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Feel the heat
Which coaches could use a big season? We dive into that topic -- but also highlight the coaches who might be headed for bigger things. Plus: Illinois gets a starter cleared, an incredible tourney format by the Sun Belt, Karl Malone Award noms and much more.
Tristan Freeman
November 01, 2024
Good morning! It’s the last Friday without basketball until April. Just brings an instant smile, doesn’t int?
1. The hot seat question: Is it warm in here for anyone?
The transfer portal and NIL haven’t just changed college basketball for the players. It’s also changed the dynamic for coaches.
Expectations are certain programs remain high — winning remains paramount — and sometimes the timeframes are condensed more than before. But there’s another component to this. A coaching change can create more excitement, and deliver more NIL $$$, than with the current coach.
As Jeff Goodman, Rob Dauster, and Jeff Borzello explain, there’s a certain ability to rouse donor support when a new coach comes in. And that can turn a solid job into an elite job (example: Alabama) or a job that requires a specific type of player into a player thanks to NIL money (example: BYU).
That NIL money also creates a more active carousel than ever before.
Who would’ve guessed that the Rob Lanier firing at SMU would’ve led to John Calipari leaving Kentucky, Mark Pope in at Kentucky, and Kevin Young’s hiring amplifying donations at BYU?
So. Is this a season where we might see openings at upper-tier programs? There are three to monitor:
Indiana
Memphis
Villanova
Throw in potential power conference openings at Arizona State, UCF, Minnesota, LSU, Oklahoma and Utah, and there’s potential for hot seat drama during the season. But the crew isn’t sure it’ll match last season when Chris Holtmann was out before March.
Still, we don’t want to only focus on negative storylines. We also have a long list of coaches who might be headed for a more prominent job with a big season.
⏫ THE JUMP SEAT LIST ⏫
Which coach is poised to get a BIG job next cycle? 🤔
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68)
8:05 PM • Oct 31, 2024
Will Wade’s an obvious choice, but he’ll probably wait for the ideal opening. And would Chris Mack really leave Charleston after just one season?
Just as interesting are established coaches such as John Becker and Robert Jones. Both guys have taken their programs to multiple NCAA Tournaments and are considered the best coaches in their respective conference.
Maybe this is the year when a power conference gets wise to their ability.
2. Illinois gets long-awaited good news from NCAA
One storyline to watch in the coming weeks is the international freshmen still looking to get cleared by the NCAA for the 2024-25 campaign. And Illinois tops that list.
