JB's Successor Candidates (Goodman Podcast)

[longtimefan]

Izzo at Michigan State, Few at Gonzaga, Jay Wright at Nova, Williams at UNC, Matt Painter at Purdue, Greg Gard at Wisconsin, Brian Dutcher at San Diego State. Juwan Howard is off to a rousing start at Michigan. Our very own Jim Boeheim was the lead assistant at Syracuse when he took over the head job. There are plenty of excellent examples where staying in the family and hiring coaches with longtime program ties can pay huge dividends. You can have a seamless transition, especially with recruiting, and the program culture is already built. It’s such a specious argument that hiring a coach with program ties doesn’t usually work out. The first four examples, along with JB himself, are among the very best coaches in all of college basketball.

Wright is a bad example of "staying in the family". He graduated from Bucknell, and only 5 of his 17 seasons as a college coach before he was hired as HC of Nova were spent at Nova.

 

[AZOrange]

What if Gmac ended up being very successful? Would you reconsider your fandom?

Not what I said or meant and I clarified that. The misconceptions in this thread about Red/Gmac are funny though...who’s ready who’s not, who recruits who can’t...

 

[RF2044]

100% he retains Gmac who becomes associate HC and Griff. I also think he hires Devo.
Its going to stay as it should in the family. You dont knock down a fifty year institution. Especially when recruiting is on the upswing.

Thankfully, the AD has a lot more strategic acumen than the fanbase.

 

[moqui]

this thread is moot anyway: there is no job opening, and by the time there is one, some coaches who appear to be good candidates now will no longer be viable, and several new names will have surfaced.
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and it will be gmac!

 

[CousCuse]

this thread is moot anyway: there is no job opening, and by the time there is one, some coaches who appear to be good candidates now will no longer be viable, and several new names will have surfaced.
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and it will be gmac!

Maybe everything is going to be moot pretty soon.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[OburgCuse]

IMHO...I think JBs influence on who his successor will be is overrated because I think JB steps down mid-season or late summer forcing Wildhack to give one of his assistants an audition.

after that audition, it’s all Wildhack.

FWIW I think there are some (not fans) who think, with seasoning, GMAC has a high ceiling as a HC...as long as he hires top notch recruiters as assistants.

I’ve been catching up on all the Devendorf podcasts these last couple of days while doing work around the house and this topic has been running through my mind quite a bit as he discusses JB and past staffs etc.

I’ve always been of the belief that internally at this exact moment of time that Autry would be ahead of Gmac in the overall pecking order but the thing to keep in mind is barring unforeseen circumstances they are not talking about this current moment in time. The unknown forecast is 2-3 years down the road if not further. This might have played into the thinking of JB pushing for coach in waiting of Gmac (who knows how long ago this conversation may have happened) assuming that Autry had already left for his own job and Gmac would be longest tenured assistant. Obviously there is an argument to be had about bringing in experienced head coach vs promoting inexperienced assistant but that’s separate.

Anyways I was very impressed listening to the Gmac podcasts. I’m not saying that he should be the top choice at this time but I can see why some may see that potential in him. He does seem to have grasped the big picture and I’ve heard he is a very good X’s and O’s guy (from other stories I’ve heard not being inferred from podcast). You can sense that fire that he played with in his voice and no doubt JB loves that and sees some of himself in Gmac. As Jake mentioned he hasn’t shown the elite recruiting ability as some others on staff previously but that is a lesser important part of the job as long as he surrounds himself with some ace recruiters and is good himself at identifying talent.

 

[Alsacs]

If GMac is going to get ace recruiters why doesn’t JB?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Boy did you move the goal posts, and the virtue signaling here is top notch. You should start a new thread about how minorities are underrepresented as head coaches in major conferences. It's a worthwhile topic.

But we are talking about Boeheim's potential successor (which is stupid in-of-itself since JB isnt going anywhere while Buddy is still playing here). What does what you posted above, have to do with the SU athletic department? SU has black football and women's basketball coaches. It just had a black AD. Are you assuming that Wildack, JB, the Board of Trustees, etc., are simply going to prefer a white candidate because?

There is not a single post in this thread trumpeting McNamara over all others, and certainly not one denigrating Autry, or any other potential black candidate. For someone to insinuate that McNamara is a candidate because he is "scrappy and white" is cheap, is race-bating, and was completely out of place in this thread, and in response to the post. Being called a racist is offensive to me.

I mean... there is a macro issue at play that donnie brought up. I think you've done a good job of listing some of the reasons to believe our athletic department wouldn't be expected to contribute to the macro problem.

That said, to the fanbase (let's be clear to make a distinction about that, I'm talking about the fanbase), a certain amount of GMAC's popularity absolutely comes from the fact that the guy's a bit of a walking white basketball player stereotype, and because we see very little that gives us insight into the quality of the assistant coaches, they give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the idea of potential worthiness to be a head coach, which is a little weird in comparison to Red, since the most visible thing to the fan base assistant coaches do is recruit, and the fact of the matter is Red runs circles around GMAC recruiting given that GMAC's recruiting is more notable for his misses than hits, and I defy anyone on the board to attempt to tease everything out from this run on sentence, I'm rambling now, am I rambling, sometimes I ramble.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If GMac is going to get ace recruiters why doesn’t JB?

Really makes you think.

 

[Alsacs]

Steve Wojciechowski, Chris Collins and Johnny Dawkins all left Duke to get their chance to succeed K at Duke.

Dawkins got fired from Stanford.
So Hopkins is still going to have a good chance.

 

[Cusefan0307]

If GMac is going to get ace recruiters why doesn’t JB?

Not defending Gmac, but it could also be easier to recruit without a stuck in their ways plays 6.5 guys head coach.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We are 12 pages in and nobody has mentioned Jay Wright. Has to be a record.

 

[Alsacs]

Not defending Gmac, but it could also be easier to recruit without a stuck in their ways plays 6.5 guys head coach.

I’d take Rob Murphy over GMac.

How was Hopkins able to do it and GMac can’t.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’d take Rob Murphy over GMac.

How was Hopkins able to do it and GMac can’t.

Meh. I know Michigan fans who wanted Juwan Howard over John Beilein too, but this isn’t football. X’s and O’s still mean a lot in college basketball. I’d like a guy who isn’t just a good recruiter. He needs to be good at the other stuff too. Murphy hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire at EMU. Again not arguing for anyone, but there’s a myth that you just need to be a recruiter to win in CBB and that’s really not the case. Jay Wright originally turned Nova into a power with 4 year players.

 

[pearl31]

Thankfully, the AD has a lot more strategic acumen than the fanbase.

RF- you know how much I acknowledge your wisdom and insights with regard to SU hoops...
that said, and maybe you do have a direct line to/from the AD, but I just think you're really underestimating both the power that JB (along w key alum/donors/prominent impresarios) will ultimately wield in the process as well as the relative lack of power the AD will be able to wield.
We shall see

 

[pearl31]

Not defending Gmac, but it could also be easier to recruit without a stuck in their ways plays 6.5 guys head coach.

along w the perpetual specter of HoF coach's imminent retirement

 

[JustPherU]

If GMac is going to get ace recruiters why doesn’t JB?

Maybe Gmac goes outside the Orange tree. JB is obviously loyal to the bone and maybe too loyal.

 

[RF2044]

RF- you know how much I acknowledge your wisdom and insights with regard to SU hoops...
that said, and maybe you do have a direct line to/from the AD, but I just think you're really underestimating both the power that JB (along w key alum/donors/prominent impresarios) will ultimately wield in the process as well as the relative lack of power the AD will be able to wield.
We shall see

Pearl, you and I have spoken off-line -- so maximum respect. Happy new year, my man!

I think you are vastly OVER-estimating the power / influence that JB will have in this process. I understand why people are reaching the conclusions that they have throughout this thread, but I am 99.9999999% certain that the process will unfold a LOT differently than what some are predicting.

 

[Alsacs]

Meh. I know Michigan fans who wanted Juwan Howard over John Beilein too, but this isn’t football. X’s and O’s still mean a lot in college basketball. I’d like a guy who isn’t just a good recruiter. He needs to be good at the other stuff too. Murphy hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire at EMU. Again not arguing for anyone, but there’s a myth that you just need to be a recruiter to win in CBB and that’s really not the case. Jay Wright originally turned Nova into a power with 4 year players.

Juwan Howard has Phil Martelli handling any Xs and Os he can’t handle.
Michigan has the number 1 recruiting class next year.
Recruiting is bigger than Xs and Os.
I only said Murphy because he is a better candidate than GMac.

Nobody has a clue how good GMac is Xs and Os we have people saying what they have heard but it’s not like really anything.

Thus all we got as fans to evaluate GMac on is recruiting.

If the candidate is internal it should be Autry over GMac. Hell we can consider Hopkins internal he should be first then.

 

[Alsacs]

Maybe Gmac goes outside the Orange tree. JB is obviously loyal to the bone and maybe too loyal.

Maybe. However I honestly don’t get how anyone can say Gerry McNamara should be the next HC of Syracuse with his current standing.
If he goes and gets a HC job first then sure.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Juwan Howard has Phil Martelli handling any Xs and Os he can’t handle.
Michigan has the number 1 recruiting class next year.
Recruiting is bigger than Xs and Os.
I only said Murphy because he is a better candidate than GMac.

Nobody has a clue how good GMac is Xs and Os we have people saying what they have heard but it’s not like really anything.

Thus all we got as fans to evaluate GMac on is recruiting.

If the candidate is internal it should be Autry over GMac. Hell we can consider Hopkins internal he should be first then.

Agreed. Just saying recruiting isn’t everything in college basketball. It’s not college football. If it was UK would be a lot better this year.

I’m 99% certain the coach is going to be Hop or Autry anyway. Really no point in arguing it. That’s why I roll my eyes whenever these threads reappear every 6 months.

 

[721Comstock]

Pearl, you and I have spoken off-line -- so maximum respect. Happy new year, my man!

I think you are vastly OVER-estimating the power / influence that JB will have in this process. I understand why people are reaching the conclusions that they have throughout this thread, but I am 99.9999999% certain that the process will unfold a LOT differently than what some are predicting.

I agree 144%.
JB will have some input, but JW will make the final decision.
JW is JB’s boss. Period.

Now, JB can somewhat force Wildhack’s hand via the timing of his retirement, which could prompt one of the current staff (spoiler - Red, NOT GMac) to be “interim HC”, which effectively gives him a chance to earn the job via performance that season.

JW is smart and savvy.
He’s likely already got his own shortlist of potential targets in mind, and will almost certainly do a full national search before naming the new HC.

Having been a former Orange guard who has ever been on JB’s staff is NOT a prerequisite.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The scenario Gmac ends up as HC:

-Autry leaves in the next couple seasons for his own gig.
-Gmac is elevated to associate HC
-JB quits in October or November of 2023
-Wildhack is forced to name Gmac as the season has already started and no one else is available.

This is exactly how Greg Gard became the coach of Wisconsin.

 

[JustPherU]

Maybe. However I honestly don’t get how anyone can say Gerry McNamara should be the next HC of Syracuse with his current standing.
If he goes and gets a HC job first then sure.

Nobody knows who will be next coach or how long before we look for a new coach.Both Red and Gmac could be at other schools by the time the search starts.If it was to happen today I’m sure JB would have his own pick, but that might not be who ends up with the job.