The Future of this Program

It's really not that hard. You don't need to get a Bobby Hurley although he would be a good hire. A Nate Oats type from a mid major that is killing it could be the better route. Not as much fanfare surrounding him which will allow him to just come in and do his job. Lay his framework out for the program and have a real system in place.

Just because we pick the wrong coaches doesn't mean they're not out there. Cragg seems like the type (I'm hoping from his years at Duke) that will look at all options out there and find a good coach regardless of his pedigree.

Our fan base would have wanted Coach K fired way before he made Duke what they are today. Not comparing Mullin to K.

Duke basketball has been so stable that Cragg probably is in over his head here.

And the same thing will happen if we fire our 7th coach in 23 years.

There's plenty of schools that have continued success even after multiple coaches have left for better jobs. Butler has had more head coaches than we have since 2000. Xavier has had the same amount. Since the start of 2003 VCU has never had a coach stay longer than 6 years (Capel 4 years, Grant 3, Shaka 6, Wade 2) and yet they've been one of the top 15-20 most consistently successful programs throughout that time period.

It's like an NFL team finding their next QB. You don't keep throwing a crappy QB on the field just because you don't want to start from scratch with a new guy. You keep getting new QBs until you find the right one.

You can't avoid change just for the sake avoiding change just like you don't have to change just for the sake of changing.

Our fan base would have wanted Coach K fired way before he made Duke what they are today. Not comparing Mullin to K.

Duke basketball has been so stable that Cragg probably is in over his head here.

Good point. The lack of success is on the fans because we should do a better job of coaching from our seats in a sold out Madison Square Garden.

Nonsense! Mahoney leaves, we bring in a real coach. Real coach does his job, brings in players and in 2 years we are good. How many guys transferred out when Fran got here?
Norm sucks, we bring in another real coach. Immediately we are good. Again how many guys transferred out with Lavin ?
Current players probably thought they enjoyed Mullins LAX attitude. I bet not so much right now. Guys want to win. Saturday was embarrassing.

You could give this novice more time. Pattern is more losses and waaaaaaay more transfers. One guy out already. Earlington playing football, plenty of Trimble rumors, Roberts doesn’t play but didn’t redshirt, their are even rumors about Simon leaving, neither ponds or Herron projected to go in 1st round, they are both not expected back. How many more guys do we lose if we keep going this way?
Experiment failed. 15-47

That’s a very good point. Fran, Jarvis and Lavin retained the players they wanted to retain. Norm and Mullin lost everyone the previous coach landed.

This guy has won around 30 percent of games that matter. How many do you think he wins?

The point of the post was that this is not the time to talk about potential staff changes.

There's plenty of schools that have continued success even after multiple coaches have left for better jobs. Butler has had more head coaches than we have since 2000. Xavier has had the same amount. Since the start of 2003 VCU has never had a coach stay longer than 6 years (Capel 4 years, Grant 3, Shaka 6, Wade 2) and yet they've been one of the top 15-20 most consistently successful programs throughout that time period.

You can't avoid change just for the sake avoiding change just like you don't have to change just for the sake of changing.

If your not a good coach, continuity will not matter.

Our fan base would have wanted Coach K fired way before he made Duke what they are today. Not comparing Mullin to K.

Duke basketball has been so stable that Cragg probably is in over his head here.

We'll be able to start judging Cragg's effectiveness after this season as it's heading toward another off season of changes.

The admin needs to stop out thinking themselves. Get a solid mid major coach with documented success (Oats) and let him build this thing the right way. No more gimmicky hires.

There's plenty of schools that have continued success even after multiple coaches have left for better jobs. Butler has had more head coaches than we have since 2000. Xavier has had the same amount. Since the start of 2003 VCU has never had a coach stay longer than 6 years (Capel 4 years, Grant 3, Shaka 6, Wade 2) and yet they've been one of the top 15-20 most consistently successful programs throughout that time period.

It's like an NFL team finding their next QB. You don't keep throwing a crappy QB on the field just because you don't want to start from scratch with a new guy. You keep getting new QBs until you find the right one.

You can't avoid change just for the sake avoiding change just like you don't have to change just for the sake of changing.

Difference being that the schools you mentioned all have been stable with a measurable and mostly consistent level of success in the past 10ish years. Seems like most of their new coaches were guys that had been in the program prior.

I’ve thought it would be kind of nice to let Mullin finish out his contract, maybe woo another top level recruit or two and give St Jean a go.

You want to give over an entire, horrible program to a kid who has never coached a meaningful game in his life and expect sju to be relevant again? My God, the love for this staff has no boundaries for some.  Maybe we should just raffle off guest coach for the night like the movie Eddie with whoppie Goldberg.

You want to give over an entire, horrible program to a kid who has never coached a meaningful game in his life and expect sju to be relevant again? My God, the love for this staff has no boundaries for some.  Maybe we should just raffle off guest coach for the night like the movie Eddie with whoppie Goldberg.

It couldn't be any worse than Mullin, Richmond or little boy blue St. Jean.

There's plenty of schools that have continued success even after multiple coaches have left for better jobs. Butler has had more head coaches than we have since 2000. Xavier has had the same amount. Since the start of 2003 VCU has never had a coach stay longer than 6 years (Capel 4 years, Grant 3, Shaka 6, Wade 2) and yet they've been one of the top 15-20 most consistently successful programs throughout that time period.

It's like an NFL team finding their next QB. You don't keep throwing a crappy QB on the field just because you don't want to start from scratch with a new guy. You keep getting new QBs until you find the right one.

You can't avoid change just for the sake avoiding change just like you don't have to change just for the sake of changing.

Comparing us to Butler is intellectually dishonest. That program is in its golden years. It has had sustained success. Butler has won at least one tournament game in 11 seasons since 2001 with 5 sweet sixteens and went to the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. Over the same span, we haven't won a single tournament game and have appeared in just three tournaments.

They haven't fired a coach in at least 30 years and they've replaced coaches had have moved on to greener pastures with inside hires to keep recruits and prevent transfers out.

Good point. The lack of success is on the fans because we should do a better job of coaching from our seats in a sold out Madison Square Garden.

Also, Cragg must be in over his head because all he know is how to build and maintain a winning program from being at the school for 31 years (1987 to 2018).  We are doomed.

Comparing us to Butler is intellectually dishonest. That program is in its golden years. It has had sustained success. Butler has won at least one tournament game in 11 seasons since 2001 with 5 sweet sixteens and went to the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. Over the same span, we haven't won a single tournament game and have appeared in just three tournaments.

They haven't fired a coach in at least 30 years and they've replaced coaches had have moved on to greener pastures with inside hires to keep recruits and prevent transfers out.

DePaul is a better comparison

I see the team going 3 and 3 for the next six games, but then winning its next 5 games. They won't go far in the Big East Tournament, as they never get a fair shake in the Garden. The pattern there is a second brush foul in the first half on a key SJU player (LJ 8 minutes into the half) and non-calls on the opposition on the second half (I counted five non-calls against Georgetown in the second half). They could get one or two wins in the NCAA but the lack of size will hurt against better teams.  As for Mark Jackson, he should be the Knicks coach.

Also, Cragg must be in over his head because all he know is how to build and maintain a winning program from being at the school for 31 years (1987 to 2018).  We are doomed.

Please explain how Cragg built and maintained Duke basketball? Didn’t he start off as a SID? Duke was already established by 1987 anyway.

Cragg’s strengths involve operations/facilities and fundraising. Both areas SJU needed badly.

If a coaching change is needed it would be interesting to see Cragg in action. He has no track record to go by. Plus I believe the board of trustees still has veto rights on possible hires.

and give St Jean a go.

WOW... who do you think is the architect of the last 4 years? St. Jean coaches the team! My disappointment in Mullin isn’t that he isn’t a coach, I don’t mind him delegating those responsibilities, it’s his apparent cluelessness on what it will take for this program to achieve sustainable success. He and Mitch needs to be recruiting. We will not get top players if they don’t. Bring in a coach who values defense. We can’t have 3 coaches who only pay attention to the offensive side of the ball.

No need to take snarky shots at St. Jean, who I'm sure you don't know and have never met.  The kid is highly respected as a basketball mind and I'm sure works his tail off.  I get the last few games have been rough but no need to go there. 

It couldn't be any worse than Mullin, Richmond or little boy blue St. Jean.

No need to take snarky shots at St. Jean, who I'm sure you don't know and have never met.  The kid is highly respected as a basketball mind and I'm sure works his tail off.  I get the last few games have been rough but no need to go there.

I don't need to know anything about him. What I do know is that he's not cutting it as a basketball coach. The proof is in the result on the court. Wins and losses. That's all that matters. And he has been coaching the team in earnest for the last 4 years with Mullin as the figurehead. Zero experience coaching before here and it clearly shows.

I don't need to know anything about him. What I do know is that he's not cutting it as a basketball coach. The proof is in the result on the court. Wins and losses. That's all that matters. And he has been coaching the team in earnest for the last 4 years with Mullin as the figurehead. Zero experience coaching before here and it clearly shows.

For those who subscribe to Peter Vescey's Patreon column, St Jean's uncle Rick sometimes offers his thoughts in the column.  Been waiting for see if he or Vescey would comment on the St Johns situation in one of the columns, but nothing yet.

No need to take snarky shots at St. Jean, who I'm sure you don't know and have never met.  The kid is highly respected as a basketball mind and I'm sure works his tail off.  I get the last few games have been rough but no need to go there. 

Kid looks like he is busting his ass. But this is the big east. Tickets are expensive. Beers are 14 bucks. He is getting paid to win.