Unforeseen Circumstances of College Coaching Changes
Elated K.J. Johnson signed his commitment in November to Lipscomb University. Over the last few years culminating with a magical NIT run last month, Lipscomb Head Coach Casey Alexander quickly built up Lipscomb University into a conference power. With success…
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Continue ReadingElated K.J. Johnson signed his commitment in November to Lipscomb University.
Over the last few years culminating with a magical NIT run last month, Lipscomb Head Coach Casey Alexander quickly built up Lipscomb University into a conference power. With success comes opportunity. Immediately upon accepting the retirement of Belmont University legend Rick Byrd, Belmont offered and accepted Casey Alexander as their new head coach. While Casey Alexander and family are certainly excited about the new job at Alexander’s alma mater, there are young men whose lives were completely overturned by both Coach Alexander’s and other head coach decisions.
The splashy headlines surrounding coaching changes do little to alleviate the immediate stress and strain generated by the coach’s movement.
— Casey Alexander (@CaseyAlexander_) April 11, 2019
Until recently, college coaches could move without repercussions while D1 players needed to sit out an entire season if they elected to transfer…you know…to discourage people from breaking their commitment. Finally, the hypocrisy swallowed up the NCAA and in the last few years the governing body began granting “penalty-free” transfers in cases of NCAA investigation, sanctions, coaching moves, etc.
Belmont alumnus Casey Alexander was always going to be a favorite, if not the favorite, to take over the Belmont job after Coach Byrd. Lipscomb did not appear from the outside to be his permanent home. An argument could be made, ‘Shouldn’t recruits know or expect the coach to move up if they get the chance?’ To retort, yes. They should. Transparency would make this easier to digest.
If college coaches mentioned that they are unlikely to remain at their job, then recruits and parents could make more informed decisions. For college coaches it is a catch-22. ‘How can I recruit players to my program to get a better job if I have to admit that I will leave this job at the drop of a contract offer?’
K.J. Johnson is the latest Tennessee-based prospect to be smooshed by the spinning, erratic coaching carousel. He committed and signed to Lipscomb University in the fall. No recruit nationally was more certain they made the perfect choice for them. Now what?
“Just being patient right now,” said K.J. Johnson Thursday afternoon. “Waiting to see who they hire and everything.”
It is an unenviable position. How many high school students have so much uncertainty mere months before they enter their college? Add on top of that the incredibly symbiotic, embedded relationship college coaches and high school recruits share. K.J. might be the #1 priority of Lipscomb’s new coach or he might be the first player nudged to back out of his National Letter of Intent.
Like many committed and some signed high school prospects he truly has no idea.
Change is Hard
Tennessee Tech Head Coach Steve Payne resigned.
Consider college freshmen immediately impacted.
Garrett Golday, Junior Clay, Hunter Vick, Caden Mills, and Chase Ridenour all find themselves at a college they largely picked for the coaching staff. Now what?
University of Tennessee Associate Head Coach Rob Lanier accepted a new job as Georgia State Head Coach.
Coach Lanier’s son, Emory Lanier lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. Emory has moved around the country with his father’s successes and knows the life of transience. Perhaps because this is a monumental year upcoming in his high school life (senior year) Emory and his family decided he will stay at his high school in Knoxville despite his father’s new Atlanta home.
On a much smaller scale, Class of 2020 guard Matthew Murrell held a verbal offer from University of Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin. Coach Cronin took the UCLA job, despite deep family ties to the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Murrell’s scholarship offer is now irrelevant.
As of this moment K.J. Johnson is signed to Lipscomb University and formally committed and bound to an uncertain future.
“It definitely does hurt and creates uncertainty, but it’s a part of the game,” said K.J. Johnson.