Molinari is N as assistant

BR has a story up now saying the buzz is that Molinari is the leading contender, so it's close to official.

This is the first article I've seen based on something besides Robin Washut reporting. MULTIPLE SOURCES!

 

Here's the link for you guys.

http://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/life-in-the-red/molinari-likely-headed-to-nebraska/article_bb76112e-bd91-11e3-a7d4-001a4bcf887a.html

Was gonna link to it but my phone wasn't cooperating. Thanks.

 

NP I have trouble doing that stuff with my phone also.

Maybe someone can dig up the quote, but Miles said within the past 10 days that he likes to have a staff made up of two guys who can recruit, scout and develop players, and one guy who sees the game the way he does. Molinari falls into that category for sure. He plays the same pack line defense we do, and he and Miles seem to share a brain as far as how the game should be played and coached. They share the same philosophical mindset. 

This seems like a great fit, and Molinari is a tremendous asset in terms of knowledge and experience. He's a defensive guru and should be able to take a team that was already playing great defense and take it to an even higher level.

My only question is about how good a recruiter he is. I honestly have no idea.

Maybe someone can dig up the quote, but Miles said within the past 10 days that he likes to have a staff made up of two guys who can recruit, scout and develop players, and one guy who sees the game the way he does. Molinari falls into that category for sure. He plays the same pack line defense we do, and he and Miles seem to share a brain as far as how the game should be played and coached. They share the same philosophical mindset. 

 

This seems like a great fit, and Molinari is a tremendous asset in terms of knowledge and experience. He's a defensive guru and should be able to take a team that was already playing great defense and take it to an even higher level.

 

My only question is about how good a recruiter he is. I honestly have no idea.

I have no idea if Molinari runs a pack line defense or not so this is not commentary on your post, but pack line is the phrase of the tournament. I am so tired of every announcer calling every sagging m4m a pack line defense. Just because you run a flex cut doesn't mean you are running a flex offense and just because you are sagging off doesn't mean you are running a pack line defense. I personally don't like all the principles of the pack line. 

I do like the not denying the wing pass. You can play an on the line, up the line wing defense to give better help on penetration. I never really got hurt on wing passes but guard penetration could be a problem. I do not like the PLD's funneling penetration into the elbow or 3/4 post defense when the ball is on the wing. One misstep on your wing defense and you've given up an uncontested lay-up. 

I distinctly remember Miles talking about Molinari during the pre-game radio broadcast (might have been the post-game) for Western Illinois.  He was very complimentary of Molinari and said it would be a good test for his team to face a Molinari-coached club.  

Here's what Huskers.com quotes Miles as saying AFTER the Western Illinois game:

 "Jim Molinari is a friend of mine. He’s really a good coach. He’s been on the bench at the Final Four with DePaul. He’s taken his Bradley team to the NCAA Tournament. He’s been right there in the championship game of the Summit League with his Western Illinois team. So you know it’s just going to get mucked up out there and they’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop. And that’s what happened. We kind of got a little tired. They stayed on the attack. They make a couple threes and they get physical with us. We sort of start whining a little bit and don’t play the way we can. It was a good lesson to learn because there’s a stark contrast the last 14 minutes of the game I thought. If that lead isn’t so big, we don’t win."

If Molinari could convince the Covington kid to transfer to Nebraska, that'd be icing on the cake. As a Freshman, Covington averaged 15 and 5 while shooting 39% from behind the arc.

I for one wouldn't be shocked if Covington followed him here.  Nebraska did have contact with him during his Sr Year of HS (along with many other Big10 teams).

The mindset of your typical Husker fan is that it's all about recruiting and stars. They also believe that young and energetic equals great recruiter. To your average Husker fan "older" coaches aren't as good of recruiters as younger coaches. They covet the "big name". A lot, if a not a good majority, of Husker fans would trade Miles for any coach that could deliver a class of all 5 star players.

I like this hire a lot. You basically have 2 head coaches on the bench. This is going to take a lot of pressure off of Tim moving forward. I'm not sure what Mo's motivation was for leaving West Ill. My guess would be that he wanted to make more $$ without the stress of being a head coach while getting back into the BIG 10. 

Odd we could lose our lead assistant to a head coaching gig in the Summit, and then replace that assistant with a head coach from the Summit.

I would think Molinari would have some Chicago connections. He had a stud freshman this year at Westen Illinois, last name of Covington. He's a 6'5" wing who I've seen play a couple of times. He hails from Illinois and would have been one of our top 4 offensive players as a frosh. If Molinari could get a kid like that to Western Illinois, he'll do fine here.

At first I felt this could be a very good hire, but now after reading something's on line and on here I think this could be a great hire,

Hopefully this comes about, because this will make the loss of Smith a little bit less hurtful.

I wonder if Craig Smith regrets taking the USD job now?  The NDSU job is now open:

I wonder if Craig Smith regrets taking the USD job now?  The NDSU job is now open:

 

Funny. I thought the exact same thing when I saw that.

Molonari spent about ten minutes in the Nebraska coaches locker room after the game this Fall. I have never heard of an opposing coach do that before. Miles and he are pretty close.

Robin posted a video of a Miles interview when we played them in November. Miles said they were good friends and have roomed together different times on recruiting trips. He had him come to CSU to give his coaches a 3 day clinic on how to coach defense.

Molonari spent about ten minutes in the Nebraska coaches locker room after the game this Fall. I have never heard of an opposing coach do that before. Miles and he are pretty close.

That's what I thought I remembered hearing - something along those lines. I remember it seemed really unusual at the time. Thanks!

Some bleak outlooks on the WIU forum - http://www.leathernecknation.com/Topic25566-17-1.aspx

I just struggle with guys hiring friends. He has a great pedigree. I hope he recruits better here than where he is currently at.

I think what you have here is Miles replacing Smith as his in-game adjustment guy because of his years of experience.  Then, you just have to imagine that the guy knows just about everyone in the nation and has recruiting connections anywhere.  So Miles is basically saying he trusts himself, Harriman, and Hunter to now be able to sell themselves in all the new areas that Mo potentially opens for us.  

I hope he recruits better here than where he is currently at.

He beat out Wisconsin, Iowa State, Iowa and Murray State for Garret Covington. That's incredible.

Again, he could be a good hire. He has a losing record at his current school and what they won 8 or 10 games last year?

Again, he could be a good hire. He has a losing record at his current school and what they won 8 or 10 games last year?

Again, he could be a good hire. He has a losing record at his current school and what they won 8 or 10 games last year?

The year before he had one of the top 2 teams in the Summit.  Graduation hit them pretty hard.

Doesn't matter what you want to call this philosophy.  It is designed to not give up easy 2 pointers and easy 3 pointers.  Whatever defense is being played needs to do those two things.  Denying the wing pass without being in control is a great way to lead to those two things not happening. 

Again, he could be a good hire. He has a losing record at his current school and what they won 8 or 10 games last year?

This is like hiring Doc as an assistant...great defensive coach...schemer....Doc may not have had the closing power to get the recruiting done...but in this incarnation  of Huskers, we do not need the recruiter...

Yet I am betting Coach Molinari could impress a fair number of recruits with the defensive discussion...perhaps in their high schools, many gave it much too little thought.

In Ken Pom defensive rankings UConn was 10...Florida 2...Ohio St, Louisville, St. Louis, San Diego State ...all in the top 10...defense wins games...and Coach Molinari is now in charge!

Again, he could be a good hire. He has a losing record at his current school and what they won 8 or 10 games last year?

I wouldnt be too concerned with his record...the guy has been around a long long time in D-1 basketball.  Were not going to find very many assistants out there with the type of experience he has.