BleedGopher
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per Zags:
While in a normal year, one would expect to have seen several high-major coaching changes happen by now, there hasn’t been a single one so far in 2020.
Steve Hebel, who runs the website coachesdatabase.com, believes coronavirus is a major reason why.
Hebel pointed out that a year ago, “There were a total of 14 high-major schools to change head coaches,” including 10 who were fired or forced to resign.
“Out of those 10 firings, all but one had occurred before April 1st (Chris Mullin resigned on April 9),” Hebel said via email. “Five of the high-majors that fired their coach before April 1 also hired their replacement before April 1.”
It’s now Easter weekend and Passover week and there hasn’t been a single high-major coaching change despite coaches like Smart, DePaul’s Dave Leitao, Boston College’s Jim Christian, Wake Forest’s Danny Manning and Minnesota’s Richard Pitino all being on Hebel’s “Hot Seat” this season. All still have their jobs. (Leitao was even given an extension through 2024, although a school spokesman said that “we were in negotiations with Dave prior to the start of last season.”)
“Absolutely, I think [coronavirus] has had a tremendous impact on the coaching carousel (and my website unfortunately),” Hebel said via email. “Every spring, power conference ADs can justify spending millions on buyouts by going out and getting a new coach that excites the fan base. In this current climate, it's considerably more responsible - financially and otherwise - to just give the current guy one more shot.”
“This season was almost like a wash, since fans will just remember 2019-20 as the year that coronavirus killed March Madness (and sports altogether, it seems). Technically, every team missed the postseason and everyone's season ended too soon.
“So many of these major coaching searches revolve around the Final Four, so ADs looking to wine and dine their next prospective coach would have been forced to try and do that over video chat. At the same time, you have to think that most of the coaches that would be up for the big jobs are focused on being home with their families right now and are happy to not need to worry about buying/selling homes, putting kids in new schools, and everything else that goes along with uprooting your whole life.”
www.forbes.com
Go Gophers!!
While in a normal year, one would expect to have seen several high-major coaching changes happen by now, there hasn’t been a single one so far in 2020.
Steve Hebel, who runs the website coachesdatabase.com, believes coronavirus is a major reason why.
Hebel pointed out that a year ago, “There were a total of 14 high-major schools to change head coaches,” including 10 who were fired or forced to resign.
“Out of those 10 firings, all but one had occurred before April 1st (Chris Mullin resigned on April 9),” Hebel said via email. “Five of the high-majors that fired their coach before April 1 also hired their replacement before April 1.”
It’s now Easter weekend and Passover week and there hasn’t been a single high-major coaching change despite coaches like Smart, DePaul’s Dave Leitao, Boston College’s Jim Christian, Wake Forest’s Danny Manning and Minnesota’s Richard Pitino all being on Hebel’s “Hot Seat” this season. All still have their jobs. (Leitao was even given an extension through 2024, although a school spokesman said that “we were in negotiations with Dave prior to the start of last season.”)
“Absolutely, I think [coronavirus] has had a tremendous impact on the coaching carousel (and my website unfortunately),” Hebel said via email. “Every spring, power conference ADs can justify spending millions on buyouts by going out and getting a new coach that excites the fan base. In this current climate, it's considerably more responsible - financially and otherwise - to just give the current guy one more shot.”
“This season was almost like a wash, since fans will just remember 2019-20 as the year that coronavirus killed March Madness (and sports altogether, it seems). Technically, every team missed the postseason and everyone's season ended too soon.
“So many of these major coaching searches revolve around the Final Four, so ADs looking to wine and dine their next prospective coach would have been forced to try and do that over video chat. At the same time, you have to think that most of the coaches that would be up for the big jobs are focused on being home with their families right now and are happy to not need to worry about buying/selling homes, putting kids in new schools, and everything else that goes along with uprooting your whole life.”
How Coronavirus Is Keeping The College Coaching Carousel From Turning
While in a normal year one would expect to have seen several high-major coaching changes happen by now, there hasn’t been a single one so far in 2020.
www.forbes.com
Go Gophers!!