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The coaching carousel is officially spinning at top speed. As the dominoes fall and the spaces get filled, programs are looking for the best fits and best candidates for the job. It should then come as no surprise to SU fans that assistant coach Mike Hopkins would be high on a lot of team's lists. I'm biased but I think it's fair to say Hops is among the best assistants in the game. And surely one of the best recruiters (not to mention the best legs in the business). Name an SU great from the last fifteen years and there's a decent chance Hopkins played a strong role in getting him to wear orange.
There's a reason he's been Lady-In-Waiting for the Syracuse program for some time now. The question remains whether or not that agreement is truly binding or if it's just merely implied. The last time the topic broached public forums, DOC Gross cut it down with such a quick strike that you couldn't help but wonder just how concrete it is.
So when we hear that Charlotte has reached out to SU to speak with Hopkins, it's fair to give yourself a hint of trepidation. Not much, but just a hint. Via The Gold Mine...
...a source close to Syracuse's primary basketball booster organization, The Hardwood Club, said Monday night the 49ers have contacted Orange assistant coach Mike Hopkins about Charlotte's head coaching job.
Syracuse athletic department officials did not immediately return a request for comment on Sunday.