Crazy how far St Johns has fallen.

[kl40504]

Great hire for Johnnie's. If I couldn't get Pitino, I hire Mike. Like Bruce P, his kids played hard for him. Every game was a battle, and most opposing coaches dreaded playing in Fayetteville.
Most basketball minds think he could win the NIT as early as next year. Good Luck Michael!

They could have got Pitino if they had wanted him. He was begging for the job. Pitino is damaged goods and begging for any college coaching job.

 

[JBGOAT]

That was brutal, sounds like SJU is dead in the water and will need to rebuild again with what will likely be an unqualified coach with the deck stacked against him. Awhile back there was a thread about the Big East and if its "power conference" status should be in question and I think yes. Other than Villanova its several schools who's name value exists because of accomplishments that are pushing 40-50 years in age mixed with some flash in the pan mid majors. The program backpacking the load to keep the conference "legit" is Villanova and who knows what happens to them once Jay Wright leaves. A private school in an underexposed conference just needs a year or two of irrelevance off of a bad hire to follow the path of SJU and Georgetown for decades.

Well, good thing Jay isn't leaving any time soon. And let's slow down with this. If the conference blows in the OOC and the Tournament again next year, then I think it might be time to start having that discussion. This past year was definitely a rebuilding year, but next year the conference has a ton returning and coming in (at least 4 teams in most way too early top 25s for next year). And let's not forget the conference had 2 one seeds last year.

 

[gymman1031]

Hoping Michael, while this may not say a whole lot, is SJU's most successful coach since Lou.

 

[IUfanBorden]

That’s about as weak of a hire imaginable. A 59 year old with no ties to the area that was just fired likely looking for one last pay day, a 30 something assistant would have been a much more productive hire. You’re going to suck anyway atleast take on the upside.

I think its similar to what UCLA is doing----Hire someone who can make the job desirable. Then, in about 4-5 years, go after a bigger name.

 

[afish111]

Wait what happened with Hurley? I thought he was a lock after Mullins "resigned."

 

[FFWhite]

New York kids don't stay in New York. They are at IMG, Oak Hill, Montverde, Lumiere and other basketball schools. The New England prep schools are loaded with New York kids. Once they leave for high school it is hard to get them to come back.