[A.G.]

http://mb17.scout.com/fnorthcarolinasta ... 5947.topic

Pretty good discussion going on on the NC State scout.com site, now that Barnes is out of the picture.

[Sly Fox]

Nice find, AG. With all apologies to bigsmooth those Pack fans sure are delusional about recruiting against UNC & Duke.

And I'm guessing Realist probably has his blood boiling about those not being a Mid-Major cracks.

[bigsmooth]

no apologies needed...im not a state fan. you know where my allegiances are. state fans have always had that complex. other names brought up now have been sean miller from xavier, and calipari has expressed interest, but state is cool on him right now.

[LUconn]

Calipari is a proven dirtball. They don't want him. But I can say this is a job that Marshall would definatly take. The problem is I don't know why NCST would want him. He really hasn't done anything significant in the eyes of the rest of the bball world.

[bigsmooth]

well they did have jimmy v. a real nice guy, but a chronic rule-breaker....he did get them on probation.

[A.G.]

How can you say Calipari is a dirtball? Here is what I found at another website:

* When he was hired at UMass, the school had a 15 percent graduation rate and had never graduated an African-American athlete (including Dr. J.). In his eight years there, his graduation rate was nearly 80 pecent (higher than Herb's at State) and his graduation rate for African-American athletes was over 75 percent.

* When he took the Memphis job, the school had a ZERO graduation rate for the previous (three-year) reporting period and had graduated just two players in the previous seven years. Well, Calipari is just completing his sixth year at Memphis. Nine of the first 11 players he signed have graduated. All five seniors on this year's team are on track to graduate by the end of the summer session.

* In addition, Calpari started programs at both UMass and Memphis -- out of his own pocket -- to assist past players to come back and graduate. So far at Memphis, three pre-Calipari players have taken advantage of this program and gotten their degrees. Two others have are in school now and should graduate soon.

He must be a dirtball because he gave UCONN a run for their money when at UMASS. He has the personality the State fans want--to compete with Roy and Coach K.

[LUconn]

No sorry, are you familiar with fellow named Marcus Camby? Calamari is partly responisble just like K is responsible for the Maggette situation. By the way, who does DeJuan Wagner's dad work for? You can call bias on my part (note: umass is irrelevant so I don't care that they were once good), but I do have reasons.

[A.G.]

And right after Camby, Cal was exonerated and instituted an educational program for his players about dealing with agents.

Now, don't go after Calipari for Wagner. That is a long-time ploy in CBB. Manning at KU; Lebo at UNC come to mind.

I can see we are on different sides of the fence on this one. As a long time (and former, when Sendek arrived) State fan, I want a GREAT hire. I want a reason to stop rooting for Duke, and State having a fun to watch team would be a start.

[LUconn]

I want a reason to stop rooting for Duke,

I can help you with that. Where would you like to start?




Anyway, how about that Greg Marshall

[A.G.]

Touche' (But I meant Duke basketball.)

Anyhow--back to the topic. I would be very happy with Gregg at NC State. I'm a fan of his (hope this won't get me banned) and think he would be a good fit. I'm afraid the big Pack $$$ donors would commit hari-kari in front of Reynolds if that happened. They have to remember, though, that they had very good success with the Valvano guy who came from a mid-major. Of course, the past two mid-major hires haven't done so well with the Pack faithful. Sendek goes to the NCAA the past few years and they are dancing in the streets that he's gone. That is a tough crowd.

[bigsmooth]

agreed. very tough fan base. just always full of unrealistic expectations.

[A.G.]

And to think we got into an argument over a coach who has one lousy year

[jimflamesfan]

Notice, that even the people in North Carolina don't know the difference between the Big South and Southern Conferences...

Quote from the wolfepack site,

"The next coach needs to keep recruits and bring in other recruits to fit his system, but Marshall. If he wins. This ain't the Southern Conference."

Boy, the Southern Conference has so much National recognition that people don't even know the difference between the two!

HaHa

[Sly Fox]

They've started up another GM thread on Pack Pride in light of the recent Calipari developments:

Gregg Marshall=Good Candidate Thread on Pack Pride

And here are the UT Vols nation on NC State's Rivals board making a case for GM to get them away from Pearl:

on the coaching search ... Thread

[Realist]

Certainly starting to get interesting with State getting turned down by the big names. I still think they'll get another guy but maybe Marshall gets contacted now.

[A.G.]

Is 'Pack looking at Marshall?

By David Cloninger The Herald
Winthrop University basketball coach Gregg Marshall is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the coaching vacancy at N.C. State University, but Marshall said Wednesday he is focused on recruiting and preparing the Eagles for an upcoming trip.
"I don't discuss those type matters," Marshall said. "I've got enough on my plate trying to get this team to be the best it can be."
Marshall's name was listed with several others as possible candidates in a published report in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal on Wednesday. And his possible candidacy for the job has been a hot topic on the message board of a popular N.C. State fan Web site, packpride.com, and on Charlotte's WFNZ sports radio station.

N.C. State, which has been searching for a coach since Herb Sendek resigned on April 3, has been turned down by Texas coach Rick Barnes and Memphis coach John Calipari.

Annabelle Vaughan, N.C. State assistant athletic director for media relations, said Wednesday only Chancellor James Oblinger and Athletic Director Lee Fowler know who the school is contacting about the job. Neither would comment on the ongoing search.

"Every coach in America is a potential candidate," Vaughan said. "When we hire a coach, we'll have a comment. But we won't have anything to say before that."

Neither Marshall nor Vaughan would say if N.C. State has contacted Marshall about the position.

10-year contract

Marshall just completed his eighth year at Winthrop, guiding the Eagles to a 23-8 record (13-3 in the Big South Conference) and the Big South's regular-season and tournament titles. Winthrop was beaten 63-61 by Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Marshall has a 165-78 record at Winthrop, with six Big South championships and six trips to the NCAA tournament. A three-time Big South Coach of the Year and the school's all-time winningest coach, Marshall signed a 10-year contract in October.

The deal gives Marshall an annual package of $200,000 and has a $100,000 buyout if he elects to leave Winthrop before June 30, 2010. N.C. State reportedly offered Barnes and Calipari deals worth around $2 million.

Marshall interviewed for open positions at Tennessee, Old Dominion and South Alabama early in his Winthrop career but hasn't interviewed with anybody in the past four years. His standing policy has been to not comment on potential open jobs because of the negative effect it could have on his program.

"My feeling is if it's to the detriment of me, I won't comment on it," Marshall said. "I feel like commenting on other situations is a detriment. It doesn't help us in any way; in fact, it can hurt us."

Several posters on the Pack Pride message board said Marshall would be a good choice for N.C. State, and college basketball analyst Dick Vitale agreed.

"I think he's done a phenomenal job and hasn't got the recognition he's deserved for a guy that's proven he can win in a tough situation," Vitale said Wednesday. "I'm kind of surprised his name hasn't popped up before now."

Among Marshall's immediate concerns were getting the Eagles ready for an upcoming trip to the South Pacific and New Zealand. Winthrop will play at least five games against all-star competition.

"We'll leave May 15th or 16th and be gone for two weeks," Marshall said.

Sendek left N.C. State after 10 years, taking over at Arizona State after leading the Wolf Pack to its fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Pack went 22-10 (10-6 in the ACC) last year but lost its last three regular-season games and only ACC tournament game before going 1-1 in the NCAA tournament.

Barnes and Calipari pulled their names out of the running, and many reports have weighed in on other potential candidates. Names mentioned along with Marshall's are LSU's John Brady, Texas A&M's Billy Gillespie, Miami's Frank Haith, Villanova's Jay Wright, Marquette's Tom Crean, Notre Dame's Mike Brey, South Alabama's John Pelphrey, Bradley's Jim Les, George Washington's Karl Hobbs, Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery, Xavier's Sean Miller, the Golden State Warriors' Mike Montgomery and George Mason's Jim Larranaga.

Four former N.C. State players, Fordham coach Dereck Whittenburg, New Orleans coach Monte Towe, Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Detroit Pistons assistant Sidney Lowe, also have been linked to the position.

David Cloninger • 909-4218

dcloninger@heraldonline.com

[A.G.]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/b ... aching.ap/
also at
http://www.wral.com/sports/8776904/detail.html

What's In A Contract? N.C. State Continues Looking For New Coach


RALEIGH, N.C. -- It almost has become a rite of spring for Winthrop athletic director Tom Hickman.

He gets to watch the men's basketball team play in the postseason, then spends the next several weeks wondering if coach Gregg Marshall will stay. So far, Marshall has done just that, helping the Eagles reach the NCAA tournament in six of the past eight years.

Yet Hickman isn't safe yet _ an opening at North Carolina State still looms.

"To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been any interest expressed from their end," Hickman said Monday. "That obviously would be a huge jump for Gregg, both financially and in terms of league recognition. If he had that opportunity, I think he would feel he would have to look at it."

With the search for Herb Sendek's replacement entering its second full week, there is no indication where N.C. State AD Lee Fowler might turn next. He didn't respond to an interview request from The Associated Press on Monday.

Sendek was 191-132 in 10 seasons with the Wolfpack, leading them to appearances in the NCAA tournament during each of his final five seasons. That tied the late Jim Valvano for the best run in school history.

Sendek was introduced as the new coach at Arizona State on April 3.

According to various reports, Texas coach Rick Barnes and Memphis coach John Calipari both turned down offers of about $2 million a year. Each used his flirtation with the Wolfpack to get a contract extension and a raise from his current school, a practice that is becoming more familiar and isn't restricted to the sport of basketball.

"There's no set policy for that, we don't really have anything in writing," said Todd Bell, director of media relations for the American Football Coaches Association. "It's pretty much up to the individual coach."

At the National Association of Basketball Coaches, deputy director Reggie Minton said the protocol for his members begins with any prospective employer asking for permission to interview someone already under contract.

It isn't clear if that happened in the case of Barnes and Calipari.

"The school does not have to grant the permission," Minton said. "If they don't, that's the end of that."

And coaches don't always leave for a promotion, either.

"Our guys get fired on a regular basis," Minton said. "They're going to know their situations better than anyone. I can think of one case where a guy left a job as a head coach recently to become an assistant, just based on the vibes he was getting."

Hickman and Marshall have developed a relationship that allows them to discuss any opening that might interest Marshall. Sometimes, another school will contact Hickman for approval to talk to Marshall, and other times, Marshall will find a job he would like to investigate.

Either way, Winthrop is kept in the loop.

"We've had a little bit of everything," Hickman said. "You never know how it's going to happen."

Last spring, Marshall agreed to a 10-year contract that might keep him at Winthrop until 2015 while doubling his base salary to more than $140,000.

"It means he likes what we're doing here, he likes the support he gets from the program, he has the support of the administration," Hickman said. "The program he has put together here has proven it will work and be successful."

East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland, who coached at Virginia for 17 years and retired as the winningest coach in school history with a 326-173 record, understands the challenges Fowler faces during the search.

Since taking over about 19 months ago, Holland has found new coaches for the football, men's basketball and baseball programs with the Pirates.

"... It is becoming extremely difficult to hire the best coach who 'might' be available due to the immense publicity surrounding the search," Holland wrote in an e-mail to the AP. "The best candidates who might consider the position usually have good jobs already and cannot afford to compromise those positions."

[PAmedic]

as a side note- been following the rumors on the WU board but can't get on there now- "page not found"

anybody (WEF) know whats going on there?

[WinthropEagleFan]

Yes, sorry about all of that. As you probably have noticed, the performance on that site has been awful for the last month or so. We're in the process of getting all of that changed, so we may be down for a couple of days...

[Sly Fox]

Ytust me, I understand 100%. I've not been thrilled with my host either.

[PAmedic]

the WU board is back up as of right now.

[WinthropEagleFan]

Yep...and seems to be running well for the first time in months...