re: Why Do Some Coaches Excel Jumping From Mid Major to Power 4 But Others Wilt?

Another VCU head coach.

Shaka Smart:

.744 @ VCU with a final 4
.559 @ Texas with no NCAA wins
.643 @ Marquette with a sweet 16


Ps. Steve Prohm was once seen as the likely next head coach at Bama. He’s an alum. We hired Avery Johnson instead.

I will always be grateful for Avery. He didn’t work out like I hoped, but he brought some excitement back to Bama basketball and left some pieces in place for Oats. Herb jones and Jon Petty were key contributors to the 2021 SEC championship team and sweet 16 run. Also, Pettway as an assistant coach.

Never in the history of sports has one coach damaged a fan base like William Tecumseh Wade has the gumps.

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Matt McMahon
Had a scholarship reduced team and bad injury luck. Also just not a great coach overall.

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Also

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Will Wade

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Lol

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Never in the history of sports has one coach damaged a fan base like William Tecumseh Wade has the gumps.

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I think it's some can't handle the pressure and expectations of being at bigger schools. More money means more people wanting to give input. They not only have to recruit better players, who are probably much more entitled than they are used to, but boosters and agents who are trying to "help" them run their team.

Murray State coaches have success because Murray is in a state that gives a frick about basketball (Kentucky) and plays in a conference where there are a bunch of schools who don't. Sound familiar?

Do mark pope

Because the lines between success and failure are often razor thin, especially the higher you go.

There's also an element of luck involved.

I'm about as mad as you are slick.

But take your obsession and go drive your boat kid.

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Why Do Some Coaches Excel Jumping From Mid Major to Power 4 But Others Wilt?
captdalton

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Ignoring the troll, this is the million dollar question.

It's hard to tell at a mid-major or G5 school if a coach is really good, or if they're at a place that (relatively speaking) has more resources than their opponents. I mean, look at JMU in football for example. They moved up into the FBS and the Sun Belt, and their budget was already #1 in the Sun Belt year 1.

So, let's look at VCU and Murray State. Similar schools, both have about 20 NCAA tourney appearances, and a fair number of NITs.
VCU coaches, for whatever reason, seem more successful moving up to the big teams.
There's currently 4 guys at P4 schools- Jeff Capel at Pitt, Wade at LSU, Mike Rhoades at Penn State, Ryan Odom at Virginia. Capel and Wade have both coached at other P4 schools (Wade at NC State, Capel at Oklahoma). In addition, you have Shaka Smart (Marquette) and Anthony Grant (Dayton), who both coached at P4 schools (Alabama, Texas). You had Dana Kirk in the past, going to Memphis State and establishing a monster.

Murray State coaches don't have nearly the same level of success. You have Mick Cronin currently at UCLA (went to Cincinnati first), Steve Prohm went to Iowa State and initially was good but cratered. Billy Kennedy had a decent run at A&M. Mark Gottfried was ok at Bama and then NC State. Steve Newton was bad at South Carolina.

All in all, you've got better odds hiring a guy from VCU than Murray State.