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Every week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
KCTiger05 asks: What is the biggest immediate impact that Gates can make relative to CM? Obviously it’s easy to say better recruiting, but what exactly does that mean in the short-term? Transfer market, JUCO, retaining current players, meeting with donors regarding NIL?
GD: It's all of that. When you say better recruiting, it just means get better players. It doesn't matter where they come from. This roster just needs more talent. Recruiting is why 90% of coaches get fired and it will almost certainly be why Dennis Gates succeeds or fails. Incidentally, I asked Desiree Reed-Francois this question yesterday. My question was "What did you identify that you think was lacking in this program that you think now can be here?" Here's her answer:
"We did a wholistic evaluation of the program and what Dennis brings is this track record of recruiting success. He turns around programs, he is a relentless competitor and he has this incredible drive. He connects with people. I knew he was a great evaluator of talent, but he connects with people and that's something really special. We are about to go out on a caravan, I think we're going to hit 34 spots in the next 60 days, give or take a few. When I was speaking with Dennis throughout this process, I just kept thinking, man, I can see him connecting with our fanbase and bringing people back. Because that's what it's about. It's about being together. And we need to bring people home."
CamKCMIZ asks: Does DRF get some credibility or a small feather in her cap for hiring TJ Oztelberger at UNLV? Similar to Gates, he had only coached at South Dakota St for 3 seasons (2 tournament appearances) and was seen as a rising candidate for bigger jobs. I know his success has come at ISU and not UNLV, but she obviously found a solid head coaching candidate from the low major ranks in her only basketball hire as an AD at that point.
GD: Sure. She identified a good coach and that counts for something. The hope is obviously that Gates is the same. I talked to someone during the search who told me that Reed-Francois comes off as more knowledgeable about basketball than previous athletic directors here. Not that the other ones didn't know what they were talking about, but Reed-Francois is into some of the metrics and analytics and really seemed to be looking more at some of the basketball specific things in candidates beyond "Is this person a good leader?" It wasn't just if someone was a good coach, but WHY that person was a good coach. We'll see if that translates with Gates.
