Coaching Changes 2020 - Pitino Takes Iona Gaels Job...

[billyjack]

Jfan mentioned this in the BE Offseason thread...

Rick Pitino is taking the coaching job at Iona. Tim Cluess is stepping down due to health issues.

Figured this could use its own thread and discussion since Pitino has some background with us and his name is often put out there (by me) in many BE hypotheticals.

Also, cuz i'm trapped ay home and daydreaming about college hoops...

Jim Valvano coached Iona in the late 70's and 1980. My father took us to the NCAA's at the Dunk (Providence Civic Center of course) in 1980, where we saw Round Two where Georgetown pull out a close one vs Iona with Jeff Ruland. According to CBK Reference, Syracuse beat Villanova that same day at the Dunk, which i loosely remember.

Two days earlier, Iona beat Holy Cross and Villanova beat Marquette at the Dunk, but i don't think we went to Round One games. Syracuse i think i remember their mascot was some Roman dude running around with a sword (this was pre-Otto), though that might've been in 1979 vs UConn.

[Django]

Pitino says PC was the job he regrets leaving the most, more than Kentucky! Says Iona only ones to contact him... why did the Johnnies pass? He would have gone in a heartbeat

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... louisville

[stever20]

Pitino says PC was the job he regrets leaving the most, more than Kentucky!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... louisville

billyjack will correct me if I'm wrong, but this isn't the first time he said that.

with all the immediate transfers, Iona is going to be nasty next year.

[kayako]

It's not often that an all-time great is available and willing to coach. I think star was aligned for DePaul to make an impact hire and... they chose to stay with Leitao?

[Demon22]

It's not often that an all-time great is available and willing to coach. I think star was aligned for DePaul to make an impact hire and... they chose to stay with Leitao?

Nothing screams "HEY NCAA COMPLIANCE OFFICIALS - LOOK AT US!!!" quite like a school that's already on probation hiring one of the most notorious cheaters in NCAA history.

[billyjack]

Pitino says PC was the job he regrets leaving the most, more than Kentucky!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... louisville

billyjack will correct me if I'm wrong, but this isn't the first time he said that.

with all the immediate transfers, Iona is going to be nasty next year.

TL:DR - That's right Stever, Pitino has said that a bunch of times about PC.

LONG STORY: This is a story i've written about a bunch over the years, but it's been a weird non-sports day, so:

Friartown was really good to Pitino and his family, and he was a great fit. He was a fun guy to have run hoops. Supposedly his wife loved the state a lot too. Richard Pitino was like 3 or 4 years old in 1986. Around the time of the NCAA's their infant son passed away, heart-breaking, and the community bonded with the Pitino's even tighter.

In 1985 he was an obscure assistant with the Knicks (under Hubie Brown i think during the Bernard King years) after spending a bunch of years as head coach of the BU Terriers. PC hockey legend Lou Lamoriello, who later built the NJ Devils from a goat-pile into a dynasty with bunch of Stanley Cups, was our AD and hired him out of the blue in Spring 85.

Our coach at the time (from 82 thru 85) retired-- Joe Mullaney in his second stint at Providence. Mullaney was a star at Holy Cross in the late 40's, who put PC on the map (perennial Top 20, two NIT titles, NBA stars like Lenny Wilkens, JT Jr, and Jimmy Walker) in the mid 50's thru 1968. In 69 the Lakers hired him, but he was fired after 1 season when he lost in Game 7 at the Forum vs Boston thanks to a miracle late shot by HOF'er Don Nelson (later 1980's great Bucks coach known for wearing fish ties) that hit the iron, bounced like 10 feet straight up, and went thru the hoop.

Anyway, Mullaney then coached in the ABA, then was itching to get back to the Friars... so he took the Brown job on the East Side in the late 70's and camped out so to speak... Gavitt left after 79 to start the BE, then we hired a young stiff named Gary Walters (he currently holds some NCAA admin position i think) who was at Dartmouth (where Gavitt was hired from 10 years earlier). After a couple years Walters was let go and Mullaney came in but couldn't get that magic back.

Anyway, after our 87 F4, Pitino fuckin flirted with the Knicks in April and May, and the Friars extended his contract, where in the press conference Pitino said something like "i regret to inform all of you that I've signed a 5 year deal with the New Jersey Devils"... everyone laughed and we dreamed of more Final Fours.

Anyway, again out of the blue, blindsiding everyone, in late June early July he went to the NYK. We had no time to dick around with a search, so hired his assistant Gordie Chiesa, formerly a Manhattan Jaspers coach, for the 88 season, which was horrid. Guy was an ass, and a couple of key players quit cuz they were sick of the verbal and mental abuse. Pitino had a couple of blue chips coming in who decommited in the summer-- the late great Malik Sealy (who went to St John's) and others (possibly Kenny Anderson was close i think, i might have the wrong guy).

Anyhoo. I gotta find some sports to watch... i got a bunch of old BE games stored from this season... i might pop on the DePaul vs Fairleigh Dickinson game from last November.

[Bogg]

I mean, I get it, gets the donors excited enough to fund some capital improvements for the next guy and you may hang some conference banners in the meantime. Sure.

Pitino says PC was the job he regrets leaving the most, more than Kentucky! Says Iona only ones to contact him... why did the Johnnies pass? He would have gone in a heartbeat

Well, Pitino can't come out and say that under the circumstances this was the best college job he could get at the time and it'll allow him to rehab his image for a year or three before moving on to a job where he'll get to go out on his own terms. So he spins a tale about missing the small private school atmosphere.

Also, I think this past season is evidence that, whatever you may say about the process that got them there, StJ eventually did fine in their coaching hire.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

College Basketball Coaching Carousel Cheat Sheet for 2020 - Jeff Goodman, Stadium Basketball Insider - February 28, 2020

FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS

THE SEAT IS HOT

IT’S A COIN FLIP
(2) Dave Leitao, DePaul - For a while there, Leitao looked as though he was headed towards an extension and that still may be the case. That’s what AD Jean Lenti Ponsetto has been telling people. DePaul was rolling in the non-conference slate, but the Blue Demons finished 3-15 — last in Big East play. The chatter is that Ponsetto could be out soon as well, but this one is probably all about timing. If a move is made here, Loyola’s Porter Moser is the frontrunner.

SAFE … FOR ANOTHER YEAR

JOB-SAVING SEASON

MID- AND LOW-MAJOR GUYS LIKELY OUT THE DOOR

HIGH-MAJOR COACHES TO WATCH
(2) Kevin Willard, Seton Hall - He spurned Virginia Tech a year ago, but we’ll see if something more attractive comes his way this offseason. Not only will Willard, who was set to go to his fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, lose Myles Powell from a top-15 team, but Seton Hall is not an easy job. He’s basically maxed it out.

MID-MAJOR COACHES TO WATCH

UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING
(1) John Thompson III - He’s been working for the Wizards for the past year, heading up the athlete development and engagement department, but the former Georgetown head coach could be in the mix for a job like Boston College. He reached the NCAA Tournament eight times in 13 years with the Hoyas, including a Final Four appearance in 2007.

YES, WE’RE HIRING!

OFF THE MARKET

INTERIM JOBS

SUSPENDED

[DeltaV]

Two days earlier, Iona beat Holy Cross and Villanova beat Marquette at the Dunk, but i don't think we went to Round One games. Syracuse i think i remember their mascot was some Roman dude running around with a sword (this was pre-Otto), though that might've been in 1979 vs UConn.

I believe the Orangeman was a Native American, and was dropped as inappropriate and racist. They kept the nickname, and just made the mascot a fruit instead.

I got confused for a second wondering why so many Big East teams were playing so early in the tournament (they usually try to space them so conference mates don't meet early), but then realized this was pre-Big East

[herodotus]

I believe the Orangeman was a Native American, and was dropped as inappropriate and racist. They kept the nickname, and just made the mascot a fruit instead.

This was such a no brainer solution that St. John's, and especially Marquette should have used. A warrior doesn't have to be a Native American. They could have easily just changed the mascot to resemble some ancient warrior, or even an army soldier. Redmen isn't quite as simple, but could have been changed to represent the color, as Redmen is not as specific as Redskin, which clearly indicates a Native American, and was indeed used by some as a slur.