ESPN: Why St. John's believes in Mike Anderson (even if you might not)

"Cragg … didn't hire a search firm, instead relying on the advice of his former colleagues at Duke -- namely Mike Krzyzewski and Jeff Capel. While discussing names with Capel over the phone one day, the Pittsburgh head coach suggested the Anderson, who had been fired on March 26 after eight seasons as Arkansas' coach. Cragg wanted to know if Anderson would entertain the idea -- and while Capel was calling Anderson to gauge his interest, Cragg called Krzyzewski. "That would be a home run," Krzyzewski told Cragg."

Finally, a big time AD who's his own man. It's about time.

You know, other people who have been hired to do a job have their references checked as well.

To me there's still a gray area on Mullin's final meetings w Cragg in the closing weeks of his tenure. From what I recall there was dissatisfaction amongst highly ranked alums and University officials with Mullin's efforts. The notion that he left on his own I feel is a concerted effort to protect his long term legacy and relationship with the program.

This is utter nonsense. I have no idea what "highly ranked alums" even is and even if there were such a thing where might you have heard about their dissatisfaction? To which university officials are you referring ? I read the papers read the papers religiously and have no idea what you're talking about. Please feel free to provide the deets as Phavre Fan would say and I'll happily apologize for doubting your recollections. Otherwise the storyline - that Mullin wanted an extension didn't get one and so resigned in a huff - stands and there were no concerted efforts to do anything and any notions you have are a figment of your fevered imagination.

You of all people know that there was a growing contingent amidst fans that wanted him out. I respected and supported him throughout his tenure but gave in to the distaste throughout our inexcusable second half slump. Highly ranked alums being big time donors, university officials being Cragg and Bobby G.

All I'm saying is that after a year's worth of evaluation, Cragg assessed Mullin's body of work and wasn't pleased. I'm sure that it was expressed in their end of season meetings. I agree that Chris might of left on his own accord, but feel that his departure stemmed from Cragg setting new parameters and demands of his job responsibilities moving forward.

We have a professional, regimented HC now, that drama is behind us. But Cragg being shocked on Twitter by Chris' departure is a stretch for me. It was rumored for days on end during Final Four weekend before he actually left.

Gimp wouldn't give Mullin money to replace Slice and wouldn't let him hire Mike Rice.

This is utter nonsense. I have no idea what "highly ranked alums" even is and even if there were such a thing where might you have heard about their dissatisfaction? To which university officials are you referring ? I read the papers read the papers religiously and have no idea what you're talking about. Please feel free to provide the deets as Phavre Fan would say and I'll happily apologize for doubting your recollections. Otherwise the storyline - that Mullin wanted an extension didn't get one and so resigned in a huff - stands and there were no concerted efforts to do anything and any notions you have are a figment of your fevered imagination.

There certainly were fans who wanted him out but I think you make a mistake if you mistake the sentiments expressed here and on RDC by 20 or 30 regular posters as representative of the fan base as a whole, much less as representative of the thoughts of influential alumni. Other than Repole I couldn't name an influential alumni, much less pretend to know what they were thinking. Maybe you have access to information to which I'm not privy. But unless you do I tend to doubt that major donors - by which I mean wall street donors, not avatar shifter donors or uber driver donors and train shitter donors - said yeah we're four years in and just made the tournament so we better fire our childhood idol Chris Mullin and replace him with Porter Moser.

As long as we're speculating, here's what I think happened. Gimp wouldn't give Mullin money to replace Slice and wouldn't let him hire Mike Rice; Cragg wouldn't give Mullin an extension and when he went to Gimp Gimp washed his hands of the matter. So it was clear that he didn't have the wholehearted support of the administration. That coming on the heels of his brother's death and with his wife and kids pining for the west coast he said eff this, I don't need this, I'm Chris Mullin. And so he left. No doubt the optics of it were massaged, but they almost always are.

I know it’s speculation but I heard that Mullin didn’t want Rice. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

Reckon what you is wanting to know is what I'm a-doing in here. 'Reckon the reason I'm in here is 'cause I've killed somebody. But I reckon what you is wanting to know is how come me had killed somebody so I reckon I'll start at the front and tell ye. I lived out back of my mother and father's place, most of my life, in a little ol' shed that my daddy built for me. They didn't too much want me up there in the house with the rest of'em. Mmm. So mostly I just sat around out there in the shed lookin' at the ground. Mmm. I didn't have no floor out there but I had me a hole dug out to lay down in. 'Quilt or two to put down there. Mmm-hmm.

I'll take your word for that, I've never had a real job. I do think it a tad strange though that the first major decision Cragg had to make he thought the best thing to do was to ask a guy who used to work for his underling what he should do and when that guy told him what to do he asked the underling whether the guy who used to work for him had given him sound advice. 

I know it’s speculation but I heard that Mullin didn’t want Rice. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

"Rice would have been an excellent addition to a team that often appeared uninterested on defense this past season, one reason the talented Red Storm managed only a one-and-done NCAA tournament appearance in a play-in game. But when Mullin brought Rice’s name to Gempesaw, the school president balked, a source said. Gempesaw perhaps feared blowback and a potential public-relations hit."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jppelzman/2019/04/09/a-hire-chris-mullin-was-not-allowed-to-make-helped-set-the-stage-for-his-departure/#48aabea55b56