Rutgers Basketball Coaching Hot Board
Now that Eddie Jordan has been fired as Rutgers head coach, here is a look at Scarlet Nation's initial coaching hot board as the search for the next Rutgers men's basketball coach is already underway.
Dan Hurley
Current Status: Head Coach at Rhode Island
Age: 43
Whenever there is talk of a potential coaching change at Rutgers, the Hurley name never fails to be mentioned. This time, Dan Hurley’s name has not only come up, but he looks to be the prime candidate. It comes as no surprise since he was offered the job last time around but declined, which paved the way for Eddie Jordan. Hurley has a $1 million buyout and would likely demand a salary of $1.5 million per year. However, Jordan was slated to make $1.45 million next season. There is already a connection as Hurley was a player at Seton Hall when RU athletic director Pat Hobbs was dean of Seton Hall law school. Hurley also has history at Rutgers as he was an assistant coach at RU in the late 1990’s under Kevin Bannon. This season, Rhode Island is 17-14, but Hurley’s squad has been decimated by injuries, yet his team has continued to play above respectability. Right now, Hurley looks to be the top choice for Rutgers.
Steve Pikiell
Current Status: Head coach at Stony Brook
Age: 48
Pikiell has been at Stony Brook since 2005, where he has amassed a record of 190-155. He has led Stony Brook to a 24-6 season and will play for the right to go to the NCAA tournament this weekend. He has built Stony Brook into a solid program, with three NIT appearances and 2 CBI appearances in the previous six seasons. He is familiar with recruiting the New York/New Jersey area and rumor has it that he Hobbs has Pikiell on his initial list of candidates. As of now, Pikiell looks to be a solid candidate behind Hurley, although there is still a gap between the two.
Herb Sendek
Current Status: Not coaching (2014-15 head coach at Arizona State)
Age: 53
Sendek has plenty of head coaching experience, which includes stops at Miami (Ohio), Arizona State and NC State. He has earned coach of the year awards in the MAC, ACC and Pac-10. Sendek was fired from Arizona State last March after an 18-16 season and a trip to the NIT. Sendek has proven capable of getting his teams to the NCAA tournament, but has not made a lot of noise when arriving there. He looks to be a safe choice and one that seems to have been received positively by some RU boosters. Sendek is a proven winner, with an overall coaching record of 407–291. The good news is that there is no buyout since Sendek is not currently coaching anywhere. He is also the most accomplished coach of any of these early candidates.
Matt McCall
Current status: Head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga
Age: 34
McCall is one of the rising stars in the basketball coaching world, posting a record of 29-5 in his first year as a head coach. He’s led Tennessee-Chattanooga to a conference title and earned a spot in this year’s NCAA tournament. McCall was also named Southern Conference coach of the year. He comes from the Billy Donovan coaching tree, having been a manager and director of basketball operations for the Florida Gators. McCall has no ties to New Jersey, although he is one of the young up and comers in college basketball. McCall might emerge as a more serious candidate if Hobbs opts for a youth movement. Currently, McCall looks like a dark horse candidate.
James Jones
Current Status: Head Coach at Yale
Age: 52
Jones is currently the longest-tenured Ivy League coach with 17 seasons to his credit at Yale. He was named Ivy League coach of the year this past season after leading Yale to its first championship and NCAA tourney appearance since 1962. Jones is a native of Long Island and has led the Bulldogs to three-straight winning seasons, each one progressively better than the last. If Hobbs is looking to hire a coach who is familiar coaching at a prestigious academic institution, Jones would slide up farther on this list. As of now, he is much more of a longshot to land at Rutgers, but is a storng-character candidate with ties to the area.