Originally posted by rutgersguy1:
Originally posted by DoctorCrip:
Either Danny or Bobby are the correct answer. We should have invested in Danny Hurley, given him 7 years or whatever he wanted and trusted it. Would have given instant local credibility, good PR, backing of Bob Sr. He's young, energetic and already successful. Likely keeps Eli Carter in the fold. Also recruiting at a higher level for URI than Eddie is for RU. It was an obvious choice.
I also would have been interested in someone like Seth Greenberg -- local guy from Long Island, personable guy now on ESPN and did ok at Va Tech. Knows how to manage a program.
I liked the Fraschilla idea. Thought he was a good coach with local connections and Euro connections which would have replenished roster most likely. Prob couldn't have hired him due to his termination at St. Johns, and grabbing his balls, telling the team they needed to play with a set.
I think Richard Pitino was not yet hired by Minnesota at that time. I liked him. Would have been difficult to hand the keys over to someone that green though.
However, all things considered, Eddie was not a bad hire at the time. Good PR move, NBA pedigree, loyal son, etc. Problem is that he doesn't seem to have the personality to get it done on the recruiting trail. A college coach has to be a grinder, or have grinders as asst. coaches. I just don't see it in him.
I wouldn't have given him 7 years then and still wouldn't now. People are impatient as is and then you're going to give a 7 year contract out to a then and still unproven HC. A contract which would be tougher to come out from than the current one. The "mistake" if there was one to point to was not waiting on the hiring of an AD. Keep an interim coach for a year and then let the new AD make a hire. Leave it to a person with actual experience running or high up the food chain in the athletic department. OSU did that after Tressel. I'm never one to rush things if it isn't in our best interest and longer term ramifications aren't taken into account.
Of course many on the board were apoplectic that the program would be torn to shreds if a quick hire wasn't made and we see what a difference making that hire was. As typical with most messageboards the sky is falling attitude prevails and things must be done now now now without thinking of realistically how things should and can get done. I see the same now with facilities. Not that we don't need them, obviously we do but it's going to get done on a time table which is financially feasible for the health of the entire athletic department. As it is, I think some think the B10 revenue is some bottomless pot of gold. It's going to be great but there are limits of how much you can get done with it without private money supplementing as well.
As to the coaches mentioned. Frashcilla wasn't on the table like he was during the Rice hire and not having a facilities at that time was a non starter with him. Richard Pitino was already hired by Minnesota by the time we made a hire. Seth Greenberg would have been an "eh" hire but nothing to write home about and he wasn't mentioned either at the time. Hurley and EJ were the only names out there that I remember. If we had waited the year, Howland would have been out there for us if a new AD wanted him and a being out of it for a year might have made him more amenable to taking the position as we saw in that article I posted and his taking of the Mississippi St job. I don't know if he would have been the answer but I think he would have been a solid hire.
In any case, EJ will either get it done or he will be a transition coach after Rice and the next coach will have the B10 revenue to look forward too and prospects of a better future.
