just heard St. John's fired their coach. maybe Hurley will head across the state and take that job?

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn. Why step into a bad situation???

I understand the reservations about DePaul, but IMO Tennessee would not be a bad situation. Their program was in the Sweet 16 a year ago and the Elite Eight a few years back (before losing to MSU, in 2010 IIRC). Obviously Kentucky dominates the SEC, and most years Florida is strong, but after that there are no other consistently strong programs. This past season's Tennessee team wasn't terrible. With the right hire, they could make up ground in the SEC very quickly.

All of that said, now that the St. John's job is open, I could completely see them making a run at Hurley considering his Jersey roots.

(03-27-2015 01:46 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  just heard St. John's fired their coach. maybe Hurley will head across the state and take that job?

Johnnies apparently want Chris Mullin.

Texas now also opening up as Barnes and UT are expected to part ways.

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:11 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:01 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  Now if Tennessee decides they would like someone from the Duke tree, Hurley is el gono.

Hurley's got to make a big move...this is just me making up rumors, but Coach Krzyzewski isn't getting any younger. Now, if Hurley could get a big school job (preferrably SEC, ACC not so good), and have a few winning seasons, Coach K is going to be 70 in a couple of years, and might be thinking about retiring. You got to try for that job when it opens, and a couple-3 long NCAA tournament runs with a PAC-12, SEC school might get an alumni the inside track.

Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn.

Why step into a bad situation???

He can stay at UB until the right job opens.

DePaul is a sleeping giant. It's a basketball (non-FB) school. It's the largest Catholic school in the NCAA. It's in a very large, basketball city with (oddly) minimal NCAA competition in basketball. They are working on building a new arena. They are in the best non-FB basketball conference in the country - which is probably the 3rd of 4th best basketball conference overall.

The first coach that wins at DePaul will be enshrined in that town. People will talk about "Ditka, Payton, Jordan ... and that guy who won at DePaul".

DePaul has been mediocore for so long, they are more like a hibernating giant.

(03-27-2015 04:45 PM)nert Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:11 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:01 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  Now if Tennessee decides they would like someone from the Duke tree, Hurley is el gono.

Hurley's got to make a big move...this is just me making up rumors, but Coach Krzyzewski isn't getting any younger. Now, if Hurley could get a big school job (preferrably SEC, ACC not so good), and have a few winning seasons, Coach K is going to be 70 in a couple of years, and might be thinking about retiring. You got to try for that job when it opens, and a couple-3 long NCAA tournament runs with a PAC-12, SEC school might get an alumni the inside track.

Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn.

Why step into a bad situation???

He can stay at UB until the right job opens.

DePaul is a sleeping giant. It's a basketball (non-FB) school. It's the largest Catholic school in the NCAA. It's in a very large, basketball city with (oddly) minimal NCAA competition in basketball. They are working on building a new arena. They are in the best non-FB basketball conference in the country - which is probably the 3rd of 4th best basketball conference overall.

The first coach that wins at DePaul will be enshrined in that town. People will talk about "Ditka, Payton, Jordan ... and that guy who won at DePaul".

They still talk about Ray Meyer in Chicago, and that was 30 plus years ago. Don't compare this to Jimmy Christian trying to sell basketball in Dallas or Geno Ford trying to win the Peoria market. Winning at DePaul is a lottery ticket for the right coach.

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:11 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:01 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  Now if Tennessee decides they would like someone from the Duke tree, Hurley is el gono.

Hurley's got to make a big move...this is just me making up rumors, but Coach Krzyzewski isn't getting any younger. Now, if Hurley could get a big school job (preferrably SEC, ACC not so good), and have a few winning seasons, Coach K is going to be 70 in a couple of years, and might be thinking about retiring. You got to try for that job when it opens, and a couple-3 long NCAA tournament runs with a PAC-12, SEC school might get an alumni the inside track.

Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn.

Why step into a bad situation???

He can stay at UB until the right job opens.

I can think of several dollar signs why someone would take the DePaul job which happens to be in the third largest media market and hoops crazy but starved market. If Hurley isn't the man to do it, he's not the man to do it. But DePaul is a good job for the right guy.

(03-27-2015 04:45 PM)nert Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:11 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:01 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  Now if Tennessee decides they would like someone from the Duke tree, Hurley is el gono.

Hurley's got to make a big move...this is just me making up rumors, but Coach Krzyzewski isn't getting any younger. Now, if Hurley could get a big school job (preferrably SEC, ACC not so good), and have a few winning seasons, Coach K is going to be 70 in a couple of years, and might be thinking about retiring. You got to try for that job when it opens, and a couple-3 long NCAA tournament runs with a PAC-12, SEC school might get an alumni the inside track.

Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn.

Why step into a bad situation???

He can stay at UB until the right job opens.

DePaul is a sleeping giant. It's a basketball (non-FB) school. It's the largest Catholic school in the NCAA. It's in a very large, basketball city with (oddly) minimal NCAA competition in basketball. They are working on building a new arena. They are in the best non-FB basketball conference in the country - which is probably the 3rd of 4th best basketball conference overall.

The first coach that wins at DePaul will be enshrined in that town. People will talk about "Ditka, Payton, Jordan ... and that guy who won at DePaul".

disagree, chicago is a pro sports town. college sports interest is largely limited to alumni of schools like notre dame and wisconsin following their alma mater's football team. when depaul was good they had a local legend as a coach, played on campus and the north side was still mostly working class neighborhoods. now, depaul is a smallish school of mostly suburban kids in a wealthy part of town mostly filled with transplants to the city. who plays their games in a horrible arena 20 miles from campus in the suburb of rosemont. there is no sense of connection between most chicagoens and depaul.

plus, the recruiting situation is tricky. high school recruiting in chicago is very political. depaul has poor relationships with most of the top area schools and aau clubs. depaul is a very white school of mostly privileged kids in a wealthy part of town and not a comfortable place for average baller from the south or west side. plus, all the big national programs recruit chicago with a vengeance. duke, louisville, kentucky, etc... are on the top chicago area kids each year. oregon, wisconsin, notre dame, etc... are on the next tier of guys. mac, valley, horizon programs have strong connections and go hard after the slightly undervalued guys.

yeah, they play in the big east which is great if you are really good. but if you are only ok, the big east will wear you out. to turn depaul around is not as easy as people think. ask the last 4 coaches who saw it kill their career.

A "smallish school"? There are 23,000 students on campus.

Pono - you must have also missed the fact they are building a badass new arena. To one other point you made, the "right guy" will mend the fences and fix the relationships with the HS and AAU coaches.

(03-28-2015 03:45 AM)pono Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 04:45 PM)nert Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:33 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:11 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 12:01 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  Now if Tennessee decides they would like someone from the Duke tree, Hurley is el gono.

Hurley's got to make a big move...this is just me making up rumors, but Coach Krzyzewski isn't getting any younger. Now, if Hurley could get a big school job (preferrably SEC, ACC not so good), and have a few winning seasons, Coach K is going to be 70 in a couple of years, and might be thinking about retiring. You got to try for that job when it opens, and a couple-3 long NCAA tournament runs with a PAC-12, SEC school might get an alumni the inside track.

Hurley would be foolish to take either DePaul or Tenn.

Why step into a bad situation???

He can stay at UB until the right job opens.

DePaul is a sleeping giant. It's a basketball (non-FB) school. It's the largest Catholic school in the NCAA. It's in a very large, basketball city with (oddly) minimal NCAA competition in basketball. They are working on building a new arena. They are in the best non-FB basketball conference in the country - which is probably the 3rd of 4th best basketball conference overall.

The first coach that wins at DePaul will be enshrined in that town. People will talk about "Ditka, Payton, Jordan ... and that guy who won at DePaul".

disagree, chicago is a pro sports town. college sports interest is largely limited to alumni of schools like notre dame and wisconsin following their alma mater's football team. when depaul was good they had a local legend as a coach, played on campus and the north side was still mostly working class neighborhoods. now, depaul is a smallish school of mostly suburban kids in a wealthy part of town mostly filled with transplants to the city. who plays their games in a horrible arena 20 miles from campus in the suburb of rosemont. there is no sense of connection between most chicagoens and depaul.

plus, the recruiting situation is tricky. high school recruiting in chicago is very political. depaul has poor relationships with most of the top area schools and aau clubs. depaul is a very white school of mostly privileged kids in a wealthy part of town and not a comfortable place for average baller from the south or west side. plus, all the big national programs recruit chicago with a vengeance. duke, louisville, kentucky, etc... are on the top chicago area kids each year. oregon, wisconsin, notre dame, etc... are on the next tier of guys. mac, valley, horizon programs have strong connections and go hard after the slightly undervalued guys.

yeah, they play in the big east which is great if you are really good. but if you are only ok, the big east will wear you out. to turn depaul around is not as easy as people think. ask the last 4 coaches who saw it kill their career.

This is the DePaul I know about. It has 23,800 students spread across two campuses: residential in Lincoln Park and business, technology, law and communication in the heart of the Loop. It's an urban school, with special outreach to first generation CPS students. It plays in the Big East, a great set of basketball focused schools. The other poster's designation of the Big East as probably the third or fourth best conference for BBall is about right. They play in the 'burbs until they open a $70 million lakefront arena in 2018. The Demons have sent 31 players to the NBA and been to the NCAA tourney 22 times.

Which DePaul are you describing?

No question it's a tough job. Expectations are very, very high. A MAC coach may not be the right fit for several reasons, including the track records of former MAC coaches in turning around programs on a bigger stage. But just because it's not the right fit for a MAC coach doesn't mean it isn't the golden key for the right guy.

(03-25-2015 08:37 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  IMO, Bryce Drew is a better fit for DePaul. Drew's done a nice job at Valpo, recruits Chicago, and played for the Bulls. Don't know either of them, but Drew's temperament might fit better with the good Fathers at DePaul.

Make no mistake, DePaul is a rebuilding job. But they'll throw a boatload of money at someone to rebuild in the third largest media market in the U.S., open a new lakefront arena, and play in a league with premium programs in good sized markets. The coach who wins at DePaul has a lottery ticket. Not sure Hurley is up to the task as no MAC coaches have shined in similar situations, but suspect he'd leave if offered. The upside at DePaul is far, far higher than anywhere in the MAC.

iF i were Drew I would stay at Valpo also. He's a hometown hero, they pay him a good buck I am sure; plus Valpo is not only a top dog but a top draw in that conference that has most programs within a bus ride of each other (like the MAC) Valpo lost their opening round tourney game to MD by only 3. It will take him a long time to build DePaul up to that level

(03-28-2015 07:23 AM)dannyb73 Wrote:  Pono - you must have also missed the fact they are building a badass new arena. To one other point you made, the "right guy" will mend the fences and fix the relationships with the HS and AAU coaches.

i know. the city that can't afford to keep its public schools open is finding a way to build a deluxe new arena which in a few years will help make depaul bball more relevant. i'm not saying that there isn't a narrative that says new coach rebuilds the program and culture, new arena opens, big city gets excited and rallies behind the team. it could happen. the reality is that it's a tricky job. top recruits don't necessarily look well on depaul. local youth coaches aren't big on the school. there's a big job ahead. think fordham. their a good private school in a huge city w great bball talent (crappy arena, true) in the top mid major conference, and haven't been decent since the ball became round. moribund big city programs are not easy to rejuvenate.

You want to know how hard of a job DePaul will be to turn into a winner? The Big East got 6 tourney bids this year. Only 3 teams including DePaul had losing records. One of those was Creighton who made the Tourney last year in their first year in the BE coming from the MVC. The BE conference schedule is murder, look at the programs they added from other conferences. Xavier had a history of success in the A10 before they joined and they had a nice tourney run this year. Butler made it to back to back National Title games in 10 & 11 while a Horizon league member. Creighton had battled Wichita and UNI for MVC supermacy for years before coming to the BE. Add GTown, Pitt, Nova & St John's to that list

DePaul has not played in a post season tourney since 2005 and that was the NIT. If they get Hurley they should feel blessed out of their socks

From 1976-1992 DePaul only missed the Tournament 3 times, since 1992 they've only made the tournament 2 times. DePaul has been irrelevant for a long time.

Chicago Trib reporting that Hurley "badly" wants the DePaul job. Same for Drew from Valpo. Both are interviewed this weekend: Hurley Saturday and Drew today. BleacherReport seems to think Hurley is the front runner.
Chicago Tribune

(03-29-2015 12:31 PM)axeme Wrote:  Chicago Trib reporting that Hurley "badly" wants the DePaul job. Same for Drew from Valpo. Both are interviewed this weekend: Hurley Saturday and Drew today. BleacherReport seems to think Hurley is the front runner.
Chicago Tribune

And the rumors today are that Drew turned it down and Hurley is unlikely.

Where are those rumors coming from?

DePaul re-hired Dave Leitao, for whatever reason. Looking more and more like Hurley is staying, unless St. John's wants him.