Coaching Changes Aplenty

Read these first:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2332415&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/060215Vitaleondavis.html?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos2

It has been a wild last two weeks of college basketball.
First, the resignation of Quin Synder at Missouri. While this one was expected to happen, some say it was a year later than it should have been.
Second, Eddie Sutton, a legend in his own right, only man to coach four different teams into the NCAA tournament (Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma St.), is now on leave of absence for what some might consider personal reasons, but it is result of his car accident Friday night. As of now, we know it's from drinking, which he had previously sought treatment for in 1989. He's at a school who already has his successor named, his son Sean Sutton. It's a good time for him to go. His only reason for staying now is a selfish plea for the Hall of Fame, by becoming the fifth coach in Men's College Basketball to have 800 career coaching wins. Sorry, Eddie..you had a good career, time to let Sean loose.
Third, Mike Davis. What can you say about a coach who basically was stuck between a rock and a hard place since 1976 when Bobby Knight coached Indiana to its first of three NCAA championships? Granted Mike Davis was probably starting to play basketball in 1976, but as previous "legend replacers" have proven...you're screwed if you expect to replace a legend and be just like him. I know Mike had already voiced his opinion that "Indiana needs to one of their own". The problem: Indiana Hoosier fans want either Bobby Knight to come back home to Bloomington where the fans will accept him with open arms and several steak dinners, or they want Steve Alford, their golden boy, to resign the coaching job he's successfully enjoyed at Iowa to come and take over the spot IU fans believe he should have gotten the second he was handed his diploma from IU. Of course he would have been an assistant first, but that would have kept the bickering to a minimum, and Steve Alford probably would have ended up at someplace like Iowa once Dr. Tom Davis had stepped down anyway. Like I said before though, Indiana Hoosier fans really just need to grow up and grow out of their conservative ways. You make a mockery of college basketball when you try to hold all of your coaches to the same expectations that were presented by coaches like Bobby Knight or Valparaiso's Homer Drew.

I'm sure there will be plenty more coaching changes once March comes along and all but 97 teams have turned in uniforms and sworn off the weight room for a couple weeks. It will be interesting to see what comes of these three coaching positions and where Quin Synder and Mike Davis may work next season or thereafter.

I'll go through the coaching ranks here soon and see what coaches look like they may not be back at their schools after this season. I'll also kind of think about where coaches like Rick Majerus, Bob Huggins, and Steve Lavin or others along that line will be next season too.