Cal Poly Pomona's athletic director, Brian Swanson, just showed the world, how not to do a search for a head coach.
First a timeline:
June 2, 2010: Head Coach Scott Davis Resigns
June 24, 2010. Cal Poly Pomona releases the names of the Two Finalists. There was another finalist but the third finalist turned down the chance to interview on campus.
July 13, 2010: Story about how Swanson tried to save face, after being turned down by the finalists. Swanson CYA
There were two huge errors made in this coaching search. Both errors fall on the shoulders of AD Brian Swanson.
First mistake: releasing the names of the finalists on Cal Poly Pomona's athletic website. At no time should an athletic director, release the names of finalists, on their school's athletics website, unless he is 100% one of the finalists will accept the job. If inside information is leaked to the press, that's fine. If the press is wrong, it's the press that looks bad. But when a school releases information on their website, they will look bad, if something goes wrong.
Also, Swanson put the finalists in a tough position by releasing their names. Why? How would you feel if you were looking for another job and that company said you were a finalist? Think your boss would be happy? While the two finalists were upfront with their current schools and players, about looking into the Cal Poly Pomona job, other coaches have not been as honest.
Every coach needs to look into any opportunity for advancement- whether it means better pay, better facility, better support, or personal reasons. I understand that is part of the coaching business. At the same time coaches need to be up front with their current schools and players. They need to tell their players and recruits they are looking. If they do move on, the coach needs to tell the players in person, at a team meeting. Not a text message or press release or TV announcement, as some weasel coaches have done. Also, don't be a weasel like Cheating Petey Carroll and run when the NCAA is about to lower the boom on USC.
Second mistake: Never try to save face. Just man up and admit you made a mistake. There have been plenty of times I've been wrong about a coach or player. I admit I was wrong. I thought Mary Hegarty would turn things around at Long Beach St. Instead she was terrible.
Swanson should have handled the situation this way: Tell the press: we are moving forward in our search for a new women's basketball head coach. Simple, PC, doesn't look like you're making excuses for screwing up. Instead Swanson looks like a damn fool. Nice job Mr. Swanson, and California taxpayers are paying your six figure salary?????
I know what happened during this search. Swanson made his decision and offered the job to one of the finalist. That finalist turned down the job. I know why that finalist turned down the job, but I'll keep that to myself for now. Swanson then offered the job, on an interim basis, to another coach and was turned down.
So here we are, July 19, 2010 and Cal Poly Pomona still doesn't have a head coach.
Who does this affect the most? The kids at Cal Poly who are coming back!!! They still don't know who their coach is going to be for the 2010-11 season. No kid should have to go through this. An adult who is making stupid decisions, trying to CYA (cover your __, you can figure out the last word) and hurting the college experience of their student-athletes.
If I had a kid playing at Cal Poly Pomona, I would tell my kid to walk into Mr. Swanson's office, and demand quick action on naming a new head coach. Hey, a kid in college, has to learn how to handle situations on their own. Mommy and Daddy can't fight their battles for them.
If I am the President of Cal Poly Pomona, I would tell Brian Swanson, he is on notice for his poor handling of this search. But really, Mr. Swanson should have been on notice, because in his six years as athletic director, Cal Poly Pomona will have their FIFTH head coach for women's basketball. Paul Thomas, Kevein Kiernan, Michelle, Fortier, Scott Davis, and whoever they hire for 2010-11 season. Only one coach, Paul Thomas, got a promotion. Thomas became head coach at Division 1, St. Mary's. Kevin Kiernan, at the time, a very successful high school coach at Troy High School, was hired but then resigned within two months. I wonder why?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Summer/Club Basketball
Personally I hate the summer basketball circuit, that has exploded because of stupid NCAA rules. The NCAA restricts the number of days a coach can see a player play, in person. During the summer months, all those days are in July. Thus, because of this rule, the NCAA indirectly created this summer basketball circuit; which has created a terrible cycle, teenaged girls, played lots of basketball, far away from home.
Kids join club teams, looking for a chance to get a college scholarship. But club teams aren't free. They cost a lot of money, some parents have told me they spend up to $3,000 a year, for their kid's club team. That doesn't include the cost of travel to these summer tournaments. Kids play a ton of games, over a short period of time, with little recovery or rest time. I really believe that is one reason, why there are so many injuries in women's basketball.
The majority of club teams are coached by well meaning people. But, just like in other walk of life, there are the scum, who prey on young kids. There have been many stories about club coaches who sexually assault or molested, one of his players.
The worst part is, unlike high school, which require any adult to go through a background check, there is no governing body for club teams.
What can parents do to prevent this?
Background check:
Before even signing your kid up on any team, do a background check of that coach. All you have to do is go to your local police department and they will help you. If the coach isn't willing to give a parent his background information, you as a parent should not allow your daughter to play for that coach.
No unsupervised overnight trips:
In summer, club teams travel to cities like Portland, actually Oregon City, OR, Memphis, Chicago, and Atlanta to play in tournaments. Where they are staying in hotels with the coaches and maybe a few other parents. So my question is; What kind of parent would allow their young daughter to go to a city, far away from home, to stay in a hotel with only a few adults?
If I had a kid, I would not allow my child to stay overnight, in any city, alone, with a stranger. I don't give a damn, how well you know a coach. I would go on the trips with the kid and I would make sure my kid is staying in the same hotel room, as me.
Trust but don't be too trusting:
Watch your kid, carefully. Do you notice any personality changes? Does your daughter hate going to practice or games?
You are the parent, act like it. Protect your kid from being subjected to the scumbags.
Kids join club teams, looking for a chance to get a college scholarship. But club teams aren't free. They cost a lot of money, some parents have told me they spend up to $3,000 a year, for their kid's club team. That doesn't include the cost of travel to these summer tournaments. Kids play a ton of games, over a short period of time, with little recovery or rest time. I really believe that is one reason, why there are so many injuries in women's basketball.
The majority of club teams are coached by well meaning people. But, just like in other walk of life, there are the scum, who prey on young kids. There have been many stories about club coaches who sexually assault or molested, one of his players.
The worst part is, unlike high school, which require any adult to go through a background check, there is no governing body for club teams.
What can parents do to prevent this?
Background check:
Before even signing your kid up on any team, do a background check of that coach. All you have to do is go to your local police department and they will help you. If the coach isn't willing to give a parent his background information, you as a parent should not allow your daughter to play for that coach.
No unsupervised overnight trips:
In summer, club teams travel to cities like Portland, actually Oregon City, OR, Memphis, Chicago, and Atlanta to play in tournaments. Where they are staying in hotels with the coaches and maybe a few other parents. So my question is; What kind of parent would allow their young daughter to go to a city, far away from home, to stay in a hotel with only a few adults?
If I had a kid, I would not allow my child to stay overnight, in any city, alone, with a stranger. I don't give a damn, how well you know a coach. I would go on the trips with the kid and I would make sure my kid is staying in the same hotel room, as me.
Trust but don't be too trusting:
Watch your kid, carefully. Do you notice any personality changes? Does your daughter hate going to practice or games?
You are the parent, act like it. Protect your kid from being subjected to the scumbags.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Jason Flowers and Cal St. Northridge
After, almost 80 days without a head coach, Cal St. Northridge, finally replaced Head Coach Staci Schulz, with former UC Riverside, assistant coach, Jason Flowers, on May 27, 2010. This is Flower's first head coaching job. There is nothing I hate more about WBB, than recycled terrible coaches. How many chances does a coach get, before athletic directors get a clue and figure out, that a coach just isn't head coaching material? So it is great to see somebody like Jason Flowers, getting his first chance to be a head coach.
Earlier I did a story about CSN's lack of success with their women's basketball program. Two of the biggest issues that I brought up in that story, apply with Jason's hire, so I will address each issue.
Lack of head coaching experience and Local Ties:
First I want to say, when hiring a head coach, it's the entire package that gets the coach hired. Can a lack of head coaching experience, be overcome? No question. But the coach has to have other qualities, that will overcome the lack of experience.
Take a look at all the qualities that Jason brings to CSN; his knowledge of the conference, ties to local high school and club basketball teams, and his success as an assistant coach, it's pretty clear to see, CSN made a damn good hire.
CSN also showed some guts, hiring Jason. CSN hired who they felt was the best candidate for the job, not the best female candidate. CSN has male coaches for the following female sports; soccer, volleyball, and track and field. Most schools would have hired a female coach to make things politically correct. So I give CSN, praise for hiring, who they felt was the best candidate.
Jason, played high school basketball at Bellflower High School, played college basketball at UCI and UCLA, coached at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Long Beach St. and UC Riverside. So he is a local product with a diverse range of coaching experience. He knows the area, the conference, and what it takes to win. This wasn't true about Tammy Holder, who saw an ad for the CSN job and had to look up, where Northridge was located. Also Jason, won't leave CSN after three years, to move back closer to home, like Holder did.
Jason is a person of great character and values. Every high school and club coach, that I have talked to, always have great things to say about Jason.
Assistant coaches
Assistant coaches are the backbone and unsung heros of college basketball. Show me a great team and you will see a great set of assistant coaches. Every head coach needs a good staff of assistant coaches to be successful. Flowers hired Bryan Camacho, Lindsey Foster and Christine Collins-Kiernan, as assistant coaches. Between the three assistants, there is a total of seven years of college coaching experience, all by Foster at UC Riverside.
The staff's lack of college coaching experience has to be a concern. Two assistants, Bryan Camacho and Christine Collins-Kiernan, are coming directly from high school. Yes, they come from very successful high schools and sent many players to D-1 schools. But it is a big jump to college coaching and recruiting. Some coaches are very successful, others struggle.
But, the great thing about Camacho and Collins-Kiernan, is that they are successful, local coaches. In the past CSN hired assistant coaches with little to no ties to the LA area. CSN has four players from out of state, on their 2010-11 roster and the old staff seemed to love going to Hawaii for players. An out of state player costs more, in terms of scholarship dollars, than an in state player, about double. Why did the other staff go out of state so much? There are plenty of players in the LA area, that can help a team win. Hopefully both Camacho and Collins-Kiernan, will be able to get those kids to stay close to home.
While the other staffs have limited college coaching experience, Jason's first staff, has a huge advantage, they already know the high school and club basketball scene. They can go to a game or talk to a coach, and more than likely, it's will be a coach they already know or coaches against. The other staffs were unknown in the LA area and had to work to make inroads with high school and club coaches.
Personally, I think CSN made a great hire. I think Jason will turn this program around. Yes, it will take time. CSN screwed up by taking so damn long to hire Jason; Schulz was let go in mid March and Jason, gets hired in late May. What took so damn long?
The 2010-11 season, maybe a long tough season for the Jason and the team. The team only won 5 games the year before, lacks depth and talent, and with Jason bring hired so late, signing players who can help this season will be tough. But Jason and his staff will be laying the foundation to future success, during the 2010-11 season.
The fact that the Big West is so weak right now, is a huge advantage. Why? Because, a good coach can take a program to the top quickly. Once Jason was hired, he automatically, became tied for the 5th best coach in the conference, with Marcia Foster. I have little doubt he will move up to the level of Sandy Simpson and John Margaritis. Jodi Anton, at Long Beach St. and Lindsey Gottlieb at UCSB, round out the top four coaches in the conference. Molly Goodenbour, Lynn Roberts and Faith Mimnaugh, are the three worst coaches in the Big West. If Pacific gave Lynn Roberts a five year contract extension, they are stupid. Oh, wait, she's white, now I understand, it's Faith Mimnaugh all over again!!
Cal St. Northridge is a tough job. Facilities, fan support, and university support, are poor. But a great coach, can overcome these barriers and win. I believe Jason Flowers is the right coach for this job.
One other thing I like about Coach Flowers, is his use of the current social networking formats, Twitter and Facebook. You can follow Coach Flowers on Twitter and the Cal St. Northridge Women's Basketball program on Facebook.
Earlier I did a story about CSN's lack of success with their women's basketball program. Two of the biggest issues that I brought up in that story, apply with Jason's hire, so I will address each issue.
Lack of head coaching experience and Local Ties:
First I want to say, when hiring a head coach, it's the entire package that gets the coach hired. Can a lack of head coaching experience, be overcome? No question. But the coach has to have other qualities, that will overcome the lack of experience.
Take a look at all the qualities that Jason brings to CSN; his knowledge of the conference, ties to local high school and club basketball teams, and his success as an assistant coach, it's pretty clear to see, CSN made a damn good hire.
CSN also showed some guts, hiring Jason. CSN hired who they felt was the best candidate for the job, not the best female candidate. CSN has male coaches for the following female sports; soccer, volleyball, and track and field. Most schools would have hired a female coach to make things politically correct. So I give CSN, praise for hiring, who they felt was the best candidate.
Jason, played high school basketball at Bellflower High School, played college basketball at UCI and UCLA, coached at Valley High School in Santa Ana, Long Beach St. and UC Riverside. So he is a local product with a diverse range of coaching experience. He knows the area, the conference, and what it takes to win. This wasn't true about Tammy Holder, who saw an ad for the CSN job and had to look up, where Northridge was located. Also Jason, won't leave CSN after three years, to move back closer to home, like Holder did.
Jason is a person of great character and values. Every high school and club coach, that I have talked to, always have great things to say about Jason.
Assistant coaches
Assistant coaches are the backbone and unsung heros of college basketball. Show me a great team and you will see a great set of assistant coaches. Every head coach needs a good staff of assistant coaches to be successful. Flowers hired Bryan Camacho, Lindsey Foster and Christine Collins-Kiernan, as assistant coaches. Between the three assistants, there is a total of seven years of college coaching experience, all by Foster at UC Riverside.
The staff's lack of college coaching experience has to be a concern. Two assistants, Bryan Camacho and Christine Collins-Kiernan, are coming directly from high school. Yes, they come from very successful high schools and sent many players to D-1 schools. But it is a big jump to college coaching and recruiting. Some coaches are very successful, others struggle.
But, the great thing about Camacho and Collins-Kiernan, is that they are successful, local coaches. In the past CSN hired assistant coaches with little to no ties to the LA area. CSN has four players from out of state, on their 2010-11 roster and the old staff seemed to love going to Hawaii for players. An out of state player costs more, in terms of scholarship dollars, than an in state player, about double. Why did the other staff go out of state so much? There are plenty of players in the LA area, that can help a team win. Hopefully both Camacho and Collins-Kiernan, will be able to get those kids to stay close to home.
While the other staffs have limited college coaching experience, Jason's first staff, has a huge advantage, they already know the high school and club basketball scene. They can go to a game or talk to a coach, and more than likely, it's will be a coach they already know or coaches against. The other staffs were unknown in the LA area and had to work to make inroads with high school and club coaches.
Personally, I think CSN made a great hire. I think Jason will turn this program around. Yes, it will take time. CSN screwed up by taking so damn long to hire Jason; Schulz was let go in mid March and Jason, gets hired in late May. What took so damn long?
The 2010-11 season, maybe a long tough season for the Jason and the team. The team only won 5 games the year before, lacks depth and talent, and with Jason bring hired so late, signing players who can help this season will be tough. But Jason and his staff will be laying the foundation to future success, during the 2010-11 season.
The fact that the Big West is so weak right now, is a huge advantage. Why? Because, a good coach can take a program to the top quickly. Once Jason was hired, he automatically, became tied for the 5th best coach in the conference, with Marcia Foster. I have little doubt he will move up to the level of Sandy Simpson and John Margaritis. Jodi Anton, at Long Beach St. and Lindsey Gottlieb at UCSB, round out the top four coaches in the conference. Molly Goodenbour, Lynn Roberts and Faith Mimnaugh, are the three worst coaches in the Big West. If Pacific gave Lynn Roberts a five year contract extension, they are stupid. Oh, wait, she's white, now I understand, it's Faith Mimnaugh all over again!!
Cal St. Northridge is a tough job. Facilities, fan support, and university support, are poor. But a great coach, can overcome these barriers and win. I believe Jason Flowers is the right coach for this job.
One other thing I like about Coach Flowers, is his use of the current social networking formats, Twitter and Facebook. You can follow Coach Flowers on Twitter and the Cal St. Northridge Women's Basketball program on Facebook.
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