Interesting Statement on BoB Hurley

[MCKnight2004]

"After Mike Rice, if Rutgers had approached him more aggressively, he would have considered leaving," Ben Gamble, who played basketball for Hurley and served as one of his assistants for 14 years, told Jerry Carino of The Asbury Park Press. "He would have taken Rutgers and probably would have had the boys (Bobby and Dan) come with him to set the foundation. That was the closest he ever came."

From Zags article.

 

[patk89]

"After Mike Rice, if Rutgers had approached him more aggressively, he would have considered leaving," Ben Gamble, who played basketball for Hurley and served as one of his assistants for 14 years, told Jerry Carino of The Asbury Park Press. "He would have taken Rutgers and probably would have had the boys (Bobby and Dan) come with him to set the foundation. That was the closest he ever came."

From Zags article.

So, his 2 sons, who are head coaches, would have deferred to their father and served as assistants (with the associated lower compensation) at Rutgers post scandal? If only RU had pursued the family more aggressively? Color me skeptical. Never would have happened to the point of being ridiculous.

 

[Upstream]

So, his 2 sons, who are head coaches, would have deferred to their father and served as assistants (with the associated lower compensation) at Rutgers post scandal? If only RU had pursued the family more aggressively? Color me skeptical. Never would have happened to the point of being ridiculous.

This. Plus, I recognize there are a lot of people on this board enamored with all things Hurley, but I don't think hiring him would have been the right move, even if it didn't require aggressive pursuit.

 

[TMCB]

Yeah thats why danny turned us down twice......,

 

[MADHAT1]

Agree with patk and probably a payback for RU not caving to Danny's demands while making Bob Sr look like he deserves the most loyal HS coach award.

 

[dollarbill]

We could have looked at Bobby Sr. in 1989 but Freddy G. would barely give him the time of day. Bob Wenzel was the man. The rest is a sad history of a program. $$$$

 

[MADHAT1]

We could have looked at Bobby Sr. in 1989 but Freddy G. would barely give him the time of day. Bob Wenzel was the man. The rest is a sad history of a program. $$$$

The Hurleys Bob Sr,Danny and Jr have been mentioned constantly as possible saviors, yet there isn't proof they would have been, just hope they were the ones.
Bob Hurley Sr has spent a lot of time over the years talking about the RU MBB HC job but never stepped up to the plate and put his career on the line.
Sounds good is the best that will ever come from discussing if Bob Hurley Sr should have been hired and that's the way he wants it. .
Danny talks a good talk, but won't take a reasonable offer and comes away from his discussions with RU smelling like a rose despite the thorns (demands) he gives RU which make it hard for RU to justify hiring him .
Bob Jr hasn't been really in the picture, so I'll not say he uses Rutgers to draw attention to himself and to look good when the RU MBB position is the issue.

If Bob Sr or Danny really wanted to be RU's HC they would have been, but talking about it makes great PR for them when they give their version of what might have been.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Preposterous comment by Gamble. Hurley, Sr. couldn't find the RAC with a GPS. Actions speak louder than words.

 

[colbert17]

Preposterous comment by Gamble. Hurley, Sr. couldn't find the RAC with a GPS. Actions speak louder than words.

Seems like he won quite a few state championships in the building.
Kind of odd here that people seem to be knocking Bob Sr. but were all in favor of pursuing someone who isn't 25% the coach that he is.....that buffoon Kevin Boyle who I need remind you was rejected by Monmouth.

 

[knights1212]

The Hurleys never did anything to help RU. All talk no action.

 

[colbert17]

Not in his job description to help us. We need to help ourselves a little more by not looking like clowns. Hoping Pikiell turns it around.

p.s. Mike Rosario and Myles Mack weren't too bad.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Not in his job description to help us. We need to help ourselves a little more by not looking like clowns. Hoping Pikiell turns it around.

p.s. Mike Rosario and Myles Mack weren't too bad.

Big of him. Maybe one player per decade.

 

[lester19]

The adoration of these HS coaches always makes me wonder.... is it the coach that makes the team or the players. Hurley and Boyle in my mind were successful because they were able to recruit high level players and out-talent the rest of the teams in the state. What were their records when the played the out of state powers who had similar talent?

 

[RUinFla]

The legendary coach at DeMatha in suburban Maryland, Morgan Wooten, once agreed to take the job at NC State, but reneged within a couple of days. Some coaches are high school lifers, and good for them. Wooten could have had the Maryland job a time or two, but why leave DeMatha when you can get the best players in the DC area in your HS? The catholic league has long surpassed the DC league, which gave us people like Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, John Thompson and a host of others. Bob Hurley is a legend, and just to be mentioned in connection with college job must be satisfying.
TL

 

[colbert17]

From the day Hurley stepped into St. Anthony's he was successful.
Boyle's St. Pat's teams were horrible when he first went there. They were playing in the Mountain Valley Conference and getting beat by teams like Kenilworth. An 8th grader from NYC by name of Shaheen Holloway was persuaded to go to St. Pat's. Al Harrington soon followed and the rest is history.
The St. Anthony's question may be up for debate but at St. Pats the players definitely made the coach.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

Not in his job description to help us. We need to help ourselves a little more by not looking like clowns. Hoping Pikiell turns it around.

p.s. Mike Rosario and Myles Mack weren't too bad.

Myles Mack committed to RU before he played a game for Hurley since he transferred in senior year after his school shut down. Didn't give Hurley enough time to work on him. Myles Dixson recruited by Tom Young in 1985 and then Rosario. That's it. 7 coaches for RU during Hurley's reign. That's not an accident.

 

[RU_DIO]

Seems like he won quite a few state championships in the building.
Kind of odd here that people seem to be knocking Bob Sr. but were all in favor of pursuing someone who isn't 25% the coach that he is.....that buffoon Kevin Boyle who I need remind you was rejected by Monmouth.

I would have taken Boyle over Hurley.

 

[Mr_Twister]

From the day Hurley stepped into St. Anthony's he was successful.
Boyle's St. Pat's teams were horrible when he first went there. They were playing in the Mountain Valley Conference and getting beat by teams like Kenilworth. An 8th grader from NYC by name of Shaheen Holloway was persuaded to go to St. Pat's. Al Harrington soon followed and the rest is history.
The St. Anthony's question may be up for debate but at St. Pats the players definitely made the coach.

For all my angst over the Heisman that Hurley and his players have delivered to the Rutgers basketball program through the years, never for an instant did I think the guy could not coach. I've always thought of him as a "Jersey City" or "Hudson County" guy, not a "New Jersey" guy. His legacy would have been larger if there was some kind of pipeline to Rutgers and Rutgers' style of play reflected St. Anthonys'.

 

[SirScarlet]

Seriously...who gives a flyin' flip about the Hurleys.

I like the guys we have now.

 

[colbert17]

Having known Bob Sr, for about 40+ years and Boyle since his HS days in Clark I respectfully disagree. One thing that Bob Sr. would never have done was embarass the program
.
Boyle would have been an eventual PR disaster. Personally he's a very nice man but he loses it on the sidelines. Not a prude or anything but when listening to the way he conducted himself while being mic'ed up for the HBO (?) piece on the showdown between the two was a disgrace.

also to touch on a different point how many st. pat's players went to RU?

 

[knights1212]

Colonel said it before me. Mack coming to RU had nothing to do with Hurley. He was playing for Paterson Catholic I believe for 3 years and was absolutely being recruited by RU when he was there. He was already a star. We did only get Myles Dixon who didn't even start too often at St. Anthony's and Mike Rosario from St. Anthony's over more than 30 years. Hurley could have helped us much more than he did.

 

[MADHAT1]

Whatever you think of Hurley Sr as a HC, he probably would have been RU's MBB HC
if he wanted it.
Now that his career is winding down he wants everyone to know that and make himself look good for not leaving St Anthony's.
A great HS hc no doubt and probably would be a good College HC, but when he said he'd bring his sons, it showed he knew just being a great HS HC didn't assure success on the college level .
Boyle is another great HS HC and that makes people think he'd succeed at Rutgers too, but like Hurley that is just based on his HS record and he might not start out a winner without the right staff to guide him.

Maybe Bob Sr & Boyle didn't go for the RU position publicly but both might have put out feelers privately and not like RU's response and that's why they were never official candidate ( that I know of).

 

[colbert17]

Big of him. Maybe one player per decade.

Whatever you think of Hurley Sr as a HC, he probably would have been RU's MBB HC
if he wanted it.
Now that his career is winding down he wants everyone to know that and make himself look good for not leaving St Anthony's.
A great HS hc no doubt and probably would be a good College HC, but when he said he'd bring his sons, it showed he knew just being a great HS HC didn't assure success on the college level .
Boyle is another great HS HC and that makes people think he'd succeed at Rutgers too, but like Hurley that is just based on his HS record and he might not start out a winner without the right staff to guide him.

Maybe Bob Sr & Boyle didn't go for the RU position publicly but both might have put out feelers privately and not like RU's response and that's why they were never official candidate ( that I know of).

Good post
However any way you slice it Bob was loyal to St. Anthonys. Going back to Dio's comparison though, If Boyle was such a hot commodity who could keep Jersey kids at home why did Monmouth pass on him??
Obviously they got a guy who can coach, recruit and exudes class in King Rice.

 

[nirrad]

Damn

 

[colbert17]

I would have taken Boyle over Hurley.

Having known Bob Sr, for about 40+ years and Boyle since his HS days in Clark I respectfully disagree. One thing that Bob Sr. would never have done was embarass the program
.
Boyle would have been an eventual PR disaster. Personally he's a very nice man but he loses it on the sidelines. Not a prude or anything but when listening to the way he conducted himself while being mic'ed up for the HBO (?) piece on the showdown between the two was a disgrace.

also to touch on a different point how many st. pat's players went to RU?

 

[RU_DIO]

Boyle coached two of my friends who went on to be successful Big East players, 1 playing in Europe for 9 years and both assistant coaches in the Big East now. I've hung out with Kevin and his wife many times at friends houses. I've been to many scrimmages at St. Pats and was impressed with the way Kevin coached. You are right about Kevin and the way he coaches with all his F bombs. I'm biased but I like Boyle more.

 

[colbert17]

Like I've said I've know both men for a very long time. I was an assistant at a local HS when Kevin led the "Caucasian Invasion" when the team he played on at Johnson won the UCT. I've had beers with Kevin at that Irish place on Central Ave. in Clark a few times and have talked to him at St. Pats and off the court he's a great guy.
But if i had a son who could play ball (my 6'4" son was a fencer:weary:) there is no doubt in my mind I'd want him to play for Hurley.
But again Kevin has never been a friend of RU. Have any of his players opted to play for us?

 

[RU_DIO]

Like I've said I've know both men for a very long time. I've had beers with Kevin at that Irish place on Central Ave. in Clark a few times and have talked to him at St. Pats and off the court he's a great guy.
But if i had a son who could play ball (my 6'4" son was a fencer:weary:) there is no doubt in my mind I'd want him to play for Hurley.
But again Kevin has never been a friend of RU. Have any of his players opted to play for us?

If.any did I don't recall. I do know he recommended RU to.more than 1 player from.St. Pat's.

 

[rufeelinit]

How about Herve Lamizana?

 

[colbert17]

Good catch!!!! Forgot about him. Well to paraphrase a previous poster thats one player every two decades

 

[WGLTAUD]

"After Mike Rice, if Rutgers had approached him more aggressively, he would have considered leaving," Ben Gamble, who played basketball for Hurley and served as one of his assistants for 14 years, told Jerry Carino of The Asbury Park Press. "He would have taken Rutgers and probably would have had the boys (Bobby and Dan) come with him to set the foundation. That was the closest he ever came."

From Zags article.

This is why Pikiel's days are numbered here. Every Rutgers fan is still obsessed with the Hurleys. The first bad decision, or tough loss this guy has, all we are going to hear is Danny Hurley's name by the same tired voices.

 

[e5fdny]

Good post
However any way you slice it Bob was loyal to St. Anthonys. Going back to Dio's comparison though, If Boyle was such a hot commodity who could keep Jersey kids at home why did Monmouth pass on him??
Obviously they got a guy who can coach, recruit and exudes class in King Rice.

I think I saw what you did there? LOL

 

[BoroKnight]

Just wondering, but why was it Hurley's (or Boyle's, for that matter) job to "help us?" Tell me why a big-time basketball player would have picked Rutgers from the time the Big East was formed until ... well, ever. For years we were in the wrong conference, then, by the time we got in the right one (at the time, anyway) we had quite a few years of crap punctuated by a couple of good years fueled by transfers (Savage, Hughes, Duncan, Dabbs). Not exactly a shining example of why a recruit should pick Rutgers. Then we get a string of coaches of varying degrees of ability that brought varying degrees of issues.

What we haven't had is a program, an actual, solid foundation for success. You put that in place -- and some good signs are there -- and it becomes easier for kids to want to play for you and easier for high school coaches (if they still have any influence in this AAU-driven era) to talk you up to them.

In any event, no, I didn't want a high school coach at any of the times we were looking for one. Just say no.

 

[higgins3]

The Hurleys never did anything to help RU. All talk no action.

Lol, still wondering why the kept being brought up.

We have Pikiell. That is what matters.

 

[Upstream]

Just wondering, but why was it Hurley's (or Boyle's, for that matter) job to "help us?"

It's not, although it would be nice for high school basketball coaches in the state to support the state university in much the same way that most high school football coaches in the state supported our FB program on faith when Schiano first got here.

But, just like there are still FB coaches in NJ who do not support Rutgers, it is not required that HS BB coaches support Rutgers. But if you are a HS BB coach who is going to criticize Rutgers for not massaging your ego enough (or if you have lackeys who are going to make that criticism), it is not unreasonable for Rutgers fans to respond in kind.

 

[e5fdny]

It's not, although it would be nice for high school basketball coaches in the state to support the state university in much the same way that most high school football coaches in the state supported our FB program on faith when Schiano first got here.

But, just like there are still FB coaches in NJ who do not support Rutgers, it is not required that HS BB coaches support Rutgers. But if you are a HS BB coach who is going to criticize Rutgers for not massaging your ego enough (or if you have lackeys who are going to make that criticism), it is not unreasonable for Rutgers fans to respond in kind.

+1

 

[Mr_Twister]

Lol, still wondering why the kept being brought up.

We have Pikiell. That is what matters.

It will always be brought up in regards to Rutgers hoops' doormat status and ineptness by college basketball fans in NJ and elsewhere. The Hurley's have always been considered among the top-flight high school/prep basketball's elite and St. Anthony's a recruiting gold mine. Didn't Seton Hall make it to the national title game with a St. Anthony's player or three? Rutgers has never been able to tap that gold mine. Through the years, probably St. Joe's in Philly has had more Friars on their roster than Rutgers.

 

[Big East Beast]

Usually the Hurley rumors don't start until after a year or two. Before Coach P's first midknight madness? That's gotta be a new record.

 

[kupuna133]

So you're telling me that the same son (Danny) who supposedly turned the head job down twice would come with his dad to be an assistant? That's believable...

 

[RUfinal4]

After St Anthony's closes would Bob Sr. take a job with Rutgers as an assistant , Director of basketball operations, or Senior Advisor for 2 years? Would a job at Rutgers impact his state pension from being a probation officer?