As Bulldogs dive into basketball search, interim coach keeping key pieces together

Fresno State has posted its opening for a basketball coach and, yes, absolutely, Byron Jones would like to move down the short hall and into the big corner office vacated by Rodney Terry, who bolted for Texas-El Paso.

But as interim coach, Jones, an assistant to Terry the past seven seasons, is charged first with keeping intact a group that is expected to contend again next season in the Mountain West with returning all-conference players in junior guard Deshon Taylor (first team) and sophomore forward Bryson Williams (third team), key pieces in forwards Sam Bittner and Nate Grimes, and transfers Noah Blackwell, Braxton Huggins and Eric Vila.

Taylor, who will earn his degree this year and would be a hot commodity as a graduate transfer, is expected to put his name into the NBA Draft without hiring an agent to retain his eligibility, get some feedback on his game and return.

“I have to go through that process and see what the upper level needs me to work on so I can come back and lead this team and hopefully go on from that,” he said.

With Grimes, there is no doubt. “I’m committed, for sure,” he said. “I worked myself into a pretty good situation from not playing to playing a little bit to playing a little bit more.”

The last time Fresno State was here, in a transition between coaches Steve Cleveland and Terry, the Bulldogs lost six players who accounted for 56.2 percent of their potential returning points. It happens, everywhere there is change. Players transfer. Players lose focus academically. Players leave the program for one reason or another.

“That’s the biggest job I have to do going forward being named the interim,” Jones said. “I have to make sure I hold the guys accountable that are here. Those guys have to be here next year. We can’t have those guys leave. We can’t have those guys not be eligible.

“You can’t lose what you have in the program because that creates a lot of unknown. The pieces that are here, if it stays right where it is, has a chance to be a top-four program in the Mountain West next year.”

Fresno State posted the job opening on Tuesday night, and it will remain open for 14 days. It is in the process of putting together a search committee, headed by interim athletics director Steve Robertello.

“I think when you look at our job and our institution, one, you have to have great passion for the Valley and I think understanding where we fit, the conference we play in,” Robertello said.

“When you look at what we’re looking for in a basketball coach, you have all the requisite abilities anyone is looking for – someone who can recruit and understand what they’re recruiting to. I think California connections are important. I don’t think it’s the end all be all. But I think you have to have a proven track record being able to recruit, coming from a good solid program and a good solid background. Someone that does it the right way is critically important.”

Jones is a candidate. Michael Schwartz, a former Terry assistant in the NCAA Tournament with Tennessees, would be a solid fit. At Fresno State, Schwartz handled in-game coordination, scouting and skill development. Robertello has ties with one of the top assistants in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Virginia associate head coach Ron Sanchez – they worked together at Washington State. San Diego State associate head coach Justin Hutson has Valley ties, growing up and going to school in Bakersfield.

Quincy Pondexter, the NBA veteran and a San Joaquin Memorial High grad, has expressed interest in the job. Shantay Legans, a Fresno State grad, went 20-15 in his first season at Eastern Washington, advancing to the College Basketball Invitational.

Terry, who left Fresno State with three years remaining on his contract, was paid $600,000 this season and set to make $625,000 in 2018-19 and $650,000 in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The Bulldogs’ next coach could be in that neighborhood, depending on experience.

“We’ll have a diverse committee and then also as we’re going out and recruiting for the position, we’re trying to cast a wide net for a diverse group of candidates and then go from there,” Robertello said.

“I think people are well aware of the history and the track record, not just in the past four or five years, and based on the folks that I know are showing interest and want to be at Fresno State, they see where this program is and are looking at this as a program that’s going to contend in the Mountain West.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 6:38 PM with the headline "As Bulldogs dive into basketball search, interim coach keeping key pieces together."