Don't confuse the two items....Hobbs didn't even acknowledge Sendek or others, which is a red flag for me and others that I communicate with as well....others have commented on how quickly the hire went down, which clearly means or shows he had a clear path in mind and wasn't going to deviate from that. As the job opened, there were more candidates interested than what was posted here, but the end result for me was the right result.....defensive oriented and focused coach etc....that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with how the process developed, despite the result potentially landing at the same place. If Pikiell doesn't turn the corner next year (.500 or better with a complete roster is my expectation), then it's going to be much more difficult to win in Year Two.
That doesn't mean Pikiell won't succeed, RU as a program, despite others disagreeing with me, is a potential great job and has more upside than any job in the region. It's just not been funded at all or properly and that also really had only one quality HC (Rice) in the last 3 hires.
Eddie did RU a favor, despite his coaching, he essentially restocked a roster with credible athletes, although not elite players across the board. I am excited to see what Pikiell does with the backcourt and size up front and what pieces are kept and added to this spring. This isn't a 7 win program and I would have felt more comfortable with a more experienced coach that has done this twice in Sendek. Hobbs didn't agree and it's his job to make RU successful, not mine. I wouldn't have taken his approach, but the end result at the end of the day is more than fine for me. Cluess would have been an epic disaster.
Regarding recruiting and my comments above, I'm not going to state again what is obvious to everyone in the recruiting circles....schools, sneaker affliations and coaches that are connected to players and families matter.....I don't make the rule, but others are asking for a "recruiting shark or someone connected to NJ", as if it's a popularity contest......you say you want the recruiting to have an upgrade, then stop the charade and join the rest of the B1G, ACC, Big East and whatever other programs do to attract and get talent to RU.
RU doesn't have that reputation like the rest of the free world does, in doing what's required to compete at this level. I'd rather not lie and simplify things by stating that showing up to HS events or AAU events is all it takes to get players at this level or even a smaller conference like the AAC or A-10. Not every player matters but in some cases it certainly does.
As long as RU levels the playing field, RU will be more than successful in growing the brand in both sports....I hear fans complaining about our football uniforms, helmets and other things that ultimately attract the players we want to play here.....I also see mindless things posted about why players received suspensions at RU as if it's a sign of fault of the player, when other schools wouldn't care one bit if a player skipped a class or had another discretion. Only at RU do we comment negatively about things that are on the surface irrelevant and ignore the obvious things necessary to compete.
There are a LOT of positives in place that can make RU successful....as an example, with AC at the RAC, every credible AAU event should be held there each and every summer.....there needs to be a showcase that shows we have eateries near the gym that can accommodate these events now, when before you had to cut over to Piscataway/South Plainfield near Stelton Avenue to have food....dorms are being built, money is pouring into RU left and right....there are a lot of positive changes you can show people, but you can't do that if you have AAU events at Kean, Philly or other places other than RU.
If you can showcase the school and add a practice facility with what will be in place for that 9th or 10th grader today, you have a shot at him when he graduates HS. Get Nike to revamp the uniforms and get some warmups, shoes that can be showcased to the AAU circuit like other schools do.
I'm glad that Hurley passed on the job after looking at what took place in the last week. He didn't show me the confidence necessary not once, but twice to take on the challenge or opportunity. Pikiell did and got a very handsome reward for doing so, with essentially no downside to his career. RU needs to hit the ground running in the next 90 days and if that happens, we'll hear about the difference being made, similar to what we are hearing with Ash, more importantly, Rick Mantz & Kenny Parker....
It's a home run job folks, people can downplay RU behind the scenes if they want to. Pikiell doesn't have a ton of hurdles like Rice and Eddie inherited, so I'm expecting more credible results in recruiting immediately and wins next year as well...just keep the roster intact and go from there. Remember, it's always easier to recruit when you are on an uptick or improving your wins and losses.
