MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL- '19-'20: Hello Coach Nook!

[WM Wolverine]

Cooley, Howard, Yaklich, and maybe a couple other coaches who don't want to be named...

Won't be thrilled with Howard (high risk) but I'd take him over the others if those are their only options. Appears anyone with a decent buyout isn't considered or this job isn't very attractive to established coaches.

[hack]

Simplest explanation is that Michigan isn't going to spend what it takes.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Cooley has withdrawn his name from consideration in the M coaching search ...... and got a contract extension to stay at Providence.

"M fans happier than Providence fans ......"

https://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20190521/ed-cooley-will-stay-at-providence-with-contract-extension

[Jeff Buchanan]

....... reading that Warde is in Miami as we speak to talk with Howard. Unless there are other candidates behind the curtain, Howard is probably the guy. Linesman is probably right: Presser tomorrow or Thursday and it's a done deal.

I like the PR up-side of bringing a representative of the Fab Five back to AA. I have no clue if he's a good coach or not. Seems like he's been labeled as a "great communicator." I'd suspect that goes a long way with young basketball players. Should be a (+) for recruiting.

[froot loops]

As a Spartan fan, Ed Cooley sounded like a dream come true.

[hack]

Jeff Goodman called him the guy Izzo wouldn't want Michigan to hire. LOL.

Now the speculation is that Manuel helped get Cooley a raise. To believe that you have to believe that Manuel scheduled a meeting with Howard 4 days later than it had to be. For a guy who (I hope) would lose his job if he screws up this hire, that seems like sticking your neck out way too far. Maybe Cooley and his agent worked this well, but seems a stretch that Manuel consciously aided them.

[Cody_Russell]

[hack]

Would be very nice to see an immediate-help recruiting win. I still think that when you have Z and Teske you have an elite foundation on both ends, and when you have Livers you have one of three crucial wing spots covered. You're not far off from being able to do immediate damage. With one of Iggy or Wagner I'd have called this Beilein's best shot at a championship since '13. With one of them and Howard I'm not so convinced, but you can still maybe grab a banner and get to the second weekend of the tournament and see what happens from there. Get things rolling on a positive note.

As for what recruiting wins there could be, getting Wagner or Wilson would be just huge. Jaden McDaniels seems like a pipedream, but he's undecided so who the heck knows. But Howard should also move on Jeavon Cumberland. Even without those others, getting him means you have two of the three 40%-from-3 wings you need in the starting lineup.

[hack]

That said, I'd just like to reiterate how happy I am that it's an exciting time in Friartown.

[lineygoblue]

I think the Cooley interview was the equivalent of Dave Brandon's interview with Les Miles. It was all for show. This is beginning to look like Manuel's guy all along has been Howard, and all the other interviews have been to cover his bases.

Its a roll of the dice with Howard, IMO. On the plus side, he could be that next great HC that just needed an opportunity to show what he can do. On the minus side, he could discover after one season that he's in way over his head. Howard has always been mature for his age, and he's a smart guy. That's going to help a lot.

My feeling is that Howard will fit somewhere in the middle, slightly to the 'good' side. I think he will recruit well, but he's going to take his lumps going up against the better coaches in the league. He'd do well if he can convince Yaklich to stay around as his top assistant. Great defense can keep the team in a lot of games, and keep them competitive. Offensively, I think things are going to change, because there's no way Howard can duplicate the excellence in Beilein's coaching of offense. He will have to have his own style, and he'll have to make it work.

Like I said previously, its not going to be a home-run hire, but it won't be a whiff either. There will be good and bad, but hopefully Howard will learn and improve as he goes along.

[hack]

Washington may be the better assistant to retain, though I don't see a downside to having Yak around another year. His son can finish HS in Saline and then he can move to the HC job he deserves. Howard probably wants to put his fingerprints on the defense, since that's the side he reportedly focused on in Miami. But what I want to know most right now is what he'll do on offense, and whether he goes the coordinator route.

IMO it's a risk/reward hire. I'm happy we don't have Cooley and I'm getting a bit excited about recruiting. A climb out of the pit of despair is all this is so far, and we're still so much worse off than a week ago, but hope is a heck of a drug.

[Jeff Buchanan]

...........Like I said previously, its not going to be a home-run hire, but it won't be a whiff either. There will be good and bad, but hopefully Howard will learn and improve as he goes along.

It's a lead off double. If Yaklich stays and Howard can make a move with Wagner and maybe get Jalen Wilson back in the fold ..... is that doable?........ M could see that lead off double pay dividends.

Like after the Harbuagh hire, if this happens with Howard, he's going to bring the same kind of juice to the basketball program. Not because he's a known entity in the world of CBB but because he has NBA written all over him.

[*JD*]

Penny is getting help according to some familiar with his commits.

What kind of help?

[*JD*]

https://twitter.com/MichaelSpathITH/status/1130942528558125057

[*JD*]

Iggy is officially staying in the draft.

https://twitter.com/umichbball/status/1130945984270348290