Mike Anderson is loyal, maybe to a fault. He learned from the best.
He played for former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson at Tulsa, and then sat by him faithfully on the Arkansas bench for years. Many of the same assistants joined Anderson during that time.
So, when Anderson shook up his staff last week, there were no pink slips, only reshuffling. Former Hogs star Scotty Thurman was elevated from an administrative role and member of the radio broadcast team to full-time assistant and former assistant Matt Zimmerman was reassigned.
Whether Anderson was instructed to make a change or not, it was evident one needed to be made.
The Hogs struggled to the .500 mark last season and added to the apathy of Anderson’s five seasons, which have produced just one NCAA Tournament appearance.
The pressure of failing expectations led to the change, but change itself isn’t always the answer. It has to be right change.
Anderson has a very specific need on his staff. He needs a coach to land big-time talent and, once they arrive, keep them on campus and nurture them on and off the court.
Anderson is asking Thurman, who has only served administratively, to hit the recruiting trail and land the players Arkansas needs to revive a program that has fallen hard since he hit that shot to beat Duke for the 1994 national title.
Thurman is a great guy and a great ambassador for the program. He added great insight on the broadcasts, but has Anderson put him in a position that he may not be suited for?
Considering the Hogs need to win yesterday, it is a pretty tough spot for a rookie recruiter. Outside of Arkansas and Louisiana, few know who he is.
He will impress recruits and parents with his knowledge and his warm personality, but Arkansas needs a closer, someone who can sign blue-chip players and see them through to bona fide status, someone that could draw those commitments this summer for 2017 and that might even be too late.
Arkansas can’t afford to have any more sub-par recruiting classes. They dipped into the JUCO ranks to notch a Top-25 class this year and have to hope that pays off for the 2016-17 season.
To build a program and keep it relevant, a coach as to keep re-loading. That is what Thurman, in part, will be charged with doing: stocking and restocking to push the Hogs to the upper echelon of a very average SEC.
To bring a coach in from outside, who is a proven recruiter with a large rolodex, wouldn’t have been cheap or comfortable. Zimmerman may have had to been let go, and maybe assistants T.J. Cleveland, Anderson’s nephew, or Melvin Watkins, a longtime friend, would have had to be demoted or had their pay cut.
I think many are curious how that would have worked and would have applauded Anderson for being more aggressive.
Instead, he stayed loyal to his staff and put a great deal of pressure Thurman. I wouldn’t say Thurman isn’t up to it. He is a bright guy who has been around the game and players for a while, but the urgency at which he must perform is the tough part.
Tough? Yes. Impossible? No. There are probably just more proven options out there that may have helped on the surface and deeper.
However, Anderson trusts that ‘one of his guys’ can do the job, and that is good enough for him.
The good news is the staff that is assembled can coach.
Last year’s team overachieved to get to 16-16. Anderson showed great patience in developing and guiding, giving Arkansas a chance to win. I think most are happy with his coaching ability, development and in-game decisions, other than the fact that it still doesn’t appear Anderson has fully implemented the ‘Fastest 40’ philosophy.
Arkansas had an Elite Eight or Final Four team if Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls hadn’t left for the NBA draft. Their departures and the suspension of Anton Beard left the roster devoid of proven talent. Great programs can endure losses like that.
The problem in the Anderson era has been securing talent and not letting big-time players leave the state.
If they can solve that with the hiring of Thurman, Anderson will look like a genius. If they don’t, the entire staff may be looking for work.