More on DI Assistant Hoops Coaches

I posted this yesterday on the alma maters of DI men's hoops assistant coaches and this about the alma maters of DI men's hoops head coaches. Here are a few questions for you:

1. What's the inspiration behind Illinois State's and UNC-Wilmington's having 7 alums as assistants in the DI ranks? It's not like they're even the best hoops schools in their states. Is it coincidence, or are their good mentors at those schools who have inspired kids to become coaches?

2. Ditto Stetson, which has 6 alums as DI assistants? Great nickname, the Stetson Hatters have, but when's the last time they did any damage in the post-season? When was the last time they got there? You could argue that the Hatters aren't even among the top 5 DI college teams in their state.

3. Morehead St. and Roanoke both have 5 alums who are DI assistants. Last time I checked, no one was confusing the former with Kentucky or the latter with Virginia in terms of hoops traditions, at least at the national level. The same question applies to all the schools that I have mentioned -- what gives?

4. Peeling back the onion even further, look at some of the schools who have 4 alums as DI assistants -- Bentley, Hamilton, Ithaca, Randolph-Macon and Wooster? Are those outstanding sub-DI hoops programs?

The previous posts give you a lot to digest and think about. I reiterate my view that if you want to be a DI assistant, you have to be determined and simply get started somewhere. If someone who didn't play organized ball -- Lawrence Frank -- can become an NBA head coach, then someone who is the manager for a DIII school but who loves the game, studies it and has the ability to teach and to sell the school's program to a HS kid -- can make it not only as a DI assistant, but also as a DI head coach. You do need good teachers and mentors, but a lot of it is up to you.

And you certainly don't have to be an alum of Duke, Kentucky or Indiana to get what that desired first position.