Tag: Head Coach

Longhorns Wire Roundtable: Should Tom Herman get another year at Texas?

It is the $15 million dollar question on everyone’s mind, should Tom Herman return as the Texas Longhorns head coach in 2021?

Usually following a loss the kneejerk reactions are at an all-time high, when you couple that with a second loss they grow. Make it against your rival and the fanbase loses their absolute minds. However, are the Texas Longhorns fanbase on the right track? After another loss to Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners, people are ready to run head coach Tom Herman right out of Austin.

There has been plenty said about Herman and his familiar failures over the three plus seasons on the Forty Acres. The undisciplined play from his team that has seen the penalties rise to the highest they have been through 44 games in Austin. The lack of a vertical passing attack and the defensive woes have continued. So should he get another year seeing as how he just reworked his entire staff in shorted offseason? Longhorns Wire staff weighed in.

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New Rockets GM Rafael Stone has taken lead on coaching search

Though Daryl Morey didn’t publicly reveal his departure plans until Thursday, his replacement has already been running the coaching search.

To most people around the NBA, Thursday’s departure announcement from veteran Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey came as a shock.

To the Rockets, though, it’s apparently old news.

With Morey telling owner Tilman Fertitta of his plans shortly after the conclusion of Houston’s 2020 playoff run, new GM Rafael Stone has already begun taking the lead within basketball operations.

Via Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic, here’s what that has meant for the ongoing search for a head coach to replace Mike D’Antoni:

Prior to the coaching search, Fertitta had said that Morey would have a large influence in picking the next Rockets head coach, but The Athletic has learned that Morey’s role in the coaching search had diminished over the past few weeks and he had been operating essentially as a consultant. The Rockets have interviewed Jeff Van Gundy, Ty Lue, Kenny Atkinson, Stephen Silas, David Vanterpool, Wes Unseld Jr., and John Lucas so far. …

Typically, the Rockets front office has operated as a joint venture, with Morey, Stone, Eli Witus, and Monte McNair (now with Sacramento) offering individual input along with ownership before arriving at a decision. So far, however, it’s been Stone — and not Morey — running point during the interview process.

Of that group, Van Gundy, Silas, and Lucas are believed to be the current frontrunners, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Both Van Gundy and Silas have already had multiple days of interviews.

There is no definitive timetable for a hire to be made. However, with Morey’s contract expiring Nov. 1, it appears that the Rockets plan to finalize the head coaching decision before that date.

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Rockets’ coaching candidates knew of Daryl Morey’s impending exit

News of the GM’s departure came as a shock to many Rockets fans, but the coaching candidates were made aware throughout the process.

After 13 years as the lead basketball operations executive in Houston, Rockets GM Daryl Morey is stepping down. While the news shocked many fans, it doesn’t appear likely to affect the team’s coaching search.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, that’s because candidates were told of Morey’s plans throughout the process.

Feigen writes:

Though Morey did not make his decision to step down public until Thursday and has been involved in the interviews with candidates to succeed Mike D’Antoni as Rockets coach, each of the coaches had been informed throughout the process that Morey expected to leave the team at some point this offseason.

“We’ve been up front with all the coaching candidates we’ve talked to that there was a change coming,” Morey said. “I have been trying to be just an adviser at this point with Rafael [Stone] making the final decision and Tilman [Fertitta] making the final decision.”

The Rockets brought in veteran NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy for a second interview on Thursday, and they’re doing the same Friday with Dallas assistant Stephen Silas. Recent Rockets assistant John Lucas is also being strongly considered, according to Feigen’s report.

However, Feigen reports that the Rockets could potentially opt to interview additional candidates beyond those three names. Unofficially, this is the “second round” of interviews to replace Mike D’Antoni.

While Morey remains involved in an advisory role, the final decision will be made by new GM Rafael Stone and team ownership.

There is still no definitive timetable for a hire to be made.

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Rockets to hold second interview with Stephen Silas on Friday

Stephen Silas will become the second head coaching candidate to interview with the Rockets for a second time, joining Jeff Van Gundy.

Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas will travel to Houston on Friday for a second interview with the Rockets regarding their head coaching vacancy, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Silas was also a finalist for the Houston job in 2016 before it was given to Mike D’Antoni. The 47-year-old is extremely well regarded for his personality and work ethic, and his Mavs just finished up a season in which they had (statistically) the most efficient offense in NBA history.

Silas also has quality experience the last two seasons from working with Rick Carlisle, long regarded as one of the NBA’s top tactical coaches. As the son of longtime NBA coach Paul Silas, he’s essentially an NBA lifer.

Here’s a rundown of Silas’ coaching career to date:

1999–2000 Charlotte Hornets (scout)
2000–2002 Charlotte Hornets (assistant)
2002–2003 New Orleans Hornets (assistant)
2003–2005 Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
2005–2006 Washington Wizards (scout)
2006–2010 Golden State Warriors (assistant)
2010–2018 Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (assistant)
2018–present Dallas Mavericks (assistant)

GM Daryl Morey, who reportedly liked Silas in 2016, is leaving the Rockets as of Nov. 1. However, he is staying on to assist with the final stages of the coaching search, and his replacement (Rafael Stone) is an internal promotion who was also heavily involved in the 2016 search.

At 47, Silas is the youngest of the three candidates believed to be in Houston’s list of finalists. The others are 58-year-old Jeff Van Gundy and 66-year-old John Lucas. So if the Rockets eventually need to rebuild in the coming years, Silas might be the best long-term bet.

There is no definitive timetable for when Houston’s hire will be made. For now, Silas joins Van Gundy as the only candidates to interview twice.

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Players will now be expected to stand during ‘The Eyes of Texas’

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and head coach Tom Herman met with the team on Wednesday night to discuss the ‘Eyes of Texas.’

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Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte will now expect players to remain on the field postgame for the playing of ‘The Eyes of Texas.’ Continue reading “Players will now be expected to stand during ‘The Eyes of Texas’”

Jeff Van Gundy, Stephen Silas, John Lucas are Rockets’ finalists

With Ty Lue staying with the Clippers, it’s Van Gundy, Silas, and Lucas who are now finalists in Houston’s search for a head coach.

As many expected, Tyronn Lue is replacing Doc Rivers as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. While Lue interviewed in Houston earlier this week, he was a top assistant with the Clippers last season and was already quite familiar with the organization and its key players.

With Lue off the board, the Rockets are believed to have a list of three top candidates to fill their head coaching vacancy. Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the finalists are former Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy; Dallas assistant Stephen Silas; and recent Rockets assistant John Lucas.

Lucas also has prior head coaching experience with three different NBA franchises. However, all of those stints came in 2003 and earlier.

Van Gundy is clearly the biggest name of the three, and that could be especially important in the aftermath of the unexpected departure of veteran GM Daryl Morey. Van Gundy interviewed with the Rockets on Wednesday, and those talks reportedly extended into Thursday.

Now 58 years old, Van Gundy hasn’t coached in the NBA since his previous stint leading the Rockets from 2003-04 through 2006-07. He has, however, worked as a coach for USA Basketball since 2017.

Known best for his emphasis on defense and toughness, “JVG” has a career coaching record of 430-318 (.575) over parts of 11 seasons as head coach in New York and Houston. Van Gundy is 44-44 (.500) in the playoffs, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks.

Since his NBA coaching days, Van Gundy has also served as one of the league’s top television analysts for broadcasts on ABC and ESPN. Away from basketball, he’s shown a clear affinity for Houston as a city, having chosen to live there even after losing his job with the Rockets.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets had planned to bring back both Van Gundy and Lue for second interviews. Feigen did not report that Silas or Lucas would be receiving a second interview, which — when combined with Lue’s decision to stay with Los Angeles — would seem to point to Van Gundy as the current frontrunner.

Morey is staying on a short-term advisor to assist in the finalization of the coaching search. Rafael Stone, one of Morey’s top executives, will be promoted to his position as general manager.

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How has COVID-19 impacted Dan Mullen’s compensation?

As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed this year, the financial impact has been felt immensely by a number of programs around the country.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed throughout the year, the financial impact has been felt immensely by a number of programs around the country.

Several coaches at top schools around the country have seen alterations to their bonus arrangements, and many have even had to take pay cuts, such as Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, who saw his salary reduced by more than half a million dollars.

Florida coach Dan Mullen was spared a pay cut, although his performance bonus package didn’t remain intact.

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Mullen, who’s the nation’s eleventh-highest paid coach, is in the third season of a six-year deal that pays him just over $6 million annually. He will see that full amount, but his pension contributions were discontinued for one year and he will not receive any bonuses until the 2021 season.

Several coaches who are paid more than Mullen are taking pay reductions this fall, including Harbaugh, Penn State coach James Franklin and Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley.

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Texas Football: Just how big is the Tom Herman buyout?

USA TODAY Sports provided the coaching salaries for FBS coaches. Where does Tom Herman rank and how much is the buyout for Texas Longhorns?

Following the Longhorns loss to the Texas Christian Horned Frogs, the Texas head coach Tom Herman has been a topic of conversation. TCU and Gary Patterson have owned the matchup since they joined the conference and have owned Herman when they face. The fanbase and media alike became restless with the loss. After the loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, those whispers became much louder.

It isn’t just the water cooler talk in the office or even on social media platforms. In their two losses this year, the fans have become very vocal in booing the head coach when things aren’t going well. Sitting at 2-2 through the first four games, they are not looking great. This was supposed to be the year that the Longhorns took the next step. It just hasn’t been there.

Following the 2016 college football season the Longhorns needed to fill their head coaching vacancy. The school fired Charlie Strong after a 5-7 season in which they won just three conference games. He had two separate three loss skids that year. Strong’s undoing was the loss to Kansas in late November.

Mike Perrin who was acting as temporary athletic director is the one who pulled the trigger to hire Herman originally. Following the Sugar Bowl victory in year two, Chris Del Conte gave him an extension after just two seasons. Given that Herman improved the team to 7-6 with a Texas Bowl victory and followed that up with a 10-4 record and the Sugar Bowl victory, who could blame them? It was trending upwards.

That 2018 season marked the first time the Longhorns finished a season with less than five losses since 2012. It also gave the school their first double-digit win season since since 2009. However, after the 2019 campaign and the way 2020 has started, is there a bit of buyers remorse?

Big 12 coaches salary and record since 2017

Head Coach 2020 Salary School Wins Losses
Lincoln Riley $6.2 million OU 38 8
Gary Patterson $6.1 million TCU 24 18
Tom Herman $5.8 million UT 27 17
Mike Gundy $4.2 million OSU 28 14
Matt Campbell $3.5 million ISU 26 17
Les Miles* $3.3 million KU 3 12
Neal Brown* $2.95 million WVU 7 8
Matt Wells* $2.87 million TTU 5 11
Chris Klieman* $2.32 million KSU 11 6
Dave Aranda* – BU 1 1

*denotes being in their role less than three seasons

Currently Herman is the third highest paid coach in the Big 12 Conference and the one with the third most wins. Is the school getting a return on their investment? Could the University of Texas look to buyout Herman if the team isn’t able to get back on the right track and compete for a Big 12 Championship? According to the salary provided by USA TODAY Sports, the buyout is north of $15 million.

The exact number is $15,416, 667 as of Dec. 1, 2020. In a typical year that number wouldn’t prevent the school and boosters from coming up with the money. What about in a pandemic year? For most it would depend on how the team performs over the remaining six games on the schedule. The next three games could be a key indicator. The Longhorns have Baylor, Oklahoma State and West Virginia on the schedule before their last schedule bye week of the season.

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Talks between Rockets, Jeff Van Gundy to continue into Thursday

In what could be a promising sign, Wednesday’s interview with veteran head coach Jeff Van Gundy will reportedly extend into Thursday.

In what could be seen as a promising sign in their discussions, Wednesday’s interview between the Houston Rockets and veteran NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy will reportedly extend into Thursday.

“Van Gundy met with Rockets ownership and management today on the franchise’s coaching job, and conversations with the team will continue on Thursday,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote late Wednesday.

While Mike D’Antoni informed Houston on Sept. 13 that he would not be returning as head coach, the Rockets were not able to meet with Van Gundy in person until this week. The 58-year-old was stuck at the NBA “bubble” in Florida, where he was broadcasting playoff games for ABC.

Van Gundy hasn’t coached in the NBA since his previous stint leading the Rockets from 2003-04 through 2006-07. He has, however, worked as a coach for USA Basketball since 2017.

Known best for his emphasis on defense and toughness, “JVG” has a career coaching record of 430-318 (.575) over parts of 11 seasons as head coach in New York and Houston. Van Gundy is 44-44 (.500) in the playoffs, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks.

While the Los Angeles Clippers are also said to be interested in Van Gundy, he reportedly prefers his adopted hometown of Houston. There’s still no definitive timetable for a decision to be made by the Rockets, but talks clearly seem to be progressing this week at a rapid pace.

Besides Van Gundy, the other top candidates are believed to include recent Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson; former Cleveland head coach Ty Lue; and four assistants: Dallas’ Stephen Silas, Denver’s Wes Unseld Jr., Minnesota’s David Vanterpool; and Houston’s John Lucas.

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Jeff Van Gundy set to interview with Rockets on Wednesday

Van Gundy will be the seventh and final candidate of the first round of coaching interviews, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Veteran NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy is set to interview with the Rockets on Wednesday, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

That interview will conclude Houston’s “first round” of interviews, with Tyronn Lue also viewed as a serious candidate. Since owner Tilman Fertitta was already involved in the initial round, it is not yet known whether there will be a second round to the head coaching search.

Van Gundy was unable to have an in-person interview until now, since he was stuck at the NBA “bubble” in Central Florida as an announcer for ABC’s playoff broadcasts. That might help explain the lengthy nature of Houston’s search, which has gone on for more than a month since Mike D’Antoni’s Sept. 13 announcement that he wouldn’t return.

Besides Lue and Van Gundy, the list of other candidates for the Rockets is believed to include former Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson; Dallas assistant Stephen Silas; Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr.; Minnesota assistant David Vanterpool; and current Rockets assistant John Lucas.

As for Van Gundy, the 58-year-old hasn’t coached in the league since his stint leading the Rockets from 2003-04 through 2006-07. He has, however, worked as a coach for USA Basketball since 2017.

Known best for his emphasis on defense and toughness, Van Gundy has a career coaching record of 430-318 (.575) over parts of 11 seasons as head coach in New York and Houston. Van Gundy is 44-44 (.500) in the playoffs, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks.

While the Los Angeles Clippers are also said to be interested in Van Gundy, he reportedly prefers his adopted hometown of Houston.

There is still no definitive timetable for a decision to be made by the Rockets, but talks clearly seem to be progressing at a rapid pace.

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