Would think Notre Dame would have been referenced by now. But it is weirdly quiet so who knows.
Possible Coaching Candidates
- Thread starter MugCostanza
- Start date
I don't think Clemson's coach will be fired, especially not after finishing 3rd in the ACC (I heard their best ever ACC record). Next year if they don't make the Tournament then yeah, but not this year.
Keep in mind while football money does (and has) threatened the Big East for decades now, the Big East has always done well and we saw this happen a decade ago when Buzz left for an ACC job due to those exact reasons. Well, look at Marquette now. Current Big East teams have very rarely gotten 5 stars that the big name conferences eat up but our business model clearly works.
Pitino intends to coach for 5 more years, not 20, and so far the realigned Big East has been a 4+ bid conference for all 10 years. If he can't win here it'd have nothing to do with football.
Keep in mind while football money does (and has) threatened the Big East for decades now, the Big East has always done well and we saw this happen a decade ago when Buzz left for an ACC job due to those exact reasons. Well, look at Marquette now. Current Big East teams have very rarely gotten 5 stars that the big name conferences eat up but our business model clearly works.
Pitino intends to coach for 5 more years, not 20, and so far the realigned Big East has been a 4+ bid conference for all 10 years. If he can't win here it'd have nothing to do with football.
I wouldn't be shocked to see South Florida as a possible target for Rick. That's a popular retirement destination, so he could go down there, and still coach at the same time.
I'm surprised he hasn't been mentioned for that job. I would imagine he'd have interest.
EDIT: Maybe his instance on carrying Massiello on staff is a non-starter there.
Appreciate your posts. We need more contrasting opinions to quell our excitement.Agree. There will be several head coach openings at big football schools over the next few weeks. Pitino said this 3 weeks ago:
"I was around when basketball could parallel football in my early years of coaching, now if you look at the TV ratings it's ridiculous. The way basketball sagged & football has become gigantic. Big football schools have a huge advantage over everyone. Whatever they want, the football schools get.”
Iona's Rick Pitino goes off on NIL rant | The NIL Deal
Add Rick Pitino’s name to those who have been critical of NIL, as he went off on a long rant about the entire movement.www.nildealnow.com
And I am not being sarcastic.
But because I want contradict your contrast (yes, I am trying to tie your brain in knots), I think Pitino does not want to coach at a “football school”.
Pitino wants to be the main focus on campus. Even when he coached at Kentucky and Louisville with football programs, they were overshadowed by basketball. He is not one to take a back seat to a football coach.
If Kentucky or Louisville qualify for a mid-tier bowl, it is a successful season and everyone is happy.
Not the case in hoops. They have high expectations, where anything less than a final four is frowned upon.
Pitino will appear on campus (we can assume the driver picking him up has Waze on his phone and will not get lost) and immediately become the face of the university.
Pitino also absolutely understands rebuilding NYC’s moribund college basketball program will be the exclamation point to a hall of fame career.
All good points. SJU is certainly the odds-on favorite at this point, I'm just wary. Regarding Pitino's potential to rebuild a moribund program: I am shocked that Georgetown doesn't want him- that is, if you believe media pundits like Goodman and Fanta. It would certainly be a no-brainer for Pitino.
I’m just not 100% sold that he thinks he can rebuild our program in 2-3 years without the resources we may not have available.
He hasn’t had to rebuild a program in many, many years.
We all should find out in a few weeks.
With the transfer portal rebuilding isn't really a thing anymore. Great coaches come and win within 1-2 seasons. Plus, we still have a few solid pieces on our team. This is nothing at all like Lavin's second year or Mullin's first year.
Exactly.
Norm, Lav and Mullin had major rebuilds.
SJU is not a rebuild. It's a severely underachieving team.
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The president at Georgetown supposedly doesn't want Pitino. Not sure of the validity, but that's the rumor.
Frankly, I have a feeling Pitino wants to try his hand at St. John's rather than Georgetown anyhow. Just a hunch.
Besides, what better way to atone for your sins than to assist the Vincentians?
The Jesuits are loaded.
There is the catch. Pitino may just want SJU. It is that simple. Bigger conference and he does not have to move.
And don’t think for one second Pitino is unaware of the facilities and that is not as important now with the advent of the NIL, which is more critical.
Besides, most of the 1980’s teen comedies (and that is the decade we want the program to emulate in terms of success)) had the dorky guy getting the pretty cheerleader in the end.
This program has definitely been the dork. Maybe now we can have the cheerleader.
MugCostanza
Well-known member
I do think facilities is somewhat overrated when it comes to college basketball recruiting. Lavin was able to bring serious talent in here and had some others committed that never made it to campus for one reason or another. Mullin/Matt A were also able to bring in some high level players including top-end transfers from Arizona and Michigan State whose facilities dwarf ours. As you said, now NIL is far more critical making facilities even less of a deciding factor.
Rocket
Well-known member
By George, I agree with you Costanza!
I can't remember the last time Gonzaga didn't go the NCAA postseason tournament. Their training facility is not much better than our Taffner facility.
We have dedicated courts, great lighting, weight room, jacuzzi, etc. What else do you need? A cocktail waitress?
I can see this going the way of Rutgers and their football coach. He wanted a promise of new upgraded facilities and is getting them. I believe pitino will have the same sort of thing in his contract. I firmly believe pitino is coming this way because only one other school is potentially linked to him and Georgetown stepped out of the race knowing sju is going to land him. It's a good song there
Taffner was outdated when it opened as I have stated before. Cheap material, poorly designed with decades old thinking (who puts in wooden auditorium seats like the public schools in the city in a $25M facility). I give them credit as they have spruced it up and updates it but unfortunately some flaws are not easily correctable.
I agree with the right coach, it matters less especially with NIL, but don’t kid yourselves, budget increases for staff, recruiting, travel and facilities are going to have to be part of the plan. Not sure how much else you can do with CA but I would expect more games, at MSG.
If I recall correctly the major donor for the facility was to be a gentleman named “Riley” but withdrew his financial pledge when his favorite coaching candidate Matt Doherty was not hired. Harrington hired Norm instead.
Following Riley’s exit the project was scaled back and the Tafner family stepped in to build what StJohn’s now has. The bottom line is Tafner is far from ideal but better than what StJohn’s had. Once again it is true that “We Are St.John’s“ and everything gets F—ed up.
Taffner of CA?
I don't think it's fair to paint all Jesuits as heavy drinkers.Besides, what better way to atone for your sins than to assist the Vincentians?
The Jesuits are loaded.
Taffner but I guess you can say similar things about CA however I wasn’t around when it was opened so I can’t tell you if it was already outdated when it did.