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Post by BasketBallJones on Mar 16, 2010 8:14:17 GMT -5
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 17, 2010 21:44:59 GMT -5
Seton Hall fires fiery coach Gonzalez after his best seasonMarch 17, 2010 SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- Fed up by his antics on and off the court, Seton Hall fired basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez on Wednesday after a 19-win season. The dismissal came roughly 12 hours after the coach known as "Gonzo" endured an 87-69 loss in the opening round of the NIT, a game in which Seton Hall forward Herb Pope was ejected for punching a Texas Tech player and Gonzalez picked up his seventh technical foul of the season. By noon, Gonzo was gone. "Performance and success are not measured solely by wins and losses, but also in the conduct of those associated with the program," said Patrick Hobbs, the university law school dean who has been overseeing the athletic department since July. "We have expectations as to how our coaches and players will conduct themselves, and they are expected to treat everyone they interact with, whether officials, the press or our students, with the utmost respect, maturity and professionalism. Those core expectations must be met." University president Monsignor Robert Sheeran informed Gonzalez of the decision around noon. "I told him that I lost my confidence in his ability to coach and lead this program," Sheeran said in a conference call. "I spoke with people on and off the campus and I made the decision. The decision was mine and it was in the best interests of Seton Hall University." The Pirates went 19-13 this season, including 9-9 in the Big East, both four-year highs for Gonzalez. However, he failed to get Seton Hall to the NCAA tournament, posting a 66-59 overall record and a 29-45 league mark. Gonzalez led Manhattan to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournaments in seven years before replacing the fired Louis Orr at Seton Hall. "We respect the effort he put in," Hobbs said. "He wanted to win. He wanted to be the right fit. But he's a mercurial talent, a lightning rod. In the end, when you look at the totality of it, on the court, off the court, Coach Gonzalez was not the right fit for Seton Hall." Hobbs would not say whether Gonzalez was fired with cause. The coach was given a contract extension through the 2015 season in the fall. Gonzalez was not immediately available for comment. Sheeran said that Hobbs has been reviewing the basketball program for most of the year and that he asked him for a recommendation last week. Sheeran said he decided to fire Gonzalez at 9 a.m., adding the coach was very professional and calm when informed of the decision. Villanova coach Jay Wright said Gonzalez is a good coach, but he also understands him. "He's Gonzo and he is what he is," Wright said. "And in our business, there's not a lot of characters anymore because it's so demanding and there's a such a microscope on you. I'm not saying it's good or bad. I'm saying it is what it is. Some people like it, some people don't." The firing came two days after women's coach Phyllis Mangina resigned after 25 years. Hobbs wants to hire a coach who can be successful immediately in the Big East. Among the young coaches who might be considered for the job are Fran McCaffrey of Siena, Tom Pecora of Hofstra, Chris Mooney of Richmond and Duke assistant Chris Collins. The volatile Gonzalez has had run-ins with other coaches and officials, threw forward Robert Mitchell off the team on Sunday after being criticized by the player, and also had players get in trouble on and off the court. Fans at the Prudential Center on Tuesday night started chanting "Robert Mitchell" as the game against Texas Tech started. Pope then was ejected early in that game for punching Darko Cohadarevic below the waist; Pope maintained that the Red Raiders player elbowed him in the head before he retaliated. Gonzalez later picked up his final technical foul, and fan chants turned to "Fire Bobby." When asked after the game if he heard the chants and taunts, Gonzalez just said, "No." A week before this season started, transfer guard Keon Lawrence was involved in a traffic accident on the Garden State Parkway in which he was driving in the wrong direction, seriously injuring the driver of the other vehicle. Lawrence was charged with assault by auto and driving with a suspended license, and was suspended for the first eight games of the season. When asked to put the basketball season into perspective, Hobbs was blunt: "I would call it not a successful year." Players were informed of the firing, athletic director Joseph Quinlan said. "They all spent considerable time with Coach Gonzalez and they have a bond that still exists," Quinlan said. "It's a little bit of a disruption in their lives." Gonzalez had a tough time recruiting within New Jersey, with only Paterson Catholic (current guard Jordan Theodore and incoming freshman Fuquan Edwin) sending recruits to Seton Hall. "I had an unusual relationship with Coach Gonzalez," longtime St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said Wednesday. "There never really was a comfort zone. "I had a comfort zone with Seton Hall, sending many players there in the past, but not recently. Whoever gets the job will personality-wise be different than Coach Gonzalez. I would consider sending our players there." www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/13073355/seton-hall-fires-fiery-coach-gonzalez-after-his-best-season?tag=headlines;collegebasketball
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 20, 2010 22:39:07 GMT -5
Lebo emerges in ECU searchBy Denny O'Brien Has Terry Holland found his man to replace Mack McCarthy as the next East Carolina basketball coach? It was reported on 103.7-FM Friday afternoon that former North Carolina guard and Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo had been offered the ECU head coaching job. But as of late Friday there was no official news about any type of agreement. Lebo was recently fired by Auburn and owns a 211-156 overall record as a head coach. He was a guard under former North Carolina coach Dean Smith and had successful coaching stints at Tennessee Tech and Tennessee-Chattanooga before taking over at Auburn. Lebo interviewed for the position on Thursday. Former UNC-Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz interviewed with Holland on Tuesday, just one day after getting ousted by the 49ers. Lutz finished the season with a 19-12 record, but Charlotte lost seven of its last eight games including its Atlantic-10 Tournament opener. Lutz owns a career record of 218-158. Current ECU assistant Michael Perry, who just completed his third year on the Pirates’ staff, also interviewed for the vacancy. Perry previously served five seasons as the head coach at Georgia State, where he guided the Panthers to the Big Dance in 2001. Georgia State upset Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that year. The search for a new coach first centered on current Kansas assistant and former ECU head coach Joe Dooley, now believed to be a candidate at Seton Hall. Holland had serious discussions with Dooley about returning to ECU, but he chose to stay at Kansas instead. Current Wright State coach Brad Brownell, who previously coached ant UNC-Wilmington, was mentioned early in the search process as a potential candidate. Holland has not stated a specific time table for hiring a replacement for McCarthy. bonesville.net/Articles/DennyOBrien/2010/03/031910_OBrien.htm
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 22, 2010 12:30:19 GMT -5
March 22, 2010 Sources: East Carolina hiring LeboEast Carolina will hire former Auburn coach Jeff Lebo to the same position pending approval by the school's board of trustees, which is expected to happen during a Monday afternoon meeting, multiple sources told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Lebo, fired earlier this month after his fourth losing season in six years with the Tigers, would replace Matt McCarthy, who is taking an administrative job at East Carolina. Brought in to rebuild the Tigers program in 2004, Lebo was unable to turn Auburn around and was dismissed by Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs after going 96-93 overall and 35-61 in Southeastern Conference play. Lebo was able to take the Tigers into the postseason only once -- to the NIT in 2009. While expectations were raised this season, Auburn finished 15-17, including 6-10 in the league. The team will return only one starter next season. Lebo had three years remaining on his Auburn contract, which called for a $1.5 million buyout. Lebo, a native of Carlisle, Pa., who played for North Carolina from 1985 to '88, began his college coaching career at Tennessee Tech. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5018143
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 22, 2010 12:34:55 GMT -5
March 22, 2010 Report: Houston's Penders to resign HOUSTON (AP) -- According to local media reports, Houston basketball coach Tom Penders plans to resign. Citing unidentified sources, KRIV-TV and The Houston Chronicle, reported Penders' decision to step down came after a meeting Sunday with athletic director Mack Rhoades. The newspaper and the television station reported Penders will announce his resignation Monday. Houston reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992, but lost to Maryland 89-77 in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Friday night. The 64-year-old Penders was 121-77 in six season at Houston. In more than 30 years as a head coach, including stints at Texas, Rhode Island, George Washington, Fordham and Columbia, Penders has won 648 games. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/mens-tournament/03/22/penders.resign.ap/index.html
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 23, 2010 18:43:53 GMT -5
March 23, 2010 Georgia Tech grants permissionATLANTA -- Georgia Tech has granted permission for St. John's to interview Yellow Jackets coach Paul Hewitt. Georgia Tech associate athletic director Wayne Hogan said St. John's was given the OK on Tuesday to speak with Hewitt. Hogan said he did not know when the interview will take place. Hogan said the request was granted after he said earlier Tuesday that St. John's had not asked to speak with Hewitt. "What's happened from there, I don't know," Hogan said. Hewitt, who is from New York, coached Georgia Tech to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Hewitt has guided Georgia Tech to five NCAA tournaments, including the 2004 Final Four, in his 10 seasons. His New York background and NCAA experience match St. John's athletic director Chris Monasch's stated criteria for a new coach. "We want to hire someone who has a record of success of getting into the NCAA tournament," Monasch said. "In trying to find the right person, probably the safest choice is someone who has done it at this level, someone who believes in the mission of school and understands New York." St. John's fired Norm Roberts last week. Hewitt did not immediately return a phone message to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Georgia Tech (23-13) advanced to the championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and earned its first NCAA tournament victory since 2005 before falling to Ohio State in the second round. The postseason wins followed a disappointing finish to the regular season that left Hewitt's job security in doubt. Georgia Tech ended the regular season with two straight losses and five in its last seven. Hewitt's six-year contract at about $1.3 million per year has an automatic rollover clause. He said he had offers from other schools when he signed the contract in 2004; one of those schools is believed to be St. John's. After the ACC tournament, Hewitt blasted suggestions his rollover contract has protected his job. "I could have made at least a half million more going someplace else but I felt really strong about the philosophy and mission of Georgia Tech," Hewitt said. St. John's hired Roberts after Hewitt signed his new deal with former athletic director Dave Braine. The contract includes buyout clauses for Hewitt and Georgia Tech. Hogan said it was too early to say if Georgia Tech would enforce its side of the contract and force Hewitt to pay his buyout of approximately $3.4 million. "I don't think we're talking about the contract," Hogan said. "I think that's premature. I think a lot of water has to pass under the bridge." Hewitt insisted last week he's not interested in moving. "If they tell me they don't want me here anymore, that's fine, but my family likes it here. I like it here," Hewitt said. Monasch said the school is ready to offer a salary competitive with top national coaches. "Depending on who the coach is we will make the financial commitment and a length of time that is appropriate," Monasch said last week. St. John's (17-16) lost to Memphis in the first round of the NIT. Roberts was fired with an 81-101 record with the school. St. John's has not been in the NCAA tournament since 2002. Hewitt is 177-144 overall and 67-93 in ACC games in 10 years at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech could lose top freshman Derrick Favors and junior Gani Lawal to the NBA from a team that also included seniors D'Andre Bell and Zachery Peacock. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5022571
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 23, 2010 18:53:04 GMT -5
PECORA CLOSE TO FORDHAM; CHARLOTTE EYEING TOP ASSISTANTS Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Hofstra coach Tom Pecora is close to leaving for Fordham. According to multiple sources, the New York native and former Jay Wright assistant will replace Derek Whittenburg. Pecora has a 155-126 record in nine years at the helm – and the Pride was 19-15 this past season and 10-8 in CAA play. Pecora took over after spending four years as Jay Wright’s assistant before Wright left for Villanova. He would take over a program that was 2-26 this past season and winless in 16 A-10 contests. CHARLOTTE EYEING TOP ASSISTANTSThree of the candidates targeted for the Charlotte opening: 1) Kansas assistant and former ECU coach Joe Dooley. 2) Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey, who was at Wake Forest. 3) Texas assistant Russell Springmann. HOWARD FIRES GIL JACKSONHoward University has parted ways with Gil Jackson. Jackson was 37-118 in five seasons – including a 7-25 mark this past season. Howard spokesman Ed Hill told FOXSports.com that volunteer assistant Tim Thomas will handle the day-to-day duties, but that the administration wants to move fast on hiring a replacement. community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/?pref_tab=blog
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 24, 2010 15:56:48 GMT -5
HOSTRA'S PECORA ACCEPTS FORDHAM JOB Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Hofstra coach Tom Pecora is leaving for Fordham. According to multiple sources, the New York native and former Jay Wright assistant has agreed to a five-year deal to take the job to replace Derek Whittenburg. Pecora will inform his players prior to Tuesday night’s team banquet. Pecora has a 155-126 record in nine years at the helm – and the Pride was 19-15 this past season and 10-8 in CAA play. Pecora took over after spending four years as Jay Wright’s assistant before Wright left for Villanova. He will take over a program that was 2-26 this past season and winless in 16 A-10 contests. community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/?pref_tab=blog
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 6:28:00 GMT -5
CROSS GREENBERG OFF ST. JOHN'S LIST; VA TECH COACH SIGNS EXTENSION WITH HOKIES Friday, March 26, 2010 Knock one more candidate off St. John's list. Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg has agreed to a new deal with the Hokies, one that will bump his salary for the remaining four years of his contract and also add on two more years. "I am pleased that Coach Greenberg will continue his mission at Virginia Tech and will lead the Hokies for the next six seasons," athletic director Jim Weaver said in a statement. Greenberg is 132-94 in seven years in Blacksburg. He led the Hokies to the NCAA tournament in 2007 and an NIT berth this past season. St. John's is interviewing Boston College coach Al Skinner today. Skinner is a New York native who has done a terrific job in his tenure at BC – one of the more difficult jobs in the ACC. community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2010/03/26/cross_greenberg_off_st._johns_list;_va_tech_coach_signs_extension_with_hokies
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 6:31:19 GMT -5
Gonzalez gauging Hofstra's interest in his servicesJust days after being shown the door at Seton Hall, Bobby Gonzalez is apparently ready to sign on with a new school in the same area. According to sources, Gonzalez has put out feelers to gauge Hofstra's interest in hiring him as its next head coach. Hofstra would be seen as a step down from Seton Hall in terms of conference competition, but it is the same school that produced Villanova head coach Jay Wright. Gonzalez will certainly have some explaining today if and when he gets an interview, the Pirates struggled through his four seasons there and off-court incidents marred the program. www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/173330-gonzalez-gauging-hofstras-interest-in-his-services?eref=fromSI
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 11:23:16 GMT -5
March 28, 2010 Iowa taps Siena's McCafferyIowa has hired Siena coach Fran McCaffery to the same position, a source close to the situation confirmed to ESPN's Doug Gottlieb on Sunday. Iowa was expected to announce the move Monday in Iowa City, Iowa. McCaffery, 50, will replace Todd Lickliter, who was fired two weeks ago after the Hawkeyes' third losing season in a row. McCaffery, a fifth-year coach for Siena who is a former assistant coach at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps, has taken the Saints to three straight NCAA tournaments, including two upsets in the first round. Siena finished this season 27-7, 17-1 in the MAAC, after the No. 13-seeded Saints fell to No. 4-seeded Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament, 72-64. McCaffery coached Lehigh for three seasons and UNC-Greensboro for six before taking the Siena job. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5035286
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 11:26:43 GMT -5
Minnesota 'can't pay' Smith what Oregon couldMarch 27, 2010 HOUSTON -- It's been 11 days since Oregon fired Ernie Kent, and there's still no coach in place. But that could change soon if the school moves away from its top candidates. It's no secret that Oregon -- backed by the money of Nike founder Phil Knight -- would love to make a big hire like Mark Few, Jamie Dixon or Billy Donovan, but that seems unlikely at this point because Few and Dixon have little interest in leaving Gonzaga and Pittsburgh -- remember, either could've had the Arizona job last year -- and anything west of the Mississippi River is unfamiliar territory (and probably too far from home) for Donovan, a New York native who has won two national titles at Florida. That leaves the next tier of candidates headlined by Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon and Minnesota's Tubby Smith. Prediction: Oregon will land one of those two. It's worth noting only Texas A&M seems willing to fight for its coach. "We will make every effort to make sure Mark Turgeon remains our coach," Texas A&M athletics director Bill Byrne, coincidentally also a former Oregon athletics director, told The Register-Guard. "And Ducks who remember me will know how hard I'll work to do that. … My [job] is to keep Mark Turgeon as the coach of the Aggies." Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi isn't as enthusiastic about trying to keep Smith. "Somebody will offer him $3 million," Maturi told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. "We can't pay him $3 million." Bottom line, Oregon probably won't get Few, Dixon or Donovan, but Turgeon and Smith are realistic options. One of the latter two will likely be offered and accept the position in the next week. Just depends on which coach Oregon officials want to purchase. gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/20635479?tag=headlines;collegebasketball
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 18:40:33 GMT -5
March 28, 2010 Seton Hall to hire WillardSeton Hall will hire Iona coach Kevin Willard as the successor to Bobby Gonzalez, the school confirmed on Sunday. Willard will be introduced at a press conference on Wednesday. Willard, whose father, Ralph Willard, is a veteran coach, has turned the Gaels around in just three seasons. He was hired in 2007 after a 2-28 season. This season, Iona was 21-10, 12-6 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, to finish third in the conference and Kevin Willard was named coach of the year in the league. Willard is 45-49, including 27-27 in the MAAC, during his Iona tenure. Two of his assistants at Iona have backgrounds with Seton Hall. Both former Pirate Shaheen Holloway and ex-Seton Hall assistant Steve Sauers are on his staff now. Willard interviewed for Seton Hall's opening on Thursday, two days after school officials talked to Siena's Fran McCaffery about the job, and a day after they met with Mike Rice of Robert Morris. McCaffery, who led Siena to three straight MAAC championships, appeared to be the front-runner before he agreed to fill Iowa's opening over the weekend. A former Pittsburgh guard, Willard was mentored by Rick Pitino. He spent four years as a Boston Celtics assistant and followed Pitino to Louisville for another six years before going to Iona. Like Gonzalez, Willard favors an uptempo, aggressive game featuring a pressure defense. Gonzalez was fired a day after Seton Hall lost in the opening round of the NIT, a game in which Pirates forward Herb Pope was ejected for hitting a Texas Tech player below the belt. Gonzalez also picked up his seventh technical foul of the season. Forward Robert Mitchell, who was kicked off the team days before the NIT game, was charged the same week with robbing eight people at gunpoint in South Orange. He pleaded not guilty. A week before this season started, transfer guard Keon Lawrence was involved in a traffic accident on the Garden State Parkway in which he was driving in the wrong direction, seriously injuring the driver of the other vehicle. Lawrence was charged with assault by auto and driving with a suspended license, and was suspended for the first eight games of the season. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5035678
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 18:42:22 GMT -5
March 28, 2010 Source: A&M's Turgeon to get raiseTexas A&M will offer coach Mark Turgeon a new contract that includes a raise of more than $250,000, the school is expected to announce this week, a source familiar with the situation tells ESPN.com's Andy Katz. The A&M board of trustees approved the new contract and raise for Turgeon in meetings Thursday and Friday, but must formally approve the proposal at its April meeting for the deal to become official, according to the source. The move comes shortly after Oregon approached Turgeon as a potential replacement for Ernie Kent. Turgeon, who currently earns about $1.2 million per season, will earn more than $1.5 million once the new deal is approved, according to the source. The Aggies (24-10) reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Purdue in overtime. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5035591
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Mar 28, 2010 20:49:57 GMT -5
March 28, 2010 Sources: Lavin to interview Monday Former UCLA coach and current ESPN analyst Steve Lavin will meet with St. John's athletic director Chris Monasch Monday in New York after a lengthy conversation Sunday night, multiple sources told ESPN.com Sunday. Lavin has been an analyst for ESPN the past six seasons. He coached UCLA for seven seasons from 1996 to 2003, leading the Bruins to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 five times. Lavin would fit the Red Storm's desire to hire a name coach with personality and charisma that can capture the New York market as it tries to become more relevant in the city. Lavin would likely hire a New York-based staff to help recruit the area. St. John's is searching for a replacement for Norm Roberts, who Monasch fired after the Red Storm lost at Memphis in the first round of the NIT. The Red Storm made overtures to Florida's Billy Donovan and made an actual offer from the school to Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt, but was turned down. Last Friday, St. John's interviewed Boston College's Al Skinner, who remains a candidate. Saturday, the Red Storm interviewed Siena's Fran McCaffery, who later took the Iowa head coaching job. A potential interview with Temple's Fran Dunphy never materialized and there have been attempts to get Monasch with Rhode Island's Jim Baron, whose Rams are in New York for the NIT final four this week, and Cornell's Steve Donahue, whose Big Red lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 in Syracuse Thursday. Lavin was working at ESPN in Bristol, Conn., over the weekend and was expected to stay in the area so he could meet with Monasch. Lavin was on the verge of accepting the NC State job in 2006 in a whirlwind time for the Wolfpack after Herb Sendek went to Arizona State. The Wolfpack offered the job to then-Memphis coach John Calipari who turned it down. Lavin ultimately withdrew and stayed at ESPN. But Lavin has been coaching more in the offseason, doing clinics overseas and in the U.S. Meanwhile, Northeastern's Bill Coen has emerged as one of the top candidates to replace McCaffery at Siena if the Saints opt to go outside of McCaffery's staff for a replacement. Siena is considered the top job in the MAAC with its passionate fan base in Albany and NCAA tournament success. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5036425
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