Dauster: On the coaching hires. How will it impact BE?

[Xudash]

So, his logic Re Steele essentially was about Xavier doing what Xavier does: Steele moves down one chair and onward we go.

Uninspired? Fine.

Will he be good? You can bank on it.

[MullinMayhem]

Nice to see programs like Butler, X, etc. able to just move from coach to coach without really skipping a beat. Don't take that for granted...we are starving for continuity here in NY. On a random note, I do want to try to make it out to Hinkle or Cintas soon. Don't worry, I'm not one of those screaming annoying fans trying to start with people hah...actually met some really cool X and Butler fans the past few years at the Garden.

[DudeAnon]

Really think people overrate Mack.

9 years at Xavier:

1 Elite eight
1 Player drafted in the 1st round (2 in the second)

So he wasn't developing pros and he wasn't really making great runs in the tournament. He made the Sweet 16 4 times but two of those were by beating #14 seed Georgia St. and #11 seed Lehigh. The other was his first year coaching with Crawford, Holloway and Lyons. He stacked up a lot of wins in the regular season but ultimately when it comes to memorable march runs he had 1 over a 9 year period.

[scoscox]

Mack’s teams had no defensive identity whatsoever. It made his teams frustrating to watch in ways it was never hard to watch Thad or Sean’s teams play.

This is another reason I’m skeptical of his success at Louisville. He got a pass from a lot of criticism from Xavier fans because he was an alumni and because he related well to the fans. I don’t think Louisville fans will be nearly as forgiving

[adoraz]

I find it ironic that people are defending Steele for being incredible at recruiting but when wojo came in and got Ellenson and Cheatham nobody batted an eye. Sometimes great recruiting doesn't translate. Not trying to put a damper on everyone's hopes here but maybe keep them a bit grounded.

From what I remember, most people really liked the Wojo hire. And people were happy with his recruiting. Did he get Ellenson and Cheatham before his first season (I honestly don't remember)?

The problem then was the league was coming off a meh first year, and Marquette lost their coach to VT (not Louisville). Marquette was also the first year preseason BE team to beat, so people expected a lot from them.

That said, yes you're right in that results need to be shown on the court. I just think Xavier and Butler are two programs that can be trusted in this regard, so I'm pretty optimistic about Steele.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Fair article. Much goes into consideration when hiring a new coach. You have to factor-in where the program is coming from, what trajectory it is headed to, and what you expect of the program moving forward. Using Marquette as an example, when Buzz left for VT, the admin not only wanted a good basketball coach, but it wanted someone who would run a clean program and would be solid and professional in PR and representation of the program. While some experienced coaches reached out (I believe Cuonzo Martin and Ben Howland were the two top ones), the top target - at the time - was Shaka Smart. When that fell through, Wojo was the next in-line, and he was - from a representation and PR standpoint - been everything the school has wanted and asked for from a HC. He's button-ed up, clean cut and professional who gets good kids on and off the court. The only thing, thus far, that has been lacking is the NCAA Tournament appearances. By all accounts, that appears to be changing this year.

For schools like UConn and Memphis, they needed splashy, big-name hires. They were on a downward trend with decreasing attendance figures and sub par win/loss records. They needed someone who could reinvigorate the program and get people excited again. For a place like Xavier, they simply needed to keep the ship moving forward. They are in excellent place today and for the future. They had someone that was going to be a head coach one day, knew the players and was a strong recruiter. It was only natural for X to hire from with-in. For places like St. John's and Georgetown, they were a bit similar in that they had hit a wall competitively with prior coaches and need a shot of excitement to return to past glory. That's where Mullin and Ewing come in. Will they be there in ten years? Probably not - but they are well positioned to right those ships and set it up for future success.

Bottom line, different components determine whether a head coach is successful or not. Much of it, not all, is determined what is being inherited and what the perception of the program is when you start. You need to recruit; you need to be able to sell the program; you need to create excitement; you need to coach x's and o's; you need to have a great staff; and you need to win.

The Big East has a strong collection of coaches at present. With the strength of our programs, we can afford to have our coaches offered bigger jobs - if presented - and plug-and-fill and keep the success going. Not all programs are like that - especially within the P5. Our brand is our history, tradition and success with multiple coaches. Wright is not going anywhere, so we will be anchored by him for a while. Cooley is a star. Wojo is expected to take a big jump this year. Willard and McDermott have been consistent for the past few years. Ewing and Mullin can easily jump into that top level with successful seasons this year. For Jordan and Steele, the future is bright. Leitao, who has struggled, appears to have DePaul improving slowly but steadily as well. He won't be going anywere either.

[gtmoBlue]

Really think people overrate Mack.

9 years at Xavier:

1 Elite eight
1 Player drafted in the 1st round (2 in the second)

So he wasn't developing pros and he wasn't really making great runs in the tournament. He made the Sweet 16 4 times but two of those were by beating #14 seed Georgia St. and #11 seed Lehigh. The other was his first year coaching with Crawford, Holloway and Lyons. He stacked up a lot of wins in the regular season but ultimately when it comes to memorable march runs he had 1 over a 9 year period.

Nine years...4 SS's and an Elite Eight? I'll take it - in a heartbeat!
CU 8 years...(5 NCAAs) Nada.
3 pros is respectable...given Xavier/Creighton type recruiting.

[paulxu]

I think Mack did a great job at X.
Would I like to have seen a FF? Of course.
But he is the all time wins coach, and when we joined the Big East he took us to 5 straight NCAA tournaments in a much tougher conference than the A10.

[X-man]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2018/05/09/2018-college-basketball-coaching-carousel-ranking-the-12-best-hires-from-the-spring-of-2018/amp/

Dauster lists Mack as the best coaching hire of the year with Dan Hurley, 1a and 1b. Penny Hardaway gets runner up honors.
Meanwhile, he lists Travis Steele among the worst, calling him uninspiring.
I think the story going forward is coach retention and replacement. Look at how the A10 slipped last year because they couldn’t retain Miller and Wade (and now Hurley).
Imo, Hurley (and Hardaway) were big additions for UConn (and the AAC). For the last two recruiting cycles, both Providence and Georgetown landed 2 of their best recruits OFF the UConn waiver wire (MAL & Akinjo). That most likely ends now with Dan Hurley there (although it’s not a sure thing Hurley would’ve been after those guys).
The point here really isn’t the rankings as much as it is that fluidity of success. All those teams on the top of the rankings, Louisville, UConn, Memphis, etc, are now going to revert back to being in the mix for elite talent.
Regardless of whether Steele is decent or not, is this the kind of list that the conference should try to acend in? Isn’t it just as important to get the 5 star coaches?
Mind you, Im not saying anyone is not quality. But I think we do need to be aware of perception.
If Ewing or Mullin was in the mix for a player like James Wiseman I think their hires would have registered like the Hardaway hire has. I’m aware that performance will ultimately dictate reality.
Just hoping the Big East in the future is going after guys like Dan Hurley. There is no reason not to. Because when the BE doesn’t, our competition snatched him up and that’s a double whammy.

Not sure where you get this interpretation of the article you cite. Here is what the author actually said about Steele.
" 9. TRAVIS STEELE, Xavier

Let me be clear on this: I do not think Travis Steele was a bad hire. I think he’s going to win at Xavier. I think he’s going to keep that program in and around the top 25, if not competing for Big East titles. This was the right hire. But he was always going to be the guy. This is what Xavier does. They promoted Sean Miller after Thad Matta left for Ohio State. He turned into a top ten coach in the country. After Miller left for Arizona, they promoted Mack, and ditto. Steele might end up on that same path. I wouldn’t be shocked. I just think that it’s more impressive to make a good hire at a bad job than it is to make the smart decision to hire from within when it’s the obvious move and what your program does."

[ProprietyofLeyluken]

Not sure where you get this interpretation of the article you cite. Here is what the author actually said about Steele.
" 9. TRAVIS STEELE, Xavier

Let me be clear on this: I do not think Travis Steele was a bad hire. I think he’s going to win at Xavier. I think he’s going to keep that program in and around the top 25, if not competing for Big East titles. This was the right hire. But he was always going to be the guy. This is what Xavier does. They promoted Sean Miller after Thad Matta left for Ohio State. He turned into a top ten coach in the country. After Miller left for Arizona, they promoted Mack, and ditto. Steele might end up on that same path. I wouldn’t be shocked. I just think that it’s more impressive to make a good hire at a bad job than it is to make the smart decision to hire from within when it’s the obvious move and what your program does."

You must have missed the category the writer put Steele under...
“Fine, if uninspiring”

He also ranked him below Mack (Louisville), Hurley (UConn), Hardaway (Memphis), Capel (Pitt), Howard (Lasalle), Christian (Siena), Medved (CSU), and Dooley (ECU).

Steele may turn out to be golden but he’s never been a HC before. That’s likely why he got the grade. Like St John’s and Georgetown, hiring a guy with no HC experience is a choice - not a necessity (like it largely was in the leagues Xavier has most often played in).

The jury is out on all those hires and that’s not a shameful thing to admit. We all want it to work.