Reviewing DePaul

[sju88grad]

According to WeAreDePaul.com, DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti-Ponsetto will announce her retirement as soon as Friday.

Woo hoo!!!! Congrats!!!

Let’s hope this is the beginning of a turnaround for DePaul......

[GoldenWarrior11]

According to WeAreDePaul.com, DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti-Ponsetto will announce her retirement as soon as Friday.

Best news of 2020, hands down. Congrats, Demon!!!

[Demon22]

A DePaul spokesperson has confirmed the initial report. Official announcement coming tomorrow.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

.
DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto is retiring this summer after 18 years – Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune - June 4, 2020

DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto is retiring this summer after 18 years, a university spokesman confirmed Thursday night.

Lenti Ponsetto has been with the athletic department for 45 years — as a basketball player, an assistant basketball coach and senior associate athletic director before taking over as AD in 2002.

Lenti Ponsetto ushered DePaul into the Big East Conference in 2005 and oversaw the basketball teams’ move into Wintrust Arena, a sparkling new venue near the South Loop, in 2017 after years of playing in Rosemont’s Allstate Arena.

The struggles of the men’s basketball program and other recent controversies have overshadowed the department. Lenti Ponsetto hired three coaches to try to right the program without finding sustained success, and some fans criticized her for bringing back coach Dave Leitao in 2015. He had coached the team for three seasons from 2002-05 with back-to-back winning seasons before leaving to coach Virginia.

More serious troubles have dogged the athletic department in recent years ...

Fan frustration had been growing before these incidents. In recent years, a social media campaign pushed for her firing and a group of disgruntled alumni raised $2,000 to buy a Sun-Times ad calling for her removal.

Much of her tenure at DePaul has been defined by trying to rebuild the men’s basketball program, which made the NCAA Tournament 14 times in 17 years from 1976-92. Now the university will be looking for a new leader for that mission. A DePaul spokesman said the university would release a statement Friday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave Leitao Selected To Head DePaul Men's Basketball Program – DePaul University - April 17, 2002

CHICAGO -- Dave Leitao, the Associate Head Coach at Connecticut, was named the DePaul men's basketball coach today. Leitao, who becomes the 10th head coach in DePaul history, succeeds Pat Kennedy who resigned on March 5 after five seasons.

"We are extremely pleased to bring Dave Leitao into the DePaul athletic family as our men's basketball coach," DePaul Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw said. "We believe that Dave is one of the up-and-coming coaches in the nation and we are excited to see his work with the Blue Demon program."

DePaul Names Jean Lenti Ponsetto Athletic Director – DePaul University - July 1, 2002

CHICAGO -- DePaul University has tapped Jean Lenti Ponsetto, a nationally known, well-respected administrator, to become its new athletic director, joining an elite group of 17 women who hold such positions at the 318 universities that compete in the NCAA's Division I, Vice President for Student Affairs James R. Doyle announced today.

Ponsetto, 45, has spent her entire career at DePaul-first as a four-sport athlete-then as an assistant women's basketball coach, assistant athletic director, associate athletic director and, for the past seven years, senior associate athletic director. In this role, she was responsible for coordinating budgets, student financial aid and eligibility, fund raising, overseeing academics and ensuring NCAA compliance and rules education for DePaul's 235 student athletes in 15 sports, among numerous other duties.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History of the Former Dayton-DePaul Rivalry

Dave Leitao’s Record – DePaul in Conference USA 2002–2005

2002–03 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 16–13 (8–8) • T-6th • NIT First Round
2003–04 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 22–10 (12–4) • 1st • NCAA Second Round
2004–05 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 20–11 (10–6) • T-4th • NIT Second Round

DePaul Blue Demons Coaches’ Records in the Big East Conference 2005-2020

2005–06 • DePaul • Jerry Wainwright • 12–15 (5–11) • T-13th
2006–07 • DePaul • Jerry Wainwright • 20–14 (9–7) • 8th • NIT Quarterfinals
2007–08 • DePaul • Jerry Wainwright • 11–19 (6–12) • 13th
2008–09 • DePaul • Jerry Wainwright • 9–24 (0–18) • 16th/Last
2009–10 • DePaul • Jerry Wainwright • 8–23 (1–17) • 16th/Last

2010–11 • DePaul • Oliver Purnell • 7–24 (1–17) • 16th/Last
2011–12 • DePaul • Oliver Purnell • 12–19 (3–15) • 16th/Last
2012–13 • DePaul • Oliver Purnell • 11–21 (2–16) • 15th/Last
2013–14 • DePaul • Oliver Purnell • 12–21 (3–15) • 10th/Last
2014–15 • DePaul • Oliver Purnell • 12–20 (6–12) • 7th

2015–16 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 9–22 (3–15) • 9th
2016–17 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 9–23 (2–16) • 10th/Last
2017–18 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 11-20 (4-14) • T-9th/Last
2018–19 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 19-17 (7-11) • T-8th/Last • CBI Runner Up
2019–20 • DePaul • Dave Leitao • 16-16 (3-15) • 10th/Last

DePaul Blue Demons in the Big East:

Jerry Wainwright• 5 Seasons • 2005-2010 • Overall: 60–95 (.387) • Conference: 21–65 (.244)
Oliver Purnell • 5 Seasons • 2010-2015 • Overall: 54–105 (.340) • Conference: 15–75 (.167)
Dave Leitao • 5 Seasons • 2015-2020 • Overall: 64-98 (.395) • Conference: 19–71 (.211)

DePaul in the Big East • 15 Seasons • 2005-2020 • Overall: 178–298 (.374) • Conference: 55–211 (.207)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A miracle at the Garden won’t save the Dave Leitao regime - Lawrence Kreymer, The DePaulia - March 8, 2020

If Lenti Ponsetto had any clue how to run a college program, she would have told Leitao to forget about coaching the Big East Tournament. Instead, the Massachusetts native will be allowed to stand on the sidelines in New York and embarrass the program for one final time. When the season comes to an end at Madison Square Garden, Leitao should announce he won’t be returning next season. He at least owes that much to the fans who have had to watch his pathetic brand of basketball for five years.

DePaul's Faith in Dave Leitao Proves They Don't Care About Basketball – Andrew Doughty, Hero Sports - March 19, 2020

DePaul and Dave Leitao Agree to Multi-Year Contract Extension – DePaul University – April 2, 2020

CHICAGO - DePaul University and men's basketball coach Dave Leitao have mutually agreed to a multi-year extension for Leitao to lead the program. The extension continues the current contract through the end of the 2023-24 season.

"We are happy to reach an agreement to continue the improvement and stability that Coach Leitao has instilled in our men's basketball program," said athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "His vision of academic excellence, athletic excellence and community service mirrors DePaul's mission in developing outstanding student-athletes and future leaders in our society."

Blue Demons fans react to Dave Leitao contract extension - Lawrence Kreymer, The DePaulia – April 10, 2020

Best of luck to DePaul going forward.

[Demon22]

https://twitter.com/DePauliaSports/stat ... 7830188032

[OmahaGuy]

Best of luck to JLP in her future endeavors and prayers that she beats breast cancer again.

It'll be interesting to see who the new AD is

[NJRedman]

This is 2020, lets not jump to the conclusion the next hire will be better. It could end up being a half eaten weird hotdog with sliced pickle on it. 2020 + DePaul =

[GoldenWarrior11]

Demon, any inside info you have heard about where search will go? Read from a few people about possibly pursuing John McDonough (which would be home run IMO).

I think the worst move would be to promote someone internally. Need a new voice and new direction.

[Husky_U]

Maybe choose an AAC AD. They always looking for promotions.

[Demon22]

Demon, any inside info you have heard about where search will go? Read from a few people about possibly pursuing John McDonough (which would be home run IMO).

I think the worst move would be to promote someone internally. Need a new voice and new direction.

Nothing that I would regard as credible... just alumni throwing names out into the Twittersphere.

I would be pretty surprised if the job went to someone who's already on staff.