Why would the coach of an ACC team decide to leave for the Big East? I have no answer for that. Granted the Big East is a much deeper conference than the ACC this year; however, the Big East isn't a conference at all. The Big East is a conglomerate of schools spread across the eastern United States. The last time I checked Indiana, home to Notre Dame, was considered the Mid-West. Likewise for the Bearcats of Cincinnati, Ohio.
I guess the ACC could boost it's depth by adding the Hoosiers of Indiana, UCLA, Michigan State and Kentucky. That would defeat the purpose of the name Atlantic Coast Conference. The expansion of the ACC has definitely hit basketball pretty hard. But, give it a few years for the idea of and increased opportunity of playing in the ACC sinks into the heads of recruits across the nation and the ACC will be back on top.
I am one who favors expansion for the sake of football, but was ultimately opposed to it because it seriously hurt the pageantry that was ACC basketball. No return match between Duke and State or Wake and Carolina? That's ridiculous!
The Big East should have kept East Carolina and remained Conference USA. (Note:Conference USA still exists and never was the Big East)
Now, back to why I am writing this post. The rumors are swirling that as soon as the season is over for both Wake Forest and Cincinnati that WFU head coach, Skip Prosser, will be leaving for Cincy.
Cincinnati is currently coached by Andy Kennedy, a former assistant of former UC coach Bob Huggins, on an interim basis. The university will more than likely let go of Kennedy in order to separate itself from the Huggins regime.
Why Skip Prosser? Well, it makes sense. Prosser spent 15 years at Xavier in Cincinnati as an assistant coach and then as the head coach until departing for Winston-Salem. He had a lot of success there. That's the city where he met his wife. He seems like the perfect fit and Cincy will definitely be knocking on his door.
Pittsburgh unsuccessfully tried to lure Prosser away from Wake 3 years ago. And that's the city Skip was born in.
Prosser loved Cincinnati and Cincinnati loved him. The once hated Muskateer may be the next beloved Bearcat. All I can say is...I hope not. Wal-Mart...I mean the Big East doesn't deserve a coach of such ACC caliber, much less from a North Carolina school.
Will he stay? No one knows at this point. But, I can offer some advice to the Demon Deacon faithful. Don't let him "skip" town! There's not much I like about Duke and I know there's not much that "Tie-Dye Nation" likes about Duke either. However, they need to do as they did in K-ville when the Lakers came calling. The Deacs need to put on their obnoxious (had to say that too mess with my girlfriend) shirts and hold a vigil outside Skip's office until he decides to stay. That is to say, if they want Skip back. And, I hope that they do. One bad year shouldn't be enough to hate the man. If they want him bad enough then they should let him know it. Judging by what I have seen of the man, he would definitely stay if he is wanted.
Sources:
-CBSSportsline.com
http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9195597
Greg Doyle
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