Palmetto Proving Grounds

This is not an apples to apples comparison because Xavier is in the A-10 and the geography is different, but I do think in the general it can be a model to adopt at SC and give us a consistent winning program that makes the tournament.

We need to establish the program as a pipeline for younger assistants with no (to very limited) head-coaching experience to come and make a name for themselves in a very good basketball conference, to provide them an opportunity to move on to "greener" pastures. Maybe we can at some point in our history establish ourselves as a major program, but until such time I wouldn't mind making the tournament more than once every 2 decades.

If this model can have early success, it can build upon itself and give credibility to the program and attract young coaching talent.

The coaching line at Xavier is very impressive and though they can never keep a coach from moving on to bigger/better things, it hasn't stopped them from being one the more consistent and successful programs in the NCAA's the past 2 decades:

NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: 2004, 2008
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1990, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010
NCAA Tournament Round of 32: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

PETE GILLEN: Xavier was his first head coaching job at age of 37 after being an assistant at several schools including Notre Dame under Digger Phelps. Moved on to become the head coach at Virginia.

SKIP PROSSER: Long time assistant at Xavier (excluding a 1 year head coaching stint at Layola) became head coach of Xavier at age 44. Moved on to become head coach at Wake Forest.

THAD MATTA: With the exception of 1 year head coach at Butler, was an assistant on several staffs and became HC at Xavier at the age of 35. This experience landed him the HC job at Ohio st where he is have big time success.

SEAN MILLER: Xavier became first HC job at age of 36 after being an assistant for multiple programs to include Pitt, NC State, and Xavier. Now the head coach at Arizona.

CHRIS MACK: Became HC at Xavier at 40 after serving as an assistant at Wake Forest and Xavier. Currently has his team in the round of 32 and counting...

99% of all these guys coaching experience was at the assistant level and broke into the HC ranks around 40 years old. All used Xavier as a stepping stone to "bigger/better" positions. During all this Xavier has made the NCAA's 21 times!!!

To my knowledge, and certainly in the past 30 years, we have never gone the young, experienced, assistant route. We had a great opportunity to do this with a young/talented assistant in Tubby Smith but went the "Darin Horn" route and hired Murray States Steve Newton.

I believe we can find and attract this young level of talent with good coaching "bloodlines" if we can accept that we may never have a major program and can prove the opportunity for you coaches to make a name for themselves.

I'm sure there are many out there like Chris Collins, Wojo, Richard Pitino...to name a few.

Would love to know the names you could come up with?

BOTTOM LINE: Let's adopt Xavier's very proven model and see what happens.