Tom Suiter: Who Should State Go After Now?
N.C. State was looking to hit a home run right from the start by going after Texas coach Rick Barnes. The Wolfpack's effort, however, came up short, but not without trying.
State put a lot of money on the table and Barnes, a North Carolina native, had to think about it before deciding that he was happy at Texas where he has built a very good program.
The Longhorns, of course, made it worth his while to stay. You have to give it to State though. They went after what they thought was the best and that's what State fans wanted to see.
Now, it's on to Plan B as the search continues.
Who should State go after now? Should they continue to go after a big name like Memphis coach John Calipari? There are some who say he would leave Memphis in a heartbeat, but would he? And does State want him? He does carry some baggage, but he knows how to win.
Would a big name coach want to come to Raleigh? I would say yes, that some might if the money is what we hear, and many coaches have the ego to believe they can compete with the best.
Or do they go after someone young and energetic and a tireless recruiter from a mid-major who will try and outwork everybody and who can X and O? Remember Jim Valvano came to State from Iona. Mike Krzyzewski came to Duke from Army, and with a losing record in his last season.
Could someone like that today compete with Duke and Carolina, and would he excite the fan base? Billy Donavan was young when he took over Florida and now the Gators are National Champions.
Would State fans want a former Pack player? You know who they are.
Lee Fowler is confident that he can come up with the right choice. He's figured out what State fans want: to compete with Carolina and Duke, to win ACC titles, and to go deep in the NCAA Tournament.
But who is that choice? Is there someone out there who can do that and who wants to be at State? If you were A.D., what would you do?
