Any idea who TP's assistants might be....??

I'm really curious. I think these will be crucial hires, and it's important that they be experienced college assistants who Porter can depend on to be great recruiters. I don't think TP can just hire ex NBA buddies who have no college coaching experience.

For starters, Mike Burns (not yet confirmed by UP).

Go here for the discussion: https://www.pilotnation.net/t5708p300-where-do-we-go-from-here

Coach Porter (are we using TP as the shorthand? CTP?) was on 1080 the Fan this afternoon. I missed most of it (I'll look for a recording later), but he was asked about assistants, and he said he wanted them to have collegiate head coaching experience, or at least 10 or 15 years experience as an assistant.

up7587 wrote:Coach Porter (are we using TP as the shorthand? CTP?) was on 1080 the Fan this afternoon.  I missed most of it (I'll look for a recording later), but he was asked about assistants, and he said he wanted them to have collegiate head coaching experience, or at least 10 or 15 years experience as an assistant.

This is very good to hear. Honestly, I have reservations about this hire. I would have liked to have seen them conduct a more thorough search, or at least if they were going to lock in on a candidate, make a serious effort to land one of the Gonzaga assistants. Why hire a search firm when you were locked in on Porter from the start? I know this may not be a popular view, but I think any of the GU assistants would have been great selections, especially the top two guys. But maybe they weren't interested...? I know it is probably hard to pull GU assistants away from that job unless they view the head coaching job to be a great situation. I loved TP as a player, and he does have excellent NBA assistant coaching experience. But the vast majority of outstanding college coaches are not people with NBA backgrounds. Ex Trail Blazers haven't exactly worked out at UP either. But, if one does work out, it might be Porter. His choice of assistant coaches is a good place to start, and it will go a long way towards potential success if he surrounds himself with quality assistants with college experience, and who are great recruiters. It will take great recruiting - not just good recruiting - as well as player development to raise this program to a higher level.

Did Steele have any coaching experience, other than his camp, prior to coming to UP?  TP has lots of time on the bench.

I like that Porter at has seen recruiting, at least from the other (parent of player) side of the equation. And if DD's guy Mike Burns is in the mix, he certainly meets Coach's criteria (20 years, head coach). Hopefully, we'll know more by tomorrow afternoon.

I dont think either of the GU assistants (Lloyd or Daniels) would have been interested in the job. Tommy has a clause in his contract that he will be the next head coach at GU if and when Few retires or leaves. Daniels imho is content where he is and I havent heard any word that he is interested in being a head coach.

I dont know if TP will be able to pull a head coach from another D1 program with the salary that UP pays its assistants but he should be able to get an assistant from somewhere in the country. I would guess that TP was in Indy this weekend putting the feelers out.

I would think that Luke Jackson or someone from a D3 or NAIA school would have an interest in this position as it would be a step up.

Personally I think TP should give Pfaff a hard look, he is a great coach and a very fine person. He has some history with the program and could help TP navigate the UP waters so to speak.

up7587 wrote:Did Steele have any coaching experience, other than his camp, prior to coming to UP?  TP has lots of time on the bench.

I like that Porter at has seen recruiting, at least from the other (parent of player) side of the equation. And if DD's guy Mike Burns is in the mix, he certainly meets Coach's criteria (20 years, head coach). Hopefully, we'll know more by tomorrow afternoon.

Steele didn't, and to my point, was in over his head. Holton certainly did, @UP and @UCLA. He also had a reputation as an outstanding recruiter from his time @ UCLA. I'm not just talking about our experience with NBA players @ UP. In general, NBA players without college experience, well, how many successful head coaches can you think of at the college level have there been? Think about that for awhile, and then research it. This is a popular pick and people are excited because it's Terry Porter. NBA assistant experience is so unlike the college game. They are mile apart because, especially at a place like UP. Player development is different because of the level of player you're coaching. You don't have to recruit in the NBA. You don't have to worry about recruiting guys who will pass admissions and make it academically when they're on campus, not to mention be good enough players that they can elevate your program. Like I said, if there is one guy who might be able to pull this off, it's Terry Porter, because of the quality of person and his determination.

[quote="pilotdad1"]I dont think either of the GU assistants (Lloyd or Daniels) would have been interested in the job. Tommy has a clause in his contract that he will be the next head coach at GU if and when Few retires or leaves. Daniels imho is content where he is and I havent heard any word that he is interested in being a head coach.

I kind of figured that Lloyd might be next in line at GU, but do we know for sure that they wouldn't have been interested? Did UP even try? What about other high level assistants in CBB? Did UP even try? It seems like they just locked in on Porter from the get go.

Few recently went off about the rest of the conference needing to step up in showing a commitment to men's basketball. I think he's right.

goldhelmet wrote:

up7587 wrote:Did Steele have any coaching experience, other than his camp, prior to coming to UP?  TP has lots of time on the bench.

I like that Porter at has seen recruiting, at least from the other (parent of player) side of the equation. And if DD's guy Mike Burns is in the mix, he certainly meets Coach's criteria (20 years, head coach). Hopefully, we'll know more by tomorrow afternoon.

Steele didn't, and to my point, was in over his head.   Holton certainly did, @UP and @UCLA.  He also had a reputation as an outstanding recruiter from his time @ UCLA.  I'm not just talking about our experience with NBA players @ UP.  In general, NBA players without college experience, well, how many successful head coaches can you think of at the college level have there been?  Think about that for awhile, and then research it.  This is a popular pick and people are excited because it's Terry Porter.  NBA assistant experience is so unlike the college game.  They are mile apart because, especially at a place like UP.  Player development is different because of the level of player you're coaching.  You don't have to recruit in the NBA.  You don't have to worry about recruiting guys who will pass admissions and make it academically when they're on campus, not to mention be good enough players that they can elevate your program. Like I said, if there is one guy who might be able to pull this off, it's Terry Porter, because of the quality of person and his determination.

Recruiting is the part of the job that I think Porter will be good at. It is ultimately about an ability to interact with young men and their families. Spoelstra’s comment suggesting that Porter will do well in the living room of recruits rings true to me.  Both Holton and Steele had problems insuring academic standards were maintained: Porter will need to work hard to insure that like Reveno he does not recruit those who cannot succeed academically.

The goodwill and publicity that Porter brings to the job outweigh those of any Gonzaga assistants, let alone Daniels who has already flopped as a D1 head coach. The risks from not being a college coach Porter presents are arguably manageable. I think the AD took some time in part because he was assessing the risk of transition, analyzing the very concern you raise about the lack of acquaintance with the demands of a D1 coaching job. But the AD weighed those risks and thought Porter worth the gamble.

I am not sure that it was the Gonzaga assistant Daniels turning down UP or the other way around. I think Daniels would have been an uninspired, even a poor choice. Retaining Reveno would have been a better option than hiring Daniels in my opinion.

Romar at Washington, Reggie Theus maybe, Alford at UCLA and the Utah coach, Krystowiak or something like that, are examples of former NBA players who have done well coaching the college game in the west region alone. There are others.

Any choice would have been a risk for ultimately failing at our lovely institution. The last 40 years of basketball with coaches of diverse background have not been a rousing success. Porter may well have been the best choice considering resources and the possibility that he just might succeed.

On balance, I too am on board with hiring Mr. Porter, popular choice or not, reservations notwithstanding. Go get em Terry. Go Pilots.

I found some funny, barely noticeable evidence to support the rumor that Mike Burns is coming to UP as an assistant. He recently changed his Twitter handle from @UOPCoachBurns to @UPCoachBurns.

up7587 wrote:Coach Porter (are we using TP as the shorthand? CTP?) was on 1080 the Fan this afternoon.  I missed most of it (I'll look for a recording later), but he was asked about assistants, and he said he wanted them to have collegiate head coaching experience, or at least 10 or 15 years experience as an assistant.

http://media.1080thefan.com/hosting/media/1080thefan/1627397/114476239/terry-porter-4-4-16-114476239.mp3

pilotdad1 wrote:I dont know if TP will be able to pull a head coach from another D1 program with the salary that UP pays its assistants but he should be able to get an assistant from somewhere in the country. I would guess that TP was in Indy this weekend putting the feelers out.

I would think that Luke Jackson or someone from a D3 or NAIA school would have an interest in this position as it would be a step up.

Personally I think TP should give Pfaff a hard look, he is a great coach and a very fine person. He has some history with the program and could help TP navigate the UP waters so to speak.

The salary situation is much improved from Rev's era on the Bluff....I think we'll see some well paid and experienced assistants.

No, TP was not in Indy (that's where the women's Final Four is being played), and he was not in Houston for the men's tournament.  He was at the Blazers game on Saturday (where he met with future Pilots head coach Eric Spoelstra ) and yesterday he was spotted at UP cramming for his NCAA recruiting exam.

Re: Colin Pfaff and Luke Jackson....nope, from what I can tell, just not enough experience to meet TP's and UP's initial "experience" criteria.  TP has said he wants assistants that have "20-15-10 years of experience at the college level."

Eric Jackson would fit that criteria, and he is a Dick Bennett disciple just like TP and Mike Burns, but it my understanding EJ will not be one of the assistants.  

A very important piece we haven't mentioned on this forum is DOBO, Kramer Knutson.  IMO TP must retain Kramer in some role with the basketball team....he's tight with the players and he is the continuity TP should have from the past to the future.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:I found some funny, barely noticeable evidence to support the rumor that Mike Burns is coming to UP as an assistant. He recently changed his Twitter handle from @UOPCoachBurns to @UPCoachBurns.

Hmm!

Yeah, I want to be on board with Porter and loved him as a player.  Maybe it's more institutional related - issues that go higher up in terms of a real commitment to quality D1 basketball - than it is whatever coach we bring to the Bluff.  No one has been successful since Jack Avina, albeit the one blimp on the radar with Chavez in 1996, and even that team, if we're really honest, had no chance of winning a single game in the tournament.

While Mark Few's rant to the rest of the league other than perennial top 3 likely infuriated some, I think it was honest, and quite valid.  I hate to think of what might become of the WCC if Gonzaga were to leave, and perhaps St Marys/BYU.  TV money would dry up, and I could see it become impossible to sustain D1 status in college basketball.  Maybe I'm worrying too much, but I have to be honest, it is frustrating to watch the level of basketball being played in the the WCC, sans the big 3.  I'm not sure what the solution is if the Presidents are not on board with what Few is talking about - namely, spend more money on recruiting, assistant coaching and head coaching salaries, facilities, etc.  You can't react.  You have to be out in front of the curve.  What is being done now is simply not enough.  Imagine what a joy it would be to see Portland become a Gonzaga level program and the interest if would create.  Frankly, it seems that most are content and apathetic.  I know it's tough to maintain the academic mission of the school, and be a high level D1 basketball program.  No one said it would be easy.

Mike Burns confirmed during the press conference. Who else are we gonna get?

Terry was on Canzano's show just now, and said agreement in principle was in place with Mike Burns. No other names were mentioned.

goldhelmet wrote:.... Honestly, I have reservations about this hire.  I would have liked to have seen them conduct a more thorough search, or at least if they were going to lock in on a candidate, make a serious effort to land one of the Gonzaga assistants.  Why hire a search firm when you were locked in on Porter from the start?  I know this may not be a popular view, but I think any of the GU assistants would have been great selections, especially the top two guys.  But maybe they weren't interested...?  

I question what you're writing....not because it may be unpopular with some, but because it is misinformed.

You would like to have seen a more thorough search, but you question the use of a search firm?
You know they were locked in on Porter from the start?
You know they did not interview any GU assistants or you surmise they might not be  interested in the UP job?

Little of what you write makes any sense from my perspective and the facts as I know them, and it denigrates the continuous hard work and effort by a very fine search committee over the last several weeks.

There were at least 8 candidates....some applied for the head coaching position and some were recommended by the search firm. All of the candidates were interested in the position and all were interviewed, but few of the candidates were time-critical to the process because most already had good full-time jobs or were not being hotly pursued by other schools.

Even if Porter were the first choice from the beginning, would it not make sense to continue looking and interviewing so you know you have made the correct choice when all was said and done?  In the end there were probably three very, very good candidates to choose from....IMO Terry Porter was the best of those candidates, and after talking to him today and seeing the fan/student/staff reaction to TP, I'm convinced he was the best possible hire.

Any new hire in any business has to prove his or her worth....with the right institutional and community support, Terry Porter will continue the rise of the UP MBB program.

dholcombe wrote:Mike Burns confirmed during the press conference. Who else are we gonna get?

From what I know of Mike, he's going to be an excellent recruiter and has always been very well liked and admired by his players.  When Mike was Bill Grier's assistant at USD he did much of the heavy lifting to recruit and coach-up the many fine players they had there.  And as PilotNut pointed out in another thread, look at the great work he did at Pacific amidst all the difficulty they were having this past season.

Prove me wrong, but IMO Pacific made the wrong choice when the chose Stoudemire over Burns as their new head coach, but by doing so, they made it possible for UP to land one of the better coaches in the college ranks.

One, I am glad us outsiders don't know the details of the hiring process. I think it is valuable that the AD office and admin can keep lips zipped. Then you can talk to candidates or their reps that would never talk to you if their name was to come out speculatively.

And I would not be happy with a GU assistant. As good as they are, that's not a big upgrade over Rev. There's no name recognition; I follow the WCC as close as a lot of people, and I couldn't name any of their assts. USD went that route, and it didn't work out for them. Those guys are good, but their support and resources are fabulous.

One concern I have is that I doubt Terry Porter's name will be as strong as he thinks it will. His playing days were a long time ago in the life of 18 year olds looking at scholarship offers. A radio host made the point that Damon Stoudamire will have a much higher name recognition to a player in No. Portland than TP. He'll have to work as hard as Rev to get interest from recruits.

I'm excited about Coach Burns, and eager to see who else comes on board.

DoubleDipper wrote:

dholcombe wrote:Mike Burns confirmed during the press conference. Who else are we gonna get?

From what I know of Mike, he's going to be an excellent recruiter and has always been very well liked and admired by his players.  When Mike was Bill Grier's assistant at USD he did much of the heavy lifting to recruit and coach-up the many fine players they had there.  And as PilotNut pointed out in another thread, look at the great work he did at Pacific amidst all the difficulty they were having this past season.

Hey, coach us up one Johnny Dee, and I'll be ecstatic.

I'll take Alec Wintering any day of the week and twice on a Sunday!

upbasketball544 wrote:I'll take Alec Wintering any day of the week and twice on a Sunday!

Good point, 544, I think we all would take Alec of Johnny Dee, but the point I believe up7587 is making is Dee was a recruited walk-on at USD that Burns brought in and helped coach-up to be a prolific scorer and All-WCC guard.

Um, if we could just play BYU once on Sunday would be fine with most of us, then we wouldn't have to spend that extra day in Las Vegas drinking alcohol and watching NASCAR....right, 7587?

upbasketball544 wrote:I'll take Alec Wintering any day of the week and twice on a Sunday!

No disagreement, but he's only got a year left.  We need more guys like him and Dee in the pipe-line. BTW, TP called him Alex on the radio; I think he'll learn it's Alec real fast.  Hope Jazz is looking forward to Coach Porter and Coach Burns.

From a Nick Daschel article on O-Live:

Next up for Porter is hiring an assistant coaching staff. Porter officially landed his first assistant Monday night in former Eastern Washington coach Mike Burns, who served as Pacific's interim coach last season.

As for upgraded resources, Leykam says he's already begun fundraising to enhance the salary pool for assistant coaching salaries, as well as the recruiting budget.

Glad he's trying to increase the budgets. Not sure that more money would have caused Rev to change assistants, but having three assistants with extensive experience as has been expressed will definitely cost more. Not sure how much Rev's recruiting was constrained by travel costs; he saw a lot of the world. But it sure can't hurt.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2016/04/terry_porter_begins_task_of_re.html#incart_river_index

up7587 wrote:Not sure that more money would have caused Rev to change assistants, but having three assistants with extensive experience as has been expressed will definitely cost more.  Not sure how much Rev's recruiting was constrained by travel costs; he saw a lot of the world.  

Loyal to his staff, Rev was able to get raises for his assistants, but it's doubtful he would have gone for an "upgrade."  Herb Brown's addition was driven more by the AD....and that didn't work out worth a darn.

I'm told Rev had zero restrictions on his recruiting travel.