SEC basketball programs in the past two weeks have "added some serious coaching star power," according to John Talty of the BIRMINGHAM NEWS. Mississippi State "was first out of the gate when it nabbed former UCLA head coach Ben Howland," who took his previous program to three Final Fours. Tennessee "quickly went out and got former Texas coach Rick Barnes" after a "snafu with first-year coach Donnie Tyndall forced a coaching change." Alabama this week signed Avery Johnson, a former NBA Coach of the Year, to replace Anthony Grant. Johnson "has no college coaching experience," but "has the personality, track record and drive to be very successful." Each of those hires "comes a year after Auburn added a true marquee headliner in Bruce Pearl," which "sent a strong message to all of its SEC counterparts: Your move." Auburn AD Jay Jacobs said the Pearl hire "set the tone for other schools," and "everybody upped their game" as a result. Talty notes Pearl "didn't guide the Tigers to the NCAA tournament this season, but he energized the fanbase, sold tickets and built momentum heading into next season." Hiring a well-known coach "in no way guarantees success." But Georgia AD Greg McGarity said doing so can "make a difference in ticket sales and interest in your program from a recruiting standpoint." MSU "hasn't started selling basketball season tickets," but AD Scott Stricklin "has noticed an uptick in enthusiasm from fans from the Howland hire and expects that to be reflected in ticket sales." Football has "been a double-edged sword for SEC basketball," as the emphasis on the sport has "been blamed for deterring some basketball coaches from accepting SEC jobs." But one positive for basketball is that the success of football "has allowed schools to improve facilities and hire expensive coaches" (AL.com, 4/8).
