It goes without saying there are eyes aplenty on South Carolina State right now. The upcoming Democratic presidential debate is one reason, while the other is the still-unfilled position of SCSU head men’s basketball coach.

Next Sunday will mark a month since the university decided to end the brief but controversial coaching tenure of Jamal Brown. Yet while Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rivals like Hampton, Florida A&M and Delaware State continue to upgrade their rosters, the Bulldogs remain one of five NCAA Division I-A men’s basketball programs without a head coach.

While it’s understandable and laudable SCSU officials have devoted a considerable amount of energy towards insuring Thursday’s historical event goes without a hitch, having a vacancy in men’s basketball (as well as volleyball and track) right now sends a shaky message to still available potential recruits and even those already signed by Brown who could try to opt out of their scholarships.

As Athletics Director Charlene Johnson gets ready to peruse through the reportedly 40-plus applications received so far, here are some suggestions:

1. Keep an open mind about all available coaching options

Given the possibility of legal action from Brown to recoup his remaining salary (he was reportedly set to make $103,000 annually over the next three seasons), the SCSU may opt to play it safe and stay in-house rather than seek out a more expensive new head coach. Interim head coach Ray Martin has head coaching experience and seemingly has a good rapport with the returning players. However, the school may want ask itself whether Bulldog supporters would prefer a “fresh start” with someone with no ties with the previous administration.

Speaking of ties:

2. Look beyond coaches with connections to Cy Alexander

The university has tried had to recapture Alexander’s winning formula in their past two hirings of former assistants Ben Betts and Brown. In the four years since Alexander’s departure, the Bulldogs have neither appeared in the NCAA tournament nor even made the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament final. The team’s overall record during the four-year span is 64-56 overall, 47-25 in the MEAC, includes back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since a three-season stretch between 1989-92.

This is not to say former assistants Francis Simmons (Bethune-Cookman) or Tim Gates (Allen University) are not capable to turning things around. With the past two MEAC tournament winners Hampton and Florida A&M building their team’s success more on up-tempo offenses with highly-skilled perimeter players, it may be time for SCSU to look in a new direction.

3. Look for proven winners and coaches ’hungry’ for the SCSU job.

Just down the road on Highway 70 in Denmark, Voorhees’ men’s basketball coach Andre Williams has led his program to a 41-13 record the past two seasons and has reached the NAIA Division I Tournament in three of the last four years. The university could also once again seek out the T&D Region’s winningest high school boys’ basketball coach and six-time state champion at Calhoun County Zam Fredrick, one of the five finalists interviewed last year. Both men have shown sustained success with their respective programs and may find appeal in moving up without having to uproot their families.

SCSU could also go the same route as Hampton in hiring a well-prepared assistant coach (Kevin Nickelberry) with strong recruiting connections who was ’hungry’ to lead his own program. A coach whose resume indicates similar attributes is University of Alabama-Birmingham assistant coach Tracy Dildy, another finalist from last year’s SCSU coaching search. There’s also University of South Carolina assistant coach Rick Duckett, although in a telephone message two weeks ago, he indicated SCSU officials have not contacted him.

4. Put together a search committee with people who know to look for in a successful coach

If SCSU is committed to returning to its winning ways in men’s basketball, the committee should include more input from former players. Guys like Rod Blakney, Jackie Robinson, Jerome Stewart, Miguel Burns or Bobby McGowens, were a part of the team’s past glory and could provide a more personal, passionate insight into the program’s needs. There’s also nothing wrong with seeking consultation from people with no SCSU ties who can provide an unbiased perspective which was missing from the previous search committee.

5. The time is now for a decision

Once the presidential debate is over, the athletics department must devote its full energies towards filling its coaches vacancies and quickly. With the school year winding down and the pool of unsigned recruits dwindling by the day, SCSU finds itself not only having to make the right choice but a quick one. More importantly, the sooner the school can start looking forward to the future and put behind them a disappointing athletics year (save for tennis), the better.

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