Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)
More on the Shake-Up at Lincoln Memorial and Some Hot Candidates
Clearly a crazy situation at D2 Lincoln Memorial, where Jeremiah Samarrippas was not renewed (still no official statement from LMU, however). For those of you who don’t follow me on X, this was my take:
Obviously, there are lofty and maybe somewhat unrealistic expectations at LMU. But, nevertheless, the search is on to find Samarrippas’ replacement. Two names that have been making the rounds the most are Lander head coach Omar Wattad and Chipola head coach Donnie Tyndall. Before taking over at Lander, Wattad spent six seasons on Josh Schertz’s staff at LMU, going 178-24 with five NCAA Tournament berths, including two trips to the Final Four and an appearance in the 2016 national title game. Tyndall, the former head coach at Tennessee, Southern Miss, and Morehead State, has been at Chipola since 2020.
Northern State Coaching Buzz
I have heard from multiple sources that the final group at D2 Northern State has been identified, and it sounds like on-campus interviews are taking place/have taken place. One of the names that keeps coming up here is Upper Iowa head coach Brooks McKowen. He has been the Peacocks’ coach for the past 12 seasons and led them to a 21-9 (14-6) record this past year.
Florida State Staff Starting to Take Shape
It sounds like former Chicago State head coach Gerald Gillion is going to join the Florida State staff. He is currently the associate head coach at LIU. Other names that sound like they are in the mix for spots on Luke Loucks’ new staff are Jacksonville associate head coach Michael Fly (former head coach at FGCU) and SMU associate head coach Chris Capko (assuming he doesn’t get the USF job).
D2 Openings Heating Up
It’s been really busy at the D2 level so far (18 openings), and it sounds like it’s going to get even busier in the next few days. I have been told by multiple sources to keep an eye on schools in Colorado, Michigan, and New York. Stay tuned…
Louisiana Staff Basketball Staff Update
Word on the street is that new Louisiana basketball coach Quannas White will add his younger brother Josh White to his staff. Josh is currently an assistant at Texas Southern and has worked with Quannas in the past at Houston and with the Louisiana Dynasty AAU. Another name that I’ve heard here is a current NAIA head coach with strong Louisiana ties.
Familiar Name in the Mix for D3 Middlebury Job
The hottest name to replace recently retired Jeff Brown at Middlebury is outgoing Columbia assistant Jake Brown. Brown had been at Columbia since 2021 and has also worked at NJIT and Howard. He is also a Middlebury alum, a two-time captain for the Panthers, and won two NESCAC Championships as a player.
Columbia’s Coaching Carousel
Speaking of Columbia… I mentioned Derrick Phelps here last week. I have also heard that former Columbia assistant Kevin Hovde is in the mix. Hovde has been at Florida since 2022 and has also worked with current Gators head coach Todd Golden at Columbia and San Francisco. He has also been an assistant at his alma mater, Richmond.
New England Prep Moves
Earlier this week, I had some DIRT from the New England Preps. By request, here’s more…
Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) head coach Jay Tilton has stepped down and has been replaced by assistant coach Harry Rafferty. Rafferty spent five seasons with the University of Michigan women’s basketball program under head coach Kim Barnes Arico before returning to his alma mater last season.
I mentioned the opening at Tabor Academy (MA) earlier this week. I have now heard from a great source that the leader here is Scott Willard. He is currently the AD at The Seven Hills School in Ohio and has been the head coach at Tilton Academy (NH), The Miller School (VA), Louisville Collegiate School, The Christ School (NC), Lesley University, and served on the basketball staff at Wyoming. More on this one as I hear it.
A Massachusetts Coaching Legend Retires
Not a prep, but a big HS move in Massachusetts… longtime Newton North head coach Paul Connelly has retired. I started my coaching career when PC was an assistant at Emerson and would see him on the road at every event in New England for a few years. Since then, PC went on to bigger and better, won 456 games in his career at NN, secured two state titles, and captured the Bay State League Championship 17 times in the last 19 seasons. A big loss for Massachusetts HS basketball.
For a full list of coaching changes across NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO levels, check out the 2025 Coaching Changes Tracker presented by D1.relocation [HERE].
