A look at the Candidates
UHND.com - Frank Vitovitch
July 13, 2000

South Bend, Ind - Now that the search is officially underway I decided to take a look at who is out there that is available. I decided to look at the good possibilities as well as a few off the wall possibilities that would make any Notre Dame fan very happy. The list will be broken down from the most likely to the least likely.

Best Bets

Skip Prosser (Xavier Head Coach) - While the news is that Ernie Kent is the number one choice hiring Prosser makes a lot of sense. He was interviewed for the job last year so he is somewhat familiar with the university. One of Notre Dame's two prime time recruits, Jordan Cornette, had Xavier as one of his finalists and said he really likes Prosser which could salvage the recruiting process for Notre Dame. Prosser is a good choice because he is fairly young (although we thought that with Doherty too) and is an up and coming coaching prospect. Prosser was a finalist last year and I think there's a good chance he will be again this year if he wants the job.
Ernie Kent (Oregon Head Coach) - This one came out of no where to me anyway, but ESPN has reported he is Notre Dame's top choice at the moment. He had his Ducks in the Tournament this year and is considered a very good coach to those who have seen him work. He is also a fairly young guy. Unlike Prosser though, he would not have as close a tie to the recuits ND has already since he is from the West Coast.
PJ Carlisimo - (former NBA and Seton Hall coach) - The positives he brings included Big East coaching experience, Tournament experience (took Seton Hall to the Finals), and a great defensive strategy. There are questions over the way he deals with players however and after the Latrell Sprewell incident parents might think twice about sending their kid to play for a guy who had a player choke him. He was one of the first names to surface as a possible replacement. I personally would rather not see him roaming the sidelines of the Joyce Center, but there is a decent chance he might.

Family Ties

Digger Phelps (ESPN analysts) - Digger held the job for 20 years, but left in 1991. He is currently an ESPN college basketball analysts but has said that Notre Dame should keep the job in the family like North Carolina did. He is not a long term solution. He said he would coach until Notre Dame groomed someone from the family for the job. I don't like the idea of having a coach come in just for a short time. Whoever takes over will be the 3rd coach in 3 seasons. Getting a 4th coach in what could be only another couple of years is not good. I do not see Digger has a realistic candidate but he threw his name into the mix.
John Paxson (retired Chicago Bull, former ND All American) - Paxson won a three titles in Chicago while being coached by one of the best coaches in all of basketball - Phil Jackson. He also played along side the greatest player in the modern era - Michael Jordan. He has no coaching experience on any level. He played the game for many years, but its hard to step in and be a good head coach right off the bat. Paxson is probably the most probable former player in the family however that would get the job.
Bill Hanzlik (former Denver Nuggests coach, former ND Player) - Has NBA coaching experience but was only 11-71 in Denver his last season before getting fired. Granted he didn't have a whole lot of talent in Denver but 60 games below .500 is still not too good. If Notre Dame decides to keep it in the family, he is a possibility, but if they don't the chances of Hanzlik taking over are VERY slim.
John Shumate (former SMU coach, former player) - Another former player whose name might be in the mix if someone with "family ties" is picked as head coach. He hasn't established himself as an elite coach however which is what Kevin White wants.

Reaches/Dreams

Rick Pitino - (Boston Celtics Head Coach) - Terrific college coach who hasn't done much in the NBA. His son went to Notre Dame so he does have some ties to the university. Would make any Notre Dame fans day if he was the next coach and would, in my opinion, be an upgrade from Matt Doherty. He knows how to win and would take Notre Dame back to the top. He has one year left on his deal with the Celtics and it is doubtful that he will be back in Boston since he hasn't produced anything yet. He is a reach however and the chances are not great, but he is one of the best college coaches around in my opinion.
Tommy Amacher - (Seton Hall head coach) - Excellent young coach who may become an elite college basketball coach. However, the situation at Seton Hall isn't much different than at Notre Dame and he has got one hell of a talented team on his hands at Seton Hall. His name has been mentioned but I personally don't' see him leaving at all. The chances of Amacher being the next coach at Notre Dame are about as equal to the chances of Tom Coughlin coaching the football team this season. (By that I mean NONE - don't want to add to that old rumor again!).
Larry Bird - (former pacers coach, living legend) - Ok so his name hasn't even been mentioned in the same breathe as Notre Dame lately, but he is one hell of a coach and can develop talent. He turned Jalen Rose into a star after a less than impressive NBA career in Denver. He would be a killer recruiter in Indiana since who say no to Larry Bird?

Cross Them Off Your List

Dan Monson - (Minnesota Head Coach) - Was considered to be on Kevin White's list but has stated that he will stay at Minnesota. He is an up and coming coach who is early in his tenure ate Minnesota. He wants to rebuild a program that was in the Final Four not too long ago. He would have been a nice fit for the spot but he wants to stay where he is which is respectable.
Mike Brey - (Delaware Head Coach) - Interviewed for the job last year and was a possibility this year, but he just signed a long term deal at Delaware and is not going anywhere. He is the type of coach Notre Dame wants - young and dynamic.