Coaching Staff
- Thread starter ManhattAn1
- Start date
Think it's high time we hire an experienced X's and O's assistant ASAP. Nothing against st jean but if you're holding the clipboard and this is the product that's being displayed...it's on you young man.
3 top level players will presumably be joining this team next season. It would be foolish to not have a tactical coach a little less green than st. Jean to coach them up.
3 top level players will presumably be joining this team next season. It would be foolish to not have a tactical coach a little less green than st. Jean to coach them up.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
There was a point late in the game where the team huddled around St. Jean, who had a cluttered drawing board in his hands. He started making wild circles over and over the already filled up board. This could have been a scene out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, where the patients when to the yard to play basketball, and McMurphy was waving his hands wildly, telling everyone what to do.
Class of 72
Active member
Well folks it is what is with this coaching staff. We have gone from Lavin's Hollywood to Mullin's Bollywood. The west coast strikes again in Queens New York. As maligned as Steve Lavin was as a cerebral coach, he is making Mullin look like a coach with cerebral palsy. Very little Mully is doing on the sidelines resembles coaching at this level. The scary thing is that many of us saw this coming. The powers that be at St. John's didn't. That includes a rookie college president, a lame duck and disgraceful outgoing Athletic Director and the few power brokers that are left that care about the basketball program.
The results are discouraging but reality is we have not one coach on our bench that ever coached a competitive team at any level. This is almost unheard of in college sports. The one guy that did mysteriously disappeared from the coaching staff. Hiring an Athletic Director was another adventure and possibly the only good hire in years. Mullin's inflated ego has prevented him from seeking out the best assistant possible to provide guidance and experience to a team desperately in need of some kind of professional help. The few talented kids deserve better than this. Slice refused to go after projects and was at odds over going after the same recruits Lavin pursued. Brandon Sampson, Federico Mussini, Lovett and Yakwe were Lavin recruits. Ponds decided on St. John's over Providence on a leap of faith. The rest of the 3 star players are good kids that will need a lot of development and patience which is something the current staff may not possess.
The solution would be a simple one if not for Mullin's insecurities. For Mullin to grow St. Jean has to go. Even if it costs 3 times what St. Jean is earning it would be a good investment in the long term. Of course this will not happen during this season but must happen to avoid further loss of program credibility. Most here can name three or four coaches available now and more will be available at season's end. Mitch Richmond and Matt must close on top recruits early. Three current players need to play at a different level and a couple of big grad transfers need to be brought in to add depth to a very weak front line. Especially since Zach Brown may not be eligible. I am not hopeful this will actually happen as I am not impressed with the current president and his very conservative approach to things both academic and athletic. What St. John's needs is a risk taker with a vision to empty the muddy swamp that has sunk us to the bottom of the Big East both academically and athletically.
Thanks for getting my morning going in positive direction 72.
Mullin looks so stressed for obvious reasons. I do feel for him and always felt he took this job impulsively. Uprooting family for such a challenging job may be one of those decisions all of us make at times, appealing at first glance but in reality a bitch and beyond one's strengths.
I believe that we all want Chris to succeed for all the joy he gave us when he was a player. It is crazy for me too see St. Jean having such an active roll in the huddles when I think of how Lou coached during the game . He even told Carmine Callsonetti once when he was the assistant to sit down after Carmine got up during the game shouting instructions and told him there was only one head coach. Too many chefs spoil the broth.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Problem isn't too many chefs. It's the absence of a single one. Can't make a nice meal if you don't have anyone that graduated from chef's school.
beast of the east
Active member
I mostly keep my mouth shut at games and not criticize the coaching publicly. My wife, who is only now coming with me to games because she was at just about every Mullin game way back when and thinks the world of him, turns to me multiple times and says, "I don't like this. He looks like he doesn't know how to coach." Pretty damned telling.
Things that drove me crazy:
1) Mullin strolling away from the huddle to confer with his assistants during timeouts. Then casually strolling into the huddle at the end of the time out. I mean, shit, even if you aren't going to lead the huddle, shouldn't you at least listen to what's going on. It isn't like St. Jean is at his right side chatting during the action.
2) Strategic moves: At one point we had 4 guards and a small forward in the game at the same time, I am assuming to counteract our height advantage, or seriously to not get burned on defense continually. It didn't work.
3) Not a word, nor a timeout, not a strategic sub as we got torched on defense again and again. One time late in the second half we had 4 guys running at a shooter on the right wing, where he calmly dumped it inside for a wide open layup from the left.
4) Yakwe and Sima can block shots, but they are playing off their men and losing them, and if they didn't block a shot, an easy put back layup resulted. Again, not a word, nor a timeout.
5) Mussini's instincts to the hoop are horrific. Late in the second half he took it to the hoop and got swatted. To prove it wasn't a fluke two possessions later he did the same thing, same result, with Mussini crumpled to the floor like a wounded animal (Reggie Miller flop?). Again, nothing from the sidelines. Mussini would have better outcomes walking through Hempstead at midnight with fistfuls of hundred dollar bills. It wouldn't be pretty but at least there would be a chance he'd come through it unscathed.
6) You guys want to anoint Ponds the Dean Meminger of offensive boards, then go ahead. I have a question for you though. When Lovett is firing up a three deep in the left or right corner, and Ponds is underneath fighting for rebounds, what happens when the other team gets a board? That's right, an uncontested fast break with your guards at the endlne.
7) Ahmed turns the ball over late (stripped) in a still winnable game, and instead of busting his butt to get downcourt, trots at the speed of Ed Kranepool to get a distant look at the layup. In the schoolyard, guys do that so that they can be ahead of the field for a quick pass after the score. Again... nothing.
8) One comical inbounds underneath our basket in the second half where Delaware had w ide open guy beyond midcourt. Mullin screams to a forward to get back, then two assistant scream in unison. When our defender gets there, St. Jean pops up and screams the same thing, about 5 seconds late. Thyroid meds causing slow reaction maybe?
9) I get the notion of combo guards, I really do. But the pretzels with cheese in the middle are better combo guards than Ponds and Lovett. They shoot first, second, and third, (as does Mussini), and all that each of them does is lurk on the perimteter waiting for an open look. That would be fine if any of them were money for open looks, but time after time last night they launched with not a single rebounder under the basket, usually on semi fast breaks. If you are going to shoot a three with no one underneath, you'd better make it.
10) What ever happen to drive and dish. Yes, both Ponds and Lovett can take it to the hoop, which is why some of you anointed them our best backcourt ever, although regardless of age I'm convinced those guys have Altzheimers. Multiple times our guys took it to the hoop contested, with guys on the perimeter for wide open looks.
11) Once Ellison drove baseline late in the second half and spotted Yakwe wide open in the middle, and fired a pass. Only problem was is that Yakwe acted like an ineligible receiver downfield, and the ball sailed into Delaware's hands.
12) Lovett issues a tweet saying he takes the blame for the loss because he didn't motivate is teammates. What a backhanded load of crap. We lost because Lovett (and everyone else) play(ed) like crap, and motivation had nothing to do with it. Lead like a point guard, distribute the ball, run plays, and maybe we will win a few games.
For my money, I'd take Harvey and Porter (not our best backcourt ever by a mile but both undersized) over these 2 guys any days of the week right now. Everyone can have a bad game and this was my first in person look, but beyond the ball not going in, there is much to dislike at this point.
Ok, enough enough enough. This team is not being coached right now. Mullin is progressing, though. Didn't sit on the scorer's table, was more active in huddles, etc. I'd like him to wear a tie as uncomfortable as it might be, because at least we could say he looks as good as Jay Wright or other dapper coaches.
I've been critical of hiring Richmond from day one mostly because of the inexperience on the bench. Richmond is engaged, but mostly to himself, still acting like a special assistant who can't speak to players during games. I hate this crap where all assistants sit together and never interact with coaches on the bench. It's idiotic to me at least.
The most critical thing I can say to you guys is that many of you would have been singing a different tune if some of those late threes dropped and we made a few stops to pull this out. We would have won, but every deficiency noted above would still be there.
This is what we get when we hire someone without experience and no one challenges his staffing decisions. A strong AD would have said, ummm, no you can't do that, or called in Slice and Mullin and read them the riot act to work together or both resign on the spot. Or said, fill a slot with an experienced guy who can help you out.
The way this looks right now, I'm not sure Mullin would walk away from a bloated salary of $2 million per year, but before he got fired he would resign. It's looking like he is very over his head, and not just based on one game. I love to be right, and was among the first to tell you their were warning signs very early last year, but I'd much rather have been wrong and see this team clicking on at least 4 cyllinders. It ain't happening and it's not gonna happen.
Wrong.
Sorry, couldn't resist. At least I didn't dig up the post from whoever said we will blow out Delaware State with Sima and Yakwe getting six blocks each.
Anyway I don't think there is any mystery here to anyone. You have a team of college players. The backcourt is legit (though IMHO Ahmed needs to be reined in or sat down until he understands its a team sport). The bigs have some ability and there are enough of them to make something of the team.
We have a staff full of NBA guys who have no experience teaching, coaching or developing college players. They are used to working with players who are either superior talents or finished products, which is how they ended up in the NBA. This team is not that.
I am going to pass on my comments about the relative merits of the way the staff wants to play the game. You can win with any style depending on what horses you have and how effectively you deploy them, after that it's a matter of taste and sustainability. However, whatever style you want to play, at the college level you have to be able to recruit, develop, teach and coach. Right now we have the first one covered with a recruiter (Matt A) and a couple of front guys to get recruits juiced (Chris and Mitch).
Unfortunately the only effort to cover the other 3 things beyond recruiting is St Jean, who hasn't shown any sign of success at it. I think it's clear to all that there is a huge hole that needs to be filled by someone with gray hair (or no hair) who has spent their life coaching either high-level high school talent or college players. And if that hole doesn't get filled, the resulting losses will quickly cut the legs out from under the fine recruiting efforts.
The reference to Slice is a red herring, he has zero skills as a coach so his departure is really irrelevant to the issue at hand.
ManhattAn1
Active member
This is one of the worst coaching staffs in Division 1 Basketball.
If they do not hire an experienced Division 1 Assistant coach I am done.
Last night was embarrassing.
Joe Oliva, ESQ had to run upstairs to a corner of the arena to hide as he is probably thinking what did I do. Sitting by himself in a corner with 4 to go.
If they do not hire an experienced Division 1 Assistant coach I am done.
Last night was embarrassing.
Joe Oliva, ESQ had to run upstairs to a corner of the arena to hide as he is probably thinking what did I do. Sitting by himself in a corner with 4 to go.
ManhattAn1
Active member
St Jean is running around like a wild guy.
The team is in the huddle during timeouts with no coaches for the 1st minute and everyone is yelling at each other, the whole situation is completely embarrassing. Everyone loves to kill Lavin on here but it was never this bad.
Mullin coached disinterested last evening sitting down most of the game. Said he wanted to experiment with lineups because they lost.
Team took the cue from the head coach he took it easy so they did. He's got to improve or he should go immediately before we lose another 5 years.
The team is in the huddle during timeouts with no coaches for the 1st minute and everyone is yelling at each other, the whole situation is completely embarrassing. Everyone loves to kill Lavin on here but it was never this bad.
Mullin coached disinterested last evening sitting down most of the game. Said he wanted to experiment with lineups because they lost.
Team took the cue from the head coach he took it easy so they did. He's got to improve or he should go immediately before we lose another 5 years.
ManhattAn1
Active member
What is Mullins buyout?
Enough has been said about the pitiful coaching. Hopefully it gets rectified at the end of the season. I agree Richmond should not be on the staff. But along with that I would make the following 2 player moves: Make sure Amar and Ellison are gone next year and replaced by up front bangers. With the other 3 recruits coming in, maybe we'll have a semblance of frontcourt play.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Maybe the floor time Ellison is getting is to give him a chance to showcase himself to other programs. If that's the case, we may be stuck with him. Ellison will see little time next year as Simon becomes the big guard we need. Amar is a good 10th man. In other words, in does not matter if he stays or goes, as 10th men don't impact a program. We need a few real men on this team. Our bigs are S A W F T. Mel Davis, who is in his 60s, could play against these guys in his suit and tie, and get 20 rebounds after finishing his Thanksgiving meal. Then he would drop one of them for good measure for scuffing his freshly polished shoes.