The problem with bringing a coach back, especially at our mid-major level, because of an incoming class is that it means you probably need to keep him around then for 2, if not 3 more years to see that class develop.
I know everyone on here seems to think next year's class will be the best class yet for Mooney, but I am of the opinion that many of those frosh will not get to play much next season.
We have a 7 man rotation now, and lose 3 guys Allen and Davis and Taylor. Allen will no doubt be replaced by Wood, and Davis will be replaced by Fore. Who takes over for Taylor? Well - we have seen Paul get a few minutes, so its either a SOPH with little to no experience or a frosh with no experience. You will most likely see a starting line-up of ShawnDre, Fore, Wood, Cline, and
Terry Allen is one of the best players in the league and is going to make a lot of money playing basketball as a pro. I don't want to get all defending Mooney on a day like today, but to say he can not develop talent is ludicrous.
Terry Allen, TJ, Kendall, Kevin Anderson, Harp, Gonzo, Ced, Geriot are all players whose games improved significantly under Mooney. We have a load of guys playing professionally oversees now as well.
He needs to do a far better job at recruiting talent but once it hear, he is able to develop it.
I hope your happy now, that I had to go all s-man and 2011 here and throw up the old defense of the regime.
I am not sure Mooney can develop players. All the guys you mention - Allen, Kendall, Kevin Anderson, Harp, Gonzo, Ced, Geriot - these were all guys who played a lot of minutes since they were frosh, and some as Soph. And some of those guys - Gonzo, Anderson, Geriot - all played on bad teams when they arrived and had no chance of coming out of games because there was no one behind them. So although Mooney might have developed them, I might argue they developed themselves.
I think the better mark of a coach developing players are guys who don't play a lot early in their career, maybe are role players or bench guys - but when their time is called, either because of graduation or injury - they are able to step right in and there is not a huge dropoff. And that has been a major weakness of Mooney. After the NCAA years - guy like Garrett, Martel, Williams, Robins were never able to step up when it was their turn to lead. And we are seeing some similar things this year - we lose ANO, which opens the door for Taylor to step up and he has never taken a step forward. We need some help at guard this year because we lost Anthony, leaving some room for Davis to step up - and he has possibly gotten worse statistically since his Sophmore year. A good example for next year would be Paul - redshirt one year, plays a few games this year, and next season with the loss of Allen and Taylor, he seems to be in line for an expanded role - will he be able to step up.
So I don't agree with the develop talent and that is part of the reason I don't like the argument of keeping a coach like Mooney for his recruiting class. Any time a coach leaves or is fired - there is always an adjustment period (most of the time), usually a year or two.