Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

OK, I am starting a new thread :roll:
Sorry MB, but this is in the interest of saving management time :wink: they can come right to this thread to see what we, the unber fans, are thinking :!:

do you all care if the coach is male or female?

do you care if they are an ex-NBA player?

do you think management ought to ask the players for their suggestions for coaches to interview?

How do you go about wooing a big time coach, besides money
:wink: ?

Do you think we should be included in the initial interview process :D :D just so we can give our informed opinions :D

Now, once again, so it's all in one place, name names of coaches you would like the team to at least contact and try to interview.
I'll start :roll:

Peggy Gillom
Leon Barmore (I can name impossible names if I want;)
Wendy Larry (yeah another dream;)
Sheryl Burnet (ex Jackie stiles coach, known to be very intense)
Angie Lee
Micki DeMoss
Kevin Cook, houston asst.
Alicia Scot, houston asst.

John Shumate
John Salley (not really serious but he is such a funny guy;)
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (imagine what he could teach Maria

its a short list, I know, but its a start :?:

gia · Guest

Male or female doesn't matter. Neither does the ex-NBA factor but maybe a current nba assistant coach rather than a recent ex-player looking for a new career. Forget about anyone getting their learning experience here. Been and done.

Yes they should ask the players for suggestions. And yes, we should have veto power......when pigs fly ;)

I've been saying Peggy Gillom for next season since the beginning of this season. I HIGHLY doubt they'd bring in a coach from overseas.....i.e. Graf (before you say it mb).

cbibat · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

I think we need to try a male coach, for a lot of reasons, not necessarily related to coaching ability.

Agree with Gia on the ex-NBA player, not an issue, but that they have to have at least some assistant coaching background.

The players should have a chance make suggestions - pro and con, who they might like to play under and who not.

The fans should be kept in the dark..... its much safer in the long run for management and allows us our 'flights of fancy' without reality setting in.
It would be fun though for Seth to post names and let us vote..

Wouldn't go with Kareem, but how about 2 of Caune's favorites - Danny Ainge or Cotton Fitzsimmons... :twisted:

An aside - does anyone have a sense of how Timms is doing as an assistant. Will this year send her screaming back to media commentary or would she like to stay as an assistant?

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

Cotton Fitzsimmons :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: hmm, but if it keeps him from doing suns commentary, I might consider it :wink:

As to Timmsy, I wish she were still doing commentary, and my guess is she feels the same at times
:roll:

another name that came up.......
Joan Bonvicini of U of A
Bill Frieder...would that be fun or what
:D

eaction83 · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 130 Location: Fremont, CA

M/F don't care, just want the most qualified.

ex-NBA, that's you all's department, not mine. I don't follow or care about the NBA.

Players: Perhaps interview each player confidentially before you start making telephone calls and find out what general characteristics they'd like the new coach to have, but nothing beyond that. I've never heard of a professional sports franchise that let its players have any major input in picking the coach--that really would be a case of the inmates running the asylum. There's too much risk of disrupting chemistry and starting fights if you get into something like that, not to mention that it opens up the new coach and the players who supported her selection to charges of favoritism from the players who did not support her. A divided locker room is the last thing a new coach needs to see.

Fans: Absolutely Not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, never, a thousand times no, and if you persist I shall have to become negative. :D

How do you get a big-time coach? Raise their salary, and guarantee them that if they lose their job, it won't be because the league went under.

Candidates for the list

Mark Trakh - Pepperdine
Bud Childers - James Madison
Janice Richard - San Jose State
Karen Langeland
Chris Weller
Angie Lee

(all of whom I mentioned before, now for some new ones)

Jeff Mittie - TCU
Carol Ross
Tom Collen
Joe McKeown - George Washington
Sharon Fanning - Mississippi State (there have been rumors about her wanting out of there, and wouldn't she love a chance to coach LaToya Thomas in the pros?)
Pat Coyle - top NY Liberty assistant
Chris Dailey - top UConn assistant
Orlando Woolridge (just kidding!)

bballprincess31 · Guest Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 40

Cheryl Miller???

haha....just kidding

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

Anyone know anything about Val Still?
shes an Orlando assiatnat, and was a Mystic assistant, she played in the ABL?

What about some of the coaches from the mens NBA developmental league, like Tiny Archibald?

gia · Guest

What about Stephanie Ready? She has men's bball asst coaching experience in the NBDL.

http://www.nba.com/nbdl/greenville/ready_named.html

I wonder how much money there is available to hire a coach.

Mat H · Guest Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 168 Location: Glendale AZ

I'd still love to see John Shumate. He knows the players, he knows the league, he knows the game. Hes coached before and would give the Mercury a muchly needed new attitude and fresh start! :P

minercon · Guest Joined: 19 Jul 2002 Posts: 8

I keep saying Charlie Turner Thorne, but no one listens. We will end up with John McLeod if you keep this all up!!!

gia · Guest

Wondering if either of the Jeffs have a view on this..........? :)

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

We would love Charli Turner Thorne but come on, if she said No to the very lucrative and prestigious Vanderbilt head coaching position, she isn't going to say yes to the Mercury...not that they won't make her an offer if she expresses the slightest bit of interest...but odds are against her leaving ASU!

gia · Guest

Interesting article on salaries of college coaches (from 1999)

Read Here

Ohio Gaucho · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 65 Location: Salem, OH

Seth says, "Its very fair to say how I deal with this coaching situation is a true marker for me professionally."

His short list: Sharp, Agler, Cook & Lieberman, (et al? Please ... ) :roll:

Go Mercury,
Draft Chantelle,
Don't trade Kayte,
Get Grandmama some help,
Bob
UCSB '61

Jeff's article today:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/mercury/0806mercury0806.html

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

all I can say about that article is first..
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

and second
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Seth, what the heck are you thinking? Lieberman? AGLER????

I love Nancy as a person, she is a great speaker at events and a smart women, but as a coach she supposedly is not great with team chemistry and what is our problem???? Team chemistry, so she is not a smart choice.

And Agler? Come on, what has this man ever done that makes you think he can win a WNBA Championship? So he won an ABL champioship, different league, he had 5 years of mediocrity in Minnesota.

OK that vent is over.... :oops: But really Seth, we need to be creative and try something that is less expected. We don't need retreads!

gia · Guest

Quote: Seth says, "Its very fair to say how I deal with this coaching situation is a true marker for me professionally."

Seth's quote bears repeating..over and over and over until HE actually gets it.

NO NANCY! I have nothing against her ability/knowledge/personality but we don't need another coach (rumored or otherwise) who has that "fraternizing with the players" label. One was plenty, thank you. However.........I do think she has a good bead on college players and unsung WNBA players so MAYBE as some kind of consultant for the draft and team building but NOTHING else.

NO AGLER! They've been calling for his head in Minn forever. I can't believe his name was even mentioned. Of course this came from the same man who said he always wanted Oksana on his team :oops: We'd be doing Minn a favor taking Agler off their hands and Minn doesn't need any favors. They have Katie Smith.

Sharp's a nice lady, and she's done well given the circumstance she was thrown into, but I don't think this team has the passion to win for her.

I really don't want Graf either (sorry mb). New blood needs to be infused into this team.

A college coach, a current SEASONED assistant, an ex NBA player (Barkely!), asst or coach.

eaction83 · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 130 Location: Fremont, CA

No need to apologize for that caune, you pretty much verbalized exactly what I was thinking about that list: predictable, boring, and completely wrong for *everything* the team needs. Agler's offense is so complicated that 10-year veterans have trouble picking it up, let alone a team full of under-25's like we're going to have. Lieberman is just going to provide more of the same psychodrama the team's already spent the past six years dealing with between Miller and Cooper. Cook has exactly one year of head coaching experience, and that was at a JC. And if Seth even so much as puts Sharp among his top five finalists, let alone actually hiring her back (God forbid!), I will immediately take back every defense of him that I have ever posted on this board.

One thing we do know, however: if he's determined to have a coach by mid-Fall, that pretty much eliminates every active college head coach from consideration. I doubt any of them would be mercenary enough to abandon their team in the middle of October practice, and if they are then they're probably not the most desirable personality type anyway, given the reaction around here to Cooper's midseason bailout. Which means he's pretty much restricted to WNBA assistants and former coaches who are currently out of work. Burnett, Ross, Collen, Weller, et. al.

gia · Guest

Maybe what the team needs is a new GM BEFORE a new coach is decided upon :!: I know a lot of you are gaga over him but I've been far from impressed (though he does have some cute kids).

Seriously, the mess the Mercury found themselves to be in the last 2 seasons are directly related to choices made by Seth. I'm really starting to question whether he knows what in the hell he's doing.......especially after today's article. Agler. Good Lord. Next thing you know he'll be mentioning Tom Maher. :evil:

Mat H · Guest Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 168 Location: Glendale AZ

If we get Agler or Sharp, I will go crazy and probably drop out of college. So, Seth please reconsider for my sake :wink: Um, my choice once again is John Shumate. If anyone watched any televised games from the 2000 season, the man knows basketball. He noticed the little things in which it took to win. He knew how to read the defense of other teams and quickly had a solution. But most of all, he expected no less than each players best every game he color commentated. He all around impressed me! :P He's on my short list if not Seth's.

eaction83 · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 130 Location: Fremont, CA

After reading his bio and seeing all that coaching experience, I'm actually starting to agree with you Mat. :lol:

Whoever it is will definitely have to be able to motivate and focus a group of young players though, because this is a young team, and will get even younger over the next couple of drafts and once Gillom retires.

I did two quick calculation today that will interest some people.

The youngest teams in the WNBA as of this week:

1. Detroit: 23.8
2. Minnesota: 24.1
3. Seattle: 25.1
4. Cleveland: 25.2
5. Phoenix: 25.6 (average excluding Gillom is 24.6)
6. Indiana: 25.6
7. Washington: 25.7
8. Portland: 25.8

Anyone think it's a coincidence that the first six are currently looking up at the playoffs, while 7 and 8 are fighting just to keep their spots? I don't. Experience pays in this league, and so does having the veterans who can get themselves up for every game.

Also, the youngest players in the WNBA, as of right now.

1. Iziane Castro-Marques, MIA: 3/13/82
2. Ericka Desouza, LAS: 3/3/82
3. Kristen Veal, PHO: 7/24/81
4. Penny Taylor, CLE: 5/24/81
5. Lauren Jackson, SEA: 5/11/81
6. Danielle Crockrom, UTA: 2/11/81
7. Kayte Christensen, PHO: 11/16/80
8. Sue Bird, SEA: 10/16/80
9. Ann Wauters, CLE: 10/12/80

Yet another argument for finding this team a strong coach/teacher/motivator who can work with the young players and help them develop into strong pros.

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

Mat H, I am with you about Shumates good qualities. I was very impressed with the respect he showed the women as athletes. I still think he'd be a great choice :!:

cbibat · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

:wink: have to think Seth is laughing hysterically as he reads our responses. Sharp is probably a courtesy interview, regardless of this season, saying anything less right now would be disrespectful. As for the others, they are 'likely' to get a look - especially the ones he talked to before. That makes sense. I think this a small smoke screen so he can look at other people without creating too much notice...... he left himself a big opening with the ''not prudent to not explore out there' comment

Interesting how much Lieberman covets the Merc job.... can she handle the disappointment of not getting it????

gia · Guest

She seemed to handle not getting it last time (she didn't bash the Merc too bad when Cooper was selected) so most likely yes. She might covet but I don't think she expects it.

I think Seth's smoke screened himself right into a corner because he really doesn't have a clue. Mid-fall is not far off. I can't wait to find out what happens. It's not nearly as exciting as waiting for the new Sopranos season to start but it's something. ;)

Edited to add: Any reason why Eric Cooper is never mentioned as a possible head coach? What's his story/background anyway?

mb · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2002 3:47 pm Post subject:

Let's hope that is a smokescreen by Seth. He has my support, yet that list was comprised mostly of people on my DO NOT PICK list.

Optimist that I am, expect Maria back. Drafting Anderson anyway is prudent. Our needs remain a banging PF and a consistent shooting SG.

Perhaps a male coach would be a smart move for this team.

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

MB, Perhaps an experienced coach would be a good move for this team :wink:

Seriously, my first choice is John Shumate, but either sex works, as long as they are good and can command the respect of the players.

Mat H · Guest Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 168 Location: Glendale AZ

Giving fans a new hope and trying to pack AWA next year isn't going to happen with his "short list." I personally am tired of the promises. None of the coaches he mentioned would get us even close to the promise land. I want a coach that the players respect and will go to war for if not for themselfs. Thats what we have been missing since Miller left. Seth needs to do whatever neccessary to get Mr. Schumate. His list is sad and rather disappointing.

gia · Guest

If nothing else, maybe Seth should invest in these <----

FYI, Shumate's son John is a star PG at Brophy........not exactly the second coming of Mike Bibby but he's on a lot of Div I school lists I'm sure.

Wondering if Keegan can be convinced to work his petition magic regarding Mercury coaches for Seth's reading pleasure? :)

Mat H · Guest Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 168 Location: Glendale AZ

Thanks Gia, that just convinces me even more! :P

gia · Guest

Here's this morning's
Paola Boivan Article in the AZ Republic

Perhaps Paola is unaware the Merc went through this (rumored or otherwise) affair/jealousy/preferential treatment scenario already in season's past and that this team really doesn't need to haul additional baggage into next season.

I always thought that Lieberman and Timms would make a great broadcasting team. As a coaching tandem..........I dunno, but I'd really prefer not to see it come to pass.

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

Well Nancy's right in that rumors shouldn't keep her from getting the job, but the reality is, this team and this organization doesn't need any wiff of impropriety. We've had enough drama :cry:
Can we just hire a stand up normal coach...shumate...who will live in phoenix year round ...shumate. ...who has coached ...shumate .. who people respect...shumate :lol:
Have I been subliminal enough :wink:

gia · Guest

Ya, well, it gets worse. See this gem

Let me give you the headline and a quote or 2 from Seth to really make your morning less bright:

Headline
LYNX REPORT: Agler might land coaching job in Phoenix

Quote: I would be shocked if we don't have a coach by the end of the year," Sulka said. "Our preference would be to find someone with pro coaching experience. I wouldn't distinguish that from men's and women's (basketball). But I would distinguish it from the collegiate ranks.
caune, say bye bye to all your college choices

Quote: Sulka declined to comment on any prospective coaches, but he did say Agler fit into the Mercury's criteria.

"Brian is a qualified coach," Sulka said. "And he should be coaching in this league. … There is a lot of talk and rumors about him, but at the end of the day there's a great amount of respect for him from players."
Qualified in what way? How many times have the Lynx been to the playoffs? I don't think they've ever won more than 15 games........in spite of having one of the best overall players in the league. The ONLY upside to having is that it would be 100% certain we'd never see Brandy again.

cbibat · Guest Joined: 14 Jun 2002 Posts: 232

WHOA!!!!!!! Did anyone see the article in Pioneer Press from MN.... talks about Agler and the Merc.

Does explain that Seth isn't looking for a college coach

Keegan · Guest Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

gia, I can get a good petition going... the problem is, getting the targets of the petition to listen!

Argh no Agler. I'd be happy with either Kevin Cook or Carrie but NO WASHED UP EX-WNBA COACHES PLEASE.

gia · Guest

Do it Keegan! :)

They'll read it and if they have any concern whatsoever about the fan base growing or shrinking next season, they'd be smart to at least consider what's being said.

Keegan · Guest Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

Arghhh it's a bit late now... isn't the last home game like TONIGHT?

OTOH, I'll be releasing another article on my website soon. More comments about rebuilding and scathing remarks galore ;)

EDIT: Oh I see the last game of the season at home is against L.A. I honestly can't think of how to word the petition request though. Any ideas anyone? It has to sound very professional lol.

caune · Guest Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1564 Location: Phoenix

Brian freakin Agler???? I'll take Nancy if those are my 2 choices :?
Oh, I really dislike this choice.
Not once have I ever thought of not renewing, but that could be the straw :cry: I just dislike Agler, he has been so mediocore :!: :!:

Keegan, I have no "professional" sounding words left, especially if Agler is the choice :evil:

gia · Guest

Ditto caune.........NL over Agler in a landslide. Maybe Seth is just trying to scare us into accepting NL :o

Professional Words (needs major editing obviously):
We, the supportive and paying fans of the Phoenix Mercury, request the following guidlines be followed in regards to selecting a list of candidates to fill the Mercury's need for a quality coach for the 2003 season:
1. Experience in college as well as the professional arena
2. Respectful attitude towards players and fans
3. Proven RECENT Success

blah blah

Other important words:
Drop in attendance

Mat H · Guest Joined: 24 Jun 2002 Posts: 168 Location: Glendale AZ

Ok....I am dying here! I can't see my self being patient another year for a losing team who signs a losing coach. Does Seth even read the boards anymore to here what th fans think. Were always right :roll: I know if any of these coaches are hired I wouldn't be a crazed fan as I once was :?
Shumate, Shumate, Shumate :!:

Keegan · Guest Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

I'd use the words "no washed up ex-WNBA coaches" but that's probably a bit too over the top ;)

bballprincess31 · Guest Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 40

What about Carolyn Peck?