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Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins has officially been named head-coach-in-waiting. Here's a look at how that process has worked at other schools.
(Dennis Nett | Syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse officially named Mike Hopkins its head-coach-in-waiting on Thursday, joining a growing group of teams in college basketball that have put formal plans in place to establish succession.
The increased use of the practice shows the growing appreciation for the country's top assistant coaches, as well as the need for older coaches to rebut negative recruiting tactics.
The Orange is now a unique case. In most situations the status has been placed on assistant coaches indefinitely, as it once was for Hopkins. In others it's been used as a one-year transition. By announcing Hopkins would take over after the 2017-18 season, Syracuse moved into relatively uncharted territory.
Syracuse's coaching progression will be rare for a number of other reasons as well. Normally the process occurs at elite mid-major or reasonably successful programs but not at elite schools. Syracuse is one of the rare blue-blood basketball programs that has adopted the approach in basketball.
New head coaches have also tended to take over when an established coach has seemed to be sputtering to the finish line. Outside of last year's poor effort, there are no indications Jim Boeheim's program is running out of steam.
The results for HCIW's, like they would be with any coaching search, have been mixed, although the process appears to have generated successful results more often than not.
The most spectacular failures have been when a program has been treated the head coaching job as a family legacy, rather than giving it to a high-caliber coach with credentials. Hopkins is highly thought of nationally, as well as in Syracuse circles.
Coaches like Tom Izzo and Tony Bennett both served apprenticeships and proved themselves well-deserving of their opportunities. Others like Sean Sutton and Pat Knight have flopped quickly.
Below are the results of a handful of high-profiled head-coach-in-waiting agreements. If you remember any others, add them in the comments below.
Dick Bennett-Tony Bennett at Washington State: The son elevated the program quickly after taking over in 2006, finishing 69-33 over his three seasons. Tony Bennett earned NCAA Tournament wins during two of those years, performing well enough to move on to Virginia. Bennett became an assistant in 2003, was named the next head coach in 2004 and took over in 2006.
Bobby Knight-Pat Knight at Texas Tech: After three years as an assistant at Texas Tech, Pat Knight took over for his father abruptly in 2008. He went 50-61 over three-and-a-half seasons, finishing just 16-42 in the Big 12 during that time. He was reprimanded twice for incidents with officials.
Eddie Sutton-Sean Sutton at Oklahoma State: After more than a decade as an assistant under his father, the younger Sutton took over a program known for regular NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and was bounced during the first round of the NIT in each his two seasons. He was fired after accumulating a 39-29 record, with a 13-19 conference record.
Ray Meyer-Joey Meyer at DePaul: The younger Meyer spent 11 years as an assistant to his father before taking over in 1984. Joey Meyer lasted 13 seasons at DePaul, enjoying initial success with seven NCAA Tournament bids in eight years. Eventually, though, the NCAA landscape changed and Meyer's success dwindled. He finished with a career record of 231-158 and was ultimately fired.
Jud Heathcote-Tom Izzo at Michigan State: Izzo was a long-time assistant coach at Michigan State until 1994, when the school declared that Heathcote would coach one more year and Izzo would take over. Heatchcote was a successful coach who improved the MSU program markedly, but the Spartans have reached new heights under Izzo, becoming one of college's basketball's elite programs. Izzo, who spent more than a decade as an assistant, is considered one of the best coaches in college basketball.
Gene Keady-Matt Painter at Purdue: Painter was a guard at Purdue and head coach at Southern Illinois. He headed back to his alma mater to serve one year under Keady in 2004 before taking over the program for himself. Painter has maintained the Boilermakers' success, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in seven of his 10 seasons.
Tom Davis-Keno Davis: Keno Davis took over for his father at Drake after four seasons as an assistant coach and had instant success, finishing 28-5 and moving on to Providence after a single season. Davis, though, was fired after three years with the Friars and currently coaches Central Michigan.
Larry Brown-Tim Jankovic at SMU: Jankovic was named the head-coach-in-waiting when he joined SMU in 2012 as an assistant. He's still waiting to take over the Mustangs, who have improved steadily under Brown.
Mark Few-Tommy Lloyd at Gonzaga: Lloyd is known for being Gonzaga's top recruiter of European players, a niche that has allowed the Bulldogs to remain a surprise team for more than a decade. Gonzaga has had two former coaches-in-waiting leave while waiting for Few to call it a career, with both Bill Grier (San Diego) and Leon Rice (Boise State) moving on before inheriting the job. Grier coached eight years before he was fired. Rice is enjoying success at Boise State.
Steve Fisher-Brian Dutcher at San Diego State: The Aztecs are another successful mid-major program attempting to curtail concerns about their future once a highly-respected coach departs. Dutcher was named head-coach-in-waiting shortly after he was hired in 2011. He is most famous for the recruiting effort that landed the Fab Five for Fisher at Michigan.
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