HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall University President Brad Smith said Monday a national search wasn’t necessary after the decision was made not to renew the contract of men’s basketball coach Dan D’Antoni because there was already a coach-in-waiting.
Smith explained the previously unannounced process just before the Marshall Board of Governors voted in an emergency meeting Monday afternoon to approve a three-year contract for new coach, Oak Hill native, Corny Jackson.
A news conference featuring Jackson is set for Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Cam Henderson Center.
Smith said the decision to move on from D’Antoni was “very difficult” but was made much easier by D’Antoni himself last year.
“(He) worked with Christian (MU AD Christian Spears), myself and members of the Board of Governors last year to name a coach-in-waiting. He named Cornelius ‘Corny” Jackson as the candidate he felt would be the best person to take over when he stepped down and we were very excited about that decision one year ago,” Smith said Monday.
Apparently that process was approved as part of the BOG okaying a three-year contract extension for D’Antoni, on March 21, 2023, after the 2022-23 campaign.
“I love coaching and I love our team,” D’Antoni said at the time. “My first year here was a dream-come-true and it’s the same as I go into my 10th. I’ve got a great fan base and I enjoy living here. We’ve got a great team coming back. We look forward to adding a bit to what we’ve got and seeing if we can’t make another run and finish up a little stronger in these next three years.”
Smith said at the time he was excited about the extension.
“We are so excited to extend excellence by showing our continued commitment and confidence in Coach D’Antoni,” Smith said.
This past season was a difficult one. The Herd finished 13-20 and the decision was made not to renew. Smith did not elaborate during Monday’s meeting. Instead, he said the coach-in-waiting decision worked.
“The internal succession process was architected by design. It reflects a mutual respect and trust between D’Antoni and Coach Jackson and it’s the reason why we did not need to conduct a national search,” Smith said.
He added they waited on making the announcement until after the Marshall women completed their play in the NCAA Tournament.
Smith said Jackson, a former Marshall player who has coached at several stops, is a good fit at his alma mater.
“Corny Jackson brings a wealth of experience, a deep understanding of our program’s culture and an unwavering commitment to our university’s values,” Smith said. “We’re confident that under his leadership our basketball program will continue to thrive and achieve new heights of success.”
Smith also read a brief statement from D’Antoni in support of Jackson.
Smith called D’Antoni an “iconic son of Marshall.”
Jackson’s contract
The BOG approved a three-year contract for Jackson with a base salary of $350,000 with the chance to earn up to $100,000 in incentives.
Smith said the contract is like all others at Marshall.
“We benchmark experience and skills with market comps and then we provide a competitive base salary and upside incentives for performance,” Smith said.