Since Dave Pilipovich took over as Air Force’s interim coach following the firing of Jeff Reynolds, he has made a good impression towards earning the job on a permanent basis. In response to a question about Pilipovich’s son Kyle being on Colorado State’s support staff, Rams coach Tim Miles offered unsolicited support for Pilipovich becoming the Falcons’ full-time coach.
“I hope Coach Pilipovich gets the interim tag removed,” Miles said. “I think he’s outstanding. I think he has a great way about him, and I think kids respond. Although it’s always tough to see a colleague like Jeff lose his job, Dave would be a great replacement, I think.”
Pilipovich has gone 2-3 as head coach, with an impressive win against San Diego State. The players, who have supported Pilipovich for the full-time job, have played pretty well over the second half of the conference season.
“All of coaching, and really teaching, is how you get a response,” Miles said “Can you get the student-athlete to respond the way you need him to, to be successful? What I’ve seen is they’ve responded. They’ve played harder, they’ve played better, than they were previously. I think that says a lot about Coach.”
I have to think an opposing coach would prefer AFA not go out and search for a top-shelf coach who could come in and build a strong mid-major program that he’d have to compete with for recruits and on the court….
Coach P should be a candidate but General Gould should lead a nation-wide search for a coach.
Al – I agree with you completely. Due diligence is a “Nationwide” search and thorough selection process of at least a half dozen hand picked candidates. Otherwise, history is repeated.
I am baffled. Why are we are acting like Philipovich has an interim tag because a successful coach moved on for another job? This staff isn’t the answer. He may be a good guy, who players play hard for, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right guy to run the program. Players will play hard for a lot of coaches but that doesn’t mean they know how to successfully run a program at that level.
As for the argument that there are talented players in the program already and a new coach would blow it up and start over, I just think that’s false. I would argue that Calhoun’s first team was his best (inherited a talented group of seniors). A new staff brings in new energy and fresh view of players (and for the paying fans) that won’t come from promoting someone of a failed staff. The fb team loved Coach Burton, Enga, Campbell, Horton, etc but none of them were right to run the program, Calhoun was. A new, but similar system, with a fresh energy was exactly what was needed to revitalize the players and the program.
Former Utah head coach Rick Majerus routinely supported his longtime friend and coach Reggie Minton publicly. Glowing accolades from Majerus for Reggie because it meant he got two easy “W’s” against AFA when he was the coach at Utah.
Don’t fall for the emotional nonsense Air Force and go find your next coach via a NATIONAL search. Pilipovich “might” still get the job but don’t get LAZY or CHEAP, and go find the BEST candidate you can out there!!!
1. Miles didn’t say this as some conspiracy to keep Pilipovich around because he’s worried some unknown coach will come in and beat him every year and/or steal his recruits.
2. Hans Mueh will have a very, very good idea in 2 weeks (and does now, I assume) who has interest in the job. Agents and other coaching representatives are already hounding him on behalf of their guys, most of that stuff is done very quietly behind the scenes. He won’t hire Pilipovich and a week later say “Wait, Bo Ryan wanted this job? Nuts!” Whether or not he hires Pilipovich, it won’t be because he has no idea who else might be interested because he didn’t do a “national search.”
Frank,
Pilipovich has more “skin in the game” than you know. First, his 19 year old kid Kyle must be a team manager or some such thing at CSU, so the lines of “support” from Tim Miles above are a bit “tainted” with a conflict of interest here. “Support staff” makes him sound like a CSU employee which he clearly is not. He’s a 19yr old kid.
Secondly, Mueh places a newly created high value in “what the cadets think”. Gould values it, so now Mueh values it. Regni and Rosa didn’t care about this so Mueh didn’t care. Now because Gould cares, Mueh “cares”. Look at what happened to the baseball program for reference.
Finally, there are plenty of “idiots” out there “interested in the job”. Doesn’t mean a single one of them is “qualified”. Sometimes you have to go out there and recruit the guy who might not have otherwise been “interested” or aware. That’s what a national search is all about. Simply hiring your next coach from your fax machine is nothing short of moronic.
Mueh is also on the hook for $800K with the Reynolds buyout. If he can go cheap, he will go cheap.
Yes, Kyle’s a team manager, that is “support staff,” and if you want to say Miles is biased and made his comments based on that – that’s 10x more legitimate than “Miles is worried Air Force’s new coach will steal all his recruits!”
Mueh might care what cadets think (is this a bad thing?) but didn’t when the basketball players wanted Mangino in ’07.
I’m pretty sure all coaches know that Air Force has a job opening. It was rather public.
And yes, the finances definitely are a factor, but I don’t think it’s the only factor. If he doesn’t think Pilipovich is the guy, they’ll find the money to get a better coach. I’m just not sure who that better super-secret coach might be. Troy Calhoun was an academy grad who was a NFL offensive coordinator, wasn’t just some guy Mueh unearthed in a “national search.” I don’t know there’s a similar guy out there right now (AJ Kuhle, although talented and probably a good choice, isn’t even the top assistant at DU so I wouldn’t put him in the Calhoun slam dunk category).
Frank,
I never said or assumed Miles would “steal AFA’s recruits” (your words, not mine). FWIW CSU is a bunch of transfers and juco’s, something AFA isn’t nor will they ever be. Give me the Falcons SAT/ACT scores any day.
Secondly, Gould wasn’t the Super in 2007. That’s why Mueh didn’t care back in 2007.
Thirdly, Fisher DeBerry DELIVERED Troy Calhoun as his personal choice. Mueh didn’t “unearth” Troy. In fact, Mueh would have been fired if he DIDN’T hire Calhoun at the time.
Joe Scott was “unearthed” in that national search. AFA had no connection to Princeton except for maybe SAT scores. AFA could entice a Big East/ACC/SEC/Big 12 lead assistant with the right presentation.
DU lead asst. Mike McKee is a natural fit for the program absent the AFA graduate connection. DU is 21-8 and going places post season. AFA hires McKee (if he’s the best interviewee) and AJ Kuhle would get a promotion at DU to lead asst. Right now he isn’t ready to be a HC in my opinion even if he is a grad. Bellairs isn’t HC material either.
I think it’s way overstating things to give DeBerry credit for delivering Calhoun. I was covering the Broncos at the time, and everyone in that building (who knew TC during his time there anyway) assumed Calhoun was going to be the next AFA HC. It was as obvious as obvious gets.
Maybe AFA hires a great power 6 assistant with no ties here. And McKee is a good candidate as well. Who knows. I just see benefits in the current staff. Whoever they hire, you’re going to be able to pick holes in their resume (no HC experience, never been at a service academy and will need time to learn how to recruit at AFA among other things, too young, etc.).
I am in no way demeaning the hire of Troy Calhoun. It’s not overstating the facts at all. Ask Mylo Bryant or Jake Schaller.
I know for a fact that Mueh was only vaguely familiar with who he was despite his ties to the Broncos.
Also, please remember who the General Manager of the Broncos was at that time…Ted Sundquist (Air Force 84′).
DeBerry delivered Calhoun in the same way that Bzdelik delivered Reynolds.
Thoughts on what Coach P or next guy must be able to do…in this case you look at now and then wonder ‘what if yes/no?”
Can he motivate?
Can he get the players playing physical?
Can he get the offense running to score while playing defense?
Can he get the players shooting consistenly?
Can he get the team shooting FT’s? Good versus bad: vs BSU 13-20 Wyo 6-6 SDSU 18-22 TCU 12-20
Can he get everyone contributing? (and so far Lyons and TaylorB have of course but saw at least one game here/there where unknowns really stepped up:
Green 17pts vs UNLV Hammonds 17pts vs TCU Fitz 13pts vs TCU Yon 10pts vs SDSU…still few and far between but career highs for Green/Hammonds/Yon.
Can he (or another coach) keep all the players not commited (Freshmen/Sophomores/Prep School) to come back in the fall…is this a concern?
Can he do all this starting from square one as the HC for the whole year and not picking up what ‘he’ wants to do in the middle of the year after being named ‘interim’ after playing under the prevous coach since 1v1 practice began last August?
Can he get the players to play for him and his staff?
I think a lot of pro’s and ‘yes’ answers are there. Guess it would/will depend on who else is applying for the job, what they can bring to the table to improved the situation and the future of the team and players. Will be very interesting!! Good luck and GO FALCONS
One more question I would ask Coach P in his interview.
Since you were hired onto Jeff Reynolds staff, who if anyone from the current staff would you want on YOUR staff?
FWIW, I would ask this question of every candidate interviewing.
I care about what Tim Miles thinks about as much as I care about what Mrs Pilipovich thinks in regards as to who should be the next head coach for Air Force basketball.
Seeya Saturday afternoon coach!