What will it take to save St. John's Basketball from permanent mediocrity & irrelevance?

[monte]

Your statement wasn’t if we could’ve done better. You said much better. I don’t think any of the candidates that applied could have done much better. Maybe better but no sure thing.

Now if you want to change your comment to possibly find a cheaper option to do the same as CMA, then I would agree 100%. But even then we would be in the same boat.

Agree that we could have found a much cheaper option who could have given us what CMA has given us, but also firmly believe that there were some other candidates out there who we never pursued because the search was not handled properly. Anyhow we'll never know, but just don't see how CMA was the best option when we didn't do a thorough and efficient search.

 

[monte]

Think about the fact that NONE of the coaches we have hired since Lou were ever hired by a major school after they left.
This trend will continue with Anderson.

In the case of BM, Norm and Chris, they weren't hired by anyone(as HCs)

 

[mjmaherjr]

Shaman and a lot of ayuhuasca

 

[Roamer]

Think about the fact that NONE of the coaches we have hired since Lou were ever hired by a major school after they left.
This trend will continue with Anderson.

SJU is the graveyard for coaches.

 

[bamafan]

SJU is the graveyard for coaches.

But they come here with at least one foot in the grave we just put the finishing touches on their coaching careers

 

[redken]

SJU is the graveyard for coaches.

Think of it more as a permanent resting place, not as one foot in the grave.

 

[Johnny Rapper]

In Chronological order....

1. Immediately start making inroads into available coaches and those who may express interest. Check out NBA coaches having a rough season who may make the switch. Waiting for seasons end will only yield another disastrous hire. And please don't think this hasn't happened before. Well all know that Mullin was contacted well before season's end while Lavin was still coaching.This would require hiring a professional search firm and leave Cragg out of it.

2. Fire Anderson and the entire staff the day after the team plays the last game.

3. Fire Cragg the following day and hire an AD who is more savvy with the NIL market and has ties with corporate NYC.

4. Do whatever it takes to get Mike Repole back in support of the organization, even if you have to grovel. Every great school /organization has a wealthy backer in support of the organization.

5. After Anderson and Cragg are let go, the school should pretty much already know who the next hire will be. Get him on board ASAP as well as a new AD and put them to work fast making the inroads with players and corporations that will move the school/program forward.

Anything short of everything mentioned above will just be a bandaid solution which will most likely yield another disaster.

 

[SLYFOXX1968]

As a Alum of the School of Business( Tobin) it is hard to believe how badly managed not only the BB program has been over the last 2 Decades but , also how badly the entire School has been managed . It’s hard to fathom how a School like St John’s has dire financial conditions that it can’t handle a buyout from a failed Coach . Does anyone know the Balance sheet of the University ? What is the Revenue from the BB program ? Tv Revenue ? How much is spent on Compensation for Men’s BB ? We have been hearing for time immemorial there is no money for building a new on campus Arena . Many Universities seek financing for such a project from large Corporate donors and then name the Arena after the Sponsor . With all the mega Wall Street , Accounting , Banking , Insurance firms , etc that exist in NYC or Metro NY has anyone solicited such a Fund Raising Campaign? Ok , maybe it’s not timely for a major on Campus Arena but , my Goodness figure out a way to get rid of Anderson . And , for once , hire a Coach who can win here ! And , the only way that can happen is by hiring a almost guaranteed Elite or close to it , Head Coach . Pitino is right here , under our Nose don’t whiff on him and have him wind up at G ‘town . If he does land there and the School holds on to Anderson , our Program will remain irrelevant for another 2 decades . Or longer .

 

[redmanwest]

CMA has sucked. You telling we couldn't have done any better then a coach who's sucked??? A botched search does not identify and hire the best candidate. And everyone knows it was a botched search

I think to be fair, at the time no one wanted to come here and several who were targeted ran for the hills. Coach fell into our laps and given his track record, no other viable candidates were better and it was worth taking the chance, despite the fact that his last stint ended in dismissal. Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s turned out badly. The game has moved past him. But at the time many were relieved, if not pleasantly surprised we were able to get him.

 

[redmanwest]

In Chronological order....

1. Immediately start making inroads into available coaches and those who may express interest. Check out NBA coaches having a rough season who may make the switch. Waiting for seasons end will only yield another disastrous hire. And please don't think this hasn't happened before. Well all know that Mullin was contacted well before season's end while Lavin was still coaching.This would require hiring a professional search firm and leave Cragg out of it.

2. Fire Anderson and the entire staff the day after the team plays the last game.

3. Fire Cragg the following day and hire an AD who is more savvy with the NIL market and has ties with corporate NYC.

4. Do whatever it takes to get Mike Repole back in support of the organization, even if you have to grovel. Every great school /organization has a wealthy backer in support of the organization.

5. After Anderson and Cragg are let go, the school should pretty much already know who the next hire will be. Get him on board ASAP as well as a new AD and put them to work fast making the inroads with players and corporations that will move the school/program forward.

Anything short of everything mentioned above will just be a bandaid solution which will most likely yield another disaster.

Honestly, I think it’s a pipe dream to think Repole is the savior. He’s loved on. Doubt he’ll be back. But that doesn’t mean much of your other action items aren’t spot on.

 

[dee]

CMA has sucked. You telling we couldn't have done any better then a coach who's sucked??? A botched search does not identify and hire the best candidate. And everyone knows it was a botched search

If you recall they couldn't find anyone who wanted the job. Then coach K told Cragg why not Anderson. At the time only Pitino would have come here. First to come home from Greece and second to redeem himself. No other top coach was interested. The school in all its virtue wouldn't touch Pitino. In my opinion not so much because of the ncaa investigation but because he had sex with a milf in a restaurant. But the vincentians forgot that the good lord preached to forgive sinners. It is time Pitino came here to coach

 

[dee]

As a Alum of the School of Business( Tobin) it is hard to believe how badly managed not only the BB program has been over the last 2 Decades but , also how badly the entire School has been managed . It’s hard to fathom how a School like St John’s has dire financial conditions that it can’t handle a buyout from a failed Coach . Does anyone know the Balance sheet of the University ? What is the Revenue from the BB program ? Tv Revenue ? How much is spent on Compensation for Men’s BB ? We have been hearing for time immemorial there is no money for building a new on campus Arena . Many Universities seek financing for such a project from large Corporate donors and then name the Arena after the Sponsor . With all the mega Wall Street , Accounting , Banking , Insurance firms , etc that exist in NYC or Metro NY has anyone solicited such a Fund Raising Campaign? Ok , maybe it’s not timely for a major on Campus Arena but , my Goodness figure out a way to get rid of Anderson . And , for once , hire a Coach who can win here ! And , the only way that can happen is by hiring a almost guaranteed Elite or close to it , Head Coach . Pitino is right here , under our Nose don’t whiff on him and have him wind up at G ‘town . If he does land there and the School holds on to Anderson , our Program will remain irrelevant for another 2 decades . Or longer .

What did they do with all the money they got for selling the business school bldg in manhattan?

 

[monte]

If you recall they couldn't find anyone who wanted the job. Then coach K told Cragg why not Anderson. At the time only Pitino would have come here. First to come home from Greece and second to redeem himself. No other top coach was interested. The school in all its virtue wouldn't touch Pitino. In my opinion not so much because of the ncaa investigation but because he had sex with a milf in a restaurant. But the vincentians forgot that the good lord preached to forgive sinners. It is time Pitino came here to coach

I recall the botched coaching search quite well. In hindsight, Jones would have been a better choice IMO. I still say that because the search wasn't a thorough one, that we don't know which other young modnajor coaches may have come here if we showed an interest. I didn't think that was the right time for us to have hired Pitino. I do think that now is.

 

[bamafan]

I recall the botched coaching search quite well. In hindsight, Jones would have been a better choice IMO. I still say that because the search wasn't a thorough one, that we don't know which other young modnajor coaches may have come here if we showed an interest. I didn't think that was the right time for us to have hired Pitino. I do think that now is.

Got to think when our job opened up there were hundreds of applicants. Problem is our brainless trust probably never heard of over 90% of them and didn’t bother to do the deep dive and work it would have taken to maybe for once hire the right guy. I believe every coach hired since Lou was done in a haphazard manner. Just think about what SJU85 always says: There is the right way to do things and then there is the St. John’s way. Our University does most things ass backwards.

 

[Mean Gene]

The only way we save this program is to hire a top notch coach , Pitino, Mack or Turgeon for example and get some more big donors involved. Repole is one guy but isn’t the owner of the Tampa Bay Rays a St. John’s Grad? I’m sure there are others as well. These are the two things that need to happen simultaneously, otherwise I’m afraid there might not be much hope.

 

[monte]

Got to think when our job opened up there were hundreds of applicants. Problem is our brainless trust probably never heard of over 90% of them and didn’t bother to do the deep dive and work it would have taken to maybe for once hire the right guy. I believe every coach hired since Lou was done in a haphazard manner. Just think about what SJU85 always says: There is the right way to do things and then there is the St. John’s way. Our University does most things ass backwards.

Bingo!

 

[room112]

I recall the botched coaching search quite well. In hindsight, Jones would have been a better choice IMO. I still say that because the search wasn't a thorough one, that we don't know which other young modnajor coaches may have come here if we showed an interest. I didn't think that was the right time for us to have hired Pitino. I do think that now is.

Was Jones interested? Just asking because I'm not sure it was ever clear or maybe I missed it.

Also interesting that Jones is still at Yale. So it's not like a other major school has come calling (unless he turned them down)

 

[Johnny Rapper]

SJU is the graveyard for coaches.

Or more likely these coaches were just incompetent?

 

[Las Vegan]

Almost all of the above comments are cogent enough, but we should also get at one of the "root causes."
Who is negotiating the athletic department contracts, specifically the Rohrssen contact and the extensions to Mullin and Anderson's contracts?
If this incompetence isn't remedied, the circus will continue. If Anderson does get close to eight million, it would mean the school has paid in the neighborhood of $20 million in buying out the contracts of the seven coaching failures.

 

[monte]

Was Jones interested? Just asking because I'm not sure it was ever clear or maybe I missed it.

Also interesting that Jones is still at Yale. So it's not like a other major school has come calling (unless he turned them down)

Don't ever remember hearing one way or the other whether or not he was interested.