HoopDirt.com’s Daily News from the college basketball coaching world…
- According to the ndicted Arizona assistant basketball coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson collected more than $72,000 from the school while appealing his termination amid allegations that he paid a recruit to verbally commit to the Wildcats. Richardson was formally fired Jan. 11, more than 15 weeks after he was suspended with pay following his arrest on federal bribery charges. Richardson made $250,000 annually as Sean Miller’s longest-serving assistant coach, and was put on paid leave on Sept. 26, the day he was arrested as part of an FBI sting into illegal payments in college basketball. Full story HERE.
- An eye-opening article published by AthleticDirectorU: Coaching Carousel Data Reveals Institutionalized Discrimination In College Basketball. ADU’s Jason Belzer and Eli Boettger have compiled hiring and firing data among NCAA DI head coaches in men’s and women’s basketball and conclude that “racial hiring and firing practices of head coaches should be at the forefront of discussions in major college sports.” Part of Belzer’s and Boettger’s conclusion, “The data collected and outlined shows strong evidence that minority basketball coaches are discriminated against not only when it comes to becoming head coaches, but also their retention in such positions. Both men’s and women’s minority coaches are fired at rates more than twice that of their Caucasian counterparts, while also being giving less time to prove their worth as leaders.” Read the entire report HERE.
- Bruce Pearl currently has Auburn rolling at 17-2 (5-1 SEC), but he’s still feeling the heat from the FBI investigation. From USA Today’s Dan Wolken on the hiring of new AD Allen Greene: According to two people familiar with Auburn’s hiring process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conversations were supposed to be private, (Auburn President Steven) Leath was as transparent as he could be with candidates about the state of the basketball program, which is to say he acknowledged that the new athletics director may have to hire a coach this year. Read the entire article HERE. This will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on when April rolls around.
- Some recent milestone victories:
Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker earned his 200th career win for the Crimson with at OT win at Dartmouth. Amaker now holds a 200-105 record at Harvard, and a career mark of 369-244 (108-84 Michigan, 68-55 Seton Hall).
Weatherford College (TX) head coach Mark Osina collected the 400th win of his career last week. Osina’s teams are now 400-260 in his 18 years as head coach. He is a four-time conference Coach of the Year Award winner and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year in 1999.
Our Lady of the Lake University (TX) head coach Ryan Wall recorded his 100th career victory as his crew downed NAIA #13 LSU-Alexandria last week. Wall is in his fifth season at OLLU.
- 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]
