Gettin' hot for 13 college hoops coaches

Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 5:42 PM
Filed Under: Coaches, 2009-10 season previews

The thing about coaches on the “hot seat” is that there’s no one temperature.

Some coaches feel the heat immediately, depending on the expectations and the hoops environment. Others endure a rough few seasons – or six – finally put together a decent year and that seat ain’t so bad anymore.

For example, take Ed DeChellis.

Entering 2008-09, he was 57-92 in 5 years at Penn State. He never won more than 15 games a season and finished dead last in the Big Ten standings 3 times. But the Nittany Lions erased all that thanks to 27 wins and an NIT title. DeChellis was rewarded with a 3-year contract extension. Not much is expected of Penn State this season, but it doesn’t matter for DeChellis. He now has time to build for another solid season.

As for the unlucky 13 coaches listed below? They could use a season like DeChellis’ Lions had. Let’s break it down by just how much heat they’re feeling.

Matt Doherty
No one expects Southern Methodist to reach the Final Four. But more is expected out of a coach like Doherty than back-to-back 20-loss seasons and sitting in the cellar of the C-USA standings.

He was the 2001 AP coach of the year at UNC and has won at Notre Dame and even Florida Atlantic. SMU athletic director Steve Orsini said last March that he wasn’t sweating the Mustangs’ won-loss record, but he’s also the guy who hired Doherty. To ditch him after just four years would require another horrid year and a promising candidate ready to step in. Consider this Doherty’s last “freebie” season.

Hot seat: Warm

Kevin Broadus
This one’s not about wins and losses, but control of Binghamton’s program. Broadus led the Bearcats to their first-ever NCAA berth last season, but to say a tumultuous offseason derailed any hopes for 2009-10 is an understatement.

Six players, including its three leading scorers, were booted for various rules violations. Broadus admitted an NCAA violation of his own last week.  And now, Broadus and his assistants are suspended from off-campus recruiting.

The fallout prompted longtime athletics director Joel Thirer to resign. Broadus is still coaching, but if any more bad news pops up, he’ll almost certainly be ousted.

Hot seat: Toasty

Bill Carmody
In 10 seasons at Northwestern, Carmody’s finished higher than 7^th in the Big Ten once – and that was an 8-8 seasons. He’s had two winning seasons. Last year’s NIT berth was the first postseason tourney during his tenure. Northwestern’s usually not worried about hoops (it’s never been to the Big Dance), but that kind of record is ridiculous, even for the most casually concerned hoops school.

Now, the Wildcats are expected to be a decent Big Ten team this season. Four starters return from last year’s 17-14 team that won 8 conference games. In other words, it’s put or shut up for Carmody. Follow this blog as their season progresses.

Hot seat: Toasty

Bobby Gonzalez
After turning Manhattan into one of the game’s better mid-major programs, Gonzalez headed into New Jersey to replace Louis Orr, who could never get the Pirates into the upper echelon of the Big East. After 3 seasons, Gonzalez hasn’t fared any better, finishing 13^th, 11^th and 11^th in the league, but wasn’t displeased with how his team finished the 2008-09 season.

But this could be the year it all changes. Seton Hall features one of the league’s elite scorers in Jeremy Hazell and three transfers who could move into the starting lineup. Plus, the league shouldn’t be as loaded as last season when it placed four teams in the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight.

But that also creates some expectations that Gonzalez’s squad may not meet. He’ll take it, though. Better to have high hopes than no hope.

Hot seat: Pleasant … unless S.H. starts slow.

Paul Hewitt
Notable players who’ve suited up for Hewitt during his 9 seasons at Georgia Tech: Chris Bosh,  Jarrett Jack, Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young, among others. The guy can recruit. But, ever since a trip to the 2004 Final Four, he hasn’t won consistently. G.T. has just one winning season in the last four.

And with the talent on this year’s roster, Hewitt may be down to his final chance.

Freshman Derrick Favors is the school’s most promising talent since Bosh. Gani Lawal passed on the NBA to return to school. Guard Iman Shumpert showed promise as a freshman. And the ACC doesn’t have a clear-cut favorite. Hewitt may not have a better chance for a statement season.

Hot seat: Roasting

Fred Hill
Rutgers hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1991. To say fans are clamoring for a semblance of hoops success would be an understatement. That might be that’s a little unfair to Hill, but that’s life as a D-I coach.

The Scarlett Knights are 32-50 in three seasons under Hill. He’s lauded for his recruits – like sophomore Mike Rosario – but Rutgers message boards blast him for in-game coaching moves. Scoring just 63.2 points a game and being dead last in the Big East in 3-point FG percentage and turnovers will do that.

So what’ll placate fans? A few more Big East wins would help (just 8 under Hill), and beating in-state rival Seton Hall would be even better.

Hot seat: Moderate

Ernie Kent
Seems like this is where Kent starts every year. He somehow survived a 2-16 Pac-10 record last season, but that was more because new athletic Mike Bellotti couldn’t step right in and fire his former coaching peer. After all, Kent has the most wins in Oregon history (201), has been to two Elite Eights (best among the school’s coaches) and is an Oregon grad.

Firing a guy like that isn’t done without serious consideration.

Or without a guy ready to step in. Rumors swirl annually about Gonzaga coach Mark Few, also an Oregon alum, taking over for Kent. This year will be no different. Especially if Kent’s squad falters again.

Hot seat: Roasting

Jeff Lebo
Three SEC coaches – Billy Gillispie, Mark Gottfried and Dennis Felton – got the axe last season. Most figured Lebo would join that club until Auburn closed the regular season by winning 8 of its last 9 and earning an NIT bid. The 24 wins were the school’s most since 2000.

Nice, right?

Well, not when one considers that Lebo’s squads had just one winning record in four previous seasons. Their best SEC finish? A tie for 3^rd. And without three starters from last year’s squad – including do-every forward Korvotney Barber – maintaining that kind of success is a tall order. Call it a one-year reprieve.

Hot seat: Warm

Sidney Lowe
How to describe Lowe’s 3-year tenure at N.C. State? Regressing.

The Wolfpack went 20-16 during his debut season, but have hovered around .500 since and haven’t ever been better than 10^th in ACC standings. State fans expect more from their team (and it’s not just what Herb Sendek provided, thank you).

But it’s unclear if Lowe has the coaching chops to take them there, especially when his 3 top scorers from last season are gone and his top newcomer isn’t eligible.

Hot seat: Toasty

Rick Pitino
No one can question Pitino’s coaching record at Louisville. But this summer created a different kind of buzz around Pitino. His affair with Karen Sypher and the mess surrounding it can’t sit well with the school’s officials.

And with two of his best players facing battery and conduct charges, there isn’t much goodwill surrounding the program until it start winning again.

If his teams ever start losing – unlikely, to be sure – there will be calls for his dismissal. Until then, he just needs time to get away from this summer.

Hot seat: Uncomfortable

Norm Roberts
Roberts is another Big East coach who can’t make in-roads into the league’s upper tier, but there’s a reason why. He spent his first two season cleaning up an NCAA mess created by Mike Jarvis and has endeared himself to school officials thanks to his recruiting efforts and reputation.

And, thanks to an experienced roster, the Red Storm could be relevant once again. With a few breaks.

Depending on how Anthony Mason Jr. meshes with his teammates after missing all of last season, St. John’s has a chance to finish among the top 6 in the conference. Still, this’ll be Roberts’ sixth season. Two more without any NCAA or NIT appearances may be too much for NYC to bear.

Hot seat: Toasty

Jerry Wainwright
The only way things could get worse for Wainwright is if DePaul fires him. That’s not a remote possibility though.

The Blue Demons have seen their Big East conference wins dwindle from 9 to 6 to zero last season, not counting a stunner against Cincinnati in the Big East tournament. It’s almost enough to make you think DePaul was smart to give Wainwright an extension last January before the losing began.

Then again, Wainwright knows another season like that might be enough to force him out.

Hot seat: Roasting

Dereck Whittenburg
A 3-25 season will put any coach on the hot seat. The bigger problem is when something similar has happened before. Fordham already had one miserable season under Whittenburg, a 6-22 campaign in 2003-04.

Frank McLaughlin, Fordham’s executive director of athletics, gave Whittenburg a vote of confidence last April, but can the coach survive another season? He may be excited about his 2009 recruiting class and sophomore Jio Fontan, but let’s be honest – another last-place A-10 finish will only hurt. A lot.

Hot seat: Toasty

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