Wishful thinking by the author. Taking the Drake job would be a step down for Coach Hendo. The school is less than half as many students as SDSU. Although it had a decent basketball team this year, the Jacks beat them 70-7 in football.
Top 5 possible replacements for Drake University's Men's Basketball Coach
Looks like 3 of the 5 have current/prior connections to the Drake program. And McCollum has been a hot name for a number of positions in recent years, but hasn't yet made the jump up from D2. I would put Hendo at the lower end of the probability list.
Wishful thinking by the author. Taking the Drake job would be a step down for Coach Hendo. The school is less than half as many students as SDSU. Although it had a decent basketball team this year, but the Jacks beat them 70-7 in football.
Wishful thinking by the author. Taking the Drake job would be a step down for Coach Hendo. The school is less than half as many students as SDSU. Although it had a decent basketball team this year, but the Jacks beat them 70-7 in football.
Much better basketball conference
Closer to home for his family
McDermott connection w/ DeVries
Drake IS a bball school
Salary/Comp is better at Drake
Much better basketball conference
Closer to home for his family
McDermott connection w/ DeVries
Drake IS a bball school
Salary/Comp is better at Drake
Definitely not a step down!
Granted, Drake is in a better basketball conference. It's also the fourth cog overall among D-1 schools in Iowa, behind Iowa, Iowa State and UNI. Not much of a stepping stone for a coach with Hendo's ability and record.
Granted, Drake is in a better basketball conference. It's also the fourth cog overall among D-1 schools in Iowa, behind Iowa, Iowa State and UNI. Not much of a stepping stone for a coach with Hendo's ability and record.
I hope Hendo stays for a long time and your point above is understood, although I do not agree with UNI being that much better destination, but like the other coaches from this conference before him … this kind of step may be needed. The MAC, MVC, Horizon are still one bid conferences.
Some additional teams with openings where Hendo's name has popped up (again just one of many names on a list)
Utah State from McFeely (Summit connection with previous Craig Smith hiring - granted the AD who made the hire has since resigned and is now at Louisiana-Monroe) and some additional talk on their message board suggesting he was interviewed last time (2023) and has supposedly been added to "the list" for this year. Zimmer mentioned on the podcast a week or two ago about Hendo taking interviews during previous years he just didn't know where
Saint Louis University - from Saint Louis Dispatch -- old coach was reportedly earning $2million a year
Washington State - article on their 247sports page (subscription to read)
The MVC USED to be a better conference. It's a shell of itself with Creighton, Wichita State gone.
Don't get me wrong, I think a "merger " of the MVFC/MVC/and Summit would be a game changer in mid major realm.
MVC doesn't have quite the same moxie that it had when Wichita was still a member but it is still a better conference. I'd take a Jacks move to the MVC in a heartbeat but college hoops isn't a lot different than football and the MVC seems to prefer expansion to large markets, even if the schools are nondescript. It's probably more likely UST, Omaha, KC or DU would get an invite before SDSU.
Back on the subject - it's only a matter of time with sustained success before another job opportunity presents itself and Hendo is gone. If he's been interviewing its only a matter of time.
All depends what is driving him. Money or ego? Yep, that means he leaves, even though he is making "life changing money" for someone living in Brookings SD. He doesnt seem to haventhe ego, and has virtually no pressure, has facilities, gets the best players in the region.
again, it all depends what drives u.
We will see.
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