A Match Made in Arkansas

College basketball fans were stunned when LSU coach John Brady was fired partway through the 2008 season. The first words out of the knowledgeable fan's mouth were usually "What? A Final Four isn't good enough?"

Coach Brady has landed on his feet... sort of. He's taken over at Arkansas State in the Sun Belt conference. Let's take a look at the matchup of coach to school:

Coach John Brady

Record: 273-203 (.574)

Prior Head Coaching Experience: Samford University 1991-1997 (89-77)

Louisiana State University 1997-2008 (192-139) with two NITs, four NCAA appearances, and one Final Four.

Former Players: Stromile Swift, Jabari Smith, Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Arkansas State University

Location: Jonesboro, Arkansas

Nickname: Red Wolves (recently changed from "Indians")

Conference: Sun Belt

2008 Record: 10-20

NCAA Appearances: One - 1999, #15 seed lost to #2 Utah in first round.

Brady will likely have a very rough road in his first two seasons in Jonesboro. The real question is, when is another big-time program going to come calling? Brady has said all the right things about staying at ASU, but his resume is bound to excite some interest before too long.

Is it a match made in heaven? Or a marriage of convenience? I don't want to be a cynic, but I've been to Arkansas, and it's not for everyone. Especially in the summertime.