Grading every head-coaching hire
Jeff Goodman, ESPN Insider
As vacancies are filled in college basketball, Jeff Goodman will give his assessment of each hire, handing out a letter grade for the match.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Avery Johnson
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level, 254-186 in seven NBA seasons with the Mavericks (2004-08) and Nets (2010-13)
The difference between Johnson and other NBA guys is that he has ties to grassroots basketball. He also can sell the fact that he played and coached in the league. I think Johnson will wind up assembling a strong staff that can help him land players.
Grade: B+
Arizona State Sun Devils: Bobby Hurley
Career record: 42-20 in two seasons at Buffalo (2013-15)
Arizona State swung and missed at Jeff Capel, but I believe they have gotten as good of a coach as they are going to get with Hurley. Is he a West Coast guy? Nope. But he has a strong name nationally and is a high-energy guy who will get after it. The key will be hiring at least one assistant who is strong on the West Coast.
Grade: A-
Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans: Chris Beard
Career record: 66-25 in three NCAA seasons at McMurry (2011-12) and Angelo State (2013-15)
Beard is a grinder who comes from Division II Angelo State, where he went 47-15 in two seasons with a program that had just two winning seasons in the past decade. Beard also learned from Bob Knight at Texas Tech. Tough job, but I think this is a quality choice despite the fact that he has no Arkansas ties.
Grade: B
Bradley Braves: Brian Wardle
Career record: 95-65 in five seasons at Green Bay (2010-15)
Wardle won the Horizon League regular-season title, has taken the program to the NIT each of the past two seasons, and is a combination recruiter and coach. This is a quality get by new athletic director Chris Reynolds.
Grade: B+
Charlotte 49ers: Mark Price
Career record: 0-0
Price is a former NBA All-Star who has been an NBA assistant since 2007, most recently with the Charlotte Hornets. I know Fred Hoiberg has been successful at Iowa State, but I'm generally not a huge fan of hiring NBA guys to come into college. More have failed than have succeeded. It just takes a while to get up to speed, and the burden will really fall on Price's assistants.
Grade: C
The Citadel Bulldogs: Duggar Baucom
Career record: 151-159 in 12 seasons at Tusculum (2003-05) and VMI (2005-15)
Baucom favors a fast, entertaining pace and did a good job at VMI. The Citadel has never been to the NCAA tournament and is not an easy job, but Baucom gets to live in Charleston and that's a major selling point. Plus, his name is Duggar.
Grade: B+
DePaul Blue Demons: Dave Leitao
Career record: 143-129 in nine seasons at Northeastern (1994-96), DePaul (2002-05) and Virginia (2005-09)
I like Leitao a lot as a guy, and I know he did a nice job in his three-year stint with the school from 2002 to 2005, but he is in his mid-50s now. I would have preferred a younger, hungrier head coach -- a la Bobby Hurley.
Grade: C+
East Tennessee State Buccaneers: Steve Forbes
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level
Forbes is a long-time assistant who was on Bruce Pearl's staff back when Tennessee had it rolling. He's also been a junior college head coach, and a successful one -- most recently at Northwest Florida State where he was 61-6 in two seasons. The last two years he's been on Gregg Marshall's staff at Wichita State. So, basically he's won everywhere he's been of late. Forbes also knows the landscape. He'll get players.
Grade: A-
Eastern Kentucky Colonels: Dan McHale
Career record: 0-0
McHale is a terrific pick. He's smart, and he's a quality evaluator. He comes from Richard Pitino's staff at Minnesota and was also with Kevin Willard at Seton Hall and Iona. McHale knows the state, having graduated from Kentucky; he was also on the staff at Louisville. McHale should be able to continue the success the program had under former coach Jeff Neubauer.
Grade: A-
Fordham Rams: Jeff Neubauer
Career record: 188-134 in 10 seasons at Eastern Kentucky (2005-15)
He has done a nice job since 2005 at Eastern Kentucky, taking the Colonels to a pair of NCAA tournaments. But it's a different animal in New York. Neubauer can coach, but he'll need players. That's my concern. I think Parker Executive Search has put a round peg in a square hole with this one.
Grade: C+
George Mason Patriots: Dave Paulsen
Career record: 386-211 in 21 seasons at St. Lawrence (1994-97), Le Moyne (1997-2000), Williams (2000-08) and Bucknell (2008-15)
George Mason missed on a few candidates, including UC Irvine's Russell Turner, but eventually did a nice job landing Paulsen, who went to a pair of NCAA tourneys and a pair of NITs in his seven seasons at Bucknell. The guy can coach.
Grade: B+
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Eran Ganot
Career record: 0-0
Ganot knows the job, since he was an assistant for the Rainbows from 2007 to 2010, but the key reason for this hire is the success Saint Mary's has had since he became an assistant there for the second time in 2010. The 33-year-old Ganot was Randy Bennett's associate head coach last season. Ganot is extremely smart and will give the program the clean image it needs after the recent NCAA investigation.
Grade: B
Holy Cross Crusaders: Bill Carmody
Career record: 284-245 in 17 seasons with Princeton (1996-2000) and Northwestern (2000-13)
He did a nice job at Princeton and also at Northwestern, but Carmody is 63, and I usually don't believe in guys going back to a low level in the twilight of their careers. I would have gone with a younger, high-energy coach for this job, which is one of the best in the Patriot League.
Grade: C-
Liberty Flames: Ritchie McKay
Career record: 204-186 in 13 seasons at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000), Oregon State (2000-02) New Mexico (2002-07) and Liberty (2007-09)
McKay left Liberty a few years back to take an assistant job at Virginia. Give him credit for being a part of the Cavs' success, but I'm just not a huge fan of returning somewhere -- especially when you left for an assistant gig after just two seasons. This one would baffle me, except for the fact that it was run by a search firm (Todd Turner and Dave Odom) and search firms screw up all the time.
Grade: C-
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Ben Howland
Career record: 399-208 in 19 seasons at Northern Arizona (1994-99), Pittsburgh (1999-2003) and UCLA (2003-2013)
I didn't like how this went down, with athletic director Scott Stricklin firing Rick Ray after just three seasons. But Stricklin knew this was his opportunity to get Howland, who is a terrific X's and O's guy. Howland led UCLA to three straight Final Fours, and now the question becomes whether he can recruit in the Deep South.
Grade: A-
Nevada Wolf Pack: Eric Musselman
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level, 108-138 in three NBA seasons with the Warriors (2002-04) and Kings (2006-07)
Musselman has bounced around a bit. He was a head coach in the NBA on two occasions, but he's been in the college ranks the last few years -- a couple with Herb Sendek at Arizona State and this past season under Johnny Jones at LSU. The 50-year-old is a high-energy guy who should make Nevada relevant again.
Grade: B
Northern Kentucky Norse: John Brannen
Career record: 0-0
I know Brannen was out of a job when he was hired, but he has turned down multiple D-I head-coaching jobs over the past couple of years. This isn't an easy job, but Brannen is from the area and has plenty of experience at different stops -- Alabama, VCU, St. Bonaventure, Eastern Kentucky and Charleston.
Grade: B+
Pennsylvania Quakers: Steve Donahue
Career record: 200-214 in at 14 seasons at Cornell (2000-10) and Boston College (2010-14)
This one was basically a lock the moment Jerome Allen was fired. Donahue struggled in his tenure at Boston College (54-76, one NIT appearance), but he's more suited for the Ivy League, where he had success with three straight NCAA appearances at the end of his Cornell run. Donahue can coach, and Penn has plenty of history.
Grade: B
SIU-Edwardsville Cougars: Jon Harris
Career record: 0-0
Harris is from the area and learned the coaching ropes as an assistant at Missouri State, Tennessee and Cal under Cuonzo Martin. The former Marquette player won't have an easy task, though, as this is a difficult job. The Cougars have never won more than 12 games at the D-I level or posted a winning league record in four seasons in the OVC.
Grade: B
St. John's Red Storm: Chris Mullin
Career record: 0-0
I'm all for reconnecting with the glory days of the Johnnies, but last time I checked, Mullin had never coached. Maybe he'll be Fred Hoiberg, but I'm not sold. I think it depends on the quality of Mullin's staff and whether his staff can help get him players. So, this one might be altered after I see his complete coaching staff. But for now, it's a C.
Grade: C
San Diego Toreros: Lamont Smith
Career Record: 0-0
He was somewhat of a surprise pick despite the fact he played at the school. Smith has bounced around a bit as an assistant, most recently working for Craig Neal at New Mexico. He's a West Coast guy, and that should help. Solid hire.
Grade: B
Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes
Career record: 604-314 in 28 seasons at George Mason (1987-88), Providence (1988-94), Clemson (1994-98) and Texas (1998-2015)
The guy has gone to the NCAA tourney in 19 of the past 20 seasons. I know he's 60 years old, but I think the way it ended in Texas will reinvigorate him. The issue is it's a significant rebuilding job right now at Tennessee. I don't think the Vols could have done much better.
Grade: B
Texas Longhorns: Shaka Smart
Career record: 163-56 in six seasons at VCU (2009-15)
I gave Smart a B- when he was hired at VCU (and he has reminded me of it), but this is a terrific hire by AD Steve Patterson at Texas. Smart will be able to recruit at a high level, and his style of play should get the fan base excited.
Grade: A-
UIC Flames: Steve McClain
Career record: 157-115 in eight seasons at Wyoming (1998-2007)
McClain has been an assistant under Tom Crean at Indiana since 2010, and it's not as if the Hoosiers have set the world on fire during that time. Still, McClain will bring plenty of energy to the table. He had six winning seasons in eight years at Wyoming and took the Cowboys to the NCAA tourney in 2002.
Grade: C
Utah State Aggies: Tim Duryea
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level
The 50-year-old assistant has been on the staff for the past 14 years and has been associate head coach the past seven. The program has averaged 23.6 wins per season over that span and has gone to six NCAA tournaments.
Grade: B+
Utah Valley Wolverines: Mark Pope
Career record: 0-0
I would have figured the former Kentucky big man could have landed something a little better, which is another way of saying Utah Valley made a strong hire. He has done a nice job as an assistant at BYU, and he also was at Wake. I like this one. A lot.
Grade: A-
VCU Rams: Will Wade
Career record: 40-25 in two seasons at Chattanooga (2013-15)
Wade helped get Tommy Amaker started at Harvard with players and was also critical to VCU's success. Wade is relentless and knows the landscape at VCU. The last two years were huge for him in terms of getting head-coaching experience. It may appear that he still isn't above the legal drinking age, but Wade will keep it going.
Grade: A-
Jeff Goodman, ESPN Insider
As vacancies are filled in college basketball, Jeff Goodman will give his assessment of each hire, handing out a letter grade for the match.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Avery Johnson
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level, 254-186 in seven NBA seasons with the Mavericks (2004-08) and Nets (2010-13)
The difference between Johnson and other NBA guys is that he has ties to grassroots basketball. He also can sell the fact that he played and coached in the league. I think Johnson will wind up assembling a strong staff that can help him land players.
Grade: B+
Arizona State Sun Devils: Bobby Hurley
Career record: 42-20 in two seasons at Buffalo (2013-15)
Arizona State swung and missed at Jeff Capel, but I believe they have gotten as good of a coach as they are going to get with Hurley. Is he a West Coast guy? Nope. But he has a strong name nationally and is a high-energy guy who will get after it. The key will be hiring at least one assistant who is strong on the West Coast.
Grade: A-
Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans: Chris Beard
Career record: 66-25 in three NCAA seasons at McMurry (2011-12) and Angelo State (2013-15)
Beard is a grinder who comes from Division II Angelo State, where he went 47-15 in two seasons with a program that had just two winning seasons in the past decade. Beard also learned from Bob Knight at Texas Tech. Tough job, but I think this is a quality choice despite the fact that he has no Arkansas ties.
Grade: B
Bradley Braves: Brian Wardle
Career record: 95-65 in five seasons at Green Bay (2010-15)
Wardle won the Horizon League regular-season title, has taken the program to the NIT each of the past two seasons, and is a combination recruiter and coach. This is a quality get by new athletic director Chris Reynolds.
Grade: B+
Charlotte 49ers: Mark Price
Career record: 0-0
Price is a former NBA All-Star who has been an NBA assistant since 2007, most recently with the Charlotte Hornets. I know Fred Hoiberg has been successful at Iowa State, but I'm generally not a huge fan of hiring NBA guys to come into college. More have failed than have succeeded. It just takes a while to get up to speed, and the burden will really fall on Price's assistants.
Grade: C
The Citadel Bulldogs: Duggar Baucom
Career record: 151-159 in 12 seasons at Tusculum (2003-05) and VMI (2005-15)
Baucom favors a fast, entertaining pace and did a good job at VMI. The Citadel has never been to the NCAA tournament and is not an easy job, but Baucom gets to live in Charleston and that's a major selling point. Plus, his name is Duggar.
Grade: B+
DePaul Blue Demons: Dave Leitao
Career record: 143-129 in nine seasons at Northeastern (1994-96), DePaul (2002-05) and Virginia (2005-09)
I like Leitao a lot as a guy, and I know he did a nice job in his three-year stint with the school from 2002 to 2005, but he is in his mid-50s now. I would have preferred a younger, hungrier head coach -- a la Bobby Hurley.
Grade: C+
East Tennessee State Buccaneers: Steve Forbes
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level
Forbes is a long-time assistant who was on Bruce Pearl's staff back when Tennessee had it rolling. He's also been a junior college head coach, and a successful one -- most recently at Northwest Florida State where he was 61-6 in two seasons. The last two years he's been on Gregg Marshall's staff at Wichita State. So, basically he's won everywhere he's been of late. Forbes also knows the landscape. He'll get players.
Grade: A-
Eastern Kentucky Colonels: Dan McHale
Career record: 0-0
McHale is a terrific pick. He's smart, and he's a quality evaluator. He comes from Richard Pitino's staff at Minnesota and was also with Kevin Willard at Seton Hall and Iona. McHale knows the state, having graduated from Kentucky; he was also on the staff at Louisville. McHale should be able to continue the success the program had under former coach Jeff Neubauer.
Grade: A-
Fordham Rams: Jeff Neubauer
Career record: 188-134 in 10 seasons at Eastern Kentucky (2005-15)
He has done a nice job since 2005 at Eastern Kentucky, taking the Colonels to a pair of NCAA tournaments. But it's a different animal in New York. Neubauer can coach, but he'll need players. That's my concern. I think Parker Executive Search has put a round peg in a square hole with this one.
Grade: C+
George Mason Patriots: Dave Paulsen
Career record: 386-211 in 21 seasons at St. Lawrence (1994-97), Le Moyne (1997-2000), Williams (2000-08) and Bucknell (2008-15)
George Mason missed on a few candidates, including UC Irvine's Russell Turner, but eventually did a nice job landing Paulsen, who went to a pair of NCAA tourneys and a pair of NITs in his seven seasons at Bucknell. The guy can coach.
Grade: B+
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Eran Ganot
Career record: 0-0
Ganot knows the job, since he was an assistant for the Rainbows from 2007 to 2010, but the key reason for this hire is the success Saint Mary's has had since he became an assistant there for the second time in 2010. The 33-year-old Ganot was Randy Bennett's associate head coach last season. Ganot is extremely smart and will give the program the clean image it needs after the recent NCAA investigation.
Grade: B
Holy Cross Crusaders: Bill Carmody
Career record: 284-245 in 17 seasons with Princeton (1996-2000) and Northwestern (2000-13)
He did a nice job at Princeton and also at Northwestern, but Carmody is 63, and I usually don't believe in guys going back to a low level in the twilight of their careers. I would have gone with a younger, high-energy coach for this job, which is one of the best in the Patriot League.
Grade: C-
Liberty Flames: Ritchie McKay
Career record: 204-186 in 13 seasons at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000), Oregon State (2000-02) New Mexico (2002-07) and Liberty (2007-09)
McKay left Liberty a few years back to take an assistant job at Virginia. Give him credit for being a part of the Cavs' success, but I'm just not a huge fan of returning somewhere -- especially when you left for an assistant gig after just two seasons. This one would baffle me, except for the fact that it was run by a search firm (Todd Turner and Dave Odom) and search firms screw up all the time.
Grade: C-
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Ben Howland
Career record: 399-208 in 19 seasons at Northern Arizona (1994-99), Pittsburgh (1999-2003) and UCLA (2003-2013)
I didn't like how this went down, with athletic director Scott Stricklin firing Rick Ray after just three seasons. But Stricklin knew this was his opportunity to get Howland, who is a terrific X's and O's guy. Howland led UCLA to three straight Final Fours, and now the question becomes whether he can recruit in the Deep South.
Grade: A-
Nevada Wolf Pack: Eric Musselman
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level, 108-138 in three NBA seasons with the Warriors (2002-04) and Kings (2006-07)
Musselman has bounced around a bit. He was a head coach in the NBA on two occasions, but he's been in the college ranks the last few years -- a couple with Herb Sendek at Arizona State and this past season under Johnny Jones at LSU. The 50-year-old is a high-energy guy who should make Nevada relevant again.
Grade: B
Northern Kentucky Norse: John Brannen
Career record: 0-0
I know Brannen was out of a job when he was hired, but he has turned down multiple D-I head-coaching jobs over the past couple of years. This isn't an easy job, but Brannen is from the area and has plenty of experience at different stops -- Alabama, VCU, St. Bonaventure, Eastern Kentucky and Charleston.
Grade: B+
Pennsylvania Quakers: Steve Donahue
Career record: 200-214 in at 14 seasons at Cornell (2000-10) and Boston College (2010-14)
This one was basically a lock the moment Jerome Allen was fired. Donahue struggled in his tenure at Boston College (54-76, one NIT appearance), but he's more suited for the Ivy League, where he had success with three straight NCAA appearances at the end of his Cornell run. Donahue can coach, and Penn has plenty of history.
Grade: B
SIU-Edwardsville Cougars: Jon Harris
Career record: 0-0
Harris is from the area and learned the coaching ropes as an assistant at Missouri State, Tennessee and Cal under Cuonzo Martin. The former Marquette player won't have an easy task, though, as this is a difficult job. The Cougars have never won more than 12 games at the D-I level or posted a winning league record in four seasons in the OVC.
Grade: B
St. John's Red Storm: Chris Mullin
Career record: 0-0
I'm all for reconnecting with the glory days of the Johnnies, but last time I checked, Mullin had never coached. Maybe he'll be Fred Hoiberg, but I'm not sold. I think it depends on the quality of Mullin's staff and whether his staff can help get him players. So, this one might be altered after I see his complete coaching staff. But for now, it's a C.
Grade: C
San Diego Toreros: Lamont Smith
Career Record: 0-0
He was somewhat of a surprise pick despite the fact he played at the school. Smith has bounced around a bit as an assistant, most recently working for Craig Neal at New Mexico. He's a West Coast guy, and that should help. Solid hire.
Grade: B
Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes
Career record: 604-314 in 28 seasons at George Mason (1987-88), Providence (1988-94), Clemson (1994-98) and Texas (1998-2015)
The guy has gone to the NCAA tourney in 19 of the past 20 seasons. I know he's 60 years old, but I think the way it ended in Texas will reinvigorate him. The issue is it's a significant rebuilding job right now at Tennessee. I don't think the Vols could have done much better.
Grade: B
Texas Longhorns: Shaka Smart
Career record: 163-56 in six seasons at VCU (2009-15)
I gave Smart a B- when he was hired at VCU (and he has reminded me of it), but this is a terrific hire by AD Steve Patterson at Texas. Smart will be able to recruit at a high level, and his style of play should get the fan base excited.
Grade: A-
UIC Flames: Steve McClain
Career record: 157-115 in eight seasons at Wyoming (1998-2007)
McClain has been an assistant under Tom Crean at Indiana since 2010, and it's not as if the Hoosiers have set the world on fire during that time. Still, McClain will bring plenty of energy to the table. He had six winning seasons in eight years at Wyoming and took the Cowboys to the NCAA tourney in 2002.
Grade: C
Utah State Aggies: Tim Duryea
Career record: 0-0 at NCAA level
The 50-year-old assistant has been on the staff for the past 14 years and has been associate head coach the past seven. The program has averaged 23.6 wins per season over that span and has gone to six NCAA tournaments.
Grade: B+
Utah Valley Wolverines: Mark Pope
Career record: 0-0
I would have figured the former Kentucky big man could have landed something a little better, which is another way of saying Utah Valley made a strong hire. He has done a nice job as an assistant at BYU, and he also was at Wake. I like this one. A lot.
Grade: A-
VCU Rams: Will Wade
Career record: 40-25 in two seasons at Chattanooga (2013-15)
Wade helped get Tommy Amaker started at Harvard with players and was also critical to VCU's success. Wade is relentless and knows the landscape at VCU. The last two years were huge for him in terms of getting head-coaching experience. It may appear that he still isn't above the legal drinking age, but Wade will keep it going.
Grade: A-
