Looks like they are thinking similarly. Gillespie seems to be someone that would be interesting. Lavin as well.
Best of luck to them, but not too much luck.
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=430&f=2585&t=5417460
Its unfortunate the situation DePaul is in, especially since their home games are empty except when Marquette comes to play them at the Allstate Arena.
Magic will have to be performed on this program and it won't be a quick fix, they need their own stadium or at least one closer to their campus.
I've followed DePaul since I was a little boy on my transistor radio. George Mikan and Meyer are my heros.
Sounds like Crean has his speech ready.
I don't think the guys Chicos mentions are good fits at all.
How about Danny Manning? It would appear he's looking to get a head coaching gig. Matt Doherty? Dan Dakich? Darrin Horn?
Huge step down for Horn.
I'm just throwing names out there that they may want to make a splash with. Not sure Doherty or Dakich does that.
They need major infusion there....someone that is a rah rah PR guy and coach.
They aren't even on the map in Chicago anymore. In my mind, their next coach has to be as much a PR guy as anything else because the place is dead.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 11, 2010, 02:58:00 PM
Huge step down for Horn.
I'm just throwing names out there that they may want to make a splash with. Not sure Doherty or Dakich does that.
They need major infusion there....someone that is a rah rah PR guy and coach.
They aren't even on the map in Chicago anymore. In my mind, their next coach has to be as much a PR guy as anything else because the place is dead.
Oops. I meant Dewayne Stephens, not Horn
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on January 11, 2010, 03:08:53 PM
Oops. I meant Dewayne Stephens, not Horn
That would be an interesting hire
Why not keep Tracy Webster there? He'd recruit the heck out of the Chicago (extended) area. Maybe this is his interview for the job, these 15 games.
Look for a current assistant to get the job after the 'national' search.
Gillespie would be a huge risk for DePaul. Any other big name will come with a big salary....can you see DePaul paying over $1.5 mil for a coach? Wainwright in his 4th year was only making $800,000 and that came after an extension.
I think that the best hire would be Chris Collins. Chicago contacts, sitting with Coach K forever. He would need a 5 year deal with a bigger budget I would assume.
Quote from: Fullodds on January 11, 2010, 03:18:39 PM
Look for a current assistant to get the job after the 'national' search.
Gillespie would be a huge risk for DePaul. Any other big name will come with a big salary....can you see DePaul paying over $1.5 mil for a coach? Wainwright in his 4th year was only making $800,000 and that came after an extension.
I think that the best hire would be Chris Collins. Chicago contacts, sitting with Coach K forever. He would need a 5 year deal with a bigger budget I would assume.
The hiring of Wainwright was a signal that DePaul wasn't serious about being a major player. Nice guy, funny guy they got on the cheap. He came home to Berwyn to retire and today the Blue Demons made it official. If this most recent embarassment pressures the powers that be to recommit to the basketball program the new coach won't have to do much to be considered a "savior". Collins would be a logical choice - If he knows basketball like his dad maybe an inspired one.
Quote from: Fullodds on January 11, 2010, 03:18:39 PM
I think that the best hire would be Chris Collins. Chicago contacts, sitting with Coach K forever. He would need a 5 year deal with a bigger budget I would assume.
Agreed. There's always a lot of chatter that Collins is waiting for Coach K to retire, but Steve Wojo..... I think is on staff and probably thinking the same thing. They need to get a young, energetic guy to come in and get things going, a la TC and MU in the late 90's.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 11, 2010, 02:58:00 PM
Huge step down for Horn.
I'm just throwing names out there that they may want to make a splash with. Not sure Doherty or Dakich does that.
They need major infusion there....someone that is a rah rah PR guy and coach.
They aren't even on the map in Chicago anymore. In my mind, their next coach has to be as much a PR guy as anything else because the place is dead.
Exactly right.
That program is very similar to MU in 1998.
They have some great tradition. They have had some relatively recent success (late 90's).
But, they aren't unified as a school or alumni or fans. Everybody has an opinion about the program, but none of them are very positive.
I remember when I was a frosh. people still thought MU should move out of the BC.
Well, flash forward 5 years to when MU was selling out the place. Nobody was complaining then.
DePaul has some challenges, , but a good promoter as a head coach and winning some games will make a world of difference.
The question is: Will the administration support the program enough to let a good coach/promoter really do a good job?
I don't see how you can compare MU in 1998 to DePaul now. MU was in much better shape - they won 100 games over 5 the previous 5 years and had been in the tourney and even the Sweet 16 in 1993. Their attendance was also solid, nothing like DePaul.
The question for DePaul is what promising assistant would want the job. If Chris Collins has bided his time on the Duke sideline for this long, why would he go to DePaul. The facilities, the fan base, the program in general has nothing going for it right now. If Collins wants the Duke job after Coach K leaves, he'd need to have a lot of success if he does take a head coaching job. I don't see how he can accomplish that at DePaul.
Quote from: AlumKCof93 on January 11, 2010, 03:56:42 PM
I don't see how you can compare MU in 1998 to DePaul now.
I was about to say the same thing. MU made the NCAAs in '96 and '97. That's light years ahead of where DePaul is now.
Quote from: 2002mualum on January 11, 2010, 03:48:22 PM
Exactly right.
That program is very similar to MU in 1998.
They have some great tradition. They have had some relatively recent success (late 90's).
But, they aren't unified as a school or alumni or fans. Everybody has an opinion about the program, but none of them are very positive.
I remember when I was a frosh. people still thought MU should move out of the BC.
Well, flash forward 5 years to when MU was selling out the place. Nobody was complaining then.
DePaul has some challenges, , but a good promoter as a head coach and winning some games will make a world of difference.
The question is: Will the administration support the program enough to let a good coach/promoter really do a good job?
De Paul's program very similar to MU's in 1998? Average/mediocre is equa-distant from the top and the bottom. So if we were "very similar" to De Paul were we also "very similar" to Norfh Carolina?
Quote from: AlumKCof93 on January 11, 2010, 03:56:42 PM
I don't see how you can compare MU in 1998 to DePaul now. MU was in much better shape - they won 100 games over 5 the previous 5 years and had been in the tourney and even the Sweet 16 in 1993. Their attendance was also solid, nothing like DePaul.
The question for DePaul is what promising assistant would want the job. If Chris Collins has bided his time on the Duke sideline for this long, why would he go to DePaul. The facilities, the fan base, the program in general has nothing going for it right now. If Collins wants the Duke job after Coach K leaves, he'd need to have a lot of success if he does take a head coaching job. I don't see how he can accomplish that at DePaul.
You're right, not exactly the same. DePaul's situation is worse, but really, MU wasn't a hot sell in 1998. Also, DePaul landed a lot of top talent in the last 10 years and has several players in the NBA.
In 1998, MU was an NIT team that played in a mid/lower level conference, couldn't sell out it's oversized arena and had an ancient practice facility.
- DePaul averaged 9,000 in 2008 while MU averaged 12K in 98 but only 9,900 in 1999.
- DePaul plays in a big (and crappy) arena, but if they sold out, the building could be an advantage (see Center, Bradley)
- I've never seen DePaul's practice facilities, so I can't comment
They are different, but the right guy could turn DePaul around like what happened for MU. I know KO certainly helped MU a ton, but, in 1999 if MU hired another "Deane", the program would have slid downhill fast.
- DePaul plays in the Big East, so they are much better off in that sense
Quote from: Tim Maymon on January 11, 2010, 03:14:38 PM
Why not keep Tracy Webster there? He'd recruit the heck out of the Chicago (extended) area. Maybe this is his interview for the job, these 15 games.
Well the guy can recruit. Honestly, they need a guy who can keep Chicago's guys right there. That's where both Kennedy and Leito had some success. But boy...that would not go over well.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on January 11, 2010, 04:06:07 PM
De Paul's program very similar to MU's in 1998? Average/mediocre is equa-distant from the top and the bottom. So if we were "very similar" to De Paul were we also "very similar" to Norfh Carolina?
I went to the games in 1998. The building was empty. The team was terrible. Nobody on campus cared about MU hoops.
The star player quit the team with personal issues (lovette), the "star recruit" couldn't dribble with his left hand (henry), and I'm pretty sure "polo" won the dunk contest at "9 o'clock madness" and all of the students were given gray t-shirts with their student tickets. Apparently Blue and/or Gold were too expensive.
The team wasn't on TV at all. We listened to road games on the radio at the Annex (a loss to BC if I remember right).
We even talked about moving the team back to the MECCA in our BUAD classes. (I think it was marketing with Joe T)
Listen, I'm not saying that MU was the worst team in the history of the game, I'm just saying that it was a program with issues and ZERO hype.
DePaul is a team with that has had success in the past, but is suffering from no internal and/or external support. They have some strong points, but also some issues to overcome.
Quote from: 2002mualum on January 11, 2010, 04:20:58 PM
I went to the games in 1998. The building was empty. The team was terrible. Nobody on campus cared about MU hoops.
The star player quit the team with personal issues (lovette), the "star recruit" couldn't dribble with his left hand (henry), and I'm pretty sure "polo" won the dunk contest at "9 o'clock madness" and all of the students were given gray t-shirts with their student tickets. Apparently Blue and/or Gold were too expensive.
The team wasn't on TV at all. We listened to road games on the radio at the Annex (a loss to BC if I remember right).
We even talked about moving the team back to the MECCA in our BUAD classes. (I think it was marketing with Joe T)
Don't forget you could show up 15 minutes before the game and sit in the front 3 rows of the student section.
But I thought wardle was the star player....
Quote from: MU_B2002 on January 11, 2010, 04:27:57 PM
Don't forget you could show up 15 minutes before the game and sit in the front 3 rows of the student section.
But I thought wardle was the star player....
Good catch, I think Lovette was supposed to be the guy his senior year, but obviously it ended up being the Wardle and Bargen show.
Again, I'm not trying to say that MU was like Siberia of college hoops... I'm just saying that it wasn't in the same place that it is now.
DePaul could overcome it's issues if the school committed to the right coach.
I don't recall Marquette being as bad as mentioned in 1998, though I do know it was down. But the crucial decision by Cords was to let Deane go (he was roundly criticized for it at the time) before the program really slid. In comparing that to DePaul, DePaul has been down for a long time. When was the last time they were relevant - when Quentin Richardson was there (in 2000)? And those teams -with Bobby Simmons and Lance Williams - underacheived badly. My point is, MU was down but it was not for an extended time. DePaul has been way down for a long time and it will be a long climb back up even if they make a good hiring decision.
Quote from: AlumKCof93 on January 11, 2010, 04:46:08 PM
I don't recall Marquette being as bad as mentioned in 1998, though I do know it was down. But the crucial decision by Cords was to let Deane go (he was roundly criticized for it at the time) before the program really slid. In comparing that to DePaul, DePaul has been down for a long time. When was the last time they were relevant - when Quentin Richardson was there (in 2000)? And those teams -with Bobby Simmons and Lance Williams - underacheived badly. My point is, MU was down but it was not for an extended time. DePaul has been way down for a long time and it will be a long climb back up even if they make a good hiring decision.
Good point about them being down longer than MU... the road back up is made easier by:
#1 Being in Chicago
#2 Being in the Big East
Quote from: 2002mualum on January 11, 2010, 04:20:58 PM
I went to the games in 1998. The building was empty. The team was terrible. Nobody on campus cared about MU hoops.
The star player quit the team with personal issues (lovette), the "star recruit" couldn't dribble with his left hand (henry), and I'm pretty sure "polo" won the dunk contest at "9 o'clock madness" and all of the students were given gray t-shirts with their student tickets. Apparently Blue and/or Gold were too expensive.
The team wasn't on TV at all. We listened to road games on the radio at the Annex (a loss to BC if I remember right).
We even talked about moving the team back to the MECCA in our BUAD classes. (I think it was marketing with Joe T)
Listen, I'm not saying that MU was the worst team in the history of the game, I'm just saying that it was a program with issues and ZERO hype.
DePaul is a team with that has had success in the past, but is suffering from no internal and/or external support. They have some strong points, but also some issues to overcome.
I thought only old geezers like myself had to walk 10 miles uphill (both ways) in the driving rain/sleet/snow to school each day. '98 at MU sounds like a post-apocolyptic Cormac McCarthy novel.
With the lack of facilities DePaul has - the Allstate Arena is a dump and kids have to take a bus to get there - and the lack of commitment by the administration, does being in the Big East really help them? Would a coach like Chris Collins want to take a job where he knows how difficult it will be to even compete?
I think its a disadvantage for them right now. Why would a recruit based in Chicago who wants to stay close to home decide to go to a situtation close to home when he can go to Marquette or Notre Dame in the Big East or even go to Illinois? Why go to the doormat of the Big East if you have other options?
Quote from: Lennys Tap on January 11, 2010, 04:51:23 PM
I thought only old geezers like myself had to walk 10 miles uphill (both ways) in the driving rain/sleet/snow to school each day. '98 at MU sounds like a post-apocolyptic Cormac McCarthy novel.
Everything I said was correct.
I realize the context of MU being a pretty good team for a handful of years before, which makes my statements less damning.
But, in 1998/1999, MU was a bad situation that's not unlike DePaul's current situation.
They should get a tan coach and an all-world guard. It did wonders for MU.
Quote from: 2002mualum on January 11, 2010, 05:12:28 PM
Everything I said was fact.
I realize the context of MU being a pretty good team for a handful of years before, which makes my statements less damning.
But, in 1998/1999, MU was a bad situation that's not unlike DePaul's current situation.
They should get a tan coach and an all-world guard. It did wonders for MU.
Sorry if my attempt at humor fell flat.
But I still think your comparison is way off target. DePaul has lost 21 straight Big East games and is 6-33 in conference over the last three years. If there are 7000 people at their arena it means the visitor's fans outnumber their own. Just to get to where MU was in 1998 would be a major accomplishment.
On your last point, maybe TC feels it's "mission accomplished" at IU and can get Nick Williams to follow him to Chicago.
They were smart enough to hire Webster as an interim. They are crazy if they don't take him full time. He will make them a factor with every major recruit in Ill. from day one.
I think a lot of you are forgetting that Richmond and UNC Wilmington were pretty good under JW. Two NCAA teams. Richmond gave Wisconsin fits at the Bradley Center in the NCAAs. At UNC Wilmington he took them to the NCAAs twice and got to the second round.
In the first two years at DePaul, he did some pretty decent things. They went 9-7 in the Big East, won 20 games, went to the NIT.
Then, the bottom dropped out. Kids leaving really killed him. It's not like the guy didn't know how to coach. I suspect that he didn't have the fire to recruit, but he certainly has his share of success during his career....he's no legend (LOL) but he wasn't incapable of coaching either.
Nice guy, too bad he couldn't get it done.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on January 11, 2010, 05:31:34 PM
Sorry if my attempt at humor fell flat.
But I still think your comparison is way off target. DePaul has lost 21 straight Big East games and is 6-33 in conference over the last three years. If there are 7000 people at their arena it means the visitor's fans outnumber their own. Just to get to where MU was in 1998 would be a major accomplishment.
On your last point, maybe TC feels it's "mission accomplished" at IU and can get Nick Williams to follow him to Chicago.
You're certainly right that DePaul is further down. I cannot argue that.
But, to me, the situations are similar. My original description of "very similar" is probably overstating it though.
- DePaul reports attendance of 9K last year (Big East Wiki).
- That's not far off from MU's 1999 number of 9,900
- DePaul has lost a lot of conference games in a row, that's for sure. But, that's also in very, very tough conference. Put them in CUSA, and they would have some wins.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 11, 2010, 05:50:04 PM
I think a lot of you are forgetting that Richmond and UNC Wilmington were pretty good under JW. Two NCAA teams. Richmond gave Wisconsin fits at the Bradley Center in the NCAAs. At UNC Wilmington he took them to the NCAAs twice and got to the second round.
In the first two years at DePaul, he did some pretty decent things. They went 9-7 in the Big East, won 20 games, went to the NIT.
Then, the bottom dropped out. Kids leaving really killed him. It's not like the guy didn't know how to coach. I suspect that he didn't have the fire to recruit, but he certainly has his share of success during his career....he's no legend (LOL) but he wasn't incapable of coaching either.
Nice guy, too bad he couldn't get it done.
Nice guy, yes. Decent coach, yes. But if MU slipped under Deane (and we did) DePaul fell off a cliff under Jerry. Amazing he lasted this long.
Lenny, we agree.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on January 11, 2010, 06:08:41 PM
Nice guy, yes. Decent coach, yes. But if MU slipped under Deane (and we did) DePaul fell off a cliff under Jerry. Amazing he lasted this long.
True.
Jerry is a good guy, but certainly slipped quicker and farther than Deano.
Crean has probably taken IU as far as he can and needs a new challenge (along with more money). Perfect job for him to come in on his horse and be the savior.
On the radio in Chicago today, DePaul spokewoman said they would spend the money to get a great coach - so who knows. Wainwright was very good. . . for Marquette.
Quote from: Daniel on January 11, 2010, 11:31:08 PM
On the radion in Chicago today, DePaul spokewoman said they woul dspend hte money to get a great coach - so who knows. Wainwright was very good. . . for Marquette.
I take that with a grain of salt. What else are you going to say the day you can your head coach?
DePaul's bigger problem is the lack of vision in their administration when it comes to athletics, and a lot of it roots back to how their athletic department is run. It's a mom-and-pop operation, plain and simple.
Before they hire a coach, they need to moreso answer the question of who they want to be. If they want to play with the big boys in the Big East, they'll need to not only put out the money for a major coach, but also clean house in their athletic department and run it like a business. However, the way they are currently operating, they are (and may be) better suited for the Atlantic 10 or the Missouri Valley.
[Before they hire a coach, they need to moreso answer the question of who they want to be. If they want to play with the big boys in the Big East, they'll need to not only put out the money for a major coach, but also clean house in their athletic department and run it like a business. However, the way they are currently operating, they are (and may be) better suited for the Atlantic 10 or the Missouri Valley.
[/quote]
I agree. When Leitao gave notice, DePaul had to make a decision to either fully commit to the program or to hire a decent coach that would run a clean program. Its my belief that in letting Leitao go and hiring Wainwright (and I don't mean to bash Wainwright, I'm surprised the team has performed as badly as it has), the administration made the decision not to fully commit to it. Now 5 years later, the administration fires Wainwright and says money is no object in hiring a coach. I don't believe that's true and I don't believe they're fully committed. I can see Webster getting the gig.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 11, 2010, 05:50:04 PM
I think a lot of you are forgetting that Richmond and UNC Wilmington were pretty good under JW. Two NCAA teams. Richmond gave Wisconsin fits at the Bradley Center in the NCAAs. At UNC Wilmington he took them to the NCAAs twice and got to the second round.
In the first two years at DePaul, he did some pretty decent things. They went 9-7 in the Big East, won 20 games, went to the NIT.
Then, the bottom dropped out. Kids leaving really killed him. It's not like the guy didn't know how to coach. I suspect that he didn't have the fire to recruit, but he certainly has his share of success during his career....he's no legend (LOL) but he wasn't incapable of coaching either.
Nice guy, too bad he couldn't get it done.
Glad someone else remembers this...I really thought at the time he was going to be another Bo Ryan type.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 11, 2010, 05:50:04 PM
I think a lot of you are forgetting that Richmond and UNC Wilmington were pretty good under JW. Two NCAA teams. Richmond gave Wisconsin fits at the Bradley Center in the NCAAs. At UNC Wilmington he took them to the NCAAs twice and got to the second round.
In the first two years at DePaul, he did some pretty decent things. They went 9-7 in the Big East, won 20 games, went to the NIT.
Then, the bottom dropped out. Kids leaving really killed him. It's not like the guy didn't know how to coach. I suspect that he didn't have the fire to recruit, but he certainly has his share of success during his career....he's no legend (LOL) but he wasn't incapable of coaching either.
Nice guy, too bad he couldn't get it done.
What you're forgetting is that he was already showing signs of recruiting problems while at Richmond.
He tookover the team when John Beilein left for WVU, and had a team full of juniors and seniors ready to make a run. His last year, when it was mostly his own guys in the primary roles, he had a losing record and people at Richmond were already talking about how he was out of his depth.
That's what was so odd about his hiring at DePaul. He'd just gone 14-15 at Richmond in 2004-05, and there were doubts he'd be there much longer.
Some people on the radio are throwing Dave Leitao's name out there for a return. He may have burned some bridges, however, when he left for Virginia.
Good story on DePaul basically stating that they didn't recruit
the high level players in the state of Illinois such as Whitney Young.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/columns/story?columnist=powers_scott&id=4817440
Quote from: Daniel on January 11, 2010, 11:31:08 PM
On the radio in Chicago today, DePaul spokewoman said they would spend the money to get a great coach - so who knows. Wainwright was very good. . . for Marquette.
It is a turning point for DePaul, as it was for MU in '99.
MU hired a hot young coach, but more importantly, put administive / infrastructure in place to insure success. (Al, academics support, etc.) Marquette also courted a big supporter to fund these goodies.
Point is: a coach can only go so far without the administration putting other infrastructure in place.
All you need to know about Wainwright's recruiting is that he played a walk-on more than his recruits last week against 'Nova.
As far as coaching, I've never understood the love for Jerry's coaching skills. After 4+ years DePaul never had an identity on either side of the ball. That is hard to do. Even my 6th grade team I coach has developed an identity -- you know what you will get, know what you do well and what you need work on. What did DePaul ever do well with JW on offense or defense?
Quote from: mu-rara on January 12, 2010, 02:26:47 PM
It is a turning point for DePaul, as it was for MU in '99.
MU hired a hot young coach, but more importantly, put administive / infrastructure in place to insure success. (Al, academics support, etc.) Marquette also courted a big supporter to fund these goodies.
Point is: a coach can only go so far without the administration putting other infrastructure in place.
Let's not forget that the Al didn't come about until 2004 and ground wasn't broken until 2002. But yes, the administration has to be on board.
How did such a storied program become so poor? Also, can anyone refresh memory on when/why Loyola of the Windy City just completely packed it in as a major college program.
There is already a topic on DePauls program, see the board
Article about the Rosemont Horizon with a couple of good shots at DePaul.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/morrissey/1985764,CST-SPT-morrissey12.article
QuoteAlso, can anyone refresh memory on when/why Loyola of the Windy City just completely packed it in as a major college program.
Someone who is older might remember better, but I believe after Gene Sullivan in the late 80s, Loyola passed on Doug Bruno (assistant at the time) who has proven to be solid in running a program. I think they tried to hire a few assistants over there (one from UCLA that escapes my mind), but never backed it up with the money.
They have a modern on campus gym, that is under major renovations now to upgrade (think poor mans Al when it is done).
Quote from: MU Chi_IL on January 12, 2010, 05:09:39 PM
Someone who is older might remember better, but I believe after Gene Sullivan in the late 80s, Loyola passed on Doug Bruno (assistant at the time) who has proven to be solid in running a program. I think they tried to hire a few assistants over there (one from UCLA that escapes my mind), but never backed it up with the money.
They have a modern on campus gym, that is under major renovations now to upgrade (think poor mans Al when it is done).
I believe it was Larry Farmer that went to Loyola.
Quote from: SaintPaulWarrior on January 12, 2010, 03:47:25 PM
Article about the Rosemont Horizon with a couple of good shots at DePaul.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/morrissey/1985764,CST-SPT-morrissey12.article
Also an article about the ups and downs of their Chicago recruiting.
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/columns/story?columnist=powers_scott&id=4817440
The stadium is certainly a challenge for them... but honestly, a lot of kids and professors were saying the same things about MU back in 1998/99.
There was a strong feeling that MU should move back to the Mecca and try to sell out every game like they used to.
Now, certainly the All-state is a bigger challenge than the Bradley Center (it's a dump, and it's farther away), but it's not insurmountable. Also, the idea that a school has to have an 8500 seat arena on campus is outdated. I know we all love the idea of small, on-campus arenas, but the truth is DePaul could make a lot of money if they could put out a good product that sold 12-15K per game at the All-State.
The stadium is an "issue", but the real issue is the product.
Step 1: Commit to having a winning product
Step 2: Hire a good, young coach
Step 3: Commit to that coach and make the necessary improvements (improve facilities, promote games, create a better in game experience, etc.)
Step 4: Recruit Chicago like crazy
Step 5: Win (most important step)
The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the University of Miami is a great case study for how an athletics department can be turned around.
Obviously "the U" developed a more "unique" culture under Jimmy Johnson, but under Howard Schnellenberger, the program appeared to be pretty clean and seriously upgraded the talent on the roster by locking down S. Florida recruiting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Hurricanes_football#The_Howard_Schnellenberger_Era_.281979-83.29
All of this is obviously easier said than done, but it's not rocket science if the school really wants to commit to it. In a city like Tulsa, OK, it would be very tough. In Chicago, DePaul should be able to do it (provided that they want to).
Loyolas in Baltimore, New Orleans, Southern California and Chicago have all had an impressive run or two in their long basketball history.
Interesting that the Jevvies seem committed to basketball in institutions like Marquette, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Xavier and even Boston College, Santa Clara and St. Louis U to a degree without giving any recent love to the Loyolas.
All the more reason that MU students and alums are the chosen ones. ;)
2002, I think you are right. The basketball problem has to be fixed first before the arena problem. But the arena problem will have to be addressed eventually.
They need a young, energetic recruiter type. Tracy Webster might be that guy...I'm not one to judge. They have to generate the excitement...the victories...and the money will follow.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 12, 2010, 02:36:27 PM
Let's not forget that the Al didn't come about until 2004 and ground wasn't broken until 2002. But yes, the administration has to be on board.
The Al may have been the most visible sign of support, but there were many others.
Quote from: 2002mualum on January 12, 2010, 05:32:14 PM
The stadium is certainly a challenge for them... but honestly, a lot of kids and professors were saying the same things about MU back in 1998/99.
There was a strong feeling that MU should move back to the Mecca and try to sell out every game like they used to.
Now, certainly the All-state is a bigger challenge than the Bradley Center (it's a dump, and it's farther away), but it's not insurmountable. Also, the idea that a school has to have an 8500 seat arena on campus is outdated. I know we all love the idea of small, on-campus arenas, but the truth is DePaul could make a lot of money if they could put out a good product that sold 12-15K per game at the All-State.
The stadium is an "issue", but the real issue is the product.
Step 1: Commit to having a winning product
Step 2: Hire a good, young coach
Step 3: Commit to that coach and make the necessary improvements (improve facilities, promote games, create a better in game experience, etc.)
Step 4: Recruit Chicago like crazy
Step 5: Win (most important step)
The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the University of Miami is a great case study for how an athletics department can be turned around.
Obviously "the U" developed a more "unique" culture under Jimmy Johnson, but under Howard Schnellenberger, the program appeared to be pretty clean and seriously upgraded the talent on the roster by locking down S. Florida recruiting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Hurricanes_football#The_Howard_Schnellenberger_Era_.281979-83.29
All of this is obviously easier said than done, but it's not rocket science if the school really wants to commit to it. In a city like Tulsa, OK, it would be very tough. In Chicago, DePaul should be able to do it (provided that they want to).
A++++++ post.
Quote from: mu-rara on January 12, 2010, 07:07:47 PM
The Al may have been the most visible sign of support, but there were many others.
Bill Cords said that the plan to resurrect MU hoops was two fold: 1) get the best available young coach and give him the financial resources to get the staff he needs and 2) to build an incomparable training facility.
Mix in a little Dwyane Wade exploding on the scene, and MU's return to relative prominence only took a few years. It would be difficult to replicate so quickly, but it can be done.
DePaul will always have one thing Marquette doesn't: Chicago.
What about keeping Webster as an assistant and hiring Majerus for two years
You need someone that compete for the media attention Dennis Rodman
Quote from: PBRme on January 12, 2010, 10:17:17 PM
What about keeping Webster as an assistant and hiring Majerus for two years
1. Majerus already has a job.
2. He doesn't exactly burn up the recruiting trail.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 13, 2010, 07:58:12 AM
1. Majerus already has a job.
2. He doesn't exactly burn up the recruiting trail.
3. And he sits on people.