2024 Coaching Carousel

[D-West & PO-Z]

MHET….i have to disagree with your above statement to a point. I do think that there are ongoing discussions with players throughout the year as to their intentions, and especially with players on a team in Xavier’s position.

I am equally confident that X coaches are already putting together a file of possible players to target once the portal opens. Many of those are going to players that they once recruited or have been on teams that X has played. Many others are going to be “steered” to X by coaches that the current staff has some ties with. I believe that Olivari stated that X reached out to him on the day that he went into the portal. If that is the case then they had to have had some thoughts and knowledge about him before then.

Putting film together on possible new players is one of the things that the video staff does in preparation for the actual coaches sitting down and watching it. For example, they may be told to gather all the film they can on the top possible graduate transfer rebounders in the country. They will reach out to the various contacts they have on staffs around the country and gather up all the film they can. They will then create highlight films for the top players that the coaching staff can then evaluate without having to sit down and watch complete games. This is all part of time management too. A recruiting coordinator will use their own staff to facilitate the search and work to make it effective and efficient, which allows the assistant coaches to spend more time on actual coaching of the current players.

Your correct that time management, especially in-season, is a very important part of the coaching staff’s job. But it’s not like in the old days where 2-3 assistant coaches did everything. There are now staffs of paid and unpaid people assisting the assistant coaches.

100%

[MHettel]

Yeah sorry, don't buy any of that.

Xavier accepting an NIT bid, if they get one, isn't going to prevent them from operating in the portal, lmao.

We have also heard several times of guys being targets who were opponents or who coaches were told about by colleagues because they have a good relationship, etc. There is a list of guys already made. These coaches get paid millions, multi tasking is a part of the gig and the good ones excel at it.

I don’t see how any of this nonsense supports you assertion. The idea of a list is just dumb. There are 360 teams with 13 guys each. Remove the seniors and you’ve got 3500 or so players out there. We’re gonna spend time making a “list” of who may or may not enter the portal? And then commit resources to pull tape of the guys? And if they don’t enter the portal, then we just flush that time and effort? Or they do enter the portal and don’t take our calls? The reality is that the portal was already proven to be absolute chaos and establishing a definitive start and finish to it will not make it any less stable. When the season ends, it will be all hands on deck to craft a roster for next year. Can they keep an eye on the portal during the NIT? Of course they will. But those efforts will pale in comparison to how intently they will focus on it after the season is over.

Complicating things, obviously, are things like overtures to Miller and any assistant coaching changes that Miller wants to do. This have to be quick decisions with replacements lined up.

I think the whole portal timing is stupid. They should let kids enter for a few weeks. Close it. Then allow contact and commitments during a whole different period for another 3-4 weeks. Then the music stops. The idea that the portal is in full gear while the seasons is still going is just dumb and entirely avoidable.

[XUGRAD80]

MH…..do you think that the players and coaches outside of practice don’t have any communication? Or that coaches are not already in some indirect contact with players that have already quietly said their intentions to transfer after the season? How many players will not only enter the transfer portal in the 1st week, but will also commit to a new school within the 1st week? That happens pretty often. My guess is that hardly any of the kids that enter the portal are a surprise to their current coaching staff. They call it the coaching “fraternity” for a reason. Do you think that Olivari for example knew nobody on the Xavier staff before coming to X? Or that X had no clue that he would be available? Not only do coaches talk to each other, but the kids talk to each other too, and then they talk to coaches. Sometimes a college kid will tell his former HS coach that he is unhappy and the HS coach will give a heads up to other college coaches he knows. There is constant communication going on between coaches and players on all levels.

These kids play on select teams with kids from other schools, they play on national and international teams with kids from other schools. The coaches work with coaches from other schools. The coaches move around from school to school as they work their way up through the ranks. They get to know other coaches and players well. I’ll bet that there are 3-4 coaches at other schools that Miller talks with on a weekly basis. Same goes for all of the assistant coaches. Kids are constantly texting or talking with players from other schools that they know.

Do you think that Miller doesn’t already have a pretty good idea of who isn’t coming back next year? Do you think that he hasn’t communicated that to other coaches he might know? It’s against the rules for coaches from one team to contact players from another team, but it’s not against the rules for coaches or players to talk among themselves. Sure sometimes a kids decision to transfer will come as a surprise to his coaches and to others, but I’d bet that’s more of the exception than it is the rule.

[MHettel]

MH…..do you think that the players and coaches outside of practice don’t have any communication? Or that coaches are not already in some indirect contact with players that have already quietly said their intentions to transfer after the season? How many players will not only enter the transfer portal in the 1st week, but will also commit to a new school within the 1st week? That happens pretty often. My guess is that hardly any of the kids that enter the portal are a surprise to their current coaching staff. They call it the coaching “fraternity” for a reason. Do you think that Olivari for example knew nobody on the Xavier staff before coming to X? Or that X had no clue that he would be available? Not only do coaches talk to each other, but the kids talk to each other too, and then they talk to coaches. Sometimes a college kid will tell his former HS coach that he is unhappy and the HS coach will give a heads up to other college coaches he knows. There is constant communication going on between coaches and players on all levels.

These kids play on select teams with kids from other schools, they play on national and international teams with kids from other schools. The coaches work with coaches from other schools. The coaches move around from school to school as they work their way up through the ranks. They get to know other coaches and players well. I’ll bet that there are 3-4 coaches at other schools that Miller talks with on a weekly basis. Same goes for all of the assistant coaches. Kids are constantly texting or talking with players from other schools that they know.

Do you think that Miller doesn’t already have a pretty good idea of who isn’t coming back next year? Do you think that he hasn’t communicated that to other coaches he might know? It’s against the rules for coaches from one team to contact players from another team, but it’s not against the rules for coaches or players to talk among themselves. Sure sometimes a kids decision to transfer will come as a surprise to his coaches and to others, but I’d bet that’s more of the exception than it is the rule.

Sure some of this goes on. It’s not an information vacuum. But the idea that the coach and staff can direct the same amount of attention towards the portal when the season is ongoing vs when the season is concluded is asinine.

[Xville]

Sure some of this goes on. It’s not an information vacuum. But the idea that the coach and staff can direct the same amount of attention towards the portal when the season is ongoing vs when the season is concluded is asinine.

agreed. There are always some surprises too, I am sure. Playing in the NIT would only serve as a distraction for the staff and this team imo. I see no reason to play in it this year (if they are eligible) as there are bigger fish to fry.

Plus, I think the NIT is stupid imo.

[JTG]

agreed. There are always some surprises too, I am sure. Playing in the NIT would only serve as a distraction for the staff and this team imo. I see no reason to play in it this year (if they are eligible) as there are bigger fish to fry.

Plus, I think the NIT is stupid imo.

While I think the NIT is dying a slow death, maybe 5 more years, I also think winning the NIT in 2022 laid the ground work for the S16 in 23.

[XUGRAD80]

Sure some of this goes on. It’s not an information vacuum. But the idea that the coach and staff can direct the same amount of attention towards the portal when the season is ongoing vs when the season is concluded is asinine.

Well of course if they have nothing else going on they can direct more attention at the portal…..but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do a sufficient job of working the portal if they are also in a tournament. Were they in a tournament last year? Did they still bring some real quality transfers in? You know darn well that the answer to both of those questions is YES. I’ve no doubt that if X is playing in a tournament of some type later this month that the staff will still be able to comb the portal and bring in the talent that X needs for next year.

[MHettel]

Well of course if they have nothing else going on they can direct more attention at the portal…..but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do a sufficient job of working the portal if they are also in a tournament. Were they in a tournament last year? Did they still bring some real quality transfers in? You know darn well that the answer to both of those questions is YES. I’ve no doubt that if X is playing in a tournament of some type later this month that the staff will still be able to comb the portal and bring in the talent that X needs for next year.

To clarify my key points:

1. Not playing in the post season allows for more available time to spend on the portal.

2. Some of the better players and most attractive schools that are still playing will not “enter” the portal until later, making an early entrance not nearly as valuable as it would seem.

3. If you are still playing, keeping an eye on the portal makes sense. What doesn’t make sense of some kind of “list” ahead of time that a staff would spend any time on.

[XUGRAD80]

Numbers 1 and 2 are in direct conflict with each other……if the better players aren’t going to enter the portal right away, why would it be important for teams wanting players from the portal to be not playing during the 1st week or so?

As for number 3….not preparing in advance doesn’t make any sense? Wow. Who knew that prior planning is a waste of time and effort?

Do you really think that teams wait to see who enters the portal before spending any time on looking at players? If you think that’s the way it works then you have absolutely no idea how recruiting of college players works.

[xubrew]

Numbers 1 and 2 are in direct conflict with each other……if the better players aren’t going to enter the portal right away, why would it be important for teams wanting players from the portal to be not playing during the 1st week or so?

As for number 3….not preparing in advance doesn’t make any sense? Wow. Who knew that prior planning is a waste of time and effort?

Do you really think that teams wait to see who enters the portal before spending any time on looking at players? If you think that’s the way it works then you have absolutely no idea how recruiting of college players works.

I think you might be on to something!!!