Zach's article said 2 years left on contract, but last release from school was his last extension in '21 that said ran to '25-'26
mike cragg
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
So many great memories
Alumni Hall
Well-known member
As our former Senior Student Manager on scholarship once said in 1982 “there the right way, the wrong way and the St. John’s way” and it’s so true!
Back then that was true and then it became there is the wrong way, the disastrous way and in a category all their own the St. John’s way.
My error here...that is 2 years..duh!
Hire Billy Schaeffer !!
Alumni Hall
Well-known member
Yes, he was put out to pasture! Quote the Raven... Nevermore
Probably the only person universally liked at the school and on this board other than Jerseyshorejohnny
Anthony Mattia
Well-known member
Need to get this right. We have to bring in $$$ to move this program and its facilities into this generation. If the next AD can't bring in the money, he's not the right guy.
I have not posted on this thread since someone at SJU improperly leaked the information about the separation of Mike Cragg from the university.
I know this board is widely read by nearly every administrator with an interest in athletics at SJU, and I will be deliberately judicious in my comments here.
Whereas our human nature is to degrade, diminish, and denigrate individuals, especially in their worst moments, I want to focus on some of the good things Mike accomplished here at St. John's.
Employment decisions are discretionary. I don’t know the reasons for the change, nor whether they are justifiable or not.
Everyone knows I am close to Mike. I’m biased, but I am also aware way beyond most folks here, of just how big a job athletic director is at a D1 school. It goes way beyond the success of one revenue producing sport, and the AD has only a limited role in how successful that one sport is. Here at SJU, major sports decisions are made above the athletic department. Harrington hired Norm, not the AD. Gempeshaw strongly favored Mullin, and Shanley in speaking to the NY Post said he and Bill Janetschek solely hired Rick without the approval of the BOT or the AD. The famous Mike Repole rant was how the BOT and President meddled in the coaching staff and prevented Mike Cragg from pursuing Bobby Hurley, who MC knew since before Hurley committed to Duke as a player. Ads at SJU have always been limited in authority, at least since Kaiser, and I suspect they always will be.
My good friend Nick Vendikos, another tireless worker, set up a lunch between Mike and I shortly after CMA was hired, because I wanted to help resurrect the dormant athletic HOF, and wanted to support the creation of a room for the HOF. Mike acted quickly, and shared with me an artists concept for a mural and design of the now HOF room. JSJ and I were named to the selection committee and Mike also added 2 former ADs, Ed Manetta and the late Jack Kaiser (who Mike always respectfully called Mr. Kaiser) and Coach Carnesecca, among others. The committee meetings he ran were always respectful of all opinions, and were awesome to be a part of.
Mike also planned a very classy induction ceremony that is now part of his legacy.
Mike was super focused on increasing attendance at our men’s games, and tried a bunch of promotions to engage students. Some didn’t work, but free Chik FIL A night’s drew 1200 students who were lined up almost all the way up the hill to D’Angelo. When ticket sales were sluggish this year even as we climbed on a win streak, he arranged for giveaways to cops, firemen and military organizations.
In my 50 years since I arrived at SJU, no AD was more responsive to fans, alums, ticket holders. No one even came close. If you had an issue, a suggestion, or a problem, Mike would respond – at all hours of the day, night, even weekends.
If you attended any other sju sporting event besides men’s basketball there would be a good chance you’d run into Mike there. He was always supporting our student athletes by his presence.
At the recent Athletic Awards dinner I bumped into Mike on the way to the banquet tables on the floor of CA. We cut across the RW room where a dejected men's team was meeting with their coach. Despite a great regular season, some wacky ncaa rules allowed an older DePaul player to become active and that player led DePaul to a win in the BET. Mike stopped and asked the coach if he could speak to the team. For a minute or two Mike told the players how proud of them he was, how well they represented sju, and how they played like champions.
You see, for Mike, SJU was and is,and always will be, about community, about friendships, about individuals, and how expecting to win goes beyond the court, to the classroom, to success in life.
Thank you Mike. You leave this place in a better condition than you found it. The facilities project, which you initiated, will hopefully become a reality. Know that you leave as a friend and as a Johnny. The real winners will be the next school that gets you. Best of luck and God’s light always upon you.
I know this board is widely read by nearly every administrator with an interest in athletics at SJU, and I will be deliberately judicious in my comments here.
Whereas our human nature is to degrade, diminish, and denigrate individuals, especially in their worst moments, I want to focus on some of the good things Mike accomplished here at St. John's.
Employment decisions are discretionary. I don’t know the reasons for the change, nor whether they are justifiable or not.
Everyone knows I am close to Mike. I’m biased, but I am also aware way beyond most folks here, of just how big a job athletic director is at a D1 school. It goes way beyond the success of one revenue producing sport, and the AD has only a limited role in how successful that one sport is. Here at SJU, major sports decisions are made above the athletic department. Harrington hired Norm, not the AD. Gempeshaw strongly favored Mullin, and Shanley in speaking to the NY Post said he and Bill Janetschek solely hired Rick without the approval of the BOT or the AD. The famous Mike Repole rant was how the BOT and President meddled in the coaching staff and prevented Mike Cragg from pursuing Bobby Hurley, who MC knew since before Hurley committed to Duke as a player. Ads at SJU have always been limited in authority, at least since Kaiser, and I suspect they always will be.
My good friend Nick Vendikos, another tireless worker, set up a lunch between Mike and I shortly after CMA was hired, because I wanted to help resurrect the dormant athletic HOF, and wanted to support the creation of a room for the HOF. Mike acted quickly, and shared with me an artists concept for a mural and design of the now HOF room. JSJ and I were named to the selection committee and Mike also added 2 former ADs, Ed Manetta and the late Jack Kaiser (who Mike always respectfully called Mr. Kaiser) and Coach Carnesecca, among others. The committee meetings he ran were always respectful of all opinions, and were awesome to be a part of.
Mike also planned a very classy induction ceremony that is now part of his legacy.
Mike was super focused on increasing attendance at our men’s games, and tried a bunch of promotions to engage students. Some didn’t work, but free Chik FIL A night’s drew 1200 students who were lined up almost all the way up the hill to D’Angelo. When ticket sales were sluggish this year even as we climbed on a win streak, he arranged for giveaways to cops, firemen and military organizations.
In my 50 years since I arrived at SJU, no AD was more responsive to fans, alums, ticket holders. No one even came close. If you had an issue, a suggestion, or a problem, Mike would respond – at all hours of the day, night, even weekends.
If you attended any other sju sporting event besides men’s basketball there would be a good chance you’d run into Mike there. He was always supporting our student athletes by his presence.
At the recent Athletic Awards dinner I bumped into Mike on the way to the banquet tables on the floor of CA. We cut across the RW room where a dejected men's team was meeting with their coach. Despite a great regular season, some wacky ncaa rules allowed an older DePaul player to become active and that player led DePaul to a win in the BET. Mike stopped and asked the coach if he could speak to the team. For a minute or two Mike told the players how proud of them he was, how well they represented sju, and how they played like champions.
You see, for Mike, SJU was and is,and always will be, about community, about friendships, about individuals, and how expecting to win goes beyond the court, to the classroom, to success in life.
Thank you Mike. You leave this place in a better condition than you found it. The facilities project, which you initiated, will hopefully become a reality. Know that you leave as a friend and as a Johnny. The real winners will be the next school that gets you. Best of luck and God’s light always upon you.
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I know you are very protective about this but this is not how it went down about the info.
We can continue privately from this point but you shouldn’t spread how you think the info was leaked when you don’t know how I heard it.
For the record. I liked cragg. Just passed along info that I assumed would have been public moments after I posted. Nothing indicated it would be held quiet for 2 months.
Not about you Eric. Nothing against you. Sent you a pm. Thanks
Great post. Wishing Cragg much success in his future endeavors. Great representative of the school who did some good things while here.
make it four (4) Ds, and add disparage..........
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Anthony Mattia
Well-known member
Wonderful post Beast, thank you for sharing. As someone who never has inside information, I appreciate reading things like this where you find out more about the man than the title.
This thank you goes to all of our insiders that share what you can, when you can.
Silly Donovan
Well-known member
Mike seemed like a good guy and was very responsive the few interactions I had with him and as Beast stated, had the best interests of the university at heart. Aside from the Mike Anderson hiring and extension issues which may or may not be the reason for his moving on, it would seem that Shanley and the powers that be are looking for a more financially aggressive approach to the athletic department going forward that may coincide with the extensive emphasis on the success of the hoops program. Noting that the athletic program made no profit this past academic year didn’t help.
Alumni Hall
Well-known member
When was the last time, if ever, our athletic department turned a profit? Our NCAA/Big East Tournament units are way down and have been for years.
At least Pitino pulled the team from Anderson's $500 per room night stays at the Marriott Essex House where the team breakfasts were well over $100 each and pregame meals were north of $150 and reappropriated those funds to better use. His choice of hotels were cut 50% in Manhattan.
Wait till they get the bills from the Bahamas Tournament this fall.
Astoria STH
Well-known member
Great post, captured Mike perfectly. He is all class. Just from an outsider's perspective it always looked like athletics were restored with a level of professionalism and accountability that was sorely missing from the second that he arrived.