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Post by freewind on May 2, 2019 8:54:21 GMT -6
It's slow season. Just creating a power ranking of coaches going into the 2019-2020 basketball season. It's interesting to see all the coaches histories and how they've got to where they are now. I think all the coaches currently can be good in the right situations against the right situation. Is the Horizon League the place for them?
10. Pat Baldwin - finally gets his first head coaching job. Two years in Milwaukee, and it's a terrible feeling winning only half as many games the 2nd year. I think spending all the years in the midwest has to be a positive, he's got to have ties in a lot of areas with all of the assistant head coaching jobs he's had. I can't help to think this year might be a make or break year for him. Coaches Seat: Hot
9. Dennis Felton - It's got to be hard on coaches who gamble on higher profile schools that don't pay off. Dennis did amazing at Western Kentucky, but couldn't put Georgia on top. Now he's trying to do at Cleveland State what he did at Western Kentucky. It took his 3rd year there, to get them on top. Like Pat, this will be his 3rd year at his school as coach. I think if he would have won one more game in the tournament his first year, I might have a total different perspective. He's a good coach in tough situations, just needs to work on consistency. Coaches Seat: Hot
8. Jason Gardner - Jason seems to be a slow and steady guy. Almost the opposite of Dennis. He's not winning big games, but he's also not losing to the bottom teams as well. IUPUI seems content as he's still coaching after 5 seasons without any major titles to his name. He took the team to CIT for his first post season last year. Not anything spectacular, but i think he's a good fit for where he's at. Coaches Seat: Cool
7. Jerrod Calhoun - Obviously 20-44 feels like a terrible record for 2 years at YSU. It feels like the team though is trending upward from the days of YSU we knew, so I'm inclined to give a lot of patience. I think YSU is too, Jerry Slocum was there forever and was around the bottom. Another coach heading into his 3rd season, he will look to put his team in the top half of the standings, something YSU faithful really looking forward to. Coaches Seat: Cool
6. Darrin Horn - The biggest question mark on this list. This will be his first year adapting to Horizon League basketball. Like Dennis, he had some good years at Western Kentucky. Also like Dennis, he went to a SEC school (USC) and didn't make waves. Unlike Dennis, he's fallen into a better program that is better setup for success, where Dennis is having to build from a lower tier program. I'm not sure if Darrin will be given much time to build if he doesn't come out of the gates hot since Northern Kentucky is getting comfortable being at the top of the Horizon League. Coaches Seat: Cool
5. Linc Darner - Linc has been mulling around the Horizon League since his first year taking the team to the NCAA. He thrived in Division 2 basketball, but has yet to find the same success in the Horizon League. After a low of 7th in the Horizon his 3rd year, he trended up last year and i can't help to feel that the pressure is on him to keep trending up. Coaches Seat: Warm
4. Steve McClain - To me it always feels like Steve starts great out of the gates, but loses steam through out the season. He's never made waves, Wyoming had fired him. It really surprised me that UIC got him, but his first few years seemed like they were going the right direction. An improvement from the Howard Moore Era, but can't quite find the magic to end up on top. Coaches Seat: Warm
3. Mike Davis - Mike Davis is a good coach. Sure he was let go from a couple of top jobs, but even there he did average to above average. He wasn't great, and only few coaches on that level can achieve that. That's why i think he did amazing at Texas Southern. Now he's trying to work his way back to the top. Can he do what he did in the SWAC, in the horizon? I think he'll have a team competing for the Horizon League championship over the course of the next couple years. Coaches Seat: Cool
2. Greg Kampe - Greg does not want his legacy to end with The Horizon League Tournament Curse. In the 6 years he's had Oakland in the Horizon league, they've never finished below 5th. He beats the competition more than they beat him. He's going to break his bad streak, it probably won't be this year, but i can't imagine him not getting there before he calls it quits. Coaches Seat: Cold
1. Scott Nagy - I don't feel like Scott Nagy is some dominant coach in the league, i think he's very beatable on any given day. I do feel like his consistency is an uphill battle for most teams. Wright State is an unfair advantage, but Scott did his time and deserves it. I could be wrong but i'm guessing Wright State wasn't his first offer he got when he coached at South Dakota State. He's very meticulous and brings a lot of thought to his decisions on and off the court. The last thing schools want is him to settle in the Horizon like he did in the Summit League. Coaches Seat: Cool
Anyway, i'm not a great analyst, i just figured i'd stir up some discussion in the off season. I'm sure i made some mistakes, just go easy on correcting me and let me know your thoughts :V
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2019 12:48:21 GMT -6
Not bad. I thought Steve McClain was a bit too high. For the talent he brought in when he first got to UIC and did nothing with it, that alone should put him in 8th place. K.J. Santos was a 4-star player before an injury and signing with UIC (the ratings people do that a lot: downgrade a higher star player when he signs with a mid-major). Dominique Matthews was the #1 shooting guard in the state of Illinois after his senior season. Marcus Ottey was as athletic as they come. To show how talented they were and how badly coached they were, the Flames also had Dikembe Dixson, a 3-star player, who was THE WORST OF THE ONES I NAMED!!! I have no clue why Coach McClain made him the focal point of the team/offense.
How McClain didn't get to the Dance with those players and Tai Odiase protecting the rim, is beyond me. Personally I think McClain's seat is nuclear. Our AD Garrett Klassy has been getting his own people in the athletic department, putting his mark on it. It won't be long before McClain is gone. My thoughts are even if he makes it to the HL Final, he's gone.
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Post by gbphoenix1 on May 4, 2019 9:35:31 GMT -6
From my perspective: 10. Jason Gardner. Yes he can beat GB but beyond that he hasn't done much with an individually talented team. Should be scalding hot because any momentum of the HL move is going to be lost soon.
9. Pat Baldwin. Seems okay in all regards as a coach. Yet I'm never super impressed by what he does. Warm but not under threat yet, this is a make or break year.
8. Steve McClain. If doing less with more is your thing than this is your guy. They are the flames and his seat should be on fire.
7.Calhoun. Tough gig so it's hard to judge. I think he is doing a good job but some of that is upgrading the roster vs great coaching. He is not under any threat and he shouldn't be at this time.
6.Dennis Felton. I like how he is doing things. This program was dead and he is playing the long game to build it back. He shouldn't be under any pressure IMO, nobody is turning the Titanic on a dime.
5. Darrin Horn. Seems solid and I like the hire. WKU and South Carolina aren't tough gigs so he has always had a good head start as he does at NKU. Obviously his seat is as cold as the Arctic Ocean right now.
4. Mike Davis. Based on his past alone I rate him this high. However, his lack of a recruiting class, allow his son to be a chucker and in general being an angry man might make me rate him lower in the future. Cold but he should have a short leash.
3. Linc Darner. I think he could improve on the PR front a lot and I would like to see a better recruiting process. I give him high marks for actually implementation of his style. With a renewing contract with every fourth place or higher finish his seat is pretty cold though I think GB should expect more.
2. Greg Kampe. He always seems to have OU in the mix but hasn't done much with that. He is going to stay as long as he wants, this seat is very cold.
1. Scott Nagy. He has done a lot at two programs. He won't be here more than 2 more years because he is earning a bigger gig. This seat is in a deep freeze right now.
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Post by gbphoenix1 on May 4, 2019 10:14:45 GMT -6
All of that is totally fair Big D.
What I wrote was intended to be a complement, Nagy has done a great job and should be rewarded if he wants to be.
I do think there are programs out there that would fit the description you paint. Look at what Wisconsin does and pays. That kind of fit, while rare, would be tough to turn down.
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Post by freewind on Apr 23, 2020 8:42:36 GMT -6
Time for your 2020 Coaching update.
10. Pat Baldwin (even) - 37–58 3 years down, though he improved from the previous year, I'm afraid it's not enough. I feel he better have a winning season this year or he maybe done. (Coach Seat: HOT)
9. Byron Rimm II (interim) (new) - I think Byron may get a shot at this position, as IUPUI doesn't seem to be in a hurry to hire a new coach. (Can't blame them with next season up in the air). Byron's 3rd place finish in the SWAC with Prairie View A&M is his best career finish as a coach doesn't bode well for this power ranking. (Coach Seat: Empty)
8. Dennis Gates (new) - Dennis 2.0 emerges at Cleveland State and wins a coach of the year award for the Horizon League. He definitely has coaching skills to get his players to ball, now his recruiting skills will be tested. (Coach Seat: Cold)
7. Luke Yaklich (New) - Too early to speculate how Luke will do. He's not given as much to work with as Darrin Horn got his first year, but I think he can still start off on the right foot. (Coach Seat: Welcoming Party)
6. Mike Davis (-3) - Mike's coaching rank falls mostly due to recency bias. The APR Ban also hurts his image, which he's not at fault. With all that said, I feel like he could do more with what he has to work with. With the ban, i think the school will give him more time to sort out the team. (Coach Seat: Cool)
5. Greg Kampe (-3) - I think Kampe's coaching style is going to be hit or miss his final years coaching. With all the player turnovers, it's hard to say how his team is going to be each year. A lot of Esports run their teams similar, not sure how it will bode in basketball. (Coach Seat: As Random as his recruits)
4. Jerrod Calhoun (+4) - I like the program Jerrod Calhoun is building in YSU. He has silently been bringing this program back from the grave and making it relevant again. He's been adding 2 wins every season he's coach in the Horizon League Conference play. Look for a 12-6 season coming soon. (Coach Seat: Finally got Jerry Slocums butt prints out)
3. Linc Darner (+2) - Quietly finishes the season in 3rd for the Horizon. Reminds me a lot of Billy Donlon, can bring home winning seasons but struggles to get over the last hump of post season play. (Coach Seat: Some point post season will be required again)
2. Darrin Horn (+4) - I think Darrin's 2nd season will be his defining season. He took the reigns of a well built team and didn't miss a beat. Now that those players graduate and more of his recruits come into the fold, we'll see if he can continue this level of coaching. (Coach Seat: rising above Brannen's shadow)
1. Scott Nagy (even) - One of the few coaches who can have a team ready at the start of the season. The failure to adapt the team and to lose a 2nd time to UIC last season was troubling to see, but not enough for me to drop him from first. (Coach Seat: In disrepair due to WSU budgeting problems)
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Post by freewind on Apr 24, 2020 6:44:20 GMT -6
That stat is based on them signing 2 "3 star" players. One being Mabor Majak the 7'2" Giant from Sudan, but only had offers by Mercer and Bradley. The other is Alec Oglesby who did have a lot more offers, Depaul being probably the top program that chased after him. It's definitely a decent class for the Horizon League, and especially for Cleveland State. I'm still in the wait and see how they churn out. Love was only a 2 star player, so sometimes ratings isn't always reflective on how they perform. There's been a lot of 3 star players who just never performed up to their rating, so I'll remain speculative at this time.
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Post by ougrizz05 on Apr 24, 2020 11:38:51 GMT -6
That stat is based on them signing 2 "3 star" players. One being Mabor Majak the 7'2" Giant from Sudan, but only had offers by Mercer and Bradley. The other is Alec Oglesby who did have a lot more offers, Depaul being probably the top program that chased after him. It's definitely a decent class for the Horizon League, and especially for Cleveland State. I'm still in the wait and see how they churn out. Love was only a 2 star player, so sometimes ratings isn't always reflective on how they perform. There's been a lot of 3 star players who just never performed up to their rating, so I'll remain speculative at this time. Here is Cleveland State's class and their offer list: 1. Alec Oglesby: DePaul, South Florida, North Florida, Yale, San Jose State, Milwaukee, Aire Force, UC Riverside 2. JUCO Yahel Hill: Duquesne, Kent State, Akron, Toledo, Robert Morris, James Madison, Stony Brook, Albany 3. JUCO Dmoi Hodge: Kent State 4. Jayson Woodrich: St Louis, Iona, Manhattan, Stony Brook, Fairfield, Bryant 5. Mabor Majak: Bradley, Mercer 6. JUCO Chris Greene: Robert Morris, Texas A&M CC Compare that to any other HL team and try to make an argument that they didn't sign the best class in the HL. It isn't just a decent class for the HL. It's the best. He signed a good class which is a good start, but it is only a signing. Nobody knows how they will pan out. To rank him among the top coaches at this point seems like a stretch to say the least. I hope he is a good coach & turns that program around. I'll take the wait and see approach.
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Post by freewind on Apr 24, 2020 12:39:15 GMT -6
I don't disagree that they did probably recruit the best in the Horizon League....which is kind of depressing. I don't think it's the 80th best recruiting class in the country. It also still has to all come together. That many JUCO's and a couple of 3 star players, I'm hoping he's not promising starting positions/playing time to get them all on the team, he may have personalities butting heads during the season. I think if he makes the rosters work, and he finishes top 3-4 in the Horizon League, i think a few other programs might look at their coaching choices a little more closely and light fires under their staff.
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Jul 6, 2020 12:36:29 GMT -6
Update with new coaches/members- based some on upside and some on experience
1. Scott Nagy- Wright St 2. Darrin Horn- Northern Kentucky 3. Jarrod Calhoun- Youngstown State 4. Greg Kampe- Oakland 5. Mike Davis- Detroit 6. Dennis Gates- Cleveland State 7. Jon Coffmann- Purdue Fort Wayne 8. Luke Yaklish- UIC 9. Andy Toole- Robert Morris 10- Will Ryan Green Bay 11- Pat Baldwin- Milwaukee 12 Bryon Rimm- IUPUI
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Post by ougrizz05 on Jul 6, 2020 20:12:04 GMT -6
Update with new coaches/members- based some on upside and some on experience 1. Scott Nagy- Wright St 2. Darrin Horn- Northern Kentucky 3. Jarrod Calhoun- Youngstown State 4. Greg Kampe- Oakland 5. Mike Davis- Detroit 6. Dennis Gates- Cleveland State 7. Jon Coffmann- Purdue Fort Wayne 8. Luke Yaklish- UIC 9. Andy Toole- Robert Morris 10- Will Ryan Green Bay 11- Pat Baldwin- Milwaukee 12 Bryon Rimm- IUPUI It's interesting that I have no idea on how the bottom half of the league will perform. Actually most of the league, given all the turnover in players, coaches & new additions.
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Post by freewind on May 25, 2021 14:19:45 GMT -6
2021 Coach updated rankings
12. Matt Crenshaw (New)- I think this is a good hire for IUPUI. It's going to take time to build this program up, and hiring an alum will probably buy some time to get the program rolling again. I really thought IUPUI had an amazing lineup last year and talent on their roster and it was a shame Byron Rimm couldn't get it done. I hope the fan base gives Matt some patience, it's probably going to be a rough start. (Coach Seat: Full of Welcome Signs)
11.Pat Baldwin (-1) - "But he landed a 5 star player". Nope. That's not going to do it for me. 4 seasons, none of them were winning seasons. I feel for PBJ. He has a lot riding on his shoulders coming in as a freshman. It's not going to be good enough just to get a winning season now. It's probably going to be tourney or the road for Sr. His team looked competitive in the tournament, but you can't take 20+ games to finally start building some rhythm in a season. (Coach Seat: This is the make or break year)
10. Will Ryan (New) - Rough first season in the Horizon League. Was hoping he would work well with Amari Davis and get him going, but things never panned out. It will be a lot more of his team this year and the Phoenix will be hoping he will improve upon last years season. (Coach Seat: Last season didn't count)
9. Andy Toole - (New) It sucks when your star player just quits on you before the end of the season. I see where AJ Bramah decommited from Arizona State, the guy can ball, but he's a huge liability. Andy is quickly replacing the loss talent so i fully expect him to have a reloaded team for next year. (Coach Seat: Filled with old NEC champion placards)
8. Jon Coffmann - (New) - A coach who had winning seasons most of his career, to be placed at 8th feels rough. It felt like his team could win big games occasionally and he almost showed it in the tournament against Cleveland State. I'll be interested if he can make the adjustments to win consistently in the Horizon League. (Coach Seat: Has Indiana crossed out, reads Purdue Fort Wayne)
7. Luke Yaklich (Even) - Crushing Valpo was probably the highlight of the last season. Starting 3-0 non conf, i was thinking they might be the team to beat and then it all fell apart in a hurry due to a few outside factors. (Coaches Seat: Filled with med kits)
6. Jarrod Calhoun - (-2) I've cooled off on the Calhoun train. Last season was not handled well for all the hype i had bought into. DQ and Akuchie never really materialized like I thought they would. I do applaud the extra games Jarrod scheduled to try to build constancy from his team through out the covid season. I think he has a good system, just needs to find the right pieces, YSU faithful shouldn't worry yet. (Coaches seat: Getting comfortable)
5. Mike Davis (+1) - Another program built around a coaches son. What started as a typical Detroit year starting 1-7 and finishing 11-3 has got to feel good going into this next season. I don't feel like this has to be a make or break year for Mike Davis, i think a strong finish in the Horizon he's fine, considering UDM's got its handful with the women's side of things. I think he will need to find another center piece once AD moves on and keep the program winning more than losing. (Coaches Seat: Sign says "No one beats my team 4 times in one season")
4. Greg Kampe (+1) - Typical Kampe year for me, terrible non-conference, has a meh conference season, gives Oakland fans false hope in the post season. His consistency keeps him one of the better coaches in the league. I like this dude, but it's got to be hard sometimes to be an Oakland fan. (Coaches seat: filled with tweets)
3. Darrin Horn (-1) - Down year check, my players are developing check, still finishes in the top half of the conference regular season, makes a decent showing in the tournament. It feels not as strong as John Brannen program, but i think it's definitely a good situation to be in. I see a world where Darrin Horn brings back titles again to Northern Kentucky. I like his fit, he seems to excel better at mid major programs. Since he didn't do great at South Carolina, i think he'll have plenty of time to continue to build. (Coaches seat: picture of him chilling with D-wade back in the Marquette years)
2. Scott Nagy (-1) - Dethroned. Has won the regular season conference champions 3 years in a row now and the year prior had won the Horizon tournament, still not bad. He's the definition of "The System" as he regularly recruits players who fit his play style. Just like at S. Dakota St. he's moving Wright State ever closer to an at-large bid, finishing the season 71 Net / 81 RPI. My nitpick with him is how he tries to get the players to play through bad stretches, to work things out as they go. Should have never lost the first round game to Milwaukee, had a big enough lead all they had to do was dribble out the clock and win and he failed to set his team right. Overall still has the program in great shape. (Coaches seat: Has Nagy sitting in it cross legged as usual)
1. Dennis Gates (+7) - Big D was right on this guy, in the fact he's an amazing coach. When i saw the roster he put together for last season i was on the fence. I could see it go either way, and when I saw the Ohio U game i was like, this is going to go so poorly. What ever speech he gave to his guys after that game, he'll probably recall in future interviews once he's made it to the elites because that team looked amazing for the rest of the season. Not as in dominant, that'll probably be this season, but very cohesive and focus. (Coaches seat: filled with party goods and cake)
The one thing i want to see coaches do this year hopefully as we get back to normal scheduling is to win your non-conference games please. Last year was kind of crazy with Covid scheduling, but would like to see more teams finishing in the top half of the rankings prior to conference games starting. I feel too many coaches are drafting entire new teams, throwing away the non-conference to build cohesion and then try to win the league tournament. But who knows, its probably a pipe dream. Going to be a long summer boys and girls.
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Post by gbphoenix1 on May 27, 2021 10:00:35 GMT -6
Coffman, Yaklich and Toole all finished behind GB last year.
None of those guys were taking over a team in June.
I would not rate any of them ahead of Will Ryan based on the actual results so far. I'd even go so far as to say Yaklich and Toole were the biggest disappointments in the league.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2021 12:09:41 GMT -6
Coffman, Yaklich and Toole all finished behind GB last year. None of those guys were taking over a team in June. I would not rate any of them ahead of Will Ryan based on the actual results so far. I'd even go so far as to say Yaklich and Toole were the biggest disappointments in the league. In any other year, I'd probably agree with you. This past season though, Coach Yak and UIC were fraught with injuries, bereavement and Covid-19. After starting the season off quite well, those 3 things came and derailed the season. When you can't practice you can't develop cohesion; can't implement a workable system; can't develop unity. I'll give Coach Yaklich a pass on the '20-'21 season and see what he does in '21-'22.
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Post by freewind on May 27, 2021 12:52:28 GMT -6
I agree with Flames on coach Yaklich. At one point Nagy even said he thought UIC had one of the more skilled teams in the league, it just didn't pan out. When I rank coaches, i look at their overall profile and rank on what direction I think they are trending. GB did have a better record last year; but comparing it to past performances of Coffman and Toole, i don't think a couple wins was enough to put him in front of those two. Also Ryan was using a lot of Linc's old players still in Amari, Pipes and Jefferson. That said, i could see where the players perform individually better on GB this year so Ryan looks to have a good setup for player progression. I'd give Ryan 2-3 more years and we will have a better feel for where he's at coaching.
I think this list also changes quite a bit if PFW manages to beat CSU in one of the ot's in the tournament.
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Post by freewind on Oct 1, 2021 15:04:33 GMT -6
I don't agree with this list, but here's Busting Brackets has Horizon coaches along with the rest of the field: bustingbrackets.com/2021/10/01/ncaa-basketball-ranking-358-d-head-coaches-2021-22-season/TLDR: 353 Matt Crenshaw (IUPUI) 331 Will Ryan (Green Bay) 292 Luke Yaklich (UIC) 287 Pat Baldwin (Milwaukee) 255 Jerrod Calhoun (YSU) 206 Jon Coffman (PFW) 188 Dennis Gates (CSU) 174 Andrew Toole (RMU) 141 Greg Kampe (OU) 111 Mike Davis (Detroit) 107 Darrin Horn (NKU) 101 Scott Nagy (WSU)
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