Jeff Goodman wrote:

Program situation: Donovan turned Florida into an elite job, but realistically it's probably a top 20-ish job nationally. The positive is that it's a football school, so a coach can blend in to some extent and doesn't have to live in a fish bowl. There's plenty of high-level talent in the state, and for the most part Donovan has been able to protect his home turf. There's a practice facility, but the O'Connell Center needs a face-lift and renovations have already begun (they are in the early stages). Whoever takes the job won't inherit a loaded roster by any means, but there is certainly enough talent (if retained) to get the program back to the NCAA tournament after a one-year absence.

Two other names have surfaced in the "Who Should Florida Look At" sweepstakes:

Ed Cooley (Providence)

Ben Jacobsen (No. Iowa)

Al : Do you think Donovan will succeed in the NBA? I was not sure about his move. As for his replacement, I would be surprised if Pitino moved from Minnesota. My first pick would be Steve Prohm, but I am probably the only one. Didn't Gregg Marshall just ink a new contract?

Posted by zorzii on 5/1/2015 8:07:00 AM (view original):
Al : Do you think Donovan will succeed in the NBA? I was not sure about his move. As for his replacement, I would be surprised if Pitino moved from Minnesota. My first pick would be Steve Prohm, but I am probably the only one. Didn't Gregg Marshall just ink a new contract?

He'll be sucessful as long as he has Durant and Westbrook.  But the move is really low-risk for Donovan. If he doesn't succeed, there'll be 20 colleges begging him to become their coach. 

 Pitino has the fancy name but very little head-coaching experience.  I don't think he'll be a serious candidate.  Prohm and Marshall signed new contracts. Marshall's gives him $million/year and he doesn't have to play 2nd fiddle to football. Plus, he's a god in Wichita after defeating Kansas. 

FoxSports says Florida should pick from this group:

Archie Miller, Dayton
Jim Larranga, Miami
Bryce Drew, Valpo
Anthony Grant, Florida asst., just fired at Alabama
Jeff Capel, Duke asst. , former head at VCU and Oklahoma

Al, I don't think Pelphery and Grant will be considered. Both fired from D1 SEC lesser jobs. However I would think it would be a wise move to retain them on staff. It is not likely that Capel would accept the job. He has turned down a number of D1 jobs. He wants to be Coach K's replacement.

Posted by coachvegas44 on 5/2/2015 10:21:00 PM (view original):
Al, I don't think Pelphery and Grant will be considered. Both fired from D1 SEC lesser jobs. However I would think it would be a wise move to retain them on staff. It is not likely that Capel would accept the job. He has turned down a number of D1 jobs. He wants to be Coach K's replacement.

I agree about Pelphrey and Grant. They both have unexciting  'loser' tags.  I also read that, if Grant doesn't get the job, Donovan might hire him at Oklahoma City. 

As for Coach K's replacement, there are several coaches with Duke ties that would love that job.   Bobbby Hurley (Arizona State); Mike Brey (Notre Dame);  and Tommy Amaker (Harvard) come to mind.
 And don't forget Steve Wojo.  Why did he leave Duke after 15 years as an assistant.? I think he realized that Duke would never hire anyone without head coaching experience. So he went to Marquette to prove his worth. 

In those "Coaches in waiting" at Duke, don't forget Johnny Dawkins of Stanford.

I don't think Mack would take the step backwards. It would be a huge win for Miller, but I am not sold on him. In his first year at Dayton, he was a blown call away from getting beat in the 1st round of the tourney, and then no one would have heard of him. I do give him credit for last season, though. Dayton's squad was depleted, yet he found a way to win consistently. Perhaps with big brother pushing for him, it could happen. But, Dayton loves him, and he can do no wrong there. Mack is coaching at his alma mater and his home town, and he makes great money. I'm sure either one could be convinced, but it would take a lot.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Jeff Capel take over after K retires. From what I hear, he is a fantastic recruiter, and without Coach K, Duke loses a lot of recruiting pull. He could be exactly what they need to get a few good classes in post-K and show that they will still be relevant.

Al, great thread as always by you.

Posted by uncnick157 on 5/7/2015 2:55:00 PM (view original):
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Jeff Capel take over after K retires. From what I hear, he is a fantastic recruiter, and without Coach K, Duke loses a lot of recruiting pull. He could be exactly what they need to get a few good classes in post-K and show that they will still be relevant.

i hate duke as much as (or more than) the next guy, but i don't think they are going to have a problem staying relevant! duke is basically nothing (basketball wise) without coach K's contributions, i get that, but he has been there forever, they are definitely one of the elite programs. a few years ago with 3 titles, might have been a little different, but i think they are pretty firmly cemented as an elite program now, in the eyes of all the kids everywhere. some might even think of duke as the premier program in basketball, which may be a little ridiculous from a historical perspective (hard to put above UNC or UK historically), but over the last 25 years they are #1. would take a lot of damage to undo the work coach K has done.

Louisiana Tech basketball coach Michael White has emerged as the leading candidate to replaceBilly Donovan at Florida, multiple sources have told Yahoo Sports.

A meeting between Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and White could take place as soon as today, sources said

Mike White will be the new men's basketball coach of the Florida Gators, the school announced Thursday.

The school said that White agreed in principle to a six-year deal worth an average of $2 million per year.

The 38-year-old White is considered a rising star in the business despite failing to get to the NCAA tournament in his four seasons at Louisiana Tech. He is the son of Duke athletic director Kevin White and took the Bulldogs program to the NIT in each of the past three seasons.

Posted by gillispie1 on 5/7/2015 3:05:00 PM (view original):

Posted by uncnick157 on 5/7/2015 2:55:00 PM (view original):
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Jeff Capel take over after K retires. From what I hear, he is a fantastic recruiter, and without Coach K, Duke loses a lot of recruiting pull. He could be exactly what they need to get a few good classes in post-K and show that they will still be relevant.

i hate duke as much as (or more than) the next guy, but i don't think they are going to have a problem staying relevant! duke is basically nothing (basketball wise) without coach K's contributions, i get that, but he has been there forever, they are definitely one of the elite programs. a few years ago with 3 titles, might have been a little different, but i think they are pretty firmly cemented as an elite program now, in the eyes of all the kids everywhere. some might even think of duke as the premier program in basketball, which may be a little ridiculous from a historical perspective (hard to put above UNC or UK historically), but over the last 25 years they are #1. would take a lot of damage to undo the work coach K has done.

The issue for Duke is going to be how do they recruit against some of the other premier programs. They have a small (albeit incredibly historical gym), very outdated athlete housing, and very high academic standards (which depending on the recruit is not a good thing). The players go to Duke for Coach K, it's that simple. I certainly don't see Duke dropping off significantly after K, but there is a chance they fall down a few notches. Going to be hard to recruit against schools who offer brand new housing and playing in front of 20000 people each night. Capel might be the answer to bring in great recruits and keep the program at the peak.