In the middle of finals on Monday, Aggie fans learned that head coach Mark Turgeon would be “testing out” by taking the head coaching job at Maryland. As Maryland introduced Turgeon as the new head coach today, Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne is still searching for the replacement to one of the most successful coaches in A&M history.
Given his track record, Byrne will most likely bring in another good coach who represents A&M’s character and continues to build the basketball fanbase. This time around, he can afford to shop for big name coaches because the Aggies have made the NCAA Tournament six years straight. The problem is finding the right price. Here are some big names on the shopping list that will sell fast:
Headliners: Buzz Williams (Marquette), Josh Pastner (Memphis), Sean Miller (Arizona), Tim Floyd (UTEP), Fran Fraschilla (ESPN analyst)
Buzz Williams makes the most sense here: He lives in Van Alstyne, Texas. He came up the coaching ranks through assistant coaching positions at Navarro College (Corsicana, Texas), Texas A&M-Kingsville and the head coaching spot at the University of New Orleans. He is a former A&M assistant. He has a tough but likeable personality that fits A&M’s style. The problem? Williams was rewarded for taking his Marquette teams to the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons (including the Sweet Sixteen this year) with a contract extension of reportedly $2.5 million.
Next on the list is likely Memphis head coach, Josh Pastner. Pastner took over for John Calipari at Memphis in 2009 and has surprised many by winning the Conference USA championship and appearing in the NCAA tournament. Pastner is 33 years-old and just signed a contract extension of $1.7 million annually, so it seems his roots in Houston may not be enough to bring him to A&M.
Fran Fraschilla seems to have found a solid career working as an insightful ESPN analyst but many believe him to be a top candidate for the A&M job. He has proven in his broadcasts that his knowledge of the game is only outmatched by his recruiting potential. Fraschilla’s coaching record of 176-99 and undoubted knowledge of the Big 12 will get him a look from many programs, but his broadcasts of FIBA games lead to the assumption that he is holding out for an NBA job.
Sean Miller is the head coach at Arizona and making roughly $1.6 million. After leading Arizona to the Elite Eight, he seems due for a raise so he’s probably not budging.
Tim Floyd, head coach at UTEP, is rumored to be targeted by A&M. Floyd took USC to three NCAA tournaments but resigned after allegations of providing improper benefits to former-star O.J. Mayo and now coaches at UTEP. After dealing with the controversy of the Franchione era in football, Byrne will leave Floyd on the stand until his coaching expiration date.
Under The Radar: Tad Boyle (Colorado), Doc Sadler (Nebraska), Steve Wojciechowski (Duke assoc.), Chris Collins (Duke assoc.), Scott Spinelli (TAMU asst.), Greg Marshall (Wichita State)
Under the radar candidates always include overachieving head coaches and up-and-coming assistants. Some are saying to give former Texas assistant Rodney Terry a call, but he just got the job at Fresno State and won't want that glaring blemish on his record. Let's focus instead on coaches looking to move up the ranks without stepping on any fingers.
Tad Boyle has Colorado playing at a much higher level than the 15-win team he took over last year. He led the Buffaloes to a school record 24 wins in his first year and looks promising as a recruiter. It looks as though he will stay put as well after calling Colorado his dream job, but as A&M knows well by now, everybody has their price in the coaching world.
Doc Sadler, head coach at Nebraska, has a coaching record of 89-70 at Nebraska but is unproven in Big 12 play with a record of 30-50. Maybe he just needs a bigger program to bring in better recruits. Maybe he can’t cut it in the Big 12.
Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins are associate coaches at Duke and have tons of spots reserved on the coaching carousel as many believe they will produce as head coaches. One or the other is presumably taking over for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, but the other will bring the winning ways of Duke to one lucky program. For all Duke-haters out there, the Blue Devils have posted only one season of double-digit losses and only three below-.800 winning percentages since 1996. In the words of Samuel L. Jackson in the movie Coach Carter, “There’s some stats for your [self].”
Scott Spinelli, TAMU assistant, has been a large part of A&M’s success over the past four years by recruiting top athletes. The problem is, he has been with Turgeon for most of his career and doesn’t seem to fit the bill.
Greg Marshall took over for Mark Turgeon after he left Wichita State in 2005. Marshall came from coaching Winthrop to seven NCAA appearances in his nine years there to replace another hungry coach that left for a bigger meal. He continued to improve the program, taking Wichita State to the NIT for the past two years and winning the championship this year, and could do the same at A&M.
Most Likely: Buzz Williams, Tad Boyle, Greg Marshall
Buzz Williams has a ton of ties to Texas A&M basketball, but his honorable and loyal nature leaves him torn between returning home to his family and a reformed, yet faithful, fanbase, and staying at Marquette to build upon his first success as a coach.
The same is true with Tad Boyle. He grew up in Colorado and is thriving as a head coach there. He will be tempted to leave for a bigger program with bigger money, but the future is still unclear.
Greg Marshall is another mid-major success story looking for recognition after leading Winthrop and Wichita State to better days. He probably flies the lowest under the radar but some would argue Turgeon did the same before A&M.
There’s no doubt the next Aggie basketball coach has big shoes to fill after Turgeon continued the tradition of winning established by Billy Gillispie. Byrne hired Gillispie in 2004, who had established himself as the alpha-dog of recruiting in Texas, and was vindicated as Gillispie brought A&M to two NCAA tournaments. After Gillispie bolted for the Kentucky job and nearly destroyed his career, Byrne brought in Turgeon from Wichita State.
Byrne was looking for more stability at the head coaching position and turned to a promising coach from Wichita State. Turgeon always showed professionalism and class as a head coach while taking the Shockers to the NIT three straight years and the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. He then led the Aggies to four-straight NCAA appearances with the same respect for the game he has shown since his playing days as a Kansas Jayhawk.
In The End: Buzz Williams
Byrne will do everything in his power to get Williams to College Station, but it will take a huge buyout and a lot of support from Aggies to finalize a deal. If a deal is done, the Twelfth Man will yell a collective “whoop” for the hiring of the tough and charismatic head coach.
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