Max Good out as LMU Head Coach

Jan 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Loyola Marymount Lions head coach Max Good reacts to a call in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Gersten Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports

Multiple sources today – with Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal being the first – reported earlier in the evening that Max Good’s contract would not be renewed and LMU will look elsewhere for its head coach.

On top of that, Kevin Cacabelos of the LMU school newspaper reported that assistant coach Myke Scholl would not be returning as well.

Despite finishing in last place the WCC regular season standings the past two seasons and posting a combined 5-29 record in conference play, this was a move that surprised many people. Max Good was WCC coach of the year in 2012, but a vast amount of injuries doomed the Lions in 2013 and 2014. Even with only six scholarship players available in the most recent WCC tournament, the Lions showed a great deal of fight and even won a game.

Although Good’s passion and love for the game was an extremely positive attribute, his ability to bring in talent is the biggest thing LMU is losing. Good brought in an all-time great WCC player in Anthony Ireland and a loaded 2013 class featuring freshmen standouts Evan Payne and Gabe Levin. Good also had a bevy of talented players committed in LMU’s 2014 recruiting class, including three-star recruit and  Compton High School product Kyron Cartwright and four-star recruit and Westchester High School product Elijah Stewart.

There has been a lot of speculation of whether some of the LMU players and signee’s would bolt after Good’s ousting as head coach. 2014 signee Stewart will be highly coveted among teams if he asked to be released from his letter of intent. However, I do think that many people are overreacting and that there will not for sure be a mass exodus of players in the program.

In terms of finding a new head coach, ESPN’s Jeff Goodman said on his twitter account that former Charlotte Bobcat head coach Mike Dunlap is the frontrunner. LMU’s search for its new head coach should develop rapidly over the next few weeks and it will be something to keep an eye on.