What does the new AD mean for hoops?
- Thread starter GatoLouco
- Start date
Could go either way. Initial thought is that the establishment pick might be more inclined to keep the inherited status quo, unless truly forced into a decision (sub .500 overall record and/or scandal); however, you could see him wanting to make a quick move to put a stamp on his tenure and try to emerge from the the shadow of the old boss.
I think it puts pressure on Collins to produce next season. A new AD might want to hire his own basketball coach.
My initial thoughts were along the latter of your options. Rarely someone comes into a job not wanting (or even feeling pressure) to do something.
The issue is timing. So I'm inclined to think that, at a minimum, if this coming season was not a make or break year for CC, it is now.
I assume that question would be answered very easily if someone knew the nature of the relationship between Collins and Polisky. They have to have some relationship. And if they don't ...
The basketball fan in me wishes this choice would have been more related to basketball. To me, Fitz can run the football program, and leave him alone. Except for the stadium, that thing is almost on automatic pilot and Fitz can make all those decision.
The basketball program needs someone to help it get to that point. For instance, Butler's AD Barry Collier has been a part of every coaching hire there since he got the program off the ground in the 90s. Matta and Scott Drew were on his staff. I believe Lickliter was also. Then he comes back to Butler as AD and hires Brad Stevens as well as Chris Holtman. The guys has a history and knows what he's doing.
But I understand NU knows where it's bread is buttered. That's my understanding of the Polisky hire.
The basketball fan in me wishes this choice would have been more related to basketball. To me, Fitz can run the football program, and leave him alone. Except for the stadium, that thing is almost on automatic pilot and Fitz can make all those decision.
The basketball program needs someone to help it get to that point. For instance, Butler's AD Barry Collier has been a part of every coaching hire there since he got the program off the ground in the 90s. Matta and Scott Drew were on his staff. I believe Lickliter was also. Then he comes back to Butler as AD and hires Brad Stevens as well as Chris Holtman. The guys has a history and knows what he's doing.
But I understand NU knows where it's bread is buttered. That's my understanding of the Polisky hire.
I get the sense Polisky is close with Collins and the rest of his staff. Brian James pinned the B1G announcement of Polisky's hiring to his Twitter page and also sent out the following tweet:
I think it means Collins is safe for the next few years. My understanding is that Collins is/was well liked in the athletic department and I don't see Polisky as the type to upend everything his former boss did just to prove a point. This strikes me as the ultimate keep the status quo hire. If NU wanted someone who was going to take a fresh look at the hoops program or any of the other issues then they would have hired an outsider. Instead they hired the ultimate insider (so much so that he's even named in lawsuits against NU). I would imagine that he views Collins as one of his guys and will give him the next few years to right the ship. And let's not forget, Carmody got 13 years.
Yeah I think we can safely say that Collins will coach out his contract until 2025. Better hope he turns things around.
They are either going to have to give him a contract extension or sack him before that. No way he can recruit in the final year of a contract. My bet is the parties part ways at the end of 2023 if things don't turn around.
I'm more inclined to think that things will take a turn for the better by then. OTOH, I'm not exactly well known for being right all the time.
Butler alum here. We’ve indeed been very lucky with the hired made by Collier, I just think a lot of people feel we’ve been very lucky with the hired made by Collier. There’s no evidence he’s ever done a coaching *search* as much as called guys he knows pretty well and give one of them the job. Holtmann, for example, was already an assistant at Butler when he was hired.
I think there’s essentially no chance that he’d leave Butler, nor do I think he’s qualified to be an AD at Northwestern.
As a Butler season tix holder and huge fan, I second this. I love Collier and think he’s been very good (obviously, since promoting a relative unknown in Stevens basically will give you a ton of equity). But his approach does have risk. He’s got a very insular, “The Butler Way” view that seems to keep his scope and focus really narrow. For example, hiring Brandon Miller to replace Stevens was.... preposterous. Thankfully (for Collier) he drank himself out of a job after one season and Collier got a mulligan to hire Holtmann. But his replacement has been pretty underwhelming, to be honest. Another guy who’s resume was really, really thin and his best qualification to-date was that he’d played and coached at Butler.
You guys are following it much more closely than me ... BUT ...
"Lucky" with Matta, Scott Drew, Stevens AND Holtmann? That must be one hell of a horse shoe.
Most programs woukd give a pinky for any one of those long-term contract types.
Anyhow, I'll defer to both of you on the moot point. You have my basketball envy to be able to watch such a good program in a great setting.
"Lucky" with Matta, Scott Drew, Stevens AND Holtmann? That must be one hell of a horse shoe.
Most programs woukd give a pinky for any one of those long-term contract types.
Anyhow, I'll defer to both of you on the moot point. You have my basketball envy to be able to watch such a good program in a great setting.
Well, not every program...
Honestly this reads like James sucking up to the new boss because he knows Collins is on thin ice. If Polinsky can't or won't get rid of Collins then what's the point of the hire? Our football program runs itself and will keep on doing so for the forseeable future. Many of our women's programs are the same. Perhaps Mr. Ryan just wanted to make sure the job went to one of his buddies. A known quantity vs. someone new to build a relationship with, or god forbid, a woman.
Collier really only hired Stevens. Drew was never a coach at Butler, Matta was Collier’s successor as a head coach.
Holtmann was an assistant and then appointed on an interim basis when Brandon Miller took a “medical leave of absence” since he was the only assistant on staff with head coaching experience. Obviously that worked out extremely fortuitously and it was an easy decision to remove the interim tag. Collier, however, had no influence in bringing Holtmann to butler.
vassar-fwiw I’m close friends with some players from the Miller era and I’ve heard he was the real deal. Obviously it turned out horrifically, but there are some guys who speak very highly of him.
Maybe he won't need to after Collins takes us to a tournament starting with the letter N next season.
That’s really good to hear. I heard rumors that he was doing much better now, but I suspect that’s the end of coaching. Brutally stressful job and substance issues are a tough combination.
Nah, James has NBA pedigree and is an excellent coach. He could get a job anywhere any time.
It's definitely an insider hire. But I don't view it as James sucking up to the new boss, he's likely friends with Polinsky and is genuinely happy for the guy. It's a small community.
Polisky has to be running through scenarios in his head.
Scenarios/outcomes:
1) He replaces CC immediately
1.1 - New coach does well. AD looks good.
1.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like a moron as it was a year with seniors and experience on the roster.
Conclusion: Not happening. Not much downside in waiting. Lots of downside if new hire bombs. Upside of new coach being the real deal possible, but very risky
2) He replaces CC by the end of next year (assumes bad upcoming season)
2.1 - New coach does well. AD looks good
2.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like he made a bad, but necessary hire after 4 miserable years
Conclusion: Most likely scenario in my mind. Whether new coach does well or not, only way AD looks bad is in making a bad hire
3) He replaces CC closer to end of contract (assumes bad, but nos disaster upcoming season, followed by mediocre seasons)
3.1 - New coach does well. AD looks like he waited for 7 years for something that was not going to happen
3.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like he waited for 7 years to find a lousy replacement
Conclusion: It's NU, likely to happen. Dumb. AD looks passive in burning through years of mediocrity
4) He never replaces CC (assumes decent upcoming seasons)
Conclusion: Ideal, means CC brought program to the level of being competitive.
Scenarios/outcomes:
1) He replaces CC immediately
1.1 - New coach does well. AD looks good.
1.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like a moron as it was a year with seniors and experience on the roster.
Conclusion: Not happening. Not much downside in waiting. Lots of downside if new hire bombs. Upside of new coach being the real deal possible, but very risky
2) He replaces CC by the end of next year (assumes bad upcoming season)
2.1 - New coach does well. AD looks good
2.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like he made a bad, but necessary hire after 4 miserable years
Conclusion: Most likely scenario in my mind. Whether new coach does well or not, only way AD looks bad is in making a bad hire
3) He replaces CC closer to end of contract (assumes bad, but nos disaster upcoming season, followed by mediocre seasons)
3.1 - New coach does well. AD looks like he waited for 7 years for something that was not going to happen
3.2 - New coach bombs. AD looks like he waited for 7 years to find a lousy replacement
Conclusion: It's NU, likely to happen. Dumb. AD looks passive in burning through years of mediocrity
4) He never replaces CC (assumes decent upcoming seasons)
Conclusion: Ideal, means CC brought program to the level of being competitive.
I mean, if Collins were fired after next season after, say an 11th or 12th place finish, would it be a risk at all to can him then? That would be a 5 year stretch of 10, 14, 13, 12, 11 or 12. How much worse could the new coach be than that????
It's Northwestern so it's entirely possible for the new HC to be much worse. Last place, Last place, Last place, Last place Last place, point shaving etc. That being said, I'm hoping that Carmody's stretch of competitiveness and CC making the tournament have lifted the floor somewhat . . .
I agree, it could absolutely be worse. But the potential drop off is worth the gamble of the upside