Ten for Cincinnati
Via Dustin Dow at the Cincinnati Enquirer. My comments follow each of Dow's suggestions.
Here are 10 potential candidates for the job, aside from [interim head coach Andy] Kennedy:Skip Prosser, Wake Forest
WHY: He's a proven success in the Atlantic Coast Conference after coaching Xavier from 1994-2001. He still has a house in Cincinnati.
WHY NOT: Prosser previously spurned Pittsburgh, in his hometown, to stay at Wake Forest. Why would he leave for Cincinnati?
YOCO WHY: Experienced. Knows Ohio. To escape Coach K's shadow.
YOCO WHY NOT: Poor NCAA Tournament record. Has a good thing going at Wake Forest.
Fran Dunphy, PennsylvaniaWHY: One of the most respected coaches in the game, Dunphy would bring immediate respect to the program, not to mention a history of winning that includes eight NCAA Tournaments.
WHY NOT: Coaching in the Ivy League isn't exactly the Big East.
YOCO WHY: The anti-Huggins.
YOCO WHY NOT: Recruiting experience? High-level success?
Kevin Stallings, VanderbiltWHY: Coming from a school with a scholarly reputation, Stallings would fit within UC president Nancy Zimpher's academic plan, and he has led Vandy to back-to-back 20-win seasons.
WHY NOT: Stallings interviewed for the Ohio State job last year and didn't get it. He might be more of a second choice if the first choice isn't feasible.
YOCO WHY: A proven winner in an academically challenging environment. A solid recruiter.
YOCO WHY NOT: May have eyes set on Indiana. Does not have the cachet of a Prosser or Lavin.
Herb Sendek, N.C. StateWHY: Like Stallings, Sendek, who has taken N.C. State to four straight NCAA Tournaments, would come to UC with the low-key reputation that would be the complete opposite of Huggins.
WHY NOT: Would Sendek be interested in taking over a position fraught with controversy now that he has established his program at N.C. State?
YOCO WHY: Perfect. Sendek, an all-around quality coach, could probably be persuaded to leave the permanent hot seat at North Carolina State.
YOCO WHY NOT: He hasn't won like Huggins. Then again, who has?
Oliver Purnell, ClemsonWHY: The former Dayton coach has proven he can recruit well in this area, and UC would be in a more competitive position than Clemson is.
WHY NOT: The ACC is considered the epitome of college basketball by many, and Purnell still is trying to install his program at Clemson. Leaving would force him to start the process over again in another difficult league.
YOCO WHY: All recruiting is local.
YOCO WHY NOT: Purnell isn't a big enough name.
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph'sWHY: Not many coaches could have turned tiny Saint Joseph's into the major player that Martelli has done in his 10 years at SJU.
WHY NOT: Martelli is a Northeast native who has been coaching as an assistant or head coach at SJU since 1985. Persuading him to leave might be tough.
YOCO WHY: All he has done (recently) is win, baby.
YOCO WHY NOT: SJU is the house that Phil built. Does Martelli really want to play homewrecker?
John Beilein, West VirginiaWHY: He's hot right now after leading the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight last season, and he knows the Big East well.
WHY NOT: Beilein hasn't proven himself over the course of several seasons at the major level.
YOCO WHY: Players win games, systems win league championships.
YOCO WHY NOT: Moving? Again? So Soon? You've got to be kidding.
Dana Altman, CreightonWHY: If it's image Zimpher is worried about, Altman is about as clean-cut as they come, and he has won 20 or more games seven straight seasons.
WHY NOT: How is the fan base going to react to a new head coach from the Missouri Valley Conference? And would Altman even leave, considering he has turned down opportunities to interview at major programs such as Iowa State?
YOCO WHY: Perfect #2. Right time, right place, right coach.
YOCO WHY NOT: Foolish Boosters. Ugh.
Mick Cronin, Murray StateWHY: Not only has Cronin turned Murray State into a winner, but he's a former Huggins and Rick Pitino assistant who has recruiting contacts in the area.
WHY NOT: Cronin might have too many ties to Huggins, and his Murray State players have had their own run-ins with the law.
YOCO WHY: Cronin is part of the Bearcats family...
YOCO WHY NOT: ...currently in the middle of a nasty divorce.
To clarify, the above was NOT intended to suggest Cronin and his wife are having trouble with their marriage. Nor is it to be read a comment about Mick's personal life. The statement above was a reference to "the Bearcats [coaching] family," i.e. the group of current coaches and assistant coaches who earlier worked for Bob Huggins.
Steve Lavin, ESPN analystWHY: He was head coach at UCLA for seven years and had five Sweet 16 appearances. He also has some Midwest roots, having been on the staff at Purdue.
WHY NOT: It might be hard to get Lavin to move from the West Coast and leave his TV gig.
YOCO WHY: Lavin's been away for too long and wants in.
YOCO WHY NOT: Lavin's been away for too long and is happy out.
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