On Monday, Stan Joplin, now former head coach of Toledo's men's basketball team, was fired after a sub-par season. Joplin had been the coach of the Rockets for 12 seasons, and just last season was named the MAC Coach of the Year. Joplin had a stellar record of 203-155 during his tenure as head Rocket.
In February, John Brady was fired from his position as head coach at LSU. Just two years ago, Brady led the Tigers to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. Brady was named the new head coach of lowly Arkansas State earlier this week.
Reggie Witherspoon has never made the NCAA tournament (curse you Leon Williams), and has not had a winning season in two years. His 2004 MAC Coach of the Year award seems like a lifetime ago.
As Toledo and Arkansas State are actively pursuing success, what is Buffalo doing?
Buffalo Athletic Director Warde Manuel claims that he is all about winning and he will not settle for less. When you listen to him speak, you are forced to believe him. Are we then to assume that Reggie is Warde's guy to bring Buffalo basketball back to competitiveness?
Warde did not hire Reggie, and with the news that Brady has agreed to coach at Arkansas State, it makes me wonder how long the Buffalo faithful will be chanting Reggie's name.
Next year is one of the most important years in the men's basketball program's history. There will be four scholarships available after next season, allowing the Bulls a great chance to rebuild. However, in order to obtain top-flight talent, the Bulls will need to prove themselves worthy as a competitive team in the MAC.
Is Reggie the answer? Manuel has been oddly quiet about this topic, leading me to believe that, like it or not, Witherspoon will be given one more opportunity to turn the program around.
The problem is, what if the Bulls have a third consecutive sub-par losing season, which is probable if Jawaan Alston doesn't turn into the stud Reggie envisioned? It would be difficult to make a case to keep Reggie in this scenario.
Then a new coach would have to start from scratch with the recruits that Reggie had been looking at. For a recruit looking to attend a mid-major school, two of the biggest selling points are stability of the program and playing time, both of which would be up in the air with a new coach.
With this in mind, it would be a horrible idea to give Reggie one more season to turn the program around. Either decide that Reggie is the guy for Buffalo, and give him a real opportunity to do so, or let him go now and give the new coach a chance to recruit his own players.
And there are several good coaches who, much like Brady, have big-time experience and are just waiting for their next opportunity. Quin Snyder, the former Missouri head coach and Duke assistant tops that list. Snyder is currently coaching the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.
And what about Bobby Knight? Even if he doesn't win, he would at least bring publicity to the team. If Warde wanted a complete 180-degree change from Reggie, Knight would be the answer.
Realistically, what about Joe Mihalich from Niagara? He knows the area, and has created a powerhouse team in that other MAAC conference. This would be a steal, should Buffalo decide to go down this route.
Reggie is a charismatic storyteller and, as I've said before, is my favorite person to talk to. But with the decline of the team's play and the landslide in fan attendance, a new voice would provide a spark for the program.
Whatever Warde's decision will be, it is the biggest decision he will have to make as Buffalo's AD. The ball is in your court, Warde.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
