A few things that I’ve heard…
- Mike Rice is a HOT name right now at Pitt. Multiple sources have told me that he is involved with an assistant spot on Jeff Capel’s staff. Rice is a Pittsburgh native who has been the head coach at Rutgers and Robert Morris. He has most recently been working for the Hoop Group.
- I have heard that Samford assistant Jake Headrick is in the mix to join Dana Ford’s new staff at Missouri State. Before joining the Samford staff back in 2012, Headrick went 67-22 in three seasons as the head coach at Chipola College (FL).
- Yesterday, I mentioned that VMI assistant Steve Lepore was headed to Eastern Kentucky to join his former boss A.W. Hamilton (Daily Dirt – 4/2/18). It now also sounds like Hamilton will retain current assistant Reece Gaines and will hire former Bryant assistant coach Mike Allen. Gaines played at Louisville and was the 15th pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He has been at EKU for the three years. Allen worked for Hamilton at Hargrave before joining the Bryant staff back in 2015.
- Also yesterday, I mentioned that Southwest Tennessee CC head coach Jerry Nichols was headed to Tennessee State (confirmed). I have also heard that former Cumberland University (TN) head coach Lonnie Thompson is in the mix to join Penny Collins staff as well. Collins spent three seasons (2009-12) as an assistant on Thompson’s staff at Cumberland. Thompson had previously served as an assistant at TSU (1997-98) and has also worked at South Alabama, Middle Tennessee, and Creighton.
- It sounds like Matt Woodley will become a part of Darian DeVries staff at Drake. Woodley spent last season as the special assistant to the head coach under Kevin Stallings at Pitt. He is an Iowa native who played at Drake.
- I can confirm that Kent State assistant Akeem Miskdeen has departed Kent State and will become an assistant at Florida Atlantic. Miskdeen had been on the Kent staff since 2016 and has also worked at Hampton, Mount Olive, and Wingate.
- I have heard that on-campus interviews are underway this week at New Mexico Junior College. The three names that I have heard here are: Seward College (KS) assistant coach Luke Adams, North Lake College (TX) head coach Tim McGraw, and Indian River State College (FL) head coach Charlie Wilson.
- The HoopDirt.com Coach of the Year Awards presented by Just Play Solutions will be announced later this week. All coaches who have won weekly honors at the DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO levels are eligible to receive the end of the season COY award.
- The complete up-to-date list of coaching changes at all levels can he found here: HoopDirt.com Coaching Changes Tracker.
