Biondi will fork over the $$$ to hire a 'splashy' coach

[MrKnowItAll]

as we all know, biondi is ALL about business. just take a quick glance at the drastic improvements he has made to the SLU campus and reputation during his time at SLU. he knows that collegiate national attention is very dependant on athletics. in SLU's case, we have no football team, so we are in dire need of a very competitive men's basketball program. as rash as this decision might appear, it was necessary. with biondi's businessman like approach in mind, do you guys/gals really anticipate biondi not using or finding the necessary money to hire a 'frontline' head coach? biondi is not stupid, as much as many people hate to realize or admit, he knows what he is doing. it would be bad business to fire a coach who was mostly liked and respected around the slu community, and replace him with a 'no name' coach (or a coach of lesser value). it is easy to be sour with the firing of soderberg, but in the wake of 5 seasons of mediocrity, this decision was better suited sooner rather than later. to seriously think biondi will allow money to get into his way of finding a head coach that can lead us to respectability, recognizability, and beyond... is almost senseless when considering the public pressure being put on biondi to get this thing figured out.

One other thing... where do ya'll think soderberg will go from here?

[sp_billiken]

For the sake of discussion, I'll say back to the Big Ten (NOT Wisconsin) as an assistant.

[Billikan]

If you are right and we get a big name coach with real national recognition who can recruit and keep this team together then much of the mess of this week will be forgotten by the start of next season.

But if we don't do that, and we lose a player or two from this team, and we have no recruits then we have gone back to square, again!

I have a lot of respect for what Father Biondi has done at SLU but what you are suggesting would be 100% counter to the past in terms of available money for the basketball program or sports of any kind. There are those in the faculty that think we spend too much already. There are many competing interests for those SLU dollars. I am willing to keep an open mind but I will be shocked if this firing means that everything changes and money will be no object in the hiring of a new coaching staff.

[davidlee]

On the Iowa board, there is a thread discussing Brad going there to be an assistant.

My guess he will sit out a year and let his son decide what he wants to do before making any career decisions.

I could see him going to one of the Wisconsin-xxxxx schools if a head coaching job comes along. There are a bunch of them.

Just my thoughts.

[kshoe]

"what you are suggesting would be 100% counter to the past in terms of available money for the basketball program or sports of any kind."

You have to admit though that what happened yesterday in terms of a coach being fired out of nowhere is 100% counter to the past in terms of how SLU basketball coaches have been treated. It has been 16 years since Grawer was fired and five wins is just cause under most books.

The fact we did something so contrary to our past yesterday leads me to believe we will do something contrary to our past in this next hire and will go after a big splash.

[MusicCityBilliken]

Here is my take:

Fr. Bondi had no intention of firing BS or he would have done it after the GW game.

Chaifetz (or some other high-roller) came into see Fr. Bondi, he told Fr. Bondi that he wants a tourney bound team. Fr. Bondi then calls BS in or gets a report from CL on our recruiting. It does not look good this spring and the 08 class is not looking much better. He then tells Chaifetz this and explains he does not have the $ to buy out his contract (actually I am surprised they ony got away with only 300,000 pay out). Chaifetz tells him I will pony up the 8 mil if you change this situation.

Fr. Bondi had no choice. I can't blame him, 8 mil is a lot of money. Look at the bright side, its less debt SLU will incur and we won't be cutting any corners on completing the arena.

What I like know is more about the Chaifetz person. What was his support to the University before making the 12 mil donation?

[Grapes of Wrath]

Wrong track with Chaifetz.

He had not donated regularly and only in a range we all could afford. His attendance at the Billiken game after the announcement was the first he had EVER attended. He has an interest in basketball, he has a luxury box for the Chicago Bulls. I think the arena is a legacy item for him, nothing more (although I hope Biondi reserves a luxury suite for Chaifetz any time he wants to attend a game!).

[Billikan]

I am willing to wait and see. I am willing to be amazed!

[Four Seventeen]

When in doubt

Go to Stout.

Brad going to UW-Stout.

[DoctorB]

I agree, I think we should all lay off of Chaifetz --as I say in another thread.

The streets are saying to me that their sense is that Chaifetz is not involved in this. FWIW.

If the streets are right about this, then the board is branding our latest great contributor as a person that he is really not like, and damaging his reputation.

[BLIKNS]

Washington State.

[MrKnowItAll]

yeah, i highly doubt chaifetz would come in and demand changes... i think this was all biondi. think about it, he went to georgetown and from what i have read he is an avid basketball fan. he was probably spoiled with great basketball teams at georgetown, and he has developed so many other areas of SLU he probably felt that it is time to move onto our bball team. once he saw our dismal recruiting class this spring, coupled with bad news with the class of '08, he knew we had to make a change... i feel bad for soderberg, but he obviously was not the right man for the job, and i have said this once and i will say it again, he is probably a better assistant coach than a head coach.. at least on the DI level. goodluck to him though, he seemed like a decent guy, but that is not enough to justify furthering his time any longer here at slu. lets just wait this thing out.. change is not always bad,.. and i have a feeling we will all be smiling ear to ear come tournament time next spring (i know, i know.. way optimistic, but why not?).. grace & peace

[slufanskip]

I think we are all making too much of this. I think they did an evaluation on the program. Biondi really wasn't thinking of firing Brad. He was like most of us giving it another year ... until the evaluation was not what he expected. Frank discussions were then had about why not and what it will take. Biondi took it all in, discussed it with some of the bigger boosters and came to the conclusion that if UB hadn't done it yet, he probably wasn't going to and wasn't the guy for the job. At that point he realizes he has to make a change. He thinks about the timing, realizes it is not ideal, but thinks about the other options. Wait a week, a month, 6 months. They all are obviously just extending a problem. The timing will be no better later than it is now. I'm sure he realizes that the timing is bad, that this should have been done earlier. He can't go back in time, so he makes his decision and moves forward.

I think there is some merit to the fact that we are one of the few now looking being a positive. A search firm has been hired, the candidates will be narrowed and when a decision is made they will go after their candidate.

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