Billiken Law

"Code?" Do tell...... Unless you mean "non superstars." One specific comment made about Magic Johnson's failure as a coach was that everything came naturally to him that he didn't know how to teach players and could not relate to them when they struggled. If being a great player were the main criteria then why would any non player ever be considred? Tony Bennett is a great example, King Rice, Sydney Johnson (particularly his Princeton days), Kevin Ollie, Tom Izzo, Brian Wardle, are others that immediately come to mind. Hell, I basically described Majerus.

Being a great player does not equate to being a great, good or an even mediocre coach. Clyde Drexler ring a bell? Isaiah Thomas? Don't rest ones coaching ability on their playing success. I see nothing in Cheney's coaching resume that stands out other than being a great scorer in college and lottery pick.Most of the former players who end up bring top flight college coaches were not stars but grinders, the floor burn and hustle guys or the floor generals. Alford may seem like an exception but he came from a coaching family and was a ridiculous workhorse squeezing more than he should have from his talents.

It's more than 3%

He took a leave of absence for medical reasons before the 2013-14 season and Holtmann replaced him mid season when the leave became permanent.

Waters also flamed out at Rutgers and is 64

Kampe is a lifer at OU. 60 years old, 31 years there, took them from D2 to D1 and the Horizon League. East Coast guy. He turned down Fordham. Happy at Iona, Rutgers or Seton Hall is what he would leave for. What is a "big" hire? The reality we have to face is the changing structure of college athletics. Non Power 5 schools (especially without football) aren't going to get "big names" as the split approaches. You have to go with a hot shot assistant (Wojo at Marquette, Miller at Dayton, Holtmann at Butler), successful low major coach (Fordham coach, Paulson at George Mason, Wade at VCU) or retread (Leitao at DePaul). That's the reality of bring outside the Power 5 and at a non football school now.

When I first started looking at colleges before my senior year I took a visit to U of Evansville. My boss, an IU grad, said to me " Jim Crews. The next coach at Indiana." This was 1993. He had a couple solid years taking UE to the NCAA tourney 3 times and the NIT twice in 7 years. I remember UE wearing the t-shirt jerseys. He had solid but unspectacular success after UE jumped to the Valley and made the tourney again in 1999 but IU never called, he took the Army job out if the blue and failed there. He's a very good basketball mind, a good man but he's from a previous era that basketball has moved on from.Asa far as a "big name," what do people define that as? Does SLU want to go the retread route?

I'm wasn't saying that is WAS Kent (and I do doubt this person Cowherd speaks of even exists). However, I do know that when the staff knew they were going to be fired they just didn't care anymore and even overlooked one of their best players being tampered with by another program. That said, a legend is never going to act so petty and heinous as to destroy a program to make himself look better. For one, they don't need to do that, they're already a legend. Secondly, Majerus had health issues, it wasn't some planned departure on his part and to insunuate he did it is beyond low.

Soderberg lost to UT Martin

Cowherd is pretty much full of crap. coaches pick their successors because they are loyal to them, believe in them and want to further build their legacies. Bennett did this with Soderberg, Ryan is doing this with Gard, Hearhcoat did this with Izzo. If Crews was Rick's choice it's because he believed in him. Now, a coach who knows he's going to be fired may say "F it" and do what Cowherd suggests. See: Ernie Kent.

After that Louisville game we went on a rediculous run to get on the bubble. Blew a big lead to So Miss in the first round of the tourney, didn't we lead in much of the UAB game too? Ran out of gas. It was a hell of a run though!

That entire season was beyond awful. 2-10 in the non conference, losing to SEMO, Austin Peay, Eastern MI, SIUC and Oral Roberts. It was worse when you look at the talent on that team: Bryant, Izik, Ian, Drejaj (Frericks getting injured was a blow). That was a brutal season. http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/saint-louis/2005-schedule.html

Does. Damn iPad keyboard.And how much less could you care? Seriously though, there are plenty of ethical and successful coaches one can hire. How land is not one of those, which is why he's in the SEC.

Quite a few schools passed on Howland. He begged for the Marquette job and they didn't bite. There were others he wanted but whatever happened at UCLA and with Josh Smith tainted him badly. Mississippi State doesn't care about standards, SLU dies and should.

Bruce's arena shows have an unobstructed stage so no curtain, no blocked off sections. I would guess an additional 1000 floor seats (pit then the "second pit").

In 2005 the AD had a student contest to write lyrics for "The Saints" and the winner performed it during a game. I doubt it was ever heard again. I don't care about words, the tune is great.

I'm not surprised he's doing Chaifetz. He loves playing St. Louis but the last 3 shows at Scottrade haven't sold out. Damn work commitment trip will make me miss it. that show, being late in the tour, should be epic, especially considering he'll pull out special rarities the first time he plays a venue.

Most wicked crossover by anyone not named Tim Hardaway.

Looks likes the same firm that designed the new Billiken logo modeled it on that powerhouse Holy Names in Oakland. http://www.hnuhawks.com/landing/index My wife said it best: "I don't hate it."

back in 2002 a rebranding took place with the new font and "SLU" logo, primarily to create uniformity amongst all teams. At the time I was told that any change to the Billiken would have to come from Father Biondi. I have no idea if that is still the case with the new President.

Duquense is fortunate that they're an Adidas school. Adidas is losing market share in college athletics at an alarming rate so they allow even their smaller clients to have more creative control. Meanwhile, Nike has so many schools those like SLU get lost in the mix and get Nike's stock designs. Maybe a reexamining of the contract with Nike is in order.

I agree. Is Brutus the Buckeye, "fierce?" Testudo the Turtle? The ND Leprechaun? Puddles the Duck (yes, his name is "Puddles"). The Billiken was certainly "fierce" enough the previous years to win national titles in soccer and conference titles in hoops. IMO, changing or abandoning the Billiken would be a decision beyond horrible. It is one of, it not them most unique mascots in D1 and with the right marketing should be one of the most popular. I know professional athletes who are SLU grads who love the Billiken, it was apparently "fierce" enough for them. And going to "fierce" doesn't mean good. Look at DePaul. Billy Blue Demon was a classic but the rebrand is brutal. And, success certainly hasn't followed in the wake of retiring Billy for Dibs despite being more "fierce."

What am I missing here? That the idealogue congressperson happened to go to Creighton somehow represents the whole university and the entire Big East conference membership, at least the 4 Jesuit schools?

The book on Lancona is he thinks he has high major game, actually has mid major skills, at best, and a cut from the JV team work ethic. He could play immediately at a D2 school like UCSD or Cal State East Bay but he thinks he belongs at a Pac12 school. Even Irvine isn't interested in him. Plus, his dad comes as a package deal.If not mentioned already, McBroom is supposed to be going to Eastern Washington.

Not bad. Similar to the new Clippers logo. I'm didn't like the old font on the hoops jersey. This should look good, though will they say "Saint Louis" or "Billikens" is the question now.