Post by bridgeport on Mar 16, 2014 20:24:47 GMT -5
No one on planet earth resigns " before " he has taken that next interview. Some people are just Filled with envy, sour grapes, and contempt of the success of others.
So just to get this straight because I don't remember all the details...did Ed leave after the Marist win to go up to PC for an interview and then come back for the St. Peter's loss? Or did he go to PC for the interview after the Colorado St win in the NIT, but before the loss to Kent St. Maybe St. Peters would have beat us anyway considering they knocked off Iona the next night.
"Wow, just a very sad commentary on society and the workplace. If I was in the middle of major trial or settlement proceeding and I decided to take a day off to pursue my next job, I would deserve to be fired. It is amazing what we let the NCAA and college coaches get away with. We have set such a low standard."
The sadder commentary is burying a guy you don't know about a story where you probably don't know all the facts from behind a computer. As a lawyer I'd imagine that would get you fired first.
I was told from an insider source that Ed accepted the job on the Friday before the MAAC Tourney. On Saturday workers emptied his office. The team was shell-shocked, but life sucks sometimes. Unfortunately, it's a dog eat dog world...
I know Ed was offered the job prior to the Maac tourney. I have heard from multiple sources that he emptied his office and that team became aware he was departing. The team was primed to win the Maac tourney at home and there is reason to speculate whether had cooley handled the situation better we would have. The team was devastated that he was leaving and all evidence seems to be that players were aware.
I loved Ed, he was a great coach and a good man. I support him and I am glad he is having success at providence. I think if he had it to do over again, he would have handled things differently. I think his handling of this is a small dark spot on an otherwise bright time at fairfield
Everyone knew that Providence and Cooley were interested in each, just like the prior year when Cooley was in the running for the Boston College job. This Providence opportunity was no surprise to the Players, Fans or Administration. So to try to make it out as something was concealed, or the players were unaware is just not the case. Cooley had to do what he thought was best for himself, and I have no problem with that..... as long as he truly believed it would have no impact on him coaching the team. There is 24 hours in a day, and people do multi-task.
However, Cooley's enthusiasm sometimes led him to over-commit. If he overcommitted his time to Providence, then that would be a problem. Or if he stopped recruiting for Fairfield that year, then that would be a problem.
Post by nashvillestag on Mar 17, 2014 8:49:24 GMT -5
Sometimes things work for you and sometimes they don't, right? Remember 1986, championship year, Mitch was "hot." If I'm not mistaken Mitch was considered one of the finalists for the open UConn job at the time. We all know what happened. Calhoun took over. The rest is history. What might have happened at UConn and FAIRFIELD if they had chosen Mitch? We'll never know!
The problem was the package deal for the whole coaching staff, to whom Cooley had to mention it. It may be that too many people had to keep the secret a few more days. Cooley may not have been the leak himself but he may have made an unwise decision to share the inside information to a few "trusted" others. I also believe he blew it. When your players ask you if what they heard about you leaving is true, then you have to be honest. It was just completely ill-timed to have the team so emotionally hammered before the big game.
Post by 01041949bob on Mar 17, 2014 14:02:49 GMT -5
Unfortunately, you guys are not understanding why Cooley left--FU is a dead end job and he had to seize the moment---He knew the administration is not what it should be and FU is what it is---a program that has fleeting success due to an administration that does not support the program my failing to put the money in it---Wise up!
FU is what it is---a program that has fleeting success due to an administration that does not support the program my failing to put the money in it....
Whether or not the University is spending it's money wisely (WBA rent, SJ salary, scheduling, cost management, etc...) or getting an adequate return on the expenditures, the University is ranked at the top of the MAAC in spending on the Stag Basketball program and the overall Athletic Budget ($16,405,769):
Cooley did a very good job and the fact that none of his teams made it to the NCAA's doesn't erase that fact.
It is also true that if his next team had gone 7-25, many of the folks on this board would have been ranting and shouting for him to be run out of town. It's the nature of the coaching profession. You're only as good as your last season.
How can anyone blame a coach for taking the money while he can? A coach never knows if he will ever get another opportunity. Plus given Ed's background, how could anyone possibly begrudge him the payday. He did what no other Fairfield coach had been able to do since Barakat.
Could he have handled the departure better? Probably. But to say he should have stayed even though he had an opportunity to multiply his salary by at least 5 times is silly. I, for one, hold no ill will towards the guy. I will be rooting for Providence.
"I was born and raised in Providence," Cooley said Friday night, after leading the Friars to the 2014 Big East final with an 80-74 win over Seton Hall, "and I was born to coach Providence basketball."...
PC was his dream job in his hometown. It was the place he always wanted to return to and the school he always wanted to coach at. I believe at the time that he said that PC was the only place that he would have left Fairfield for. At this level in the MAAC it is expected that the coaches will leave for a higher program once they have achieved success.
We are up there among the top spenders. We just don't get a lot of value for the money.
Even after this year, we still have the most wins in the MAAC Regular season since we moved to the WBA in 2001.... and thats when we really started to focus our money on Men's Hoops. Our problem is that we have not won the MAAC championship. The records shows that we have consistently been there, and that’s great for the “program”, but we have start to get it done in the MAAC Tourney. In addition to the 3 championship game losses (vs Manhattan2002, Siena2010, and Loyola2012, I felt we had 5 other really good chances:
Semi Loss to Manhattan in 2013 (Needham's last year) Semi loss to St Peters in 2011 (Cooley's last year) Semi Loss to Siena (Han suspended, AJ, Edney, Nero injured) Semi loss to Rider in 2004 (Gai/Goode Senior year) Quarter-final loss to Siena in 2003 (Robbie Thomson senior year, with Gai-injured, Todd-academics)
I think we can agree that no one begrudges him for going back to his hometown for once in a lifetime type offer. However, the friars contacted him or his agent before the end of our season. Their answer should have been "We'll talk after the season is over" Our $400K/year extension should have purchased that much loyalty.
Our problem is that we have not won the MAAC championship. The records shows that we have consistently been there, and that’s great for the “program”, but we have start to get it done in the MAAC Tourney.
Winning the MAAC Championship and the NCAA bid is what counts in this league and unfortunately "consistently being there" is not good enough. Other than the die-hard fan, the alumni fans, students, casual fans and walk ups care only about winning and the publicity of being in the NCAA Tournament.
Since the move to the WBA in 2001-02 the Stags have no MAAC Championships and no NCAA bids. However, Ed Cooley had 5 years of increased wins every season. Unfortunately, Sydney Johnson has not been able to build on that so far and the last 3 seasons have had decreased wins and decreased attendance with record breaking losses and attendance this season at the WBA.
In the NYC Metro market, either Iona or Manhattan have been in the NCAA Tournament 6 out of the last 14 years and the last 3 years in a row. That's what people remember.
MAAC in the NCAA since 2002: Siena - (2002,2008,2009,2010) Manhattan - (2003,2004,2014) Iona - (2006,2012,2013) Niagara -(2005,2007) Loyola - (2012) St. Peter's - (2011)
Ed Cooley at Fairfield: 2006–2007 Fairfield 13–19 10–8 T–5th 2007–2008 Fairfield 14–16 11–7 T–5th 2008–2009 Fairfield 17–15 9–9 T–4th 2009–2010 Fairfield 23–11 13–5 2nd CIT Second Round 2010–2011 Fairfield 25–8 15–3 1st NIT Second Round
Sydney Johnson at Fairfield: 2011–12 Fairfield 22–15 12–6 T-3rd CIT semifinal 2012–13 Fairfield 19–15 9–9 T-6th 2013-14 Fairfield 7-25 4-16 10th