Cluess
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Moose
Well-known member
[quote="Marillac" post=340450][quote="MCNPA" post=340428][quote="we are sju" post=340421][quote="Marillac" post=340419]Cragg shat the bed. We paid 5 million dollars and lost players to swap Mullin for Cluess?
Where was Cluess going? Why not take a one year shot with St. Jean? Cluess would have been there and cheaper next year.
If Mullin was forced out after a tournament berth what is Cragg’s punishment for handling this like an amateur?
The worst part about this is ASU didn’t even flinch. Their fans laughed it off. They admit they are a second tier program and they treated us like an annoying mosquito instead of a threat.
This isn’t just bad for us...this is bad for the whole conference. Behind Nova and Gtown you’d think we would have the third most attractive job.[/quote]
I am ok with Cluess but really looked like this whole thing came as a surprise to Cragg. Very reactionary.[/quote]
Yeah, from all I’ve heard, this was not planned. Cragg expected Mullin back next year, then the impasse. I think people are making up their own narratives at times to get fired up. Would you be fired up if you found out that when Cragg made the statement that Mullin was the coach a week ago that it might have been the case and an argument ensued after that that lead to this all going down? Just saying Marillac, you’re making up your own pseudo-facts without knowing how it all unfolded. I don’t think Cragg had much more time than the past week or two to work on this.[/quote]
Stop making excuses for Cragg. He overplayed his hand like a delusional nerd in high school telling everyone he would go to the prom with the hottest girl in school and then looked ridiculous when he was turned down. Now he’s going with his fat cousin from New Rochelle.
If Hurley is your only dream target what good does it do to let all the media report that? You don’t tel the seller of your dream house that it’s your dream house.
Cragg controlled the timetable. He scheduled the meeting. He loaded the gun and put it in front of Mullin.
I’ll never believe for a second that Mullin would have resigned unless he was forced out. He reached out to Hsu before his meeting.
We are a laughing stock. They are howling in Tempe tonight at our expense. Every forum in the conference is making fun of us.[/quote]
Hey :S
He's from Long Island
Just happens to work in New Rochelle
Where was Cluess going? Why not take a one year shot with St. Jean? Cluess would have been there and cheaper next year.
If Mullin was forced out after a tournament berth what is Cragg’s punishment for handling this like an amateur?
The worst part about this is ASU didn’t even flinch. Their fans laughed it off. They admit they are a second tier program and they treated us like an annoying mosquito instead of a threat.
This isn’t just bad for us...this is bad for the whole conference. Behind Nova and Gtown you’d think we would have the third most attractive job.[/quote]
I am ok with Cluess but really looked like this whole thing came as a surprise to Cragg. Very reactionary.[/quote]
Yeah, from all I’ve heard, this was not planned. Cragg expected Mullin back next year, then the impasse. I think people are making up their own narratives at times to get fired up. Would you be fired up if you found out that when Cragg made the statement that Mullin was the coach a week ago that it might have been the case and an argument ensued after that that lead to this all going down? Just saying Marillac, you’re making up your own pseudo-facts without knowing how it all unfolded. I don’t think Cragg had much more time than the past week or two to work on this.[/quote]
Stop making excuses for Cragg. He overplayed his hand like a delusional nerd in high school telling everyone he would go to the prom with the hottest girl in school and then looked ridiculous when he was turned down. Now he’s going with his fat cousin from New Rochelle.
If Hurley is your only dream target what good does it do to let all the media report that? You don’t tel the seller of your dream house that it’s your dream house.
Cragg controlled the timetable. He scheduled the meeting. He loaded the gun and put it in front of Mullin.
I’ll never believe for a second that Mullin would have resigned unless he was forced out. He reached out to Hsu before his meeting.
We are a laughing stock. They are howling in Tempe tonight at our expense. Every forum in the conference is making fun of us.[/quote]
Hey :S
He's from Long Island
Just happens to work in New Rochelle
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[quote="Happy" post=340579]He might not win the press conference or check every box for some but Tim Cluess is a good basketball coach and that is all we can ask for after what has seemed like an eternity since we have had someone who could actually coach . He also is the type of guy who will be at Christ the king on a Wednesday and Stepinac on a Friday to go watch a kid play . Smart and not lazy is a winning combination for a coach and this guy has won everywhere he has ever coached. If hired let's hope that continues 
[/quote]
Bingo Happy! As you say:
-He’s a proven winner
-He really wants to be here.
-He’s not using this as a stepping stone
-He understands the landscape
-etc., etc., etc
Not the sexy hire we all hoped for, but every big name hire would have come with concerns and/or baggage. We’ve gone that route before with Lavin and Mullin, and neither worked. And to those of you who mock us hiring a “mid-major” coach as opposed to a big name/big school coach, where the hell did Wright, Cooley and other Big East coaches come from before they landed at their current schools? Yes, mid majors. While Cluess is far from a sure thing, and while he wouldn’t have been my first choice, I feel better about him than most of our hires since Lou. And like all the coaches we’ve had here, including Lavin who I was strongly against, once they are on board they have my 1,000% support. Let’s go Johnnies!!!
[/quote]Bingo Happy! As you say:
-He’s a proven winner
-He really wants to be here.
-He’s not using this as a stepping stone
-He understands the landscape
-etc., etc., etc
Not the sexy hire we all hoped for, but every big name hire would have come with concerns and/or baggage. We’ve gone that route before with Lavin and Mullin, and neither worked. And to those of you who mock us hiring a “mid-major” coach as opposed to a big name/big school coach, where the hell did Wright, Cooley and other Big East coaches come from before they landed at their current schools? Yes, mid majors. While Cluess is far from a sure thing, and while he wouldn’t have been my first choice, I feel better about him than most of our hires since Lou. And like all the coaches we’ve had here, including Lavin who I was strongly against, once they are on board they have my 1,000% support. Let’s go Johnnies!!!
billthetruth
Well-known member
[quote="Happy" post=340579]He might not win the press conference or check every box for some but Tim Cluess is a good basketball coach and that is all we can ask for after what has seemed like an eternity since we have had someone who could actually coach . He also is the type of guy who will be at Christ the king on a Wednesday and Stepinac on a Friday to go watch a kid play . Smart and not lazy is a winning combination for a coach and this guy has won everywhere he has ever coached. If hired let's hope that continues [/quote]
Amen brother. I wish I could hit Thank You
button 20 times for this post
[/quote]Amen brother. I wish I could hit Thank You
button 20 times for this post
billthetruth
Well-known member
[quote="billthetruth" post=340589][quote="Happy" post=340579]He might not win the press conference or check every box for some but Tim Cluess is a good basketball coach and that is all we can ask for after what has seemed like an eternity since we have had someone who could actually coach . He also is the type of guy who will be at Christ the king on a Wednesday and Stepinac on a Friday to go watch a kid play . Smart and not lazy is a winning combination for a coach and this guy has won everywhere he has ever coached. If hired let's hope that continues [/quote]
Amen brother. I wish I could hit Thank You
button 20 times for this post[/quote]
BTW might be selling him short. he probably would hit LI Lutheran on Thursday too
[/quote]Amen brother. I wish I could hit Thank You
button 20 times for this post[/quote]
BTW might be selling him short. he probably would hit LI Lutheran on Thursday too
billthetruth
Well-known member
I think you may be selling him short. He probably would stop at LI Lutheran on Thursday too
MarkRedman
Well-known member
[quote="Catman" post=340582]Cluess and his family love StJohn’s could we have said that about Hurley? If Cragg can secure him with some great recruiters I think he is going to surprise a lot of people on this board![/quote]
Cluess obviously knows the value of having solid recruiters on his staff
Jared Grasso did a bang up job for him at Iona
Pair Cluess up with a couple of good recruiters and you have a good combination
As Monte said, we've tried the "sexy" hires (Lavin, Mullin)
They haven't worked!!
With Cluess, we are getting a proven competent coach who will work hard
When was the last time we can say that?
Cluess obviously knows the value of having solid recruiters on his staff
Jared Grasso did a bang up job for him at Iona
Pair Cluess up with a couple of good recruiters and you have a good combination
As Monte said, we've tried the "sexy" hires (Lavin, Mullin)
They haven't worked!!
With Cluess, we are getting a proven competent coach who will work hard
When was the last time we can say that?
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we are sju
Active member
Gio and Recco just called ST John's situation a tire fire
WillyDilly
Member
Here's a crazy idea....maybe we should just wait and see who we actually hire before we start supporting or bashing the hire. Maybe there is a 'mystery' candidate, maybe there isn't. No one on here truly knows what is going on behind the scenes. People want us to make a hire quickly, but they also want Cragg and the admin to do their due diligence and hire the right guy. All we really know at this point is that by the time the next season starts, we are going to have a new head coach....that's it.
And unless Coach K, Roy Williams, or Calipari are walking through that door, our next coach, no matter who it is, is going to have a bunch of question marks, and is going to have people that love him and people that hate him.
So let's all just relax and see how this plays out.....
And unless Coach K, Roy Williams, or Calipari are walking through that door, our next coach, no matter who it is, is going to have a bunch of question marks, and is going to have people that love him and people that hate him.
So let's all just relax and see how this plays out.....
JohnnyFever
Active member
I see Cluess as the more blue collar get down and dirty hard worker type guy. Doesn't have fluff or that glitter that Lavin, Mullin, etc. had but maybe this is a good choice. We always talk about a blue collar type player and how we need those guys. Well, Cluess seems to be that coach. His coaching record is very impressive, the key question is can that translate to higher level? I think we could get to a PC type level with him regularly making the tourney although probably not in top 25. Maybe more solid than great but at least consistent. I don't care about which players leave anymore, this is a complete 100% reset. I wanted LJ badly but he's gone. Nothing we can do. Arbitello was on Twitter praising the eventual hire...maybe we can finally get that relationship with CTK that we haven't had. Someone else mentioned an interesting point that Texas Tech and UVA had a lot of 3 star kids. They got coached up. If we can recruit at a solid level and then coach the 3 star kids up and keep them 4 years we may be pleasantly surprised with our results. Get a core of 3 star kids, get a few transfers which Cluess is good at, and get the occasional 4 star stud.
I know I come off as negative a lot, but only because I knew Mullin was never getting us consistently good. Cluess has a chance and like others have said, we are a destination for him. We are not at the point where we can poach from F5 schools and that was made painfully clear. ASU isn't even a good program and they laughed at us which is embarrassing and shows how far we've fallen, but I've come around on Cluess...just get some good defensive coaching. Cluess could be our bridge to a big name coach if he can give us 10 years of solid consistent winning and regular NCAA's.
I know I come off as negative a lot, but only because I knew Mullin was never getting us consistently good. Cluess has a chance and like others have said, we are a destination for him. We are not at the point where we can poach from F5 schools and that was made painfully clear. ASU isn't even a good program and they laughed at us which is embarrassing and shows how far we've fallen, but I've come around on Cluess...just get some good defensive coaching. Cluess could be our bridge to a big name coach if he can give us 10 years of solid consistent winning and regular NCAA's.
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[quote="Catman" post=340582]Cluess and his family love StJohn’s could we have said that about Hurley? If Cragg can secure him with some great recruiters I think he is going to surprise a lot of people on this board![/quote]
Will definitely support whoever is hired. With that being said I will be surprised if his teams suddenly play defense.
Will definitely support whoever is hired. With that being said I will be surprised if his teams suddenly play defense.
[quote="MarkRedman" post=340574][quote="salty dog" post=340547]Really thought Cragg was a top notch exec but if Cluess is the answer what is the question?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?
[quote="Tommy O 54" post=340565]Hey guys I read a few days ago in 1 of our local papers, the local HS and AAU coaches love cluess so with the right local assistants this could be our best coach in 20 years, New Yorkers love new Yorkers! Let's try and stay positive![/quote]
Lest we forget or rewrite history, they also loved Mullin. They're not sending their five star players to a mid major.
Lest we forget or rewrite history, they also loved Mullin. They're not sending their five star players to a mid major.
Moose
Well-known member
[quote="newsman13" post=340600][quote="MarkRedman" post=340574][quote="salty dog" post=340547]Really thought Cragg was a top notch exec but if Cluess is the answer what is the question?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
More than us.
And danced 5 of the last 6 years. We haven't danced 5 times in over 20 years
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
More than us.
And danced 5 of the last 6 years. We haven't danced 5 times in over 20 years
[quote="newsman13" post=340600][quote="MarkRedman" post=340574][quote="salty dog" post=340547]Really thought Cragg was a top notch exec but if Cluess is the answer what is the question?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
Didn’t Cooley make the dance in 5 consecutive seasons? I don’t care if they have only won a game or two in that time. I’d sign up for that right now.
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
Didn’t Cooley make the dance in 5 consecutive seasons? I don’t care if they have only won a game or two in that time. I’d sign up for that right now.
[quote="we are sju" post=340594]Gio and Recco just called ST John's situation a tire fire[/quote]
Two idiots who know nothing about the program. Surprised they had time to squeeze in a mention of St. John's in between their stupid Francesa shtick.
Two idiots who know nothing about the program. Surprised they had time to squeeze in a mention of St. John's in between their stupid Francesa shtick.
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[quote="newsman13" post=340600][quote="MarkRedman" post=340574][quote="salty dog" post=340547]Really thought Cragg was a top notch exec but if Cluess is the answer what is the question?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
they have made the Tournament 4 out of 5 years last years. that result would be huge progress for this program. wouldn't you agree?
Big programs pursue Big East coaches while StJohns goes after MAAC coaches Now going on number 3[/quote]
Providence hired Cooley from Fairfield and that worked out pretty well for them[/quote]
Refresh my memory...what has Providence won?[/quote]
they have made the Tournament 4 out of 5 years last years. that result would be huge progress for this program. wouldn't you agree?
Waking up this morning, I'm even more furious at how this has played out.
Is Cluess a solid coach who could succeed here? Yes.
Does Mike Cragg look terrible here? Yes.
Cragg talked the talk as soon as he got on campus. He has a great track record, having spent 30+ years at Duke University. We all thought he had big-time aspirations and would take us to the next level. So what does he do? Force the face of the school out the door (a move I agreed with). Then he whiffs on his ONLY candidate, Bobby Hurley. Did he not anticipate ASU would counter? They're a state university for crying out loud. So what's his fallback option? Tim Cluess, a solid coach, but someone any poster on this board could have hired. You could've hired me for 1/5 the money you're paying Cragg, and I could guarantee I would've delivered Tim Cluess. Cragg was supposed to deliver here, and he struck out swinging. I readily admit I don't know how everything played out here, but I'm embarrassed and pissed off.
The end result with Cluess may work out, but the process here was an absolute joke. Shame on us.
Is Cluess a solid coach who could succeed here? Yes.
Does Mike Cragg look terrible here? Yes.
Cragg talked the talk as soon as he got on campus. He has a great track record, having spent 30+ years at Duke University. We all thought he had big-time aspirations and would take us to the next level. So what does he do? Force the face of the school out the door (a move I agreed with). Then he whiffs on his ONLY candidate, Bobby Hurley. Did he not anticipate ASU would counter? They're a state university for crying out loud. So what's his fallback option? Tim Cluess, a solid coach, but someone any poster on this board could have hired. You could've hired me for 1/5 the money you're paying Cragg, and I could guarantee I would've delivered Tim Cluess. Cragg was supposed to deliver here, and he struck out swinging. I readily admit I don't know how everything played out here, but I'm embarrassed and pissed off.
The end result with Cluess may work out, but the process here was an absolute joke. Shame on us.
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SJU14
Well-known member
[quote="mattc" post=340611]Waking up this morning, I'm even more furious at how this has played out.
Is Cluess a solid coach who could succeed here? Yes.
Does Mike Cragg look terrible here? Yes.
Cragg talked the talk as soon as he got on campus. He has a great track record, having spent 30+ years at Duke University. We all thought he had big-time aspirations and would take us to the next level. So what does he do? Force the face of the school out the door (a move I agreed with). Then he whiffs on his ONLY candidate, Bobby Hurley. Did he not anticipate ASU would counter? They're a state university for crying out loud. So what's his fallback option? Tim Cluess, a solid coach, but someone any poster on this board could have hired. You could've hired me for 1/5 the money you're paying Cragg, and I could guarantee I would've delivered Tim Cluess. Cragg was supposed to deliver here, and he struck out swinging. I readily admit I don't know how everything played out here, but I'm embarrassed and pissed off.
The end result with Cluess may work out, but the process here was an absolute joke. Shame on us.[/quote]
If you think Hurley was Cragg’s only candidate then you’re mistaken.
Is Cluess a solid coach who could succeed here? Yes.
Does Mike Cragg look terrible here? Yes.
Cragg talked the talk as soon as he got on campus. He has a great track record, having spent 30+ years at Duke University. We all thought he had big-time aspirations and would take us to the next level. So what does he do? Force the face of the school out the door (a move I agreed with). Then he whiffs on his ONLY candidate, Bobby Hurley. Did he not anticipate ASU would counter? They're a state university for crying out loud. So what's his fallback option? Tim Cluess, a solid coach, but someone any poster on this board could have hired. You could've hired me for 1/5 the money you're paying Cragg, and I could guarantee I would've delivered Tim Cluess. Cragg was supposed to deliver here, and he struck out swinging. I readily admit I don't know how everything played out here, but I'm embarrassed and pissed off.
The end result with Cluess may work out, but the process here was an absolute joke. Shame on us.[/quote]
If you think Hurley was Cragg’s only candidate then you’re mistaken.