HoopDirt.com’s Daily News from the college basketball coaching world…
- USC has officially fired associate head coach Tony Bland in the aftermath of his arrest last fall in the college basketball bribery and corruption probe, his attorney told The Los Angeles Times. Jeffrey Lichtman, Bland’s New York-based attorney, said USC cut ties with the coach last week. Lichtman said the school cited the federal charges as the reason “We’re disappointed, obviously, as Tony enjoys the presumption of innocence in court but not with his employer,” Lichtman told The Times on Thursday. “However, USC certainly treated him better than the other universities treated their indicted coaches and, for that, Tony is extremely grateful. He appreciates his time at USC and sends his best wishes to everyone including the administration, coaching staff and the players.” The full story can be found HERE.
- The Land of 10 recently obtained details of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery contract extension which he signed back on 11/29. The full contract can be viewed HERE. The most interesting figures are the termination numbers. Iowa would owe McCaffery $10.2 million if it fired him before July 1, 2018. That number falls to $9 million due McCaffery if he is fired before July 1, 2019, and decreases annually through the 2023-24 season. McCaffery’s previous contract — signed June 23, 2016, and in place before the November extension — allowed for a $4.6 million payout if he were fired after this season. Should the coach opt for another job before the 2023-24 season, he would owe Iowa athletics $2 million. That’s up from $1 million previously.The full report from Land of 10 can be found HERE.
- Great story from the New Castle News: ‘It was almost too late’: St. Francis assistant basketball coach Eric Taylor back on bench after receiving last rites and undergoing risky surgery. Taylor collapsed on September 22nd which set off a chain of events that took him to a Pittsburgh hospital for risky surgery that ended up saving his life. The complete story can be found HERE.
- Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard tore his ACL in practice last week. The second-year Texas Tech coach admitted to the injury during a teleconference with reporters in which he hoped no one thought him “soft” from the injury. The injury happened in practice on Friday, but its effects reared its head Saturday at Hilton Coliseum, where Beard’s knee gave out on him during play at one point as he subsequently fell to the ground. More from NBCSports.com HERE.
- Some recent milestone victories:
Cal State Bakersfield head coach Rod Barnes picked up his 300th career coaching victory with an 89-78 win on the road at Western Athletic Conference rival Chicago State. Barnes is in his 19th season as a DI head coach with previous stops at Ole Miss and Georgia State.
Bernie Driscoll won his 300th game as the head coach at Kutztown University (PA). Driscoll, in his 18th season as head coach of KU, is the winningest coach in Kutztown history. He is the eighth coach in PSAC history to reach the milestone.
Head coach Jim Mullins, now in his 21st season, became the all-time winningest coach in Ithaca College men’s basketball history with his 308th win as the Bombers defeated host St. Lawrence, 82-67. The victory moves Mullins ahead of Tom Baker, who won 307 games from 1979-97, for the top spot on the all-time list.
Westmont College head coach John Moore won the 500th game during his tenure at the Santa Barbara school. In 25 seasons at the college, he’s had only one losing season. He also spent 5 seasons as the head coach at Fresno Pacific where he won 79 games.
- The HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions winners were announced earlier this week. The full list of winners from the DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO levels can be found HERE. Nominations for next week’s award can be sent to: [email protected]
