Wags wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:34 pm
It's been a while (since Covid!) for this thread, but it's now relevant to the CAA again with Chris Mack taking the job at South Florida that was vacated by Bryan Hodgson, with his move to Providence. Mack was at Charleston for only two years.
Will Wade was at NC State for even less (just one year). He'll be moving on to LSU. I wonder if NC State might look to UNCW again (as it did before Wade, with Keatts), and tap Siddle. I don't think so, since they just did that and they ultimately let Keatts go after eight years, so they may want to try something different now, but it's possible.
Very interesting for Mack. Both for what it means for the CAA and considering Kelsey was able to jump right to Louisville from Charleston while Mack is taking an in-between level job with USF.
Wonder if Mack takes Machot and Mister Dean with him to USF? Both those guys already in the portal and probably good enough to play in the American.
Annnnd here weeeee goo!! Coaching carousel in FULL effect! The ripple effects are huge in all of this, and just wait till UNC hires whoever their guy will be. Gonna be a lot of CAA impact too as we've just seen - this partly explains some of CoC's transfers...
In this time, I do have to say, it is nice to have stability in Speedy. I'm demanding of him and the staff, but not sure we want to be playing this chess game right now - it's a great game to play in some cases, but with HU being on the cusp, I think stability is key right now for our program.
McNamara to 'Cuse was a no-brainer.
HU should be closely monitoring ALL of these teams with change, gonna be a LOT of transfers hitting the market.
Polito wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:49 pm
In this time, I do have to say, it is nice to have stability in Speedy. I'm demanding of him and the staff, but not sure we want to be playing this chess game right now - it's a great game to play in some cases, but with HU being on the cusp, I think stability is key right now for our program.
See? This is why patience and letting things play out isn't so bad sometimes. Only two years ago, Charleston won a second straight CAA tourney and people wanted to move on from Speedy (then, and through last year). Today, it's Charleston losing its second head coach since that second straight CAA title, and it's Hofstra as the reigning CAA tournament champs and keeping Speedy is suddenly viewed as stability, with Hofstra in a seemingly much better position than Charleston.
Agree Wags. It appears we have a very stable and productive, I might add, situation with Speedy...something was not right with that Charleston situation and Mack. I see Siddle just signed an extension but these days that means nothing.
I didn’t see anything official. “I” just see COFC hiring him as their next head coach. He’s young, near there or at least in the same region, has done well, and COFC would be a nice upgrade for him.
Pbdutch wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 12:30 pm
I didn’t see anything official. “I” just see COFC hiring him as their next head coach. He’s young, near there or at least in the same region, has done well, and COFC would be a nice upgrade for him.
Troy coach Scott Cross actually goes to Georgia Tech, so Richey still on the table for Charleston.
Yeah, that Furman coach Richey is a major up and comer, he's due for a big time role - an ACC program like GT or NC State would be very wise to reach out to him - a winner - he's not going to CofC - that's a near lateral move in another 1 bid conf - he's going to a power program, and deserves the shot
I also expect that Siddle will get some calls, as he's probably had before - whether he goes is all about the right opportunity
Wild to see, this was not expected to be a crazy year of coaching changes, so much for that lol
That St Bona one is interesting, forgot about them making a change - NCState and UNC will have a level of ripple effects...perhaps there are more to come as well - lot of eyes on Self at Kansas
The Will Wade deal back to LSU just a year later after all those sanctions, now that the rules have changed and those things are no longer considered infractions, is just mind-boggling - college sports, what a soap opera, gotta love it!
And of course who CofC taps is highly relevant to us...
Polito wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2026 4:05 pm
And of course who CofC taps is highly relevant to us...
Well we didnt get to see Hofstra Akron in Tampa but we may get to see how we stack up against their coach... looks like Charleston closing in on John Groce. This would be just like when they hired Kelsey, a super qualified mid-major coach who you would have thought was already ready for a better job than Charleston. Goes to show how much money they must have and how that job is looked at within the industry. Great for them, not so much for us.
Wow. Groce to Charleston would be wild. I would’ve never imagined groce going to Charleston in my wildest dreams. He did a great job at Ohio, didn’t do that well at Illinois, and now he’s done great at Akron. They were a 12 Seed this year which was better than Hofstra and the CAA is a better bball conference than the MAC.
I know it says mutual interest, but I have no idea why he would have Interest in another mid major bball team. I would think he’d be looking to go back to a P5…not sure about his recruiting ties down south, but I wouldn’t want to compete against him as an opposing coach…
Polito wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2026 4:05 pm
And of course who CofC taps is highly relevant to us...
Well we didnt get to see Hofstra Akron in Tampa but we may get to see how we stack up against their coach... looks like Charleston closing in on John Groce. This would be just like when they hired Kelsey, a super qualified mid-major coach who you would have thought was already ready for a better job than Charleston. Goes to show how much money they must have and how that job is looked at within the industry. Great for them, not so much for us.
Like Siddle, another former NC State assistant (although it was very early in his career, 1996-2000), he could've gone there to get back to a P5 school. Pretty interesting that it sounds like he'll end up at Charleston.
Ben Jacobson leaving Northern Iowa after 20 seasons there for a five-year deal with Utah State.
Utah State has made the NCAA tournament six of the past seven years under four different coaches. Now they'll have another as they transition to the new Pac-12.
St. Bonaventure is turning to D-III for its next head coach, and will hire Mike MacDonald, who was very successful at Daemen University (Buffalo, NY).
MacDonald is a St. Bonaventure grad and a close, personal friend of program GM and former ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.
We may keep seeing more of this, as Ben McCollum (from D-II Northwest Missouri State, to Drake, to Iowa) and a couple of other recent examples have paved the way.
Polito wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2026 4:05 pm
And of course who CofC taps is highly relevant to us...
Well we didnt get to see Hofstra Akron in Tampa but we may get to see how we stack up against their coach... looks like Charleston closing in on John Groce. This would be just like when they hired Kelsey, a super qualified mid-major coach who you would have thought was already ready for a better job than Charleston. Goes to show how much money they must have and how that job is looked at within the industry. Great for them, not so much for us.
Like Siddle, another former NC State assistant (although it was very early in his career, 1996-2000), he could've gone there to get back to a P5 school. Pretty interesting that it sounds like he'll end up at Charleston.
This now official. Charleston lands Groce, and probably winds up in a better place with him than had Chris Mack returned.
So DOES NOT appear to be an April Fools here, looks like Campbell head coach stepping down after 1 year to take associate head coach job at Louisville. He says school wont commit financial resources to win
Only two years ago, Charleston won a second straight CAA tourney and people wanted to move on from Speedy (then, and through last year). Today, it's Charleston losing its second head coach since that second straight CAA title, and it's Hofstra as the reigning CAA tournament champs and keeping Speedy is suddenly viewed as stability, with Hofstra in a seemingly much better position than Charleston.