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| Here's why I don't think this Johnny Jones stuff has legs... Posted by macaoidh ...it's apparent to me, though I could certainly be all wet, that the Johnny Jones stuff is a PR blitz by the Dale Brown/Collis Temple gang intended to present the fans with something of a fait accompli that generates some sort of grounsdwell of acceptance. I don't think they counted on such a cold reaction from the folks to date, but supposedly they're in Alleva's face enough that he hasn't told them no yet.  on 4/7 at 10:35 pmBut it won't happen, because in June there will be 7 new people on the Board of Supervisors (or pretty close, depending on how many current BOS people get reappointed, and not many are supposed to). And they're seriously considering, if it hasn't already been decided, reorganizing LSU to combine the jobs Michael Martin and John Lombardi already have. Now, Lombardi's contract is up in December, and he's done. And Martin is talking about retiring, and saying he doesn't really want to take over that increased responsibility of the combined job. So what that means is you're going to have a brand new Big Swingin' Dick brought in to run LSU by the fall, or at least by next summer. And when that Big Swingin' Dick shows up and starts reviewing the troops, if I'm Joe Alleva I probably want to make a good impression. If I'm Alleva and I've got to sit down with the Big Swingin' Dick, I'm going to know going in that the BSD has already heard from a decent number of folks that I suck. Mr. BSD is also going to remember that Alleva was the AD at Duke when that fiasco with the lacrosse team went down and he's likely going to think of Alleva as suspect because of that. And if I'm Alleva and I'm sitting down to discuss the state of LSU athletics and convince Mr. BSD that he needs to leave me in charge, am I really comfortable saying, when I get to men's basketball, that I just hired a guy who was the bag man that put LSU on probation and languished in obscurity for a decade at North Texas until we scraped him off and hired him cheap because the local AAU honcho and an 80-year old former coach told me so? What I'm saying is that Alleva's not stupid. He's got to look at this thing and realize that if he goes cheap and hires Johnny Jones he's putting his own neck on the chopping block. Because whoever gets the LSU hoops job is not going to have the program on a solid footing by the time Mr. BSD takes that meeting with Alleva. It'll take two recruiting classes to make that happen and that reclamation project will be ongoing. Maybe if you hire Johnny Jones and he hooks up the Randy Livingston/Bob Starkey/Collis Temple crew you might be able to reel in some commitments from the local guys like Jarrell Martin and Brian Bridgewater, but even then you're still not going to be generating a lot of national buzz. Whereas if you make a national-type hire, Mr. BSD will look at that and say "I don't know what the detractors have against this guy, but it looks like he's got this thing moving in the right direction so I'm not going to look to make a change with the AD at this point." You hire Johnny Jones and you're taking a big risk that the program will stay mediocre or worse and still not generate any fan interest. And Mr. BSD will be tempted a great deal more to put his own stamp on the athletic department. Alleva being the big fan of self-preservation that he is, I'll bet he tells the Dale Brown crowd "sure, we'll look at Johnny and I like him a lot, but let's see who else we can get" - and then ends up putting out $2 million-plus for somebody more high-profile that he has a connection with like Mike Brey or Jamie Dixon (though I don't know what Alleva's connection with Dixon is). Reply • Back to Top |
| I think Johnny Jones, Butch Pierre and Kermit Davis would be a HUGE mistake! Go after a PROVEN WINNER not guys that were former assistants just to have an LSU connection! Reply • Back to Top |
Posted by LSUIEGRAD13 on 4/7 at 10:38 pm to Merlin08 Can I get some cliff notes. I don't get on TD to read a book. Reply • Back to Top |
quote: Johnny Jones just looks like a Mike DuBose hire to me. Reply • Back to Top |
| Trent Johnson was a proven winner when we hired him Reply • Back to Top |
quote: So we should avoid proven winners then? Reply • Back to Top |
| Scott Drew of Tim Floyd would win here. They'd get talent quick. Scott Drew might say no, but Tim Floyd wouldn't. Reply • Back to Top |
| Lombardi was such a fail Reply • Back to Top |
| Not saying that. Just saying a proven winner isn't always going to win and that shouldn't be our only option. I wouldn't mind bringing in a younger guy that can help bring excitement into the program. Reply • Back to Top |
| You must be that "Big Swinging Dick." Reply • Back to Top |
| I think Tim Floyd would be a very good hire. I wanted him when they hired Brady Reply • Back to Top |
| I think everyone is over thinking the Johnny Jones stuff. I definitely think Dale and the boys want him but they couldnt get butch last time. I think JJ is the back up plan and is a pretty damn good one if you ask me. The guy won 20+ games 5 out of the last 6 years at North Texas and hes going to get some players. Hes not great but it wouldnt be a failure. It damn sure wouldnt be as bad as State's debacle lol Hes the bottom of my list only because I think there are some very good options out there and if they say no theres no use in listing past him because he will jump at the chance to take the job. This post was edited on 4/7 at 10:46 pm Reply • Back to Top |
| 1) Scott Drew 2) Tim Floyd 3) Mike Bray 4) Gregg Marshall I think you have to make all of those guys say no first before going to Jones. Also, you have to call Smart, Pastner, and Buzz Williams to see if they would entertain the idea, but I seriously doubt any of them would. Reply • Back to Top |
quote: I think you've got to put Steve Alford on that list as well. What he's done the last five years at New Mexico is undeniable, and he'd give this program a persona the fans could sink our teeth into (hard-nosed, fiery, passionate, aggressive). And he makes around $1.1 million a year, which means you can buy him. Assuming he'll move, which I'd guess he would. Reply • Back to Top |
| In summary, Alleva needs a splashy hire to make himself look good. I agree. Nothing in his track record says "hire the North Texas guy." Johnson, while unsuccessful, was a national guy. Caldwell is national. The next hire will be national. I don't know who that is and I doubt anyone else does. Alleva probably doesn't know at this point. I will be shocked if its not a prominent current head coach at either a major college, or a very successful mid-major such as Marshall at Wichita (not necessarily him, but that type of hire.) Reply • Back to Top |
| The one problem is that we will never know who turned us down. Reply • Back to Top |
| I believe Alford's son will be a senior in high school next year in New Mexico and will be a highly recruited basketball player. I doubt Alford is in play for at least a year. Reply • Back to Top |
| I have Alford right there either just below or above Jones. Reply • Back to Top |
quote: Not just no but frick no. He can win at small schools but did you see him at Iowa? He sucked. He was terrible. Reply • Back to Top |
| NO to Tim Floyd. Do Not Want not even sort of. Reply • Back to Top • Refresh |
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