Today’s unrelated to hoops tip: next July 4, head to Colonial Downs in Williamsburg for horse racing and fireworks. It’s everything you get from the outdoors park experience, plus a 10-race card. You never know who you will run into. Easy in, easy out. Great family atmosphere–surprisingly Disney considering why the track was built.

We’ll be quick today–not everybody has the day off, but I know you do.

So you probably have an inkling this offseason hasn’t exactly been, uh, tame for the CAA coaching ranks. Five assistants have moved on, and we have two completely new staffs. (Maybe two-and-one-half, depending on how you tally Tim Welsh.)

This guy Mike Hueguenin from Rivals/Yahoo has his list of 10 coaches on the hot seat. The CAA occupies two of the spots–Pat Kennedy (#3) and Monte Ross (#5).

All the coaches are either on planes or getting on planes today to recruit. What’s it going to take for Ross and/or Kennedy to be doing this July 5, 2011?

My opinion, contracts and money and side-notes aside:

Towson needs to hit .500 in conference. Hueguenin notes that Kennedy hasn’t reached .500 at Towson and we’re going on seven years. Get a little closer: when you tack on two years at Montana and his final two at DePaul, it has been 10 years (going on 11) since Kennedy has presided over a .500 team.

Delaware needs to show marked improvement. How that displays in the numbers cannot be determined until the season plays itself out. Ross took over a wretched program and stabilized it. The Hens had one flagging year (13-19 two seasons ago) and you can chalk up last year as one of those years, when Ross’s luck requires a dose of Cervantes: “A stout heart breaks bad luck.”

This year could be six, eight, or nine wins in conference. Brian Johnson is back, the young kids have last year under their belts, and Jawan Carter can score with anybody.

I believe Pat Kennedy has a number, and that number is 10. Monte Ross doesn’t have a number; rather, a word: more.