Date Posted:07:51:56 03/25/04 Thu Author: tonyt Subject: St John's
Here we go again, Hewitt & Calipari withdrew names from consideration, NY Post reports a source indicate SJU might look to RW stating he's one of the top basketball minds on the planet.
Willard is mentioned toward the end. Isn't Coach W up for a new contract this summer!? Lock and Load Dick, Lock and Load!!!!
I'd love to see Coach W come out early and say similar to what Hewitt said below re: his situation at Ga Tech.
Cheers.
March 25, 2004 -- PHOENIX - St. John's has yet to formally extend an offer to a head-coaching candidate, and already two of the Red Storm's top choices are out of the running.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, the clear-cut favorite to replace the fired Mike Jarvis, has decided to remain in Atlanta. Sources told The Post he informed St. John's Monday night.
"I have the greatest respect for St. John's," Hewitt told The Post yesterday by telephone. "It is a first-class institution and there are a lot of people there I hold in very high regard. But I have a great situation here at Georgia Tech, where I have been treated with great respect."
The news of Hewitt's decision comes at a particularly jarring time for St. John's. University president Father Donald J. Harrington left for Rome last night and will be out of town for about a week, which could slow the search process.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking as other jobs open. Houston just hired former Columbia, Fordham, Texas and George Washington coach Tom Penders. The job at Georgetown is open. The longer St. John's delays, the greater the chances of it losing a secondary choice.
Before Harrington departed, he was getting serious resistance from Lou Carnesecca and others to the hiring of Memphis coach John Calipari. Knowing the writing was on the wall was anti-Cal graffiti, Calipari said he was taking himself out of the running.
With Hewitt and Calipari out, St. John's is turning its attention to former Notre Dame and North Carolina coach Matt Doherty and Providence coach Tim Welsh, whose stock slid late in the season when the Friars lost four straight.
If St. John's can't agree on Welsh or Doherty, it will be forced to look at a second tier of candidates, starting with former St. John's star Chris Mullin. Mullin has not returned several calls from The Post. There is significant reason to believe he will remain with the Golden State Warriors, where he could be the next general manager.
Sources close to the search committee told The Post that St. John's might reconsider candidates such as Ralph Willard of Holy Cross, who is regarded as one of the best basketball minds on the planet.
Willard (233-185 in 14 seasons), a Long Island native, served as an assistant coach at Hofstra, Syracuse and the Knicks before coaching at Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh. Whatever St. John's does, it can't drag its feet.
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Re: Coach Willard Is Not Leaving Holy Cross -- CLASS OF '83, 12:34:38 03/31/04 Wed
How can you be so sure?
Is he so enamored with HC that he would not at least look at the St. John's job?
I know the end of his tenure with Pitt was marred by off the court issues with some of his players. The same thing happened to Blaney at Seton Hall. Is the thought of having to deal with those issues again (in order to win) holding him back? I know he likes the type of kid HC attracts - but still the chance to rebuild a program that could challenge for a National Championship must at least intrigue him.
I hope not, because I think he is the right man for HC. I think he wants to win, but is willing to work within the parameters of working with true student athletes.
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Re: Here is the article... -- MHMD, 21:24:59 03/25/04 Thu
some interesting stuff. Nice comment about Willard being a great basketball mind-which obviously he posesses. I guess the Cal history runs deep with Louie- as well as with other BE people.. Doherty would be a nice fit-he deserves another shot and he probably learned a lot at NC. I also heard Carlisimo's name pop up..Anybody heard anything about G-town?? I personally think this is just the beginning... look for MANY coaching changes this year.
