphere and success.
I’m more focused on us fixing mens BB and getting the HC we want. I really want that program back to the 2000s type atmosphere and success.
If Novak doesn't get this job I hope he gets a good gig somewhere and excels. I like the way his team has played.
Louisville people are hearing that as well. Lots of praise for him on Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NCAAW/comments/tcaghu/mississippi_state_looking_to_hire_louisville_coach/
https://www.reddit.com/r/NCAAW/comments/tcaghu/mississippi_state_looking_to_hire_louisville_coach/
TBH, every hire made by Cohen has been 'good on paper'. I'm not sure that is guaranteed success anymore.
I appreciate what Novak did but I don’t think it was enough to warrant hiring him full time.
Most hires are crap shoots and this is probably no different, but Purcell has a good track record and qualities that make you think he could be a big success as a head coach. Only time will tell, though.
Most hires are crap shoots and this is probably no different, but Purcell has a good track record and qualities that make you think he could be a big success as a head coach. Only time will tell, though.
There are a handful of names in each sport that are guaranteed success and everything else is a risk in some way. It’s just how it is.
I think you lower the risk by hiring a high level P5 assistant. They know the level of talent/athleticism that it takes to compete at that level. I think Cohen should take the same route with the men’s program.
That’s just life and when you take that into account, I really don’t see why Cohen gets the hate he does. He makes outstanding hires and decisions in every facet of the AD imo.
Maybe it’s just big dummies who are insecure with themselves, I dunno. They think it’s cool to gang up and insult him. It’s stupidity.
P5 in mbb is not the same as P5 in college football. Look at other SEC schools who have hired recently, how many hired P5 assistants were hired straight from being an assistant? None. Not one. All came from being a head coach somewhere.
Doing what you said is how we ended up with Rick Ray.
Its also the route that UNC and Duke both took. And if you consider Gonzaga a high major program - which most people do - its also the route Arizona went.
Hire Jerome Tang and call it a day.
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Well there’s a decent portion of the fanbase who is going to dislike him from the start because he’s not Doug Novak. He’ll have to win those folks over.
Beyond that, just based on the one video that someone shared, my first impression is he’s got an intense kind of salesman vibe. Super high energy whereas all of our coaches are more laid back. Seems kind of weirdly passionate about clothes. We’re not a bow tie fanbase.
All that said, none of that has anything to do with winning basketball games. I’m on board with the hire, and if he recruits at a high level and puts a good product on the floor, I’m amped up.
Beyond that, just based on the one video that someone shared, my first impression is he’s got an intense kind of salesman vibe. Super high energy whereas all of our coaches are more laid back. Seems kind of weirdly passionate about clothes. We’re not a bow tie fanbase.
All that said, none of that has anything to do with winning basketball games. I’m on board with the hire, and if he recruits at a high level and puts a good product on the floor, I’m amped up.
Somebody somewhere in Cohen's research on Moorhead should have been able to tell him that he had no ability to maintain any discipline or control of a football program. Moorhead is the ultimate indulgent coach and I can't believe Franklin or someone couldn't have warned Cohen about that. So either Cohen didn't do the proper research or talked to the wrong people.
I’m disappointed that Novak wasn’t hired. I loved how the team played under him. I know his unknown is recruiting but he can hire for that. Hiring a proven recruiter and thinking it’s less risky is plain blind. No one knows how he can coach since he was an assistant.
Having said that, I am excited about the hire. But there will be valid criticism if he fails and Novak soars wherever he goes.
Having said that, I am excited about the hire. But there will be valid criticism if he fails and Novak soars wherever he goes.
He could always go back to his old role. Would be great for continuity and help bridge the culture gap. I honestly don’t see anyone else plucking him as a HC, so why not?
This is true. If you told me when he was hired that Ben Howland would only have a single first round exit from the NCAAT and a couple of NIT appearances after being here for 7 years, I wouldn’t have believed you.
WBB is more important than it used to be but I have to agree with you on this. We will hire either the Murray State coach or the Wichita State coach for men’s hoops IMO.
edit to say not Wichita coach but the New Mexico coach
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This has been advocated by several posters and the answer is always - NO HE COULD NOT GO BACK TO HIS OLD ROLE!! Not because of anything against Coach Novak - personally I wish he had gotten the job. But the idea of an interim coach for an entire season going back to an assistant's role under a new coach is ludicrous and would be an awkward situation for all parties concerned. The players wouldn't know who to listen to, Coach Novak would be reluctant to fully provide coaching input for fear of undercutting the new coach, and the new coach would have to worry about his authority and influence over the team being undercut by Coach Novak (not suggesting that would happen at all because I don't think Coach Novak is that kind of guy). The presence of Coach Novak would always be viewed as a threat to the new coach and by the fan base. It just would never be a workable situation, IMHO.
Let's see where have I heard this before? I think it was that guy named Joe, what was his name??? Or maybe it was that McCrae-Pinson person? Oh, I don't know, maybe it was just a rumor I heard
I tend to agree. The coaching and running of a program under a guy who hasn't done it before is just as risky as wondering how a guy will recruit that has no built in women's basketball recruiting connections. Would think that would be pretty obvious but maybe not. I did feel though that once the fans tried to weigh in on what they wanted that Cohen would automatically go in a different direction. I hope it works out but if Purcell can't convince most of the roster to stay then we are essentially starting over in women's basketball. I wish him great success though because I want it to work out.
Never said he had to. I just know enough about Cohen's personality to know that hiring Novak would not show him as the smartest guy in the room so he was going to go in a different direction. Cohen's batting average on "good hires on paper" haven't worked so well up to this point with P5 assistants or G5 HCs but hopefully this one will work better.
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The outrage coming from the women on the Starkville Nextdoor app confirms that Cohen made the right move.
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