(02-15-2019 09:51 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote: https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/25...Head-Coach
UCLA apparently targeting Tony Bennett as it prepares to begin head coaching search.
Bennett is making $3 million at Virginia. Alford was making $2.6 million at UCLA. I would guess that UCLA, at minimum, would need to double his salary to be closer in line with Coack K/Calipari/Holtmann, who are all making $7 million or more. For reference, UCLA increased the salary for Chip Kelly to over $4 million per year, from Jim Mora's $3.5 annual salary. I would think they would need to make a higher increase in order to seriously convince Bennett to leave his situation at Virginia.
No one really knows who they are looking at. The decision, much like the decision to hire Chip Kelly, is being handled by a select committee. The football committee had Troy Aikman and Casey Wasserman as key members. The basketball committee has Bob Myers (GM for the Warriors and played at UCLA) and Casey Wasserman as key members.
The UCLA AD, Chianti Dan Guerrero, is not making the sole decision. He may be on the way out. He has made a number of bad hires in basketball and football. Wasserman helped built the Wasserman Football Center, which cost $75 million and was built entirely with donations, $10 million from Wasserman. Wasserman helped pay the buyout for Mora and I think did the same with Alford.
Bennett's name has come up and it does not seem like a great fit, but you never know. Money is not a problem. Another name that keeps coming up is Luke Walton. Walton was an assistant coach with the Warriors under Bob Myers. The Lakers are 28-29 and may not make the playoffs.
Walton has a $7.2 million dollar home in Manhattan Beach, about 18 miles from Westwood. He is under contract for at least another two years at $5 million per year. Since neither Magic or LeBron were involved in his hiring, they have no loyalty to him. He is likely gone after this season, although owner Jeannie Buss does like him.
The fact that Walton has a home in Southern California makes him an attractive candidate. He will not suffer from "sticker shock" when he buys a home. He knows the traffic. In the morning from Manhattan Beach, it is a two hour drive to Westwood. He played in the Pac-12. He played in the Pac-12, he played for Lute Olsen and Phil Jackson, his father is possibly the greatest player in UCLA basketball history. He has three NBA Championship rings and I think his hiring would be well received.