The Clock is Ticking for WVU as the Coaching Search Enters Day Eight

Athletic directors have to balance being thorough while operating coaching searches in a quick manner, which is easier said than done. West Virginia's Wren Baker has stated on numerous occasions that the goal is to "be quick, but not hurry."

With the search for the next men's head basketball coach entering day eight, Baker is under a lot of pressure to get a deal done with someone soon. Had this search started on a normal timeline, you'd be looking at roughly a 12 to 14-day process from start to finish. With the transfer portal having opened on Monday, Baker can't afford to let this drag out to that length and he's well aware of it.

It would be ideal if some of West Virginia's top underclassmen would give the new head coach a chance, but really, it's more about getting a coach in place to be able to recruit some of the top players out of the transfer portal.

According to multiple reports, the number of players who have entered the portal is approaching 1,000, so it's not like there won't be a shortage of options. However, the sooner a decision is made on the head coach, the better chance you'll give the new guy to piece together a competitive team that can make a run at the NCAA Tournament in year one.

Jonathan Powell, Amani Hansberry, and KJ Tenner have already entered their names into the transfer portal, while Kelvin Odih, Trent MacLean, and Braydon Hawthorne have all requested a release from their National Letter of Intent. In all likelihood, this roster is going to have to be built from scratch, so the last thing you want to have to happen is for this search to carry into the latter part of the week, putting you further behind the eight-ball.

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