Texas teaching candidates: Chris Beard, Rick Pitino amongst doable choices to switch Shaka Good

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The Pink River rivalry that not often lacks for drama on the courtroom or on the gridiron simply bought an entire lot extra attention-grabbing with a stunning twist as Texas basketball coach Shaka Good, lower than 24 hours after Oklahoma basketball coach Lon Kruger retired, was employed on Friday to turn out to be the subsequent coach at Marquette.

It is the primary time since 1967 that each Texas and Oklahoma are on the hunt for a head basketball coach in the identical offseason.

Good leaves the Longhorns program after six seasons the place he took them to 3 NCAA Event appearances in 5 doable seasons, ending 109-86 total and 52-56 in Massive 12 play. The clear cut up comes lower than every week after Texas was stunningly bounced in Spherical 1 as a 3 seed by 14 seed Abilene Christian.

Texas invested closely in Good and his employees to make sure he’d discover related regular-season and postseason success in Austin as he did at VCU, the place his “havoc” protection helped lead the Rams to 2 convention event titles, 5 NCAA Event appearances and a magical Ultimate 4 run in 2011 as an 11 seed. However Good by no means received a event recreation in his Texas tenure. As a substitute, his six-season journey was riddled with gorgeous first-round exits like a last-second loss to Northern Iowa in 2016, an additional time loss to Nevada in 2018 regardless of a double-digit second-half lead and a loss final week to Abilene Christian after a late foul gave the Wildcats a possibility to hit game-clinching free throws within the closing seconds.

With the sources at Texas’ disposal and this system’s proximity to star recruits in talent-rich Texas, this emptiness ought to be thought-about the most effective within the nation. As such, the Longhorns administration could have a possibility to chase large names throughout its teaching search in an effort to lure somebody to city who can discover Texas-sized success.

Here’s a fast record of names to observe as Texas begins that journey.

After an excellent season at Little Rock in 2015-16 as head coach the place Beard took them to the second spherical of the NCAA Event and received 30 video games, his success and training star has solely ascended at Texas Tech. In 5 seasons with the Pink Raiders he is 112-55 total with three NCAA Event appearances in 4 doable seasons and two Elite Eights and a Ultimate 4 below his belt. One tough half could also be his buyout — it’s reportedly solely $2 million if a crew outdoors the Massive 12 had been to rent him away however double that if a Massive 12 crew had been to swoop in, as of April 1. One other snag could also be his wage: USA In the present day information lists him as one of many 5 highest-paid coaches within the sport. However since Good and Texas bought a clear break (and since that is Texas we’re speaking about right here) that cash is there if Beard is keen to go away Lubbock.

Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago coach

If there is a mid-major coach primed to make a leap as much as this degree, it is Moser, who has Loyola Chicago within the Candy 16 for the second time after a 2018 run ended within the Ultimate 4. Moser underwhelmed at Little Rock and was fired from his subsequent job as Illinois State’s coach, however he is 63-18 in opposition to league opponents since 2017-18 and in line to be a worthy candidate when Loyola’s season involves an finish.

Musselman had a wildly profitable four-season stint at Nevada that included three regular-season convention championships and a 110-34 file earlier than Arkansas plucked him from out west in 2019. Since then, Musselman’s acquitted himself effectively by reinvigorating the Razorbacks behind an up-tempo model of play. His expertise — and success — at each the school and NBA degree would make him a major candidate if he had been to go away Fayetteville after two seasons. However Arkansas remains to be combating within the NCAA Event, which in the end may imply as long as his crew remains to be rolling, the worth tag for Texas may hold rising and the attraction of leaving a great gig for one below an intense microscope with greater expectations in Austin decidedly much less so.

Joe Golding, Abilene Christian

From toppling Texas, to teaching Texas? That will be Golding’s path after his Abilene Christian crew ousted Good’s Longhorns on March 20 in a first-round stunner. It might be greater than only a enjoyable narrative. Golding’s bought the credentials to be a high-major candidate after taking this system to its first-ever NCAA Event appearances on the Division I degree (2019, 2021) in historical past and securing a win within the Massive Dance as well. Oh, and here is a enjoyable little quote he had final week after the win:

“Final respect to the College of Texas and Coach Good. Had an unbelievable 12 months this 12 months. Very proficient crew. Now we have the utmost respect for them. Simply wish to say that.”

He is 134-114 since taking on this system in 2013 however 67-23 his final three seasons.

Grant McCasland, North Texas coach

McCasland is a long-time Scott Drew disciple who has been head coach at North Texas since 2017, the place he lately guided the Imply Inexperienced to their fourth-ever NCAA Event look and first-ever NCAA Event win by upsetting No. 4 seed Purdue in Spherical 1. He is 79-51 total with a regular-season and postseason convention title and is aware of the lay of the land within the area having performed at Baylor and coached at Baylor, Arkansas State and North Texas.

Royal Ivey, Brooklyn Nets assistant coach

A former Texas participant within the early 2000s, Ivey spent a decade as a professional earlier than slicing his tooth as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma Metropolis Blue, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, New York Knicks and now with the Brooklyn Nets. Laborious to envision Texas prioritizing Ivey with no head teaching expertise, however additionally simple to see why he’d be an interesting possibility with Juwan Howard’s latest success at Michigan on an analogous trajectory.

Rick Pitino, Iona

If this teaching search was based mostly solely on teaching chops, Rick Pitino could be No. 1 on this record. He is a Corridor of Famer and two-time nationwide champion. However Pitino comes with some baggage, which is why he is at Iona to start with. His alleged misdeeds at Louisville are nonetheless below NCAA scrutiny and there have been a number of scandals throughout his time because the Cardinals coach that Texas must both acquire extra readability on or, frankly, overlook. Nonetheless, a 782-277 profession file and bullet-proof resume on the courtroom is interesting even when the remainder of what comes with Pitino is just not.



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