My pitch for Chris Mullin as Coach

If only nostalgia won games.

Hiring Mullin as coach is a splash hire and an emotional hire.

Would love to have him still connected to the school, preferably as an AD.

But head coach? Only if he had a coach in waiting on his staff like Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie.

To be a head coach has way too many responsibilities and I just cannot see Mullin chasing down recruits.

Some of our fanbase can't get themselves out of "the glory days". Time to move on.
Click to expand...

I agree with the coach in waiting idea. If we go with Mullin I hope he brings along a young up and coming assistant that we can groom to be his replacement. We need stability.
 
Loved Mullin as a player of course, but as others have pointed out, he has been away from college ball and NYC for too long. No coaching experience. In terms of recruiting, coaching, player development and game strategy, is he an upgrade over Lavin? Early soundbites indicate he is not all that interested but that could be smoke.

It is late in the day for this type of career change. Would prefer to see a young, hungry, upcoming-type get the job. Someone who has cut their teeth elsewhere, proven themselves to be able to coach and recruit and is ready for the next level.

No doubt Mullin would ignite a ton of interest and positive PR for the program, but whether that would translate into solid recruits and wins is very debatable. Maybe he surrounds himself with quality staff but that does not come cheap.

Of course if he is appointed, he deserves full support from the fan base and given every chance to succeed and prove the doubters wrong. It would be a popular and sentimental choice but also a risky one. Good luck to the search committee, you can't please everyone!
 
I cannot see Mullin dedicated enough as a recruiter to coach this team. Not knocking him, it's just a lot and a huge commitment. You spend most of your life chasing down 14-15-16 year old kids all across the nation. I don't think he wants that or is capable of doing that at this point in his life.
 
For those who say they want someone "young and hungry" instead--Mullin's only 51. He feels older, because the SJU fanbase has been following him since he was 18. He also presumably would hire top-caliber assistants, including a recruiter.
 
Would prefer a guy with coaching experience, preferably Danny Hurley, but if it is Chris, we'll all rally around him. Be it Chris, Dan or another guy, please understand next year will be more than challenging & not judge long term coaching proficiency on clearly a transitional year. Our patience will be tried, but God knows we have experience with that. I just tossed my rear view mirror & put on my rose colored glasses. That coming from a born pessimist. :)
 
Everyone knows everyone about Chris Mullin's basketball experience so I'm not going to convince anyone based on what he's done on the court at SJU, in the NBA, or as an NBA executive. That's in black and white to be decided on its own merits, subjectively for his qualification as coach.

My pitch has to do with Mullin the guy. Not, the player, not the man, and more appropriately da guy.

Mullin came to SJU as I was leaving as a new graduate still working on campus. He came in heralded of course, and we were all curious. One day in mid September, I saw this tall milk white kid outside outside of Alumni Hall. I guessed it might be him, so I went up to him. I introduced myself and welcomed him to St. John's. I'd told him that I was really excited to see him play, and wished him the best. There's something about chatting with Mullin. He never puts himself above you, and is always willing to chat.

After Mullin took the court, he shined like no freshman we'd ever seen at SJU. He was heads and tails the best player on the court, but more importantly, he made everyone else better too. My friends and I sat directly below his mom and dad, and aunts who were nuns. Nice people. I don't remember if it was the end of freshmen or sophomore year when the team was eliminated from the NCAA's. My friends traveled to a ton of away games and we were at the regionals. Milling around in the rotunda after the game, Mullin, who didn't know any of us personally, spotted us and came over. "I just wanted to tell you guys that I've seen you at so many of our away games, and I really appreciate how you supported the team." This was a kid, 19 or 20, with the goodness and kindness to approach fans just to thank them. Big plus.

When he was a junior, I ran into him around Union turnpike in the spring after basketball was over, and stopped him. I asked him if he knew anything he could share about Walter Berry coming here. As always, friendly and candid, he said he hadn't heard anything new, but sure hoped he was coming. No attitude - just two guys talking SJU hoops.

I remember just before the NBA draft, how a good friend of mine who hung around the SJU bars told me that he hoped Mullin would end up somewhere else. I asked him why, and he said he'd see Mullin in the bars all the time, destroying himself. He said he had to get the hell out of New York, or he'd end up dead. To Mullin's credit, he fought demons like a man, attained sobriety, something I believe he maintains today. He whipped himself into the shape of a marine, still looks the part, and his NBA career skyrocketed.

Funny story. My cousin worked in customs at JFK. It's now known that Chris' dad, a great man himself fought alcohol and attained sobriety. Rod was his supervisor. He had the respect of everyone, but my cousin laughed when he said that it was easy to work for him before he got sober but cracked the whip after. I have some friends who have 30, 40 years of sobriety attained one day at a time. To me, anyone who has been sober for so long has become rock solid in ways beyond keeping alcohol at bay. They are better men than had they never touched a drop. Rod is one, and Chris is another.

From the time my son was 8 till he was 17, I wrote to coaches and athletes and asked them to send him a birthday card I enclosed. Mullin was one of the guys who responded, and he sent a warm note in the card.

Now most recently, when he was inducted, there was something I noticed that was different about Mullin. Same old guy for sure. I brought my wife to the induction breakfast. In those days, she came to every single game, and sitting behind the SJU basket at the garden and behind the bench at Alumni Hall, we were often on TV, a testimony more to her looks certainly than mine. So when I asked her if she wanted to go to the breakfast, she didn't hesitate.

At the breakfast,before inductions, Mullin and Coach C. withdrew from their table, and sat together on a window sill with a cup of coffee for 15 minutes or so, undisturbed, just chatting. It was Chris' day, but there was something so comfortable about it, so much of him belonging here and not jsut for a day. After the induction, I asked my wife if she wanted to go up and chat with him, and maybe get a photo with him. She was more than happy to, and grabbed a pen for Chris to autograph her program.

Mullin when we approached him was so gracious and familiar. Before we could really speak he introduced us to an older brother who had played at Siena (I always confuse which borther played at Siena and which at Bridgeport). We told Chris that we sat right beneath his parents, and he joked, "Yup. One loud one, one quiet one." We chatted about his brother Terrence coaching at St. Francis de Sales CYO and that he is often a row behind us at CA. He was really patient as someone struggled with my camera to get a shot. After 4-5 tries it worked, and Chris, patient the whole time, smiled and said "Persistence!"

The whole point is, that if we are to return to prominence, and the kid of prominence that endures, if we are to recapture what was magical about St. John's, not just in 2011, or 2000, but back in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s - the whole era, for my two cents having a guy on the bench who not only was the best who ever played here, but a guy who is from the city and is one of us, and is red and white through and through.

For the doubters about a heralded player becoming a great coach, only one player is inducted into the Hall of Fame as player and coach. He was the best player in college basketball, and then went on to become arguably the greatest coach. His name - John Wooden, and as anyone who knows would tell you, was a far greater man than coach. Not a bad guy for Mullin to emulate, even it it's aiming for the stars. Then again, hasn't Mullin always done that?
Click to expand...

I am St. John's fan for over thirty five years mainly due to idolizing Chris. I would welcome him as coach.
Click to expand...

Living in the past will not do the basketball program any good. Mullin has never coached, he wont be shooting any basketballs, and he wont be passing to the open man. He will be on the bench and will have to outsmart very experienced coaches. For the St Johns program to pick him leads me to believe they are only interested in plugging the dam with their finger as they hope the Mullin name will put people in the seats and will draw our attention away from the state of the program. The program is falling apart as the school plays musical chairs with coaching changes
Click to expand...

Dee, stilling holding out for Matt Doughtery??
 
Love Mullin. I understand he is a man of great character. I, too, idolized him and would say he essentially IS St. John's. I never met him, but I am reading such nice things about him. However, these personal accounts and memories of his playing days are coming straight from the heart. A basketball coach should not be chosen with one's heart.

We have been waiting over 10 years for a true basketball coach to fill this position. Let's go get Miller or Hurley. They have a proven ability to both recruit and coach. That is exactly what we have been clamoring for! Why role the dice?

Great player, great guy........never coached, never recruited. Rolling the dice.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to dispute one word of what you said. I woke up early and came down to delete my post before anyone read it, and saw 28 replies. I expected to get dumped on. It's emotional and sentimental - a pile of goop. Then again, the things I wrote have little to do with X's and O's, but everything to do with the foundation on which SJU basketball sits.

Three years ago, Danny Hurley was coaching in the obscurity of Wagner College. I mean, do you knwo how easy it is to get a job at a place like that? Schools at that level still have PT coaches, guys who drive bread routes, or work in offices. Ten years ago, Mullin was an upper executive of an NBA franchise. Yea, he never coached a single game (except a few charity games here and there, notably one at SJU a couple of summers ago). But I'd also argue that for 4 years, he coached SJU from the court, directing traffic, encouraging teammates, and leading by example.

Funny, among the plays that people remember about Mullin, I have one that wouldn't be on anyone's list. It annoyed me. Mullin top of the key wide open at Alumni Hall - an uncontested layup for him. He squares to shoot, and instead zips a laser to Jeff Allen, wide open from 8 feet. Allen muffs the shot. I'm pissed - I mean Mullin passed up a layup, Mullin from 23 feet wide open is better than Allen or anyone else from 10. Still rankles me. But the thing is, Mullin was and is right. The right way to play the game is to involves teammates and get the best possible shot, and an 8 foot wide open shot, is better than a 23 foot shot. He taught me something that day, it's stayed with me, and given the chance, I believe he will teach kids who all have been the man in HS, how to play the game. Because for Mullin, there is only one way to play the game, beyond X's, or O's - a team game that is beautiful when played well.

What St. John's basketball needs - what COLLEGE BASKETBALL needs - is a great ambassador. For the game, for our tradition, for our university. Can you think of a better, more appropriate person than Chris Mullin? I can't, because one doesn't exist, and the closes thing for us just turned 90.
Click to expand...

Jeff Allen had as poor a set of hands as I ever did see.....
 
Jeff Allen shot 56 percent from the floor for his career. His last two years at SJU he shot 62 percent and 58 percent. So I guess when he wan't muffing 8 footers and having the worst hands anyone has ever seen he was kind of okay.
 
Would prefer a guy with coaching experience, preferably Danny Hurley, but if it is Chris, we'll all rally around him. Be it Chris, Dan or another guy, please understand next year will be more than challenging & not judge long term coaching proficiency on clearly a transitional year. Our patience will be tried, but God knows we have experience with that. I just tossed my rear view mirror & put on my rose colored glasses. That coming from a born pessimist. :)
Click to expand...

Agree. But I'm sure there are still a few 2-3 star NYC kids that can help out next year and save SJU.
 
Everyone knows everyone about Chris Mullin's basketball experience so I'm not going to convince anyone based on what he's done on the court at SJU, in the NBA, or as an NBA executive. That's in black and white to be decided on its own merits, subjectively for his qualification as coach.

My pitch has to do with Mullin the guy. Not, the player, not the man, and more appropriately da guy.

Mullin came to SJU as I was leaving as a new graduate still working on campus. He came in heralded of course, and we were all curious. One day in mid September, I saw this tall milk white kid outside outside of Alumni Hall. I guessed it might be him, so I went up to him. I introduced myself and welcomed him to St. John's. I'd told him that I was really excited to see him play, and wished him the best. There's something about chatting with Mullin. He never puts himself above you, and is always willing to chat.

After Mullin took the court, he shined like no freshman we'd ever seen at SJU. He was heads and tails the best player on the court, but more importantly, he made everyone else better too. My friends and I sat directly below his mom and dad, and aunts who were nuns. Nice people. I don't remember if it was the end of freshmen or sophomore year when the team was eliminated from the NCAA's. My friends traveled to a ton of away games and we were at the regionals. Milling around in the rotunda after the game, Mullin, who didn't know any of us personally, spotted us and came over. "I just wanted to tell you guys that I've seen you at so many of our away games, and I really appreciate how you supported the team." This was a kid, 19 or 20, with the goodness and kindness to approach fans just to thank them. Big plus.

When he was a junior, I ran into him around Union turnpike in the spring after basketball was over, and stopped him. I asked him if he knew anything he could share about Walter Berry coming here. As always, friendly and candid, he said he hadn't heard anything new, but sure hoped he was coming. No attitude - just two guys talking SJU hoops.

I remember just before the NBA draft, how a good friend of mine who hung around the SJU bars told me that he hoped Mullin would end up somewhere else. I asked him why, and he said he'd see Mullin in the bars all the time, destroying himself. He said he had to get the hell out of New York, or he'd end up dead. To Mullin's credit, he fought demons like a man, attained sobriety, something I believe he maintains today. He whipped himself into the shape of a marine, still looks the part, and his NBA career skyrocketed.

Funny story. My cousin worked in customs at JFK. It's now known that Chris' dad, a great man himself fought alcohol and attained sobriety. Rod was his supervisor. He had the respect of everyone, but my cousin laughed when he said that it was easy to work for him before he got sober but cracked the whip after. I have some friends who have 30, 40 years of sobriety attained one day at a time. To me, anyone who has been sober for so long has become rock solid in ways beyond keeping alcohol at bay. They are better men than had they never touched a drop. Rod is one, and Chris is another.

From the time my son was 8 till he was 17, I wrote to coaches and athletes and asked them to send him a birthday card I enclosed. Mullin was one of the guys who responded, and he sent a warm note in the card.

Now most recently, when he was inducted, there was something I noticed that was different about Mullin. Same old guy for sure. I brought my wife to the induction breakfast. In those days, she came to every single game, and sitting behind the SJU basket at the garden and behind the bench at Alumni Hall, we were often on TV, a testimony more to her looks certainly than mine. So when I asked her if she wanted to go to the breakfast, she didn't hesitate.

At the breakfast,before inductions, Mullin and Coach C. withdrew from their table, and sat together on a window sill with a cup of coffee for 15 minutes or so, undisturbed, just chatting. It was Chris' day, but there was something so comfortable about it, so much of him belonging here and not jsut for a day. After the induction, I asked my wife if she wanted to go up and chat with him, and maybe get a photo with him. She was more than happy to, and grabbed a pen for Chris to autograph her program.

Mullin when we approached him was so gracious and familiar. Before we could really speak he introduced us to an older brother who had played at Siena (I always confuse which borther played at Siena and which at Bridgeport). We told Chris that we sat right beneath his parents, and he joked, "Yup. One loud one, one quiet one." We chatted about his brother Terrence coaching at St. Francis de Sales CYO and that he is often a row behind us at CA. He was really patient as someone struggled with my camera to get a shot. After 4-5 tries it worked, and Chris, patient the whole time, smiled and said "Persistence!"

The whole point is, that if we are to return to prominence, and the kid of prominence that endures, if we are to recapture what was magical about St. John's, not just in 2011, or 2000, but back in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s - the whole era, for my two cents having a guy on the bench who not only was the best who ever played here, but a guy who is from the city and is one of us, and is red and white through and through.

For the doubters about a heralded player becoming a great coach, only one player is inducted into the Hall of Fame as player and coach. He was the best player in college basketball, and then went on to become arguably the greatest coach. His name - John Wooden, and as anyone who knows would tell you, was a far greater man than coach. Not a bad guy for Mullin to emulate, even it it's aiming for the stars. Then again, hasn't Mullin always done that?
Click to expand...

Great stories. Thanks for sharing
 
Would prefer a guy with coaching experience
Click to expand...

Where did Lou coach before Saint John's?
Click to expand...

He did have some coaching experience, albeit high school.
Click to expand...

If HS coaching experience is part of the hiring criteria that certainly would allow them to cast a wider net.
Click to expand...

Nah, just responding to your Louie comparison. We are in a different place then we were pre-Louie.
Click to expand...

Frank Mulzoff had no prior experience either. Of the two most successful coaches since Lapchick neither had previous college coaching experience.
 
Would prefer a guy with coaching experience
Click to expand...

Where did Lou coach before Saint John's?
Click to expand...

He did have some coaching experience, albeit high school.
Click to expand...

If HS coaching experience is part of the hiring criteria that certainly would allow them to cast a wider net.
Click to expand...

Nah, just responding to your Louie comparison. We are in a different place then we were pre-Louie.
Click to expand...

Frank Mulzoff had no prior experience either. Of the two most successful coaches since Lapchick neither had previous college coaching experience.
Click to expand...

Frank Mulzoff inherited St. John's best freshen team ever. Mel Davis, Billy Schaeffer, Larry Jenkins, Tony Prince. And who can forget Ron Rutledge, who may have lasted a year before transferring. He also had a really nice player in Greg Cluess as an upper classman. He got to 2 NIT's, including a semifinal, and a first round NCAA exit. I don't recall if he recruited any impact players. With the hand he was given, it was hard not to make the post season.
 
Would prefer a guy with coaching experience
Click to expand...

Where did Lou coach before Saint John's?
Click to expand...

He did have some coaching experience, albeit high school.
Click to expand...

If HS coaching experience is part of the hiring criteria that certainly would allow them to cast a wider net.
Click to expand...

Nah, just responding to your Louie comparison. We are in a different place then we were pre-Louie.
Click to expand...

Frank Mulzoff had no prior experience either. Of the two most successful coaches since Lapchick neither had previous college coaching experience.
Click to expand...

You win. :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top