When Central Connecticut head coach Howie Dickenman announced last week that this would be his last season, Connecticut Basketball Twitter (the A Dime Back crew, mainly) began speculating at possible replacements. It’s believed that current assistant coach Obie Nwadike and Stony Brook associate head coach Jay Young will be on the short list, but several candidates with UConn ties might also get a look. They would each add some excitement and state-wide familiarity to the program and might give UConn some motivation to keep the regular season series going — something the Blue Devils probably rely on to help fund their athletic department. Here are a few that might intrigue Central athletic director Paul Schlickmann.
Patrick Sellers
Sources tell A Dime Back that former UConn assistant Patrick Sellers is interested in returning to his alma mater. After getting fired from UConn in 2010 following the Nate Miles fiasco, Sellers moved to China where he spent one season as an assistant with Shanxi Zhongyu. Once the NCAA exonerated him, he returned to the states and has since been an assistant at Hofstra, Creighton and now DePaul.
Pros: CCSU alumnus and tested assistant.
Cons: No head coaching experience.
Donyell Marshall
We’re also told that Husky great (and former Dickenman recruit) Donyell Marshall would like a shot at the job. Like Sellers, Marshall is toiling through the assistant coaching ranks. Following a 15-year NBA career, Marshall has spent time at George Washington, the Maine Red Claws, Rider and now Buffalo.
Pros: NBA veteran who would give Central an instant recruiting edge. Has modeled some of his coaching repetoire around what Dickenman has done.
Cons: No head coaching experience.
Scott Burrell
When Burrell left Quinnipiac to take the head coaching job at Southern Connecticut, us at A Dime Back figured he might be vying for the Central job as soon as Dickenman stepped down. Burrell has spoken highly of the outgoing head coach and has led Southern to a 21-6 record in his first season.
Pros: Connecticut guy who knows the state, offers similar recruiting advantage to Marshall, seems to be doing well at Southern
Cons: Hasn’t even been at Southern a full year yet, so what do we know? Also seems pleased to be close to home and may not be looking to move to a D1 school.
Glen Miller
In two stints at UConn, Miller’s assistant coach career has covered an array of focuses, from recruiting to practice and game strategy. He’s been on the sideline for two national championships and seems to be Kevin Ollie’s most trusted assistant. He was also a Division I head coach at Brown and Penn and a Division III head coach at Connecticut College, where he led the Camels to a Final Four.
Pros: Experience, probably won’t burn program to the ground
Cons: Perhaps the least exciting hire on this list, has failed in both prior Division I jobs
Karl Hobbs
If Hobbs wants, he could probably wait for another shot at a high mid-major; people forget how successful he was as George Washington head coach before the wheels fell off. But if he really wants another try at running his own program, the Blue Devils would be smart to consider him. He was an assistant alongside Dickenman at UConn in the 90s and is a proven recruiter, playing a role in bringing Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler and Emeka Okafor to Storrs.
Pros: Experience, a relationship with Dickenman that could ensure an easy transition.
Cons: Might not jump for such a small job and if he did, might jump again at the first opportunity at a bigger school.
