I can't believe Dick Vitale actually said that. If true, he is senile and needs to be pulled off the air.
Theus likes the spotlight, he is charismatic, hes has proven he can coach in college, he is one of Pitino's all-time best recruiting specialists, and he appeals to top talent looking to transition into the NBA. Those big names didn't bite two years ago, they aren't going to bite now, not after BCG didn't get a chance. Theus would love that job.
No disrespect to Billy G, but there is a big difference in following Tubby and following Billy G. But I agree it's unlikely any of the "A-list" names make the leap. I am wondering if Theus would rather wait and try to get one of the many NBA jobs that are available at the end of the season.
lol but thanks for posting that article about Gillespie and the players. I didn't know all that went down. Since I'm not from Kentucky and don't visit the Kentucky MB, I didn't even know he told Jodie to stop shooting.
There is a zero chance that Theus gets one of the open NBA positions. I doubt he ever gets considered for another NBA job.
No problem. I don't visit UK message boards anymore.. they are populated by the "insane fringe" that makes up about 3% of the UK fan base. I get all my info from two places.. John Clay and KSR .
He overachieved with the Kings. They proceeded to trade away Bibby, then Artest, gave the Spurs trash a big contract, then even with an injured Martin, managed to fire another coach in a small amount of time. Theus has a shot.
Theus alienated just about everyone in the organization, including the players. It wasn't his fault their roster wasn't good, but he did plenty of other things to impale himself besides losing. If he even gets a mention on anyone's "short list", I'll be surprised.
Theus and Kevin Martin didn't like each other at all. Theus would sometimes yank players out of the game for one mistake. Early this season, it was obvious the players just totally quit on him. I watched a couple of their games in his final days and it was disgraceful. One time, Bobby Jackson even left the bench for the lockerroom (in disgust) before a game was over. If most all players hate the coach, the coach is most likely the problem. I don't know if it continued to this season, but last season Theus had a curfew for Kings players on the road. Did he think these were college kids? I don't know enough to take a side on this, but Kevin Martin didn't feel he was treated fairly. The Maloofs were ticked off at him long before he was fired. There was some other stuff I can't remember. Even after a decent first season, Theus was pretty well doomed to be fired early on. He wasn't ready. In fact, I read somewhere he was putting out feelers in the college ranks because he knew it was coming. Maybe with more seasoning as an NBA assistant or as a college head coach, he might get another shot. Maybe not, because he burned himself pretty bad.
So I assume all that curfew business didn't fly? College mentality things like that did him in? I can see that. Elie should get a shot in the NBA before Theus gets a second chance.
The curfew was one part of many things that ticked off the players. When it comes to Xs & Os, I think Theus has the ability to be a decent head coach. But he didn't connect with the Kings' players. In the NBA, managing the personalities is half the job. Coaches can have big egos but you can only go so far.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4026035 Sources: Calipari on Kentucky radar Memphis coach John Calipari has taken a place on Kentucky's radar in its search to replace Billy Gillispie, multiple sources told ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil and Pat Forde. On Friday, a source told O'Neil that Calipari 'likely would not be interested' in the job but on Sunday, multiple sources said Calipari is indeed interested. A source also said Kentucky was gathering information on Calipari over the weekend. According to Memphis sports information director Lamar Chance, Kentucky officials have not contacted Memphis for permission to speak to Calipari. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart says the search to replace Billy Gillispie, who was fired Friday, will focus on finding someone who can match the passion of the school's rabid fan base. Allow former Wildcats Rick Pitino a couple of suggestions: John Pelphrey and Travis Ford, guys with talent and deep Kentucky roots, if not lofty credentials. Pitino spent eight years masterfully stalking the sidelines at Kentucky, reviving a reeling program with a mix of charm, charisma and -- most of all -- success. Beloved by some diehards even after his defection to hated Louisville, Pitino is still the yardstick by which any Kentucky coach in the near future will be measured. It's a standard ousted coach Billy Gillispie failed to live up to, whether on the court, in the press or out in the Bluegrass. "For anybody, it's a big adjustment," Pitino said. "For those guys, it's not." Ford is from Madisonville, played point guard for Pitino in the early 1990s and just led Oklahoma State to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Pelphrey, from eastern Kentucky, was a small forward for Pitino's first Wildcat teams and is the head coach at Arkansas. Pitino doesn't doubt they love their current gigs. He also doesn't doubt they'd jump at a chance to come back home. "I don't care where they're at," Pitino said. "They love Oklahoma State, love Arkansas, but those two guys, you cut them open, and it spells UK. That's what I would do." Their lack of extended NCAA success, though, could be a hindrance. On paper, neither appear to be a better candidate than Gillispie was two years ago when the Wildcats hired him after a whirlwind 24-hour courtship. Then again, having a unique feel for the rhythms of Kentucky basketball is the kind of thing you can't put on a resume. Barnhart knows he can't afford to make another misstep at a program that hasn't been to the Final Four for more than a decade. "We understand the challenge and importance of finding our next caretaker for this very special basketball program," he said. "We desire for Kentucky basketball to be a part of the championship picture every year; that is our goal." Former Kentucky star turned TV analyst Mike Pratt will assist in the vetting process, spending time with the top candidates to get a feel if they can handle the pressure of leading college basketball's all-time winningest program. Gillispie's rough tenure showcased how difficult it can be for an outsider to ingratiate himself with the thousands who pack Rupp Arena each season. Winning more certainly would have helped, too. Michigan State 's Tom Izzo certainly won some Kentucky fans Sunday when the Spartans dominated hated Louisville in the Midwest Regional finals of the NCAA tournament. Izzo, while allowing it'd be unwise to never say never, seems plenty happy where he's at. The irony, of course, is that he's trying to get the Spartans into the conversation with Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina as one of college basketball's premier programs. "When you look at Kansas, Kentucky, Carolina, Duke in general, we're not at that level yet, and that's the level I'd like to get to," Izzo said Saturday. "So I've still got a lot of work to do." Other candidates could be Xavier's Sean Miller or Ohio State's Thad Matta, though neither can match the star power of Calipari or Izzo.
NC State should go after Gillespie. They need some kind of maverick to compete with Duke and UNC. Speaking of Duke, how about Coach K at UK; seems ripe for a change. Things at Duke have stagnated. Why can't Coach K recruit top talent anymore?
Again... If that happens Mitch and Todd might as well start packing their bags because the natives will revolt.
Calipari would probably make a lot of sense as far as availability. He's made Memphis great, but he seems to be irked about playing in a crap conference and I don't think he has any particular long-term loyalty to Memphis.