Impact analysis: Coaches on the move

Now that Georgia Tech has surprisingly filled its opening with Josh Pastner, the annual coaching carousel has nearly come to a close. Memphis still has to replace Pastner, but the other major jobs have been filled.

Rivals' National Analyst Eric Bossi sizes up the changes and assesses whether programs made the right moves.

Previous stop: During seven seasons at Memphis, Pastner compiled a 167-73 record while going 82-36 in Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference. Pastner’s teams reached the NCAA Tournament four times in a row from the 2010-11 season through 2013-14. However, the Tigers had 29 combined losses while failing to make any postseason tournaments over the last two seasons.

Recruiting outlook: While there are certainly questions about Pastner as a coach, he has proven that he can recruit at a high level. While at Memphis, Pastner signed 13 four- and five-star prospects. At Georgia Tech, he’ll be expected to help build a fence around talent-rich Atlanta, which is something that he did do in Memphis, signing 13 local products during his tenure.

Final verdict: Frankly, Georgia Tech’s decision is a head-scratcher. While the job isn’t currently as desirable as it once was – mostly due to the depth and coaching star power of the ACC – it is still a job with great potential. Like the recently-ousted Brian Gregory when Tech hired him away from Dayton, Pastner was sitting on a very hot seat in Memphis. Pastner is very well-liked in the business, but will have to change the perception that he lacks control over his players.

Previous stop: After toiling for years as a junior college coach and then an assistant at Kansas State, Underwood had a very successful three-year sting at Stephen F. Austin. Underwood’s teams went 89-14 overall, had a ridiculous 53-1 record in the Southland Conference and appeared in the NCAA Tournament each of his three seasons.

Recruiting outlook: Because of his time in Kansas as a junior college head coach and assistant at Kansas State from 2006-12 plus his time at SFA, Underwood should know the ropes in Big 12 country. There isn’t necessarily any big name recruit that has been attached to him in the past, so whether he can recruit at the Big 12 level will be a big factor in determining his success.

Final verdict: Though he’s somewhat unproven at a high level, anybody who watched Underwood’s teams at SFA knows that the man can coach at a high level. He’s familiar with the area and this looks to be a good roll of the dice.

Previous stop: Stallings spent 17 seasons at Vanderbilt where he went 332-220 overall and 138-142 in the SEC while reaching seven NCAA Tournaments (two Sweet Sixteens) and making five NIT appearances.

Recruiting outlook: During his time at Vanderbilt, Stallings did a good job of recruiting. He only landed one five-star prospect during his tenure but did manage to haul in a total of 29 Rivals150 prospects since 2003.

Final verdict: Like Pastner, Stallings is another who appeared to be on the outs at his previous job so it looks like Pitt may have tossed him a lifeline. Pitt fans were tiring of Jamie Dixon, who made 11 NCAA appearances in 13 years, so Stallings is going to have to step it up.

Previous stop: Pikiell went 192-156 overall and 109-71 in the America East during his 11 seasons at Stony Brook. He made one NCAA Tournament and reached the NIT three times.

Recruiting outlook: Pikiell’s best player, Jameel Warney, was an unheralded high school player he identified in New Jersey. In 2014, he recruited a three-star prospect in Deshaun Thrower. Though he has no experience recruiting at the Big Ten level, the cold truth is that it would be almost impossible to be worse than Eddie Jordan.

Final verdict: Rutgers is currently considered one of the toughest high-major jobs in America, so it was going to be difficult to get a big name or truly proven coach. Pikiell may or may not work out, but it would have been tough to do much better.

Previous stop: During four seasons at UAB Haase went 80-53 overall and 42-26 in Conference USA while making the NCAA and the NIT tourneys one time each.

Recruiting outlook: The recruiting side of things is going to be interesting. At UAB Haase signed seven junior college players in four years and that won’t be an option in Palo Alto. Former Vanderbilt and Harvard assistant Adam Cohen is a very good hire and should help.

Final verdict: Considering he began his playing career at rival California, Haase should have a good feel for the Stanford job. He showed lots of promise at UAB and if he can sell his program to the best of the academic prospects, Haase could bring a slumping Stanford program back.

Previous stop: During 13 seasons at Pittsburgh, Dixon went 328-123 overall and 143-81 in the Big East and ACC conferences. He led the Panthers to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances in 13 years.

Recruiting outlook: Dixon has scant experience recruiting in the state of Texas but he landed 27 Rivals150 (14 four-star and three five-stars) during his time at Pitt. During that same timeframe, only three Rivals150 players have picked TCU. Dixon’s first hire was LSU recruiting ace David Patrick (who landed Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney in 2015), which should help.

Final verdict: With each hiring at another school, TCU looks better and better. If Dixon can accomplish even one-third of what he did during his time at Pitt, TCU may put his statue on campus.

Previous stop: Beard took an Arkansas-Little Rock team that had gone 13-18 in 2014-2015 - the year before he was hired - to a 30-5 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Recruiting outlook: We don’t know what to expect from Beard on the recruiting trail. He did spend four years under Bob Knight at Texas Tech and for a while he and his staff did have 2016 four-star DeShawn Corprew committed to UALR.

Final verdict: Far too little is known about Beard to say whether he is a good or bad hire. He’s certainly not the big name; not the splash hire that UNLV wanted.

Previous stop: In five seasons at Valparaiso, Drew won the conference four times while running up a 124-49 overall record and a 65-19 mark in the Horizon League. Valpo reached two NCAA Tournaments and was the NIT runner up in 2016.

Recruiting outlook: From the class of 2013, Drew pulled a major find in Alec Peters but he mostly built Valpo with under-the-radar guys. How well he will be able to recruit SEC players is the huge unknown.

Final verdict: As long as Drew’s recruiting is up to speed, Vanderbilt may have scored the best hire of the coaching cycle. Drew is extremely well-liked, built a habitual winner at Valpo and looks to be one of the young stars in the coaching business.

Previous stop: There really isn’t much of a previous stop for Gard. He was an assistant under Bo Ryan for 23 years, the last 14 at Wisconsin. The Badgers went 15-8 overall, 12-6 in conference and reached the Sweet 16 with Gard as the interim coach.

Recruiting outlook: Gard has been part of a staff that has signed 18 Rivals150 prospects since 2003. Wisconsin has done well with in-state prospects and has also done a good job of finding under-the-radar three-star prospects like Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes, and developing them into highly productive players.

Final verdict: Though for a while it seemed like the Wisconsin administration saw it differently, dropping the interim tag from Gard’s job title was a layup. It’s unlikely Wisconsin could have hired anybody who had a better understanding of the program’s culture and what does and doesn’t work.