The coaching in the ACC has been relatively stable over the past few years, but there have been some shake-ups. Paul Hewitt was recently let go by Georgia Tech, and Frank Haith no longer roams the sidelines in Miami. However, Coach K and Roy Williams are there to stay. This is part of what makes it a two-team conference. So, how stable are the stable ones, and, how long before there are more shake-ups?
Duke–Coach K has a job for life. He can quit whenever he likes, and I seriously doubt that he will ever be under any pressure to leave. He consistently recruits well, he’s knocking on John Wooden’s door as the best coach who ever lived, and everybody likes him. What more can you ask?
UNC–Roy Williams can stay for as long as he likes because he’s won those two national titles, but there will always be a little tinge of uncertainty because he needs the absolute BEST players in order to be really successful. That’s the main difference between him and Coach K. He’ll never be fired, but we’ll always be waiting to see if he can do more with less.
Miami–Jim Larranga has come down from George Mason to resurrect the Miami basketball program. Clearly, it is a baseball and football school, and they have a hard time not only competing in the ACC, but getting traction nationally. His Cinderella story and experience should help, but I don’t think Miami will wait too long for a change. I think they want results right now.
Wake Forest–Jeff Bzdelik has a tall task ahead of him. When Skip Prosser died, I never thought in a million years they would fire Dino Gaudio because he had such a hard task ahead of him. But, expectations are high at Wake, and if Bzdelik doesn’t deliver, they may go looking elsewhere.
Next up, in part two, will be there rest of the conference where we look at Georgia Tech’s coaching change and how teams like NC State, Maryland, and Florida State can stay relevant.
photo credit: The Accent
