Candidate Debate

A look at the potential candidates for the much-coveted Birmingham Detroit Country Day boys basketball head-coaching vacancy, left open with the sudden resignation of legendary 'Jackets head coach Kurt Keener last week:

The frontrunner

Rick Palmer – If it was a PGA event, this young and inspiring Kurt Keener protégé would be the leader in the clubhouse right now

The rest of the pack (aka The 'In-House' Crew)

Mike Massucci – Keener's right-hand man during the Shane Battier era in the mid-to-late 1990s who has been at Royal Oak the past two years

Lee Bailey, Sr. – An assistant coach and 'Jackets JV coach under Keener during the late 2000s that had a cup of coffee on the bench at Walled Lake Western and is the father of current Chaminade guard and former DCD two-sport superstar Lee Bailey, Jr.

Joe Plawecki – Keener disciple on the DCD sidelines for the past two state titles who logged time back in the day as a head coach at Anchor Bay

Fred Massey – The 'Jackets big fella coach during a time when the KEENER KAGE CREW was churning out D1 post prospects like the GM plant spits out cars (see Ohio State's Amir Williams, DePaul's Donovan Kirk and EMU's DaShonte Riley, formerly at Syracuse)

The sleepers

Nate Oats – The hottest head-coaching commodity around after winning the Class A state title with Romulus in March  

Josh Baker – Has won back-to-back state championships in Class D at Southfield Christian, might this Nate Oats disciple want to test out his skills with the clipboard at a higher level?

Todd Negoshian – This young gun on the North Farmington sidelines had his name surface last offseason when the Walled Lake Central job opened up and now it's beginning to circulate again as a possible pony in the race for the 'Jackets job

Michael Allie – A true darkhorse in this hunt that could wind up being a great choice (you'll see, no matter where he lands). Did outstanding in his inaugural head-coaching stint at Livonia Stevenson developing Jalen Reynolds (Xavier) and is one of the top AAU coaches in the state, coaching up mad talent with the REACH Legends