While most of the marquee programs in men’s college basketball will be suiting up for competition this weekend, the Runnin’ Utes will be competing for something else entirely–a new coach.
Utah Athletics Director Chris Hill will definitely have his hands full trying to hire someone who will fulfill the rich tradition of basketball at this campus. But with so many high-quality candidates out there, how can he possibly go wrong?
There are plenty of coaches and assistants across the nation who could revive our storied program and return it to the glory that it had once grown used to. And there are also some nuggets waiting to be discovered — Hill just has to find them.
As you could see toward the end of the season with Giacoletti, the pressure of being a major Division-1 coach can become great. The production has dropped off significantly after experiencing a Sweet-16 in his first season at the U. Two consecutive seasons of sub-par records were too much for Utah fans to handle and the discontent caused the third-year coach to resign.
Whoever succeeds Giacoletti will sit in the same hot seat, but coaching the Runnin’ Utes doesn’t appear to be that bad of a position to me. He will likely be paid close to $700,000 a year, will have plenty of recruiting resources and will inherit a roster full of young, talented players that are ready to make a run.
Who might that person be? Well, leave it to me — the all-powerful seeing eye in college basketball — to analyze a plethora of coaching candidates and choose whom the best pick would be, and whom Hill will actually pick.
The most popular choice in the field seems to be Nevada coach Mark Fox, who led his team to a third consecutive Western Athletic Conference title this season. On Sunday, the Wolf Pack was selected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament — its third-straight berth since Fox has been at the helm. He is the ultimate Xs-and-Os coach and his consistency is unparalleled. Fox is currently 70-18 at Nevada.
The downside to Fox is that he has been firmly rooted in the Nevada program since the 2000 season and a move to Utah may be considered a step down for him at this point. He is building Nevada into a perennial Cinderella and can only improve.
Another WAC coach that has to be considered is Utah State head coach Stew Morrill. This year, the Aggies narrowly missed their eighth consecutive NCAA tournament, losing to New Mexico State in the WAC championship. Over the past seven years, Morrill has compiled a record of 175-50, which ranks fourth in the country.
But judging by his erratic behavior, there is a 44.8-percent chance that Morrill could be completely insane. In all seriousness, Morrill has probably been offered plenty of lucrative contracts that would be a step up from Utah State, but some coaches just prefer the smaller scene.
While we’re talking mid-major conferences, Southern Illinois head coach Chris Lowery has to be considered. In just his third season at the helm of the program, Lowery has led his team to a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. He has made the Salukis a write-in for the tournament over his tenure and has three Missouri Valley Conference championships to boot.
Lowery may be one of the best coaches in college basketball right now, but he has a history with Southern Illinois. He played as a Saluki for four years and it would be highly unlikely for him to betray his alma mater to come to a program like Utah’s.
If Hill decides to pick a familiar face, there are plenty to choose from. Weber State coach Randy Rahe was an assistant coach at the U for two years under Giacoletti. In his first season as coach of the Wildcats, Rahe captured a Big Sky Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
The downside to Rahe is not his fault, but more Giacoletti’s. In order to restore the fan base that had become familiar during Majerus’ regime, a clean break from the old might be necessary.
Also being discussed is Kerry Rupp, who served as interim coach of the Utes after Rick Majerus left midway through the 2003-2004 season. When Giacoletti was hired, he chose not to retain Rupp as an assistant and the coach headed to the University of Indiana to study under the tutelage of then-coach Mike Davis.
Rupp performed well in Majerus’ stead, but this is probably the most unlikely of the replacements. If he had any chance at this job, it would have been three years ago.
If Hill decides to keep it cheap and within the family, there is one assistant coach who stands above the rest — Marty Wilson. Wilson has been an assistant coach at a number of different programs across the nation and has a reputation of being one of the best recruiters in the West. But inexperience, coupled with that same “clean-break-from-the-old” mentality, will probably keep Wilson away from the spot.
When all is said and done, Nevada’s Fox is the clear-cut choice as the top man for the job, but it is highly unlikely that he will come to the U. He already has a top-notch program at Nevada and anything less than an offer from Kentucky or Washington probably wouldn’t budge him.
When turned down by the long list of mid-major replacements, Hill will inevitably turn to Randy Rahe to fill the void. Rahe will be good, but not great, and Utah fans will continue voicing their displeasure.
Sorry, folks, it’s the crystal ball, not me.
