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.
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