How Steve Lavin Runs St. Johns ... very different

[Tugg Speedman]

I posted this as a response in another thread but thought it was worth standing alone ....

See what Lavin is doing at St. Johns.  Lavin is trying to assemble a "dream team" of assistants
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2010-03-31/lavin-says-hes-aiming-for-dream-team-assistant-coaches-st-john

One assistant coach is Gene Keady, the legendary head of Purdue.  He might be more qualified than Lavin.
Interesting story on him today ...
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/15/gene-keady-fitting-right-in-with-lavins-red-storm/

Another is Mike Dunlap, has built a reputation as one of professional and college basketball's leading strategists and on-court instructors.
http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061510aab.html

He also has Tony Chiles, He used to work at Iona, bringing in very good NYC talent to the New Rochelle school. Iona won 2 Metro Athletic Conference titles while he was an assistant there. Chiles, touted in the past as a very good recruiter, is noted to not be affiliated with any one NYC AAU or high school program, which will really help new coach Steve Lavin get in with the best players in the city.
http://theeastcoastbias.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/new-st-johns-assistant-tony-chiles/

---

If the head coach is the president of most basketball programs, Lavin is setting himself up as the "chairman of the board"

I think this is brilliant and surprised more head guys are not set up like this.  Especially young head coaches that go get the "old war horse" that understands various aspects of the game but don't want to deal with recruiting and the media.  Just show up in the gym and mold them into a basketball team.

(Buzz was close when he had Dale Layer and I would not mind Layer returning).

[Litehouse]

Wasn't UWM considering Dunlap when they hired Jeter?  His name sounds familiar.

[NCAARules]

I didn't realize that Dunlap was out there too. He really turned some heads in 06/07 going from one of the premier DII men's basketball programs to an NBA-assistant job with the Nuggets. Not a jump that you see that often.

[T-Bone]

Wasn't UWM considering Dunlap when they hired Jeter?  His name sounds familiar.

Yep.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2028290

[GGGG]

Considering his weakness was always considered to be his bench coaching, adding Dunlap and Keady really reinforced that part of his job.  It's good that he recognized his weaknesses and worked to address them.

[Litehouse]

Does Buzz still use Lewis Orr in the "old war horse" type of role?

[Goose]

Lavin does it right. He is recruiter and sales guy. Sounds like Buzz to me. Buzz needs to surround himself with a first class staff. Orr to me is just guy Buzz is paying back a favor to. He needs much more experience on the bench next to him. He has the bodies next to him, but not the experience.

[willie warrior]

Considering his weakness was always considered to be his bench coaching, adding Dunlap and Keady really reinforced that part of his job.  It's good that he recognized his weaknesses and worked to address them.

What the hell is their coaching staff payroll as compared to ours?

[GGGG]

What the hell is their coaching staff payroll as compared to ours?

I doubt it is substantially different.

[Tugg Speedman]

I doubt it is substantially different.

I agree ... Keady signed up for an assistant role so he's probably getting assistant money.  The trade off is he's not traveling every third day to see a recruit and answering the same questions 8,000 from the media.

[rocky_warrior]

What the hell is their coaching staff payroll as compared to ours?

Whatever it is, Keady is not part of the "coaching staff", so it's on top of that...
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/15/gene-keady-fitting-right-in-with-lavins-red-storm/

It took some recruiting for Lavin to close the deal but the promise of a nice salary, an upscale hotel room and transportation around New York had Keady agreeing to change his lifestyle and conference.
[snip]
Keady is not a coach, rather an adviser. He is allowed to watch practice and sit on the bench but he cannot do active coaching of the players. He can't recruit. He works with the staff, evaluating practices and studying tape.

[Dave Krupinski]

Some good reads on coaching staff

About Mike Dunlap's bat...

http://johnnyjungle.com/columns/over-the-airwaves/one-bat-one-team-one-goal/

Who is Mike Dunlap...

http://johnnyjungle.com/news/mike-dunlap-to-st-johns/

Behind every great coach a look at entire staff (written pre Keady)

http://johnnyjungle.com/columns/daly-dribble/behind-every-great-coach/

[ChicosBailBonds]

What the hell is their coaching staff payroll as compared to ours?

Part of it is timing.  Keady's wife died a few years ago, he's had a long standing coaching relationship with Lavin so the fit was good.  Keady doesn't need the money but I'm sure they're paying him decently.  At this point in Keady's career, this is his last rodeo so he's almost doing as a favor to Lavin and also to keep himself sharp, active, etc.  A win win for both men and for the SJU program. 

[Tugg Speedman]

Majerus is from Milwaukee, lives in Milwaukee when not coaching.  Could you see him doing this for MU in a few years?

[GGGG]

Majerus is from Milwaukee, lives in Milwaukee when not coaching.  Could you see him doing this for MU in a few years?

He's such a miserable SOB...unlike Keady.