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LadyGriz Lady Griz Coaching Hot Board

billingsgriz said:
I agree with 406-how do you pass on an assistant coach that has won an NC in Montana as a head coach--and I think Coach Woolley won that NC right here in Billings in 2019, when we hosted the NAIA National tournament from 2017-19. ( And that was cool eating lunch or dinner @ Mont. Brewing Co. or Hooligan's in DT Billings. and watching all of these women's college teams wearing their school gear walk past us, sit down and eat !!! )

And Coach Lindsay Woolley is also a GRIZ, having graduated from UM with a degree in math. As the long-term coach @ Miles Community College and Western, an assistant @ Utah State, Coach Woolley checks all of the boxes.

And I do like Nate Harris more and more, a Tech Oredigger who lived right here in Billings for three years, being mentored by who else, Lady Yellowjacket's maestro Kevin Woodin and getting to the Sweet 16 with MSUB ( 25-8) in 2014 before heading west to Bozeman and learning under another great coach, MSU"s Tricia Binford and then as successful HC of Angelo State in Texas and having success there. Coach Harris , who I didn't realize was already a successful HC, also checks all of the boxes as well.

While I still love the idea of Lady Yellowjacket's HC Kevin Woodin, whose Lady Yellowjackets ( 25-7) play in the Div.II West Regionals on Sat. in California, as Lady GRIZ HC, I also love the idea of Woolley/Harris or vice versa continuing to lead our LG. I would give the first chair to Coach Woolley due to his NC ring, but either way, I think the LG are in for brighter days ahead with Woolley/Harris, both of whom have been both successful assistants and HC's, which already started yesterday with our upset of Idaho !!!

If we don't hire Kevin--and I doubt he wants to leave Billings now-- let's keep Coaches Woolley and Harris !!!
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Agree with Wolleys success as HC, but what about Harris tenure as HC at Angelo St was successful?

This isn't shade being thrown at Harris, but when we looked at record it didn't get better or stay same, it got worse in his time there.

What Haslam decides to do i anyone's guess. I'm sure there is a lot of pressure on him to make the right hire and there should be. His last 2 haven't done so well.
 
Griz til I die said:
Because that was NAIA Basketball and this is D1 Basketball. That's 3 levels higher. IDK how many people remember our last candidate pool from 4 years ago, but it was quite good. Remember Mark Campbell who just led TCU to the Big 12 regular season title? He was about to take the Lady Griz job until his wife stepped in and said she refused to live in Montana. That's the caliber of candidates this job draws. We'd be doing ourselves a disservice if we just settled for Harris or Wooley.
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It’s still basketball no matter the level. You can either coach it or you can’t. Woolley can coach and develops players very well. Do you not think we have capable coaches from Montana? Just because we don’t get the exposure doesn’t mean we don’t have coaches who know the game well and can teach the game.
 
Griz til I die said:
Because that was NAIA Basketball and this is D1 Basketball. That's 3 levels higher. IDK how many people remember our last candidate pool from 4 years ago, but it was quite good. Remember Mark Campbell who just led TCU to the Big 12 regular season title? He was about to take the Lady Griz job until his wife stepped in and said she refused to live in Montana. That's the caliber of candidates this job draws. We'd be doing ourselves a disservice if we just settled for Harris or Wooley.
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Totally disagree--Holsinger was an assistant at Oregon State, from a Power 5 conference. How did that work out ?

( To hell with Coach Campbell and his snob witch wife !!! Haven't seen any TV series lately made about Fort Worth, TCU's hometown, have you ? )

When Brian Fish was hired to be the head man @ MSU, he had also been an assistant @ a Power 5 Program, Oregon. How did that work out ?

If we hire an assistant from elsewhere, he could be the next Travis DeCuire, or he could be the next Brian Holsinger or Brian Fish. Does the assistant coach you want to hire come with a money- back guarantee? ( I am not trying to be a smart a__, GTID, but I do want to point out that no matter who we hire, we are taking a risk which can be mitigated through a robust selection process but not eliminated !!! )

And Coach Woolley was also an assistant @ Utah State and here at UM as well as the very successful HC of Western. So he's been a successful asst. coach @ Div. 1, national-winning head coach in NAIA, he's a Montanan and a GRIZ and that's not good enough ? What's not to like ? !!!

For those reasons, we should retain and promote Woolley/Harris or Harris/Woolley !!!
 
BigSkyBreakdown said:
Agree with Wolleys success as HC, but what about Harris tenure as HC at Angelo St was successful?

This isn't shade being thrown at Harris, but when we looked at record it didn't get better or stay same, it got worse in his time there.

What Haslam decides to do i anyone's guess. I'm sure there is a lot of pressure on him to make the right hire and there should be. His last 2 haven't done so well.
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Coach Harris went 18-10 as HC of Angelo State in 2019-20, leading the Rambelles to the Div. Ii South-Central Regional.
 
I am not going to recommend who should be head coach as nobody will know how any prospect will do. Could hire someone with huge pedigree and not have success. Or, you can hire someone that had just 4 years experience as assistant coach and high school coaching experience and he leads you to 11 national championships and a huge number of final 4 appearances. It's all a crap shoot.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
This is a good thread with a lot of info to chew on. Anyone here live in Missoula? Contact Haslam and volunteer to be on the hiring committee. I mean this seriously. That hiring committee needs Griz fans who are NOT moneyed insiders.
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I can't imagine he'd put some random joe off the street on the hiring committee
 
billingsgriz said:
Especially after Haslam's last expert selection committee screened and approved Holsinger, failing to discover in the process that Holsinger was/is a complete a__hole !!!
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People always make themselves look more charming in the interview process. Trust me, I work in HR. I see it all the time.
 
In my opinion I don’t believe we need someone from Montana to be the next coach. I want someone who will bring the Lady Griz back to the top of the conference again. Who that would be I have no idea. I am not a fan of Loree Payne. Her record going into this year was 109 wins and 108 losses in 7 years. I will support whoever we get but we need vast improvement and IMO that needs to happen within a couple of years, three at the most.
 
Griz1 said:
In my opinion I don’t believe we need someone from Montana to be the next coach. I want someone who will bring the Lady Griz back to the top of the conference again. Who that would be I have no idea. I am not a fan of Loree Payne. Her record going into this year was 109 wins and 108 losses in 7 years. I will support whoever we get but we need vast improvement and IMO that needs to happen within a couple of years, three at the most.
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Strongly disagree, with all due respect.

Lindsay Woolley, unless you find another coach applying for the job that has won a national championship @ a lower level and been a successful assistant coach @ the Div. 1 level, is a GRIZ alum and has recruited Mont. extensively and knows the difference between Ennis and Eureka, Baker and Butte. Malta and Missoula is a better selection than someone that can't find Montana or Missoula on a map and whose knowledge of Montana is based solely on watching episodes of " Yellowstone."

And Nate Harris, as the top assistant under legendary Montana coaches Kevin Woodin @ MSUB and Tricia Binford @ MSU, has successful HC experience @ Angelo State, is an Oredigger from Ronan, and knows the difference between Columbia Falls and Columbus, should be retained and signed to a three-year deal !!!
 
So since we just beat the # 2 seed, NAU, do those of you opposing retaining Coach Harris and Woolley and signing them to a three-year contract now care to amend your comments ?
 
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