Tulane is no stranger to the “hire a new coach” gimmick. It had to partake in that rodeo earlier this year with a football program that was in desperate need of a new man in charge, bringing in former Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz to replace Curtis Johnson.
Come March, the university again finds itself with the tough task of replacing former basketball coach Ed Conroy, who was fired earlier this month.
After six seasons with the Green Wave, Conroy is out and shoes need to be filled. Where should Tulane even begin to look though? The immediate answer, one might assume, would be to look at coaches who have also recently been terminated, however, perhaps this isn’t necessarily the route Tulane should take.
One man that should be high on Tulane’s radar is Seth Greenberg. Although he’s been out of the game for a few years, the former Virginia Tech coach could prove to be vital in a rebuilding of the Green Wave.
During his time with the Hokies (his longest tenure ranging from 2003-2012), Greenberg compiled 170 wins along with a trip to the NCAA tournament.
However, his coaching history prior to Tech should be taken into account, too. It saw him reach the Big Dance two more times with Long Beach State in the 1990s. There, Greenberg led his team to 105 wins.
Tulane could also turn its attention to Scott Cherry, the head man at High Point. Since his arrival in 2009, Cherry has orchestrated 117 wins with the Panthers. The team has also earned at least a share of the Big South title in each of the last four years.
Another potential candidate for the Wave is current Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew. This one may be a long shot though as Drew’s Crusader blood runs deep. After graduating from the school where he played ball, Drew became an assistant before he took the reins in 2011.
While prying him from Valpo would be difficult, it is hard to look past his numbers while with the team. In just his years as the head coach, Drew has led the Crusaders to two NCAA tournament appearances and four Horizon League championships with two conference tournament titles.
Since 2011, the Crusaders are a staggering 119-47, thanks in large part to their former player-turned-coach.
During the NCAA basketball’s month of glitz and glam, Tulane, like many other schools, is faced with the not-so-renowned aspects of the sport. As it stands currently, the Wave are a coachless team and while of course it won’t stay that way, it is difficult to formulate any idea on who will take control in New Orleans.
Keep these three men in mind, though, as Tulane basketball navigates the coming months of uncertainty. One of them could soon be standing where Ed Conroy stood the last six years.
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