What’s going on in the Big 12 and beyond? I expand and explain every Sunday in Postscripts at Heartland College Sports, your home for independent Big 12 coverage.
This week, the coaching carousel is about to begin in college basketball, so get ready for your favorite coach to be connected to jobs they won’t take (probably).
IT’S COACHING JOB BOARD SEASON
With Mike Woodson’s resignation at Indiana, effective at the end of the season, the Hoosiers can get started on a coaching search. And, you know what that means?
It’s coaching job board season.
Already, writers like me have hypothesized that Baylor coach Scott Drew, Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger and Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland would be good fits for the job. In fact, all three were connected right away.
Related: Four Big 12 Coaches Listed on Indiana Basketball’s Coaching Search
You know what? All three WOULD be good fits. But that’s in hypothetical land. All three have great jobs already.
Scott Drew grew up in Indiana, graduated from Butler and coached at Valparaiso — both as an assistant coach and as a head coach — before taking over at Baylor. So, at least there’s a logical connection. But he turned down Kentucky, and if the Wildcats can’t get you to move from a job where you’re considered a king, well, I’m not sure Indiana can do it, either.
Otz would be great. But I think Iowa State is end game for him. He was an assistant there under three coaches and came running when ISU fired Steve Prohm. Plus, his wife is ISU women’s basketball royalty — Alison (Lacey) Otzelberger, a 2022 Iowa State Hall of Famer and WNBA champion.
As for McCasland, that might be tempting. He’s only in his second year at Tech. But, he’s a Texas native, played at Baylor, coached throughout Texas and has done plenty of time in West Texas, enough for me to believe it’s home.
It’s not the only open job, either. Earlier this week our Joe Tillery unearthed this story from Jerry Ratcliffe, who bills himself as someone who has covered “Virginia athletics since the beginning of time.”
Well, he wrote that Otz is rising up Virginia’s list. The money quote from a source?
“Otzelberger is fantastic.”
Well, that clinches it. He’s off to Charlottesville.
This is the time of the year that drives Big 12 basketball fans nuts, just as November drives Iowa State people insane when Matt Campbell gets connected to jobs.
It’s a compliment, of course. Drew, Otz and McCasland have done great jobs and, yes, if I were in charge at Indiana, I would be on all three of them (or, given that it’s February, their agents).
But it doesn’t mean they’re leaving. In fact, I think all three will be at their respective schools come next February. All three have great jobs, are paid well and play in the best conference in college basketball.
A Big 12 job is not a job you leave unless you’re asked to leave. No one is asking those three coaches to get out.
THERE’S A SIMPSONS FOR EVERYTHING
Need proof? Social media user Hemā Heimuli Jr., a producer at BYU.tv, put together a Cougars schedule reveal with Simpsons episodes and it’s, well as the kids like to say, immaculate.
EVERY COACH VIBES
Not Big 12 related, but St. John’s boss Rick Pitino talking about free-throw shooting with John Fanta is every coach during every free throw.
THE OCCASIONAL DOUG GOTTLEIB CHECK-IN
This week was Super Bowl week in New Orleans. I’ve covered four of them, and during the week the place to be is radio row. Every national radio show is there, along with just about every major TV network rightsholder, including ESPN.
Patrick Daugherty, who works for CBS Sports, filed this report on Tuesday about Doug Gottlieb.
So, before everyone flips their lid, the Phoenix had a full week off. The played against Detroit Mercy on Feb. 1 and didn’t play again until they faced Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. So, a trip to New Orleans to do, say, your other full-time job as a Fox Sports radio host is totally acceptable, right?
By the way, Wisconsin-Green Bay is now 2-23, 0-14 in the Horizon League and has lost its last 20 games.
Either coach or do radio. You can’t do both, bud.
THE DODGEBALL SOLUTION
Cincinnati is trying to fight back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. Before last week, the Bearcats had lost eight of 10 games. But, Cincinnati won back-to-back games last week. What happened?
Dodgeball. Yep, on Monday, Bearcat Journal’s Keegan Nickoson reported that Cincinnati played dodgeball instead of practicing.
Hey, whatever it takes to get off the bubble, right?
BYU’S NEXT JERSEY RETIREMENT
When I went to the Marriott Center for the first time in November, I was surprised at how few women’s basketball jerseys were retired. There were only two — Tina Gunn Robison and Jackie Beene McBride. Both played in the first decade of women’s college basketball and they were the first two Cougars to score 2,000 career points.
Well, on Feb. 22, BYU is adding to the list.
Tresa Spaulding Hamson played from 1983-97 and left BYU second in all-time scoring with 2,309 points. She was an all-American and an alternate for the 1984 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team. She was women’s college basketball’s top center her senior year.
POST-GAME MATH LESSON
Kansas State beat Kansas on Saturday (I don’t wanna brag but I picked that one correctly). After the game, Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins was asked what his record was against Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, given both played in the Big Ten before they joined their respective teams.
Yeah, Hunter isn’t gonna like this.
Our Joe Tillery checked. It checks out.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
