Next Coach?
- Thread starter Knight
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you brought up the weed. I said that I agreed with you that suspending Obekpa was the ethical thing to do. Did you actually read what I said or are you just looking to argue as Lavin's agent no matter if it makes sense or not?
Yes suspending Obekpa was appropriate. BUT if you give him kudos for that then you also need to be fair and honest and admit that this is his ship and he's the captain. He is responsible. It is NOT just about winning and because of that Lavin is EVEN MORE responsible, not less as you would infer. As head coach being paid an insane amount of money by a Catholic school no less (you also brought up the Catholic thing) he is responsible for running a tight ship and the standard because of that would actually be higher than at Duke or Louisville, although those two coaches and programs I would not bring into the discussion at all as they are extraneous nonsense.
tom in salem
Well-known member
n/m
To be clear on my change in position, what put me over the top was how the SDSU coach couldn't wipe that grin off his face and was almost laughing when he first discussed facing a "Lavin-led St. John's team." He was so relaxed in the halftime interview with that same stupid grin and his players were laughing. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have rather faced us than Buffalo if given the choice and that is sickening to me.
Buffalo was more competitive with a higher seed and a better team than we were with #8 SDSU, and Buffalo was much younger and the core pieces were assembled by Hurley weeks after he was hired.
How does Hurley find a 6'7 240 pound pf that averages 17.5 and 9.2 less than a month after he is hired when we have to start four guards against a team that starts four forwards?
Lavin did a tremendous job rescuing this program from complete obscurity and I am thankful to him for that. He had some bad breaks that weren't really his fault and that really hampered his ability to be successful.
In the end, I don't believe he is a good enough program architect and his style of play is too maddening for me to sign on for another handful of years while I see two exceptional younger coaches that have literally everything it takes to build and maintain a top 25 program. We can't miss out on them now or we will never have a chance to get back to where we once were.
Buffalo was more competitive with a higher seed and a better team than we were with #8 SDSU, and Buffalo was much younger and the core pieces were assembled by Hurley weeks after he was hired.
How does Hurley find a 6'7 240 pound pf that averages 17.5 and 9.2 less than a month after he is hired when we have to start four guards against a team that starts four forwards?
Lavin did a tremendous job rescuing this program from complete obscurity and I am thankful to him for that. He had some bad breaks that weren't really his fault and that really hampered his ability to be successful.
In the end, I don't believe he is a good enough program architect and his style of play is too maddening for me to sign on for another handful of years while I see two exceptional younger coaches that have literally everything it takes to build and maintain a top 25 program. We can't miss out on them now or we will never have a chance to get back to where we once were.
tom in salem
Well-known member
We're not Goldman Sachs people.
Let's be realistic about who wants to work here.
What other BE coach would you currently take?
Cooley? Wojuhoswkee? Willard? JT 3?
Let's be realistic about who wants to work here.
What other BE coach would you currently take?
Cooley? Wojuhoswkee? Willard? JT 3?
DONOVAN LINKED TO NBA
The Billy Donovan to the NBA rumors are percolating once again.
ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote that Donovan is considering making a move, with the Orlando Magic once again a potential landing spot. Donovan famously accepted the Magic job in 2007, only to have a change of heart and return to Florida.
“There is a growing sense in NBA coaching circles that Florida’s Billy Donovan will give renewed consideration to making a move to the pros after a rough (by his standards) season in Gainesville,” Stein wrote. “Although there is no firm indication yet that the Orlando Magic will pursue Donovan again when they ramp up their coaching search in late April, it’s a scenario that’s bound to be talked about.”
Per Zags
The Billy Donovan to the NBA rumors are percolating once again.
ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote that Donovan is considering making a move, with the Orlando Magic once again a potential landing spot. Donovan famously accepted the Magic job in 2007, only to have a change of heart and return to Florida.
“There is a growing sense in NBA coaching circles that Florida’s Billy Donovan will give renewed consideration to making a move to the pros after a rough (by his standards) season in Gainesville,” Stein wrote. “Although there is no firm indication yet that the Orlando Magic will pursue Donovan again when they ramp up their coaching search in late April, it’s a scenario that’s bound to be talked about.”
Per Zags
Lavin should be given an extension of 3 years on his contract. First he is a good person and runs a clean program, Second he wanted the St Johns job and unless he is misleading everyone wants to stay at st johns. Many of these other coaches dont look at the st johns job as their goal but rather only (if they want to come here) as a jumping spot to another school and a "better" job. Third, Lavin can recruit and has recruited many very good players. Fourth Lavin knows that a winning st johns team will rock new york city and could control the back pages of our tabloids. He has to win to show these recruits how much the media coverage in new york city as opposed to Iowa, Syracuse (brrrr so cold up there), or even Chapel Hill can mean to a player coming out of college. You get the notoriety and the spotlight. Fifth he is an okay coach during games, he does need to get better and needs someone like Dunlap to help him out. Dont forget he was away from the game for a long time but I believe he has improved and will get better. Taking all of that into consideration, an extension is in order.
i agree with some of your points Dee, but the "can recruit" is really a misnomer . Its can recruit people other programs don't want due to academic and other questions. K thomas, Pelle, Artis, the list is endless. I think 5 years was a good gauge and I just don't see it now or ever with Lavs unless you are content to make the tourney 3 times every decade and get swept out in the first game. Roster composition and class balance are atrocious and really bit us in the ass all season. Im willing to go in another direction.
Dee-
Everything you said was true. But for the salary he receives I would expect a better job all round.
His recruiting efforts have been spotty at best. Where are the bigs? Who do we have if Diallo goes elsewhere? We also have too many unusable bench players. Etc,
ZanMan
Well-known member
I wouldn't be surprised if they offer him less money. Maybe they should. I'm not a Lavin hater, in fact, there is something about the guy I like, but I too am wondering if he can do much better than what we've seen in the past we years. If I was giving him and the program an overall grade for the past 4/5 years, it would be a "B-". We need an "A."
We should be going to the NCAAs every year and make a nice sweet 16 or elite 8 run every few years. That is what most of us realistically expect/want and I'm not sure if he is the one to get us there. I just don't know if this is what the admin wants/expects.
We shall see.
We should be going to the NCAAs every year and make a nice sweet 16 or elite 8 run every few years. That is what most of us realistically expect/want and I'm not sure if he is the one to get us there. I just don't know if this is what the admin wants/expects.
We shall see.
we are sju
Active member
Marillac about face would be the equivalent of the minute after the innocent verdict came in, Johnnie Cochrane joining the DA's office to go after OJ for perjury.
we are sju
Active member
Big Love was HBO's worst show, scratch him off the list
Class of 72
Active member
Val, the players you mentioned were all recruited by better programs than St. John's. When Dominic Artis and Norvel Pelle were high schoolers the conoscenti here were creaming in their jock straps about the chances of signing them. It is disingenuous to imply other programs did not want them.
Check your facts. That they had issues after "graduating" from high school is not a Lavin issue.
Hold that job open. If Vill don't come back he may get run out of Philly.
Let me throw this question out there: do we believe Lavin is a better coach today than he was five years ago?
Players learn and develop; coaches do too. It's been a turbulent few years – cancer, death of his father, loss of Dunlap, ups and downs in recruitment.
Do we believe Lavin is better prepared for the next five years than he was for his first five?
Players learn and develop; coaches do too. It's been a turbulent few years – cancer, death of his father, loss of Dunlap, ups and downs in recruitment.
Do we believe Lavin is better prepared for the next five years than he was for his first five?