An Expert Look at Coaching Candidates

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http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/6C87014554C395FE862571130020943E?OpenDocument

Missouri director of athletics Mike Alden is on the griddle. Around the state, angry Mizzou fans are blaming Alden for allowing the Quin Snyder soap opera to drag on long beyond reasonable limits.

That said, Alden is in no danger of losing his job. Overall, the athletic department at Mizzou is in strong shape, and the university administration remains firm in its support of Alden. But as long as the basketball program is down, Alden will be slapped with poor grades by Mizzou fans who also are critical of the football program. And if he bungles the hiring of the next basketball coach, Alden won't be around when his contract expires in 2010.

So what should Alden do? Does he aim high and throw money around to lure a big and expensive catch such as West Virigina coach John Beilein or Marquette coach Tom Crean? Or does Alden follow the successful model used by Illinois AD Ron Guenther, who took a more prudent approach in hiring Bruce Weber?

Instead of going on an ego trip, Guenther went to Southern Illinois and recruited Weber - an outstanding coach with a winning background. Weber wasn't an expensive or charismatic hire, but he turned out to be the ideal choice to lead the Illini.


Given Snyder's failure to connect with Mizzou fans, it's important for Alden to bring in a coach who is comfortable with the Midwest and those who live here. Slick personalities need not apply. Scandalized coaches (Bob Huggins) need not apply.

Let's take a look at a list of candidates on the unofficial short list.

After working the phones Saturday, here is my report:

Beilein: I'll come right out and say that this is my No. 1 choice. He's an excellent coach who can win without a roster of McDonald's All-Americans. He recruits intelligent, unselfish kids who can pass and shoot and dig in on defense. Beilein runs the most beautiful offense in college basketball, and he has won at every stop while moving up the coaching ladder. Beilein's brother lives in Clayton, and Beilein told me that St. Louis is his favorite city other than his hometown (Buffalo). And Beilein is a die-hard Cardinals fan who idolizes Lou Brock. (One of Beilein's sons is surely the only person in Morgantown walking around with a So Taguchi replica T-shirt). And when the Cardinals lost Game 7 of the 1968 World Series, Beilein was so distraught that his mother kept him home from school the next day. But here's the deal: Any school that hires Beilein owes West Virginia a buy-out of $3 million. Ouch.

Crean: He makes more than $1 million a year at Marquette, where he is king. With Marquette in the Big East, Crean has expanded his recruiting base, and that excites him. Yes, he's friends with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, and like Beilein, he's fond of St. Louis. But it's hard to imagine Crean leaving a great situation at Marquette.

Rick Majerus: The ESPN analyst already is sending signals that he wants the gig. His record is 422-147, with 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and he led Utah to the national championship game. He hails from the Midwest, and he's engaging. But health issues are a concern, and Majerus bailed out on USC after being on the job for a day and changing his mind. Majerus brings a clear-cut advantage over other candidates: You can hire him immediately, so he would get the jump on recruiting. But can Majerus convince Alden that he'd commit, long term, to Mizzou?

Dana Altman: It will be difficult to pull him out of Creighton. He makes great money there, is content where he is, and has built a program superior to Mizzou's. We're told that Altman isn't keen on cleaning up Snyder's mess; it took him a few years to rebuild Creighton, and he doesn't want to go through that again. Altman's father lives near Omaha and attends Creighton practices. Why would Altman want to leave this happy zone and start over?

Greg McDermott: The Northern Iowa coach is a rising star. But we have to wait for the dominoes to fall. Here's why: We're told he probably would jump at the Iowa job if Steve Alford leaves for Indiana. Moreover, McDermott's wife is battling a serious illness, and though the prognosis is encouraging, it may be the wrong time to make a move to another state.

Mike Anderson: The Alabama-Birmingham coach is in his fourth season and has done a superb job, with an 81-39 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He plays an entertaining style, with the running offense and the pressing defense taught to him by his mentor, Nolan Richardson. But Anderson is a Birmingham native, and he's got a heralded recruiting class on the way, and he makes good money. If Anderson is willing to leave home, he'd probably wait for a better job.

Lon Kruger: He's in his second season at UNLV. But he doesn't impress us as a Vegas roller. He's a Midwestern guy who won at Kansas State and Illinois. He led Florida to the Final Four. If Kruger wants to get back to his roots, Mizzou is a fit.

Mark Fox: The Nevada coach is the real sleeper on this list. He's a Kansas native and former Kansas State assistant (1994-2000). He's 43-12 at Nevada. He's an underrated recruiter. Fox is the anti-Snyder; there's nothing slick about him. He's just very smart with the X's and O's and has a down-to-earth personality. We assume Fox would be attracted to the Mizzou job and the chance to upgrade from the WAC to the Big 12.

The basketball is in Alden's hands.