Gavitt fits that profile too, 3 years at Dartmouth and 5 years as a college assistant. So, basically, everyone except Gillen.
2022-23 Providence College Hoops: AMPed for a Title Defense
- Thread starter CouchsideSteve
- Start date
Why does it have to be the same as it always has been? I'm really curious as to why they need to go the same route every time they hire a coach. PC has really good facilities, recruiting base is right in the middle of the NY/NJ and New England prep school area, the AMP is a really good home court advantage, really good league, they are spending the money the way a good BE school should. Why can't they aim for a coach who could have the opportunity to elevate them to a higher level?
I’m sure they do aim…..and don’t garner much interest. Georgetown has always been considered the best or among the best jobs since the conference was formed as they check off all the boxes. They play in an NBA arena and have the best local recruiting base in the conference.
Providence has been considered among the worst. The regional recruiting base is awful no matter how you spin it (it is not in the middle of NY/NJ), while the campus facilities have been upgraded the arena is old as dirt and the city of Providence isn’t remotely close to a DC, Philly, or NY. Marquette, Xavier, Villanova….all similar to Georgetown in these areas.
This is why we have English while Georgetown has Cooley and St John’s has Pitino…..it’s always been a young coaches second jump after their initial job and remains so with Cooley and now English. Surprised this is even a debate.
This route has almost always served us well too. Having a succession of really talented, young coaches is one of the ingredients to our program’s ability to punch well above its weight class.
Keno was the only complete dud in modern times and he was the 4th choice in a botched search.
edit: I’ll put Welsh one step above complete dud, but only one.
Keno was the only complete dud in modern times and he was the 4th choice in a botched search.
edit: I’ll put Welsh one step above complete dud, but only one.
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They are a 3 hour drive to NYC. That is plenty close enough to recruit it. All the preps in New England are close. But the recruiting base stuff doesn't mean much anymore as the transfer portal has completely changed the ways rosters are constructed. Now its about NIL collectives and how much you can pay a player to come. No one is saying that PC should go or has the pockets to go get a Pitino. I just am surprised that PC wouldn't at least try to go outside their box. That's all.
To be fair, some of the negatives you list for PC may positives.
Capital One Arena is an NBA arena but it’s not that nice and it’s a ghost town. The Dunk is old but PC just completely renovated the locker room there and it’s got a fantastic atmosphere and home crowd.
DC is a pro sports town, PC is the pro team in town.
The new practice facility at PC rivals any in the conference and may be the best.
The downsides of PC are real. Lack of money (PC’s endowment is $250M vs Gtown at $3B) and recruiting footprint (they’re in no man’s land).
Cooley’s personality overcame the recruiting footprint and PC ponied up the cash to keep him.
By all account English has a chance to be the next big thing bc he can recruit (He’s a DMV guy and extended 3 offers to DMV kids today). He was the lead recruiter at Colorado and Tennessee when he was there and hopefully can relate to students and fans. The question is, can he coach and will PC repurpose the difference between his salary and Cooley’s previous salary for high paid assistants to bridge his experience gap.
English is the kind of guy if he took Mason to the tourney next year is probably looking at a ACC or SEC job. I have no problem with them buying early when the alternatives are retreads (Shrewsbury is a Midwest guy and never going to come here and apparently Donovan told PC he didn’t want to deal with NIL).
Let’s hope English can keep Hopkins, Carter, Pierre, and Floyd and bring in Udora from Mason plus another couple depth transfers to give him a chance to get off on the right foot while he gets his sea legs.
Capital One Arena is an NBA arena but it’s not that nice and it’s a ghost town. The Dunk is old but PC just completely renovated the locker room there and it’s got a fantastic atmosphere and home crowd.
DC is a pro sports town, PC is the pro team in town.
The new practice facility at PC rivals any in the conference and may be the best.
The downsides of PC are real. Lack of money (PC’s endowment is $250M vs Gtown at $3B) and recruiting footprint (they’re in no man’s land).
Cooley’s personality overcame the recruiting footprint and PC ponied up the cash to keep him.
By all account English has a chance to be the next big thing bc he can recruit (He’s a DMV guy and extended 3 offers to DMV kids today). He was the lead recruiter at Colorado and Tennessee when he was there and hopefully can relate to students and fans. The question is, can he coach and will PC repurpose the difference between his salary and Cooley’s previous salary for high paid assistants to bridge his experience gap.
English is the kind of guy if he took Mason to the tourney next year is probably looking at a ACC or SEC job. I have no problem with them buying early when the alternatives are retreads (Shrewsbury is a Midwest guy and never going to come here and apparently Donovan told PC he didn’t want to deal with NIL).
Let’s hope English can keep Hopkins, Carter, Pierre, and Floyd and bring in Udora from Mason plus another couple depth transfers to give him a chance to get off on the right foot while he gets his sea legs.
As has been said upthread, we had and Pitino wasn’t coming back while others haven’t shown interest which is understandable for the reasons I listed above. I mean I grew up a Friar fan with season tickets as an 8-year old…..but you have to be realistic about the obstacles we continue to face.
If you don't think big, it'll never happen. If they can do it in Spokane, Washington, it can most definitely happen in Providence.
For me, taking a flier on the 34 year old is part of this. We now have the facilities, and now we've proven that we have the means to keep the coach if he ever is that.
And, at least PC has leadership that at least appears to actually want to have a successful basketball program. Over the last 25 years since I graduated from BC, their program has fizzled into obscurity because of the lack of commitment. I'd take the 12-year run of Cooley in a heartbeat.
Hopkins and Carter coming back.
English has been a miracle worker in keeping the roster together.
English has been a miracle worker in keeping the roster together.
It’s a bit ironic in that while Cooley’s departure is being nationally described as a “business decision,” i.e. an effort to “go further” (it wasn’t), his work in getting Providence to this point has set up new coach, English, to do exactly that. With Hopkins and Carter back, the two GMU transfers in the fold, and potential impact transfers looming (Graham Ike), the Friars may have their most talented since ’97. One could argue that their ceiling would be just as high, as well.
Meanwhile, has the fan support for the program ever been as intense as it is right now? The way Cooley left is the equivalent of the referee making a terrible call at the Dunk, er, AMP. Nothing fires up Rhode Islanders more than being slighted!
I don’t know, it just feels as though Providence has a chance to truly elevate its “brand” over the next 10 years. Through winning, of course.
Meanwhile, has the fan support for the program ever been as intense as it is right now? The way Cooley left is the equivalent of the referee making a terrible call at the Dunk, er, AMP. Nothing fires up Rhode Islanders more than being slighted!
I don’t know, it just feels as though Providence has a chance to truly elevate its “brand” over the next 10 years. Through winning, of course.
It was Alyn Breed. He has been dismissed from the team.
Edit: Not yet dismissed, but suspended indefinitely.
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Coach English’s one on one skills paid off. Jayden Pierre back.
Minus Breed’s legal indiscretions, English has done a fantastic job holding the team together.
Adding Oduro and Fernandez and the rumor of Ike from Wyoming coming on board, this team could be deeper than either of the previous 2 years. Need a back up PG (Dual still floating out there but can’t believe he goes to PC) and an instant offense shooter off the bench.
If English can coach we might be in for a treat.
Minus Breed’s legal indiscretions, English has done a fantastic job holding the team together.
Adding Oduro and Fernandez and the rumor of Ike from Wyoming coming on board, this team could be deeper than either of the previous 2 years. Need a back up PG (Dual still floating out there but can’t believe he goes to PC) and an instant offense shooter off the bench.
If English can coach we might be in for a treat.
Justin Minaya getting the call from G-League by the Blazers as they had 12 players on tonight’s injury list. Came off the bench early and scored his first NBA points.
My son texted that to me earlier today. I doubt he remembers that I broke a finger while working with him and others while working on a big man drill in 4th grade.
Ironically he mentioned this in the post-game presser. Something like…”I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for my Dad’s wacky neighbor!”
I have some potentially very embarrassing photos of him as an Oompa Loompa in our eighth grade production of Willy Wonka Jr.Ironically he mentioned this in the post-game presser. Something like…”I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for my Dad’s wacky neighbor!”
This sums up my feelings. The program was staring at a total reset when Cooley departed, but credit to Steve Nap for being prepared to move quickly on Kim English. Retaining Hopkins, Carter, Floyd and Pierre is massive. Oduro can definitely play, and at risk of jinxing it, Graham Ike transferring in from Wyoming seems preordained. Breed needs to go and leaves a backcourt void, so the roster work isn’t done. But the team is in remarkably good shape, all things considered, and the increased fan support is proving durable.
What a whirlwind.
The program really lucked out with the NCAA removing a coaching change as a reason for requesting a transfer waiver. There probably would have been a lot more nail biting with Hopkins and Carter if they were easily allowed to move without sitting out a year.
Regardless, I'm thrilled with what English has been able to accomplish the past few weeks. He even has me thinking there's still a chance that Garwey Dual will recommit (though I know it's almost certainly a pipe dream).
Whirlwind indeed…..all while we held our collective breath! I don’t want to discredit English since he did keep our core intact but we really benefitted by Hopkins, Carter and Floyd’s hands essentially tied by having to sit out a year if they transferred again. The Pierre story is freakin awesome in how he convinced him to stay. All in all, this has been a great transition thus far.
Kim English keeps making things happen.
View: https://twitter.com/GarweyDual_2023/status/1646582625635631117
View: https://twitter.com/GarweyDual_2023/status/1646582625635631117
This was wholly unexpected! Love it.
In my heart, I want to believe he is a huge Taylor Swift song and his tweet is not accidental.
In my heart, I want to believe he is a huge Taylor Swift song and his tweet is not accidental.
Whoa!! And Whoa!!
Dual was totally unexpected and I just heard from a friend close to the program tonight that Wyoming’s Graham Ike transfer was a done deal and supposed to visit this week but it got postponed. He’s going to let me know when he finds out the reason.
Prior to missing last season this kid was a legit All-American candidate, a freakin 6-9 automatic double-double stud, who has two years of eligibility remaining!
Dual was totally unexpected and I just heard from a friend close to the program tonight that Wyoming’s Graham Ike transfer was a done deal and supposed to visit this week but it got postponed. He’s going to let me know when he finds out the reason.
Prior to missing last season this kid was a legit All-American candidate, a freakin 6-9 automatic double-double stud, who has two years of eligibility remaining!
Knew this was happening once he cancelled the visit but the heart believes what the heart wants to believe.
Does anyone have any idea why the sudden change? Two weeks ago this seemed like it was set in stone. I wonder if Dual used up the NIL that was earmarked for Ike.
Gonzaga probably found an influx of NIL or something and had Ike visit WITH Nembhard. They were sold as a package deal to play with Timme for a National Championship. I mean in all seriously wth would Ike come to Providence when the Zags and that opportunity is put in front of him? So close though.
Also, heard some strong, and disturbing, 2nd hand information that came directly from the program regarding the coaching change. Is this portion of the board public or for members only? It’s been so long I forgot. I’ll share in PM to anyone interested but don’t want this info public.
The part I will share is Bynum spending the majority of his non-school, non-practice time at Twin River until the wee hours.
I recognize the 2 SU big men who went on to long NBA careers. But I don't recognize anyone else other than Pitino and Donovan (mostly because of the name on his shirt). I'd like to see the answer key. Are any of the writers well-known? If I had to guess, the guy with glasses holding his chin looks like Lupica.
Yes that was the one that fascinates me the most. I was fortunate enough to be on the New Orleans trip for the week of the Final Four. We ate meatball subs on the sidewalk with Dickie V and his wife. Didn't know who Van Gundy was back then from a hole in the wall. Such a legendary team that was led by Pitino who was 40 years ahead of his time.
Ernie "Pop" Lewis is getting dunked on, Marty Conlon is behind Seikaly with Steven Wright in front of him. Jacek Duda is sitting on the bench to the right of Pitino.
Doesn't that have to be Herb Sendek next to JVG? Herb and Stu Jackson were the other assistants on that team, and that ain't Stu Jackson.
Any shot the guy in the first press row, second from the left with his chin in his hand, is former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese?
Hmmm, that doesn't look like Sendek at all. Gordon Chiesa was also an assistant on that team but it doesn't appear to be him either. Abdul Shamsid-Deen is sitting behind Pitino with his basketball shorts on along with what looks like his dress shirt to get into Barry's later that night.Doesn't that have to be Herb Sendek next to JVG? Herb and Stu Jackson were the other assistants on that team, and that ain't Stu Jackson.
Reynolds was awesome. In a market where fossilized sports columnists like Shaughnessy at the Globe and Jim Donaldson at the Projo projected tremendous amounts of cynicism, Bill Reynolds was different — he loved sports. And he loved the people he covered. There is a reason for the outpouring from he likes of Pitino, Cooley, and of course, Chris Herren.
Fall River Dreams is a fantastic book for anyone who hasn’t read it. Almost Friday Night Lights for southeast New England.
RIP.
Fall River Dreams is a fantastic book for anyone who hasn’t read it. Almost Friday Night Lights for southeast New England.
RIP.
If anyone is tracking alum: Justin Minaya signed a two way contract with Portland.
(So my son now has a couch to crash on in a Portland suburb.)
(So my son now has a couch to crash on in a Portland suburb.)