Coaching Search Sips: On Chris Collins, Jaren Sina, and more

Hey all, sorry I haven't been totally ALL OVER THE PLACE about posting stuff the past few days - truth is, my computer is broken. So I'm working my shifts of my job on a roommate's laptop and feeling guilty about any other posting time. It's Pesach, though, so, dayenu and whatnot. Anyway, here's a wrap-up about some stuff that would've been post-worthy but slipped by:

- From Teddy Greenstein's Trib article today on Chris Collins, this seems important:

Sources told the Tribune that among the plusses on Collins’ side are that he will not insist the school tear down or renovate Welsh-Ryan Arena, at least not immediately. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium is hardly a palace. And given that he has recruited academic achievers, Collins will not push the school’s provost to make "exceptions."

Some will think its worrisome that Collins is immediately caving on facilities and academics, two things everybody believes are major hindrances to Northwestern's basketball success. Well, let's be honest: they are hindrances, but Northwestern's current administration has shown no desire to break on them, so it's better that NU get a guy who thinks they can adapt to them. I see Collins' bending here as a good thing - it means the likely best candidate will get the job.

- Ben Howland and Tubby Smith are out of jobs at UCLA and Minnesota. Bummer for those guys! Neither are coming to Northwestern :( I think there's a lack of mutual interest on both ends in those cases.

- I wrote about future hot coaching candidate Andy Enfield for SB Nation. The NU link is... he's, well, really really smart? He's also young and excitable, which we want, but I don't think Northwestern's going after him any time soon with no evidence he can recruit to a place like NU. I'm truly in awe of him as a coach, though.

- On Jaren Sina - Adam Zagorla of SNY caught up with the Gill St. Bernard (N.J.) point guard, and pretty much confirmed what we knew already:

But at this point, the 6-foot-1 senior from Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard’s said he’s focusing on three schools — Alabama, Northwestern and Seton Hall — and is in no rush to make a decision. "Pretty much right now I am focusing on these three," Sina told SNY.tv Monday night....

Sina said he would wait to see who they hire before making a decision. "From here I’m being patient over the next couple weeks to see who Northwestern hires and to continue to discuss my options with my family," he said.

So sit tight on Sina. I like to think Collins would be the best hire for this as well, given his connection with Fred Hill and his recruiting prowess.

- Inside NU writes about whether Northwestern's NCAA chances are hurt next season by the coaching change. I, too, have thought about this! Most likely, they will be, regardless of whether or not Jaren Sina comes to NU, and if he doesn't come to NU, they certainly will be. But it's not really about that, now is it?

- Andy Katz thinks Enfield and Lehigh's La Salle's John Giannini are dark horse candidates, but he doesn't seem to have anything behind it.

- And finally, Sherman Avenue wrote an open letter to Chris Collins, so that's worth reading.