Topic: Shout Out To Kevin Keatts!

[Flat Tire 2]

Kevin has just taken NCSU to the Final Four. Kevin was a member of Greg White's coaching tree at Marshall. Kevin ended up completing his college degree while working for Greg and is listed as a Marshall Graduate. Say what you want about Greg, but he brought in some really great assistant coaches.

[mu79grad]

Very excited for Coach Keatts!  Always glad to see a Marshall grad do so very well!  Burn's for N.C. State is a fun player to watch.

[Collis P]

Very excited for Coach Keatts!  Always glad to see a Marshall grad do so very well!  Burn's for N.C. State is a fun player to watch.

They stated his starting team were all transfer portal..    He know talent!!!!

[MicDrass1]

Keatts, Hurley, and Oats were all High School Coaches.

[jdonaccbus]

Kevin has just taken NCSU to the Final Four. Kevin was a member of Greg White's coaching tree at Marshall. Kevin ended up completing his college degree while working for Greg and is listed as a Marshall Graduate. Say what you want about Greg, but he brought in some really great assistant coaches.

I think Greg White also taught those guys how to network themselves into better jobs. I remember hearing a podcast years ago where Gregg Marshall was interviewed and he talked about how Greg White told him how to network himself for a head coaching position.

I know that video of Corny being interviewed by West & Browning that around the 7:45 mark that Corny talked about how White told him to write 5 letters a day to other coaches to network yourself. Greg White must have been real good with that stuff....maybe learning from Hamrick....I don't know.

[herdfan129]

I seem to remember people hoping we could get Kevin Keats at one point? Maybe I made that up?

If so, that?s another boat we missed.

[Luke80]

He has caught lightning in a bottle with DJ Burns. I?m just leaving Dallas after watching the South Regional this weekend and Burns put on an outstanding show. 

[gochneaur645]

Amazing that 3 weeks ago they were tied with 4 minutes left in the opening game of the ACC tourney against Louisville, one of the worst power conference teams in the country. NC State finished 10th in the ACC and wasn't even close to the bubble. That was the first of 5 games in 5 days they had to win to even make it to the tourney.

They also only survived the semifinal because Poca's McKneely missed a foul shot with 5 seconds left that would've iced the game for UVA, and then NC State banked in a wild 3 at the buzzer to force overtime.

[Flat Tire 2]

He has caught lightning in a bottle with DJ Burns. I?m just leaving Dallas after watching the South Regional this weekend and Burns put on an outstanding show.

Maybe, but he can coach. To get to the Final Four you have to be a good coach. Anyone can catch lighting in a bottle and win a first round game, they have to some coaching ability to get beyond that. Luck is also a factor.

 You have to give him credit for finding or recruiting the right pieces to get to this point. He worked the portal and I am guessing the team jelled late into the season.  I  only watched the last part of the second half, but they beat a very good team. They looked well coached and Keatts was involved in the game.

Keatts took UNCW to the Big Dance twice. He had replaced Buzz Peterson at UNCW. He took over a UNCW team that finished in ninth place in the CAA with Peterson's last year and tied for first place in his first year in the CAA.

[Luke80]

I didn?t mean to infer that Keatts was not a good coach. I think he is outstanding. I think very few coaches would have envisioned how DJ Burns would have excelled at this level.  He recognized what he had and gave the kid the keys to the car
 
I was probably still in shock that a guy who didn?t even rate honorable mention all ACC turns around and wins ACC tournament MVP and outstanding player in the South Regional.

[Flat Tire 2]

I didn?t mean to infer that Keatts was not a good coach. I think he is outstanding. I think very few coaches would have envisioned how DJ Burns would have excelled at this level.  He recognized what he had and gave the kid the keys to the car
 
I was probably still in shock that a guy who didn?t even rate honorable mention all ACC turns around and wins ACC tournament MVP and outstanding player in the South Regional.

Sorry, for inferring that; too much coffee this morning. My cousin is a NCSU grad and I use to live in the Wilmington area when Keatts was the UNCW coach. I was impressed with the job he did at UNCW.

 I just did  quick research on Burns, since I was not familiar with him. It seems he was a highly regarded high school prospect out of Rock Hill, SC.
 Per Wiki "A top 100 recruit, Burns committed to playing college basketball for Tennessee in June 2018, choosing the Volunteers over offers from South Carolina and Virginia.[4]
"Burns redshirted his freshman season at Tennessee and lost weight. Following the season, he transferred to Winthrop and received a waiver for immediate eligibility. Burns was named Big South Freshman of the Year."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._J._Burns_Jr.

[Flat Tire 2]

I seem to remember people hoping we could get Kevin Keats at one point? Maybe I made that up?

If so, that?s another boat we missed.

I have no idea if Keatts was interested in the Marshall job. He was an assistant at Louisville when he was hired by UNCW at the same time we hired Dan. No offense against Dan, but that whole hiring situation was a cluster f## per the rumors.

[svherd]

Good to see Keatts doing well. They said that he was close to losing his job before the ACC and NCAA tourney runs.

One other note - Alabama has 9 new players on their roster this season - most from the portal. I hope Corny can transform our team in similar fashion for immediate success.

[Rockin Herd Fan]

I seem to remember people hoping we could get Kevin Keats at one point? Maybe I made that up?

If so, that?s another boat we missed.

I want to say that Keatts was a candidate for the Marshall job when we hired Donny Jones or Herrion.   

[herdloyal]

Transformation will occur with the right Coaching staff and players in place to win Championships! Consistency?s the key let?s see what Corny can do.