Any coach who expects to stick at a top program must realize that rapport with the fans is part of his job. Dale knew that. That's one reason he filled the PMAC, even in down years. You can't just coach the team and expect the media and the fans to leave you alone. The fans have to buy into the program such that they follow it for years, through thick and thin. It doesn't just happen, a coach has to make it happen. The one unforgivable sin is empty seats.
I respect the point, Red, but THAT is where I think many LSU fans used to the Dale Brown era will have to have an attitude adjustment. There is noone else like Dale Brown. Coaches in today's era frankly have enough issues just recruiting and coaching. Who wants to really go out with their P&G nets and balls and visit homes? Look I loved the charisma and character of Dale, but realistically, do we see ANY coaches doing that in today's ranks? Is Jamie Dixon going to be required to do that? Is Tony Bennett? Does Anthony Grant light up a room at the podium? N. O. And, frankly, a point that needs to be made here is that if LSU fans require this behavior, just add that to your roles and responsibilities list as a coach--high profile guys then are not what you're going to land. I do want a guy who knows basketball, can give a presser, and charm a kid's family in their home and recruit his ass off. I'll admit maybe that wasn't always Trent (or Brady for that matter). Whoever is next, better be. But, I'm not going to sit here and expect that the coach has to be constantly selling his program--that's where I think (wish) LSU fans were just fans. I'm trying to put my finger on what the "right fit" is for LSU when folks say that. Is it the apple falling from the Dale Brown tree? Is it the ability ability to cow-tow to hometown "influentials"? If so, we should all be embracing JJ as the next coach. Is it a smart coach with Xs and Os out the wazzoo? Well, usually those coaches are more analytical than necessarily sales men. It's funny to me that folks bring up people like Tony Bennett as if he is a charmer and recruiter. He's not. Is Dixon? I don't know. Is someone like Jeff Capel, or Chris Collins? Well, they are young. They are personable, but they're from Duke--they've never had to "sell" Duke basketball in their lives. At least Capel coached at Oklahoma. He probably had to sell Basketball in a football school. That's why I at least mention him. Taking this into account, you very quickly narrow in on then, the not so glorified, scrapper coach with LA ties. If that's your picture, why are we talking about making some big splash hire? Even with all of the different posts, differing views on who should get the job, the LSU hoops community seems divided. It's just a mercurial bunch and I worry that in the end, we're looking at JJones or Steve Prohm or Kermit Davis that gets brought in, merely because they are "one of the bunch." Alleva has his work cut out for him for sure.
The salesmanship angle on the part of the HC is a tad overblown. But it's going to be needed somewhat in the next couple of years. That doesn't all necessarily fall on the HC, this is why you have TAF, a very well-funded athletic department, and people with marketing experience on the payroll. Winning tends to cure a lot of problems, but you need something to get you through the rough years when you aren't. And in the very near term we need a spark that will get people interested in basketball again. It could be an energetic HC, but it could also be a great recruiting class or an up-tempo style of ball that starts overcoming the apathy inertia, if you will. Once you're over that hump you go about the business of building and sustaining a top-level program. But it's a team effort, stretching from the HC all the way up to the AD. And it's a major investment of time, cash, and energy. Which is why I'm afraid Alleva will take the easy way out and let the old guard try to relive the past and get the easy "Louisiana connection", in Martin's words. That's why if LSU ends up giving the job to Johnny Jones or Reggie Theus, I'll know exactly how serious the AD is about LSU basketball. We can, and should, do a lot better.
The guy doesn't have to be a Dale Brown or Skip Bertman, but he has to be the right fit. Hope he makes the right choice, it won't be easy.
Ok, I hear you. Your sentiment is like many others on TOS... on the one hand we need to find a guy that has the "right fit" but on the other hand, if its J Jones, crap, Alleva must not have been able to land a "real" national candidate. That's what's ironic about what I posted above. Nothing ever seems to be good enough for the fans. To me that's maybe a basketball ignorance, or maybe its just we have an overinflated view of ourselves. Do folks ever consider (as I've alluded to above) that Alleva has called the big names, but folks decline to get serious? And here it is for discussion... case in point, here it the latest list from Times Pic: http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2012/04/lsu_talks_to_johnny_jones_othe.html Jones, Theus and Tommy Amaker. Frankly, I like Amaker in the sense that nationally, Harvard was seen as a well-run overachieving group the last few years. Another Coach K disciple (see a recurring theme), and someone who wouldn't mind a big payraise and run at a BCS school again. Who do you like now?
I don't characterize your views as "ignorant", so I'd appreciate the same courtesy in return. If I had to choose one of those three, I'd take Amaker. Of the remaining "realistic" candidates I'd take Dixon, Pastner and Amaker, in that order.
Wrong choice of words. I retract ignorance. This is going to go down to the wire. More smoke regarding Dixon, secret meetings, etc. Alleva is still after his big fish, perhaps. We can hope.
as a season ticket holder, i am not sure who the guy is. but i know that scoring 40-50 points per game ain't gonna put butts in the seats. Though i appreciate that style of ball (i'm a huge tim floyd fan), i just don't think it will work here right now. once the program is well established then guys like TJ and JB and Bennett would be successful here. But even when LSU was great in 2009 (TJ's first year ???) the PMAC wasn't packed. I like the idea of Pastner b/c he is young, recruits well, and runs a system that is fun to watch. Now, is he that good of a coach? not sure, but at least it'll be entertaining. Additionally, we are way late in the game, have no schollies lined up for next year (other than malik) so we are in a huge hole. will anyone good come here knowing they will likely suck for 2 years? not likely. As much as i hate to say it, Johnny Jones is probably the guy. maybe mconathey out of NSULA? just another reasonable option.
Not interested, I also don't like his record at Michigan although the program did have to deal with postseason bans.
Whoever takes this job does so with the knowledge that this program will be a project. But it's also one with all the tools and resources needed to become very good over the long haul.
