According to the
Lincoln Journal-Star and the
Omaha World-Herald, Husker assistant basketball coach Scott Spinelli is leaving the Huskers for a lateral move to Wichita State. Which raises the following question:
WTF???Is Wichita State a better program than Nebraska? Not likely; while the Shockers did make the Sweet 16, the MVC is still a mid-major conference.
So why this move? Looking around, there are two theories which probably explain it:
- Barry Collier was almost fired this spring, and probably doesn't have much job security.
- WSU coach Mark Turgeon is a hot commodity as a head coach and Spinelli could be positioning himself as Turgeon's successor.
But still, this looks bad for Husker hoops. A lot of people credit Spinelli's work in recruiting as a reason why Collier was retained. Spinelli's departure will not only hurt Collier's recruiting momentum, but will also increase the perception that Collier is on his last legs at Nebraska.
This can't be good.
2 comments:
It may be a case of upward mobility.
Collier is either going succeed here (and stay as head coach) or fail here in which his assistants won't have a really shot at the job.
In WSU Turgeon will likely head to bigger and better things and his assistants stand to move into his place.
I don't see Nebraska basketball as being a good place for an assistant who has designs on being a head coach sooner rather than later.
Maybe Spinelli is not going to inherit the WSU job, but the lower level D-1 schools (like Northern Colorado) will look towards assistants in leagues like the MVC and Big XII for head coaches.
I'm not aware of the recruiting rankings of either Creighton or Nebraska; the only way I know what the Rivals ranking is in football is because you can't miss it. I do think Spinelli improved the athletes coming to Nebraska; Maric and McCray were simply more talented than the other players Nebraska has had. Has Creighton been recruiting better players? I don't know about that, though I do know that Creighton's players have been better coached.
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