• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Assistant Coach Debate: One Chair, Three Assistant Coaches.

1999 Aloha Bowl

1999 Aloha Bowl

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2013
Messages
21
Reaction score
14
Because Manning only retained two assistants after Tulsa finished this year (third one was let go before negotiations with Wake began), there is one spot left (assuming Manning wants to bring his own two).

Sense This Does Not Make: With an inexperienced HC (Manning), keeping the least experienced coach on this team (Childress), and getting rid of the team's most experienced coach, period, best recruiter (judging by track record), and developer of guards (Battle).

Sense This Makes: Giving Childress/[name redacted]'s Human Shield a choice between taking a front-office administrative position (just like Danny Manning did at Kansas before he got the payoff of a courtside coaching job) or leaving for a program that can afford for him to learn on the job (likely a mid-major assistant coaching position), getting rid of Rusty Larue because he's a terrible recruiter and a bad coach (see performance at Forsyth Country Day and recruiting results), keeping Jeff Battle, who is by several orders of magnitude the most experienced coach on this staff and has the most reliably predictive track record of success on this coaching staff, both Wake's (Randolph Childress and Rusty Larue) and Tulsa's (Brett Ballard and Steve Woodberry).

TLDR: Pair Battle with the two Tulsa assistants, incubate Childress in Wake's basketball administration for a while and make him work his way up just like Manning did to become an assistant coach at Kansas, and finally free the program of Larue's subpar talents.
 
Last edited:
Ahhhhh just win games and let this arm chair coaching end already Jeez. He just started.
 
1999 Aloha Bowl said:
Because Manning only retained two assistants after Tulsa finished this year (third one was let go before negotiations with Wake began), there is one spot left (assuming Manning wants to bring his own two).

Sense This Does Not Make: With an inexperienced HC (Manning), keeping the least experienced coach on this team (Childress), and getting rid of the team's most experienced coach, period, best recruiter (judging by track record), and developer of guards (Battle).

Sense This Makes: Giving Childress/[name redacted]'s Human Shield a choice between taking a front-office administrative position (just like Danny Manning did at Kansas before he got the payoff of a courtside coaching job) or leaving for a program that can afford for him to learn on the job (likely a mid-major assistant coaching position), getting rid of Rusty Larue because he's a terrible recruiter and a bad coach (see performance at Forsyth Country Day and recruiting results), keeping Jeff Battle, who is by several orders of magnitude the most experienced coach on this staff and has the most reliably predictive track record of success on this coaching staff, both Wake's (Randolph Childress and Rusty Larue) and Tulsa's (Brett Ballard and Steve Woodberry).

TLDR: Pair Battle with the two Tulsa assistants, incubate Childress in Wake's basketball administration for a while and make him work his way up just like Manning did to become an assistant coach at Kansas, and finally free the program of Larue's subpar talents.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. If you're going to keep a coach, let it be Battle. He brings by far the best credentials to the position of the three.
 
It is my understanding that there are men who coach basketball at every d1 school in the country. Go hire one who has exceptional recruiting skills and bring him to Wake. We have no need to search only from a pool of 3 currently at Wake.
 
Just let Manning choose his own staff. If it happens to include Battle, Childress, or both, then I'm fine with that. If Coach Manning brings in his own outside staff and RW feels compelled to keep any of the previous assistant coaches on the payroll, then I'm sure there's a way to do that without having them on the bench.
 
Everyone must go. The metaphor "clean house" fails to adequately describe the change that is required. Take every stick of furniture out of that sucker and throw it on a bonfire in the center of the Quad, then swab the walls, ceilings, and floors with industrial-strength disinfectant until every trace of the previous regime is gone.
 
Last edited:
I think Battle would be a good fit in the final spot assuming he brings the other two.
 
Battle is likely one of the best assistant coaches in the country. If Manning hires him I don't know that it would necessarily be because of his ties to Wake.
 
One of the best assistants in the country could surely do better than a rebuilding job under an inexperienced head coach.
 
Manning can do whatever he wants.

But if he keeps Battle, Battle will likely want to be the first assistant as a condition of staying. That potentially is really limiting if Manning wants to tap into the Bill Self/Larry Brown coaching tree.

Childress would take the third assistant spot. If you look at other coaching staffs across the country the third assistant usually has very little experience. Given that, whoever Manning wants to be the third assistant will not be that much different in quality than what Childress brings to the table.

Whatever Manning wants to do is fine with me. It's his career that is riding on these decisions.
 
Yeah, but Manning may not (should not?) be so focused on the #3 spot as the 1 and 2. If he does a great job there, then everyone below slides down a slot, including occupying the 3rd slot - potentially leaving RC without at chair.
 
Tobacco Road said:
Yeah, but Manning may not (should not?) be so focused on the #3 spot as the 1 and 2. If he does a great job there, then everyone below slides down a slot, including occupying the 3rd slot - potentially leaving RC without at chair.
Click to expand...

Manning should absolutely be focused on the #1 and #2 coaching positions. I don't believe Battle would or should accept the #3 slot. If Battle decides he wants that #3 position then that would be great for our program, but that would be a large step back in his career.
 
You are assuming that Battle wants to stay and work for a fourth head coach at the same school. I have my doubts that this is the case. I would be ok with Chill staying, but would rather have a clean slate and let Manning choose his own staff.
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
Battle is likely one of the best assistant coaches in the country. If Manning hires him I don't know that it would necessarily be because of his ties to Wake.
Click to expand...

I fail to see how one of the best assistants in the country could have been on our staff the last four years.
 
Y6AJQ-1.gif
 
I believe you all are giving Battle to much credit... I truly like him and would love for him to stay, but If we cut ties with the three cronies I wouldn't be heart broke either. We probably need a new start completely. If Danny works them to hard or pushes them during practice RL, RC or Battle would speak with Wellman that these boys are working to hard and he trying to make us relevant again... This is not good for LOWF... Cheers to a new start boys!!! Go Deacs and Go Manning, work the piss out of these boys and help us bring some swag back!!!!
 
Battle is a legend only on these boards. Manning's and Battle's flat personalities aren't going to be ideal on the recruiting front. We already see that Battle doesn't land big time talent with a dull head coach. Manning needs to surround himself with more dynamic assistants.
 
IckerDeac said:
Battle is a legend only on these boards. Manning's and Battle's flat personalities aren't going to be ideal on the recruiting front. We already see that Battle doesn't land big time talent with a dull head coach. Manning needs to surround himself with more dynamic assistants.
Click to expand...

Let's recap board logic:

"Skip Prosser is a great recruiter."

Skip passes.

"Dino was the great recruiter on that staff."

Dino is fired.

"Battle is one of the best recruiters in the country. We will be fine."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top