Coaching Candidates

[MU/Panther]

Well sure, but you have to do what you think is best for yourself. Maybe, use what you hear for follow up questions, but not base my decision in what I hear.

[Jimmy Lemke]

Well sure, but you have to do what you think is best for yourself.

Most definitely - but he didn't say that Jeter would make a decision, just that those interviewing would consult with him. If Jeter were trashing Amanda or the program, we wouldn't have the candidate list we have.

I hope that Donte Jackson and TJ Otzelberger are on the list; they weren't part of it when Goodman tweeted it out but I believe either would be a good hire. TJ is more of an impact recruiter than the assistants on the list, and Jackson is a head coach (and for one year a Panther) that took a good team and made them great very quickly.

It should be noted, although most people know this by now, that both coaches are Milwaukee guys. We should absolutely be considering a Milwaukee guy; it's not the end-all-be-all, but if they are great salesmen - and we know both of these guys are - the program could take a HUGE leap.

I believe that the next coach, if given the proper support from the university, could turn this place upside-down if they're the right guy. There is so much Milwaukee talent that plays elsewhere in Division I - high-major players, mid-major players, low-major players, these D-II guys at Stillman - and neither Madison nor Marquette is putting them all together.

Which is totally fine - Madison and Marquette are both recruiting nationally, because they want to get the best pool of players possible. It also means they wouldn't do this:

Do everything to bring the local talent to campus and keep them here. Every possible player from the City Conference, Greater Metro, Southeast Conference, North Shore...pitch them this: the State of Milwaukee.

This was touched on in the 30 for 30 "The U," where the players talked about how Howard Schnellenberger essentially built a wall of recruiting for the southern half of the state of Florida. Dubbed the "State of Miami," the Hurricanes essentially had the first right of refusal for any players in south Florida. It wasn't just Schnellenberger doing it, he had all the players talking up the idea to each other.

When Howard came into Miami, high school games would get more people than the university. There was a lot of talent in Miami and the surrounding area, and Schnellenberger successfully sold his first couple recruiting classes on the idea that the local talent, if assembled on one team, could achieve a high level - even national champions - just by going to college together.

I believe the same is true for Milwaukee. If a team were to recruit southeast Wisconsin and own the area players, they would be a very, very dangerous basketball team. This isn't just an idea for Milwaukee - the idea would work elsewhere as well. Marquette would be better positioned to do it, but as I've said they're looking nationally.

Every high school kid that qualifies, every JUCO kid from the city, every transfer who is from here - put them on a team and see just how high that team can go. My guess? Really damn high. Here are some of the area players and the schools they committed to, sorted by class:

2016
Bryce Nze - Milwaukee
Juwan McCloud - Northern Iowa
Te'Jon Lucas - Illinois
Kostas Antetokounmpo - Uncommitted

2015
Diamond Stone - Maryland
Raymond Doby - South Carolina
Garrison Goode - UC Davis
Ahmed Caver - Old Dominion
Levi Bradley - Northern Illinois
Jaylen Key - Northern Illinois
Paul Miller - NDSU

2014
TJ Schlundt - Wisconsin
Kevon Looney - UCLA
Riley LaChance - Vanderbilt
Lamonte Bearden - Buffalo
Fred Iduwe - Georgia
Brady Ellingsen - Iowa
Jake Showalter - NDSU
Evan Wesenberg - NDSU
Reed Timmer - Drake

2013
Duane Wilson - Marquette
Deonte Burton - Marquette
Luke Fischer - Indiana
Trevor Thomas - Virginia Tech
Jevon Thomas - Kansas State
Mario Matasovic - Western Michigan
Scotty Tyler - Idaho State

2012
Sam Dekker - Wisconsin
JP Tokoto - North Carolina
Philip Nolan - UConn
Jerron Wilbut - Seton Hall
Zak Showalter - Wisconsin
Mike Lang - Central Michigan
Jacoby Davis - Mississippi State
Aaron Ross - Texas Tech
Carrington Love - Green Bay
Elgin Cook - Oregon
Darrell Bowie - Northern Illinois
Jordan Fouse - Green Bay
Cinmeon Bowers - Auburn

2011
Marty Breunig - Washington
Paul Jesperson - Virginia
Mitchell Farr - Omaha
Jameel McKay - Marquette
Brandon Mobley - Seton Hall
John Kopriva - Vermont
Darrell Longstreet - Bradley

I didn't even put a lot of JUCO guys on that list. My point is, while we might not be able to ever put all of the players together, there's an incredible collection of talent that isn't collected. A Milwaukee guy - with the right message, at the right time, with the right support - could collect a lot of that local talent.

[Spirit of Bruce]

McDadenets50 shilling for Showalter over on the Eunuch board. I like the quote that he used. "His old pal Rob Jeter." Considering all the time that was wasted on Germantown players by our former staff, due to Showalter driving them to other teams, I highly doubt Jeter considers Showalter a pal. I certainly wouldn't, but these are minor details...

[parkerj]

McDadenets50 shilling for Showalter over on the Eunuch board.

I'm about 99.99999% sure that was tongue-in-cheek.

[Spirit of Bruce]

I'm about 99.99999% sure that was tongue-in-cheek.

In that case, well played.

[BBF]

I will be really ticked if Showalter gets consideration when Jerry Petitgoue and Tom Desotell are still on the market.

[Jimmy Lemke]

mcdadenets50 was joking - he's a funny guy, that mcdadenets50. I'm disappointed he hasn't made the move yet.

[MayorCK]

Dak, just because he has an interview, doesn't mean he has the job. No need to sweat yet...

[uwm97]

Billeter is lined up for an interview? Very encouraging development if this is true.

[TheDarkHawkReturns]

I am sure he is a fine man, but look at this coaching history and tell me if it reminds you of anyone:

Tom Billeter Year-by-Year
						Overall					Conf.
Year			School			W	L				W	L		Finish
1992-93			North Dakota State			12	17				7	11		8th
1993-94			North Dakota State			21	9		*		14	4		2nd
1994-95			North Dakota State			22	8		*		12	6		t-1st
1995-96			North Dakota State			20	9		*		12	6		t-2nd
1996-97			North Dakota State			22	7		*		12	6		t-2nd
2003-04			Augustana			6	21				2	12		8th
2004-05			Augustana			8	20				1	11		7th
2005-06			Augustana			12	16				5	7		5th
2006-07			Augustana			16	12				3	9		5th
2007-08			Augustana			22	9		*		8	4		2nd
2008-09			Augustana			21	10		*		13	7		6th
2009-10			Augustana			24	7		*		15	5		3rd
2010-11			Augustana			18	9				15	7		3rd
2011-12			Augustana			17	11		*		14	8		t-4th
2012-13			Augustana			22	9		*		15	7		3rd
2013-14			Augustana			16	14				12	10		t-9th
2014-15			Augustana			31	3		*		20	2		t-1st
						310	191				180	122

He had some very good seasons at NDSU. Then at Augustana he finished better than 3rd only twice, and many of those were 5th or worse. And I remind you that that was all in D2.

Didn't we just fire a guy who had some very good seasons long ago, and then was terminated for failing to be better than 3rd too often?

Again, this is NOT MEANT to be critical of Billeter, but critical of the seemingly hypocritical positions of Amanda Braun. Is there a lower set of standards for her for people she has "long standing professional relationships" with? - CONTINUED IN NEXT POST