The top assistant coaches in the MWC

There's no information provided regarding the criteria Next Up Recruits utilized in deciding the top five assistant coaches in the Mountain West Conference so keep that in mind when reading the selections:

1) Todd Simon – UNLV
2) Kyle Bankhead – San Diego
3) Lamont Smith – New Mexico
4) Ross Hodge – Colorado State
5) Silvey Domiguez – Air Force

What makes this list suspect is that Todd Simon is in his first season at UNLV so he has no track record as an assistant coach. Yes, Simon ran the fabulously successful Findlay Prep basketball program (six years as an assistant, one as head coach) and he did work two years as a video assistant for former UNLV Head Coach Lon Kruger but how he gets the #1 placement is a head-scratcher.

Even more mysterious is that Kyle Bankhead coaches at San Diego which is in the West Coast Conference, not the Mountain West.

As for Lamont Smith, a case could be made to put him at the top of the list as he has previously assisted at St. Mary's, Santa Clara, Arizona State and Washington.

Ross Hodge is a one-year assistant, having been at Southern Mississippi (also with Larry Eustachy), Midland College, Ranger College and Texas A&M Commerce.

At age 59, Silvey Dominguez has coached close to near everywhere and is well respected but has never led a program.

Just wondering: How did San Diego State Associate Head Coach Brian Dutcher, who will take over when Steve Fisher retires, not make it into the Top 5? Where is Nevada Associate Head Coach Doug Novsek? Was Wyoming Associate Head Coach Scott Duncan considered? Or UNLV's Heath Schroyer, someone who has head coaching experience? How about Boise State Associate Head Coach Jeff Linder or Air Force Associate Head Coach Steve Snell?

Something smells.