Potential Head Men's Basketball Coaches

[hollywoodstar]

No the five years were not requirment on the advertisment, the masters degree was listed as preferred.

You should have been!

[the747kid]

There was no requirement for five years of experience... The job posting said it was preferred, not required... It's a flat out lie to say there was a 5-year NCAA experience requirement... Why would all of those guys have applied (Terry Olson, Craig Irwin, Craig Smith, Mark Graupe...)? There was no requirement... I know there was no requirement because I read the ad that was posted... That is why all of those candidates applied...

[Driveforshow]

So the high school coach gets a interview because Betty Ralston said he has a good work eithic??? what is that......also good luck going D1 and going back and asking these alums for any sort of future help to the athletic program....brilliant!!!

What I don't understand about this guy is way did he go from a div 1 program back to a high school program???

It would not shock me if you don,t see the BIG three, which should have been five or six bring in somemore people. And if they don't they have made their decision days ago if not weeks ago.

[82SiouxGuy]

Here is the criteria listed right from the UND web site:

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION:

Requires a bachelor

[The Sicatoka]

Here's where all that was found I suspect.

The job is now posted. I'm curious as to what sort of salary is contemplated, but unfortunately it only indicates that salary will be "commensurate with experience."

So I followed the link and found:

POSITION: Head Men

[82SiouxGuy]

That is correct tSicatoka, that's where I found the paragraph. I probably should have included a link. The 5 years experience and Masters degree were part of the original job listing.

[82SiouxGuy]

What I don't understand about this guy is way did he go from a div 1 program back to a high school program???

It would not shock me if you don,t see the BIG three, which should have been five or six bring in somemore people. And if they don't they have made their decision days ago if not weeks ago.

I don't know anything about the candidate, but my guess is that he decided to get some head coaching experience after several years of being an assistant coach at the collegiate level. He wouldn't be the first coach to do that. I believe that one Dean Blais was an assistant for a certain DI hockey program and stepped down to get experience as a head coach in the high school ranks. He then jumped back to the DI level as a head coach. (Disclaimer: I am in no way comparing the coaching abilities of this candidate or any other high school coach to the coaching abilities of local coaching legend Dean Blais. I am also not trying to compare the coaching progression of hockey coaches to basketball coaches.)

[UND92,96]

I don't know anything about the candidate, but my guess is that he decided to get some head coaching experience after several years of being an assistant coach at the collegiate level. He wouldn't be the first coach to do that. I believe that one Dean Blais was an assistant for a certain DI hockey program and stepped down to get experience as a head coach in the high school ranks. He then jumped back to the DI level as a head coach. (Disclaimer: I am in no way comparing the coaching abilities of this candidate or any other high school coach to the coaching abilities of local coaching legend Dean Blais. I am also not trying to compare the coaching progression of hockey coaches to basketball coaches.)

I believe what happened is that longtime Eastern Illinois coach Rick Samuels was fired after the 2004-05 season, meaning all of his assistants were also let go. Weemer was unable to find another college job, so he took what he could get--a high school job. Eastern had one pretty good season while Weemer was there (21-10 and an NCAA appearance). Other than that, the records ranged from 6-21 to 17-12. I believe his inclusion as a finalist is difficult to justify, to say the least. But for Ralston, I'd say the odds of Weemer getting an interview would have been somewhere between slim and none.

[UND92,96]

Just for the record, Johnson, Jaskulski, Gillespie and Fuller all have Masters, in addition to having more than five years NCAA experience. I noticed there is no mention of Herbst having a Masters in his bio on the official UND athletic web page. Whether he actually has one, I don't know.

[SiouxMeNow]

Director of Basketball Operations? that guy doesn't even coach on the floor or recruit. tom Brown is the man

BUT he schedules and has connections to DI programs that could "assist" (COUGH) a university considering something like, say...reclassification Take it for what it's worth and yes, I believe the mafia had Kennedy rubbed out...

[dagies]

Here's where all that was found I suspect.

So I followed the link and found:

[ND4Life]

Add me to the list of people who are a tad befuddled by this finalist list. I can think of a couple of possible reasons: 1. Salary, as was mentioned previously, and 2. Perhaps some of the other applicants -- especially the Division I assistants -- lost interest when they were told this might not be a DI job anytime soon.

This is total speculation (because I'm still not convinced UND isn't going DI), but at least it would help explain why these guys are still in the running.

[UND92,96]

For a program that is in the red BIG TIME, I don't think this list is going to help move the budget problem. I wonder what uncle chuckie and phil are thinking after all the phone calls and emails they are going to get from alum.

I have written an e-mail to Harmeson about my concerns about the hiring process and the list of interviewees/finalists. I doubt it will do anything, but I think it's important that he know how many people are upset about how things have been handled up until now. Even if we are remaining in division II, I think we could have done much better, and the omission of Smith is appalling considering the current state of the careers of Weemer (couldn't find a college job last year), Jones (recently demoted) and Herbst (mediocre recruiting and associate head coach of a struggling program).

[legend334]

for the record Craig Smith has his masters....and last i knew as of this year...RH was still completing his masters...unless he finished it after Oct.

[star2city]

Add me to the list of people who are a tad befuddled by this finalist list. I can think of a couple of possible reasons: 1. Salary, as was mentioned previously, and 2. Perhaps some of the other applicants -- especially the Division I assistants -- lost interest when they were told this might not be a DI job anytime soon.

This is total speculation (because I'm still not convinced UND isn't going DI), but at least it would help explain why these guys are still in the running.

Totally agree that a number of applicants probably had a stipulation: only interested if this is going to be a DI position.

If the coaching announcement is made before May 23rd, we're staying DII. If the Big Sky announces an interest in UND on the 23rd, look for additional "finalists" to be announced.

[UND92,96]

You just knew this was coming. [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=126814

[The Walrus]

You just knew this was coming. [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=126814

[GeauxSioux]

One of the other reasons for culling out the ones that didn't make the finalist list is the philosophy of the University. I can see a major criteria being one of educator first, coach second and better to have a good clean program than to win and have a dirty program. I'm not saying that any of the coaches that didn't make the list are dirty coaches and I'm not saying that this one criteria wiped out all but the finalists, but it may have been a determining factor in some cases. I can see wanting to recruit student athletes and not just athletes and perhaps the selected group exemplified that.

I'm also sticking to my original assessment that money may have been a determining factor for some of the candidiates.

I don't know what happened at UNC recently, but according to the Montana State board, six players will not be back next year "for various reasons".

http://www.bobcatnation.com/bobcatboard/viewtopic.php?t=6212

[UND92,96]

In case anybody is curious as to how Weemer's high school team did this past year, their record was 13-15. I have to think that even the Herald was shocked when he was named a "finalist", as they had pretty thoroughly reported any application they considered notable. They never included Weemer's name in any of the practically daily reports of new applications.

[UND92,96]

I have written an e-mail to Harmeson about my concerns about the hiring process and the list of interviewees/finalists. I doubt it will do anything, but I think it's important that he know how many people are upset about how things have been handled up until now. Even if we are remaining in division II, I think we could have done much better, and the omission of Smith is appalling considering the current state of the careers of Weemer (couldn't find a college job last year), Jones (recently demoted) and Herbst (mediocre recruiting and associate head coach of a struggling program).

As expected, my e-mail to Mr. Harmeson was probably a complete waste of time. His response:

As you may know my role as Faculty Athletic Representative at UND is

confined to issues of student-athlete welfare. I am not formally

involved in the line of authority regarding issues of administration

within the athletic department. However, I appreciate your interest in

the happenings at UND and will forward your concern(s) to the

appropriate people.

Phil Harmeson

He forwarded my e-mail to Kupchella, who likely won't ever read it, and to Buning and Ralston, who likely won't appreciate what I had to say about the performance of the search committee. Oh well.

[PCM]

He forwarded my e-mail to Kupchella, who likely won't ever read it, and to Buning and Ralston, who likely won't appreciate what I had to say about the performance of the search committee. Oh well.

What did you expect?

[UND92,96]

What did you expect?

Nothing, really. But if I feel like the a.d. has made a grievous error, and I know Kupchella isn't overly concerned about athletics, who am I supposed to contact? Harmeson played a major role in hiring Buning, and acted as the interim a.d. It seems to me that it makes a certain abount of sense that he be the one to field the complaints. And I'm quite sure I'm not the only one who is concerned enough to have contacted him and/or Kupchella regarding this matter.

[UND96]

This new AD isnt a "true" UND guy. He is looking for his next stepping stone to bigger programs. I cant believe 4 or 5 coaches would have made the same mistake of filling out the job app with a "required" 5 years. He is looking to hire a "name"...Roebuck, Lennon and Hakstol werent bigtime names, but their programs reputations speak for themselves. SIOUXNATION needs to be loud on this one!!

[Shawn-O]

This new AD isnt a "true" UND guy. He is looking for his next stepping stone to bigger programs. I cant believe 4 or 5 coaches would have made the same mistake of filling out the job app with a "required" 5 years. He is looking to hire a "name"...Roebuck, Lennon and Hakstol werent bigtime names, but their programs reputations speak for themselves. SIOUXNATION needs to be loud on this one!!

Please help me out with who that "big names" are on the list of finalists....I don't see them. Unless there is a curveball coming (I hope so) I don't see where you're coming from.

[jdstewart]

What about the three former Sioux players that are already head coaches that applied?

Peter Stewart

Mike Boschee

Peter Stewart

I'll admit a bias. Peter Stewart is my brother and would do a great job. Give him a chance to interview on-campus before the committee, the staff and students of UND, the letterewinners and the community and he would knock their socks off!!