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Post by shooting the J on Apr 5, 2015 12:04:00 GMT -6
I believe that Joe wanted the Lakeland job back when they went with Gary. He was a college assistant for one year at, I think, William and Mary. The rest of his coaching was done in the minors and recently as an NBA assistant. Not sure how that translates into being a head coach at a school that will require some big time grinding on the recruiting trail. Guys who spent 11 years in the NBA don't usually have too hard of a time on the recruiting trail. They usually get a quick answer, "yes".
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Post by markus31x on Apr 5, 2015 12:13:07 GMT -6
Jeff Goodman tweeting two more candidates. Xavier assistant Travis Steele and Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander.
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Post by stillaphoenixphan on Apr 5, 2015 12:13:50 GMT -6
I would say it's a win win situation with Drew and Gary. I also think that both might stay unless the UW or MU jobs are available. The Joe W. thing is a complete surprise and I'm not sure what to think? All 3 have connections to this area and I like that.
I too am tired of UWGB being used as a stepping stone. But I also want a Coach that can win.
This may also include Joe W. wanting to come home after years of living out of a suitcase. He does bring name recognition, but all 3 would need good Asst. Coaches. This is maybe were Drew and Joe have more drawing power or family help.
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Post by thetulsawarrior on Apr 5, 2015 13:51:13 GMT -6
The name parade is good PR for the Green Bay program but Mary Ellen needs to wrap things up no later than mid-week. The spring signing period starts shortly after that and time really is of the essence. I want the Nix to have a coach who has proven he can recruit and win, on the college level. A person who has called Wisconsin home might be an asset. I'm willing to hear arguments on that issue.
I think Drew Diener has shown an edge over Gary Grzesk on the recruiting front. (the barriers both men face tell us a lot and both have done well considering the limitation they have to operate under) They seem even on the game management front. Brian Barone has been the guy in the background getting things done at GB. He's paid his dues at Marquette, Illinois State and Indiana. Does that translate into recruiting chops and game management ability? He was a point guard and his dad is a respected name in basketball.
At the end of the day these three names seem to make the most sense. Game management, player development and recruiting are the building blocks of a successful coach. The final question the athletic director needs to ask is how much passion and drive will the new coach bring to the job?
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Apr 5, 2015 13:59:18 GMT -6
I am not sold on Joe Wolf. I don't think he would be bad but if he is a serious candidate than I would rather go with the Diener or Grzesk if GB is going to hire a guy who hasn't worked at the D1 level recently. Those guys just have more experience as the head man and I feel better about that.
I am curious about Travis Steele. Seems like a great candidate for NKU or Bowling Green as well. I like high energy guys known for recruiting.
I have to give credit to 97, the first person to suggest Eric Konkol. I like that he is from WI but he has been out of the area for a long time so where is he going to recruit. Plus he is known as an offense guy and the GB cupboard is full of defensive guys so I think the rebuild will take longer with him.
Alexander isn't high on my list. I don't get a good feel for him either way based on his bio. Indifference isn't what I want to feel.
I think most are relieved that Chris Lowery isn't interested.
I am disappointed by Fife losing interest. He makes a ton of sense for Bowling Green if he is interested in a mid major head coaching job. He could keep recruiting Michigan, Indiana and Ohio in that job. At GB some of those states are off the grid for recruiting.
I voted for Barone. I know that is a boring pick.
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Post by fightphoe93 on Apr 5, 2015 18:36:47 GMT -6
As far as a guy like Diener leaving for greener pastures if he has some success, I think that's possible. That said, I believe he will treat the UWGB program with more respect than some others, as his Uncle Tom was a player at UWGB.
I would love it if either Diener or Grzesk is chosen. I would get behind Barone as well, but my personal feeling would be the other 2 guys are stronger candidates.
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Post by PantherU on Apr 5, 2015 20:08:22 GMT -6
I had a guy who came into the dealership about October. Real nice guy, he needed a new car for his business. His old Toyota Highlander had 165,000 miles on it, the U-joints were ready to go, and it got pretty terrible gas mileage. He truly needed something, and he needed it quick.
Came in, test drove a Volkswagen Passat, fell in love with it. Great sedan, he's got tall kids who need the extra space in the backseat, plus he wanted to go with a TDI because of its high fuel economy (45 on the highway), which he needed for a 3 1/2 hour drive every other week for business.
When we got back from the test drive, he told me he LOVED it. It was the PERFECT car for him. He signed the offer sheet, then called his business partner to let him know the news. Came back and said it was too much, the diesel was too finicky (the 2.0 liter TDI might be the most reliable engine in existence if you follow scheduled maintenance), he said he hadn't done enough research. Decided to wait a day.
I called him the next day, and he told me that morning the business bought a Toyota Camry. It has great reliability scores, he told me (I mean, who cares that Toyota has the highest amount of recalls in the car industry?). He told me he likes the Camry. Couldn't do anything about it because the guy took delivery.
Fast forward five months to last week. I get a call out of the blue from the guy, saying he hates the Camry. He hates the cheap sound it makes when he closes the door. He hates the cheap plastic door handles and the boring drive. His kids complain that it doesn't have much space in the backseat for them and he hates that he's got the same car as a dozen people he sees on his commute every day.
Why am I telling you this? Because car consumers over think things frequently. They have to see what Motor Trend says, what KBB says, what Consumer Reports says - because if there's anyone you want reviewing a car, it's the guy who reviews your toaster. The guy made a gut decision to buy a cheaper car and he ended up hating it. Why? Because he overthought the situation.
You know what you're all doing? You're overthinking the situation. You have the absolute perfect candidate a stone's throw from campus and you're hemming and hawing because someone said this other guy might be interested or this other guy interviewed for the job.
Gary Grzesk turned St. Norbert's - forever a nobody - into a national contender on the D-III level. That's an incredible achievement considering the Who's Who of Division III Bluebloods are all in-state public schools with tuition a fraction of St. Norbert's. We can talk about connections until we're blue in the face, but what does Drew Diener care in a few years that his uncle played somewhere a few decades ago? Does Brian Barone's time as an assistant count for some loyalty? It sure didn't for Wardle, who had shopped himself quietly for the last two years and dipped out when he got a good payday.
Grzesk isn't just a candidate who has some loose connection to the Green Bay Phoenix. He IS a Green Bay Phoenix, one of the greatest the put on the jersey, leader of some of the best Phoenix teams to take the court. He has the endorsement of the greatest coach in school history and the greatest player in school history, who just happens to be one of the best coaches in the country.
Is he going to stay forever? Who knows. I doubt it. But there's no coach who IS going to stay forever. I tell you this: if he wins at this level, he's going to pick his spots much more carefully. He's going to hold out that one more year while that group of seniors gets ready to set the NCAA's f*cking world on fire even if they went to the tournament the year before.
This is the guy who comes along who has the Phoenix blood running through his veins, just like Brian Dickmann, just like GBPhoenix1, just like Shooting the J. This is one of you. Do you know how rare it is to have one of your own not just qualified but uniquely suited to take up the helm?
Gary Grzesk is your man. Drew Dieners, Brian Barones and Linc Darners litter the coaching landscape. Gary Grzesk's name even rhymes with the damn arena. Your student section immediately needs to print shirts with the "GRZESK CENTER" across the front. Is there a more perfect fit for Green Bay? Will there ever be a perfect fit after this?
Or you can buy a Camry. I hear it's reliable.
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Post by carr34 on Apr 5, 2015 20:23:54 GMT -6
You can come clean Panther. You just want Diener available when Rob is finally shown the door.
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Post by thetulsawarrior on Apr 5, 2015 20:24:50 GMT -6
Panther you have a point about pragmatism. My fear is that Mary Ellen wants to hire a beauty contest candidate instead of a less sexy -- nuts and bolts guy. Dick Bennett was not a sexy hire. It was a smart, pragmatic hiring decision. The same was true when UWM hired a guy named, Bo Ryan. Lets look at the GB budget and find someone who will not secretly hold his nose if he takes the job.
That list would be Grzesk, Barone, Drew Diener or one of the successful D3 coaches, in the state.
It's time for Mary Ellen to get real and understand the hand she is holding in this poker game. Stop thinking major university glamorous guy and think blue collar pragmatic. The percentage of success will be radically higher. In the end it will be a happy partnership.
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Apr 5, 2015 21:10:11 GMT -6
Having the endorsement of the Bennett's holds weight. However, in 20 years having the endorsement of Sykes and Wardle might be just as impressive depending on what they do. I guess my point is those guys being younger shouldn't be held against Barone or give more favor to Grzesk.
I don't mind the process. For all we know MEG has made her decision or at a minimum has a clear leader. We only know how many people have interviewed, three, the others may be interested or GB may be interested in them but we don't know for sure which way their names are connected with the job. Even if MEG interviews a few others I don't think it is a big deal. She does work for a public institution and while I appreciate that she is being quiet about the process I also think she has a responsibility to do a complete due diligence on the new hire and all potential candidates. If you think about being at the Final Four weekend from Thursday to Tuesday and then coming back to GB and likely announcing the new person that doesn't seem like a long drawn out process.
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Post by fansincebuss on Apr 5, 2015 21:28:56 GMT -6
I had a guy who came into the dealership about October. Real nice guy, he needed a new car for his business. His old Toyota Highlander had 165,000 miles on it, the U-joints were ready to go, and it got pretty terrible gas mileage. He truly needed something, and he needed it quick. Came in, test drove a Volkswagen Passat, fell in love with it. Great sedan, he's got tall kids who need the extra space in the backseat, plus he wanted to go with a TDI because of its high fuel economy (45 on the highway), which he needed for a 3 1/2 hour drive every other week for business. When we got back from the test drive, he told me he LOVED it. It was the PERFECT car for him. He signed the offer sheet, then called his business partner to let him know the news. Came back and said it was too much, the diesel was too finicky (the 2.0 liter TDI might be the most reliable engine in existence if you follow scheduled maintenance), he said he hadn't done enough research. Decided to wait a day. I called him the next day, and he told me that morning the business bought a Toyota Camry. It has great reliability scores, he told me (I mean, who cares that Toyota has the highest amount of recalls in the car industry?). He told me he likes the Camry. Couldn't do anything about it because the guy took delivery. Fast forward five months to last week. I get a call out of the blue from the guy, saying he hates the Camry. He hates the cheap sound it makes when he closes the door. He hates the cheap plastic door handles and the boring drive. His kids complain that it doesn't have much space in the backseat for them and he hates that he's got the same car as a dozen people he sees on his commute every day. Why am I telling you this? Because car consumers over think things frequently. They have to see what Motor Trend says, what KBB says, what Consumer Reports says - because if there's anyone you want reviewing a car, it's the guy who reviews your toaster. The guy made a gut decision to buy a cheaper car and he ended up hating it. Why? Because he overthought the situation. You know what you're all doing? You're overthinking the situation. You have the absolute perfect candidate a stone's throw from campus and you're hemming and hawing because someone said this other guy might be interested or this other guy interviewed for the job. Gary Grzesk turned St. Norbert's - forever a nobody - into a national contender on the D-III level. That's an incredible achievement considering the Who's Who of Division III Bluebloods are all in-state public schools with tuition a fraction of St. Norbert's. We can talk about connections until we're blue in the face, but what does Drew Diener care in a few years that his uncle played somewhere a few decades ago? Does Brian Barone's time as an assistant count for some loyalty? It sure didn't for Wardle, who had shopped himself quietly for the last two years and dipped out when he got a good payday. Grzesk isn't just a candidate who has some loose connection to the Green Bay Phoenix. He IS a Green Bay Phoenix, one of the greatest the put on the jersey, leader of some of the best Phoenix teams to take the court. He has the endorsement of the greatest coach in school history and the greatest player in school history, who just happens to be one of the best coaches in the country. Is he going to stay forever? Who knows. I doubt it. But there's no coach who IS going to stay forever. I tell you this: if he wins at this level, he's going to pick his spots much more carefully. He's going to hold out that one more year while that group of seniors gets ready to set the NCAA's f*cking world on fire even if they went to the tournament the year before. This is the guy who comes along who has the Phoenix blood running through his veins, just like Brian Dickmann, just like GBPhoenix1, just like Shooting the J. This is one of you. Do you know how rare it is to have one of your own not just qualified but uniquely suited to take up the helm? Gary Grzesk is your man. Drew Dieners, Brian Barones and Linc Darners litter the coaching landscape. Gary Grzesk's name even rhymes with the damn arena. Your student section immediately needs to print shirts with the "GRZESK CENTER" across the front. Is there a more perfect fit for Green Bay? Will there ever be a perfect fit after this? Or you can buy a Camry. I hear it's reliable. We are not overthinking anything,we are just fans on a message board. I have 200,000 miles on my Camry,never had a repair. The VW, it's in the shop.
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Post by thetulsawarrior on Apr 5, 2015 21:29:08 GMT -6
It's not the process it's the result that concerns many of us. What was it about the Dick Bennett hiring at Green Bay and the Bo Ryan hiring at UWM that made them home run picks? There's a template that has worked.
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Post by knightlife920 on Apr 5, 2015 23:40:58 GMT -6
Grzesk needs to be the man, plain and simple. Like Panther said, its almost TOO obvious of a pick that some of us are just looking for any possible flaw.
- He WINS ----> More conference tournament AND NCAA wins than Wardle. - He can recruit - He can develop - He's an alum with a passion for the university - He would (most likely) be here to stay - He knows the Xs and Os - He's not a bad guy (or so I hear)
If the guy was from anywhere else with the same skill and attribute set I just mentioned he would be the overwhelming favorite amongst you guys. Just because he is from a D3 school and coaches in a mediocre conference should not disqualify him nor even serve as a reason to put him on the backburner.
Barone is an even more timid Wardle and Diener is overglorified for coaching a powerhouse to a championship (and with no doubt far more resources than Grzesk).
The choice is clear. Its really Grzesk or bust, anyone but him is simply the wrong decision.
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Post by thetulsawarrior on Apr 6, 2015 7:26:48 GMT -6
I don't know the answer for this question but it's worth asking. Has Grzesk shown the hunger needed to be a successful D1 coach?
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Post by gbbrl97 on Apr 6, 2015 8:00:28 GMT -6
Thanks for the bump GBPhoenix.....I have gone against the Konkol family in HS in basketball (when my school had 18-20 win teams) and they are all talented and smart in that sport. When you guarded one of them, you couldn't rattle them, and if they weren't dropping 3's on you, they were setting up teammates for easy shots. It seemed like every team in Amherst, WI (boys or girls BB) has a Konkol on the roster, but I digress.....
At this point, every new name that gets added to the list is more pub for GB like Tulsa eluded to. Like you Tulsa, I hope MEG does not go with the 'sexy' hire just to win the press conference. That only works short-term, but will kill you in the long-run. As far as the horses in this race, in which I like the names who have interviewed and are interested in GB so far, here's my rankings:
1. Gary - Like PantherU said, he IS a part of GB basketball history, and not just another local guy who is interested in the job. I think he would stay longer at GB than most other candidates would if he did turn things around, but if UW or MU opened up, what's to say he is a candidate down the road? Again my questions for him are: How will you recruit and how flexible would you be in your coaching philosophy as he is fully indoctrinated in the DB style?
2. Drew Deiner - Would be a good second choice. From a well-known and respected coaching family. Knows how to work with less like at CSU. Other than having the local connection, he is not a part of GB basketball history, but the Deiner name would help in strengthening relationships with the HS coaches in the state. As I said before, I would like to see Dick and/or Tom involved in the program in some capacity.
3. Barone - This would be a 'safe' hire, but not maybe the best hire in the long run. How will he promote the program? Basketball knowledge and family name aside, we need a little more personality to help sell the program. This may be a continuation of the BW era, but with less energy, which was up and down in the BW era. Some coaches are good doing things in the background, but when they slide over one chair, they may wilt. I'd rather see BB get a head job at a D2 or D3 school and find out how he would run a program. I see a lot of Heideman in this hire, but without inheriting a conference contender in year 1.
4. Joe Wolf - Late to the party. Intriguing hire, and would play an NBA-style that would attract recruits, but how would he recruit and how would he assemble a staff? We need a mix of basketball salesman and basketball teachers on a staff. The lack of shooting development at the guard positions in the BW era has been bothersome to me.....How serious is he? He may not want to travel so much to play 82 games in a season (41 on the road) anymore, but I got news for Joe Wolf.....you will need to travel in order to recruit too.
Too bad that Fife took himself out of the running, but the bigger question is, where is Linc Darner in all of this?? I know he has a previous working relationship with MEG, but would he leave the climate of the Tampa/Orlando, FL area to coach in GB??
I would like to see Konkol interview, but is he also late to the party like Wolf? With the spring signing period starting today, we need a hire by mid-week and an idea of who will be staying with the GB program going forward. Being able to salvage a roster/recruiting class may make the difference of hovering around .500 or being a single digit win team next season.....With that being said, it is down to Gary, Deiner, and Barone.
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