• Who Will Be The Next Coach at Vincent?

    Now that John Allen is out at Milwaukee Vincent, who will be the new boys basketball coach? As I stated weeks ago, the rumor of him being removed as the coach is now a reality.

    It was a different atmosphere and a different style of play that the Vikings were used to under previous coach, Tom Diener. What Allen couldn't do as Diener did was take any of his teams to state.

    It doesn't matter who the next coach there is. No one will be able to duplicate the success of the teams of the mid-90's through early 2000. The Vikings won multiple state championships twice. After pulling off three in a row from 1996-98, they reeled off another two in a row in 2000-01.

    Allen, who was 51-39 in four years, probably screamed too much at his players and they just tuned him out every once in a while. And to make it worse, the WIAA took Vincent out of the "easier" sectional that they dominated until Germantown finally figured out how to get over the hurdle and beat them. Throwing the team into the most difficult sectional out of the eight took them out of their comfort zone.

    There's a possibility that the current Vincent players will know who their new coach will be as soon as Friday. When I know - if the beans don't get spilled any sooner - then you will know.

    I think that the job should stay in the Vincent family. It should be offered to an ex-Vincent coach or ex-player. There are two names in mind besides Marquis Hines, of course, who should get a shot. Hines would be considered the front runner since he wanted it around the time that Diener left the school.

    James Wright has been on the Vincent bench as the girls assistant coach for quite some time. He can right the ship and get the guys to play basketball the right way. He will make sure that they check their egos at the door because all those bad habits they pick up from AAU ball won't work under his watch.

    Jose Winston was a natural leader on the court as a point guard for the Vikings. You can't go wrong with that selection either. He can make a point by showing the boys team pictures of all five state championship teams and the three state titles that the girls can boast about that hangs in the gym.

    This job shouldn't go to an outsider. Usually returning players who go through a coaching change adapt to the assistant who gets the crack at the head coaching job than some new guy who will change the system the players were used to running. As you know, change can be good sometimes but some people don't like to change.

    By the weekend, we hope to have an answer of who will take over as the new coach at Vincent.