This is not a vent board or any other kind of therapy. Before you hit the POST button, ask yourself if your contribution will add to the level of discussion going on.

Important notes on articles:

• Please do not copy entire articles into your post; rather, provide links to them.. We are now links-only for ALL Internet publications. If only a small portion of the article pertains to your post, Fair Use allows you to copy those one or two paragraphs, provided you cite the author's name and the publication for which he writes. Otherwise, put a link in the HTTP Link box.
• Even if you're copying a reference to an article, provide a link to the page from which the article came. We're trying to cut down on duplicate topics, and the posting process will check the link to your article to see if it's already being discussed on this board. At the very least, you'll save yourself some grief on the boards.
• If your first reaction after reading the article you're going to share is the author is uninformed / stupid / a jerk / all of the above, it's not worth sharing with anyone. Not every article needs to be discussed. The more the hair-pulling articles are discussed (e.g. ESPN Page 2), the more the authors will write hair-pulling articles.

Post being replied to

On the subject of assistant coaches… by BabaGhanouj

Since others have treated this post as a segue to Niele’s soon-to-be-announced staff selections, I will continue along that path.

In all the interviews Coach Ivey has given after being named head coach, when asked about her Memphis experience, she has gushed about how much she learned.

I find this both welcoming and troubling. Welcoming, obviously, because she gained needed experience in being submerged within a completely different coaching atmosphere—new drills, new ways of running practices, new emphases on how to relate to and motivate players, new preparations and game strategies, new philosophies on coaching. She can’t say enough about how much she learned and how smart these coaches are.

Troubling, because the experience really seems to have opened her eyes to how limited her coaching experience has been. In a recent interview she said she has “a ton of ideas” from her short time with the Grizzlies. Niele’s lavish praise of her experience is probably, in part, due to her enthusiastic personality, but may also point to how sheltered she has been under a single coach. (Yes, she did get to work for other coaches while in the WNBA.)

Anyway, this is all by way of introduction to say that I would not be surprised if she is trying to get at least one person on her staff who is not part of Coach McGraw’s coaching tree. I would not be surprised if she brings in one (or more) new coach(es).