1954-55
After two 20-win seasons, Louis Anderson is at a crossroads at Chicago State. What's the ceiling for this program? He's 47, he previously coached in the city at Loyola before getting canned after three straight no postseason appearances after making the tourney in his first year. So if teams are talking to him, he has an obligation to pursue it. Being on their third coach in 4 years would be less than ideal for the Cougars who were hoping to establish a bit of consistency, but we always knew that getting a coach as good as he was for a program like this meant that if he had an opportunity to escape he might do it.
I think that it also gives us an opportunity to shore that program up into a league that will sustain them for a while and then look for a different 2nd program to operate. DePaul is setup well in the Big East for us to focus on that program and see if we can turn it around, whereas Chicago State, they got better without any real help (I mean, maybe if I hadn't hired those coaches?) and so the only real story now is "can you get them into a consistent tournament team?" And while that'll be interesting, it's just a matter of getting them into a conference where it makes sense.
The Heritage League would be an interesting story, creating a HBCU version of the ACC basically and being part of that would be kind of hard to pass up. The Summit League appeals to me for purely matchup reasons, but I think you can still schedule those teams in the non-conference if you really want to play against the Wayne States of the world and ultimately, if it doesn't work out in the Heritage, you can always downgrade someday to one of those midwest leagues like the MVC/Summit or even the Horizon. I forgot about the MVC and unlike the other two leagues, Chicago State hasn't yet been a member of that league and it makes lots of geographic sense, there are interesting matchups and the prestige level is comparable. While they might get beat up, it's a more sustainable place to hang out. I'd just hate for them to end up in a power league against teams where they have no real connection and then get pummeled. In the CDC, at least they're still the big dogs on the block.
DePaul Head Coach
Colt Walker is leaving after three seasons to take the job at Houston (65 prestige) which isn't really a promotion despite the prestige bump because the Big 12 probably isn't as good a league as the Big East, but sensing he was not going to win at DePaul he got out while he had a chance.
Chicago State Head Coach
Lou Anderson had a different dilemma after two years at the helm and probably reaching what he viewed as their ceiling, despite the bump to the MVC next season. When Cincinnati's head coach left for Ohio State upon the retirement of Randall Le, he was offered and accepted the promotion.
That means both our programs need new coaches this year. DePaul is going to target a successful but beleaguered head coach of a top program, whereas Chicago State is going to aim either for a former head coach or a young assistant.
So we're gonna take the Missouri Valley option and join the MVC for next season.
CONFERENCE CHANGES
Quote:
Chicago State [Continental Divide --> Missouri Valley]
Rutgers Newark [America East --> MAAC]
Winston Salem State moved to Central State [OH]
Oswego State moved to Ave Maria [FL]
Cal State East Bay became Azusa Pacific
Azusa Pacific [Big West --> Independent]
Palm Beach Atlantic [A-SUN --> Indepdendent]
Colgate [Ivy --> A-North]
Bowdoin became Eastern New Mexico
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NEW COACHES ALERT
DePaul hired former Kansas head coach Stevie Banks, who spent a decade there making the tournament six times and before that was in Louisville. He's a coup for a program where DePaul is, but the hope is that he can use his skills to build programs to have success in what should be his final act.
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COACH DETAILS
Stevie Banks
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Age: 62
High School: R.H. Watkins High School
Hometown: Laurel, MS
Alma Mater: The Citadel
Current Level: 12
Career Record: 527 - 444
Salary: $0
Recruiting: 100
Scouting: 40
Offense: 100
Defense: 100
Coaching History:
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Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason
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1953 Kansas Head Coach 14 18 8 12 No Postseason
1952 Kansas Head Coach 14 18 7 13 No Postseason
1951 Kansas Head Coach 25 9 15 5 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1950 Kansas Head Coach 13 18 9 11 No Postseason
1949 Kansas Head Coach 20 13 13 7 Loss in NIT Round 2
1948 Kansas Head Coach 31 3 18 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1947 Kansas Head Coach 28 6 17 3 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1946 Kansas Head Coach 23 11 12 8 Loss in NCAA Round 1
1945 Kansas Head Coach 23 13 13 7 Loss in NCAA Elite Eight
1944 Kansas Head Coach 21 12 14 6 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1943 Louisville Head Coach 15 16 8 10 No Postseason
1942 Louisville Head Coach 26 9 11 7 Loss in NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1941 Louisville Head Coach 16 15 8 10 No Postseason
1940 Louisville Head Coach 18 15 9 9 No Postseason
1939 Louisville Head Coach 22 12 11 7 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1938 Louisville Head Coach 11 19 6 12 No Postseason
1937 Louisville Head Coach 6 25 1 19 No Postseason
1936 Princeton Head Coach 25 9 11 3 Loss in NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1935 Princeton Head Coach 22 11 11 3 Loss in NCAA Round 1
1934 Princeton Head Coach 26 8 12 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1933 Northern Arizona Head Coach 9 21 8 12 No Postseason
1932 Kansas Assistant 33 5 16 2 Loss in NCAA Final Four
1931 Kansas Assistant 23 13 10 8 NIT Champion
1930 Kansas Assistant 17 13 9 9 No Postseason
1929 Miami Head Coach 13 18 8 12 No Postseason
1928 Miami Head Coach 13 19 7 13 No Postseason
1927 Miami Head Coach 13 16 7 13 No Postseason
1926 Miami Head Coach 17 14 11 9 No Postseason
1925 Miami Head Coach 20 15 9 11 Loss in NIT Round 2
1924 Miami Head Coach 9 23 4 16 No Postseason
1923 Miami Head Coach 10 21 4 16 No Postseason
1922 Miami Head Coach 12 18 5 15 No Postseason
1921 Miami Head Coach 12 19 7 13 No Postseason
1920 Ohio State Assistant 34 4 17 3 Loss in NCAA Elite Eight
Awards & Achievements:
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Season Award
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1948 Conference Coach of the Year (Big Ten Conference)
1948 Big Ten Conference Champion
1935 Conference Coach of the Year (Ivy League)
1935 Ivy League Champion
1934 Ivy League Champion
Job Movement:
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Season Move
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1954 Quit job with Kansas
1944 Hired by Kansas (Head Coach)
1944 Quit job with Wichita State
1944 Hired by Wichita State (Head Coach)
1944 Quit job with Kansas
1944 Hired by Kansas (Head Coach)
1944 Quit job with Louisville
1937 Hired by Louisville (Head Coach)
1937 Quit job with Princeton to pursue a higher position
1934 Hired by Princeton (Head Coach)
1934 Quit job with Northern Arizona
1933 Hired by Northern Arizona (Head Coach)
1933 Quit job with Kansas to pursue a higher position
1930 Hired by Kansas (Assistant Coach)
1930 Fired by Miami
1921 Hired by Miami (Head Coach)
1921 Quit job with Ohio State
1920 Hired by Ohio State (Assistant Coach)
Meanwhile, Chicago State wooed former Iowa Head Coach and current San Francisco head man James Stringer to the Windy City after 5 years on the west coast where he led the Dons to 3 NCAA tournament appearances.
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COACH DETAILS
James Stringer - Head Coach - Chicago State
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Age: 53
High School: Mondovi High School
Hometown: Mondovi, WI
Alma Mater: Georgia Tech
Current Level: 10
Career Record: 193 - 151
Recruiting: 84
Scouting: 100
Offense: 16
Defense: 100
Coaching History:
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Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason
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1953 San Francisco Head Coach 15 16 7 9 No Postseason
1952 San Francisco Head Coach 24 8 12 4 Loss in NCAA Round 1
1951 San Francisco Head Coach 26 8 14 2 Loss in NCAA Round 1
1950 San Francisco Head Coach 24 9 12 4 Loss in NCAA Round 1
1949 San Francisco Head Coach 16 13 9 7 No Postseason
1948 Pepperdine Assistant 15 17 8 8 No Postseason
1947 Pepperdine Assistant 27 8 10 6 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
1944 Iowa Head Coach 11 18 7 13 No Postseason
1943 Iowa Head Coach 11 19 5 15 No Postseason
1942 Iowa Head Coach 13 17 8 12 No Postseason
1941 Iowa Head Coach 15 16 8 12 No Postseason
1940 Wyoming Head Coach 13 18 1 13 No Postseason
1939 Wyoming Head Coach 25 9 12 4 CIT Champion
1938 Texas Assistant 31 5 15 3 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
Awards & Achievements:
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Season Award
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1951 Conference Coach of the Year (West Coast Conference)
1950 Conference Coach of the Year (West Coast Conference)
Job Movement:
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Season Move
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1954 Hired by Chicago State (Head Coach)
1954 Quit job with San Francisco
1949 Hired by San Francisco (Head Coach)
1949 Quit job with Pepperdine
1947 Hired by Pepperdine (Lead Scout)
1945 Fired by Iowa
1941 Hired by Iowa (Head Coach)
1941 Quit job with Wyoming
1939 Hired by Wyoming (Head Coach)
1939 Quit job with Texas
1938 Hired by Texas (Lead Scout)