Andrew Singer: When NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher fired NIU men’s basketball head coach RicardoPatton, he gave the university a chance to start fresh with a new coach. With any luck, the new coach won’t be paid $300,000 annually to guide the Huskies to four consecutive 20-loss seasons like Patton was. Before a coach is hired, this is our chance to lay out an ideal coach and more importantly, an ideal contract for that coach.

Brian Thomas: I think that the Huskies should look for a coach that comes from a solid system, and has been part of a strong and successful program. ESPNChicago reported that Purdue assistant coach Paul Lusk is a candidate for the job. Lusk would be coming from a program that has a strong background, and he has spent the last six seasons under head coach Matt Painter, who has been fairly successful at Purdue. Another key with Lusk is that he has had success recruiting players in the Chicago area which would help NIU build a strong team.

AS: Compher’s best bet is probably going to be an up and coming assistant like Lusk, just as Compher hired the up and coming Dave Doeren to coach the NIU football team. After all, I can’t see any quality head coaches coming into the mess that Patton left behind.

Other reported candidates for the job are Indiana assistant Tim Buckley, Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti, and South Dakota State head coach Scott Nagy. Perhaps the best thing about any of these coaches is that they would not demand a lot of money. Patton came from a Big 12 school in Colorado, and therefore was able to negotiate his mind-numbingly dumb contract.

BT: On the other hand, if the Huskies are not giving the coach that comes to NIU a lot of money and a nice contract, what is going to make them want to be the head coach of the NIU men’s basketball team? The Huskies have had five straight 20-loss seasons, four under Patton and one under Rob Judson. NIU does not have a great recruiting class and the team is losing its top scorer this season in Xavier Silas. If the Huskies are to draw in a quality head coach, they have to do it with money, because there is nothing else here that would grab my interest and make me want to be the head coach at NIU.

AS: That’s the reason why coaches like recently fired Pat Knight – son of legendary coach Bob Knight – aren’t going to be knocking on NIU’s door. The lone positive is that Compher can low-ball all of the assistants that have no negotiating power. It has to be pointed out that Compher didn’t hire Patton. Former athletic director Jim Phillips negotiated Patton’s contract. So, I have confidence that Compher won’t bow down to an assistant that has little or no experience leading a Division-I basketball team.

BT: Seeing as the Huskies will not likely land a big name head coach, then they should not be spending tons of money on these assistant coaches who have not proven anything yet. Any assistant coach that NIU hires should be given a short-term contract for no more than two years and they should make no more than $200,000 a year. They have done nothing to prove that they can be successful as a head coach so until they do, they do not deserve a big-time contract.