N.C. State’s coaching search is more secretive this time but is still starting to take on a familiar feel.
Last time, NCSU athletics director Lee Fowler was confident he could land a top coach, but John Calipari and others seemed to use the Wolfpack as a way to force larger contracts.
This time? You don’t get the sense the Wolfpack is drawing huge interest out there. Richmond coach Chris Mooney, mentioned as a possible target on this blog before the NCAA Tournament, got a 10-year extension. Jeff Goodman of Fox has tweeted that N.C. State “got the Heisman” from three potential candidates. And Seth Davis of CBS reported that Memphis coach Josh Pastner turned down an offer for more than $2 million.
That led N.C. State senior associate athletics director Chris Kingston to email some media members that State had not offered the job to anyone. “As those conversations have occurred, coaches have naturally inquired about the potential compensation commitment of State, as would occur in any type of job search,” Kingston wrote.
On Friday, Mark Armstrong of WTVD reported that Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall had told their sister station out there that it would take an “unbelievable offer” for him to leave Wichita. Remember, Marshall won big at Winthrop, but got no ACC attention, before winning at Wichita. Would the Shockers coach really turn down N.C. State? That’s hard to believe, frankly.
The News & Observer has mentioned Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin as a possibility, but the Cincinnati Enquirer has reported Cronin’s agent was scheduled to meet with the school’s athletics director. Obviously, Cronin could be looking for leverage.
That appears to leave Shaka Smart and … who else? But the larger question is, despite Smart’s amazing run, can he really win in the ACC? Debbie Yow said at the press conference to address the search that she valued someone who had won consistently. Two recent ACC hires, Steve Donahue at Boston College and Brad Brownlee at Clemson, fit that description. Smart has done a wonderful job this year but there is no guarantee it will continue. It appears to leave NCSU with dwindling options, which sounds familiar to Wolfpack fans.