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Post by theleewmowen on Aug 4, 2007 23:35:34 GMT -5
Does anyone know who Ball State can interview next?
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Post by Glory Days on Aug 5, 2007 8:15:50 GMT -5
Here is an interesting article that came out when Soderburg was fired.What went wrong for Soderberg?By Tom Timmermann ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 04/20/2007 Yes, the timing of the firing of Brad Soderberg as basketball coach at St. Louis University came as a surprise. But only the timing. Soderberg had just completed his fifth season at SLU — which, ironically, was the first 20-win season in his 13 seasons as a head coach — and had failed to take the team to the NCAA Tournament during that time. That in itself would cause many schools to make a coaching change. This season's failure stung even more because many thought it was SLU's best team in some time. But SLU isn't UCLA, North Carolina or Kentucky, and when you've gone to the NCAA tournament just six times in the school's history, a five-year gap isn't exactly unprecedented. Soderberg had the firm support of his athletic director, was a man of exemplary character who graduated almost all of his players and had two years to go on his contract, all of which led to the conclusion that he would get at least one more chance. But as it turned out, the clock had run out on Soderberg. It's still not clear what led to the firing — the university's statement announcing his departure refers to a "detailed analysis of the just-concluded season" — but the failure to make the NCAAs was obviously the breaking point. Many also thought there were difficulties in recruiting, and the school has a desire to have an exciting, contending team when it moves into its new on-campus arena in 2008. It all apparently combined, in the view of school president the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, to push Soderberg out. In the end, any discussion of what did in Soderberg will come around to recruiting. He was never able to put together a team with all the essential components — this year's team lacked a power forward and significant depth — to build the big winner Biondi sought. That's not easy at any mid-major program and it didn't happen at SLU. Athletics director Cheryl Levick often came to his defense on recruiting, pointing out how hard it was to convince kids to come to SLU's antiquated facilities in West Pine Gym. She felt Soderberg wouldn't get a real chance to show what he could do until he got into the new building and had the same resources that other schools had. Soderberg had three players who earned all-conference honors while at SLU — Ian Vouyoukas, Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch on this season's team, which, assistant coach Angres Thorpe pointed out, showed they "were able to bring in talent.'' But plenty of kids from the region got away, either because SLU didn't pursue them or they preferred to go elsewhere. A lot of factors go into a player's decision on where to go to school, many of which are beyond a coach's control. But there was a perception in the high school basketball community that SLU let talented local players who would have happily played at SLU — Blake Ahearn (who went to Missouri State) or Randal Falker (SIUC) — go elsewhere. Of course, you can't give scholarships to everyone, so you have to choose wisely. This season's team lacked depth and in many games relied on only seven or eight players, something that got them into trouble in the Atlantic 10 tournament. When Lisch got hurt against Temple and then freshman Dustin Maguire had trouble defensively, Soderberg turned to walk-on Jeff Coffey (who did quite well). Red flags went up when Soderberg signed no recruits in the early period in the fall. The players they sought most actively chose to go elsewhere and SLU had an empty cupboard. SLU got two commitments in the late period and were in the running for several others who had held off on their decisions. Several were junior college players, who usually don't make their decisions until after the national JC championships. Another was Steffphon Pettigrew, Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, who was going to make his campus visit to SLU this weekend. Now, that's not expected to happen. SLU's recruiting also couldn't produce a diamond in the rough, the player who didn't get noticed by the big schools but who developed into a star in college. SLU took a chance on Obi Ikeakor, a 6-8 forward from Houston who sat out his senior year of high school because of a knee injury. But Ikeakor's weight ballooned after two years of inactivity and he left the program over the Christmas break. Ultimately, what went wrong for Soderberg was a problem he had from Day One, when he was viewed as the safe, maybe boring, choice. He didn't cut a dashing image, his early teams didn't play with a lot of pizazz, just with a Big Ten style of physicality. His public demeanor may not have portrayed the immense passion that was seen by those he coached, or those who waited outside locker rooms for him after tough losses. What ultimately may have gotten Soderberg fired was that he didn't look like the kind of guy who could bring in exciting players to put an exciting brand of basketball on the court at a brand new arena. www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/slu/story/1A9371EAE5751366862572C300130AD8?OpenDocument
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Post by Glory Days on Aug 5, 2007 8:19:03 GMT -5
Does anyone know who Ball State can interview next? They already offered the job to former coach Ray McCallum and he turned it down. My money is on IUPUI's Hunter or Soderburg.
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Post by raiderfan20 on Aug 6, 2007 1:03:47 GMT -5
Same song, different dance Saturday, August 04, 2007 Tom's Take A Column by Tribune Managing Editor Tom Davis Earlier this week, Duane Clemens, 31, Muncie, was arrested as part of an undercover drug sting in that city. The fact that this is the same Duane Clemens that is the sixth-leading scorer in Ball State basketball history certainly is out of the ordinary, but to be truthful, isn't that shocking. Ball State basketball has had its share of negative publicity over the years, be it a player stealing a university credit card, a recruit being kicked off of the Indiana All-Star squad, the program violating NCAA rules on several occasions, and the list goes on. The Cardinals have been known to achieve success on the court, until recently that is, however some of the players and coaches have never demonstrated exactly pristine reputations. Rick Majerus built a "quick fix" around two players (Curtis Kidd and Paris McCurdy) that had been kicked out of another university. Dick Hunsaker landed the school on probation. Ray McCallum built his program around a pair of future NBA players, one of which lied to the school about returning for his final year (Theron Smith), and the other (Bonzi Wells) whom one Ball State official told me "was a jerk and still is a jerk." One Division I coach told me that he was aware of former head coach Tim Buckley actually being reprimanded by the athletic director while he was a Cardinal assistant for violating an NCAA rule. And then there was the Ronny Thompson era, where he broke nearly as many rules as he achieved victories. As a Butler alum, I should revel in these occurrences. However, having grown up five minutes from the Ball State campus, as well as being a former season-ticket holder, I am a Cardinal fan and it pains me that those in the program seemingly feel that success and ethical behavior are mutually exclusive. One need to look no further than Butler to know differently. The latest word on the street, in addition to the TV, is that IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter will be the next Cardinals coach. On many fronts, Hunter makes a great deal of sense. I believe with all of my heart that Hunter will do the following: € Recruit Indiana kids, especially East-Central Indiana players € Market the program with a fervor throughout the community € Build a competitive program in the Mid-American Conference The 'Cardinal Nation' will without a doubt be ecstatic in a few short years as Hunter oversees the reenergizing of Worthen Arena. However, considering that the four college coaches that I have spoken with regarding Hunter each indicated that his ethical behavior leaves much to be desired, coupled with a 46% graduation rate at IUPUI, it leads me to one conclusion. All Ball State has done is gone out and gotten a different leopard with the same spots. The Ball State administration needs to know that it is possible to graduate players, follow the NCAA manual, and win basketball games. If the university would have hired Wright State Coach Brad Brownell then they would understand that. However, Brownell accepted the Raider job instead of moving to Muncie, and it wasn't because of what many believe. Despite what you may read on most blogs or hear on talk radio, his reason for choosing Wright State over Ball State wasn't the money being offered by Cardinal Athletic Director Tom Collins, who offered a similar package to Wright State. It was the average facilities (other than Worthen Arena), his liking Dayton more than Muncie, the tremendous facilities at Wright State, and most importantly, the "characters" in the Cardinal program. Following his visit to Muncie, Brownell asked a friend who was familiar with the Ball State program 'Has Ball State ever won with good guys?' Sadly, with the hiring of Hunter, I don't think that we will find out. Tom Davis is the managing editor of the Peru Tribune. www.miamicountylife.com/articles/2007/08/04/sports/sports12.txt
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Post by Wolf on Aug 6, 2007 6:38:46 GMT -5
NCAA notifies BSU of allegationsBy GREG FALLON MUNCIE -- The NCAA has requested of Ball State's athletic department an investigation into whether or not several new alleged rules violations are true. Ball State athletic director Tom Collins was sent a letter from the NCAA on July 11 to notify him of information provided to the governing body's enforcement staff by a source that went unnamed in the letter. "We have hired a lawfirm out of Kansas City -- Bond, Schoeneck & King. Their specialty is NCAA issues," Collins said. "In concert with them, we are fully cooperating with the NCAA. We want to get to the bottom of it. And as quickly as we can get answers, we'll get them back to the NCAA." The letter was only a notification of several new allegations, along with a request that the school investigate them. In the document, sent by Dan Matheson, associate director of enforcement for the NCAA, there are four outlined groupings of allegations (listed here in the same order): The first is that former men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson communicated with a student athlete of another university in an effort to recruit that athlete to Ball State. It also says an athlete who transferred to Ball State was dating that recruited athlete and was aware of text messages, e-mails and phone calls from Thompson. It goes on to say Thompson may have provided financial assistance to someone involved. Parts of the letter -- obtained by The Star Press through an open records request -- were redacted by the Ball State compliance office because portions included descriptions or names of students. So who the athletes were or which school they were from was unclear in the letter. The first grouping of alleged violations also said the NCAA's source claimed the incident was brought to the attention of Pat Quinn, associate director of athletics, who attempted to follow up on the information, possibly by informing Kyle Brennan, director of compliance at Ball State. But it says Collins reprimanded Quinn for doing so. "I can't comment on those right now," Collins said when asked if he would respond to specific allegations against him. "When the investigation is complete, if I were going to say something, I would say something at that point." The second allegation in the letter stated Thompson had a supply of Nike shoes stored in a locker room, and that he distributed some of the shoes to athletes as rewards for improved grades. In the third allegation, the letter says the unnamed source reported to the NCAA that Thompson asked Ball State president Jo Ann Gora to terminate former women's volleyball coach Randy Litchfield. It claims Thompson made the request in response to the NCAA rules violations -- when coaches illegally attended practices in the offseason -- by the men's basketball coaching staff that Litchfield's staff reported. The letter goes on to say that Gora allegedly directed Collins to follow through on Thompson's request to fire Litchfield. Finally, in the only allegation against a program other than men's basketball, the letter says head baseball coach Greg Beals had provided chewing tobacco to athletes during team travel and that former athletic director Bubba Cunningham was aware of the alleged benefit and failed to respond appropriately. The letter concludes by requesting that Ball State investigate the allegations outlined and report back to the NCAA in writing with its findings. A sentence in the letter's final paragraph reads, "a review seemed warranted in this instance based on the specificity of the information reported to the enforcement staff and the source of the information." Collins said he has no timetable for when the investigation will be concluded but hoped it would be "as quickly as possible." He also said he doesn't expect the letter or the investigation to slow or impede the current search for a new men's basketball coach. www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/SPORTS/708060322/1006
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Post by Jazzfan on Aug 6, 2007 9:51:23 GMT -5
ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting Ron Hunter will be hired by BSU and they could announce it by Wednesday. I don't know if these new allegations will change that.
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Post by Bomber on Aug 6, 2007 11:26:46 GMT -5
IUPUI's Hunter expected to replace Thompson at Ball StateBy Andy Katz Updated: August 6, 2007, 11:34 AM ET Barring an unexpected impasse, Ball State and IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter are expected to agree on a contract that would make him the new Cardinals coach. Hunter is the top candidate to replace Ronny Thompson, multiple sources said over the weekend. Thompson abruptly resigned July 13 after one season as Ball State coach after an internal investigation found that he and his staff violated NCAA rules in 2006 and last May by attending voluntary offseason team workouts. The coaches lied about their involvement in the May infraction, the school has said. Hunter is expected to talk to high-ranking Ball State and IUPUI officials later Monday before an official contract offer is submitted, likely by Tuesday morning. If terms are agreed upon, then Hunter's hiring would be announced as early as Wednesday. Hunter has strong ties in Indiana, which Thompson and his coaches did not have. Hunter took IUPUI to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and knows the MAC. He earned a degree from Miami of Ohio in 1986. Ball State athletic director Tom Collins was looking for a replacement with head coaching experience and connections in the state. There was interest in former Ball State and Houston coach Ray McCallum, now an Indiana assistant, former Western Michigan and South Florida coach Robert McCullum, former Saint Louis coach Brad Soderberg, former Akron coach Dan Hipsher and IPFW coach Dane Fife. IUPUI has made an attempt to keep Hunter, but if Ball State's contract offer is competitive, expect Hunter to accept the move up to the MAC. Hiring Hunter, who is African-American, would do wonders for Ball State's image in the state and within the black community in light of the racist letters Thompson said were slipped under his office door in late June following the revelation that Ball State was investigating secondary violations committed by Thompson's staff. This was the second time in as many springs that Thompson's staff was found to have worked out players during a time period that wasn't allowed. Thompson and his staff were required to attend an NCAA rules seminar in Florida as part of their self-imposed violations. The NCAA still hasn't officially weighed in on the case. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2963017
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Post by Raider Country on Aug 6, 2007 16:55:01 GMT -5
The Indy Star is reproting the same thing............... Ball State set to hire IUPUI's HunterBy Jeff Rabjohns jeff.rabjohns@indystar.com Ron Hunter could soon become the new men’s basketball coach at Ball State, if all details can be finalized today. Hunter, in his 14th season at IUPUI, said late this morning he was meeting with IUPUI athletic director Michael Moore today and wouldn’t make a final decision before that. Others close to the situation said Hunter will take the Ball State job if all details can be addressed. Hunter is signed through 2012-13 at IUPUI, the program he guided through the transition to NCAA Division I status. Hunter led IUPUI to the 2003 NCAA Tournament and the Jaguars have average 19 wins per season for the past five years. They already are listed as the pre-season favorite to win the Summit League by one publication. Former Ball State coach Ronny Thompson resigned July 13. Ball State went 9-22 last season, including only three home Mid-America Conference wins. www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/SPORTS/70806038
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Post by Fastbreak on Aug 6, 2007 17:09:48 GMT -5
Who really cares about all of this?
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Post by Big D on Aug 6, 2007 17:11:07 GMT -5
I know most people could care less about who is Ball State's coach, but if you are a Raider fan you should care. Indiana is one of Coach Brownell's main recruiting grounds. It has been beneficial to us that Ronnie Thompson was Ball State's coach these last few recruiting cycles. Thompson virtually ignored recruiting his own backyard. That will change with Hunter. Almost all of his players at IUPUI were Indiana kids. I didn't consider him much of a recruiting threat to us because IUPUI was in an inferior conference and they have very crappy facilities. All of that changes with Hunter at Ball State. They are in a very similar conference to us and have pretty decent facilities. Expect to see some real recruiting battles in the next few years with Ball State.
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Post by Willie on Aug 7, 2007 6:04:36 GMT -5
Ball State AD: 'No one has been offered the job' By DOUG ZALESKI dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com MUNCIE — Ball State athletic director Tom Collins remains on the hunt to find a replacement for basketball coach Ronny Thompson, and the pool of candidates for the job appears to be centered on five men. Print and broadcast reports Monday coming out of Indianapolis and on ESPN.com that IUPUI coach Ron Hunter was considering an offer to become the Cardinals’ coach were inaccurate, according to Collins. “The search is ongoing; no one has been offered the job,” Collins said. Collins would not say whether his search would conclude this week, and he wouldn’t reveal how many coaches remain on his candidate list. “I don’t have a timetable (for a hire),” he said. Hunter is one of at least five coaches who are under serious consideration for the position, a Division I coach told The Star Press. The coach asked not to be identified because he didn't want to be accused of disrupting the process. He said the other coaches who have interviewed for the job were Dan Hipsher, an assistant at South Florida; Brad Soderberg, former head coach at St. Louis; and Billy Taylor, head coach at Lehigh. The coach also said that Stew Robinson, an assistant under Bob Knight at Texas Tech, is on Ball State's short list. Robinson played high school basketball at Anderson Madison Heights, and played for Knight at Indiana 1982-86. Hunter has coached IUPUI the past 13 seasons, compiling a 207-173 record while leading the Jaguars from the NCAA Division II level to Division I. Hunter's teams are known for their helter-skelter style of play. They like to press full court on defense, and they favor a fast-breaking style on offense. He has led the Jaguars to a .500 record or better in each of the past six seasons, and has averaged 19 victories per season since 2000. Hunter has coached six times against Ball State, compiling a 1-5 record. His only victory was a 78-60 triumph in 2003, IUPUI's first win against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Hipsher was head coach nine years in the MAC at Akron, and was head coach two years at Stetson. He also went to the NCAA Tournament three straight years as coach at Division III Wittenberg. He has coached 29 years as an assistant and head coach. Soderberg's father, Don, told The Star Press his son interviewed last Thursday for the Ball State job. Brad Soderberg was fired as head coach at St. Louis in April after winning 20 games last season. He had a winning record in 12 of 13 seasons as a head coach at the Division I and II levels. Taylor is believed to have interviewed with Collins on Monday night in Indianapolis. Both men are natives of Aurora, Ill. Taylor was a four-year letterman who started 79 career games at Notre Dame. He has coached Lehigh six seasons. The Mountain Hawks' 20 wins in 2003-04 were the second most in the 106-year history of Lehigh basketball. Robinson is in his second season as an assistant at Texas Tech. He is the only coach on Ball State's list without head coaching experience. www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/SPORTS/708070331/1006
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Post by Willie on Aug 7, 2007 19:47:24 GMT -5
BSU expected to announce Billy Taylor tonight as next head coachBy GREG FALLON MUNCIE – Ball State University is expected to announce this evening that Lehigh University head coach Billy Taylor will become the 18th men's basketball head coach in school history. After a week filled with rampant speculation and premature online, print and broadcast reports, a source close to the situation confirmed to The Star Press Tuesday that an official announcement will likely come this evening. BSU officials are reportedly giving Taylor ample time to meet with his current players and coaching staff at Lehigh to discuss his move before announcing the hire. After an official announcement tonight, there will be an 11 a.m. press conference Wednesday morning at Worthen Arena to introduce the former four-year letterman who started 79 career games at Notre Dame. Financial details of Taylor's contract are not yet known. But the source who spoke to The Star Press Tuesday evening said it's expected that the deal will be similar to that of former men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson, who was making $182,000 a year when he resigned on July 12. Taylor has been the head coach at Lehigh for six seasons. The Mountain Hawks’ 20 wins in 2003-04 were the second most in the 106-year history of Lehigh basketball. He is a native of Aurora, Ill., the same hometown of Ball State athletic director Tom Collins. Taylor is also a two-time Patriot League coach of the year. Aside from his head coaching experience, Taylor was a three-year assistant coach at North Carolina Greensboro and an assistant for one year at Notre Dame. thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/NEWS01/70807020
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Post by wsu97 on Aug 8, 2007 6:06:03 GMT -5
Ball State hires coach after CJ's Hunter says noBy the Associated Press Wednesday, August 08, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS — Billy Taylor, who led Lehigh to the NCAA basketball tournament in 2004, was hired by Ball State on Tuesday to replace Ronny Thompson, who resigned last month amid accusations that he broke NCAA rules and his claims that he faced a hostile racial environment. Taylor will face rebuilding a program that finished 9-22 in Thompson's only season as head coach and faces numerous questions from the NCAA, including an allegation that school officials fired the women?s volleyball coach for reporting suspected infractions by Thompson, who is black, and his staff. The hiring of Taylor, who is black, came the same day another black coach, IUPUI?s Ron Hunter, said he withdrew as a candidate for the Ball State job. Hunter, a Chaminade-Julienne High School graduate and former Miami University standout, said he was aware of Thompson?s claims about the racial climate. "I did look into it a little bit, but that wasn't the reason I made the decision," Hunter told The Associated Press. "I was a little concerned about the NCAA problems." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2007/08/08/ddn080807coachhunter.html
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Post by raiderrunt on Aug 8, 2007 8:00:06 GMT -5
I care about Ball State. Anyone who does not care just does not see the big picture in mid-major b-ball. Keep on posting guys!
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Post by theleewmowen on Aug 8, 2007 10:16:46 GMT -5
I wonder how Taylor will recruit then.
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