Well, Perry Clark got to go out a winner. He got canned after the season-ending win in Conway, and the Islanders have got his replacement.
Willis Wilson Hired to Lead Men's Basketball Program at Texas A&M-Corpus ChristiQuote:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Longtime Rice University head coach and 25-year veteran of college basketball Willis Wilson has been named the third head coach in the history of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball, Tim Fitzpatrick, the Islanders' director of athletics, announced today. Wilson spent 16 years at the helm of the Owls program, and is the winningest coach in the program's history.
"First and foremost, I would like to say how happy I am to be here and be the new coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi," Wilson said. "It is a great honor, and one I will treat with a great deal of respect and responsibility. I am really looking forward to working with the players and staff to create a new beginning for our program."
In 16 years leading the Owls, Wilson posted a career record of 219-246, leading the team to the postseason three times in his tenure. Wilson is one of the most highly-respected coaches in the country. His reputation in the collegiate coaching circles - and across college basketball - is impeccable.
...
Most recently, Wilson served two seasons as an assistant to Josh Pastner at the University of Memphis. In two years, he saw the Tigers go 49-19 and advance to the postseason both years. During the 2010-11 season, the Tigers went 25-9, won their fifth Conference USA championship and a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. In his first season for the Tigers, Wilson helped guide the Tigers to a 24-10 overall record and a National Invitation Tournament berth.
...
Wilson had the most winning campaigns in Rice basketball history in his time as the head coach. His 2003-04 squad recorded a 22-11 overall record, and the 22 victories were the second-most for a single season since World War II. Wilson guided the Owls to 60 wins in a three-year span from 2002-05, marking the second-most victories in a three-year stretch in school history.
...
Prior to taking over the reins of the Rice program, Wilson spent the 1991-92 campaign as an assistant on Mike Montgomery's staff at Stanford.
So they went from a retread to a ... retread. Decent, not great, resume. A lot of the superlatives in there are just because he was at Rice for a long time (which says either he's well respected, or they don't care much about their hoops at Rice). Winningest coach in program history, but a subpar record. No clue how much to read into level of success at Rice – it's right there in Houston, but is a strong academic school and may have tough admission standards and an even tougher time with retention. Not exactly one of the destination jobs in CUSA, either.
The fact that Josh Pastner sought him out to add to his staff might speak to his abilities. But then again, he went 3-27 in his last season at Rice. That might also speak to his abilities.
Seems like a safe/solid hire for Corpus, but on the surface it doesn't seem like there's a tremendous amount of upside. They might be better, but I don't think it's going to vault them to the top of the league.
(Now watch as they go 14-2 next year.)
Lamar has
31 applicants for its opening. Curious to see which direction they go.
Alvin Brooks, an assistant (and former head coach) at Houston might be the favorite.
Glynn Cyprien, another Memphis assistant who has recently been at Arkansas and Kentucky, is also on the applicant list and could have a legit shot. He spent a year at Lamar as an assistant and has also been at Western Kentucky, UNLV, Oklahoma State and New Mexico State. He was a head coach for a very brief time at ULL, but never coached a game.
Quote:
The only negative mark on Cyprien's career was his short stint as head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, which ended in 2004 shortly after he was hired when a resume discrepancy surfaced regarding the college degree he claimed to have earned.
Scott Monarch could be a factor given Marquette's success this season and in the tournament. If Buzz Williams is a hot name, then maybe his assistant is as well. I'm sure that's what he's hoping, at least. Ride those coattails.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
