Personally, love the idea of Abdur-Rahim. Cal family connection. Bro still a big supporter, and has NBA ties. Young up-and-comer (hopefully). Sure, he'll have some growing pains, but anyone is better than Fox. Add Shantay, Theo?
(Concerned about teh wonky Pasternack burning out, a la Tedford.)
Vetting is a solid process where you have the opportunity to find what invariably may take someone out of the running. The search firm that was deployed in the hiring of Fox was done haphazardly and much too quickly. I do find that some on this list should be given full consideration, starting with Abdur Rahim. I like his resume and the family are basketball Blue Bloods. His brother Sharieff ,President of the NBA affiliated G League, had an outstanding career at Cal and he continues to excell in the development of student athletes who want to make a career in the sport, and Amir shares that DNA. Tim Miles ,for me deserves consideration as well, having done excellent work at San Jose state and had them playing well in the CBI tournament, until yesterday. Shantay Leggins was on my original list, having played at Cal and has really organized the program in Portland. I hope that his transfer from Cal does not exclude his candidacy. Russell Turner is also an intriguing candidate. He's coached in the UC system, albeit Irvine, but his connection with Mike Montgomery is interesting. Montgomery believes in maintaining a connection to the former players and allowed them to return for mentoring as Lamond Murray alluded to. Finally, Randy Bennett would be the worst hire imaginable. Embracing diversity and reflecting it with the product that you put out on the floor is very important in today's market of student athletes.
"Finally, Randy Bennett would be the worst hire imaginable. Embracing diversity and reflecting it with the product that you put out on the floor is very important in today's market of student athletes."
Can you expand on this? Cal has tried to hire him in the past. He will also be a top candidate for ASU if/when Hurley leaves. He is an excellent coach who runs a proven system that consistently works with the athletes he gets in Moraga.
I think his point is that Bennett's teams are suspiciously white. It is rare to see a starting line-up with five white dudes in this day and age. Hard to tell if this is chance, his reliance on Australian and European players, or what. There are a few non-whites on the team and his main assistant is non-white, so who knows what the story is exactly....but it is unusual.
FWIW, other than Patty Mills, a majority of his high profile players over the years have been white. It is unusual, but as you said, he hits Australia and Europe pretty hard on the recruiting trail.
Also hard to say what diversity is in basketball and what constitutes underrepresented. Whatever system he is using it works on the court. Hope there is nothing else to it.
I just hope an announcement is made while the tourney is still running, maybe Thursday or Friday. (Please no "safe" hires this time around). Gotta swing for the fences now.
Good board, folks! Nice - and thank you!! I heard they contacted Jamie Dixon as well in the “Reach for the Stars” category, FWIW…and Croy at Cal Baptist got a feeler. As for these candidates:
“Tim Miles: Would not be an exciting hire but Miles can at least coach.”
Sounds exactly like something that was likely written somewhere about Mark Fox 4 years ago. The similarities are striking, and Miles’ turnaround at San Jose State is somewhat of an outlier given the presence of MWC POY and likely future NBA G Omari Moore, a player he inherited from the previous regime. While Miles did get him to stay, I suppose, if there is one thing the program absolutely needs, it is EXCITEMENT…a spark in interest …and this is not it. He would be another disappointing Knowlton hire that would likely trudge along in Berkeley and bring a low ceiling, high floor to the mix…sounds familiar. Please, no.
I keep coming back to Pasternack; his donor support and knowledge of the Cal machinery would be vital as an academic-focused school like Cal transitions to the next phase in a collegiate revenue sports world dominated by the transfer portal and NIL. Donor support will be vital to get the rumored dedicated practice facility done in a parking area near Haas. If Cal is going to maintain the high admission standards that impacts their ability to bring in some players, improving in other areas like the practice facility, portal and NIL fields is a necessity…Pasternack checks those boxes.
Fingers crossed. Thanks again for the awesome article, folks!! Exciting and anxious times…
In a perfect world, sure, especially if he is going to eventually be terminated as Athletic Director because of this role/reaction to the McKeever situation...you want your AD to be on the same page as the HCs.
But waiting to hire a head Men's Basketball coach is not practical. That investigation will take months...Cal needs to move immediately, especially with the transfer portal already being open...ideally, they would have already made a hire. Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Iona, have acted with urgency and already made hires. They have competent athletic directors though, something Cal does not.
what happened to Stan Johnson that he's no longer on the list? Or some of the other names you've floated? C'mon, we need the tea, this waiting game is not as fun as it sounds.
au contraire. The NCAA does have limits on the number of D1 coaches, and their roles. For example, they just voted to eliminate teh Grad Assistant position in b'ball, but increased the Assistant Coaches by 2, but those 2 newbies will not be allowed to recruit off campus.
I want someone who has shown they can run a program, recruit players and develop talent. Randle has proven none of this.
If he gets some coaching experience at the college level, then hiring him as an assistant makes sense. But it’s a very large leap from distributing the ball as a player to drawing up offensive and defensive schemes and organizing a multi-million dollar enterprise.
My own personal wish is for Theo as HC and Randle as lead recruiter.
Personally, love the idea of Abdur-Rahim. Cal family connection. Bro still a big supporter, and has NBA ties. Young up-and-comer (hopefully). Sure, he'll have some growing pains, but anyone is better than Fox. Add Shantay, Theo?
(Concerned about teh wonky Pasternack burning out, a la Tedford.)
*Abdur-Rahim
my bad, thank you for the correction.
If we get Tedford-level success out of Pasternack, I'll happily pay for a vacation for him and his family following his dismissal in 2034... ;-)
Vetting is a solid process where you have the opportunity to find what invariably may take someone out of the running. The search firm that was deployed in the hiring of Fox was done haphazardly and much too quickly. I do find that some on this list should be given full consideration, starting with Abdur Rahim. I like his resume and the family are basketball Blue Bloods. His brother Sharieff ,President of the NBA affiliated G League, had an outstanding career at Cal and he continues to excell in the development of student athletes who want to make a career in the sport, and Amir shares that DNA. Tim Miles ,for me deserves consideration as well, having done excellent work at San Jose state and had them playing well in the CBI tournament, until yesterday. Shantay Leggins was on my original list, having played at Cal and has really organized the program in Portland. I hope that his transfer from Cal does not exclude his candidacy. Russell Turner is also an intriguing candidate. He's coached in the UC system, albeit Irvine, but his connection with Mike Montgomery is interesting. Montgomery believes in maintaining a connection to the former players and allowed them to return for mentoring as Lamond Murray alluded to. Finally, Randy Bennett would be the worst hire imaginable. Embracing diversity and reflecting it with the product that you put out on the floor is very important in today's market of student athletes.
"Finally, Randy Bennett would be the worst hire imaginable. Embracing diversity and reflecting it with the product that you put out on the floor is very important in today's market of student athletes."
Can you expand on this? Cal has tried to hire him in the past. He will also be a top candidate for ASU if/when Hurley leaves. He is an excellent coach who runs a proven system that consistently works with the athletes he gets in Moraga.
I think his point is that Bennett's teams are suspiciously white. It is rare to see a starting line-up with five white dudes in this day and age. Hard to tell if this is chance, his reliance on Australian and European players, or what. There are a few non-whites on the team and his main assistant is non-white, so who knows what the story is exactly....but it is unusual.
FWIW, other than Patty Mills, a majority of his high profile players over the years have been white. It is unusual, but as you said, he hits Australia and Europe pretty hard on the recruiting trail.
Also hard to say what diversity is in basketball and what constitutes underrepresented. Whatever system he is using it works on the court. Hope there is nothing else to it.
Completely agree.
I have never viewed Randy Bennett as a viable candidate at Cal, though...even before we hired Monty over him...and then Cuonzo.
Pasternack should be in the middle tier. He is a way more attractive candidate than Turner or Miles.
Gary Payton! A Deion Sanders kind of hire. Has relationship with Oski. HC at Lincoln U (Oakland)
Billy Donovan. A return to college greatness and fewer egos!
The GP idea is interesting! Trying to imagine one of his and Knowlton’s weekly one-on-ones.
Hammons is the unAmerican fool that became a Russian citizen to play for the Russians in the Olympics.
<sarcasm>
Well then, she would fit right in with the commies in Berkeley.
</sarcasm>
She is an excellent coach who has college and NBA experience. We're probably beneath her level.
I just hope an announcement is made while the tourney is still running, maybe Thursday or Friday. (Please no "safe" hires this time around). Gotta swing for the fences now.
Good board, folks! Nice - and thank you!! I heard they contacted Jamie Dixon as well in the “Reach for the Stars” category, FWIW…and Croy at Cal Baptist got a feeler. As for these candidates:
“Tim Miles: Would not be an exciting hire but Miles can at least coach.”
Sounds exactly like something that was likely written somewhere about Mark Fox 4 years ago. The similarities are striking, and Miles’ turnaround at San Jose State is somewhat of an outlier given the presence of MWC POY and likely future NBA G Omari Moore, a player he inherited from the previous regime. While Miles did get him to stay, I suppose, if there is one thing the program absolutely needs, it is EXCITEMENT…a spark in interest …and this is not it. He would be another disappointing Knowlton hire that would likely trudge along in Berkeley and bring a low ceiling, high floor to the mix…sounds familiar. Please, no.
I keep coming back to Pasternack; his donor support and knowledge of the Cal machinery would be vital as an academic-focused school like Cal transitions to the next phase in a collegiate revenue sports world dominated by the transfer portal and NIL. Donor support will be vital to get the rumored dedicated practice facility done in a parking area near Haas. If Cal is going to maintain the high admission standards that impacts their ability to bring in some players, improving in other areas like the practice facility, portal and NIL fields is a necessity…Pasternack checks those boxes.
Fingers crossed. Thanks again for the awesome article, folks!! Exciting and anxious times…
GO BEARS!! Gotta ace this hire!
In a perfect world, sure, especially if he is going to eventually be terminated as Athletic Director because of this role/reaction to the McKeever situation...you want your AD to be on the same page as the HCs.
But waiting to hire a head Men's Basketball coach is not practical. That investigation will take months...Cal needs to move immediately, especially with the transfer portal already being open...ideally, they would have already made a hire. Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Iona, have acted with urgency and already made hires. They have competent athletic directors though, something Cal does not.
what happened to Stan Johnson that he's no longer on the list? Or some of the other names you've floated? C'mon, we need the tea, this waiting game is not as fun as it sounds.
au contraire. The NCAA does have limits on the number of D1 coaches, and their roles. For example, they just voted to eliminate teh Grad Assistant position in b'ball, but increased the Assistant Coaches by 2, but those 2 newbies will not be allowed to recruit off campus.
You don't make any sense. To get students to visit the campus, you need to recruit off campus.
I have a hard time assessing “ex-player to coach” chops. I LOVE Jerome, and assume he’d be a big addition, but don’t have a real rationale to say why.
I want someone who has shown they can run a program, recruit players and develop talent. Randle has proven none of this.
If he gets some coaching experience at the college level, then hiring him as an assistant makes sense. But it’s a very large leap from distributing the ball as a player to drawing up offensive and defensive schemes and organizing a multi-million dollar enterprise.
I'm aware of his resume and his impact on Cal BBall; but not all players should also be coaches. Just not sure how to assess that; that's my point.
I totally understand your point and agree 100%.
It will be funny if Bob starts Jerome Randle campaign and he will be a hot commodity in 5 years lol
March 2028 headline: Stanford hires Jerome Randle as head basketball coach.