Asst. Coach Ben Johnson to Minnesota

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323935066294210560">April

 

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323935291884855297">April

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323935522747715584">April

[Nebrasketballer]

 

 

I don't understand why we should "calm down with the vitriol" about Strickland. I understand you have a different perspective, but I fail to see why my perspective is in need of "calming down." I thought I made some valid points.

 

What Nebraska desperately needs right now is a big-time recruiter. Harriman is a fine recruiter, especially at the international level, but I'm not sure there's an ace recruiter on this staff, and we desperately need one in my opinion. Strickland may have the potential to be a great recruiter, but he's proved nothing and has very little coaching experience. In other words, he's not a guy who would even be given a sniff if he didn't play ball in Lincoln.

 

In general, I'm tired of nepotism hires (on the football side) at Nebraska, in which a guy's birth state or playing for Nebraska seemingly means more than real qualifications and an ability to bring excellence to the position.

 

I happen to believe that Strickland stacks up extremely poorly against a lot of potential candidates out there who have a wealth of recruiting experience, tremendous recruiting contacts at all levels, and a lot more coaching experience. 

 

I'm not talking about you, but there are many Husker fans out there who, if they had control over hires, would put together a football staff comprised entirely of former Husker greats. We're the most incestuous program in America.

Your points are fine, but they read a bit like there's not reason anyone should entertain considering Stick might even be worth considering.  And it wasn't just meant to be at you, there are several of similar sentimental posts.  At least that's how they read to me.  I'm just saying there are reasons beyond just his Husker ties to consider him.  I don't have a problem with "nepotism" hires if they can actually coach.  I don't know if Strick can do that or not, but I know when I hear him talk that he has a very deep understanding of the game.  If I have the choice between two coaches that are similar in ability, I'm going to take the guy that is from here and is passionate about this place.

 

I don't think by any stretch that NU is unique in wanting their own to be a part of the program.  That's a common desire amongst fanbases.  It's also why they don't make hiring decisions.  I don't know what other guys Miles has in mind, they may very wel be more qualified than Strick, and I'm more than ok with that, but there is reason to believe that he would be a valuable asset to the program.  There's a reason why his seat were right next to Tai's when he was in town.  The guy can sell Nebraska, I have little doubt of that.

This is why I think Nebraska should take a different route.  Nebraska basketball is not in the position to take that gamble.  Nebraska is in the position to do something special, if they play their cards right.  I think that it would be in Nebraska's best interest to hire the most qualified and proven coaches for each position, not just make a sentimental/nostalgic hire.  I am a Strickland fan and I would love to see around the Nebraska Basketball program 24/7, just not as a coach until he has the credentials to justify the hire.

I agree that they should hire the best guy for the job.  That said, I think Nebraska is EXACTLY the program that can take this kind of a risk.  Especially one that does have the experience and connections and NBA pedigree that Strickland has.  NU doesn't many of those.  Every time I hear him talk I'm more and more convinced he knows the game extremely well.  If the NCAA allows positions like Chin was originally slotted for, that'd be perfect for Strick, but I'm confident he'd be a very good option for Johnson's seat.  I don't really expect Miles to go that route though.

What connections?  AAU connections?  Recruiting connections?  What NBA pedigree?  Simply the fact that he played in the NBA?  Should Nebraska hire Mikki Moore?  His NBA career has been much longer.  Like I said, I am a huge fan of Strickland and I would love to see him around the Husker basketball program 24/7, but the only former Husker with legit credentials and legit "NBA pedigree" is Tyronn Lue, but he isn't coming back to Nebraska.

 

In my opinion, the goals/ambitions/experience of the coach that Nebraska should want/needs should simply be: basketball coach/recruiting coordinator/player development or something along those lines...

 

Not this:

 

Erick Strickland is the athletic version of a renaissance man. The first post-1994 player who will be inducted into the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame, his interests range from being an entrepreneur to his desire to attend divinity school and become a traveling minister with his wife, so they can take their “Power of Purity” message to both married couples and singles across the country.

 

Link:

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=3642752

[uneblinstu]

Yes, because he played the game and worked in an NBA front office, I'd consider that NBA pedigree and being in and around the game for that long, I'd imagine him well connected and if he has/had a desire to be an entrepreneur, he knows how important that is.  

 

I'm not saying you hire him because he's a Husker but has shown an interest in the profession and, IMO, when I hear him talk about the game, he very clearly knows it.  Again, not saying he should, or that Miles would, but I do think there's enough merit to his experiences to consider him.  If there's a better option, and there very well may be, then got hat direction, by all means.  But because the guy has a variety of interests, why does that mean he wouldn't be completely devoted to coaching if he chose that path?  His statements and actions the past couple of years seem to indicate he wants to do that.

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323972882881466368

[GATA]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323972882881466368">April

 

The most interesting nugget in this story was that we're trying to set up a visit with 6-9, 180-pound power forward Makael Herbert of Finland. Here's a link to his game-by-game:

 

http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Mikael_Herbert/UU-Korihait_Uusikaupunki/182702

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/323972882881466368">April

 

The most interesting nugget in this story was that we're trying to set up a visit with 6-9, 180-pound power forward Makael Herbert of Finland. Here's a link to his game-by-game:

 

http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Mikael_Herbert/UU-Korihait_Uusikaupunki/182702

I agree.  Interesting indeed.

[Nebrasketballer]

I also wouldn’t expect an assistant coach hire in that period, either. Tim Miles said Monday he didn’t have a candidate in mind, and he would take his time to find a replacement for Ben Johnson, who Tuesday was officially announced as the newest member of Richard Pitino’s staff at Minnesota.

People have already asked me if Ronald “Chin” Coleman would be in the mix to replace Johnson. Coleman briefly served at Nebraska as director of player personnel – a non- on-the-road recruiting role – before taking a full-time assistant coaching job at Bradley last season.

My short answer: Don’t count on it.

Coleman wasn’t a full-time assistant at Nebraska because he lacked the vast recruiting experience Miles wants in a Big Ten assistant. I’m not sure that five months at Bradley constitutes as vast experience.

That should also answer questions about former Husker player Erick Strickland being considered for the job. Strickland could, perhaps, get a look if Miles opts to fill the aforementioned player-personnel role.

As things stand now, though, Miles is waiting to see how the NCAA defines that position before – or if – he decides to make a hire there.

In the meantime, Miles has put Jayden Olson on the road for recruiting. Olson is Nebraska's director of basketball operations, and also filled a temporary recruiting role last spring while Miles put together his first Nebraska staff.

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/life-in-the-red/talking-hoops-recruiting-assistant-coach/article_a6cac8fa-a6db-11e2-85df-001a4bcf887a.html

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/RobinWashut/status/325393311026249728">April