UCF Basketball Coaching Search

Following the humiliating loss to Tulane on Thursday, UCF dismissed sixth year head coach Donnie Jones. It was a long time coming for UCF fans. As reported here by Victoryway/FanOnAWire, the decision to fire Jones was the worst kept secret. The embarrassing loss to Tulane in the AAC Tournament just hurried the process. The loss of Jones is not a large one. His team's consistently underachieved and he seemed lost  at times. This was his third consecutive season of under .500 basketball. On top of this he had earns a show cause penalty. In summation, Donnie Jones was an utter failure as a head coach. Now UCF turns a new chapter on basketball. Danny White, the ultra hyper aggressive athletic director, gets to choose another head coach. If his past hirings are any indication prepare for a name that has not been floated around yet or a young assistant itching for his chance. Either way it is hard to predict who the athletic director will hire. But I will try to asses the favorites.

1. Martin Ingelsby- The list starts and ends with Martin Ingelsby as the clear favorite. Everyone knows that I am a big Ingelsby guy. I have written extensively about about why  I feel like he should be the future of UCF. To summarize:  he also helped to develop Ben Hansbrough and Eric Atkins along with Demetrious Jackson and Jerian Grant. So if UCF having young guards like BJ Taylor and Adonys, why wouldn't hiring a man that is a proven developer of talent be a good idea? But more importantly he has a eye for talent as  he has recruited some building blocks for Notre Dame's future. It was Ingelsby that recruited 3 star Forward Bonzie Colson and one of the best perimeter defenders in the ACC in Rex Pflueger. Now imagine what he could do recruiting Florida. He also appears to be more statistically inclined when looking at lineups. From a NDInsider article, "Irish assistant coach Martin Ingelsby says coaches first need to understand their own priorities:  Ingelsby says of all the numbers available to the coaches they may incorporate 10 percent of them into a scouting report. On a personal basis, Ingelsby is intrigued, for example with the ability to know both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings for different Notre Dame lineup combinations." He is charismatic, forward thinking, and has a proven track record. Perfect for UCF. 

    So why would he pick UCF over other jobs? Well Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey likes to tell the story of how he became a head coach. Brey had gotten offered the job at William & Mary, but was told by legendary coach Morgan Wooten that he would be making a mistake. That the job was a dead end and not high profiled enough. That is how Brey ended up at Delaware then Notre Dame. So how does this relate to Martin Ingelsby?  Ingelsby has taken this story to heart. Turning down the likes of Princeton that came calling a few years ago. Not choosing a starting job until the perfect one arrived. Well here's that opportunity. The chance to revive a dead program that has talent. The chance to win against the likes of Uconn, Temple, SMU, etc. It really is the perfect spot for a first year coach. 

2:Brad Underwood-Stephen F Austin Head Coach. For a coach with experience, there is job opting better than Brad Underwood. He has an extensive resume as a coach. Ranging from his time as a community college head coach in both Kansas and Daytona Beach. He has also been an assistant at Kansas State and South Carolina for Frank Martin. Yet what he has done at Stephen F Austin is beyond impressive. He has a total record of 86-13 at Stephen F Austin, winning the conference all 3 years he has been a head coach. He has led the team to the tournament every year he has been the head coach. And consider this his league record is 53-1. Let me say that again 53-1. That is unbelievable. Best news is he only makes 300,000 a season. So if Danny White is able to he can triple Underwood's contract. If UCF wants to go for experience this is the man for the job.

3. Steve Pikielli- Stony Brook Head Coach. Before I get into the merits of hiring Pikielli allow me to pat myself on the back. I was the first person to mention that Pikielli and Ingelsby were the front runners for the UCF job if it came open. You may read about it here:http://victoryway.sportsblog.com/posts/13039442/sources--ucf-to-fire-donnie-jones-after-aac-tournament.html . Now it has been picked up by UCF and cbb insiders. So I will pat myself on the back. 

Now, Pikielli and Underwood are interchangeable really. Either one would be a home run hire if the Knights decide to go the experienced head coach route. While his record at Stony Brook may not look impressive on paper(190-155), one has to remember that Stony Brook was a dumpster fire before he got there. They and a streak of losing seasons. Now under Pikielli, Stony Brook has experienced 6 twenty win seasons in the last 7 seasons. This includes this season which was the height of the program making the NCAA's under Pikielli for the first time. Hiring him would be a sure fire bet, though he has no UCF connections. 

4. Matt McCall- Chattanoga Head Coach. I know that he has only been a head coach for a year and is 34 years old. Yet he is the next star head coach. In his first year as head coach he went 29-5. He has a wide range of experiences as an assistant especially around Florida. He is from Ocala and has coached at UF and FAU. So he will be familiar with the program. The drawback is that he just joined Chattanoga as head coach this season. So I don't know if he wants to be one of those coaches that leaves a program after a year. Though UCF can offer him a return home to Florida and the Central Florida area. 

5 Steve Lavin/PJ Carlesimo/Anthony Grant- these will be the big names associated with any jobs. These are highly unlikely, though I have been told that Carlesimo and Grant both reached out to White. Would not put too much stock in these names.