The firing of men’s basketball Head Coach Perry Clark has left a void in the program that will need to be filled quickly.
Rumors and names are circulating on who should be the next head coach. Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan, Mick Cronin of Murray State, Stan Jones, an assistant at Florida State and former St. John’s Head Coach Mike Jarvis have been the popular names mentioned.
As a matter of fact, when Clark was fired, several sources reported Jarvis would be the answer. Those reports proved to be temporarily false, and the coaching question remains unanswered.
I am here to bring up a different name regarding the man who should be the next men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. The best choice is Nolan Richardson, the former Arkansas coach, who had a ton of success with the Razorbacks.
“The smart choice is Richardson, a proven coach who will get imediate results. He recruited well and had a team that was always in contention.”
Richardson makes sense because I think he is a practical choice that the school could afford. However, shame on the University of Miami if they don’t pick up the phone and call Rick Pitino or John Calipari. If one of them is interested in the job and the price is right, then they should be the choice. Unfortunately, limited money will likely eliminate those two from serious contention.
Getting this next hire right is important. The Hurricanes do not want to hire another Clark. That is why I immediately eliminated Cronin from contention. He took over a small program and made a couple NCAA Tournament appearances. Sounds like a certain guy named Perry, doesn’t it? If Cronin struggles at Miami, the school will have even less money the next time around.
Jones is an assistant under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State. Hamilton, beloved by many Hurricane fans, would be a great choice for coach, but I don’t see him leaving Florida State. Hiring his assistant would not be a smart move when there are proven guys like Richardson and Jarvis out there.
So that leaves three guys left for the job: Gonzalez, Jarvis, and Richardson. Jarvis had some success at St. John’s and did a nice job there for a while. However, things began to unravel and he ultimately ran that program into the ground. I am one of the few that does not think Jarvis would be a disaster. Jarvis would be a decent choice because despite what people have claimed, he does know basketball and he was a good coach at St. John’s. The knock on his recruiting ability is not believable to me when he recruited Ron Artest and Erick Barkley. Still, the problems that the Red Storm has had would make me a little bit nervous about Jarvis getting the job.
Gonzalez was an assistant in the ACC before and has done a great job at Manhattan. Still, I find myself nervous about him taking over the Hurricanes, as he lacks big-program experience and is another small-school coach who could flop in a premier conference.
Hence, the smart choice is Richardson, a proven coach who will get immediate results. Say what you want about Richardson’s stupid racial comments; the guy did a great job at Arkansas. He recruited well and had a team that was always in contention. And that was in Arkansas, a place with nothing to offer in comparison to Miami. In addition, no one has been knocking Richardson’s door down with job offers, so he would come at a price that the University of Miami could afford to pay. Richardson’s recruiting job would be easier with a new stadium, beautiful campus and great weather.
What better place to prove critics wrong than to turn around our team right here in South Florida? Richardson, the next men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Darren Grossman can be contact at d.grossman@umiami.edu.