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Is next year make or break for Brad?


STLfan

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So far here is what Coach Soderberg has done.

2002-03 16-14 (9-7) NIT 1st Rnd

2003-04 19-13 (9-7) NIT 2nd Rnd

2004-05 9-21 (6-10) No Postseason

2005-06 16-13 (10-6) No Postseason

2006-07 20-13 (8-8) We’ll find out tonight

Overall 80-74 .519

Overall conference games 42-38 .525

- CUSA games 24-24 .500

- A10 games 18-14.563

I have read posts from both sides and stayed out of it. So far I have been sitting on the fence but the above isn't very impressive and if we don't reach the NIT this would be the third straight year with no post season.

I don't know how many more years Coach Soderberg has on his contract but if he doesn't get us to the NCAA’s next year I think SLU should roll the dice and try another coach.

Brad has always seemed like a class act and a great man so I have always hoped he could get the job done here and I still do. However division one coaches make very good money and while being a man of class and integrity should be important he is also paid to win.

Let's try to keep this civil but what are people's thoughts? How long does Brad have? What does he need to do? What do you consider success?

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A lot of people thought this year was a make or break year for Brad. Although many changed their tune later in season. I believe it has been reported that he has two years left on his deal...approx $800,000.

Anything short of NCAA this year was disappointment...NIT doesn't have an effect on that.

SLU's problem is pretty straight forward:

1) Fr. Biondi

2) Brad Soderberg

SLU needs a commitment to win from its school leaders...money, resources, etc...Biondi doesn't even like to work with strong personalities, that's a problem. He's done good things for SLU....but is a failure in men's basketball, and has failed to see how a strong men's hoops program can benefit SLU on and off of the court in a great way.

SLU also needs a coach who is not in ovr its head. A coach who can identify under the radar players, build long term relationships with them and close for them....kids who are not also seeking Florida, UNC etc..but kids who still have talent, and can still be developed at a high level. A coach, who can also make a run every few years a local high talent players. A coach who can better results than what SLU has achieved in recent years despite the lack of resources.

I am not convinced SLU wants to win, I am not convinced Soderberg can win at high level at SLU, and I am not convinced the AD will stick around much longer if her superiors do not change.

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If Coach Soderberg in fact has 2 years left on his contract at $400K per year, unless there is a buyout clause of which we are unaware, then IMO the Coach will be back next year.

Irrespective of how the masses feel about the coach, whom I don't think is going anywhere, all SLU alumni, students, supporters, and fans should realize this, circle the wagons, and get a positive vibe going toward realizing the goal of making the NCAA next year. We have to put the negativity behind us. I am not Pollyanna typing this. This off-season and next season are crucial for this program.

As for Father Biondi, as a double SLU alumnus, in my opinion, he has done a tremendous job at SLU and truly put the school on the national map. In my annual visits to Billiken games, I have seen Father Biondi at the games.

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Is it for sure ruled out that Brad will be back next year? I understand the contract thing but if we don't make the NIT and we don't land a good recruiting class do we know for certain he will be back? I think he will, but crazier things have happened.

Courtside, I agree and have posted similar things. I think there has to be more of a commitment higher up.

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>If Coach Soderberg in fact has 2 years left on his contract

>at $400K per year, unless there is a buyout clause of which

>we are unaware, then IMO the Coach will be back next year.

>

>Irrespective of how the masses feel about the coach, whom I

>don't think is going anywhere, all SLU alumni, students,

>supporters, and fans should realize this, circle the wagons,

>and get a positive vibe going toward realizing the goal of

>making the NCAA next year. We have to put the negativity

>behind us. I am not Pollyanna typing this. This off-season

>and next season are crucial for this program.

>

>As for Father Biondi, as a double SLU alumnus, in my

>opinion, he has done a tremendous job at SLU and truly put

>the school on the national map. In my annual visits to

>Billiken games, I have seen Father Biondi at the games.

Fr. Biondi however has failed at Men's basketball. This is the men's basketball board primarily. I actually believe SLU is on a current regional map myself. I did point out and will again, he has done many other positive things for SLU. But he is a failure at men's basketball so far. And I have zero problem giving him this title of failure because he does not/has not taken the steps necessary to win in basketball at a high level, which can be done as well as all of the other things he is interested in doing.

As for circling the wagons....not sure I understand...if people think the school doesn't want to commit to win....and if people think the current coach can't do it...and if people think SLU will not be much if any better next season...and quite possibly worse...and even worse for certain when TL and KL graduate...I don't see the direction SLU's headed as being one in the positive direction on any level.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...it is okay to make a mistake or several mistakes, but not okay to keep making the same mistake over and over again and doing nothing about it...this goes for the coach, school President...etc...

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I have no way of knowing re the coach. But absent a buyout clause, it would be very surprising to me to see SLU eat an $800K contract. I just don't think that will happen.

Brad Soderberg was not my choice for SLU coach when he was hired. But I am a SLU double alumnus and a loyal Billiken fan. I hope the coach succeeds. I want the Billikens to succeed.

The SLU AD came from a stint as AD at Santa Clara, where she "inherited" veteran Coach Dick Davey, who just completed his 15th and final year as head coach at SCU, after 15 years as assistant coach under Carroll Williams. The point there is that Ms. Levick did not terminate Davey while she was at SCU. High SCU forces this year "encouraged" him to announce his "retirement."

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>I have no way of knowing re the coach. But absent a buyout

>clause, it would be very surprising to me to see SLU eat an

>$800K contract. I just don't think that will happen.

>

>Brad Soderberg was not my choice for SLU coach when he was

>hired. But I am a SLU double alumnus and a loyal Billiken

>fan. I hope the coach succeeds. I want the Billikens to

>succeed.

>

>The SLU AD came from a stint as AD at Santa Clara, where she

>"inherited" veteran Coach Dick Davey, who just completed his

>15th and final year as head coach at SCU, after 15 years as

>assistant coach under Carroll Williams. The point there is

>that Ms. Levick did not terminate Davey while she was at

>SCU. High SCU forces this year "encouraged" him to announce

>his "retirement."

Don't understand the relevance of the SCU example. SLU is in a much different situation than Santa Clara.

I think everyone on the board would like to see SLU win.

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SLU is rated as a national university by US News and World Report, 77th this year out of the top 125 national universities, and the 5th highest rated Catholic university nationally. Catholic schools such as Villanova and Santa Clara are not in the US News and World Report national rankings, but rather are ranked regionally, very high respectively.

My comment about circling the wagons stems from my belief that Brad Soderberg will be the SLU Coach next year. I don't want all this negativity to scare away recruits. The SLU hoops program is not where we want it to be right now, but SLU did win 20 games this year. The goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament was not reached this year. But now we have to move forward.

As for Father Biondi's commitment to SLU basketball, when I was back there in January, I saw that $75M Arena being built on the SLU campus.

I was at SLU from 1978-1985. That on-campus Arena was the subject of yearning even way back then. It was almost like a pipe dream. But we all knew it was sorely needed. Father Biondi came to SLU shortly after I graduated, and I do not know him personally, although two of my in-laws know him quite well. Father Biondi wants SLU to succeed, and I'm pretty sure he wants the basketball program to succeed too.

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In many ways, Dick Davey and Brad Soderberg are very similar. They are both good and loyal men. They are both heavily criticized for their recruiting. Conventional wisdom says that they are both good bench coaches, although Coach Soderberg took criticism there this year.

My point was that Ms. Levick inherited and did not terminate Dick Davey while she was AD at Santa Clara.

Santa Clara is a Jesuit university like SLU, that has undergone a tremendous campus betterment and beutification project, like SLU. The old Toso Pavilion was gutted and made into the new Leavey Center, with Ms. Levick as SCU AD. SLU is building the new arena now.

Santa Clara is a potential sleeping giant in West Coast hoops and within the West Coast Conference.

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Soderberg is no more the problem than Spoon was when he retired amd went to UNLV and had success, and when Romar left and went to Washington and had success. Soderberg is a very good coach IMO who had had to accept mediocre recruits, take chances on recruits who had or have potential, or rely on kids that wanted to stay in the St Louis area. He may have missed on some but why is a top notch kid going to come here--players from the past such as Jahadi White, Chris Carrawell,the Wake Forest center who's name escapes me. Its about practicing facilities, arena location and age, recruiting budgets, the conference the team is in, admission issues to a lesser degree--some things have been addressed, others haven't. Its about the failure of Fr. Biondi to deliver on his promise.

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But folks, remember that the $75M Arena is being built. Something positive is happening. And building that Arena is a commitment from the top.

One of my good buddies out here who went to Long Beach State asked me today why SLU can't get players like the Beach has. My response was that SLU doesn't have the PE Major or the Hotel Management major. (USF, a Jesuit school out here has that Hotel Management major, so perhaps it is not out of the realm of possibility that such a major could be added at SLU.) And I mentioned to him that recent JUCO rule of which Billiken Roy has posted.

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>But folks, remember that the $75M Arena is being built.

>Something positive is happening. And building that Arena is

>a commitment from the top.

>

>One of my good buddies out here who went to Long Beach State

>asked me today why SLU can't get players like the Beach has.

> My response was that SLU doesn't have the PE Major or the

>Hotel Management major. (USF, a Jesuit school out here has

>that Hotel Management major, so perhaps it is not out of the

>realm of possibility that such a major could be added at

>SLU.) And I mentioned to him that recent JUCO rule of which

>Billiken Roy has posted.

Then why do so many other similar academic or better schools succeed far greater in men's basketball than SLU?

The Arena being built is is far far late....and was originally scaled down from the final edition...

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How long was Spoon's tenure at UNLV?

Also, I don't remember it was not any fantatstic success or he would have stayed longer.

Also, since we are on the subject of possible replacements for BS, where is Spoon's son these days? Which is not going to happen but as I recall he had a lot of JUCO success and was his asst. at UNLV.

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In answer to your question re other schools, believe me I wish I knew the answer, but I don't. I don't have enough information re comparables. As I recall re the budget, SLU's was not that far different than most similar schools. And are we sure that those budgets are calculated the same ways? Marquette's was way up there, which was shocking. Was that attributed to Coach Crean's salary?

I know the Arena is far, far late. It was needed when I was at SLU. But at least it is being built now. As for the scaling down of the Arena, I favored the 13,000 seats, but if the choice is between that and 10,600 seats with the practice facility, then I favor the latter. Hopefully, some of my Billiken brethren can come through with tickets for me on my annual pilgrimages back to see the Billikens.

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>In answer to your question re other schools, believe me I

>wish I knew the answer, but I don't. I don't have enough

>information re comparables. As I recall re the budget,

>SLU's was not that far different than most similar schools.

>And are we sure that those budgets are calculated the same

>ways? Marquette's was way up there, which was shocking.

>Was that attributed to Coach Crean's salary?

>

>I know the Arena is far, far late. It was needed when I was

>at SLU. But at least it is being built now. As for the

>scaling down of the Arena, I favored the 13,000 seats, but

>if the choice is between that and 10,600 seats with the

>practice facility, then I favor the latter. Hopefully, some

>of my Billiken brethren can come through with tickets for me

>on my annual pilgrimages back to see the Billikens.

Bay I honestly don't know all of the details of everyone's athletic budget....people like to throw around numbers....etc...

Crean is one of the highest paid coaches in America. USA Today did a story on this....literally a few days ago...on coaches salaries...vs University employees...etc...google it....

I believe Crean is in $1.7 million range....Tubby is $2million....etc...Marquette has given Crean several raises and extensions the past several years to help with recruiting...as in the big school coach can't say...oh that Crean will leave...etc...guessing...but think his contract is til 2017 or something like that...that long. Assistants are well paid there I believe....but not anything like some of those big schools, crazy stuff..etc...definitely one of highest paid coaches....and I am uncertain how their recent practice facility factors in or not into budgets...etc...

They definitely have strong communication from the top down, everyone on same page...and Crean is the show...others in the background...all get along well....not sure if they have named a new AD....their AD retired in Dec. He was solid.

Sports Illustrated did a piece on this a couple of years ago too....

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Getting back to the original question of the OP...one would have to say this year was a real disappointment. We were set up to finally make the Big Dance in a weak A10, and our conference record was a very mediocre 8-8.

College basketbal on the D-1 level is a big business and HC's are paid lots of coin to produce, so far, Coach Soderberg has 2 NIT's on his resume...pretty sparse results so far. I would have to believe that this next year is crucial for Coach Soderberg, and frankly I must admit that since we had Zero fall signings I am skeptical about the kind of talent we will sign in April. A main fear of mine is if we do not sign two impact players in April then Tommie and Kevin's careers at SLU may not net them a chance at the Big Dance.

I just don't know how accurate the budget figures that were kicked around really are...not saying that Biondi and the SLU Admin could not factor into a positive solution to our current state...the Arena regardless of its timing is a positive. I'm just not close enough to the situation nor do I know anyone who really is.

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I commend Biondi for his pursuit of a top-notch academic institution! However, he does not care about the importance of champhionship athletic programs. So what, we are getting a new facility. It is privately funded and the main arena will be the tennant of around 35 home basketball games (men/women) per year. A remaining 120 events will be held to generate revenue and the athletes will have to take a back-seat to those events when they want to workout, have camps, etc. Please, I am tired of hearing about Larry's commitment.

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here is one thought on risk, even if it is my own

you build a new $80million arena and you have a ##### team to put on the floor, i am not sure there is enough interest in SLU basketball to fill a 10,500 arena with just the hook of there being a new arena, and i have to think the budget will only be made with full or very close to full houses

so what do you do????

i believe (and i am not syaing i agree or disagree with this) the course that is being charted is to have UB have at least next year to see what he can do. There are some changes he needs to make to his on floor coaching and obviously to his recruiting. If he can successfully adjust, then we will be ok. Of course he is very stubborn and reluctant to change so we will see where this leads us.

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Sure the Arena is being privately funded, but wasn't the new Science Center also privately funded?

SLU is a private, Catholic, Jesuit school. I don't see how the Arena being privately funded somehow detracts from Father Biondi going forward with having it built. Nor do I see that as any evidence that Father Biondi is somehow not committed to having a winning basketball program. The visual evidence of the Arena being built is quite to the contrary.

Money does not grow on trees. Can we at least give Father Biondi credit that the new Arena is being built?

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I believe you are misinformed with respect to the position that you take concernint "athletes will have to take a back-seat to those events when they want to workout -----"

The arena will have separate training facilities makes your comment spurrious at most.

Father is disappointed in the current fund raising program for the arena. It is over $15,000,000 behind the target.

May I inquire as to whether or not you have participated in this effort?? If yes I commend you, if no I say shame on you.

With respect to the $800,000 contract - not all of it is committed University Funds -- part is the guaranteed from camps, commercials etc -- any short fall must be made up by the University.

A proud double double -

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First of all Brad has 2 years remaining and the total the university would be on the hook is closer to 500K per year - camps are his money and has nothing to do with the contract. Second, since the NIT has dropped 16 teams, making the NIT is a big deal. Brad might not have made the NIT those two years if there was only 32 teams then - so making any post season is a big deal from now on. Third, there were 8 auto NIT bids this year and that is what cost a team like SLU a bid. Not all of those 8 teams deserve to be in the NIT. Fourth, you can not finish his grade until the recruiting for spring and fall are over. So, you can only give him an incomplete for now. Finally, it will take Brad several years of slowly upgrading his recruiting to make SLU a consistent contender since he blew the 2 years after signing Tommie and Kevin. He will be our coach next year but after that who knows.

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