SLU Fires Soderberg

[Dish]

Kinda odd timing this late into the coaching carousel. SLU went 20-13 last season and they're opening a new arena in '08.

Wonder if there was more here than met the eye.

[Harrison]

had to be the timing is just terrible.

[mu03eng]

Now Murff can start the Sodenburg to Marquette rumor he always wanted.

[muarmy81]

You kind of have to feel sorry for the guy.  He should still be coaching at WI

[OneMadWarrior]

I think that firing is a bit harsh. When has SLU ever been able to get a coach who knew what he was doing since what's his face retired (old dude who had been there forever)

[BigSky]

I think that firing is a bit harsh. When has SLU ever been able to get a coach who knew what he was doing since what's his face retired (old dude who had been there forever)

You mean Spoonhour?  He won mostly with Rich Grawer's players. 

Lorenzo Romar seemed to know what he was doing at Pepperdine, UCLA, Washington.....did he simply forget at SLU?  SLU's "issues" go to its President, and run deeper than just its coach.  Now, with a new AD, new facilities on the way, etc...it is possible for SLU to turn the corner.  Possible. 

[muarmy81]

What conference do they play in?  Is it still C-USA or did they switch over to the A-10?

[NYWarrior]

A-10

[tower912]

This must be an April fool's joke.  Murf's favorite coach got fired from the basketball hotbed of SLU?    Shocking.   Just shocking.

[classof70]

I like Soderberg.  He bought into the whole St. Louis U, Jesuit thing.  Quality guy. Great defensive mind.  I'm sorry to see him go but I think it came down to an inablility to recruit and the University investing mega bucks in a new arena.  They want to fill it.  He only has two guys coming this year.  Those are the two I feel the most sorry for.  I think they signed letters of intent two or three days ago. If so, not a very impressive move by SLU!

[Murffieus]

From a tactition point of view, Soderburg is a damn good coach and 20 & 13 the first 20 game win season since 1998. He had only 3 quality players that could have made most teams rotations.

Recruiting did Brad in-----although Romar didn't do any better recruiting when he was at SLU----but look at him now!

[Nukem2]

Murff, I doubt that Brad will do any better at his nex stop; unless he goes to a Div II or III team (which is probably very likely?).  Recruiting simply needs to be a strong point for a Div I coach.

[augoman]

Hey, didn't Soderberg go to Northern Iowa from UW?  If so, he recruited that class of white kids that all looked like they were 8th graders, had a 6'4" kid jump center, and took Ga Tech (with their red-haired afro wearing 7 footer) to the last seconds in the regionals!  Soderberg was already at SLU, but those were his recruits..., weren't they?

[BigSky]

Hey, didn't Soderberg go to Northern Iowa from UW?  If so, he recruited that class of white kids that all looked like they were 8th graders, had a 6'4" kid jump center, and took Ga Tech (with their red-haired afro wearing 7 footer) to the last seconds in the regionals!  Soderberg was already at SLU, but those were his recruits..., weren't they?

Nope.

Brad went to SLU from MAdison where he spent 1 year as head coach and several as assistant.  He was an assistant under Romar at SLU for one year then head coach when Romar left for U of Washignton. 

He previously many years ago was head coach at Loras college in Iowa in the 90's and also head coach at South Dakota St.

[mviale]

He needs to learn some PR lessons - maybe Tom could put him under his wing.

[drewm88]

(with their red-haired afro wearing 7 footer)

That would be the one and only Luke Schenser.

[BigSky]

He needs to learn some PR lessons - maybe Tom could put him under his wing.

SLU doens't have the budget to help any coach's PR skills.

[Murffieus]

Nuke em------Romar couldn't recruit at SLU either-----but he goes out to Washington and signs 4 or 5 star guys left and right. Have to believe it's the institution, it's facilities, very high entry standards and maybe other things that inhibit recruiting at SLU!

[BigSky]

Nuke em------Romar couldn't recruit at SLU either-----but he goes out to Washington and signs 4 or 5 star guys left and right. Have to believe it's the institution, it's facilities, very high entry standards and maybe other things that inhibit recruiting at SLU!

SLU's entry standards are the same as Marquette's and many other schools.  No more stringent. 

Keep guessing Murf. 

Soderberg failed at many aspects of the program.  SLU does also have other issues and problems, but to lay no blame on Soderberg would not be accurate or true.

[Murffieus]

I'm not guessing----I'm just looking for reasons why Romar, his predeccor, and Soderberg haven't been able to recruit there.

BTW----the standards for general admission may be the same-----but does MU bend those standards more than SLU does to get certain people in there?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I'm not guessing----I'm just looking for reasons why Romar, his predeccor, and Soderberg haven't been able to recruit there.

BTW----the standards for general admission may be the same-----but does MU bend those standards more than SLU does to get certain people in there?

Nobody can know if MU "bends it's standards more than SLU", and to even ask the question is wildly speculative and doesn't really answer the question on why Brad didn't do so well there.

Brad kinda reminds me of Mike Deane. No doubt the guy knows some x and o's, but recruiting seems to be a big challenge for him. He might become a good coach someday, but right now he's not John Wooden. 

[BigSky]

People talk so often about coaches who can do more with less.  Many can't, some can....Brad is simply one who can't. 

Brad was solid at bench coaching at SLU, but far from very good, especially in game adjustments.  His bench coaching is vastly overrated by Murf.  He isn't bad.  Murf paints the picture that Brad is a great x's and o's coach and this simply is not true.  He paints the picture that Brad's only shortcoming is recruiting, which is also not correct.  And, Murf also devalues the recruiting aspect of the job, placing more respect for coaches on x's and o's than recruiting, when both are very important to succeed. 

Soderberg recruited poorly.  He routinely lost to inferior talented teams, of which SLU had better recruits.  He was very stubborn and resistant to change.  He received criticism for not playing any incoming Freshman and instead playing a walk-on for crucial long minutes of a game this year in a close loss. 

He never warmed to anyone in the SLU booster community, attendance was down during his tenure.  He made PR mistakes and public speaking mistakes with media.  He had a slow on the job learning curve. 

SLU itself has plenty of their own issues as a school with a hoops program.  These are separate to Brad's issues as a coach.

Romar was at SLU three years and left for his alma mater, Brad was on campus for six years...... 

It is a pointless subject because Murf isn't going to change his position on the subject despite only watching part of one SLU game on television all season when they played more than 30 to discuss Soderberg's on court coaching. 

[MonsterWebWarrior]

Who would you rather have, a great x's and o's coach who can't recruit, or a great recruiter who can't coach? 

[BigSky]

Who would you rather have, a great x's and o's coach who can't recruit, or a great recruiter who can't coach? 

Unfortunately to this point, in SLU's case, Soderberg had been neither. 

Obviously I would want both, because I don't believe it has to be either/or.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Who would you rather have, a great x's and o's coach who can't recruit, or a great recruiter who can't coach? 

Hopefully both.

You need to bring in the talent, and then have the ability to get the most out of that talent. I think player development is also part of that. X and O's are really important, but getting players to consistantly perform and outperform their normal abilities is very important.