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Post by gaelman on Apr 4, 2011 16:35:34 GMT -5
According to Stag board, Sydney Johnson is the new coach. He seems to be the one most fans there wanted.
At first, I thought he was an absolutely, oustanding choice (and didn't think he'd even take the job there). Looking closer at his record, I'm not sure he is as much of a sure thing as they think he is.
He was only 66-53, coaching in the Ivy League and his RPI and SOS were rather unimpressive, until this year. I'm not saying he will flop, he might be great. But, I'm not sure he is as proven as he is given credit for.
I also was very unimpressed by him breaking down weeping and not being able to answer a question for an extended period at the press conference following the Kentucky loss. Emotion is great and a guy tearing up a bit is no big deal, but not being able to pull it together quickly raises concerns with me.
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MTS
Junior Member
Posts: 90
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Post by MTS on Apr 4, 2011 16:43:48 GMT -5
Good hire by Fairfield - I really like it!
But I was hoping he would have stayed at Princeton and been a candidate for Siena next year! Oh well.
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Post by gaelman on Apr 4, 2011 16:51:44 GMT -5
Good hire by Fairfield - I really like it! But I was hoping he would have stayed at Princeton and been a candidate for Siena next year! Oh well. I'm a bit surprised he took the job. I hope he realizes how unreasonably high the expectations of the FF zealots are. Siena fans get carried away from time to time, but at least they have a real record of success to base high expectations and talk of moving to a bigger conference or becoming a Butler or Gonzaga-like mid major power on. Another concern should be recruiting. I don't think Ivy League recruiting and MAAC recruiting have much in common at all. At Princeton, I'm sure the school is the big seller not the program. At FF he is going to have to sell himself and the program to recruits. Plus, he's not going to have too many Ivy League level intellects running his system.
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MTS
Junior Member
Posts: 90
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Post by MTS on Apr 4, 2011 17:01:18 GMT -5
Good hire by Fairfield - I really like it! But I was hoping he would have stayed at Princeton and been a candidate for Siena next year! Oh well. I'm a bit surprised he took the job. I hope he realizes how unreasonably high the expectations of the FF zealots are. Siena fans get carried away from time to time, but at least they have a real record of success to base high expectations and talk of moving to a bigger conference or becoming a Butler or Gonzaga-like mid major power on. Another concern should be recruiting. I don't think Ivy League recruiting and MAAC recruiting have much in common at all. At Princeton, I'm sure the school is the big seller not the program. At FF he is going to have to sell himself and the program to recruits. Plus, he's not going to have too many Ivy League level intellects running his system. I agree. I don't want to knock FF but reading their board they act like they're a top mid-major job heading towards being a Butler. Siena, Iona and Manhattan have had the most success among MAAC programs. Siena's a long ways from Butler/Gonzaga too (especially since we continue to pick bad coaches after a good one leaves) but we've had good success, a winning tradition, 5 NCAA trips in 13 years and NCAA tournament wins. Also the downside with Johnson is two even one good season and he'll run to the BCS. For him to leave his alma mater they must have been paying him peanuts!
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Post by observer2 on Apr 5, 2011 9:09:57 GMT -5
The move by Johnson makes no sense, he is going from one league the gets no respect to another league that gets no respect. Of course i understand he will make more money, but as a career path I question his decision.
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Post by ichoops on Apr 5, 2011 9:22:20 GMT -5
Comical. Fairfield will look like Marist in 3 years.
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Post by GuyF on Apr 5, 2011 9:48:20 GMT -5
Siena's a long ways from Butler/Gonzaga too (especially since we continue to pick bad coaches after a good one leaves) but we've had good success, a winning tradition, 5 NCAA trips in 13 years and NCAA tournament wins. What was the point of mentioning this? No wonder you were banned on the MAAC board.
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Post by gaelman on Apr 5, 2011 10:27:29 GMT -5
Siena's a long ways from Butler/Gonzaga too (especially since we continue to pick bad coaches after a good one leaves) but we've had good success, a winning tradition, 5 NCAA trips in 13 years and NCAA tournament wins. What was the point of mentioning this? No wonder you were banned on the MAAC board. Actually, I brought the subject up. I think the point is that fans of schools like Siena, and to a slightly lesser extent Iona at least have some basis in reality for any delusions of grandeur they may suffer from. Fairfield fans, on the other hand, have what? An NIT bid? Cooley was the first FF coach to have over a .500 record in something like 30 years. If a program dominates the MAAC or at least contends every year for many years, it might be reasonable to at least think about moving up, but FF has been a below average MAAC program. That said, I think Siena, Iona and especially Fairfield are in exactly the right conference, at this point.
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Post by GuyF on Apr 5, 2011 11:16:37 GMT -5
No, gaelman, make no mistake--MTS just wanted to spew that stuff to make himself feel better about the current state of that program.
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Post by gaelman on Apr 5, 2011 11:22:35 GMT -5
No, gaelman, make no mistake--MTS just wanted to spew that stuff to make himself feel better about the current state of that program. Aw, give the kid a break. Can you imagine if Iona had that roster, and Mitch B. coaching it? Memories are all Hayseed Nation fans have right now. Also, if you haven't read some of the thread on the FF board. I am amazed by how many fans say "We've got to get out of the MAAC." Maybe they should try winning once first.
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Post by ic59 on Apr 5, 2011 11:27:41 GMT -5
This looks like a good hire by FF. Johnson has done a good job at Princeton, in turning that program around. He's inherited a very strong roster and a VG, I believe, schedule. If he's looking for a stepping stone, imo, he's found it. People make the mistake of confusing the Princeton offense of today with the offense of Pete Carill. There might be some similarities, but they are not the same. JMO.
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MTS
Junior Member
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Post by MTS on Apr 5, 2011 11:31:46 GMT -5
No, gaelman, make no mistake--MTS just wanted to spew that stuff to make himself feel better about the current state of that program. I'm quite secure about Siena as a program. The reason we haven't been able to be consistent is because we continue to pick bad coaches after a good one leaves. The rebuilding of Siena will start in March 2012.
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Post by epatrick on Apr 5, 2011 12:33:21 GMT -5
Guy, it's called passion for a team. I, for one, like that in a fan. MTS generally doesn't slander or knock another team simple to boost Siena as so many of those jerks on the MAAC board do.
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Post by gregcrow on Apr 5, 2011 12:48:03 GMT -5
This is not to defend MTS so much as Siena. So far Siena has had one bad year after a 3 year period that ranks as one of the most succesful in MAAC history. Yes, they may be in for a prolonged downturn, but until that actually happens they have nothing to hang their heads about. The way a league like this goes they could get lucky with one star recruit and be right back at the top of the league next year or the year after. Ya never know....
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Post by St. Louis Gael on Apr 5, 2011 13:05:38 GMT -5
Guy, it's called passion for a team. I, for one, like that in a fan. MTS generally doesn't slander or knock another team simple to boost Siena as so many of those jerks on the MAAC board do. I have not read everything MTS has posted. However, I have seen nothing from MTS that compares to the venom put out there by Soup, Saintly, and celebrated by others. Yeah, MTS has taken a few shots at Iona and others. Most are in good humor, and so he should. That is fodder for the Board. It is BS that those clowns banned him.
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