Porter is Gone…Now What and Who’s Next?

SoCalPilot wrote: If you think the action in the streets doesn’t reflect negatively on UP, you are mistaken.

Let's keep this about athletics, ok?

In that regard, as a prospective UP student or student-athlete, we really couldn't care less what is being reported by some news sources about Portland because most of us know the city to be far better and safer than many cities its size across America.  

UP students, like most students everywhere, go on about their daily lives without any regard to what might be happening at night in downtown Portland, and we know Portland is not an "anarchist" city as designated by the previous president and perpetuated by some news sources.

So what does that have to do with the purpose of this thread...what's next for recruiting now that Porter is gone?  

Although students may not be affected by what is being written about the protests in downtown Portland, the parents of students are affected, and parents are a big part of the recruitment of student-athletes.  

Has UP lost any recruits (student or student-athlete) because of what parents are hearing and reading about Portland violence?  YES!

A small number of students have decided not to attend UP after being accepted because of their (parent's?) perception of Portland protests...and it would stand to reason that student-athletes are among that small group of students...and I've been told females, including female student-athletes, have been affected the most.

DoubleDipper wrote:Gotta hope the early dismissal of Porter means UP will have a deal in place with a coach who can sign on as their season comes to an end or no later the mid-March.

It is getting close to "mid-March," are we hearing any rumors?  

Some have said the front-runner for the UP coaching position is the most senior assistant coach on the list that Dean Murdoch shared with us, Jim Shaw.

DoubleDipper wrote:Scott has indicated he has narrowed a list that includes some with D1 or D2 head coaching experience, and assistants who have experience recruiting in the WCC.  

How about a coach who has lots of D1 experience as an assistant, has coached in the WCC, and whose only head-coaching experience is at a D2 school!?

I’m guessing a dozen or so good candidates to replace Porter will be interviewed, but former UP assistant, Jim Shaw, currently the lead assistant at Washington State, would likely have the most extensive coaching background of all. Shaw has a very low-key personality and would not bring media excitement nor sideline antics to UP, but he would bring college coaching experience and a history of winning.

In his mid-50s, Shaw doesn’t meet my criteria for a “young” coach, and you have to ask yourself, why has he never been a D1 head coach, but just the same, his experience is far greater than that of any previous UP head coach!

Prior to joining former Columbia and USF head coach Kyle Smith at WSU, Shaw was the head coach at his alma mater, D2 Western Oregon, from 2015-19, where he compiled a 102-30 overall record, led the Wolves to a #1 national ranking and to the NCAA D2 Tournament three times.

Prior to Western Oregon, Shaw spent three seasons with Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s where he helped guide the Gaels to back-to-back 20-plus win seasons.

Prior to SMC, Shaw spent nine seasons as assistant to Lorenzo Romar at UW, where the Huskies were a combined 208-100.  During that span, Shaw was a part of five Pac-10 Championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and three appearances in the Sweet 16. (Romar is now the head coach at Pepperdine).

Before Washington, Shaw served the previous five seasons at the University of Oklahoma on Kelvin Sampson's staff where he helped the Sooners to a 131-37 record, three Big 12 Tournament titles, a Final Four appearance and an Elite Eight berth. (Sampson is now the head coach at #12 Houston).

Before Oklahoma, Shaw served as the lead-assistant to Rob Chavez at UP from 1994 to 1999 where he helped the Pilots land a 1996 NCAA Tournament berth, UP’s first (and last) in over 30 years, while compiling a combined 69-68 record.

Before coming to UP Shaw coached at Oregon State for two seasons alongside Jim Anderson, as the nationally ranked 1990 Beaver team won the Pac-10 championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

At Idaho State, where he began his first assistant coaching assignment in 1987, he helped lead the Bengals to the Big Sky Tournament championship and the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth…ISU's first NCAA appearance in 10 years.

Want the flash of expensive suits and an NBA career?  Then Shaw is NOT your man, but if you want D1, D2, WCC experience, and a winning record, Jim seems the right choice to lead the Pilots.

Jim is not my first choice to be UP's next coach, he is currently my 6th out of 7, but I am confident Shaw would help turn around the program if given the opportunity.

I didn’t know that Jim Shaw was a coach at UP during the Chavez era.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I didn’t know that Jim Shaw was a coach at UP during the Chavez era.

Chavez came to UP after two years at Maryland Eastern Shore, where he had a winning record, but most of his experience was at the JUCO level at Chemeketa, and Shaw was his experienced assistant along with two lesser experienced coaches who were really good, but eventually burned-out at UP.  At the end of Chavez era, Shaw was the only one of the four who stayed in coaching.

Rob and his assistants were good coaches, but were not so good at recruiting, and they went to the NCAA Tournament in 1996 with Larry Steel's recruits, for the most part.  

Chavez has the third highest wining percentage at UP (93-103/.474) behind only Al Negratti (163-156/.511) and Jack Avina (222-243/.477).  It is interesting that all three coaches with the highest winning percentages at UP developed their coaching skills at the high school and JUCO level.

The former NBA players who coached at UP did not come close to those numbers:  Michael Holton (54-91/.372); Terry Porter (43-103/.295); and Larry Steele (56-141/.284).

@CoachingChanges wrote:Names for Portland, but if I'm Scott Leykam, I'd lean on Erik Spoelstra heavily to the point of almost just letting him make the hire (not sure all of these guys would say yes)
Adam Cohen (Stanford associate)
Jason Hart (USC associate)
Shantay Legans (EWU head)
Matt Logie (Point Loma Nazarene head)
Mike Mennenga (Oregon assistant)
Jesse Pruitt (Stanford assistant)
Jim Shaw (WSU assistant)
Marlon Stewart (OSU assistant)  

We’ve talked some about Shantay Legans, but let’s not overlook the only other head coach on the list that Dean shared with us, Matt Logie!

Matt, originally from Mercer Island, was highly recommended on PN five years ago when he had gone from being the associate head coach at D1 Lehigh (his alma-mater), to D3 Whitworth where he eventually compiled a record of 194-35 in eight seasons.  

Now at D2 Point Loma Nazarene, Logie compiled a 24-6 record last season, and so far, in this truncated season, his Sea Lions are 8-2, with the NCAA D2 West Regionals ahead beginning on March 12.

The most notable coach to go directly from D3 to D1 was the now retired Bo Ryan at Wisconsin, but of course Scott Rueck made the successful jump from D-3 George Fox to D1 OSU, and Scott Leykam must be intrigued with Logie after Mike Meek’s move from D3 George Fox to UP.  Logie has already made the jump from D3 to D2, but the step to D1 can be a big one.

Tim Nicholas, father of former player Ryan Nicholas, wrote:Logie is a class act, a great X and O guy and more importantly all his players would stand in front of a bus for him.

PDX -- 5 years ago wrote:Someone like Logie might be exactly what UP needs.  Porter is a great name, but after the initial hype wears off, is he really what is going to serve Pilot Basketball best in the future and for the long term? We need someone eager, hungry and with a PROVEN college coaching record.

IMO, if Matt Logie does not get a look from a D1 school soon, it is an indication the ADs at D1 schools feel a little too under the gun or lack the confidence to make bold choices or take chances.

Logie is currently my 3rd choice to become UP's next head coach.

DoubleDipper wrote:Logie is currently my 3rd choice to become UP's next head coach.

DoubleDipper wrote:Jim is not my first choice to be UP's next coach, he is currently my 6th out of 7, but I am confident Shaw would help turn around the program if given the opportunity.

Come on Dipper, give us your list! Who's at 1 and 2?

DoubleDipper wrote:Some players are upset about TP’s departure, and it is a given that some will eventually put their names in the transfer portal...

Pilots basketball is over for this season, the players are back from Las Vegas with nothing to do except hangout and take online classes, and this is likely the week we will begin to see a few Pilots' names hit the transfer portal.

The much improved Pilots we saw against SCU in Las Vegas provided a good audition for both the players and coaches, but as easy at it may seem for some of the players to find schools closer to home, it will not be so easy for the coaching staff.

I just hope Coach Johnson, who moved his family here from Australia five years ago, will get an interview with UP and other schools if he wants to remain in the US.

IMO, he deserves a shot at the becoming the next UP head coach, and I rank him at #4 on my list of 7 potentials for the job.

As someone who works in game-day operations at my alma mater (Willamette), I got a chance to watch Logie's teams up close once a year for basically his entire tenure at Whitworth.  He inherited a terrific program from current Seattle U coach Jim Hayford--who also made the jump straight from D3 to D1 when he went to Eastern Washington--but what was so impressive about Logie was that he kept them at that level consistently.

It did feel like the Pirates eventually hit a bit of a ceiling.  Whitman (led by onetime Pepperdine interim coach Eric Bridgeland) eventually passed them in the conference pecking order, and won the title two out of Logie's last three years.  But that really isn't a knock on Logie--Bridgeland is a terrific D3 recruiter and has a system that's tailor-made for success at that level--and I suspect that if he'd stuck around at Whitworth the pendulum would have eventually swung back.

I may be wrong here but isn't Point Loma a D2 school? Also I would take a hire like Logie in a heartbeat! He's young, with Mid-Major experience (Lehigh) and Head Coaching success at multiple stops (Whitworth and Point Loma)

GoPilots19 wrote:I may be wrong here but isn't Point Loma a D2 school?

Yea, I did write D3 West Regionals...fixed it!.  Thanks.

Dean Murdoch wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:Logie is currently my 3rd choice to become UP's next head coach.

DoubleDipper wrote:Jim is not my first choice to be UP's next coach, he is currently my 6th out of 7, but I am confident Shaw would help turn around the program if given the opportunity.

Come on Dipper, give us your list! Who's at 1 and 2?

I too am deeply intrigued by who tops this list DD!

I have looked at all the WCC assistant coaches and think Scott Garson, in his third season as an assistant coach with the Santa Clara, would be the best fit among that group.  Garson just finished his 23rd year on a collegiate coaching staff that included five different schools where he has been part of 22 winning seasons including 17 postseason berths, 10 conference championships, and 3 NCAA Division I Final Fours.

Prior to arriving at SCU in 2018, Garson, spent the previous five seasons as head coach at the College of Idaho where he led the Yotes to a 129-42 record, three Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season championships, three league tournament titles and four NAIA national tournament appearance.

Prior to his time at the College of Idaho, Garson was on Ben Howland’s staff at UCLA for nine seasons during which the Bruins amassed a record of 222-90.

Prior to UCLA, Garson worked under Hall of Fame Coach Rick Majerus at the University of Utah for five years where the Utes won four Mountain West Conference titles and amassed a record of 112-47.

Garson graduated from UCSB in 1999, so he is just outside my under 40-years-old criteria, but he is my #5 choice to head the UP program.

GoPilots19 wrote:I too am deeply intrigued by who tops this list DD!

Probably the same guy that tops mine.

You've got a bunch of guys that you hope will become successful D1 head coaches, and you've got one guy that already IS a successful D1 head coach. And he's one of the younger guys on the list, too.

Shantay Legans should be the target. But if he says no, I've got faith that literally anyone else on the list would be an improvement over the last five years.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Probably the same guy that tops mine.

Yup!

First off, I have no idea who Scott’s is interviewing, or if the interviews are complete and he is now doing background checks. Secondly, my list of seven includes only names of coaches I believe would accept the UP job…providing they are assured of the funds and support to rebuild the program. And finally, it is nearly impossible to select someone without a personal interview…but here goes:

1. Shantay Legans (Eastern Washington HC) #2 seed in Big Sky Tournament ending March 13.
2. Mike Magpayo (Cal Riverside Interim HC) #3 seed in Big West Tournament ending March13.
3. Matt Logie (Point Loma Nazarene HC) #4 seed in D2 West regionals until March 15.
4. Ben Johnson (UP Interim HC) Season has ended.  
5. Scott Garson (Santa Clara #2 Assistant) Season has ended.
6. Jim Shaw (WSU #1 Assistant) #9 seed in Pac-12 Tournament March 10-13.
7. Brian Michelson (Gonzaga #3 Assistant) Probable #1 seed in NCAA Tournament ending April 5.

Todd Simon, the head coach at Southern Utah, winner of the Big Sky regular season title, would be in my Top-3 if I thought he would leave Cedar City for Portland.  I suppose he could if the $$$ was REALLY good…however, I do see him going to major program at some point in his career.  

I was determined to put at least two WCC assistants on my list, and after looking at all of them, Garson at SCU and Michelson at GU were the only two who seemed a good fit.

Except for Jim Shaw (WSU assistant), I have not included any of the Pac-12 assistants on the list that Dean Murdoch shared: Adam Cohen (#6 Stanford); Jason Hart (#2 USC); Mike Mennenga (#1 UO); Jesse Pruitt (#6 Stanford); and Marlon Stewart (#5 OSU), because I am just not sure of their fit at UP or even their interest…but they are all potentially excellent candidates to replace Terry Porter.

I doubt many of us think Ben Johnson will get the top job, but IMO it would be a smart move to keep him on the staff...


Shantay Legans

Todd Simon would be a good hire too.

Woodless 2.0 wrote:Todd Simon would be a good hire too.

Haha, thanks Woodless...I meant Todd Simon!

I'll fix my post.

That's a good list! I agree with both you and Dean that Legans has to be #1. Even though Ben is a likable guy and a worthy candidate I find it hard to believe that they will want to keep anyone from this staff.

DoubleDipper wrote:Todd Simon, the head coach at Southern Utah, winner of the Big Sky regular season title, would be in my Top-3 if I thought he would leave Cedar City for Portland.  I suppose he could if the $$$ was REALLY good…however, I do see him going to major program at some point in his career.  

Todd Simon Named Big Sky Coach of the Year.

https://suutbirds.com/news/2021/3/9/mens-basketball-thunderbird-basketball-prepares-for-big-sky-quarterfinals.aspx

SUU Director of Athletics Debbie Corum wrote:"What Coach Simon has accomplished at Southern Utah University in such a relatively short amount of time is amazing.  He took over a struggling program, and turned it into a winner, then a champion. The passion and love he has for the student-athletes is unmatched. He has cared about every aspect of his student-athletes and that is the best part of this championship. It was like watching someone build a very fine house brick-by-brick and paying attention to every detail."

I honestly think Simon is the best DD. Really wish we would've dropped 2.5M on a guy like that rather than another Blazer alum with a lackluster coaching background.

Is UP a step up for Simon?

Why would he come here?

Woodless 2.0 wrote:I honestly think Simon is the best DD. Really wish we would've dropped 2.5M on a guy like that rather than another Blazer alum with a lackluster coaching background.

Geezaldinho wrote:Is UP  a step up for Simon?

Why would he come here?

Although $$$ is not the only reason to accept a job or consider it a promotion, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Todd Simon is currently making $149K per year, and Shantay Legans is pulling down $130K.

Both have incentive clauses.

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/big-sky-coaches-base-salaries-chart/table_1c9f31d6-09d2-597b-8e27-b062f593ec73.html

I believe Simon's contract is up for renewal and Legans has a year to go...

Dean Murdoch said that Legans' buyout is only $50K.

DoubleDipper wrote:I believe Simon's contract is up for renewal and Legans has a year to go...

Dean Murdoch said that Legans' buyout is only $50K.

Coach Simon signed a three-year contract in 2016, then a three-year extension in 2018 so he is also signed through the 2021-22 season.

If Coach Simon terminates his contract with SUU on or before March 22, the buyout is $37,500. If he does so on March 23 or after, the buyout is $25,000.

The buyouts should be $75K and $50K. But interestingly enough, Coach Simon had a contract provision that halves any buyout because Jason Butikofer is no longer the AD at SUU (he's now at UW).

UPDATED:

DoubleDipper wrote:1. Shantay Legans (Eastern Washington HC) #2 seed in Big Sky Tournament ending March 13.
2. Mike Magpayo (Cal Riverside Interim HC) #3 seed in Big West Tournament ending March13.
3. Matt Logie (Point Loma Nazarene HC) #4 seed in D2 West regionals until March 15.
4. Ben Johnson (UP Interim HC) Season has ended.  
5. Scott Garson (Santa Clara #2 Assistant) Season has ended.
6. Jim Shaw (WSU #1 Assistant) Season has Ended.
7. Brian Michelson (Gonzaga #3 Assistant) Probable #1 seed in NCAA Tournament ending April 5.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I've been posting about Shantay Legans for a while now. He seems widely respected around the Big Sky and has built a team in Cheney that would be competitive in the WCC. But would a young coach like Shantay want the challenge of the Portland job?

From the outset, I have recommended UP hire a “youngish” coach, preferably a coach under 40, and ESPN’s “40 Under 40” (May 13, 2020) lists two names from the Pacific Northwest that stand out…

#11/40.  Shantay Legans, Head Coach, Eastern Washington (age 38)

The reigning Big Sky coach of the year led his team to a breakthrough season in 2020, posting a 16-4 record in conference play and winning the regular-season title. Before taking the job with the Eagles in 2017, Legans served as an assistant in Cheney for eight years.

This year the Eagles went 13-7 overall and finished 12-3 in Big Sky, second only to 12-2 Southern Utah, with the Big Sky Tournament yet to be played.

#12/40. Brian Michaelson, Assistant, Gonzaga (age 38)

Michaelson has been in the Gonzaga family since 2000, when he joined the basketball team as a walk-on. He returned to Mark Few's program in 2008 and eventually became an assistant coach under Few in 2013. Michaelson has quietly been a key part of the Bulldogs' recruiting success over the past several seasons, and he led the charge for 2020 guard Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga's highest-ranked recruit ever.  

As everyone knows, the Bulldogs are undefeated this season and are expected to be the overall #1 seed in Indianapolis.

Michaelson's connection to Portland is his family and graduation from Jesuit High School, he has been in Spokane since arriving at GU as a freshman 20 years ago.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29157808/40-40-rank-best-young-coaches-men-college-basketball