New Coach

We got rid of a loser coach who couldn't even finish above .500 once in league play in 4 seasons. And we are going to replace him with a proven, experienced winner.

That's an upgrade by any measure.

Way to shoot for the stars.

We got rid of a loser coach who couldn't even finish above .500 once in league play in 4 seasons. And we are going to replace him with a proven, experienced winner.

That's an upgrade by any measure.

Will you want Cluess fired after the first or second game Marquette drops 100 points on us?

Not a done deal yet guys

A coach having a good enough 6 year run here to be offered a better job would be the best thing to happen to us in two decades.

Absent that happening what would be the best thing to happen to us in two decades? Because I can't think of anything.

So we fired a coach who runs too much of a freestyle offense and a low resistance defense to hire a coach who runs a free style offense and low resistance defense.

Cluess' teams at Iona have gotten worse each of the past 6 years. Fortunately for him so has his conference.

He's consistently had superior talent in the MAAC and everywhere else before that, a luxury he won't have here.

Lets look at Iona's best wins year by year:

2019: Neutral court over Hartford
2018: Neutral court over Weber St
2017: Neutral court over pre-Martin twin Nevada
2016: @ Monmouth
2015: @ 15-19 Wake Forest
2014: @ Canisius
2013: @ St Bonaventure
2012: @ Denver
2011: Home over Richmond

And this guy was the 2nd option? What a joke. I hope I look back on this 4-5 years from now to see how laughably wrong I was

Don't take this as me advocating for Cluess.  As with most hires, who knows how it is going to turn out.  But I do see points like this a lot, that I think need some clarification.  When Iona is good, like virtually all mid-majors, it is very difficult for them to schedule good teams.  And nearly impossible to play good teams at home.  Those 2011 and 2012 teams were stocked with Willard's talent, but Willard couldn't win a MAAC tournament game with those teams and won 20 games only once, which got him $1 million at Seton Hall.  Those Cluess versions led Wake Forest (ACC school) 41-8 in a game, beat Maryland (ACC) school by 20, beat a very good Nevada team (at home) beat the A-10 Champion Richmond, etc.  Those teams don't get to play Duke or Carolina at a neutral site.  Statistics are a bench mark, but some times they don't tell the whole story.

Also it was Cluess who brought in MoMo, Glover, and Armand.  Not Willard.  Willard signed Machado, who had virtually no offers out of HS.  Cluess brought in English, who also had few offers out of HS.  He ended up the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament MVP.  The guy can develop players.

Will you want Cluess fired after the first or second game Marquette drops 100 points on us?

You do realize he's been a winner at every level? How's that 20-52 disgraceful Big East record treating your boy Mullin??

You do realize he's been a winner at every level? How's that 20-52 disgraceful Big East record treating your boy Mullin??

Dude he coaches in the MAAC. His biggest competition each year is Siena. Would be a disaster hire for this program. If he was a young up and coming coach I might feel differently, but he's 60yrs old.

And again, I completely admit he's likely the best "coach" we've had here in a long time. But if you can't recruit, none of that matters.

As you can imagine, even before the drop off to low rankings for the conference, it is very hard to recruit a 4 star recruit to the MAAC.  And a 4 star big man, forget it.  There just aren't that many tall people to filter down to the MAAC level who are also really good at basketball.  If you are 6'10" and a top level recruit, you aren't going to the MAAC. In my time following the MAAC, I cannot recall any team signing a 4 star recruit.  Iona did get MoMo Jones who transferred back from Arizona and who was ineligible for some reason to transfer to St. John's. 

Cluess played a very fast, up-tempo style at Iona, frequently pushing the attack,running after made baskets, etc.  Some of that I believe was to neutralize Iona's lack of size against longer/bigger opponents.  It is also his preferred method of playing.  I think Cluess's ideal team is five 6-7 guys who all can handle the ball and are interchangeable on the attack.  I don't think he likes the traditional half court offense with a big post player.
Defense at times appears to be an afterthought as I believe he'd rather simply outscore you and win 85-75, than play a traditional style.  He can coach defense when he has to, though, and did this year with a depleted roster that didn't have the shooting skills of his previous Iona teams.  He does love shooting three's in transition and Iona practiced with a 10 second shot clock.  Players have to be extremely physically fit in this system.  It can be fun to watch and breathtaking at times when the team is in sync.  As you point out it is a big question whether this style translates to success in the Big East.  He'll have to determine that early on and I believe, while he can be stubborn, is able to adapt to situations.

Bigger programs have made overtures regarding hiring him while at Iona, as I understand it, including Rhode Island, and he did have a flirtation with Hofstra (mostly because of location I believe), but, as you can see if you read the story I linked, he's a devoted family guy and did not want to leave the area with his kids in school here.  I think they are in college now. The one job Iona fans always thought he would take, and we wouldn't begrudge him for taking, is the St. John's job.  It is kind of like coming home for him.

Thank you for responding to my questions. I would not complain with a bunch of 6'7 guys to be honest our teams have been much too small. And perhaps with my earlier posts I was a bit too harsh on him. That ESPN read was very interesting and shows he has very good character. Its just based on what you said and what I have read from other sources as well, I just cannot justify giving him the head coaching keys here. Too many red flags with translatebale system and recruiting woes. However, I do not think it would be entirely unreasonable to consider him as an assistant and help with game plans and incorporating his concepts in from time to time. Also in terms of discipline and getting the best out of players in addition to his relationships with them and the school would be good. I think he would do more good in that role and certainly better than Mitch and Matt.

Goodman is predicting Ryan Odom.  I don't like the idea of kicking out Mullin for anything less than a Pitino or Hurley, but if we're not getting a high major coach in here, I would prefer an up and comer to some like Cluess.  I don't think Cluess is a bad coach, but we basically know what he is at this point, he's 60 years old and he's not going to change.  I don't know anything about Odom, but someone along those lines would be acceptable I guess.

You do realize he's been a winner at every level? How's that 20-52 disgraceful Big East record treating your boy Mullin??

Not this level...at least not yet. If he's so great, why are we the only power 6 looking at this guy? What? Were the most knowledgable power 6 school that found a needle in a haystack?

Will you want Cluess fired after the first or second game Marquette drops 100 points on us?

Is Tim Cluess going to coach St.John’s with Iona’s full roster?

I say full roster because clearly we could use a couple of their players. As always.

someone along those lines would be acceptable I guess.

Acceptable I guess. High praise indeed.

I'm the last person to claim to have sources but I talked to a guy yesterday who knows people and Odom's name came up out of the blue. I had to ask who he was. Cragg firing the face of the program and hiring someone who was coaching in Division II three years ago would be something of a bold move. Unless it's best eaten cold revenge for Mullin spurning Shrewshrenski lo those many years ago. Because rats have long memories, longer even than their tails.

Coach’s have made that jump all the time. From lower division one to high level division one. Is Cluess the right man, maybe.
The one thing I know is Cluess is a basketball coach, not a figure head. Mullin didn’t get extended so he took his ball back to California. His time and his actions at Saint John’s didn’t  didn’t warrant one. The program  needs a coach who will do what it takes in all facets. Coaching, recruiting, player development and  mentoring young men. In my opinion Mullin came up short in all these requirements to varying degrees.
If it takes a complete overhaul so be it. I think if the right man gets the helm we’ll see positivities like a team coming together not falling apart at the end of the year. There will be an energy and spirit that we as fans will be able to see and feel.

Thank you for responding to my questions. I would not complain with a bunch of 6'7 guys to be honest our teams have been much too small. And perhaps with my earlier posts I was a bit too harsh on him. That ESPN read was very interesting and shows he has very good character. Its just based on what you said and what I have read from other sources as well, I just cannot justify giving him the head coaching keys here. Too many red flags with translatebale system and recruiting woes. However, I do not think it would be entirely unreasonable to consider him as an assistant and help with game plans and incorporating his concepts in from time to time. Also in terms of discipline and getting the best out of players in addition to his relationships with them and the school would be good. I think he would do more good in that role and certainly better than Mitch and Matt.

Understood and a completely fair take.  Just don't think he'd be interested in an assistant position. 

Looks like Hurley was told by more than a few not to take this job

Iona released a statement in regards to Cluess & St.John's

https://t.co/lghwjViFVc

Dude he coaches in the MAAC. His biggest competition each year is Siena. Would be a disaster hire for this program. If he was a young up and coming coach I might feel differently, but he's 60yrs old.

And again, I completely admit he's likely the best "coach" we've had here in a long time. But if you can't recruit, none of that matters.

You have zero idea if he will be a success or not. However his track record suggests that he will be. It doesn't matter what level you coach at.

Do you think Wisconsin thought twice before hiring Bo Ryan because he toiled in the the D2 ranks for years before getting the job in Madison?

What is with some of you people?

You backed a losser like Mullin who clearly was a failure here. That is a fact, record wise over 4 years.

Yet you don't want a guy who's been to 6 tourneys in the last 9 years because he's at a MAAC school.

Open your eyes and learn how to back a winner. Not a boyhood hero who couldn't win as a coach at the CYO level.

Acceptable I guess. High praise indeed.

I'm the last person to claim to have sources but I talked to a guy yesterday who knows people and Odom's name came up out of the blue. I had to ask who he was. Cragg firing the face of the program and hiring someone who was coaching in Division II three years ago would be something of a bold move. Unless it's best eaten cold revenge for Mullin spurning Shrewshrenski lo those many years ago. Because rats have long memories, longer even than their tails.

Do you think it's possible that Mullin stunk at the end of the season with talented upperclassmen and that's why he was fired? Could losing 6 of 8 games down the stretch have anything to do with it?

Cragg fired what was wrong with the program.

You backed a losser like Mullin who clearly was a failure here. That is a fact, record wise over 4 years.

He came into a complete rebuild and his record improved every year for 4 years running culminating in an Ncaa tournament appearance. Norm was 0 for 6 and if Mullin given the chance and danced next year he would have matched the great Steve Lavin.

His coaching performance was well within the range of what should be dubbed acceptable here at "No tournament Wins U".

If you rebuild it, they won't come.