A perfect example of what a crock the saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is. The hiring is a disgrace and the media is a disgrace for celebrating. Is there not ONE reporter from any medium who cares enough to condemn this? FBI investigations, hookers for, what was likely, underage recruits, and the extortion scandal. Hopefully, the administration will pull the plug on the MAAC and avoid this hideous sideshow.
The hiring is a disgrace and the media is a disgrace for celebrating. Is there not ONE reporter from any medium who cares enough to condemn this?....
From Sports Illustrated last week:
Why Would Iona Hire Rick Pitino?
Rick Pitino is a coaching genius. He is also a rules compliance disaster. Now, he's returning to college basketball, and Iona will own every criticism out there forits craven, just-win hire.
Rick Pitino coaching at Iona is like Pavarotti singing at a county fair in Iowa. He is dramatically overqualified. If you can hire a coaching master at a mid-major, low-budget school, why on earth wouldn’t you?
It was probably just a matter of time before someone swallowed their decency and hired Rick Pitino, genius coach. But this timing stinks for so many reasons—for what’s happening in New Rochelle, and for what’s about to land at Louisville with Pitino’s name on it.
Pavarotti doesn’t play a county fair unless he has to. This is a marriage of desperation in the middle of dark times.
Post by reindeerfan on Mar 22, 2020 11:28:32 GMT -5
Im not sure I agree. I think there is no such thing as bad publicity. Iona College has a major article in the NY Post while most people have forgotten Fairfield has a basketball program. Iona will benefit greatly from the publicity of this hire. Many people don't like it, but nonetheless Iona is getting a ton of press while we are not. Iona is relevant and well, you decide if we are or not.
Many people don't like it, but nonetheless Iona is getting a ton of press while we are not. Iona is relevant and well, you decide if we are or not.....
In the NCAA college basketball world and especially in the mid-major college basketball world Fairfield University is not really relevant but also not relevant along with at least 9 other MAAC schools but in the education and business real world - Fairfield University is much, much more relevant than Iona and with a higher academic profile.
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Post by ctghostman on Mar 22, 2020 12:00:01 GMT -5
Character matters-now more than ever-the face of Iona lacks character. Their administration and boosters somehow don’t see this as a problem. The media has jumped all over various folks for character issues yet this hire is being celebrated-there is a complete lack of guts for this. Our sports media knows where their bread is buttered and this hire is good for that.
For what it is worth, Pitino has alot of company. There are MANY men's college basketball coaches, past and present that have been guilty of wrongdoing. That doesn't make it right, but he is in a crowded field.
A perfect example of what a crock the saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is. The hiring is a disgrace and the media is a disgrace for celebrating. Is there not ONE reporter from any medium who cares enough to condemn this? FBI investigations, hookers for, what was likely, underage recruits, and the extortion scandal. Hopefully, the administration will pull the plug on the MAAC and avoid this hideous sideshow.
This is very simple. These reporters are just part of the sports world's "good old boys" network.
Guys like Pitino, Calipari, Masiello and going back to Knight, Tarkanian, Driesell, etc, etc. are all ratings and circulation boosters. It's all about money and now the more despicable you are, the more coverage you get.
Agree Sobro, we cannot wait. Somebody has to make the first move.
And quite honestly, for the sake of the university, I wouldn't mind playing as an independent for a few years if we cannot negotiate with a new conference very soon.
Let's show some guts, we are not going to the NCAA in the near future anyway. Maybe we might get some good press as well by taking a bold move.
Time to pull the plug, get out of the dirt and send a message that FU will not condone how this conference has been managed. Maybe we can get a couple of other schools to agree or I don't care if we go it alone. We can shop a new conference when the building is done if there is nothing brewing in the short term.
I would not want Fairfield to hire Rick Pitino as our Basketball coach. We have too much at stake. Not only is our academic ratings very high, but our competition for students come from schools like Villanova, Providence, St Joes, Fordham, Holy Cross, Loyola-MD, Scranton and to a higher extent Boston College and Georgetown. Those are the schools that we compete with academically .......... Not Iona and not the MAAC.
Iona made a basketball decision. They will benefit from it. Iona also made a MAAC decision. The MAAC will also benefit from it.
As I said Iona has always been a school for 2nd chancers (Momo Jones, Glover etc). They are also a school that could probably move to a stronger Basketball League.
A perfect example of what a crock the saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is. The hiring is a disgrace and the media is a disgrace for celebrating. Is there not ONE reporter from any medium who cares enough to condemn this? FBI investigations, hookers for, what was likely, underage recruits, and the extortion scandal. Hopefully, the administration will pull the plug on the MAAC and avoid this hideous sideshow.
This is very simple. These reporters are just part of the sports world's "good old boys" network.
Guys like Pitino, Calipari, Masiello and going back to Knight, Tarkanian, Driesell, etc, etc. are all ratings and circulation boosters. It's all about money and now the more despicable you are, the more coverage you get.
Agree Sobro, we cannot wait. Somebody has to make the first move.
And quite honestly, for the sake of the university, I wouldn't mind playing as an independent for a few years if we cannot negotiate with a new conference very soon.
Let's show some guts, we are not going to the NCAA in the near future anyway. Maybe we might get some good press as well by taking a bold move.
Time to pull the plug, get out of the dirt and send a message that FU will not condone how this conference has been managed. Maybe we can get a couple of other schools to agree or I don't care if we go it alone. We can shop a new conference when the building is done if there is nothing brewing in the short term.
The point made by Paulie and others are understandable. But I want to argue the opposite viewpoint. Taking our ball and going home (perhaps staying home is more accurate) makes a statement but would end up hurting the school and program in unimaginable ways. First, you just don't leave a conference for another. You have to be asked to join another. Not hearing any others are calling Paul S. daily and begging the Stags to move. Next, you say just drop out. Not sure about the penalties for that, but being an unaffiliated D-1 program is akin to being an athletic pariah is these times. Surely no MAAC team would schedule us. No rival (real or imagined)will play us on the road. Recruiting would suffer. It is hard enough to get a 2-star interested in us now. We would be fighting with St. Anselm's, Merrimack and LeMoyne for players. No conference championships or shot at a post season tourney? True, but we would have shown Iona and Pitino who's the boss.
Most of us, in my opinion, would rather stay put and have the team play for championships and a shot at the Big Dance. Let's do it the right way - take Iona to the woodshed, on the court, every time. Run up score and never call off the dogs. Let the students' creativity juices flow with banners and chants calling the school and Pitino out.
I would not want Fairfield to hire Rick Pitino as our Basketball coach. We have too much at stake. Not only is our academic ratings very high, but our competition for students come from schools like Villanova, Providence, St Joes, Fordham, Holy Cross, Loyola-MD, Scranton and to a higher extent Boston College and Georgetown. Those are the schools that we compete with academically .......... Not Iona and not the MAAC.
Iona made a basketball decision. They will benefit from it. Iona also made a MAAC decision. The MAAC will also benefit from it.
As I said Iona has always been a school for 2nd chancers (Momo Jones, Glover etc). They are also a school that could probably move to a stronger Basketball League.
Iona made a stupid decision. I don't want any sloppy seconds benefit from it. The bring little to the table for a jump in leagues - financially they couldn't sustain it - they're not in NYC - facilities are poor even with the recent upgrades - their academics aren't impressing a new league. Nothing wrong for second chances for kids - Pitino isn't a kid and is a serial abuser of a lot of things.
I would not want Fairfield to hire Rick Pitino as our Basketball coach. We have too much at stake. Not only is our academic ratings very high, but our competition for students come from schools like Villanova, Providence, St Joes, Fordham, Holy Cross, Loyola-MD, Scranton and to a higher extent Boston College and Georgetown. Those are the schools that we compete with academically .......... Not Iona and not the MAAC.
Iona made a basketball decision. They will benefit from it. Iona also made a MAAC decision. The MAAC will also benefit from it.
As I said Iona has always been a school for 2nd chancers (Momo Jones, Glover etc). They are also a school that could probably move to a stronger Basketball League.
While Pitino is not a good fit at Fairfield, I disagree with the sentiment that we have too much too lose. We have nothing to lose. Our program is a joke right now. We’re going to play in an empty Harbor Yard for at least 2 seasons. The only national reference to Fairfield is “former Fairfield head coach Ed Cooley.” Our academic reputation hasn’t taken a hit with a non existent basketball team so why would it suddenly drop off with a sketchy coach?
I hope Jay Young can recruit. He has a massive uphill climb right now. Hopefully some increased exposure of the conference with Pitino can pay dividends for us.
I would not want Fairfield to hire Rick Pitino as our Basketball coach. We have too much at stake. Not only is our academic ratings very high, but our competition for students come from schools like Villanova, Providence, St Joes, Fordham, Holy Cross, Loyola-MD, Scranton and to a higher extent Boston College and Georgetown. Those are the schools that we compete with academically .......... Not Iona and not the MAAC.
Iona made a basketball decision. They will benefit from it. Iona also made a MAAC decision. The MAAC will also benefit from it.
As I said Iona has always been a school for 2nd chancers (Momo Jones, Glover etc). They are also a school that could probably move to a stronger Basketball League.
While Pitino is not a good fit at Fairfield, I disagree with the sentiment that we have too much too lose. We have nothing to lose. Our program is a joke right now. We’re going to play in an empty Harbor Yard for at least 2 seasons. The only national reference to Fairfield is “former Fairfield head coach Ed Cooley.” Our academic reputation hasn’t taken a hit with a non existent basketball team so why would it suddenly drop off with a sketchy coach?
I hope Jay Young can recruit. He has a massive uphill climb right now. Hopefully some increased exposure of the conference with Pitino can pay dividends for us.
A school that hires someone like Pitino has everything to lose. Iona already looks bad enough by making this hire. How much worse could it get?
What will they look like if/when the NCAA penalties come raining down on him?
What will they look like if/when he/his assistants/his players do something reprehensible again?
The message that Iona is sending is quite clear. They are saying "We will do ANYTHING to ensure that we win basketball games."
I guess it is consistent with the "brand" they have created over the years, so I can't fault them in that respect.
But they just hired someone that no one else would touch. Think about that. All of those corrupt big time programs that sold their souls a long time ago ... not one of them would consider hiring Pitino.
But Iona did.
It can takes years to build up a good reputation, but it only takes a few seconds to tear it down. I sure hope that Fairfield would never make a move like this, and I think it is reasonable to be concerned that we are affiliated with a school that would.
I agree that hiring Pitino or someone with his background will never be in the cards at Fairfield. I think our mission as a university goes far beyond winning basketball games, and the faculty and students would not tolerate a hire like this despite the wishes of a few success starved basketball fans.
That being said, at Iona where the school is known more for being a regional commuter school, basketball is one of their main identities. And given that, this hire has to be viewed as nothing short of a home run for the school. How many people nationally googled Iona when this news broke? How many alums suddenly were inquiring for season tickets?
I get that his background is as checkered as they come, but isn’t it possible that he could run a reasonably clean program now? He seems pretty desperate, and from what I heard, this contract is for less than we were paying Sydney. There’s no doubting the guy is a HOF basketball mind and can coach. So if he actually realizes this is his last shot, just maybe he avoids trouble this go around and it is a massive redemption story and a unrivaled success story for Iona.
Maybe I’m being naive to think that’s possible, but I just sense a lot of jealously from a basketball perspective that is clouding this discussion. This is a great move by Iona and one that certainly puts Fairfield basketball at a disadvantage. I think we can all agree that it’s a type of move Fairfield would never (and frankly should never) make, but it doesn’t mean this was the wrong move for Iona. In fact I’d argue assuming he’s stop here isn’t plagued with controversy (which many are already assuming to be a fact), this is one of the best things that could have happened to that university, it’s fans, and alums.
Last Edit: Mar 23, 2020 8:30:29 GMT -5 by daveg023
Rick Pitino’s NCAA return only part of next season’s intrigue
With the need for something to look forward to, here’s a glance at the top college basketball storylines entering next season:
The unlikely return
Three years ago, Rick Pitino was the highest-paid coach in the country, having led three schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to a total of seven Final Four appearances, while becoming the only coach in history with national championship rings from two different programs. Then, the Hall of Famer was ousted after 16 seasons with the Cardinals, who were caught by the FBI in a pay-for-play scheme just two years after Louisville was embroiled in a scandal in which an assistant coach provided prostitutes for recruits.
Stateside, Pitino’s career appeared over. He spent the past two seasons coaching professionally in Greece, with multiple schools refusing to consider hiring one of the best basketball minds of all time. Then, Iona came calling — following Tim Cluess’ health-related resignation — with multiple influential friends at the school willing to look past Pitino’s off-court issues in exchange for elevating the profile of the mid-major program.
The ride won’t last very long. Pitino, 67, says it will be his final job as a coach. But it will provide one of the most intriguing and unusual tenures the sport has ever seen.