Peterson: Listen up, Drake — consider a coach with local ties

I graduated from Drake. I attended classes at Drake back in the real glory days — the same year the Bulldogs went to the Final Four (at least use Google to look it up). Even more recently, when I wasn’t busy writing Iowa State columns, I bought tickets so my family and I could attend games in the Knapp Center.

I liked Tom Davis’ teams. I liked what Keno did.

End of report.

Drake should have removed the interim basketball coaching tag from Jeff Rutter’s name a long time ago, if he was going to become the Bulldogs’ full-time leader. He’s still in the mix, we can confirm, but Rutter, through no fault of his own, is in a tricky spot.

Here's why: Drake would have a tough time spinning why a "national search" was needed for an opening created in December 2016 when the guy who was eventually hired works in the same building as the athletics director. If Drake was going to hire Rutter, how about walking down the hall this past winter and being done with it?

That’s a question university leaders might prefer to avoid.

If you’re not going to promote Rutter, a veteran coach with a long history of recruiting in Iowa, then hire someone who knows the territory. Secure someone who knows the Midwest, who knows exactly when the national junior college tournament starts and finishes each year in Hutchinson, Kan. Hire someone who can recruit in Iowa, and in Minnesota and Illinois.

A majority of the major players on the Bulldogs’ 2008 NCAA Tournament team, if you recall, came from Michigan, Oklahoma, Illinois and even right here in Iowa.

So hire someone who knows when those state high school tournaments are held. And where they’re held.

Look local.

Darian DeVries, the former Northern Iowa player and current Creighton assistant from our own Aplington-Parkersburg High School, immediately comes to mind. But Drake would have already hired him — or talked to him, at least — if he was their guy, right? As of Thursday, I've been told that there's been no contact.

The Register has learned that Furman’s Niko Medved is on Drake’s short list; others have reported this as well. He coaches in Greenville, S.C. His team is in the Southern Conference, and they face Campbell University on Saturday in the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament.

He attended Minnesota and was an assistant coach there for a season. But Furman? His coaching bones have been made mostly in South Carolina, where he was also an assistant. He assisted former Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy amid Medved's six seasons at Colorado State, too. However, those stops haven’t exactly been where this almost-downtown Des Moines private university finds its players.

We all know what happened the last couple of times Drake brought someone from outside the region:

North Carolina State and Arizona State assistant Mark Phelps ... struggled to win and was fired.

Former Utah coach and Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti ... struggled to win even more. He quit this past December.

Those swings and misses make this Drake grad wonder if athletics director Sandy Hatfield Clubb and others making the hire shouldn’t be looking closer to home. Drake appeared headed in that direction Wednesday when South Dakota’s Craig Smith, a number in the coaching industry believe, said yes to the job — and then no after or while returning home to Vermillion, S.D.

Shocker — he got an $80,000 salary boost Thursday, to which Drake fans reply: You’re welcome.

And speaking of the Dakotas, Brian Jones was included on a list The Register updated Thursday. Former Northern Iowa player. Former Steve Alford assistant at Iowa. Eleven-season North Dakota head coach, whose 22-10 team lost against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

One of Jones’ assistants is former Mason City sensation Jeff Horner, who went on to play solidly at Iowa. He coached at Valley High School in West Des Moines. He coached Peter Jok, as did Drake assistant Chris McMahon when Jok attended Des Moines’ Roosevelt High School.

Brian stands just shy of the 7-foot mark. He’s got a presence, both at games and in the recruiting world. He’s making barely north of $100K at North Dakota, probably at least three times less than what Drake would pay. I have a good feeling he’d high-step those long legs to Des Moines as quickly as possible if given the opportunity.

Did I mention that he’s from Rock Island, Ill.? Did I forget to say that his NCAA Tournament roster included players from Minnesota, Iowa, Washington, Colorado, New York, Maryland, Oklahoma and England?

Heavy on the Midwest, with a pinch of national and a dash of international.

I’ve seen Scott Howard’s name mentioned recently, too. Currently, he's the Denver Nuggets’ scouting director. During his 17 seasons in the NBA front office, Howard has been an assistant at Iowa, Drake, USC, Southern Illinois, Nebraska and Miami (Fla.). He knows talent. He knows Drake’s recruiting wheelhouse, too.

Drake fans need a connection. They need a coach they already know.

Frankly, they need a coach they've at least have heard of.

Randy Peterson, senior sports reporter, has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of college football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete