The Bobcat Nation

Make that Haslam damn Auto correct


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Has anyone heard for sure where Women's assistant Nate Harris is moving on to? I thought there was going to be an announcement by now.

mslacat wrote:Has anyone heard for sure where Women's assistant Nate Harris is moving on to? I thought there was going to be an announcement by now.

It’s been quiet. Wish him the best, but hope the program is recruiting a replacement. Summer ball is important. I think the Freshmen are already in Bozeman!

Catlady wrote:

mslacat wrote:Has anyone heard for sure where Women's assistant Nate Harris is moving on to? I thought there was going to be an announcement by now.

It’s been quiet. Wish him the best, but hope the program is recruiting a replacement. Summer ball is important. I think the Freshmen are already in Bozeman!

Assistant coaches moving on is a bummer, but it a part of Big Sky Basketball. It is also, though, a sign that your program is doing pretty well when your assistants are wanted by other schools.

I had heard one rumor he got a D-2 Head Coaching job in the mid west and another that he got an assistant coach position with a Pac-12 school, but nothing confirmed.

Hmmmmm. I don’t understand this move.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Better chance to move up to head coach then here Program is a D2 power


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

mslacat wrote:Better chance to move up to head coach then here Program is a D2 power


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I am not as familiar as you with how these positions are viewed by the coaches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

imacat wrote:

mslacat wrote:Better chance to move up to head coach then here Program is a D2 power


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I am not as familiar as you with how these positions are view by the coaches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also cost of living for a young family. He’ll be fine. Tough to leave the friendly confines of MSU, but you got to take risk to get that first head coach job. He’s a great coach and person. Wishing success in the future.

Catlady wrote:

imacat wrote:

mslacat wrote:Better chance to move up to head coach then here Program is a D2 power


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I am not as familiar as you with how these positions are view by the coaches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also cost of living for a young family. He’ll be fine. Tough to leave the friendly confines of MSU, but you got to take risk to get that first head coach job. He’s a great coach and person. Wishing success in the future.

2nd'ed

Would have loved to see what kinda year Nate would have had at MSU with the team as it stands now.

Hawks86 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:05 pm

This is a great pick-up on paper. A Big Sky school steals the assistant head coach from a Pac-12 school!!!! Binford is a great recruiter, I giver you, BUT there has to an interesting story behind this.

mslacat wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:40 pm

Hawks86 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:05 pm

This is a great pick-up on paper. A Big Sky school steals the assistant head coach from a Pac-12 school!!!! Binford is a great recruiter, I giver you, BUT there has to an interesting story behind this.

Glad to see you say that. I was thinking it but figured I must be missing something. I'll be interested to hear more about this.

kmax wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:20 pm

mslacat wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:40 pm

This is a great pick-up on paper. A Big Sky school steals the assistant head coach from a Pac-12 school!!!! Binford is a great recruiter, I giver you, BUT there has to an interesting story behind this.

Glad to see you say that. I was thinking it but figured I must be missing something. I'll be interested to hear more about this.

Head scratcher, isn't it? Well, this may be part of the "story behind the story." If memory serves me correctly, Sunny Smallwood was a finalist for the head coach's position here when we did a very smart thing and hired Tricia Bader-Binford. I went to all of the public forums.

Rumor is that the Arizona head coach is on the hot seat this season and they have had quite a few player transfer out. Sunnywood is a defensive specialist and despite only a handful of wins last year Arizona had a tough defense I am told. I think Harris has convinced Binford of the value of having a strong defense coach on staff and that might be what Binford was looking for.

Well that is one Basketball assistant's spot filled on Binford's side and we are waiting for the men's side to do the same. This comes at a good time for Binford as July 6th starts the women's first summer basketball recruiting period, Binford though is well ahead of the game for this years recruiting class with two commits for her three scholarships she has to offer. As always when all is said and done, though, I would expect at least 1 more scholarship to open up by spring of 2019. I don't have any idea who would be leaving but it is pretty standard to see a player decide to leave after the season. The men though still have not announced any new hires and I do not have a good feel for what/who they are looking for (recruiting, X''s & O's, younger/experienced etc.). The first big summer recruiting period starts July 11, and I would guess Fish would like to have a decision made if not hired by that time. The men should have 3 scholarships to offer (assuming they fill their current open scholarship this summer) and no commits that I know of. The July recruiting periods are the most important recruiting time for coaches, so having all your recruiters (assistant coaches) on staff is pretty important.

If my memory is correct, I believe Smallwood was a finalist for the MSU job when we hired Binford. I think they were the two top choices.

wbtfg wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:41 am

If my memory is correct, I believe Smallwood was a finalist for the MSU job when we hired Binford. I think they were the two top choices.

Ah, that's why the name sounded so familiar when I first heard it. Here's a Chronicle article from when she interviewed for the job back in 2005:

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/s ... 79d67.html