Texas A&M-Commerce began a search for a women’s basketball head coach when Jason Burton announced his resignation to accept the head coach position at North Texas. There’s never an ideal time to lose a successful head coach like Burton, but the timing of his departure is less than ideal for the Lions.
TAMUC is completing its first year of transition to Division I and is reportedly in the final round of interviews for a new athletic director. Questions abound about who will lead the search. President Mark Rudin could decide to hold the search until a new AD is hired, but he may want to begin the search with the speed of recruiting in today’s college basketball world.
With so many questions surrounding the coaching search, here are five possible candidates.
Gerald Ewing - Texas A&M-Commerce assistant coach
Ewing is an excellent internal candidate. He joined Burton’s staff a year ago and brings much of what Commerce may be looking for in a head coach. He is an alum, always a plus with the fan base. Ewing has also been a successful head coach, leading Trinity Valley to the NJCAA Final Four five times in his six years with the Cardinals. He has Division I experience before joining the Lions and was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for UT Arlington.
Coleman Furst - Texas A&M-Commerce men’s associate head coach
Men’s head basketball coach Jaret von Rosenberg will not appreciate me placing his right-hand man on this list. However, Furst is the guy if the Lions are looking for someone from a similar path as Burton. Burton was an assistant coach for the Lions men’s program before being named head coach for the women. Furst is viewed by many across the state as ready for a head coach position and was on Lonn Reisman’s staff at Tarleton before joining the Lions. He could be the perfect candidate to lead the Lions through the transition to Division I.
Rebecca Alvidrez - UT Tyler head coach
Alvidrez is a hot candidate for most open jobs after leading the Patriots to the NCAA Division II Women’s Elite Eight in only her second year at Tyler. She has extensive experience as a Division I coach, having served as an assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin and Colorado State before accepting the job with the Patriots. Her teams are known for their ability to play outstanding defense, which is typically a key to success in March.
Josh Prock - West Texas A&M head coach
If the Lions want a successful Division II coach they have witnessed in action, Prock is the guy. His teams had many epic battles against Burton’s squads in the Lone Star Conference. Burton and Prock are close friends, which could make for a seamless transition. Prock is in a good situation with the Lady Buffs, and Commerce will need an attractive offer if they wish to pursue the Kelvin Sampson disciple.
Cameron Hill - Trinity head coach
Hill may look like an outside-the-box hire, but he is a proven winner with Division I experience. He began his coaching career at Fordham before joining Kentucky’s staff from 2003-2006. Hill has turned Trinity into a perennial power in Division III, amassing an incredible 249-49 record (83.6 percent) in his 11 years at the helm. He has led the Tigers to seven Division III tournament appearances and won six SCAC tournament titles. Hill is an alum of Trinity, and it may take some convincing to leave a program where he has posted a 56-5 record over the last two seasons.
