New coach search...

Skeeter, ditto. In his own way, this guy has just as big a personality as Pearl -- without the sleaze and without the sweat.

Isaiah 63:1 said:

Pete Carroll

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Uh, in basketball. And Pete Carroll had been a college assistant before he ever coached a pro game.

BamaFlum said:

This is a good point. Some have alluded to him being Grant 2.0 based on his micromanaging style. However, Avery's personality is much different and his controlling coaching may fit the college ranks better.

Trying to find the bright side!


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That's not just the bright side, but it's factual. A controlling type of head coach usually plays better in the college game

RobK said:

Agreed. I don't know when collegiate recruiting and coaching experience ceased to be important.

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College to NBA rarely works: Tarkanian, Kruger, Tim Floyd, Pitino, Calipari, Carlisimo, etc. NBA to college often works: Larry Brown, Kevin Ollie, Hoiberg.

If Bama is able to pull it off, this has the potential to be an inspired hire - something Prohm, White, Pitino, Hurley, et al did not have. Nothing is a guarantee, even Marshall, but AJ had 4 consecutive 50 win seasons in the NBA. The NBA is MUCH tougher than college, though as all know, a different game.

Ingram would almost certainly sign.

This would provide legit hope for being at least a good hire with the possibility of being transformative. If neither, IMO, it is at worst a well calculated gamble.

He hasn't said yes, and the program in Tuscaloosa bears little resemblance to what Johnson described in that post a few pages back. But this has me excited about the future of our team for the first time in four years. This also would be highly disappointing if it turns out to be nothing more than a courtesy chat.

We're clearly not aiming for a double. Going for Avery Johnson is a power swing. I'm a big Spurs fan and early on in his coaching career, I had hoped that AJ would coach the Spurs when Popp retired. But then when it became clear Popp wasn't about to retire, I let go of that part. He has the potential to be a truly brilliant hire, but he also might miss the boat. A lot depends on his ability to teach kids without forgetting that they're still kids. I'm not worried about x's and o's or micromanaging. Frankly in college ball, unless you have the one-and-dones, you NEED micromanaging. The key is that you need micromanaging that suits your talent. If I recruit a bunch of gazelles, I shouldn't teach them to slow down the game, etc. If Avery can really connect with his players after they're on campus, if he can be firm yet patient, then he can be a great coach.

The only names I've heard as being still available whom I would prefer over Avery would be... erm... maybe Archie Miller. I like this option better than a lot of others, both current and past, including Prohm, Lil'tino, Barnes, Howland, and (from last year) Pearl. Pitino and Prohm are lower because I haven't seen them do enough, Howland and Pearl are lower because of behavioral issues, and Barnes is lower because it's Rick Barnes. Again using my obviously perfect viewpoint, he would be maybe just a smidge below Shaka Smart and a medium step down from CGM. So really, under the circumstances, it seems pretty good to me!

Just my .02

P. C. Pachyderm said:

IMO, Avery is the best choice of the names being bandied about. With Pearl to the south, Howland to the west, and Barnes to the north, guys like Prohm and White--who in other times might make a nice little hire--would be viewed as lightweights, not only by the fan bases but by recruits in the southeast.

Avery is a risk (they all are) but he is a presence at least equal to Pearl/Howland/Barnes, and for various reasons I would pick him over all three of them.

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I agree with this. Honestly, the prospect of Avery as our coach makes me feel the best I have about the future of Bama basketball since Grant was let go.

On the subject of him being a micro-manager, I think I prefer that for the coach of a college program. It doesn't work as well at the professional level but I don't recall in any of his players speaking bad about him. Remember all of the discipline issues that exCAG had to overcome. The last time I looked CNS was also a micro-manager and that worked pretty. Bill Battle get it done.

CrimsonEyeshade said:

He hasn't said yes, and the program in Tuscaloosa bears little resemblance to what Johnson described in that post a few pages back. But this has me excited about the future of our team for the first time in four years. This also would be highly disappointing if it turns out to be nothing more than a courtesy chat.

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I have a big hunch we let Avery and his agent know he needed to be very interested in the position before they lined up the meeting. I do not think it is a courtesy chat but that does not mean he would not turn it down. I believe if he is very interested we will make the offer and he will accept. I will be excited with the hire.

CrimsonEyeshade said:

Skeeter, ditto. In his own way, this guy has just as big a personality as Pearl -- without the sleaze and without the sweat.

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Liked

One tweet summarizes my feelings: "Look I have no idea if Avery Johnson is a good college coach but I'm willing to find out."

About recruiting - not only does he have an NBA resume including a championship as a player, finals appearance as a coach, NBA coach of the year award, and plenty of connections, his son also recently went through the process. If he surrounds himself with veteran college coaches and perhaps even consults with Saban, I think his recruiting potential dwarfs that of Prohm and Pitino. Maybe even Marshall. And in CBB, recruiting is king.


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At least he won't be playing us just go get a raise. He really has no reason to talk to Bama unless he is interested in the position..

Looks like Cecil has something posted on TOS. Anyone able to retrieve it? No deal finalized I believe.

either

BAMARICH said:

That's not just the bright side, but it's factual. A controlling type of head coach usually plays better in the college game

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Bama has a pretty controlling coach in football and it has worked out pretty damn good!

OMG people, If Bama could hire Avery Johnson, that would be so much better than Prohm or White. You said Avery has not coached and recruited in college.....well I dont consider coaching Murray St or La Tech much myself. That is still not big time basketball.

Let me see, a coach that as gotten a team into the NBA finals or some small time basketball coach (Prohm/White).....would be an easy pick for me. I hope he will take the job.....but with his son at TAMU it might be hard for him to not be able to watch all of his games anymore.

Give him what he wants and get him in Tuscaloosa.

GreatDanish said:

One tweet summarizes my feelings: "Look I have no idea if Avery Johnson is a good college coach but I'm willing to find out."

About recruiting - not only does he have an NBA resume including a championship as a player, finals appearance as a coach, NBA coach of the year award, and plenty of connections, his son also recently went through the process. If he surrounds himself with veteran college coaches and perhaps even consults with Saban, I think his recruiting potential dwarfs that of Prohm and Pitino. Maybe even Marshall. And in CBB, recruiting is king.


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Yep, recruiting...truly top-level recruiting...is more important than Xs and Os acumen in basketball. Players will win more games than coaches in basketball. It is a sport about flow and few strategic stops unlike football where your team can mostly regroup between each 5-6 seconds of action. A coach's fingerprint is on almost every single play in a football game...in basketball, they can call a set but if the action is defended then it is up to the players to make something happen on their own ball skills.

I'd rather take a chance that the NBA grind has made him aware of things at a high enough level that his Xs and Os are not a liability against other college coaches but bet on his pedigree to land big name players who see his tutelage as a pathway to the NBA. Avery Johnson has played high-stakes basketball and coached it too...this guy isn't some chump. Recruiting is a selling point but it isn't like this guy doesn't know how to draw up a set or two.

Ben gets it...

Ben Eblen @Ben_E10

NBA champ as a player and NBA coach of the year... If he comes and sits down in your living room, you're going to hear what he has to say

Okay. I need more information before I reach an opinion on CAJ. Some say he is a micromanager but on the collegiate level that might be a good thing.

However it may just be me but I have never been impressed with the level of coaching at NBA level simply because you are dealing with elite level talent that can do alot more one on one creative stuff. True coaching ability makes all the difference at the college level.

So if he is a micromanager and a good coach then you may have something here with this hire.

rgw said:

Yep, recruiting...truly top-level recruiting...is more important than Xs and Os acumen in basketball. Players will win more games than coaches in basketball. It is a sport about flow and few strategic stops unlike football where your team can mostly regroup between each 5-6 seconds of action. A coach's fingerprint is on almost every single play in a football game...in basketball, they can call a set but if the action is defended then it is up to the players to make something happen on their own ball skills.

I'd rather take a chance that the NBA grind has made him aware of things at a high enough level that his Xs and Os are not a liability against other college coaches but bet on his pedigree to land big name players who see his tutelage as a pathway to the NBA. Avery Johnson has played high-stakes basketball and coached it too...this guy isn't some chump. Recruiting is a selling point but it isn't like this guy doesn't know how to draw up a set or two.

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I agree recruiting is the lifeblood of any top program, but would anyone here think Anthony Grant would have Kentucky where John Calipari has Kentucky all things being equal? Not me!

I don't know how I feel about Avery Johnson from an X's and O's standpoint. But I do know that after the last several years, it would be a hire I could get excited about. And what this program needs, besides quality recruiting, is something for the fan base to be enthusiastic about once again.

MOAN said:

I agree recruiting is the lifeblood of any top program, but would anyone here think Anthony Grant would have Kentucky where John Calipari has Kentucky all things being equal? Not me!

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I don't know but if you gave Grant John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson, he would probably do okay. I have a hard time seeing Prohm convincing that kind of player to come to Bama. AJ might not either, but I could see him doing it.


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