Names I would like to see considered

[flippinhogmana]

Quick question. Will our chances improve on the recruitment of Christyn Williams out of CAC or is she a UCONN lock.  Sorry to throw this in thread

I would say that would depend what coach we hired and when.  The fact getting the best coach, the best fit is paramount, that doesn't discount there is some value in not dragging the hire so long that the new coach has no chance at recruitment for next year because so many recruits could already have their minds made up by then.  I would say that changing coaches definitely doesn't hurt us with Williams.

[psycHOGlogist]

I'm not sure anyone knows about Williams. I would be shocked if she ended up on the Hill at this point. Whether it's UConn or any of the other top choices she's identified in addition to Arkansas (Baylor, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, and UCLA), who knows? She is (according to her twitter) cutting her list to 5 schools "in a week or two," so that doesn't bode well for us ... being coach-less and all. I guess we won't have long to wait, though.

[flippinhogmana]

Speaking of Nicki Collen. How good is she. I know that she is Tom wife but is she a better coach than him? Can see recruit lights out?

as I said, I think this question is academic with respect to Nikki because I doubt she would even be considered due to the fact that we will hire someone with head coaching experience, but she is a good recruiter and secondarily I think the last couple of years she was the better coach between her and Tom.

[psycHOGlogist]

I would say that changing coaches definitely doesn't hurt us with Williams.

I would agree with that, too.

[psycHOGlogist]

Nikki is a great defensive coach - very inspiring and tough. Big believer in physical play and all out effort. She is why our teams were competitive in the last few years of the Collen era, imo. We were very tough on D, even when we couldn't score.

[jackflash]

Becky Hammons would be a great hire here

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Today's wrench:

Florida has just fired Amanda Butler as their WBB coach.

Scott Stricklin is the new AD at Florida.

Scott Stricklin is the former AD at Mississippi State.

He hired Vic Schaefer.

I think there's about to be a bidding war for Vic's services - and I'm not sure it's a bidding war we can win.

I don't think Vic takes either job. He is an A&M alum. Here's a real wrench at 71 what if Gary Blair decides this is his last year at A&M. Who do you think is their top target?  Even if it's not this year possibly next so Vic already making good scratch at State can wait it out until daughter Blair graduates.  I don't think VS leaves for UF or UA knowing A&M is close to opening up

[Porked Tongue]

Sandra Rushing – Central Arkansas
Nearly 30 years of head coaching experience. Led UCA to a 28-4 record and a NCAA Tournament berth last season. Currently 24-4 this season.

This is not as off the wall as you might think.

[psycHOGlogist]

This is not as off the wall as you might think.

Ugh. I would not be pleased with this. I just read some of her post-game quotes, and I don't like what I see. I seriously hope we can do better than this. 

[Scott7703]

This is not as off the wall as you might think.

Would put us right back in the same boat we've been in since Blair

[Scott7703]

Ugh. I would not be pleased with this. I just read some of her post-game quotes, and I don't like what I see. I seriously hope we can do better than this. 

If we can't we should have just continued on down the road we were heading down.

[Porked Tongue]

It would be an improvement over last two.

But I'll say that name isn't in the top 2ish. 

[logic]

Neighbors, Schaeffer, Foley, Christy Smith, Nikki Collen

I have a reason for each.  If we cant come to term with either of the first three, there a couple of names I didnt mention that are head coaches that should receive consideration, but if we dont work things out with them, and go a totally different route, I believe that either Christy Smith or Nikki Collen could build a first class program here in 3-5 years. I believe both of them would be long time hires as well.

Based on her time at Arkansas and already at Incarnate Wood, apparently Christy Smith can recruit and I am very impressed at how the record at Incarnate Wood has improved this year over the last several years, especially in the conference.  I know less about Nikki Collen but I don't see where she has been a head coach at college level before accepting a position with the Connecticut Sun.

[Hogg_Phan]

How about Chris Dailey, the associate head coach at UConn. Doubt she would leave but if she did, it would get a lot of publicity and it looks like she can recruit. Although recruiting at a program like UConn would have some advantages. Let's swing big with whom ever we hire. WPS!! GHG!!

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chris_dailey_389986.html

[LadybackBBFan]

Whether he stays, goes to Gainesville, or comes to the Hill, Vic is about to GET PAID!

My bet is that he goes to Texas A&M sometime shortly after his daughter graduates in a year.  I talked to someone who had breakfast with Vic on Saturday morning.  He said he did not know anyone anymore in the Razorback administration after all the years that has passed.  Makes sense that he is not coming here.

[redleg]

John White was the reason we lost Gary.  A&M offered Gary the job.  Gary went to Bev  wanting a raise to put him above A&M offer.  Bev went to John White to get it approved.  John would not approve it and told Bev to let him go and hire a woman.  John White ruined women's and men's basketball.  If it wasn't for him we would have Bill Self here instead at Kansas.

There is no way I see Self ever coming to Arkansas, then or especially now. White was a huge cancer on the athletic program. He reminded me of Larry Miller's character, Dean Elias, in the movie Necessary Roughness...smug, anti-athletic, education elitist, and tight with the purse strings. Getting rid of him was the second best thing to happen to Razorback athletics in the 21st Century. And Bev Lewis wanted a woman head coach. She never got along with Blair. She only went to White about a pay raise because it was part of her job to do so. While White had a huge hand in ruining men's basketball, a very large part of the downfall must fall on the shoulders of Nolan Richardson.
:razorback:

[riccoar]

Today's wrench:

Florida has just fired Amanda Butler as their WBB coach.

Scott Stricklin is the new AD at Florida.

Scott Stricklin is the former AD at Mississippi State.

He hired Vic Schaefer.

I think there's about to be a bidding war for Vic's services - and I'm not sure it's a bidding war we can win.

Schaefer went from making a base of $275K in 2014 to $662K after the 2015 season.  If Arkansas is looking at coaches in the NCAAT, and this salary range is a range that they are going to balk at, then the programs in for another lack luster mediocre hire.  That's completely unacceptable.  Go big or go home.

If Kentucky can pay a coach over $1 million a year, so can Arkansas.

[psycHOGlogist]

How about Chris Dailey, the associate head coach at UConn. Doubt she would leave but if she did, it would get a lot of publicity and it looks like she can recruit. Although recruiting at a program like UConn would have some advantages. Let's swing big with whom ever we hire. WPS!! GHG!!

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chris_dailey_389986.html

Chris Dailey is never leaving UConn or Geno's pocket. We would be about the 2000th program to express interest there, and she ain't leaving. She isn't even the next HC there, either. That's going to be Shea Ralph. For her own reasons, Dailey simply does not want to be an HC. If she did, she could have done it 50 times over already.

[psycHOGlogist]

My bet is that he goes to Texas A&M sometime shortly after his daughter graduates in a year. 

This makes a lot of sense to me, too. Unless Florida just throws crazy money at him, I suspect his next move is to TAMU to be Gary's replacement.

[hogsfan31]

How about Chris Dailey, the associate head coach at UConn. Doubt she would leave but if she did, it would get a lot of publicity and it looks like she can recruit. Although recruiting at a program like UConn would have some advantages. Let's swing big with whom ever we hire. WPS!! GHG!!

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chris_dailey_389986.html

I've read several articles since 2004 where she's said she has no desire to be a head coach and run a program. She loves where she's at and what she's doing. Now whether she has a change of mind or gets to a place that maybe she wants to be a head coach has yet to be seen, but she would be a great one IMO. She helps  in recruiting, and she's just as vocal in running practices as Geno is.

[hogsfan31]

I'm not sure anyone knows about Williams. I would be shocked if she ended up on the Hill at this point. Whether it's UConn or any of the other top choices she's identified in addition to Arkansas (Baylor, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, and UCLA), who knows? She is (according to her twitter) cutting her list to 5 schools "in a week or two," so that doesn't bode well for us ... being coach-less and all. I guess we won't have long to wait, though.

Geno has been down to see her, so has Warlick at Tenn, Mulkey at Baylor, Muffett at Norte Dame, etc...one thing about Geno, of you have the ability to play Div I basketball at a high level, he will find you, even if you're in Canada.

I wouldn't be surprised to see her end up at Uconn or South Carolina.

[riccoar]

Geno has been down to see her, so has Warlick at Tenn, Mulkey at Baylor, Norte Dame, etc...one thing about Geno, of you have the ability to play Div I basketball at a high level, he will find you, even if you're in Canada.

The fricking Alabama of women's basketball coaches. 

[psycHOGlogist]

Christyn Williams is hardly a secret. She's the #2 ranked player in the nation and has played on a number of junior national teams. Literally everybody knows about her. Dykes did offer her first during her freshman year, and she has some pride in being an Arkansan (based on interpreting her twitter activity), and that's what I think has kept our name in the game for her. Can we stay there? We'll see.

[Gladstonesmoans]

Joe Foley

[Inhogswetrust]

Ugh. I would not be pleased with this. I just read some of her post-game quotes, and I don't like what I see. I seriously hope we can do better than this. 

Why don't we just let you and a couple of others on here form a committee and hire someone.

[psycHOGlogist]

Why don't we just let you and a couple of others on here form a committee and hire someone.

Why don't we create a ... let's say ... forum. Where people can express their ... opinions.

I'm for it.

[Inhogswetrust]

Why don't we create a ... let's say ... forum. Where people can express their ... opinions.

I'm for it.

My point was why make a decision based on a few post game comments. Heck I've heard hall of fame coaches make post game comments I didn't like.

[psycHOGlogist]

Okay, gotcha. Fair enough. I have other concerns, too, but you have a good point there.

[Inhogswetrust]

Okay, gotcha. Fair enough. I have other concerns, too, but you have a good point there.

Hey I'm willing to consider any concerns. At some point IF enough concerns are brought forth by enough people then a red flag goes up.

[riccoar]

If Foley has zero chance, then I see no way Rushing has much of one either.  I really hope they wait and hire a proven D1 coach with a resume for once.

[nwahogfan1]

The first place I would start my research is the top coaches in some of these top lady conferences who have ran successful programs for years and who has recruited well over many years.   I am sure we have better facilities and pay better so they would get a nice raise plus have great resources to recruit too.   The prospects should have good contacts with high schools and JUCO coaches and could get our program in good shape in short order.  I love coaches who are tough defensively but has compassion for the ladies so players know they are loved and will be well taken care of over the time they are here.   

I saw Gonzaga Ladies play and they won their league and conference tournament so Lady Coaches like this should be considered.

[psycHOGlogist]

In a very exciting game, the top-seeded Fighting Foleys of UALR go down to 5-seed U-LA-La in the Sun Belt semifinals. Bummer. I suspect that puts an end to the NCAAT hopes for the UALR squad - I can't see the Sun Belt getting two bids, and the Trojans don't have many quality wins to pin their hopes on this year. Definitely a WNIT team, I would think.

[BWS]

Christyn Williams put her top five up on twitter. Top five are Baylor, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UConn and UCLA.

[psycHOGlogist]

For the Matt Daniel fans -- not looking so good. Unless he's resigning BEFORE being hired for a better job. Weird deal, though... but I guess a dentist could easily make more than a WBB coach at a mid-major. Hope things work out for them. He did a decent job at Marshall, obviously.

http://www.herdzone.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/031217aaa.html

[Birminghog]

For the Matt Daniel fans -- not looking so good. Unless he's resigning BEFORE being hired for a better job. Weird deal, though... but I guess a dentist could easily make more than a WBB coach at a mid-major. Hope things work out for them. He did a decent job at Marshall, obviously.

http://www.herdzone.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/031217aaa.html

Seems fairly obvious. He wants his kids to be closer to family, and he can afford to move back home without a guaranteed job considering his wife's employment. Pretty honorable, IMO. Where will his wife's job be? Anyplace in Arkansas will be much closer to family than is Marshall.

[Porked Tongue]

Could get an assistant's job.

[LadybackBBFan]

Could get an assistant's job.

Maybe even at Arkansas?

[psycHOGlogist]

Have heard from several folks who I consider to be "in the know" (or at least certainly more "in the know" than I am) that the job is Neighbors' to accept or turn down, once the UW Huskies are done with the NCAAT this year.

I would be THRILLED if he took the job, especially if he brought his staff with him.

The only two things I would keep my eyes on with him are that:
a) their recruiting base while at UW was almost exclusively Washington and California (they've got one Arizona kid this year, too). They didn't get a lot of kids from our recruiting base (or even the SEC footprint) to sign. To be fair, they may not have even needed to try, given how fertile the recruiting base of the PAC-12 footprint is. Neighbors' assistants came from UConn and Ole Miss, so at least one of them (plus Neighbors) has connections here.

and

b) Can he win without a Kelsey Plum-type, NCAA record-setting star player? The supporting cast around her is very solid, but without her UW is likely a middle of the pack Pac12 team. That's probably not a fair question because he DID in fact have Kelsey Plum on his team. And who's to say he doesn't go out and recruit another one of her?

Anyway, just some things to mull over IF (and I hope it's a reality) we are fortunate enough to snag Neighbors.

[Porked Tongue]

I'll say this, Arkansas High School coaches and existing summer league organizations will welcome him with open arms.

[psycHOGlogist]

Very good point. He should have no trouble in-state.

Was thinking more about TX and the rest of the southeast. But hey, he gets to talk about Kelsey Plum and at least one Final Four, so that should open some doors, I'd think.

[LadybackBBFan]

Have heard from several folks who I consider to be "in the know" (or at least certainly more "in the know" than I am) that the job is Neighbors' to accept or turn down, once the UW Huskies are done with the NCAAT this year.

I would be THRILLED if he took the job, especially if he brought his staff with him.

The only two things I would keep my eyes on with him are that:
a) their recruiting base while at UW was almost exclusively Washington and California (they've got one Arizona kid this year, too). They didn't get a lot of kids from our recruiting base (or even the SEC footprint) to sign. To be fair, they may not have even needed to try, given how fertile the recruiting base of the PAC-12 footprint is. Neighbors' assistants came from UConn and Ole Miss, so at least one of them (plus Neighbors) has connections here.

and

b) Can he win without a Kelsey Plum-type, NCAA record-setting star player? The supporting cast around her is very solid, but without her UW is likely a middle of the pack Pac12 team. That's probably not a fair question because he DID in fact have Kelsey Plum on his team. And who's to say he doesn't go out and recruit another one of her?

Anyway, just some things to mull over IF (and I hope it's a reality) we are fortunate enough to snag Neighbors.

Remember he was Gardner's top assistant so he has contacts here in the area to recruit.  In addition, he was the top assistant at Dayton before going to Washington so that also builds a good base. 
Add in his two assistant coaches who have Connecticut and Vanderbilt connections, I believe they should be able to recruit here if anyone can.
He could tell Christyn Williams to come to Arkansas and become the next Kelsey Plum!  She never averaged less than 20+ points per game in her four years as a small guard.  That says something about his offense.  I also noticed that she got off 33 shots in her last game.  Maybe he could even make Wilson into a Plum - I have seen enough of her to know that she could get off that many shots if the coach gave her the green light.

[psycHOGlogist]

In addition, he was the top assistant at Dayton before going to Washington so that also builds a good base. 

Ah, I had missed that part of his background. Thanks!

He could tell Christyn Williams to come to Arkansas and become the next Kelsey Plum!  She never averaged less than 20+ points per game in her four years as a small guard.  That says something about his offense.  I also noticed that she got off 33 shots in her last game.  Maybe he could even make Wilson into a Plum - I have seen enough of her to know that she could get off that many shots if the coach gave her the green light.

We are totally sharing a brain on that one. I think, if he's the guy, there's a chance Wilson stays. Not sure how big of one (she tweeted an hourglass emoji today ...), but definitely non-zero (which is what it was if we hadn't made a move). Thanks for the insight!

[Porked Tongue]

If nothing else, it was for sure the correct time to make a change.

Just on instate talent alone, the new hire has a chance to improve quickly when it was simply not going to happen with Dykes.

[psycHOGlogist]

Interesting potential matchup - Schaeffer and MSU are slated to match up with Neighbors and UW in the Sweet 16.

Bring it on!

[Scott7703]

In my opinion Arkansas hits a grand slam with this hire and ms Williams signs with the hogs.

[Rocket23]

Ah, I had missed that part of his background. Thanks!

We are totally sharing a brain on that one. I think, if he's the guy, there's a chance Wilson stays. Not sure how big of one (she tweeted an hourglass emoji today ...), but definitely non-zero (which is what it was if we hadn't made a move). Thanks for the insight!

Remember he was Gardner's top assistant so he has contacts here in the area to recruit.  In addition, he was the top assistant at Dayton before going to Washington so that also builds a good base. 
Add in his two assistant coaches who have Connecticut and Vanderbilt connections, I believe they should be able to recruit here if anyone can.
He could tell Christyn Williams to come to Arkansas and become the next Kelsey Plum!  She never averaged less than 20+ points per game in her four years as a small guard.  That says something about his offense.  I also noticed that she got off 33 shots in her last game.  Maybe he could even make Wilson into a Plum - I have seen enough of her to know that she could get off that many shots if the coach gave her the green light.

He was at Xavier not Dayton before Washington.

[LadybackBBFan]

He was at Xavier not Dayton before Washington.

You are correct - sorry that I misstated.  However, my point is still valid - Xavier is in Cincinnati so that gives him even a better base of past relationships as that is as close to SEC  territory as you can get without being in an SEC state.  In addition, Ohio is an excellent state to recruit from.   

[Hogtied85]

Remember he was Gardner's top assistant so he has contacts here in the area to recruit.  In addition, he was the top assistant at Dayton before going to Washington so that also builds a good base. 
Add in his two assistant coaches who have Connecticut and Vanderbilt connections, I believe they should be able to recruit here if anyone can.
He could tell Christyn Williams to come to Arkansas and become the next Kelsey Plum!  She never averaged less than 20+ points per game in her four years as a small guard.  That says something about his offense.  I also noticed that she got off 33 shots in her last game.  Maybe he could even make Wilson into a Plum - I have seen enough of her to know that she could get off that many shots if the coach gave her the green light.

Yes ain't no telling what he can do for Wilson...that is why I pray that he takes Aaliyah Wilson's game to the next year. Just imagine what he can do with the nucleus we have here. It's not like we have a bad group of guys that just don't have the right guidance in coaching. Mike would be a great choice. If he is the one Malica Monk and Aaliyah Wilson will be Collegiate All-Americans and lets not forget about the development of Jailyn Mason

[Hogtied85]

Here is Mike Neighbors link to his incredible packline defense

https://coachmckay.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/university-of-washington-packline-note-package/

[LadybackBBFan]

Here is Mike Neighbors link to his incredible packline defense

https://coachmckay.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/university-of-washington-packline-note-package/

Excellent article.