Parking was tough then, too.
AD Search
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
When I went to St. John's we had many, many students who parachuted in for Finals, never to be seen or heard beforehand, my brother-in-law was one of them.
He parachuted in, and I swear that was the first time in the semester the book was cracked open.
Like the character in the movie “Summer School” who showed up the first day, got the bathroom pass and didn’t return until the final for the on the last day.
Shoop (Teacher): Hey, I remember you. Where have you been?
Jerome Watkins (Student): Bathroom.
Shoop: For the last six weeks?
Jerome Watkins: My zipper got stuck.
Of course Watkins got the highest score on the final.
I had a course where I went ever class until the day after the first test when me and several others realized the professor went over what you needed to study and know for the test the class before. So for the rest of the semester, I showed up for the class before, the day of and the day after his test.
Off the rails, lawman, I'd pull a Wyatt Earp, get a gun out and mow 'em all down, that's what lawmen do.
Back on the rails, We need an AD and we need one sooner rather than later, given how our searches have gone (minus Pitino falling in our lap) I am not too hopeful. However, with shanman, maybe, just maybe, we have a shot.
I guess we can cross former Rutgers AD off the list.
Hobb's resignation enlightens us as to how difficult the AD search is for us. His contract called for his salary to at the median of Big Ten athletics directors, $1.13 million annually.
Villanova, gushing success in athletics, academics, and fund raising just lost their AD to Northwestern, almost certainly greatly increasing an already well compensated Mark Jackson. As successful as Nova has been, I'm certain they just couldn't compete with Northwestern's offer.
Finding a top candidate in a basketball only conference among revenue producing sports will not be easy. If you are a top associate with a high trajectory at a football conference, your salary may be as high but your future brighter at a football school.
Given the fact that we've fired our last 3 athletic directors, job security isn't part of the package.
While Cragg was lacking in the minds of decision makers, it may be a tall order for them to hire within budget someone simply AS COMPETENT as Cragg. After all, it was Cragg who identified the facilities problem, looked into expanding capacity as CA, addressed fan complaints of no seatbacks (albeit with a failed solution), and was told seatbacks in the lower bowl not possible since the lower bleachers had to be retracted for other uses. He was also the most fan responsive AD we've ever had (including the revered Kaiser). He was also strong enough to dismiss a hometown hero as coach, and was highly regarded by athletes and department subordinates. It's sad that SJU brass responds to Rick's demands more than they did to the same needs when identified by MC.
Bobby G has been accused of being a fanboy of Mullin, but how much of the same can be said today? Granted if you are going to pick the right horse to lead, Pitino wins by a mile. But also in a real sense our AD dilemma points not to the deficiencies of our last AD, but to dysfunction at the highest levels.
IMO, all this impacts our search for the perfect lower budget candidate who most likely does not exist, at least by accomplishments to date.
Hobb's resignation enlightens us as to how difficult the AD search is for us. His contract called for his salary to at the median of Big Ten athletics directors, $1.13 million annually.
Villanova, gushing success in athletics, academics, and fund raising just lost their AD to Northwestern, almost certainly greatly increasing an already well compensated Mark Jackson. As successful as Nova has been, I'm certain they just couldn't compete with Northwestern's offer.
Finding a top candidate in a basketball only conference among revenue producing sports will not be easy. If you are a top associate with a high trajectory at a football conference, your salary may be as high but your future brighter at a football school.
Given the fact that we've fired our last 3 athletic directors, job security isn't part of the package.
While Cragg was lacking in the minds of decision makers, it may be a tall order for them to hire within budget someone simply AS COMPETENT as Cragg. After all, it was Cragg who identified the facilities problem, looked into expanding capacity as CA, addressed fan complaints of no seatbacks (albeit with a failed solution), and was told seatbacks in the lower bowl not possible since the lower bleachers had to be retracted for other uses. He was also the most fan responsive AD we've ever had (including the revered Kaiser). He was also strong enough to dismiss a hometown hero as coach, and was highly regarded by athletes and department subordinates. It's sad that SJU brass responds to Rick's demands more than they did to the same needs when identified by MC.
Bobby G has been accused of being a fanboy of Mullin, but how much of the same can be said today? Granted if you are going to pick the right horse to lead, Pitino wins by a mile. But also in a real sense our AD dilemma points not to the deficiencies of our last AD, but to dysfunction at the highest levels.
IMO, all this impacts our search for the perfect lower budget candidate who most likely does not exist, at least by accomplishments to date.
I guarantee there are qualified candidates out there, for the salary SJU can offer. It may not be easy but it is the job of the administration, the internal search committee, and the consultants the Johnnies hired to find one.
I have none of your insight regarding SJU but have done many recruitment searches and with the connections SJU has through alumni, the BE conference, Pitino and staff, etc., IMO, it is a continuance of the “incompetency” you allude to in the body of your post if they don’t have a short list of candidates with the skill sets within their budget that they are looking for.
Again, my opinion, but if SJU can’t operate within the parameters of their reality, namely being in a BB only conference in a football world, they should just punt (pun intended) and get out.
Agree with a lot of your post but as far as MC being the one who identified the facilities problem I beg to differ as my back and my ass has identified the facilities problem for decades.
as far as Cragg being the one to dismiss Mullin, that seemed to be a toss up by posters.
Toss up as to whether he should have been dismissed or whether MC made the decision?
Whether MC made decision (vs Mullin)
Anthony Mattia
Well-known member
MC was the most proactive and responsive AD that I can remember in the last few decades. Firing him without knowing you have replacement waiting, and knowing our budget issues, was a huge mistake imo. I said when he was let go that we should be careful because we could do much worse, and I fear that is where we are headed.
SJU Center Court
Active member
Totally agree. Cragg was competent and was responsive to the fans questions and comments. Not sure if not approving Rick's request for the "charter flight" (from an earlier post)
SJU Center Court
Active member
Joe Lapchick towers over Pitino and most of the profession that followed.
Again, I have none of your insight into SJU doings but vast business experience over decades has taught me one absolute; incompetence is incompetence, and all throwing money at problems you have a track record over time of not being able to solve means you are just kidding yourself and throwing good money after bad. Money helps bagging good people, no question, but you have to identify them first and SJU has a horrible track record of doing that.
And to add, if you guys think SJU has hired good people but they failed because of resources, i.e. money, I would assert they were either lied to about the money available or bit off more than they could chew if aware of the fiscal realities.