Coaching Carousel & Hot Seat 2017

[XU85]

Pat Kelsey was Mack's #1 assistant at X a couple of years ago, before he left to take the head job at Winthrop, where he rebuilt a moribund program pretty quickly. Last weekend, he was announced as the new head coach at UMass -- a big step up from Winthrop -- but then he withdrew just two hours later and said he's staying put "for family reasons." So what's that all about? Did UMass give him a monster secret after he signed the contract (double whammy death penalty NCAA investigation coming up, a rapidly expanding sex scandal involving at least 9 scholarship players, half a dozen faculty members, and three nuns from a local church, etc.?) Did Dayton suddenly come calling 5 minutes after he said yes to UMass? Is there a true health issue for Pat or a true family emergency? He always struck me as a good guy and a fine coach who capitalized on a big chance when he left X. Anyone got info?

I'm not sure how you would not know this as a Xavier fan, but Kelsey did not leave Xavier for Winthrop. For lack of a better term, it sounds like he had some sort of crisis, and quit coaching suddenly under Mack. He took some time off from coaching - maybe a year or two - before taking the Winthrop job. Not sure what is going on with him, but it is concerning.

[BEwannabe]

his name has been mentioned with the search but I think he's probably the guy behind door #3 because all the same questions you raise have been raised by just about everyone. The UMASS thing was a little weird but I kind of brushed it off as, well, it is UMASS.

[xusandy]

Yeah, but I think Mack's endorsement is what got him the Winthrop job. So is Kelsey a fine coach who just doesn't have the "strength of personality" (or the "killer mentality" or the "ruthless psychological makeup" if you prefer) to deal with real performance pressure? Maybe he knows himself too well, and knows he'll be happiest to remain a big fish in a little pond, even though the lure of the big time will always be there for him.

[BEwannabe]

I really don't know Kelsey just repeating what I'm hearing here and from Flyer fans, Kelsey seems highly regarded and recently accomplished enough for a step up but I think there is going to be higher priority candidates. It doesn't have anything to do with Xavier or Chris Mack. This I'm sure of, this hire will have people on both sides of the fence, hire the assistants and keep your recruiting class, hire a UD guy, Anthony Grant. Or, as I've previously mentioned who are the guys behind door #3.

[paulxu]

If Indiana wanted Chris Holtmann, their first contact with him would not have come before Saturday morning, March 25th.

If Indiana wanted Chris Mack, their first contact with him would not have come before Sunday morning, March 26th.

I'm guessing these coaches may have agents that were contacted briefly.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Why would you 'guess' that?

[max]

I would more than guess they were contacted, I'd bet on it. The plausible deniability that both sides hide behind has become comical. Archie said IU was "the only school he talked to." I take him at his word, but do you really think that was his first offer? The IU AD said Archie was the only guy he offered, and again I believe it, but that doesn't mean he wasn't out on the lot kicking tires and seeing what he could get. They do this between agents, go-betweens, search firms, and shoe agents, just so Archie can say that. If you're IU looking at how Mack has recruited Indiana, you don't at least gauge his interest? Then you ought to be fired. I think Billy Donovan wanted too much money, and I think Mack is comfortable in his home town making more money than most realize.

[paulxu]

Guess.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Mark Blaudschun tweet - March 29, 2017

UMass closing in on 5 year deal for UT-Chatt Matt McCall that will pay him closer to an average of $750,000 a year.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

University of Akron Men's Basketball Coach Keith Dambrot leaves for Duquesne University - Channel 5 News Cleveland - March 27, 2017 10:51 PM

Duquesne attempted to hire him away in 2012, but the University of Akron was able to keep him with a raise and a contract extension that eventually paid him about $600,000 this past season. According to an ESPN report, Dambrot's seven-year deal will be for about $1 million a season.