Can Debbie Yow find anyone to coach the Wolfpack’s hoops team?
Understand what is going on here. State ran off Herb Sendek after a string of NCAA tourney appearances and went shopping for the John Caliparis and Rick Pitinos of the world. That didn’t exactly work out as five years of Sid Lowe futility attest. Now Yow — fresh from clashing with Maryland coach Gary Williams during her stint there — gets to try to fill the void. How is Debbie doin’?
Sean Miller from Zona? No. Former Winthop and current Wichita St. coach Gregg Marshall — consider by many Pack fans to be their “safety” choice — is a no. Virginia Commonwealth hot tamale Shaka Smart? Nope. Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin — a Pitino acolyte — said no thanks too.
Realistically then, State is on its sixth or seventh string choice and the entire coaching world knows it. Knows that if you come to State at this late date you’ll be the guy Yow and vocal Pack backers settled for — no one thinks you are The Guy. Worse, with the Final Four weekend come and gone, Yow’s best opportunity to network with coaches is gone. She’ll have to single-shot candidates long-distance and hope that word of State interest does not leak out.
Update: Should add that Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon, Memphis’ Josh Pastner along with Texas coach Rick Barnes have also said no. Barnes was never a possibility. Still that means Yow is hunting for her 8th best candidate.
Update II: Yow said she wanted a fighter — what she evidently got was former Alabama HC Mark Gottfried — who quit in mid-season.
