Each week, we will examine the list of coaches who have had their job security questioned before, or who may want to begin worrying about the season’s end. In this first installment, we look at five candidates for the Hot Seat, and take their current temperature.
Tom Crean, Indiana: As of now, most pundits have the Hoosiers either in the NCAA Tournament, or at least firmly in the conversation. So, why does it feel like Crean still isn’t safe? Perhaps it’s the 20-point losses to teams like Michigan State, who have been very beatable for much of the year. Perhaps it’s the idea that a team with talent like James Blackmon Jr, Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams, who combine for almost 46 points per game, shouldn’t be on the bubble at all. Or maybe, it is the off-court concerns about Crean’s control of his program.
Most of all though, it seems like Crean just hasn’t done enough overall in his time running IU. When he took over, the Hoosiers might be been as down as we’ve seen a blue-blood program in the last decade-plus. He’s brought them back to relevance on the national level of conversation, and begun to recruit talent to Bloomington that we’d expect them to sign. However, it’s looking like Tom Crean, while a key piece in any future winning that IU does under its next coach, just wasn’t meant to be the long term answer for a fan base hungry to begin competing for national championships once again. Temperature: Boiling[divider]Brian Gregory, Georgia Tech: The Yellowjackets have been mightily competitive in three of its four losses on the year, but are looking more and more like a team that will be left wanting on Selection Sunday. What would that mean? It would be the first time in thirty years that Tech has missed five straight NCAA Tournaments, and would likely end the four year run for Gregory.
Georgia Tech has become a tougher job with the ACC adding heavyweight star power from the Big East, but with Georgia still relatively mediocre, it seems unreasonable that they’ve only landed two Atlanta area stars since 2012.
Tech may not be as sexy of a program as others who raid the talented and deep streets of Atlanta, but they need a coach who can overcome that and convince the local prep stars to lead their hometown program back to national relevance. Not long ago, the Yellowjackets were a fixture in the ACC race. Under Gregory, those days are long gone, and it’s the reason he’s likely to be shown the door in a matter of months. Temperature: Boiling[divider]Steve Lavin, St. John’s: Lavin has had no problem convincing talent to join him in in Queens, despite missing on local talents like Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall). Until this year, though, that hasn’t translated to the type of success that Red Storm supporters were hoping for.
The Johnnies feel like a different team this year, led by Big East Player of the Year candidate D’Angelo Harrison, and have spent much of the year ranked. Now, a run in March would certainly help keep the recent momentum going, but things could get interesting if they flame out. For now though, one has to think that Lavin’s job is safe, despite grumblings in the fan base. Temperature: Lukewarm[divider]Josh Pastner, Memphis: It can’t be easy to follow a Memphis legend like John Calipari, but Pastner seemed to be taking it in stride. His recruiting was better than most high-major schools, and he wasn’t having much trouble racking up wins, despite a few flameouts in the NCAA Tournament.
But all that talent he’s brought in has to produce at some point, and as this year’s team shows no real evidence that it can contend for a conference title, people are beginning to ask questions. Is Pastner just a salesman, and not a coach? Will he ever win big like his predecessor did? It still feels early to declare him a failure, as every coach should be allowed a let down here and there, but Pastner needs a big season here soon, or the answers to those questions won’t go in his favor much longer. Temperature: Warm[divider]Dave Rice, UNLV: Another mid-major that’s been bringing in top ranked recruiting classes, the Rebels have yet to make their big run that so many have predicted them being capable of in March. In fact, Rice’s two tournament teams have earned five and six seeds in the Dance, only to fall at the hands of Pac-12 teams, including Colorado in 2012 when the Buffaloes needed an improbable run to the conference tournament championship to even earn a bid.
Now, as the transfers have added up and development has been lacking, Rice is coming off of yet another disappointing season, and while UNLV has played better ball as of late (including an upset of Arizona), the Rebels still leave fans and pundits alike wanting more. It’s important to note that Rice was recently given an extension, but the pressure is still mounting in Las Vegas. Landing local product and consensus five-star recruit Stephen Zimmerman would certainly help things for him. Temperature: Warm
