I listened to the Leonard interview and still feel the same. Everyone here knew that he had to make a decision to extend or move on, that’s not some new ground breaking information.
What I heard was “some donors were mad and they have deep pockets so this is the direction we went.” That’s how it goes with college athletics, especially at this level.
Here is where I keep getting back to on this subject. Part of this isn’t on Leonard as he didn’t make the initial hire, BUT If we, we being the collective SIU admin and fans, weren’t prepared to grow with a young coach we never should have hired him to begin with. Everyone was hoping for a quick rebuild and NCAA tourney run, but the chances of that were low for a first time head coach, let alone one that went through a once in a generation pandemic AND the biggest change in college athletics in my lifetime with NIL and the portal…all within the first two years on the job.
Mullins exudes everything we loved about the glory days. Toughness, competitiveness, grit, determination, and love for the winning plays that don’t always go in the stat sheet.
To the question asked if I feel confidant he would get us back to the tournament, I am as confident with him at the helm than I have been since 2007 and I know that he wants it just as bad as we do, not just for him, but this university. He loves this university and that’s not something you get with any coach.
I’m just so damn sad right now. Sad for he and his family. Sad as a fan that yet another beloved player leaves this university with a bad taste in his mouth. Sad that we are about to start yet another rebuild.
Leonard has his work cut out for him and if it’s Smithpeters, don’t be surprised if we are right back here in a few years.
One thing this fan base is going to have to understand sooner or later is that the deck is stacked against us and it’s only getting worse. The early 2000’s aren’t coming back. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect competitive teams and NCAA tournament teams. Go read or re-read Reis’s statement…we aren’t providing top of the MVC resources, for the basketball coach, but we sure expect it in the results.
Mullins firing is just one more example of the obsession with postseason play. If SIU brings in a coach who hits it rich in the portal with several 1-year "student athletes" ,administration and fans will be deliriously happy. Hit the portal again!
There isn't much room for an old fashioned coach "building a culture". The "culture" is that college basketball is now a business,pure and simple.
I'm befuddled by your first statement. Of course people are obsessed with postseason play, that should be the goal of any coach and/or program. What if your favorite baseball, football, soccer, etc team's goal wasn't to make the playoffs and instead field a team of the nicest people possible? Coaches nowadays MUST adapt to the current environment of their sport. NIL or Covid are/were not just obstacles for SIU. I know mid-majors cannot compete with the P5 schools, but they can and MUST compete with ther in-conference rivals. And let's not forget, college coaches make A LOT of money and should be held to high standards.
You are right about one thing, if the next coach comes in and hits in rich in the portal and makes the NCAA tournament, I will be deliriously happy.
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
Its my definition of a player saying you fired my coach so F you, I’m gone.https://twitter.com/ThePortalReport/status/1766486141757243444
The first of many I'm afraid.
Wow. He didn't even wait to see who the next coach was going to be?
That's my definition of the rats leaving the sinking ship!
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
James Madison
Oh please. Were you not the person on MVC Fans calling him “the worst coach in the MVC”?The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
James Madison
Oh please. Were you not the person on MVC Fans calling him “the worst coach in the MVC”?The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
I said Yaklich was the worst coach in the MVC (not judging the coaches that just got hired yet) the other day and he went out and beat Bryan. Don’t get what that has to do with what I said though. I like Bryan as a person, he just wasn’t a good enough coach. Maybe he gets there one day but we can’t afford to wait 10 years to try.
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
All those coaches you just mentioned are either former head coaches or longtime assistants. Like I said, you shouldn’t have hired him to begin with if that’s what you wanted. The idea in my mind was to hire him knowing he was going to need to learn on the job and get the payoff in the end. You hope he figures it out quickly and I would argue he did a pretty damn good job being competitive and giving our guys a shot. He just hadn’t gotten over that last hump against a veteran group of head coaches in the MVC. I'm pretty confident if we gave him more time, he would have figured it out.
Schertz is lightning in a bottle, good luck if that’s what you are counting on btw.
All things in the MVC are not equal and we don’t sit at the top of the Valley in terms of resources, facilities, or NIL money. Did you here Mullins bitch about that publicly? He put his fucking head down and worked his ass off not one fucking excuse (he and the assistants). When asked what the goals are, no dancing around it, championships.
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
All those coaches you just mentioned are either former head coaches or longtime assistants. Like I said, you shouldn’t have hired him to begin with if that’s what you wanted. The idea in my mind was to hire him knowing he was going to need to learn on the job and get the payoff in the end. You hope he figures it out quickly and I would argue he did a pretty damn good job being competitive and giving our guys a shot. He just hadn’t gotten over that last hump against a veteran group of head coaches in the MVC. I'm pretty confident if we gave him more time, he would have figured it out.
Schertz is lightning in a bottle, good luck if that’s what you are counting on btw.
All things in the MVC are not equal and we don’t sit at the top of the Valley in terms of resources, facilities, or NIL money. Did you here Mullins bitch about that publicly? He put his fucking head down and worked his ass off not one fucking excuse (he and the assistants). When asked what the goals are, no dancing around it, championships.
5-27 over the last 3 years against the top 3 teams in the Valley. Stop accepting mediocrity
If you haven't already, PLEASE listen to the Leonard interview. I feel better about the change as a result. A couple key points:
1. We weren't winning enough at the top (of the conference). Salukiworld posted Mullins record vs the top of the Valley multiple times and it was shockingly bad.
2. In speaking about Mullins he mentions the word CLASS multiple times and that he was a legend............as a player.
3. Noted that this is a business and one "has to win".
4. When discussing characteristics of the new coach, Leonard brought up someone with sustained success and who already could bring home a winner and not someone who needs to learn on the job. And the key comment, is hiring a person that can coach with, against and BEAT the other teams in Saint Louis.
In reviewing the last point, there were a couple items Mullins simply hadn't done to this point, which is beating the teams at the top of the valley, winning in Saint Louis and someone who is ready now and not learning on the job.
I was surprised by, and impressed with, Leonard after the interview.
Just listened to it and also posted my opinion on the coaching search thread. I was halfway waiting for him to come across as a blithering idiot. Instead, I wouldn't disagree with much of anything he said.
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
Schertz is lightning in a bottle, good luck if that’s what you are counting on btw.
This is so disrespectful to Schertz. And yes, I would love to find a Josh Schertz somewhere.
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
Schertz is lightning in a bottle, good luck if that’s what you are counting on btw.
This is so disrespectful to Schertz. And yes, I would love to find a Josh Schertz somewhere.
No it is not disrespectful! If we take Robbie Avila where is he the last two years?
The deck might be more stacked against SIU in the national landscape but when it just comes to the Missouri Valley, SIU is in the same boat as everyone else.
Josh Schertz went to Indiana State, one of the least funded programs in the Valley, and turned them into a winner. Drake was a dumpster fire for awhile before they hired Medved and DeVries. Bradley had to go through a full rebuild before Wardle got them to what they are. Bryan just wasn’t good enough to get SIU on that level and it doesn’t take 6 years to build a program.
I like Bryan and I was 100% on board with the hire but he just hasn’t been good enough. And SIU seems to want to get better here, not cheaper so that should be exciting for everyone that you have an athletic department that isn’t settling for mediocrity.
Schertz is lightning in a bottle, good luck if that’s what you are counting on btw.
This is so disrespectful to Schertz. And yes, I would love to find a Josh Schertz somewhere.
There is zero disrespect towards Schertz, finding someone like him is like capturing lightning in a bottle (hard to do…not likely). Everyone would love to have him, but if that’s what you are chasing, good luck. That was the point.
No it is not disrespectful! If we take Robbie Avila where is he the last two years?
Again wildly disrespectful to Schertz. Indiana State is not a one man team. And they beat us out for Conwell and Swope in the portal this offseason as well. What Schertz is doing at Indiana State is amazing. They have one of the lowest funded programs in the conference but he gets the right players and he’s a winner. It took him 2 years to build a team that could compete and it took him 3 years to build a team that has a chance at making the NCAA’s.
