It looks like there will be at least one familiar face on new Marshall men’s basketball coach Dan D’Antoni’s staff. Sources have told the Daily Mail that Mark Cline, who has been a Thundering Herd assistant since 2010, likely will be retained.
Keeping Cline offers a couple of benefits to the new regime. First, it gives the Herd players at least one coach they recognize and are comfortable with, rather than them being forced to acclimate themselves to an entirely new staff. Also, it insures Marshall’s bench will have at least one veteran college coach.
D’Antoni is basketball lifer, but his experience has almost solely been on the high school and NBA levels. He had a short stint as a Marshall assistant right after he graduated. Chris Duhon hasn’t been officially announced as a member of D’Antoni’s staff, but everything points to him joining. He was a great college basketball player and a nine-year NBA veteran, but this will be his first coaching job.
Before Cline came to Marshall, he was on the staffs at places like Oklahoma, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion among others. He recruited Blake Griffin to the Sooners. There remain spots to fill on D’Antoni’s bench, but this looks like a pretty good start.
