College Basketball: Five mid-major coaches with decisions to make

Joe Dooley, Florida Gulf Coast

Record: 148-98 in four years with the program.

NCAA tournament appearances: 3 (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17)

“Dunk City” has turned out not to be a one-hit Cinderella wonder. Many thought after Andy Enfield left for USC that the Eagles would go back to being an afterthought, but Joe Dooley has continued on and refined the team from “Dunk City” into a very solid program.

In the world of transfers, many mid-majors face fears of losing key players. Dooley, however, recruits them, instantly making them contenders in the Atlantic Sun conference on a yearly basis. This year, the additions of Ricky Doyle (Michigan) and Michael Gilmore (VCU) should make them the favorites for the regular season and tournament titles.

Why should he leave?

It’s an interesting debate as to whether Dooley will be at FGCU for long. The Atlantic Sun conference is a one-bid league so a loss in March essentially will end their Tournament hopes. While FGCU has had some success getting transfers, there’s no guarantee any of them will meet expectations.

A potential situation to keep an eye on is Jim Larranaga at Miami. At 68 years old, the Hurricanes may be looking for a future replacement, so a coach who already has South Beach ties wouldn’t be a bad replacement. Of course, whether Dooley would even be their first option is another question in itself.

Why should he stay?

As of right now, the only legitimate competition they have is from North Florida in the conference. The Eagles have shown that they can recruit and due to their location, they can schedule tougher games compared to other smaller schools.

It’s a risky proposition, but consecutive tournaments can turn “Dunk City” into a legit threat to the other Florida-based schools in recruiting battles.