SAM MITCHELL SHOULD BE AUBURN'S NEXT COACH!

[jgforau 0]

DJ Hatch...I agree 100%

Great coach!  And more important will be one of the best at attracting talent in the nation.  Here is why:

Excellent AAU contacts (anyone saying he will not make a huge impact recruiting is clueless...) he will have the connections and can avoid the NCAA since he already is close to so many major players.

Has no baggage of being associated with programs that have the NCAA cloud following them (Calapari)

Will be a National PR move in the right direction...his hire will get attention on ESPN as well as all NBA games on TNT and the NBA Network.  Overnight Auburn's hoops perception will start to change for the good.

Don't overlook the stone cold fact that the Finebaums of the world will be trying to put down/ridicule the choice...with Sam Mitchel that will be hard to do.

Will scare the hell out of the BAMA nation

Class guy that will represent AU well

Combine him with the Persons...keep the current assistant(s) that have made the inroads in the Atlanta AAU scene...and we will create some serious enthusiasm within the AU family and the student body.

Will be a dynamically strong hire.

Will JJ make such a bold move?  Or will he go with this years "Flavor of the Year" mid major wonder boy who will fall into the same traps that Lebo and the other up and commers fell into.  

War Damn Sam Mitchel!  I have feverishly followed AU hoops since the days of Bob Davis and I do not see a better choice.  Timing is everything and now is the time to make this sort of move.

[Tee_It_Up_AU_TIGERS 5]

HIRE SAM MITCHELL!!! 

[DJ_Hatch 0]

DJ Hatch...I agree 100%

Great coach!  And more important will be one of the best at attracting talent in the nation.  Here is why:

Excellent AAU contacts (anyone saying he will not make a huge impact recruiting is clueless...) he will have the connections and can avoid the NCAA since he already is close to so many major players.

Has no baggage of being associated with programs that have the NCAA cloud following them (Calapari)

Will be a National PR move in the right direction...his hire will get attention on ESPN as well as all NBA games on TNT and the NBA Network.  Overnight Auburn's hoops perception will start to change for the good.

Don't overlook the stone cold fact that the Finebaums of the world will be trying to put down/ridicule the choice...with Sam Mitchel that will be hard to do.

Will scare the hell out of the BAMA nation

Class guy that will represent AU well

Combine him with the Persons...keep the current assistant(s) that have made the inroads in the Atlanta AAU scene...and we will create some serious enthusiasm within the AU family and the student body.

Will be a dynamically strong hire.

Will JJ make such a bold move?  Or will he go with this years "Flavor of the Year" mid major wonder boy who will fall into the same traps that Lebo and the other up and commers fell into.  

War Damn Sam Mitchel!  I have feverishly followed AU hoops since the days of Bob Davis and I do not see a better choice.  Timing is everything and now is the time to make this sort of move.

Great minds do INDEED think alike! Finally someone who is in "the know"!

According to the Birmingham News and NCAA compliance representatives your "tip sheet" is wrong. http://blog.al.com/ray-melick/2010/03/does_a_basketball_coach_really.html

And what was with the "burden of proof crap" was that posting unfounded rumors on the internet is lazy. If you're not willing to back it up with facts, don't put it out there. Turns out your rumor was wrong. There is no requirement to have a college degree. See the above link.

Mike, I never said in ANY of my posts that the NCAA had a rule stating that you had to have a degree to be a coach! I simply stated that it IS indeed an "unwritten" rule! I wasn't trying to be "technical" with my answer, simply REALISTIC!! I challenge you to find me ONE SINGLE coach in NCAA basketball who does NOT have a college degree. Even I don't have that much time to kill... but I would be willing to bet a LARGE sum of money that you wouldn't be able to find even ONE!! It's almost like it's such a prepostorous question in the first place... like "Do you have to have a college degree to be President of the United States?" Well, I don't think it's in the Constitution anywhere saying that you do, but try and run for office without one and see what happens! The same goes for aspiring college coaches! No college/university is going to hire a coach who doesn't have a degree, so therefore... as I said before... OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE TO GET A HEAD COACHING POSITION COLLEGE!!! 

P.s. Did I mention that I would LOVE for us to hire Sam Mitchell! 

[Jonesy 1]

DJ, I have a few points to counter you on regarding to Barbee.

While conference USA is a poor basketball conference, so is the SEC. Both conferences have a few above average teams and the rest are generally unimpressive. Also, Barbee has put together a top 25 team in the state of Texas. He has to compete with 10 other D1 schools (just in his state, not including schools like Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma who frequently dip into Texas for recruits) including Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Sam Houston State, Texas Tech, Houston, etc., for recruits.

Again, my only bone to pick with Sam Mitchell is that he's not coaching college basketball and his only real experience is in the NBA. Yeah he won the NBA coach of the year, but that seems to be your only selling point.

Another general thing I would throw in is that posters on Auburn Eagle aren't the ones hiring the guy. I understand you're a fan of him becoming our next basketball coach but no amount of trying to convince us will hire the guy 

[AuburnNTexas 7,162]

Every coach we mention will have some things that we love and some things that we don't.  Sam Mitchell can coach. Anybody watch Toronto before Mitchell and after Mitchell.  They were rediculously bad before and after he left they went back down hill. Same talent the coach must have been the difference. It is true he has no college coaching and recruiting experience.

AAU contacts will help recruiting. Just like with Chizik the key to a good head coach hire is the assistants he keeps or brings in.  The assistanst do the bulk of the recruiting the head coach seals the deal.

There is no doubt that the man can coach and with the right assistants I beleive we will see strong recruiting.

Other's have mentioned Barbee as a strong candidate. I agree he is also a strong candidate.  I would he happy with either.  Now let's give JJ some time and hopefully in a few weeks we will know who we will be cheering for. Because whoever we choose he will be an Auburn man and I will support him.     

[wareagle987 0]

I found this article about Sam Mitchell.

By ANDY BITTER - abitter@ledger-enquirer.com 

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn hasn’t made contact yet with Sam Mitchell regarding its vacant basketball coaching position, although the former NBA coach said he would be amenable to moving to the college game.

Mitchell, a Columbus native who starred at Mercer in Macon, and lives in Peachtree City, wants to get back into coaching 15 months after being fired by the Toronto Raptors. And he isn’t limiting himself to NBA opportunities.

“I’m a coach, and I want to coach,” he said. “I haven’t closed my mind off to having an opportunity to coach in college.”

    GEORGE BRIDGES/McClatchy Tribune News Service Sam Mitchell, shown while coaching the Toronto Raptors in a 2004 NBA game against Washington, said he hasn’t had any contact with the Auburn, but he said, ‘Auburn would be a great job’ and would be amenable to coaching in college.

Andy Bitter's Auburn blog

Follow Andy Bitter on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute Auburn news

Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs has been mum about potential candidates to replace the fired Jeff Lebo, although Mitchell’s name has hit the rumor mill already.

The 46-year-old Mitchell said he hasn’t had any contact with the school, but he thinks Auburn’s situation — with the new $92.5 million Auburn Arena set to open next season — will be a good opportunity for someone.

“I think Auburn would be a great job,” Mitchell said. “I think you have a lot of potential, a lot of possibilities. I just think the most important thing for Auburn, and they would say the same thing, is getting the right person who is going to push the program and build a program to a national power, like it used to be in the early ’80s.

“We’ve got enough talent in the South to do that. I just think somebody’s got to come in and stop everybody from all around the country from walking off with all the talent.”

Mitchell played 13 NBA seasons for the Timberwolves and Pacers before beginning his coaching career as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats and Toronto Raptors.

He succeeded Kevin O’Neill as the Raptors’ coach in 2004 and went 156-189 in a little more than four seasons, twice making the playoffs and being named NBA Coach of the Year in 2007.

But following a slow start in the 2008-09 season, he was fired.

“That’s the business I chose,” he said. “Those are the things that happen. And like I said somewhere a long time ago, there are a lot better coaches than me that have been fired. That’s the way it is. So you don’t dwell on that aspect. What you think about is, how can I improve? What can I do better? What would I do different? ... I always pride myself on learning, getting better.”

Mitchell hasn’t distanced himself from basketball. Since returning to Georgia, he has spent time as a commentator on NBA TV. He also has done clinics and camps at the high school and AAU level, in addition to the annual Dream and Achieve youth basketball camp he holds in Columbus.

Although a veteran of the inner workings of the NBA, he doesn’t think a switch to college would be radical, especially considering the number of inexperienced players at the professional level.

“I think coaching is coaching,” he said. “You hear that all the time, but you’re coaching young men. I had players on my team that had one year of college. So what’s the difference? It amazes me. People are like, ‘Well, can you go from the NBA to college?’ Well, when you think about what the NBA coach is doing, you’ve got teams with half a roster or a third of your roster who have one or two years of college.”

Mitchell has a familiarity with many of the area’s prospects this year, in addition to having contacts with numerous AAU and high school coaches.

As for recruiting, Mitchell doesn’t see it as fundamentally different from when Bill Bibb signed him at Mercer.

“I don’t look at it as being difficult,” he said. “I look at it as being something that you look forward to. ...

“I tell people this all the time: My father did an unbelievable job raising me to a certain point. But my college coach took over when my father dropped me off. Not that he became my father, but he became a male figure in my life that was influential, because I was with him every day. So I learned a lot from my college coach. ... And so that’s the type of influence you want to have on young men.”

[waregl87 0]

I found this article about Sam Mitchell.

By ANDY BITTER - abitter@ledger-enquirer.com 

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn hasn’t made contact yet with Sam Mitchell regarding its vacant basketball coaching position, although the former NBA coach said he would be amenable to moving to the college game.

Mitchell, a Columbus native who starred at Mercer in Macon, and lives in Peachtree City, wants to get back into coaching 15 months after being fired by the Toronto Raptors. And he isn’t limiting himself to NBA opportunities.

“I’m a coach, and I want to coach,” he said. “I haven’t closed my mind off to having an opportunity to coach in college.”

     GEORGE BRIDGES/McClatchy Tribune News Service Sam Mitchell, shown while coaching the Toronto Raptors in a 2004 NBA game against Washington, said he hasn’t had any contact with the Auburn, but he said, ‘Auburn would be a great job’ and would be amenable to coaching in college.

Andy Bitter's Auburn blog

Follow Andy Bitter on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute Auburn news

Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs has been mum about potential candidates to replace the fired Jeff Lebo, although Mitchell’s name has hit the rumor mill already.

The 46-year-old Mitchell said he hasn’t had any contact with the school, but he thinks Auburn’s situation — with the new $92.5 million Auburn Arena set to open next season — will be a good opportunity for someone.

“I think Auburn would be a great job,” Mitchell said. “I think you have a lot of potential, a lot of possibilities. I just think the most important thing for Auburn, and they would say the same thing, is getting the right person who is going to push the program and build a program to a national power, like it used to be in the early ’80s.

“We’ve got enough talent in the South to do that. I just think somebody’s got to come in and stop everybody from all around the country from walking off with all the talent.”

Mitchell played 13 NBA seasons for the Timberwolves and Pacers before beginning his coaching career as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats and Toronto Raptors.

He succeeded Kevin O’Neill as the Raptors’ coach in 2004 and went 156-189 in a little more than four seasons, twice making the playoffs and being named NBA Coach of the Year in 2007.

But following a slow start in the 2008-09 season, he was fired.

“That’s the business I chose,” he said. “Those are the things that happen. And like I said somewhere a long time ago, there are a lot better coaches than me that have been fired. That’s the way it is. So you don’t dwell on that aspect. What you think about is, how can I improve? What can I do better? What would I do different? ... I always pride myself on learning, getting better.”

Mitchell hasn’t distanced himself from basketball. Since returning to Georgia, he has spent time as a commentator on NBA TV. He also has done clinics and camps at the high school and AAU level, in addition to the annual Dream and Achieve youth basketball camp he holds in Columbus.

Although a veteran of the inner workings of the NBA, he doesn’t think a switch to college would be radical, especially considering the number of inexperienced players at the professional level.

“I think coaching is coaching,” he said. “You hear that all the time, but you’re coaching young men. I had players on my team that had one year of college. So what’s the difference? It amazes me. People are like, ‘Well, can you go from the NBA to college?’ Well, when you think about what the NBA coach is doing, you’ve got teams with half a roster or a third of your roster who have one or two years of college.”

Mitchell has a familiarity with many of the area’s prospects this year, in addition to having contacts with numerous AAU and high school coaches.

As for recruiting, Mitchell doesn’t see it as fundamentally different from when Bill Bibb signed him at Mercer.

“I don’t look at it as being difficult,” he said. “I look at it as being something that you look forward to. ...

“I tell people this all the time: My father did an unbelievable job raising me to a certain point. But my college coach took over when my father dropped me off. Not that he became my father, but he became a male figure in my life that was influential, because I was with him every day. So I learned a lot from my college coach. ... And so that’s the type of influence you want to have on young men.”

Thanks for that article. That makes me feel a little better about Mitchell (if AU is really looking at him) simply because it sounds like, from the article, that he knows that recruiting is the most important factor in college basketball. You've gotta have the players to win. Simple as that. He makes it sound like he'd work his butt off to get the best players here to Auburn. I want the new coach to be able to recruit and stress the fundamentals (Lebo's teams were awful at the fundamentals of the game). If we can get those two things, I'd be happy.

[wareagle987 0]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :beatmullet: :beatmullet:

[wareagle987 0]

http://wareagleextra.blogspot.com/search/label/Basketball

[fourthvision 0]

Ok I like this guy since he knows AAU coaches he could definitely get some talent.....but he is no.2 I still will be slightly disappointed if we don't get barbee, I'm tellin you he's the guy, I hope we get him

[kreagle 0]

I have been an advocate for Sam Mitchell, as anyone can see in a few of my latest posts, but I certainly

wouldn't be unhappy at all if JJ and the powers that be select Barbee. He, too, comes with a very impressive

resume. At this point, who's to know who will do a better job? I will echo the sentiment that I've heard many

of you state, in that I feel confident that JJ will indeed select and secure the best man for this position. I'm

really looking forward to the immediate future in Auburn basketball. The new energy our next coach will bring

along with our brand new facility should yield rapid results for our program. Along with the direction our football

program is making, I think we are in store for some very exciting times on the Plains!

[DJ_Hatch 0]

http://wareagleextra.blogspot.com/search/label/Basketball

Thank you VERY much for helping me in my quest to promote Sam as our next coach! You did a much better job than I did to support the things that I said about him. He is a proven winner, plus he knows how to take young talent and develop them into stars! The article only solidified in my mind that he would be a GREAT fit at Auburn! I actually took matters into my own hands a little and sent Jay Jacobs an e-mail touting Sam Mitchell for the position! To my surprise, Jay responded to me the next day!

Here's what I wrote:

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

From a fellow Auburn Alumnus, I would like to say thank you for your tireless efforts to make the Auburn Athletic Department the way all Auburn fans have dreamed it should be for years now. We know that the program is in good hands, and you have proven yourself to be a great ambassador for our precious sports teams. One thing reigns true for sure. You have definitely earned your salary the past couple of years! You had a vision for the football program, which started with the hiring of Coach Chizik, and even though that decision came with much apprehension, you proved that you knew what was best for our future. This leads me to your second search for a new head coach, this time for our beloved basketball team. All of us, as fans, have little doubt that you have made a list of worthy candidates for the position and are working diligently to find our new man, just as you have before. I just simply could not rest easy until I at least sent you this message, which has a person, who I believe deserves a long, hard look for the job.  That person is Mr. Sam Mitchell. Sam currently lives in Atlanta, where he has been assisting with the local AAU program the Celtics. Before that, he was the head coach of the Toronto Raptors for four full seasons, two of which he made the NBA Playoffs. In fact, in 2007, Coach Mitchell led the Raptors to a first place finish in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, something the team had never achieved in the past. For his efforts, Mitchell was awarded the 2007 NBA Coach of the Year! Now as if his achievements in the professional rankings aren’t enough, Sam has several other good qualities. He is very familiar with the Southern area and in particular, areas nearby to Auburn. Sam is a native of Columbus, Georgia, which is just minutes away from the campus. He attended Mercer University in nearby Macon, Georgia. He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, which means his family could make the transition to Auburn very easily. Also, I have heard it from people close to Coach Mitchell, that he has expressed a real interest the coaching vacancy at Auburn. Lastly, I believe that, at the very least, Sam Mitchell deserves consideration for the position. He is a great man. He is a winner, who knows how to relate to college kids, and will, I believe, instill discipline and hard work into them, which are two qualities I know you would want out of our next head coach.

Thank you for you time and consideration, and we look forward to a new beginning!

And here's what he replied the next day:

Daniel,

Thanks for your well-written and informative e-mail. We appreciate your

thoughts and input.

God Bless and War Eagle,

Jay

Jay Jacobs '85 '88

Athletics Director

Auburn University

athldir@auburn.edu

334-844-9891

Pretty cool, I thought! Even though it's probably a stock e-mail that he sends to every D.A. like me! I still thought it was cool and I feel better now knowing that I at least tried! 

BTW, I never said that I wouldn't be happy with Barbee. I think that he is a great, young coach with TONS of potential! I just don't know if he would make the immediate impact that we need. Maybe he would!? I just don't want us to muck this one up and have to spend another 6 years rolling my eyes and screaming at the TV, as I watch us lose close game after close game!