Well, well. It seems that our old friend Matt Doherty is on the move again, this time to SMU. You may recall that just one year ago, Doherty was hired off the scrap heap to try to revive the program at Florida Atlantic. I’m sure they knew he was not going to be a long-term coach there, but I’m guessing they hoped for more than one season – a 15-13 season, mind you.
My favorite quote, from the coach who left Notre Dame after just one season, was fired from UNC after three and is now leaving FAU after one season – “I look at this as a destination job. I didn’t want to take a job to take another job.” Sure thing, Matt. We believe you.
On another, more local front, the NC State coaching search appears to be focusing on Steve Lavin and John Beilein. I think I can sum up my feelings on that with just four words. Lavin, NO. Beilein, Yes. Steve Lavin was a mediocre (at best) coach at UCLA, basically in the same situation that Sendek was here. He accomplished just enough to avoid being fired most years, but never showed that he was going to take the program to the next level – or more accurately at a falling UCLA program, the previous level. Why would State try to build a major program with a guy who failed to sustain major program?
Beilein, on the other hand, shows every sign of being an excellent coach. The only concern I’d have with him is with recruiting. He had some very good teams at West Virginia (and Richmond before that), but I don’t recall him capitalizing on that success to land any high school All-Americans. You have to be both a great coach and a great recruiter if you want to hang with UNC and Duke.