Alright, let’s talk about following that DePaul basketball coaching search. It felt like a bit of a rollercoaster, didn’t it? I figured I’d keep tabs on it pretty closely this time around.
So, first thing, when the news broke that Tony Stubblefield was out, I wasn’t totally shocked, but I immediately thought, “Okay, here we go again.” My first move was just hitting up the usual spots online. You know, the main Chicago sports news sites, maybe checking ESPN’s college basketball section to see if anything national picked it up right away.
Then I started digging a little deeper. I hopped onto social media, specifically Twitter, or X, whatever it’s called now. Started searching for keywords like “DePaul basketball” and “DePaul coach”. I followed a few local sports reporters who usually have the inside scoop, or at least claim to. You see who’s talking about it, who seems plugged in.
Pretty quickly, the names started flying. It was like a daily guessing game. I remember seeing stuff about:
- Bobby Hurley
- Chris Holtmann (lots of buzz here early)
- Will Wade
- A bunch of assistant coaches from bigger programs
It felt like every day brought a new ‘hot candidate’. I tried to keep a mental list, see which names kept popping up consistently. Some seemed like long shots from the start, others felt more realistic.
My routine became pretty simple. Morning check of the news sites. Midday scroll through social media during lunch. Maybe another check in the evening. Sometimes I’d text a buddy who also follows the Blue Demons, asking “See anything new?” We’d trade rumors we saw online. A lot of it was just noise, honestly. Fan forums were wild – passionate, but you learn quickly not to believe everything you read there.
Keeping track was kinda messy. One report would say they interviewed someone, another would say that guy wasn’t even interested. Felt like smoke and mirrors half the time. You just gotta piece together the little bits of info that seem credible. I paid more attention when multiple reliable reporters started saying the same thing. That’s usually a better sign.
The wait definitely felt long. You get eager, you want to know who’s going to try and turn things around. There were days with zero updates, felt like nothing was happening. Then suddenly, a burst of activity. It tests your patience if you’re really invested.
Eventually, the noise started centering back on Chris Holtmann. More and more sources seemed to point that way. Then the confirmation finally came through. Saw the official announcement, read the articles about the hire. Felt like a solid move, maybe the kind they needed. So yeah, that was basically my process – lots of checking, sorting through rumors, and waiting for the actual news to drop. Just followed along day by day like a lot of other fans, I guess.
