Josh,
You are the man. You have been incredibly successful in your career. As Louisville AD, you are honestly an inspiration of mine. And you have gotten to the top of the mountain entirely through your own work ethic! Not because it was handed to you, but because you are smart, driven, and have taken your job seriously from day one. Your passion and motivation is evident in the job search. You have interviewed dozens or possibly hundreds of candidates, and spent countless hours considering every variable. One day, I want to be where you are. And you have earned your spot.
You have the power in your hands to choose Louisville's next basketball coach. It's not easy to have that power and responsibility but it's yours. You have to balance the demands of the Board, the history of the program, your own legacy, and the fans' desire and expectations to win.
Let's zoom out in time. How will this hire be evaluated in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years? The reality is in most cases, an athletics hire is evaluated by the wins of the coach and the success of the athletes who join the program. I imagine it is a bit frustrating! You can do all the research in the world, but if the coach you pick doesn't win big, the world won't perceive it as a good hire. You could throw darts at balloons, but if the first balloon that pops is a winner, you'll be perceived as a genius. Man, that's weird. But big decisions require motivated, successful people, and that is why you are where you are. I KNOW you are up to the task. Evidence of your drive, motivation and ambition is shown in how you've targeted Scott Drew and Billy Donovan, two high-major coaches that few fans thought we'd get. If we get Drew, man that would be amazing! But even if we don't, this is how you got where you are today- by taking risks and pushing for success, even where others think it isn't possible.
If you aren't able to persuade Drew to make the jump (which no one will hold against you), please, please, please, consider and at least read my pitch below for Will Wade, as our next coach.
This is not my call. This is not a message board's call. This is 100% YOUR call, your decision. You could hire Billy Gillespie or Orlando Antigua if you wanted, and while it would be a mistake, we would have to live with it. Because you are the man and the buck stops with you. But I am confident, that in your career, you have learned the value of listening, considering new viewpoints and changing your mind when necessary. That is what makes you successful.
Anyway, I've said too much already. It's possible you'll never read this. Josh, if you happen to read this, and happen to decide this is a good idea, you will receive all the credit for this hire and the coach's success. You will be a hero. Anyway, the pitch is below:
--------------------------------------- WILL WADE ----------------------------------------
Will Wade would be an incredibly successful hire at Louisville. I understand there are initial hesitations from our administration, but if you do some deeper digging and research on Wade as a coach, I think you will come away hugely impressed.
It seems we have a fantastic top target in Scott Drew. Would be a home run. If we miss on Drew, there is uncertainty with the remaining guys on the list. I'm scared that despite our AD's significant and admirable due diligence, we might end up with a candidate who doesn't meet to our (admittedly high) expectations . After all, most hires are ultimately judged on winning, AND most hires fail or are fired. The 80/20 rule is real, and wins accumulate with the top guys. There is only so much you can do to research or interview your way to wins; you can't make a coach better through diligence.
I realize JH wants to keep his /our noses clean with this hire, but at some point you have to ask yourself: "Am I doing the basketball program a disservice by avoiding a superior candidate?" For example, Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson both ran afoul of NCAA rules, and both were fired and given a show cause. They were then hired by Auburn/Houston, respectively, and today they are crushing it. Their prior show cause penalties are rarely discussed today, and no one considers Auburn or Houston to have made a bad decision in hiring those guys. Realistically, those were two of the best basketball coaching hires of the last decade.
Some quick facts about Wade:
Wade joined an elite group in 2019 with his 16-2 conference record and first place SEC finish. Here are the only coaches who have finished in first place in at P4 conference (SEC, ACC, B12, or B10) at age 40 or younger since 1986:
Mike Krzyzewski
Randy Ayers
Rick Pitino
Roy Williams
Matt Doherty
Billy Donovan
Mark Gottfried
Bill Self
Matt Painter
Will Wade
Here's the same list but filtered for guys who subsequently took a second team to the tourney: Rick Pitino, Roy Williams, Mark Gottfried, Bill Self, Will Wade. (for what it's worth, Denny had early success here too, breaking through with a conf championship / F4 at 35).
For Wade to be in a group of 10 coaches that, collectively, have won 13 championships and counting, is a heck of a start to his career. Wade is young enough that he could coach 20 years here, but only if we are smart enough to hire him and lucky enough to keep him.
Wade's McNeese State team this year has the single biggest jump in KenPom efficiency from 2023, from 335 to 62, a 273-place increase. That is unprecedented- far and away the best of any team this year, and probably the best of any team in several years. Honestly, it might be the best jump ever. So yes, the man can coach. He just blitzed his way through his conference tournament and into the big dance, the first time for McNeese State since 2002.
Wade is by many accounts a nice guy who is good to work with. Multiple former assistants have vouched for him. Here is one twitter thread as an example of how he takes care of and loves his players, even when they are not playing for him anymore:
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Wade's style is perfect for the NIL era. He gives interviews about how it's a priority for him to fundraise for NIL and ensure his players get the best deals.
Frankly, he checks EVERY SINGLE box Heird says he is looking for. But he has a show cause. At some point, you keep looking into the guy and you ask yourself, "Are we cutting off our nose to spite our face?"
Yes, Wade broke the rules. Remember, the rules against paying players were not necessarily good or fair rules! Still, the fact that paying players is legal today through NIL is not an excuse for breaking the rules previously. And yes, Wade didn't handle the situation well and made several mistakes, including paying the girlfriend of a player. I'm sure he would acknowledge that was a major mistake today.
But in the bigger picture, Wade will be coaching somewhere in 5 years, winning conference titles and getting 1, 2, and 3 seeds, and no one will be talking about the show cause. I would love for that place to be here. I think we will seriously regret passing on this guy if we don't make an aggressive push to hire him now. If you think about it, not allowing ourselves to consider an otherwise great candidate because of our prior NCAA penalties simply imposes an *additional* penalty on ourselves, one that we aren't even required to follow. We have been penalized enough!
The more I read about Wade, the more I realize he is an amazing coach and would crush it here. I really hope Heird will change his mind and consider him. JH: Please, just think about it. The fans would love it, and and I think you know he would do really, really well here.
For those who say, "If you hire Wade why not hire Beard?" That's not a debate i care to have right now because it is clear we aren't hiring Beard. But briefly, I do not think Wade's and Beard's situations are too similar. The things they were accused of are certainly different.
In conclusion, I think JH/UofL should do their best to hire Wade if Drew does not come. Sorry for the long post. Thanks to those of you who read it. Thanks especially to Heird and the AD's office if you take the time to read this and consider it, whether or not you end up making an offer to Wade.
bluebyninety.com
