Where do we go from here?

I am impatient too, but a little bit of perspective:

USF - Fired Walters 3/9; hired Smith 3/30 (21 days)
SCU - Fired Keating 3/7; hired Sendek 3/28 (21 days)
POR - Fired Reveno 3/15. 21 days would be next Tuesday, April 5

Please don't announce it on April Fools....

wrv wrote:For another perspective consider that the Pilots had time to work on their so-called "short list" during the period of their deliberation as to whether Reveno would be retained.

Our AD indicated he had a shortlist at the time of Reveno's termination.

Fair enough, but I'm sure those other schools had short lists too, prior to their terminations.

Having a short list is a lot different than actively engaging in interviews, negotiating contracts, etc.

Stonehouse wrote:I am impatient too, but a little bit of perspective:

USF - Fired Walters 3/9; hired Smith 3/30 (21 days)
SCU - Fired Keating 3/7; hired Sendek 3/28 (21 days)
POR - Fired Reveno 3/15. 21 days would be next Tuesday, April 5

Stonehouse wrote:Having a short list is a lot different than actively engaging in interviews, negotiating contracts, etc.

pilotram wrote:Please don't announce it on April Fools....

In total agreement with all of the above.....and don't worry, pilotram, it's extremely unlikely any of us will know anything today.

As mentioned by Stonehouse, this coming Tuesday is probably the most likely day we'll know anything....or maybe Wednesday, but hopefully that's at the latest.

As Stoney said, "Having a short list is a lot different than actively engaging in interviews, negotiating contracts, etc." and that is what has been going on.

Here's what I can surmise from my wanders through Waldschmidt Hall:  A short list of candidates visited the campus and were interviewed, and while this was happening, another candidate just kept on coaching in the CIT.  Once the CIT was over on Tuesday, and that coach decided to head for San Francisco, it was a matter of getting down to brass tacks in contract negotiations with the chosen candidate.  I surmise a firm contract offer was made yesterday (Thursday) and that contract is not yet signed, sealed, and delivered because of all the people (and lawyers too   ) that need to go over it and sign-off their agreement.  One can only hope at this point that negotiations are concluded because.....

......a pilot buddy of mine (and UP grad) saw the AD at PDX boarding a plane for Houston without any entourage or a prospective head coach in tow.  I just don't see the AD heading to the Final Four while negotiations are still going on.

As it is highly unlikely a new head coach will be introduced without the AD present, it is also unlikely we fans will know the identity of UP's next head coach until after the NCAA National Championship is concluded.

Listening to Canzano at lunch, he thought we'd know before the finals game on Monday. He also went on to say that he was not a fan of Terry Porter as a college coach unless he can get some quality assistants. I took away (reading between the lines) that he thought Terry would be the one named as coach.

TP it is!
http://www.csnnw.com/ncaa/pilots-name-terry-porter-head-mens-basketball-coach

blacksheep wrote:Listening to Canzano at lunch, he thought we'd know before the finals game on Monday.  He also went on to say that he was not a fan of Terry Porter as a college coach unless he can get some quality assistants.  I took away (reading between the lines) that he thought Terry would be the one named as coach.  

Canzano either has the inside scoop or he's very intuitive, and as I'd rather PilotNation get the scoop before the talking heads on the TV:

Yes, I have it from another "impeccable" source outside UP that all you wagon masters can hitch up your bandwagons....Terry Porter will be introduced as the newest UP MBB head coach after reaching an agreement yesterday.

As mentioned on PN, by Canzano, and by some on the search committee, there are some who question Porter's coaching chops at the college level....so to alleviate that concern it would appear that coming on board with Porter is an "assistant with some serious veteran WCC experience." Someone who can do the heavy lifting when it comes to the ins and outs of D1 basketball while Porter develops his craft.

I'll now leave it to Terry Cahill to keep an eye on Twitter to see who in the media reads this forum....

Oops well that was quick, as I was writing my scoop, I was scooped....

Oh well, it's good to have collaborative evidence.

About time! I'm excited. Now it's time to get to work. Do we have a strength coach yet?

EXCELLENT! Go, Pilots!

DoubleDipper wrote:...it would appear that coming on board with Porter is an "assistant with some serious veteran WCC experience." Someone who can do the heavy lifting when it comes to the ins and outs of D1 basketball while Porter develops his craft.

I was worried that all the fun guessing games were over, but now we get to keep playing! So...

Bill Grier
Max Good
Jim Shaw
Joel Sobotka

Mike Burns

@DoubleDipper wrote:As mentioned on PN, by Canzano, and by some on the search committee, there are some who question Porter's coaching chops at the college level....so to alleviate that concern it would appear that coming on board with Porter is an "assistant with some serious veteran WCC experience." Someone who can do the heavy lifting when it comes to the ins and outs of D1 basketball while Porter develops his craft.

I heard it in the car from 1080 the Fan via Dwight Jaynes. I completely agree that the staff of assistants is crucial. No rookies learning the craft. And a proper budget to pay them and allow them to recruit wherever they need to go to find players.

Can we get Rex as an assistant? That guy had to recruit a new team every year after he drove the last one off. Imagine if you will....what type of player he could recruit if he only had to fill a normal number of slots every year.

How about Jack Sikma as an assistant? He and Porter coached together at Minnesota, and he has a strong UP connection.

I am excited for this hire. I am glad a decision has been made. The assistant coaches will be as big an impact. They are where the player development comes in.

Is it too outlandish to see Eric Reveno as the assistant "with some serious WCC veteran experience"???

I guess you thought I was April fooling you

MIKE BURNS

Look at his WCC resume!!!!!!!!!

MIKE BURNS is the coach being referenced

dholcombe wrote:Can we get Rex as an assistant? That guy had to recruit a new team every year after he drove the last one off. Imagine if you will....what type of player he could recruit if he only had to fill a normal number of slots every year.

Nobody took the April fools bait?

NoPoNeighbor wrote:EXCELLENT! Go, Pilots!
I was worried that all the fun guessing games were over, but now we get to keep playing! So...

Bill Grier

upbasketball544 wrote:Mike Burns

No not Bill Grier, he's going to Colorado as an assistant, but as 544 stated, Mike Burns, Grier's assistant at USD for 7 years, will be the top assistant.

As most will recall, Burns was the interim HC at Pacific after Coach Verlin was suspended this past December and subsequently fired. Prior to his time at USD Burns was the HC at Eastern Washington for 3 years, but the tie-in to Coach Porter appears to be more related to his time as an assistant at Washington State to HC Dick Bennett.....

Why is the Bennett connection a tie-in to Burns coming to UP?  Because, as you will recall, Coach Porter's coach at Wisconsin-Stevens Point was the same Dick Bennett who mentored Burns at WSU.

Want another tie-in that may mean nothing, but I hope it does......Eric Jackson, UP assistant coach for 10 seasons, was the point guard and team captain at Wisconsin-Green Bay when Dick Bennett was the HC there....  I personally would love to see Coach Jackson remain on the UP staff....as unlikely as it may seem.

dholcombe wrote:

dholcombe wrote:Can we get Rex as an assistant? That guy had to recruit a new team every year after he drove the last one off. Imagine if you will....what type of player he could recruit if he only had to fill a normal number of slots every year.

Nobody took the April fools bait?

Actually, you made a good point about his recruiting, but I just couldn't stomach the thought of Rex on the UP campus again.

Here's a rumor, that if true may bring out the torches and pitch-forks:  Rev is interested in moving back to the Bay Area, and it is no secret that he'd like to be the assistant at Stanford.....but if that doesn't work out, he's being mentioned as the top assistant to his friend Kyle Smith at USF...

Burns would be a great get as top assistant, let's hope Porter can get him hired!  Burns has plenty of head coaching experience (look at what he was able to get out of this year's Pacific team?!) and WCC experience:

Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–1995 Highline CC (asst.)
1995–1996 Tyee HS
1996–1999 Central Washington (asst.)
1999–2000 Stephen F. Austin (asst.)
2000–2003 Eastern Washington (asst.)
2003–2004 Washington State (asst.)
2004–2007 Eastern Washington
2007–2008 CC of Spokane
2008–2014 San Diego (asst.)
2015–2016 Pacific (interim HC)

This is the type of assistant that we would want under Porter... great news if true!

Doubledipper wrote:most will recall, Burns was the interim HC at Pacific after Coach Verlin was suspended this past December and subsequently fired. Prior to his time at USD Burns was the HC at Eastern Washington for 3 years, but the tie-in to Coach Porter appears to be more related to his time as an assistant at Washington State to HC Dick Bennett.....

Pilotnut wrote:2004–2007 Eastern Washington

What I recall is he was let go at EW in an NCAA secondary violation keffluffle that the university self reported.

Geezaldinho wrote:What I recall is he was let go at EW in an NCAA secondary violation keffluffle that the university self reported.

Yup, Burns was fired during a time when EWU was also turning over university presidents and athletic directors.  After the interim athletic director came in and snooped around for a couple of months he fired Burns.

Burns' case was probably hurt by the fact he’d had a pretty high player attrition rate, his Eagles didn’t qualify for the 6 team Big Sky postseason tournament, his best player, sophomore Rodney Stuckey, opted for the NBA, and Burns had a “convenience clause” in his contract that allowed the university to pay him only a 3 month severance on the two years remaining on his contract.

Oh, EWU beat the Pilots in the Chiles Center in Burns’ last year there, 87-66.  Stuckey dropped 18 with 8 assists and 7 rebounds.  

As you said, Geez, EWU self-reported a couple of secondary violations after Burns was fired….nothing that tarnished Burns’ record or reputation, as I recall.