Coach Search 2022

Anything and everything that is UMass Minutemen Basketball.
bunkerhill87
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by bunkerhill87 » Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:10 am

Best wishes to Coach McCall. Incredible guy that brought enthusiasm and energy. Horrible situation handed to him but in the end just didnt have the acumen to get us to the next level. I hope we really do an exceptional job vetting interested candidates. Have zero clue who should be on the list. Pitino would be interesting but feel his baggage out weighs the positive. Love the Archie Miller idea but thats such a long shot. I hoped that DK would be our long term guy and was on board w/ McCall to hopefully be here for awhile. the Program needs stability!!! Also Umass is in a tough predicament with its fan base. The students have zero interest in supporting athletics. Our Hockey team is ranked number 9, highly entertaining and still draws half capacity. How does the new guy get people in the seats? Other schools like Dayton and VCU have incredible support. I agree a good team would help but there is a student culture that needs addressing. The power conference schools have amazing fans even at the bottom tier. There needs to be some sort of connection with students. What do other schools do that we are not doing?

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InnervisionsUMASS
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:14 am

Nothing but the best to Coach McCall as he moves forward. I hope he coaches the last few games with heart and dignity, and the players play hard for him.

This didn't work out. It is what it is. Time to find the next person.



As for that next person... if there is really smoke around Archie Miller, sign me up for that. I suspect Bamford already has a very short list based on the timing of letting Matt go.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

go_gou
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by go_gou » Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:40 am

I can’t help but wonder if the mid season firing was done purposely to give us a head start on hiring someone who isn’t currently employed (like Archie). Rhody is also looking like they would potentially have a head coaching position vacant after this season and their fan base has been chomping at the bit for Archie to go there. Maybe this was a purposeful move by Bamford to get a deal done with a current free agent coach before the coaching carousel really opens up after the season? Perhaps just wishful thinking as Archie would be a dream hire in my book. Regardless, seems like we should have an advantage in the coaching search over other teams by firing McCall mid season.

Also, I’ll say that I wish McCall the best. Can’t say anything bad about him as a guy. Overall great person. Just not the one for this job.

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Steve81
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by Steve81 » Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:43 am

Perhaps go_gou. It's a good plan if that is the reason for the early dismissal before the A10 tournament.
Go UMass!!

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by Floyd » Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:24 am

Any good coach will wait and see what the landscape is for open jobs before they commit I would think. Its a bargaining chip. Say what you want, but the money is the big draw. UMass isn't Kentucky so the program alone isn't the reason to come here, unless you have ties like DK did. Facilities are nice, league is decent, but if we want a proven, successful coach, money is the lure. Otherwise I think you're taking another risk with trying to find the next big up and comer
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by Plano Minuteman » Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:47 am

Pretty sure Coach Cal would be on board with UMass hiring Miller.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/s ... 428596001/

"Flint returned to the assistant coach ranks in 2017 when he joined Archie Miller's staff at Indiana with an endorsement from Calipari. Miller and Calipari have been close family friends since childhood."

jrdupe
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by jrdupe » Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:21 am

Pitino just tweeted that Shaheen Holloway would a great spot for UMass. Don't know much about Holloway other than I have heard he is a great recruiter.

https://twitter.com/RealPitino/status/1 ... 6104373252

TruBluMaroon
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by TruBluMaroon » Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:12 am

^ Now he cares about UM…..just think if he had shown any interest previously, he could get people to listen to him privately and wouldn’t have to do this publicly. Poor Shaheen, this should take him out of the running😁
Maybe his brother can offset the Pitino damage…

Worcester_To_Amherst
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by Worcester_To_Amherst » Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:22 am

I don't think there's much the program can do to engage the students other than winning. There was good student turnout early in the year when they were raffling off prizes for the students who attended, but that probably won't work regularly.

I think the main focus for improving attendance should be with alumni and the local population in the Pioneer Valley. The local attendance took a massive hit from COVID and the team being terrible, and they need to get those fans back. A steady 3-4k who show up for the majority of games is a great base of fan support and makes things much less embarrassing than an empty Bill.

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by 69MG » Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:35 am

Michael Bergman
@MLBergman_
22m
UMass AD Ryan Bamford will be holding a press conference at 12pm today regarding the future of the Men's Basketball program.

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by TruBluMaroon » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:06 pm

69MG wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:35 am
Michael Bergman
@MLBergman_
22m
UMass AD Ryan Bamford will be holding a press conference at 12pm today regarding the future of the Men's Basketball program.
What did he say?

69MG
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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by 69MG » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:12 pm

^ Check twitter. Lots of comments about Ryan's presser. Here's one comment:
Unread post by jrdupe » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:45 pm
Bamford saying all the right things in presser...said several times they were in bad place 5 years ago in terms of what they could offer for salary - now they are prepared to go much higher if need be...hope he means it!

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by inthescoop » Wed Mar 02, 2022 2:46 pm

jrdupe wrote: Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:21 am Pitino just tweeted that Shaheen Holloway would a great spot for UMass. Don't know much about Holloway other than I have heard he is a great recruiter.

https://twitter.com/RealPitino/status/1 ... 6104373252
I grew up in North Jersey - I have seen Holloway's jerseys in the rafters at St. Pat's and sports complexes around Elizabeth. He stayed home and chose Seton Hall over the likes of Duke and other powerhouses and quickly because a leader at Seton Hall. It may not have been the best decision in the long run however his passion for the community was always there.

With all that being said, I don't know if Western Mass would feel like "home" to him, and at the end of the day, as much as I support Holloway and what he has done, I think UMass needs to go a different route.

I do believe that Kevin Willard will take a bigger job this offseason and Holloway will take on the Seton Hall job and it will be a win win for all (including Pitino, who knows that Holloway is his biggest coaching competitor in the MAAC).

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by go_gou » Wed Mar 02, 2022 3:18 pm

A couple key takeaways I noted during the Bamford presser.... Firstly, he wants the search wrapped up by the end of the month/college basketball season. Secondly, we're finally going to shell out some real money for a coach.

He's quoted saying: “We have the ability to go beyond where we’ve been in the past [financially]. It could be significantly above where we have been. We’re going to be in the top 4 in this league…in terms of our commitment to resources in this program.”

Hopefully this means we'll be hiring a coach with good head coaching experience and record. Not trying to get a good deal on up and coming talent... again.

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Re: Coach Search 2022

Post by Roadtrip » Wed Mar 02, 2022 3:54 pm

This new coach better be bringing some talent with him.

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