Curious to see what non-SJ fans think

[Redmen23]

Bobby Hurley to SJ would be the best possible hire IMO. Local guy, NJ is a recruiting hotbed, huge name recognition, still young and hungry, and would bring respectability back. From the rumor mill, Mullin will be asked by Cragg to make a coaching change aka demote Mitch who does nothing and is just his friend. He wants Mullin to add a real assistant with experience. If he refuses and that is a real possibility (known for being quite stubborn), he will resign. I'd say 70% he resigns after resisting the staff change. Knowing our luck though, some other program like UCLA will steal Hurley and give him some ungodly amount we can't match. If Mullin resigns we can pay him the 2 mil he's making at ASU, however how badly does he want to be close to home? For some people it doesn't really matter and for others it's a huge deal. If Bobby Hurley can't solve our puzzle, no one can.

While Bobby would be great, I don't think he's the only guy who can win here. We just need a real coach here. The last 2 hires (Lavin and Mullin) were not X's and O's types at all. Basically just faces brought into recruit. Lavin did well when he had a top bench coach like Dunlap but after Dunlap bolted we saw how much Lav's teams struggled.

I'd go hard after a guy like Oats from Buffalo (Bobby protege) and if the current recruiting class stays intact then we're a tourney team next year, no doubt in my mind.

We need a coach with a system and a plan, Mully just doesn't have either. He is not a HC.

[ProprietyofLeyluken]

Bobby Hurley to SJ would be the best possible hire IMO. Local guy, NJ is a recruiting hotbed, huge name recognition, still young and hungry, and would bring respectability back. From the rumor mill, Mullin will be asked by Cragg to make a coaching change aka demote Mitch who does nothing and is just his friend. He wants Mullin to add a real assistant with experience. If he refuses and that is a real possibility (known for being quite stubborn), he will resign. I'd say 70% he resigns after resisting the staff change. Knowing our luck though, some other program like UCLA will steal Hurley and give him some ungodly amount we can't match. If Mullin resigns we can pay him the 2 mil he's making at ASU, however how badly does he want to be close to home? For some people it doesn't really matter and for others it's a huge deal. If Bobby Hurley can't solve our puzzle, no one can.

While Bobby would be great, I don't think he's the only guy who can win here. We just need a real coach here. The last 2 hires (Lavin and Mullin) were not X's and O's types at all. Basically just faces brought into recruit. Lavin did well when he had a top bench coach like Dunlap but after Dunlap bolted we saw how much Lav's teams struggled.

I'd go hard after a guy like Oats from Buffalo (Bobby protege) and if the current recruiting class stays intact then we're a tourney team next year, no doubt in my mind.

We need a coach with a system and a plan, Mully just doesn't have either. He is not a HC.

Don’t @ me but I think Tubby Smith would be great at St John’s.

He’s currently coaching his alma-mater but it sounds like he misses high Major.

A guy like Tubby can build a program in this league the way teams in this league are traditionally successful. He is a talent developer and builds old rosters.
For a program like St John’s, who hasn’t been to the tournament in a century, Tubby Smith would make them a perennial NCAA caliber team.
His name would also bring cachet to the conference and FOX could market that very nicely. He’s a classy brand to have in the portfolio.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/c ... 258fb56f5a

[MullinMayhem]

Oats is a good Plan B to Hurley IMO. If UCLA pays him like 5 or 6 million and he has no choice but to take it, then I'd be fine with Oats. Hurley would be a much better recruiter though with many more connections. Mullin is not in it for the long haul and I think he walks away after this season. He can throw up his hands, say he tried, and ride off into the sunset. Then you go all in after Hurley.

[adoraz]

I think there's a pretty good chance Mullin leaves after this year no matter what. Next year's team won't have Ponds, Clark, possibly Heron/Simon, etc.

I think if we don't make the Tournament there's an 80% chance he steps down, and if we do make the Tournament there's a 50% chance.

Insiders have said since the start that Mullin saw this role as a short term thing just to get SJU back on track (side note- stupid hire by the school if this is the case... isn't the whole point that if he to succeed that he could be here for a long time without getting poached?). Could it be that after making the Tournament, he hangs it up and rides out on a high note?

No matter what, after this season our roster will be worse next season. Considering we're struggling to make the Tournament this year, he might end up stepping down regardless of outcome.

[GoldenWarrior11]

What are STJ's fans opinions of Cluess at Iona? He is not the "sexy" pick, but he consistently got to the NCAAs at Iona. I doubt that the school would go back down the alumni-route, but Mark Jackson could be another potential candidate (he had less than favorable reviews at Golden State, and that is putting it politely). Was/is Mike Rice involved in the program in anyway? I seem to recall his name floated around last summer as a potential assistant. Given the Cragg connections, I wonder if they would make a run at Johnny Dawkins, who is originally from D.C.

[hoyahooligan]

Just out of curiosity, does anybody taking the wait and see approach feel he is a good coach? How'd you feel if he was your coach (only Nova fans are excused from answering)?

I mean, it's possible Ponds goes off for 40 again vs a few good opponents and we Dance, but that wouldn't solve the underlying issues.

Mullin has been extremely stubborn/arrogant through all 4 years and doesn't put in the effort to recruit. Those two qualities in a coach are inexcusable, especially for somebody who hasn't accomplished anything at the D1 coaching level. It's rough seeing a great coach like Hurley and his entire staff show up to NYC events while we just send Matt.

Obviously if we were winning I wouldn't post this, but I was still thinking it even during our 14-1 start. What I was hoping for is that we'd have a Top 25 year and that'd be enough to entice recruits to come. That obviously won't happen, so what happens if we squeak into the Tournament and Mullin feels redeemed? Does that mean he/GSJ/Mitch will recruit even less? Stud immediately eligible transfers like Heron aren't available every year.

Anyways, I try not to overthink it too much and of course as a fan I will root for the team because players like Clark and Ponds deserve to Dance. But I genuinely think long term it'd be in the team's best interests if he wasn't coach.

Getting my rant out of the way ahead of Creighton, because you're going to see a ton of people echoing these concerns Wednesday night if we lose.

No. I personally do not think he is a good coach or at least has not demonstrated himself to be a good coach, but I do think he's a good figure head for St. John's and that if he can right the ship this season and hire a real coach as second in command during the offseason, then keeping Mullin in charge could end up being the best thing for St. John's. The media attention will be much bigger and more powerful if he's the one to turn St. John's around than if it were anyone else.

[REDMEN1415]

Just out of curiosity, does anybody taking the wait and see approach feel he is a good coach? How'd you feel if he was your coach (only Nova fans are excused from answering)?

I mean, it's possible Ponds goes off for 40 again vs a few good opponents and we Dance, but that wouldn't solve the underlying issues.

Mullin has been extremely stubborn/arrogant through all 4 years and doesn't put in the effort to recruit. Those two qualities in a coach are inexcusable, especially for somebody who hasn't accomplished anything at the D1 coaching level. It's rough seeing a great coach like Hurley and his entire staff show up to NYC events while we just send Matt.

Obviously if we were winning I wouldn't post this, but I was still thinking it even during our 14-1 start. What I was hoping for is that we'd have a Top 25 year and that'd be enough to entice recruits to come. That obviously won't happen, so what happens if we squeak into the Tournament and Mullin feels redeemed? Does that mean he/GSJ/Mitch will recruit even less? Stud immediately eligible transfers like Heron aren't available every year.

Anyways, I try not to overthink it too much and of course as a fan I will root for the team because players like Clark and Ponds deserve to Dance. But I genuinely think long term it'd be in the team's best interests if he wasn't coach.

Getting my rant out of the way ahead of Creighton, because you're going to see a ton of people echoing these concerns Wednesday night if we lose.

"and doesn't put in the effort to recruit."
Exactly!!!!!!! You have 8 days off to prepare for Georgetown, Mullin can't go with Matt to see Precious, UNC goes three deep with Roy and 2 assistants for 2 days to boot?
Remember his presser: " We're gonna be all over the local hs scene, i'll go in through the backdoors and talking all that good crap, I believe he only did that his first year.
Freaking BS'er
Well we're 3-5, and Creighton can bury us on Wednesday night, which is sad. A team with this talent shouldn't be 3-5, we were picked to to finish in the top 3.
Meanwhile look at Villanova, lose alot and still tops in the BE.
The best yet again.
If Mullin doesn't want to do 100% of his duty's then he needs to step aside, for someone who is a grinder, not a BS'er.

[MullinMayhem]

Aside from zero results aside from 2 big random wins last year, Mullin simply does not put in the effort needed. His promises in his introductory presser now sound like silly campaign promises that never came true. His administration is also rife with nepotism. He hired Mitch who has no coaching experience and puts minimal effort in. Doesn't recruit. Then he hires St. Jean who clearly puts the effort in but just isn't effective and the only reason he got the job is because his father is Mullin's friend. The only coach we have worth anything is Matt A. He's the only coach you can say does his job well and actually gets results. I hope Mullin just says screw this and allows us to enter the Bobby Hurley/Nate Oats sweepstakes.

[sju88grad]

I don't think Hurley will go to UCLA......my guess is Eric Musselman from Nevada.....that team is top 10 right now but loses almost everyone after this season so he may want to make a jump after this season......