Getting the Cooley and Coen talk out of the way

BC should have hired Bill Coen or Ed Cooley when they fired Al Skinner. BC also should have hired Bill Coen or Ed Cooley when they fired Steve Donahue. Now for the third time in just over a decade, BC has a chance to hire either of the former Skinner assistants. While there are numerous reasons why it won't happen again, I still need to address both and advocate why I think both are better than 90% of the names being floated this time around.

The case for either

While much has changed and the future looks more promising than the last decade, BC remains a unique job. A coach who is familiar with the institutional challenges and strengths has a huge head start on most candidates. Due to their previous time at BC, both coaches know what can work at BC and understand how to recruit and coach at BC.

Both have accomplished enough since they've left to prove that they are their own men and not just two guys who were in the right place at the right time with Skinner. Now the fact a decade later neither are at some basketball power would lead some skeptics to say "BC didn't miss out on anything with those two." I would argue the opposite. Both have improved their respective programs and done it through multiple recruiting cycles to show that it wasn't a fluke. The fact that both stayed in the region is a bonus as they wouldn't have to rebuild recruiting connections nor even make difficult decisions about uprooting families.

Some fans will argue that both are limited and neither would take BC to the next level. While I am optimistic about both, I understand this concern. But my belief is that even if neither ever win the ACC or get us to a Final Four, they both would provide stability and credibility and leave BC in a better place than we are now.

The case against 

As soon as I post this, Providence fans will immediately start saying that BC can't afford Cooley and he will never leave. I know that BC can afford him because we have much more money than Providence athletics. In fact any school that didn't play football this fall is seeing their athletic revenue in freefall. Cooley makes more than Christian did, so BC would have to pay him more than we've ever paid a basketball coach. It can be done. Will it? I don't know. BC is talking big about budgets. Would Ed leave? I don't know. Villanova showed that you can win a National Championship from the Big East. Would the chance to go to the ACC make a difference? It doesn't hurt to ask.

Aside from the Cooley will never leave crowd, there are those Cooley critics who think he is all about recruiting and will never get the most out of his rosters. I understand that, but still think his track record and fit will be better than most of our candidates.

With Bill Coen, the question is not whether he would take the job. He would. The question is can he win at BC. His Northeastern record is pretty good, but not dominant. He also works the transfer market hard for his talent. That sort of strategy is harder to pull off in the ACC. But my belief remains that he is better than most of the names floated and better than nearly all of the guys who only have mid-major experience.

Will it matter?
BC didn't hire these guys before, so odds are not great they get hired this time. But if I am Pat Kraft, after I talk to the big names, I don't go further down the list than these two. BC needs to get to respectability first and both Cooley and Coen can provide that type of basketball.

Is it finally time to hire Ed Cooley?

This is the second part of a series to look at the future of BC Basketball.

BC has hired basketball coaches twice since firing Al Skinner. Both times BC could have hired Cooley. (He interviewed during the Donahue process. He supposedly withdrew his name before any interview when BC fired Donahue.) While BC struggles to recruit and win consistently, Cooley has had the best stretch at Providence since the late '80s/early '90s. Cooley is a proven head coach, has strong BC ties and New England ties and can recruit. He would seem to be a no-brainer. Yet there are plenty of BC fans who really dislike the idea of Cooley coming back to BC.

The problem with Cooley is two-fold. One he is closely associated with Skinner. That should be a good thing, but others see it as holding onto the past and trying to recreate something that is long gone. The other is the idea is that Cooley is just a recruiter and nothing more. His Providence teams are always talented but lose games they shouldn't and rarely make postseason runs.

Cooley has also made very public statements about never wanting to leave Providence and Providence being home, but I think we could still get him to come to BC. It would be expensive, but making the jump to the ACC at a place where he is known would be hard to turn down (this assumes, BC doesn't nickle and dime him on salary, staff and expenses).

While I do see Cooley's upside as limited, I would gladly welcome him back. I don't think he would win national championships at BC, but I do think he would have us in the NCAA Tournament every year. Considering where we are now, that sort of winning would be welcome.

BC-centric takeaways from Tourney Teams

While we dream of even being near a bubble, there are still plenty of BC-related storylines and takeaways from the NCAA Tournament teams. Hindsight on these things is always 20/20, but overall I still believe BC's future is bright.

Coen and Cooley

Both of Al Skinner's former assistants made the Tournament. As much as I love Al and wish we had hired one of his proteges, I understand why we passed on both guys twice. Steve Donahue turned out to be the wrong coach, but he wasn't the wrong hire. I didn't love the Christian hire last year, but Coen's uneven track record at Northeastern didn't help his candidacy. Cooley's resume was arguably better than Christian's but I can rationalize Christian over Cooley. In the end, I am happy for both and don't think there success speaks to BC's mistakes. BC might not be better off right now, but I don't think there is anything either are doing at their current school that Christian cannot do at BC.

Notre Dame

The Irish just won the ACC Tournament and secured a 3 seed with a Massachusetts-heavy roster. As frustrating as that might be to BC fans, it gives me hope. There is more than enough local talent for us to compete in the ACC. We just need to identify the right kids and get them to commit. We haven't recruited well locally since the JOB days. Despite ruffling a few feathers, I think Christian will change that. 

The Big East vs the ACC

The smaller, refocused Big East earned six selections from a ten-team conference. The mighty ACC also got six. As the teams were announced, I was convinced that Mike Tranghese was still on the committee. But it seems it was just a good year for the old basketball schools. Good for them. As much as they screwed up the conference, I never begrudged their demands. It was the UConns and West Virginias of the world that always upset me. In most years the ACC will lead the nation and our former home when it comes to tournament teams.

Power 5 prevailed
When it came to the bubble, the committee went with bigger schools and traditional powers over the mid majors. That's great news for BC. One season doesn't always set a precedent, but it is good for BC that the benefit of the doubt seems to be shifting to the Power 5 teams.

Naming names: other potential replacements

As we near the end of the season, speculation on Donahue and his potential replacements will kick up. From everyone I've talked to, I still believe Donahue is done. (I will write more as we play our final games.)

Assuming a change is made, Bates will have plenty of choices for replacements. Our new AD keeps things pretty close to the vest, so we don't know which way he will go. I've featured some of the top candidates. Here are some other names that will get floated by agents, media, BC fans and BC admins.

-- Mike Lonergan. George Washington Head Coach.
-- Chris Mack. Xavier Head Coach.
-- Ed Cooley. Providence Head Coach.
-- Tommy Amaker. Harvard Head Coach.
-- Chris Mooney. Richmond Head Coach.
-- Steve Wojciechowski. Duke Assistant.
-- Tim Cluess. Iona Head Coach.
-- Pat Skerry. Townson Head Coach.
-- Randy Bennett. Saint Mary's Head Coach.
-- Joe Jones. BU Head Coach
-- Tim O'Shea. Bryant Head Coach. BC Grad.
-- Mark Schmidt. St. Bonaventure Head Coach. BC Grad.

Of these guys, I would say Amaker, Lonergan and Cooley are the most likely real candidates. By "real" I mean they will get interviews and would have real interest in the job. I like Joe Jones, but think his ties to Donahue kill his chances. I like O'Shea and Schmidt but don't think either would even get a sniff of the job if they had not graduated from BC. Look for them to get courtesy interviews.

All of these guys have a gap or two on their resumes. I still think Bates needs to make a real effort with Pearl and Howland. After that, the field is wide open.

BC basketball's influence spreads all over New England

UMass-Lowell hired former BC assistant Pat Duquette as their new coach. I am happy for Pat as he was another in a long-line of quality Al Skinner assistants. Duquette getting the job was a reminder that while the local media might not always pay attention to BC sports, the other New England Athletic Departments do. And hiring yet another BC assistant shows that people in college athletics appreciate our approach to basketball.

Of all the college sports, men's college basketball might be the most exploitative of the student athletes. It starts before they even step on campus with the corrupt AAU circuit and then continues as men's hoops has an intensive travel schedule that really makes it hard to be a student and it all wraps up with a multi-billion dollar tournament that underwrites the NCAA. BC has done basketball the right way for a long time, but really became a program to emulate under Skinner and continues now under Donahue. Other ADs recognize that and so you now find BC guys leading Providence, Northeastern, BU, UMass-Lowell, and Bryant. (It should also be noted that former BC coach Jim O'Brien is at Emerson.)

Ironically while his former assistants flourish, Al Skinner was passed over for another local job. UMass-Lowell hinted at what might have been the problem -- "our discussions with Al didn’t go quite in a direction that would work as well for Al." I can only speculate on what was said, but it reads like Al wants to do things his way. I applaud him for demanding his way when he returns. One day soon an AD is going to let Skinner do things his way and won't regret it. Just ask all of Al's guys who are now leading New England basketball.

What to expect at Pro Day and other links

Wednesday is BC's annual Pro Day. BC's current seniors, some local prospects and some recent alums will all be trying to impress NFL scouts. Some of the guys who didn't get invited to the NFL combine who have a chance to make an impression include James McCluskey, Alex Albright, and Thomas Claiborne. Mark Herzlich will also be under the microscope again. His slow 40-yard-dash time at the Combine hurt his draft stock. The Pro Day is a chance to undue some of the damage. Given all the conflicting Pro Days you probably won't see the who's who of the NFL. But Castonzo's status should be enough to entice representatives from all of the NFL teams. I will try to post updates as I get them on the blog and on twitter.

BC's baseball series with Virginia Tech will be played in Rhode Island. The baseball only field can't get here fast enough.

Interesting article from Heisman Pundit. He lists Kuechly as one of the best players who will not be a Heisman candidate. While unfair, the logic is sound. A junior defensive player from a middle of the pack ACC team is not winning college football's beauty pageant.

After all the speculation, Providence hired Ed Cooley. It is a good fit all around.

A Basketball star on the way and other links

When Steve Donahue signed Ryan Anderson, most viewed him as a solid building block. Now he may be Donahue's first superstar. The California big man was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year. BC has signed individual Gatorade winners before, but getting the top player in California is obviously a bigger deal than say the Gatorade winner from New Hampshire. If Jackson returns and Anderson can make an immediate impact, BC might surprise people again next year.

The women are in Erie for their Frozen Four game against Wisconsin. If they win, they will face our friends from the other end of Comm Ave.

BC target Caleb Stacey just picked up an offer from USF. Another Cincy prospect Joe Bolden got an offer from Michigan. BC has an offer to Missouri LB Michael Scherer, but he really seems to want to go to Stanford.

More Ed Cooley to Providence talk continues.

Interviewing with BC helps one's wallet and other links

Although their mentor was fired by Boston College, both Ed Cooley and Bill Coen received serious consideration for the Men's Basketball opening. Neither got the job but both got good raises from their current employers (Coen at Northeastern and Cooley at Fairfield). Both guys owe Gene a thank you as the BC process raised their profiles and their market values.

HD highlighted Herzy's contributions to "Lift of Life." Herzy will also be part of the V Foundation Fundraiser later this month in Sarasota.

While the men's basketball team hopes for transfers, the women's team is getting them. This should help our depth.

Here is HD's post spring power rankings. Not surprising, we are in the middle of the pack.

This has been in other places, but it is worth noting that Fedex will no longer sponsor the Orange Bowl. I don't think of it as a big deal...inevitably some other sponsor will fill the void. The ROI is always tough to justify on these events, but for companies without an established brand, the exposure from naming rights is huge.

More hoops comings and goings and Jags update

Andy Katz is adding to the Sanders news by reporting that Rakim is likely to join former BC assistant Ed Cooley's team at Fairfield.

The other news is that new assistant John Gallagher will never actually coach a game at the Heights. He's reportedly been hired as the new head coach at Hartford.

Finally Jags will return to the sidelines as Head Coach of the UFL's expansion franchise in Omaha. Not particularly glamorous but it gets him back in the game and if he wins, it gets him back on track to being a head coach in the NFL or college.

Nearing a conclusion?

The Globe, the Herald and WEEI are all speculating that BC is close to a decision on its new head basketball coach. I have always felt Gene would make his decision before heading to Detroit for the Frozen Four. That leaves Tuesday or Wednesday. Now Gene has never stated that was his timeline, but I doubt he wants this to linger for too long.

Most think Steve Donahue will be the coach. I've heard everything but have no confirmation on who will get the job. If the football searches have taught us anything, it is that BC will let each finalist/camp think they are getting the job. We almost lead them on and engaged up to the very end.

I know many feel the finalist are low rent and BC should have done better. I disagree. I think all the guys mentioned can succeed at BC. I know I've hedged a bit in this space, but if I had to guess right now (late Monday night) I would still say Cooley or Coen will get the job. No slight against Donahue, it is just my hunch. We will see what happens.

No Pearl and predictions

As expected Bruce Pearl is not coming to BC. Gene had to have the conversation but too many factors were lined up against Pearl coming back to the Heights. This way saved face and gets Gene off the hook.

So far three guys have formally interviewed for the position (Donahue, Cooley and Mooney). Thankfully Tommy Amaker did not and will stay at Harvard. Bill Coen will interview Monday. Now there is supposedly an under the radar candidate whose name has not been leaked. (I am not buying that by the way. These things never stay quiet for long.) Of the three that interviewed, I think you can cross off Mooney. Supposedly it is "not a good fit at this time" for either side. This is second hand gossip, but I guess Mooney didn't express enough passion for the opportunity nor have the same ideas when it came to running a program.

Donahue is very enthused about BC and the opportunity. The question surrounding his candidacy is staff. Will he bring his Ivy Leaguers? Will he keep some of Skinner's guys? Can he find assistants that have competed and recruited at the ACC level?

Cooley exceeded expectations in the interview and would be willing to sell the school. He would also be a relatively seamless transition. Gene and Ed get along. But can you fire Skinner only to replace him with one of his long time assistants? Does Gene care about the hypocrisy? Will Cooley give the program a shot in the arm?

Coen is well liked and has the media (Katz and Bob Ryan) in his corner. But he is yet to interview. We will know more next week.

My prediciton
Despite the growing Donahue whispers, I still think it will be Cooley or Coen. I also think Pat Duquette will remain on with Cooley or Coen. If forced to pick between Cooley or Coen, I would say Cooely, only because he has interviewed and interviewed well.

Stay tuned...