NEWS BREAK! Lavin Slays His First Dragon- Tony Chiles [JohnnyJungle.com]

What position is he filling?  I would hope that he is not one of our three assistants.  Recruiting coordinator would be a great role for him.

I really feel like NJ has to be our focus for 2011--not NY.  There are no uncommitted recruits in the top 100 from NYC.  We have nine scholarships open for that class.

Quote from: Tha Kid on April 05, 2010, 10:19:49 AM

Thanks for the scoop Dave.  This was a little false advertising to me though.  Slaying dragon is usually reserved for a huge get - I assumed Leitao or Slice signed on.  Great get, but let's save the dragons for beating Cuse, Uconn or signing a McD AA....

Drexel is the Dragons.

Ah THERE we go.  Apologies to Dave, and thanks to mkras.

Quote from: mkras99 on April 05, 2010, 10:22:48 AM

Quote from: Tha Kid on April 05, 2010, 10:19:49 AM

Thanks for the scoop Dave.  This was a little false advertising to me though.  Slaying dragon is usually reserved for a huge get - I assumed Leitao or Slice signed on.  Great get, but let's save the dragons for beating Cuse, Uconn or signing a McD AA....

Drexel is the Dragons.

Ah THERE we go.  Apologies to Dave, and thanks to mkras.

LOL....duh. Give me some credit for being creative. 

So how long before NY media jumps on this as an exclusive report? 

to be honest, this really doesn't excite me very much...

It should. He might not have been the sexiest name out there but he's a great hire. I like that Lavin is doing his due diligence in selecting a staff.

What position is he filling?  I would hope that he is not one of our three assistants.  Recruiting coordinator would be a great role for him.

I really feel like NJ has to be our focus for 2011--not NY.  There are no uncommitted recruits in the top 100 from NYC.  We have nine scholarships open for that class.

He's an experienced assistant.  You want him to be DOBO? Grad assistant?  Let's see where the other assistants come from, and I would expect these guys to make Jersey inroads as well.  Lavin cannot start his tenure by ignoring NY, btw.  And Jabarie Hinds isn't top 100?

What position is he filling?  I would hope that he is not one of our three assistants.  Recruiting coordinator would be a great role for him.

I really feel like NJ has to be our focus for 2011--not NY.  There are no uncommitted recruits in the top 100 from NYC.  We have nine scholarships open for that class.

Angel Nunez did live in NYC and Jabarie Hinds lives over the border in Westchester.

Perhaps, he can help St. John's tap into the Philly area. He was already recruiting Malcolm Gilbert, a borderline top 100 5/4, who goes to school with some other big-time talent (notably Christmas and Goodman) and runs on the same AAU team as Gilchrist.

Lavin makes a hire

10:01 AM ET

http://www.vphoops.com/?p=1471

The New York Daily News is reporting that new St. John's coach Steve Lavin has targeted former Virginia coach Dave Leitao and Kimani Young, who heads the New Heights AAU program, as two possible assistant coaching candidates.

Now Vin Parise is reporting that Lavin will make Drexel assistant Tony Chiles his first hire.

"Steve Lavin has picked the brains of everyone in the area you can? and Tony Chiles was on every single person's list," Parise wrote this morning. "He knows the city inside and out and will immediately get Lavin involved with local kids. Lavin is also expected to receive an answer any day now from Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen as to whether he will be joining him or not."

Lavin had an interview set for Saturday with Young and will meet with Leitao on Monday. We've written before about Barry 'Slice' Rohrssen possibly not leaving Manhattan to be an assistant for St. John's, but Lavin had a preliminary conversation with the coach and plans to speak with him again, according to the Daily News.

If Lavin has indeed hired Chiles -- someone with a knowledge of the city -- he should probably target an assistant who is a good Xs and Os coach. When he was fired from UCLA, legendary coach Pete Newell remarked that Lavin needed an older assistant who was good with strategy. Seven years later, that might still be the case.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/features/rumors


I've heard nothing but good things about this guy. With SJU behind him I believe he can do some damage recruiting wise in this city. Add Rohrreson-Laito-Keady-Lavin and we would be right back in business baby!

the more i read about it the more i like the hire. Seems like he'll really help with connections. Keady will help with overall coaching and it looks like were on our way to a great staff with most likely at least four other spots to fill (associate head, 2nd assistant, DOBO, video cordiator).

My question is could slice or leito accept the 2nd assistant role or is it not that big or a deal?

he is my cousins ex boyfriend. and good friend of the family im happy as hell

"The reason why the St. John’s coaching staff hires are getting so much attention is simple….the salaries are competitive with MAAC head coach pay."- Parise

 

he is a very very very good hire. u will be getting players from rice and the guachos for sure

Quote from: Tha Kid on April 05, 2010, 11:16:56 AM

Quote from: mkras99 on April 05, 2010, 10:22:48 AM

Quote from: Tha Kid on April 05, 2010, 10:19:49 AM

Thanks for the scoop Dave.  This was a little false advertising to me though.  Slaying dragon is usually reserved for a huge get - I assumed Leitao or Slice signed on.  Great get, but let's save the dragons for beating Cuse, Uconn or signing a McD AA....

Drexel is the Dragons.

Ah THERE we go.  Apologies to Dave, and thanks to mkras.

LOL....duh. Give me some credit for being creative. 

I give you tons of credit.  Dragons obviously went way over my head.

I'm too focused on my #1B team's impending national title!

he is a very very very good hire. u will be getting players from rice and the guachos for sure

This is very very very good news. Thanks for putting it up kob.

Welcome.

Tony Chiles..All Hallows City and State champs!

According, to BooksnBall on Redmen.com.....

"Tony Chiles is the kind of guy you'll be very happy Coach Lavin has added to the staff. UNIVERSIALLY respected by the metro NYC/NJ community CHSAA/PSAL- NJHSAA & the "travel teams" on both sides of the Hudson. Played at highest level of NYC HS hoops and has contacts x infinity. His combination of hoops cred with his academic pedigree from Columbia is pretty impressive in getting the interests of PARENTS & student-athletes alike. He'll set the table and Coach lavin will close the deals. Be Happy! ps No guarentees -but my sources here & in Indy say that Coach Lavin has set the plate for SJU to seal the deal for another "slice" of the coaching staff to be DONE in the next 36 hours. I didn't think it would happen, but my guys have face to face info. If so- WOW!"

Welcome abroad Tony! Starting to like this Lavin hire even more!

I' ve known Tony since his days as an asst coach at AH.  He recruited one of my players when at Iona. A good coach and even a better person.  A great selection by coach Lavin.

Quote from: Marillac on April 05, 2010, 11:15:58 AM

What position is he filling?  I would hope that he is not one of our three assistants.  Recruiting coordinator would be a great role for him.

I really feel like NJ has to be our focus for 2011--not NY.  There are no uncommitted recruits in the top 100 from NYC.  We have nine scholarships open for that class.

He's an experienced assistant.  You want him to be DOBO? Grad assistant?  Let's see where the other assistants come from, and I would expect these guys to make Jersey inroads as well.  Lavin cannot start his tenure by ignoring NY, btw.  And Jabarie Hinds isn't top 100?

I'm not suggesting you ignore NY.  Slice alone is NY enough for almost any staff--he has been labeled as the best recruiter in the city, EVER. Hinds is from Mt. Vernon, technically not part of NYC.  Mt. Vernon does not even play in the CHSAA like some Westchester schools.  It is Section 1 of NYSPHAA. 

I like the Tony Chiles hire more and more as time goes by. I would have really liked Grasso and/or J-Will on this staff.  It looks like that is no longer possible, but it seems like we will end up with Slice-Dunlap-Chiles and Young as DOBO.  That is pretty incredible.

Lavin is a solid coach, but having a guy like Dunlap who is incredible just makes us that much better.  I don't think Leitao could have brought that level of expertise there.