Mullin sat on the scorers table so long at least we know he never had hemorrhoids
He should have been one of our best coaches ever with his basketball mind. He wasn’t cut out for coaching and was lazy recruiting and coaching. When you see Chris F’ing Mullin don’t tell me a 24 year old kid is more suitable to be running huddles. And he absolutely didn’t show up on some recruiting visits: that’s 100%
MJM I agree very often with your posts and except for what's in bold agree with this post.
Chris tried coaching, and obviously was not a natural on the sidelines. To coach in college you need a wide array of talents way beyond coaching in the pros. Recruiting takes way more time, game prep takes way more time, player development takes way more time, monitoring players academics and personal lives, etc. Chris wasn't prepared and not cut out for much of it.
Nothing wrong with that. It's the reason why coaching D1 is not an entry level job.
I couldn't give a crap about where he sat. It is his gym, more than any player who played here. If Pitino wanted a throne to sit on wouldn't make him a better or worse coach.
I tried coaching. I was ok, but not cut out for it. I was certified as an IABO ref but was even worse at that. I was horrible umping high school level players in baseball.
I've been around Tim Cluess and he coached his own kids in yout ball in addition to St Marys. He is a natural, and told me he loves coaching at any level.
In terms of recruiting, most high level college coaches often only come in to close a deal. They are only super present for super blue chip players.
Greg once told me he and Chris were in lockstep about everything, and often spoke strategy late into the night almost daily. Chris delegated timeout stuff to Greg, but the optics were horrible that the HC wasn't in huddles.
All in all Chris Mullin coaching St Johns generated enormous interest. His initial press conference drew maybe 2000 people. Matt did great and is a bulldog recruiter, no doubt, but players came here for Chris. If Lovett stayed, who knows?
For all that Chris in the end got better results by year 3 (before Lovett quit) and 4 than Ewing
Almost 16 years ago the Johnnies were blown out by Syracuse at MSG by over 25 from what i recall. During the game the cheer squad threw 6th man t shiirts into the stand the Cuse fans threw the shirts back on to the garden floor and subsequently chanted Lets go Orange. The crowd was 75/25 Syracuse advantage. The chant was loud, obnoxious, deafening.
To me that single moment was the worst feeling as a lifelong sju fan,alumnus, to be embarrased, insulted and shamed on your home court was worse than the Pitt scandal and ensuing fallout.
The insult was visceral, real, in your face. Norm’s team failed to compete, it was a timid, scared, unprepared, deer in the headlights embarrasment of an effort that night and that season.
That moment crystalized how far the program had fallen more than anything else. February 24,2009 the worst moment in sju hoops history.
After that debacle Norm was able to squander another year out of SJU and the great Fr Donald J Harrington.
Norm got another year out of exasperation. They tried the loyal assistant, the up and coming mid major, the experienced "stable" guy who became and prima donna. Hiring Norm was Harrington's way of saying "I don't care so long as there aren't scandals", even as he had his own hands in a doozie of one.
