Sunday, July 6, 2008

My top choices for Onate boys basketball job

If I was picking the head coach for the Onate High School boys basketball job, here's the top five I would consider. And this list isn't in any particular orer.


1. Mike Carr - Former Las Cruces High and Silver High boys basketball coach. Took Cruces High to a 4A title game in 1997 where the team fell 61-59 to Alamogordo. Also took Silver High to a 4A semifinal showing.

2. Saul Perez - Has been a longtime assistant at Gadsden. Does a lot of coaching for the Panthers, whose program has improved a great deal in the past four or five years.

3. Matt Abney- Is the head girls coach at Las Cruces High and coached team to Final Four showing in March, the school's best-ever showing in girls basketball. Don't know if he'd be interested in leaving a comfortable position, but certainly would make an interesting pick.

4. Terry Adler - Is the boys coach at Mesilla Valley Christian. Won 2A state title two years ago and was runner-up this past March. Likes to play uptempo.

5. William Benjamin - The former New Mexico State Aggie basketball player has been a longtime assistant at Las Cruces High and could very well be the next Bulldawgs head coach when Mike Smith leaves. But Benjamin is well-liked and has a good basketball IQ. Could make for an interesting hire, although word on the street is that he isn't interested.

- Felix

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

carr cant be that good to be number one choice why do you think they fired him from silver.

Anonymous said...

abney wants smiths job when it opens he wants to stay at lchs.

Anonymous said...

I hope the new Onate coach is from outside the city, and brings his own assistants with him. The current coaches just can't seem to get anything going at our local high school, and that is a shame because there has been excellent talent and nothing to show for it. Especially at LCHS.

Anonymous said...

Abney does know a lot of the Onate kids though. They all went to Camino Real where Abney coached before 'Cruces.

Anonymous said...

Felix, it is going to be Harper. Look in to it.

Anonymous said...

Harper???
Who is Harper and where does he currently coach?

Anonymous said...

If T.Harper decides not to come down, Onate would be foolish not to hire Perez.He truly understands how to motivate and is not afraid to work.He's the perfect fit.

Anonymous said...

i think there assistant varisy coach sholud be mentioned,caz martinez

Anonymous said...

cazz martinez is lucky to even had an chance to coach he started out as freshman coach after robinsons assistant got in trouble. The school would be an idiot to give him a shot at varsity.

Anonymous said...

I think whoever it is will inherit a pretty good ballclub.
Onate has beaten a lot of good teams early this summer including LCHS, Mayfield, Alamo, La Cueva, and others.

I also think a lot of the other athletes at the school will try out if Matt Abney gets hired.
He's a good coach and he's pretty familiar with the Onate kids.

Anonymous said...

matt abney would be a great choice the kids like him but most of all they respect him and that is most important.

Anonymous said...

Harper from Montwood. Perez couldn't coach is way out of a paperbag.

Anonymous said...

who is harper can you give some background on him??????????

Anonymous said...

Please god! Not another Mike Smith coaching Tenure! 12 years with the most talented programs in the state and not even 1 district title to show for it!!! Can somebody please read between the lines!

Anonymous said...

Abney is a girls coach, a nice guy, lets keep him there.

Anonymous said...

Many girls coaches move over to the boys side successfully.
That's a non-issue.

Abney did a good job at Camino, and is doing a good job at 'Cruces. A worthy candidate IMO.