CBB Media and Insiders Answer Which Coach Fits Best at WVU

WVU Basketball will conduct a coaching search, as they’re moving on from interim HC Josh Eilert, announced Wednesday morning. WV Sports Now reached out to various college basketball media members and insiders about who they think fits the best to take over West Virginia’s men’s basketball program.

Greg Peterson, VSiN

Answer: Mark Byington (James Madison)

“Give me Byington with the success he’s had in the eastern part of the country and his track record of success in improving multiple programs.”

Tristan Freeman, Busting Brackets

Answer: Niko Medved (Colorado State)

“WVU needs someone who can develop and seems likable enough to keep the talent in the portal era. Preventing Isaiah Stevens from moving up is one of the more impressive feats and with more resources to work with, could be impactful in the Big 12.”

Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated

Answer: Mark Byington (James Madison)

“Regionally tied, he has won at hard jobs, built an elite team this year, knows how to find undervalued freshmen but also out-recruit people both in high school and the portal. It’s the right hire at the right time.”

Dan Wolken, USA Today

Answer: Amir Abdur-Rahim (South Florida), Pat Kelsey (College of Charleston)

“I have no information about what’s happening at West Virginia, but I do know that Wren Baker has a strong basketball background and obviously made a very good hire at North Texas when he brought in Grant McCasland. My hunch is that he is very well prepared with a list of mid-major head coaches and assistants at top programs that he’s been monitoring long before this job came open, and he’s not going to be afraid to go outside the box. That alone makes it hard to predict where this search will end up. But if I were in Wren’s shoes, I’d be very tempted to look at Amir Abdur-Rahim who showed how quickly he could turn around South Florida this year and Pat Kelsey, who seems ready for a power conference job after doing such good work at Charleston.”

Michael DeCourcy, Sporting News

Answer: Jeff Boals (Ohio), Josh Schertz (Indiana State), Dustin Kerns (App State)

“Boals is a guy who knows the area, coached at Marshall and isn’t far away now at Ohio U. A consistent winner in the most balanced conference in college basketball. Schertz would be a great choice. He’s done a wonderful job at Indiana State and before that was a D2 legend. He’d be one of the first phone calls I make. Kerns has won big with a program whose teams are called the Mountaineers! What could be a better fit than that?”

Trilly Donovan, Burner Ball

Answer: Darian DeVries (Drake)

Nick Lorensen, Mid-Major Madness

Answer: Pat Kelsey (College of Charleston)

“He is a proven winner who can recruit Carolina kids to nearby Morgantown, already has a West Liberty pipeline. Awesome style of basketball that can win in the Big 12 over a couple of years. Loves being the main program on campus and he can do that at WVU. Now it’s more of a question if they offer him and he takes it, but I think that’s your best option.”

Sam Federman, Mid-Major Madness

Answer: Will Wade (McNeese State)

“I’m not sure he’ll be available for WVU, but Will Wade already has high-major experience taking a team to the tournament, is only 41 years old, and his teams play with a clearly established defensive identity. It’s a slightly different identity than Huggins’ best teams, but it’s still a defensive identity. I think there are a lot of guys that would do a great job at WVU though. Mark Byington, Pat Kelsey, Dustin Kerns etc….”

Curry Hicks Sage, Search Szn Insider

Answer: Will Wade (McNeese State)

“He’s won everywhere.”