Official Utah basketball coach candidates thread.

[Surfah]

I can't wait for the Utes to hire one of these coaches that Funk thinks is a great hire and he sucks.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I can't wait for the Utes to hire one of these coaches that Funk thinks is a great hire and he sucks.

Any of these guys could fail at Utah. It is always a crap s hoot when hiring a coach. However, each one of them have had success in previous jobs and would be good hires.

I find it funny that you think these guys suck, but are so sure that Dave Rice is the answer.

[DrumNFeather]

and so the search begins...it'll be interesting to see if Hill waits for a NCAA tourney coach, or if he's got someone that can be there on Monday (Bennett, Alford, Johnson, Krystoviak, Pat Riley).

[Surfah]

Any of these guys could fail at Utah. It is always a crap s hoot when hiring a coach. However, each one of them have had success in previous jobs and would be good hires.

I find it funny that you think these guys suck, but are so sure that Dave Rice is the answer.

I never said any of the candidates you listed suck. I just think that Ute fans and Hill are concerned with hiring the guy, instead of the right guy. I certainly understand that Hill is gun shy though after the last two disasters. His rep, football hires and Fat Rick withstanding, took a hit. Especially since he is a basketball guy himself. So maybe hiring the name is more important to recoup that.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I never said any of the candidates you listed suck. I just think that Ute fans and Hill are concerned with hiring the guy, instead of the right guy. I certainly understand that Hill is gun shy though after the last two disasters. His rep, football hires and Fat Rick withstanding, took a hit. Especially since he is a basketball guy himself. So maybe hiring the name is more important to recoup that.

I think a name is important this time around. I wish this wasn't true but 15-17 year old kids don't give a damn that Utah was one of the top programs in the country from 1995 - 1999. We need a name that can bring in recruits. Utah is a really tough place to recruit to and our past 2 coaches failed miserably at recruiting. I think winning the press conference is necessary to get fans in the seats and get recruits interested in Utah again.

It is also time to start removing the restrictions from our coaches. AAU recruiting is a dirty dirty game. We kind of stripped Boylen and Giac's ability to play that game. We need to get a guy in here that will straddle the line and maybe even occasionally cross that line in recruiting. Everyone else does it and if you get caught you aren't getting more than a slap on the wrist. These guys that I'm throwing out there aren't going to be afraid to get their hands dirty. We need players and we need a coach that is going to bring in players.

[DrumNFeather]

I don't know if this has been addressed, but it's interesting to note that Hill is paying Boylen's buyout out of a contingency fund, which is partially comprised of money aquired via TCU's BCS run.

Boylen's contract also basically says that Utah will pay him until he gets another job and he has to make a good-faith effort to get another job.

[Maximus]

and so the search begins...it'll be interesting to see if Hill waits for a NCAA tourney coach, or if he's got someone that can be there on Monday (Bennett, Alford, Johnson, Krystoviak, Pat Riley).

who is this other pat riley? just curious.

[MartyFunkhouser]

So if you choice is Gottfried of Johnson who do you go with. Rumors are that Johnson is interested. Rumors are that Hill has already talked to Gottfried.

If I'm choosing between the 2, I think I'm leaning towards Gottfried at this point. If you throw Tony Bennett into the mix, I'm leaning towards Bennett.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gottfried is named our coach on Monday or Tuesday.

[DrumNFeather]

who is this other pat riley? just curious.

I just have to make sure people are reading my posts...like when I added Carlon Brown to the first round of a Mock Draft last year.

[DrumNFeather]

So if you choice is Gottfried of Johnson who do you go with. Rumors are that Johnson is interested. Rumors are that Hill has already talked to Gottfried.

If I'm choosing between the 2, I think I'm leaning towards Gottfried at this point. If you throw Tony Bennett into the mix, I'm leaning towards Bennett.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gottfried is named our coach on Monday or Tuesday.

I would say Johnson or Bennett and then Gottfried, but that is because I admittedly know nothing about him. Does he have ties to the west etc...?

[MartyFunkhouser]

I would say Johnson or Bennett and then Gottfried, but that is because I admittedly know nothing about him. Does he have ties to the west etc...?

8 years as an assistant coach with Jim Harrick at UCLA.

[DrumNFeather]

8 years as an assistant coach with Jim Harrick at UCLA.

There you go. So then I would probably say that we couldn't go wrong with any of those guys.

[SeattleUte]

I don't want Rose. Is there another Jimmer?

[LA Ute]

There you go. So then I would probably say that we couldn't go wrong with any of those guys.

Gottfried isn't coaching right now so it is possible that serious discussions have already been taking place with him.

[scottie]

What happened to Johnson's teams the last two seasons at LSU?