Northern Arizona Coaching Search

Not much has come out of Northern Arizona regarding their search for a new head coach, but there was a nice article by Brett Murdock on Northern Arizona News.

So far, there have been three names to pop up in recent weeks — ASU assistant Scott Pera, Oregon State assistant David Grace and current Grand Canyon University head coach Russ Pennell.

All three have their merits: Pera has been at ASU for five years now and recruited current NBA player James Harden to the Sun Devils, Grace is in his fourth year at OSU and has been a successful head coach at every stop he’s made and Pennell took over for Lute Olson at Arizona during the 2008-09 season, leading the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 appearance before being hired at GCU.

There is no doubt that NAU brought in Dave Brown as a stopgap for the rest of the season to try to soothe some of the bad wounds left from previous head coach Mike Adras. From all accounts, Brown is the opposite in almost every way as a coach from Adras.

But as Murdock mentions, Brown obviously has no chance to have the interim tag removed from his title. NAU will be going in a different direction, and it is good to see at least some names emerge. While this season has been very bad, NAU certainly will have some talent on the roster for whoever becomes the new head coach.

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Former NAU Coach Mike Adras Violated NCAA Rules

After former Northern Arizona head coach Mike Adras resigned his position in December, there was rampant speculation that it may have been more of a forced resignation. On my post about the resignation, there were some negative comments about him, but it was hard to separate what was true from what was not true.

However, that part may have gotten a little easier, depending on how much you believe of this AZ Daily Sun article that was posted on Sunday.

Former Northern Arizona men's basketball coach Mike Adras violated multiple NCAA and university regulations before he resigned in December, according to documents received by the Daily Sun.

An internal investigation also described a climate of "extreme fear" among players and assistant coaches if Adras were to learn they were cooperating with the probe.

Public records released by NAU documented the internal investigaton of Adras conducted last summer by athletic director Jim Fallis. Fallis concluded that Adras was responsible for multiple violations regarding basketball practice by the Lumberjacks, as players signed inaccurate time sheets to keep the permitted practice time within NCAA limits, according to the documents.

There is much more in the article, and I encourage you to give it a read. It is a bit disturbing, especially the parts about the culture of fear, and forcing players and assistant coaches to lie, as they feared there would be repurcussions if they did not.

Even though Adras is now gone, it seems very possible that the NCAA will come down on the Lumberjacks program, possibly by taking away scholarships or practice time. I would be surprised if that did not happen.

Another thing is that this helps to explain why none of the assistant coaches were chosen to be the interim head coach, as they were probably all sorting through who did what in the NAU basketball program. It would not surprise me if there is a completely new staff next season, as the Lumberjacks try to move on.

It is clear that NAU will need an energetic coach to get past this, as it is a program in need of rebuilding. Though there is some young talent in place, they have looked very far away from contending this year. Combined with potential NCAA sanctions, and rebuilding will take some time and energy.

Hopefully NAU can make a good hire and work on rebuilding the program. They have traditionally been a strong Big Sky team, and hopefully they will get back to that level sooner rather than later.

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Northern Arizona Coach Mike Adras Resigns

In the most shocking news of the season, Northern Arizona Head Coach Mike Adras has resigned his post, per the NAU website.

Adras was in his 13th season at Flagstaff, has 193 career victories, and was one of the most respected coaches in the Big Sky. His team has struggled this year with a very young squad, but with his track record I could not imagine that had a part in his departure. From all accounts, this came a bit out of left field, and I don't know of anyone (other than those involved) that have an explanation for the sudden departure.

Curiously, none of his assistants were named as interim head coach, which I am sure will not sit very well with them. Dave Brown will be the interim head coach. Brown is the current radio commentator for NAU.

Athletics director Jim Fallis announced that Dave Brown, a long-time NAU employee, will serve as interim head coach while a search for a permanent replacement is conducted.

"It's important to maintain stability in the program, and I'm confident in Dave's abilities," Fallis said.

Brown is a member of the NAU Athletics Hall of Fame and former head coach of the NAU's women's basketball team and Yavapai College men's team.

Much more to follow I am sure, and for now we wish Coach Adras the best. A search for a new permanent head coach will begin immediately, according to NAU.

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On The Loss of Gabe Rogers

In case you missed it, Northern Arizona Guard Gabe Rogers will miss at least the first couple months of the season, and maybe more, as he has a torn labrum.

Junior guard Gabe Rogers, who averaged 13.1 points per game last season, had surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"You never know when life's going to deal you a crooked hand and you're going to have to figure something out," NAU coach Mike Adras said. "It's unfortunate, but it'll make Gabe better. ... We're going to have to figure out what to do now, that's just the reality of where we're at -- somebody else will have to figure it out now and grow up a little quicker than expected."

Rogers is one of the best shooters in the Conference and in America, and I thought he could be a first team All Big Sky performer. He was going to be a huge part of what the Lumberjacks did, as he was the leading returning scorer after the graduation of Cameron Jones.

So, how does Mike Adras replace Rogers until he returns? (Rogers is shooting for a return at the beginning of the conference slate). Here are a few key things to watch for:

- James Douglas and Danny Cheek will have to grow up fast. I thought Cheek could get a lot of time and Douglas would play a more limited role as a freshman, but both could see a lot of minutes early. James Douglas has reportedly looked excellent so far this year, and Danny Cheek was very highly touted. If those two can gain valuable experience, NAU will be that much more explosive when Rogers returns.

- Stallon Saldivar could lead the Big Sky in assists. He posted one of the highest ARates in the country last year, and should handle the ball even more without Jones or Rogers to control the offense. He won't score much, but he creates a lot of opportunities for other guys..

- It will be a balanced attack. Northern Arizona's roster consists of 10 guards and 5 forwards, so they will be a run and gun attack one would assume. With no stars, a lot of guys should see time, and they will need different guys to step up and put points on the board.

Mike Adras is one of the best coaches in the Conference at plugging guys in, and he will need to do some masterful work early this season without Gabe Rogers. If he can weather the storm and get the young guys to grow up quickly, NAU will be dangerous down the stretch. At the very least, with their roster configuration, they should be a lot of fun to watch!

Where Will Northern Arizona Get Frontcourt Production?

Back when we looked at how Northern Arizona would (try to) replace Cameron Jones, we looked at the backcourt. But perhaps the even bigger question that that is... where will they get frontcourt production?

At 6'7'', Shane Johannsen was their best frontcourt player, as he was one of the most efficient players in the country. He had the best EFG% in the country, thanks to his ridiculously good 117/161 (72.7%) shooting from the field. Yes, that is correct... he shot 72.7% from the flooer. For his career he shot 69.5% from the field. That is not a typo. Oh yeah, Johannsen was also their best rebounder (22.2 DR%), and one of the best shot blockers in the country. He will be dearly missed.

One guy that will be relied upon is Austin Smith, who was a solid performer in a fairly limited role last year (he only played 12.6 minutes per game). He was also an efficient scorer, shooting 61% from the field, and with 11.1% of ORebounds coming his way, he can generate some extra possessions for the Lumberjacks. If he can keep his efficiency up, and maybe pull down a few more defensive rebounds (13.8 DR% last year), he will be a factor for them. He will be a junior this season.

After Smith, it is difficult to project. Josh Lepley would have had a role for them, but he was dismissed from the team earlier this year. It seems likely that JUCO big man Max Jacobsen will have a role as well. He scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds per game last season, so he has shown he can be productive at the JUCO level. “We are excited to get him,” said Head Coach Mike Adras. “He is a great student. We see him as someone who can score and play in the low post. He can score around the basket and also step out and shoot a 15-footer and make shots.”

There are a few other possibilities, but it's difficult to tell how playing time will shake out. Ephraim Ekanem will get a look after coming over from Irvine Valley College. He averaged about 8 points and 6 rebounds a game last year, but he is a big, bruising body, who could give Adras some minutes. Ryan Schaefer sat out last season after having knee surgery, but at 6'9'' he will get a look. And then Gaellen Bewernick was a redshirt last season, but he is a forward at 6'6''. He is in the mold of a lot of guys that have success at the college level... undersized, but has a knack for rebounding and is athletic enough to be difficult to defend.

Mike Adras typically has some smaller teams, and that will be no different this season. After losing Shane Johannsen, there is a lot of uncertainty in the frontcourt. He has some options, but it is tough to say (other than Austin Smith) who will see the most playing time.

Who do you guys see as getting the most minutes?