The search begins officially now. But as Bates said in his press conference, every AD in the country has a list. It now becomes a matter of working the list and finding the right coach. Unlike past BC leaders, Bates plays his cards close to the vest. I don't think you will hear much leaking. News will lean heavily on speculation. However, we can glean a few things from Bates' work during the football search.
1. He's not afraid to reach out to a big name. During our last football search we know Bates reached out to Al Golden and Bill O'Brien. There's also been speculation that he talked to Chip Kelley. Even at the time all of those names were longshots, but it is encouraging that he approached them. I don't think he's going to get Tom Izzo or Coach K, but I am confident that he won't let a name or current salary keep him from exploring interest.
2. Recruiting matters...a lot. Bates follows recruiting closely. He knows it is the lifeblood of the program. It was Addazio's biggest strength and probably what ultimately cost Donahue his job. We couldn't let him comeback and hamstring the program with a mediocre 2015 big recruiting class. I don't know who our new coach will be but I expect him to have a reputation as an ace recruiter.
3. Fan opinion doesn't matter that much. The "splash" of the hire in unimportant to Bates. He said so during the press conference. He wants the new coach to be the right coach. A temporary splash can be a fringe benefit, but not the priority.
4. Administration opinions do matter. One of the reasons Bates hired Addazio is that Addazio wowed the BC Staffers and the school had already done its due diligence on him in 2009. Bates put stock in that...or at least more stock than he did in the boosters who told him not to hire Addazio.
I don't know how this will play out. I hope for Howland, but there are plenty of good candidates. The Globe said Amaker is the leading candidate. That makes sense since he is a known recruiter and already has a few different BC constituents pulling for him. I am not a fan of Amaker, but will wait to see how this plays out a bit.
I don't expect this will be a rush job. We have one of the better openings and many of the coaches and assistants we would want to interview are in the tournament.
There are no guarantees in any of this. However, it is nice to have hope and it is comforting that we didn't waste an extra season of everyone's time like we have in other sports.
Posts
17 comments:
All of those BC "insiders" look like complete idiots for advising against Daz. I would hope Bates would simply listen to their opinions on a bball coach and then go the route that HE feels is best.
Do what you have to do to get Hopkins!
ATL
I hope Bates is as thorough in his search as you have been in keeping us up to date throughout this period.
It's been tremendous .
A while back you said they could get Cooley. Do you still think so? I have my doubts, but I would love to be wrong.
I heard him interviewed on WFAN in NY on Monday, he was so impressive. He's got a 7 ft kid from my town headed to PC in the fall. If we can get Ed for BC maybe the kid will follow.
Listened to that interview w Cooley as well. He gave a shoutout to Skinner again. As you said, he is impressive.
Regarding Pascal: The fact that Donahue and BC wasn't on the radar of getting a kid at a need position from a school where a quarter of their student body apply to BC annually is all you need to know about his recruiting.
Cooley isn't happening though, for many reasons. Skinner, he loves Providence, $$, leeway from admin, etc.
Maybe Atl will start a lottery so that posters have a chance to make their picks for a new coach and have a chance at winning some decent $$.
Each lottery entry would cost a $1000 and the pot would be split among the winners. It sure would let people put their money where their mouth is and give everyone a chance to know who knows what. I'm sure that NB or BB would be the first to jump in.
Better yet, we could vote off the most unpopular commenters, who regularly post absolute drivel.
That deserves a standing ovation Thomas
@ Hoib - I'm a Cooley fan as well but the sports article in the WSJ today about the police investigating two Providence freshman on the men's bball team for sexual assault can't be good for Cooley's chances (if he wanted to come)
Did anybody read the reports of Bruce Pearl's contract at Auburn? $14.5 million over six (6) years with incentives!!!
His reception at the airport and his first, impromptu news conference were events in their own right. It must be fun being the SID with Pearl around.
I notice that Auburn didn't blink at Pearl's Order to Show Cause.
Those posters here who said Pearl was pipe dream were certainly correct, based on those numbers.
Lets hope our process of selection turns out well.
P.S. The suggestion of Paul Westhead and "THE SYSTEM" brought back memories of 130 -128 games. Whatever else you can say about those days, Loyola Marymount never had any trouble filling the seats.
Lenny - Yes, Auburn did not have any concerns about taking Pearl, his NCAA violations or his personal ethics.
Is that at all suprising?
Are you suggesting BC should take the same approach. The Cam Newton approach?
mod34b:
I'm suggesting that what seemed an insurmountable problem for you was not a problem at all for a well-known, prestigious, public university seeking to upgrade it basketball program.
I don't know what your problem with Bruce Pearl is? Did you know him when he was at BC? or at his other positions? Your animosity seems personal, rather than anything having to do with athletics.
Everybody makes mistakes...what is the cliche? "Love the sinner--hate the sin".
BC has only lately been such a pillar of rectitude. I well remember when our vaunted academics took a statistical hit at the end of each football season as the "student athletes" cleared out of Roncalli, on to their next paying gig.
As for basketball, you're probably not old enough to have been around for the "Good Fellas" gambling scandal; but I am and still feel badly for the kids involved. I'd like to have seen heavier punishment for Henry Hill and his cohorts; but this was real life crime--not the NCAA's pettifogging nonsense. A coach inviting a kid and his family for barbecue hardly calls for a lifetime ban.
I know, I know he lied about it...I recall a tasteless joke from CCD class: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone....Mom, put down that damned rock".
...aw, it would have been worth it just to see Pearl show up in the Baldwin costume. We at BC have lost our sense of the absurd. I attribute it all to c hanging the band from blazers into MGM pseudo-military uniforms. We had more fun pretending to be Stanford, then aping Alabama.
Next Fall will mark my 50th year of following BC basketball. I'd love to get back to the days of Cooz, Dr. Tom, Chuck D., and Gary W.; but I'd settle for a Coach with a full court press and a running offense.
"Ever to Whatever..."
I guess I'm just not sure what all the angst is about. We were never getting Pearl. The money AU gave him is what, 2.2m?
It's Auburn. The most corrupt athletic program perhaps ever. Those guys wouldn't know ethics even if Jesus himself taught the class on campus.
I am not convinced the Pearl thing is such a big deal. He was a good recruiter. He was a good coach. He admitted at his press conference that he is still not available until August.
Can we not move on?
This is a good job. Looking forward to getting serious about basketball. Amateur hour is over. There is a higher ceiling here than in football and BC took the first step after all the yelling and screaming about the obvious.
Enough about sin and Pearl, forgiveness, and redemption and whatever. If you want perfection, you should've joined the monastery. Give me a break. You hired Bates to be able to think big, to think creatively beyond the MAC and within budget.
The resurrection is very doable. Ask JC. He might be at Auburn.
Lenny, what a disaapointing response from you.
I too have very deep BC roots -- going back over 5 decades. I know all about the items you mention.
I believe proper ethics are the core value of BC and living an ethical life is the core mission of BC. That includes basketball and sports.
You say, "Your animosity seems personal, rather than anything having to do with athletics. BC has only lately been such a pillar of rectitude."
I have no animosity to Pearl. I've never met the man. And you are right, my opposition to Pearl has nothing to do with athletics. It has to do with ethics. I studied Pearl's record and would not want him presently associated with BC. His ethics are not up to BC standards presently (I know you want to whitewash it all, but it is not as you say).
Maybe the BC you knew was sleazy, and that's really too bad to hear from a old alum like yourself. I wish you had a better view of BC. I am sure Fathers Monan and Neenan would not agree with you. Did you spent too much time studying the dubious ethics of Father Hanrahan?
Indeed, it is amazing that you would put BC on Auburn's (very low) level.
I seek a higher plane.
Ever to Excel.
Lenny
I couldn't agree w/ you more. Bruce would have been so much fun behind the sidelines at Conte. Maybe we can schedule some more game w/ Auburn. I hope he does great down their, which I would be surprised if he doesn't I'll be rooting for him, like I do w/ all my fellow Eagles.
JDK
I don't see this as a problem for Cooley so long as he. Did what he was supposed to once he found out.
Look @ Franklin from Vandy where a horrendous sexual assault took place while he was coach. He responded correctly and now is the coach of Penn St. where we know they have to be sensitive to such things.
Hoib and Lenny, I am getting the picture that BC was a real sleaze-a-palooza when u guys attended in the 1950s.
I feel greasy even talking to you two :-). Ha!
Mod34b
These things were probably going while u were there too. You just didn't notice because you and Sister Joseph were always in church. Meanwhile greasy me and Lenny were out carousing and having all the fun. Just win baby!
Howland left UCLA in terrible shape. Hard to support bringing that to BC.
Post a Comment