Basketball Issues

Am I missing something or is Seton Hall and it's AD taking this Gonzo thing a bit too far? I would appreciate finding out just what he is doing so bad that would make a fine University such as Seton Hall allow a witch hunt to start on a passionate and dedicated coach? Is he really bad? Do they want to bring in someone else after the huge strides made this past season? Does SHU want to be known as a "Coach Killer?"

What's going on at SHU can happen in corporate America, education, and anywhere else. Shows what happens when folks want to come after you. If this AD wants to get Bobby Gonzalez, he has the tools to be successful because he gets more meetings with the higher ups than anyone else. One thing for certain, and I know this from experience on both sides, they are putting together a case for now or the future.

Now what should Bobby do? Maybe he should go to the Final 4 with an open mind concerning future jobs. Who wants to stay with an AD who seems out to hurt you, get rid of you, or at the least hurt your recruiting possibilities. Anyone ever work for a supervisor who did not like them and used every opportunity to make their life miserable? If so you know what I mean!!!

SHU does not seem like the type of school that could or would waste money by paying Bobby if he was fired. But if he is fired for cause, based on something in his contract on behavior, it could be messy. My suggestion even though I am the last person anyone would listen to, is to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire SHU athletic department including relationships with other schools and with coaches and staff. The evaluators should be people who understand the nature of big time sports. But from what I see, SHU might just make the Rutgers AD the chair of the investigative committee!

Which brings me to this point. Sometimes a person is set-up for failure before he or she even starts a new job. At Seton Hall this is the case with both the Head Basketball Coach and the Athletic Director. At a school such as SHU, without football, those two MUST GET ALONG and share the same or similar visions. It's not happening because the hiring was done in a way that was bound for ups and downs. Bobby was not the AD's first choice if he was the choice at all. This was almost like an arranged marriage between a person from Brooklyn and a person from Iowa. I also think Seton Hall surprised people by hiring an AD from a rival school. And even more surprising is the rival school, where the hired AD was coming from was not exactly a blueprint for success with men's basketball which is the top sport at Seton Hall University. It was similar to hiring the Assistant AD from North Carolina to become the AD at Duke, even though both have very good basketball programs. The Seton Hall AD was going to hear whispers from day 1 because he was the Rutgers AD's guy. Not only that, he was the person the Rutgers basketball staff loved and socialized with. He might even have a few with them at a local pub on occasion. Why even put him into this type of situation where people would watch almost too closely? He would have been better off going to UMass or somewhere out of the Big east before returning to a school such as Seton Hall. I wonder if the Rutgers AD job opened in the next year or two, would the SHU AD take the job?

Big Upset in the NCAA Tournament

West Virginia with tons of High School All Americans including top a few 5 players from NJ beat Duke! Ooops, my bad! West Virginia does not have any High School All Americans......YET!!! They also do not have two top 5 players from NJ.....YET!!! But they will soon based on that staff including two outstanding recruiters in Harris and Hahn to go along with Mr. Close by any means necessary, Bobby Huggins.

West Virginia proves what happens when you develop your talent, and when you play a style that allows your team to be successful. Bobby came in and ran the same offense the previous WVU coach ran. His new book will be called, "a formula for success!"

NJIT Information

Hot off my sources lips. NJIT is considering slot of people. But one name they are not interested in is Steve Demeo (sp), ex Providence Assistant. ARE THEY CRAZY? They should be begging for a guy like that after going O for what ever and playing in HS looking gym. Of course I still love Juse R, and Bruce Hamburger but other I like are Ron Brown from FDU, and even a guy like Ray Haskins, ex LIU super coach who took LIU to back to back NCAA and NIT births for the first time in years before being let go because of a undermining AD (sound familiar?). I also hear they are strongly considering Tony Campbell, ex NBA player and Paramus Catholic Head Coach.

Well, time to head to Church before returning for more basketball. HAPPY EASTER to EVERYONE!!!!!!