morgan n' 7
02-07-2008, 03:55 AM
Hyman colleague plays key role in coach search
A longtime friend of USC AD will serve as go-between with prospective coaches
By SETH EMERSON - semerson@thestate.com (semerson@thestate.com)
The walls of Al Daniel’s office are adorned with posters of recent USC teams, including men’s basketball. Near his door sits a pile of books due to be given to one player, part of Daniel’s job as the team’s academic advisor.
But a bigger role is in store for the Saluda native during the next few months.
The Gamecocks are looking for their next coach. Daniel, a former assistant coach at two other major programs, is a confidant of athletics director Eric Hyman, who said last week he and Daniel “will be working really closely on this search.”
So who is Daniel, and why would Hyman rather use him than hire a head-hunting firm as many other athletics directors have done? The questions have the same answer: The two men have known each other for more than two decades, and Hyman trusts his old friend.
“He understands the marketplace. He knows people. He is right there,” Hyman said. “He knows a lot more than head-hunters will know.”
Daniel said he will assist Hyman in researching candidates, as they try to find the “right fit” for USC. He will use Daniel’s contacts to find out more than their X’s and O’s: Does this coach run a clean program, does he graduate players, does he treat people well?
“You can formulate a story about somebody,” Daniel said. “You put all those things together, and, hopefully, that’s how I can help him as the process moves forward. And I’m talking in general terms, because honestly that’s where (the search) is, in general terms.”
Les Robinson, the athletics director at The Citadel, knows both men well, having coached at North Carolina State when Daniel was an assistant and Hyman was an associate athletics director. Robinson has done his share of coaching searches, so he knows how Hyman will use Daniel.
When Robinson was researching his current football coach, who had been let go by the NFL’s Detroit Lions, Robinson went to Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, whose college roommate was former Lions coach Steve Mariucci. Izzo offered to give Mariucci’s cell number to Robinson, but Robinson declined and asked Izzo to make the call himself.
“If I had called Mariucci he would’ve given me the old standard, ‘Oh, he’s a good coach, he’s a good guy,’ ” Robinson said.
But when he heard from Izzo that Mariucci gave a great recommendation, that meant more.
Daniel will be able to be the same kind of go-between.
“He can do the background work,” Robinson said. “He’s invaluable.”
Daniel met Hyman a quarter-century ago at Furman, where Daniel was a basketball player and Hyman was an assistant football coach. They became close when Daniel moved into coaching, and Hyman was making the shift into administration.
They stayed in touch as their careers took them elsewhere and then back together at N.C. State. Daniel was hired in 1991 by Robinson, and Hyman was an associate athletics director at the school.
Daniel stayed on Robinson’s staff for six years, and then spent three years working for a sports agent before Buzz Peterson — a former N.C. State assistant — asked Daniel to join him at Tulsa. Peterson was there a year before taking the Tennessee job, giving Daniel five more years as an assistant at a power-conference school.
Peterson was fired in 2005, by which time Hyman had been hired at South Carolina. Hyman called his old friend, and Daniel jumped at the chance to work at the school he grew up aspiring to play at.
Now he will have a hand in helping decide who succeeds Dave Odom as coach.
“There are, what, 300 schools (in Division I basketball). There are so many fits for South Carolina specifically. So what you’re trying to do is find out who those people are and narrow it down,” Daniel said. “You’re trying to narrow that down to who would fit at South Carolina. Who’s going to be a good choice?”
http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/309701.html
A longtime friend of USC AD will serve as go-between with prospective coaches
By SETH EMERSON - semerson@thestate.com (semerson@thestate.com)
The walls of Al Daniel’s office are adorned with posters of recent USC teams, including men’s basketball. Near his door sits a pile of books due to be given to one player, part of Daniel’s job as the team’s academic advisor.
But a bigger role is in store for the Saluda native during the next few months.
The Gamecocks are looking for their next coach. Daniel, a former assistant coach at two other major programs, is a confidant of athletics director Eric Hyman, who said last week he and Daniel “will be working really closely on this search.”
So who is Daniel, and why would Hyman rather use him than hire a head-hunting firm as many other athletics directors have done? The questions have the same answer: The two men have known each other for more than two decades, and Hyman trusts his old friend.
“He understands the marketplace. He knows people. He is right there,” Hyman said. “He knows a lot more than head-hunters will know.”
Daniel said he will assist Hyman in researching candidates, as they try to find the “right fit” for USC. He will use Daniel’s contacts to find out more than their X’s and O’s: Does this coach run a clean program, does he graduate players, does he treat people well?
“You can formulate a story about somebody,” Daniel said. “You put all those things together, and, hopefully, that’s how I can help him as the process moves forward. And I’m talking in general terms, because honestly that’s where (the search) is, in general terms.”
Les Robinson, the athletics director at The Citadel, knows both men well, having coached at North Carolina State when Daniel was an assistant and Hyman was an associate athletics director. Robinson has done his share of coaching searches, so he knows how Hyman will use Daniel.
When Robinson was researching his current football coach, who had been let go by the NFL’s Detroit Lions, Robinson went to Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, whose college roommate was former Lions coach Steve Mariucci. Izzo offered to give Mariucci’s cell number to Robinson, but Robinson declined and asked Izzo to make the call himself.
“If I had called Mariucci he would’ve given me the old standard, ‘Oh, he’s a good coach, he’s a good guy,’ ” Robinson said.
But when he heard from Izzo that Mariucci gave a great recommendation, that meant more.
Daniel will be able to be the same kind of go-between.
“He can do the background work,” Robinson said. “He’s invaluable.”
Daniel met Hyman a quarter-century ago at Furman, where Daniel was a basketball player and Hyman was an assistant football coach. They became close when Daniel moved into coaching, and Hyman was making the shift into administration.
They stayed in touch as their careers took them elsewhere and then back together at N.C. State. Daniel was hired in 1991 by Robinson, and Hyman was an associate athletics director at the school.
Daniel stayed on Robinson’s staff for six years, and then spent three years working for a sports agent before Buzz Peterson — a former N.C. State assistant — asked Daniel to join him at Tulsa. Peterson was there a year before taking the Tennessee job, giving Daniel five more years as an assistant at a power-conference school.
Peterson was fired in 2005, by which time Hyman had been hired at South Carolina. Hyman called his old friend, and Daniel jumped at the chance to work at the school he grew up aspiring to play at.
Now he will have a hand in helping decide who succeeds Dave Odom as coach.
“There are, what, 300 schools (in Division I basketball). There are so many fits for South Carolina specifically. So what you’re trying to do is find out who those people are and narrow it down,” Daniel said. “You’re trying to narrow that down to who would fit at South Carolina. Who’s going to be a good choice?”
http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/309701.html