OT: Sounds like Mike Brey to Saint John's has legs

[metsfan2323]

I have been told by someone who purports to know that Pitino is most likely to be in DC next season but I have no idea if this person has any credibility or not. I agree that St. Johns makes the most sense. I find it hilarious that people think he'll willingly spend 6 nights a week in Syracuse next year (now watch me jinx it). He does seem adamant about wanting to coach another 5 years or so, but I would assume he'll be pretty discriminating in his choice.

Francessa mentioned Pitino to Gtown rumor 2 days ago in his podcast.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I thought Brey is "retiring", or was that a just face-saving way of not getting fired?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I thought Brey is "retiring", or was that a just face-saving way of not getting fired?

Notre Dame announced his retirement. His contract is expiring and they had no intention of extending it so they said he was retiring.

He wants to continue coaching.

 

[willie99]

Has Mike Anderson been fired already? I do think he teaches a horrible system. I don't like the helter skelter style of play.

His teams do hustle, so there's that.

 

[metsfan2323]

Has Mike Anderson been fired already? I do think he teaches a horrible system. I don't like the helter skelter style of play.

His teams do hustle, so there's that.

'He has 4 years left on his contract, but I doubt St John's fans are happy. It has to hurt knowing freaking Iona has a much better coach. Fordham is also having a big season.

 

[uconnric]

Brey could bring some respectability back. My son and I were talking on Saturday on pur way back to Jersey from the game - they never recovered after Jarvis

Actually they never recovered after Lou Carnesecca. Despite being in Queens, it's a tough to recruit kids to St. John's. Seems like most of the top NYC talent want to leave town.

 

[gtcam]

Actually they never recovered after Lou Carnesecca. Despite being in Queens, it's a tough to recruit kids to St. John's. Seems like most of the top NYC talent want to leave town.

Put someone with NBA ties at St Johns and NYC kids will look twice before leaving the city. But I understand why people want to leave NYC

 

[LIUCHusky]

Put someone with NBA ties at St Johns and NYC kids will look twice before leaving the city. But I understand why people want to leave NYC

Yeah, like Chris Mullins.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Actually they never recovered after Lou Carnesecca. Despite being in Queens, it's a tough to recruit kids to St. John's. Seems like most of the top NYC talent want to leave town.

Sort of a chicken or the egg thing. If NYC had a top program, I'm very confident they could get NYC talent to stay, but that hasn't existed for decades at this point, and getting back to that level feels incredibly unlikely. St. John's has, at best, mediocre facilities, a mediocre campus (with significant space constraints if they ever did want to build out), and doesn't have a rabid fanbase.

NYC is a pro sports town filled with transplants with allegiances to other universities. I spent many years living in the city, including a lot of time visiting friends that grew up and lived 15 minutes from St. John's in Queens and I have never once heard anyone tell me they were going to go catch a St. John's game (or met any fans of St. John's other than alums). There's for sure 10+ universities that have better fan support in NYC than St John's (us included).

 

[huskyjawz]

Sort of a chicken or the egg thing. If NYC had a top program, I'm very confident they could get NYC talent to stay, but that hasn't existed for decades at this point, and getting back to that level feels incredibly unlikely. St. John's has, at best, mediocre facilities, a mediocre campus (with significant space constraints if they ever did want to build out), and doesn't have a rabid fanbase.

NYC is a pro sports town filled with transplants with allegiances to other universities. I spent many years living in the city, including a lot of time visiting friends that grew up and lived 15 minutes from St. John's in Queens and I have never once heard anyone tell me they were going to go catch a St. John's game (or met any fans of St. John's other than alums). There's for sure 10+ universities that have better fan support in NYC than St John's (us included).

If St John's had the top seed in this tournament there would be more St John's fans at the Garden than any other school including UConn. In the early 90's UConn/St Johns on Saturday night would be sold out and the split of fans was 60/40 St Johns. I realize that was 30 years ago, but I believe the fan support is still there but buried, they just need something to cheer about.

 

[UConnRock]

Between G'town, St. John's and DePaul I think the G'town job is most appealing. I question whether Pitino has the drive and energy to bring a G'town program up from the bottom. The portal may make it easier, but it is at least a 3 or 4 year process to get back to respectability and Pitino is 70 now. I look at the time and effort that Hurley put in in his first 3 years and UConn was nowhere close to the level of disaster as the current G'town program. It is much easier to make Iona a winning team just with a transfer or two.

 

[superjohn]

Sort of a chicken or the egg thing. If NYC had a top program, I'm very confident they could get NYC talent to stay, but that hasn't existed for decades at this point, and getting back to that level feels incredibly unlikely. St. John's has, at best, mediocre facilities, a mediocre campus (with significant space constraints if they ever did want to build out), and doesn't have a rabid fanbase.

NYC is a pro sports town filled with transplants with allegiances to other universities. I spent many years living in the city, including a lot of time visiting friends that grew up and lived 15 minutes from St. John's in Queens and I have never once heard anyone tell me they were going to go catch a St. John's game (or met any fans of St. John's other than alums). There's for sure 10+ universities that have better fan support in NYC than St John's (us included).

That's because they suck, the few times they were really good the city was hugely into them and they were all over the back page.

Yes, big cities with pro teams are pro sports towns.

 

[Hoophound]

No, he said he’s not retiring….Notre Dame put a pretty face on the fact that they were firing him at the end of the year. Honestly, a pretty decent way of handling things.

I feel like Mike Anderson and St. John’s are just the same level. Mike Anderson is the St. John’s of coaches and St. John’s is the Mike Anderson of college programs. Neither of them are suddenly gonna become world beaters if they separate.

I sort of agree, but Pitino could reach a FF or better at SJU. It’s an ideal fit.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

That's because they suck, the few times they were really good the city was hugely into them and they were all over the back page.

Yes, big cities with pro teams are pro sports towns.

I mean, a top ten team anywhere is going to draw spectators. That doesn’t mean they have fan support. Even when they’re decent, they’re an afterthought.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No, he said he’s not retiring….Notre Dame put a pretty face on the fact that they were firing him at the end of the year. Honestly, a pretty decent way of handling things.

I feel like Mike Anderson and St. John’s are just the same level. Mike Anderson is the St. John’s of coaches and St. John’s is the Mike Anderson of college programs. Neither of them are suddenly gonna become world beaters if they separate.

I get that, but Anderson is from Alabama, coached at Tulsa, Arkansas and Mizzou. I really think there are coaches that can recruit a lot more effectively in NYC. It won't make St. Johns what they were under Lou, but they can be better than this.

 

[superjohn]

I mean, a top ten team anywhere is going to draw spectators. That doesn’t mean they have fan support. Even when they’re decent, they’re an afterthought.

Yes and teams that are almost always cr@ppy don't draw well. Their last little stretch where they had a really good team is nearly 25 years ago and the city was absolutely into it, I remember it well.

 

[husky429]

I sort of agree, but Pitino could reach a FF or better at SJU. It’s an ideal fit.

Given time, I think Pitino could bring any p6 conference team to a FF. The dude is a slimeball, but absolutely still one of the best coaches in the game.

 

[Hoophound]

Given time, I think Pitino could bring any p6 conference team to a FF. The dude is a slimeball, but absolutely still one of the best coaches in the game.

I agree, but SJU is the perfect for him. He stays in the city he’s been working in and sells that he’s the man there. He was coach and GM of the Knicks (despite failing). The guy offers the star power that makes playing in the city instantly attractive. He’d get tons of local talent there.

Frankly, we are better off that they don’t hire him, but he’d kill it there.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Actually they never recovered after Lou Carnesecca. Despite being in Queens, it's a tough to recruit kids to St. John's. Seems like most of the top NYC talent want to leave town.

Tough campus location in Queens, largely a commuter school but I think in St Johns case they’ve been able to recruit fine! Soriano, Posh, Storr, then bring in Curbelo? A good coach like Dan Hurley would have molded them into a winner and the reference to Dan Hurley is not meant as a joke

 

[superjohn]

Given time, I think Pitino could bring any p6 conference team to a FF. The dude is a slimeball, but absolutely still one of the best coaches in the game.

Yep, he's on the short list of the best coaches ever. He's the only coach I ever remember where I was nervous with Calhoun going up against him.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Yep, he's on the short list of the best coaches ever. He's the only coach I ever remember where I was nervous with Calhoun going up against him.

The most recent bracketology has UConn playing Yale in round one and (potentially) the winner of Miami / Iona in round two. Gulp.

 

[Fishy]

I get that, but Anderson is from Alabama, coached at Tulsa, Arkansas and Mizzou. I really think there are coaches that can recruit a lot more effectively in NYC. It won't make St. Johns what they were under Lou, but they can be better than this.

He recruits New York City just fine - roster has a good number of NYC kids and of the two NYC kids in the Rvials Top 100, he has one of them. (#70) He’s not recruited poorly, but I think he is bumping up agains St. John’s hard ceiling.

If you’re a kid looking at the Big East and you visit any campus and then visit St. John’s….you’re not going to be impressed. Even kids from NYC tend to want to leave…

 

[UCTitleTown]

Notre Dame announced his retirement. His contract is expiring and they had no intention of extending it so they said he was retiring.

He wants to continue coaching.

Pretty dumb if it was the school that announced he's retiring. Isn't that a personal decision for the coach to announce? I didn't read a lot about it when the news came out and just assumed he was calling it quits for health reasons or something.