Steve Lavin

[bg]

Why no discussion of Lavin on this board? I agree with nearly everybody else that Majerus is the gold standard, but the only "Plan B" coach that's been discussed even a little is Fran Fraschilla. Whether you like Lavin or not (and I know that MANY people don't), you have to admit that his hiring would make a bigger splash than FF. And I would be shocked if his name hasn't been considered by the powers that be.

[TheA_Bomb]

I would pick him over Fran based on age. However, Lavin wasn't getting it done at UCLA?!? How would he get it done at SLU? Majerus took Utah to the Finals.

[bg]

Let's look at his resume after seven seasons at UCLA..............

1. 6 20-win seasons

2. 6 NCAA tournament appearances

3. 5 sweet 16 appearances

4. 1 Elite 8

5. 2 recruiting classes named #1 IN THE COUNTRY

6. National Rookie Coach of the Year

I agree that there are SERIOUS questions about his bench coaching ability, but are there any candidates out there without warts? He was hired as the UCLA HC at the age of 32. I'm guessing that he's learned a little since that time. He's young, healthy, well-spoken (i.e. media-savvy), high profile, an energetic recruiter.

Before he went to UCLA he was on an all-star coaching staff under Gene Keady along with Bruce Weber and Kevin Stallings. He obviously knows basketball, and I'm sure he would be the first to admit he made some mistakes during his first gig.

Bottom line--wouldn't even a fraction of what we can see in 1-6 above make him an outstanding hire for SLU? No guarantees that he'll accomplish that, but saying he didn't get it done at UCLA simply doesn't jibe with the facts.

That being said, I'm not really a proponent (or opponent) of hiring him. I'm just curious why his name hasn't been raised.

[TheA_Bomb]

I think the 1 elite 8 in 6 seasons did him in. He had tons of talent and the support necessary but didn't live up to it. He hasn't coached since. I think UCLA would've fared better if they chose Romar as the replacement over Lavin. UCLA was coming off that National Championship in 1995. He was a suspect bench coach. I could recruit to UCLA and be a suspect bench coach and get to the tournament. Question is could Lavin recruit to SLU and be a suspect bench coach and win?

I once worked with a dude that was Lavin's college room-mate at Purdue. What does that mean? Nothing, just that he knows at least one guy that lives in STL. Oh yeah and that guy used to score the SLU Women's BB games.

[bg]

Not trying to defend Lavin, but yeah, I think he could recruit to SLU. He's high profile with his national tv work, so every recruit already knows him when he comes-a-callin'. And he's certainly plugged into a nationwide network of coaching staffs.

Agree that he was a suspect bench coach, but remember that he was very young at the time. Not trying to offend anyone out there, but very few people in ANY profession are at the top of their games when in their early-to-mid 30s. (Obviously athletes are the exception here) I'm guessing that he's learned a lot in the past few years.

Also agree that Romar would have been the better hire for UCLA in 1997. Once again, I'm not advocating the hiring of SL, because I'm firmly in the Majerus corner, but if Rick is simply toying with us, we could do a whole lot worse than SL. We have in the recent past.

[slufanskip]

Right now Lavin or Majerus. I'll take Lavin so quickly you woudn't even see me choose. Majerus just has too many negatives. I would think though if Lavin wanted back into coaching he'd have already done it at a place higher than SLU

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H Waldman

Official Sponser of the Stemmler and Ahearn could and would have helped club.

[courtside]

>

>Right now Lavin or Majerus. I'll take Lavin so quickly you

>woudn't even see me choose. Majerus just has too many

>negatives. I would think though if Lavin wanted back into

>coaching he'd have already done it at a place higher than

>SLU

>

> Official Billikens.com sponsor of H

>Waldman

>

>Official Sponser of the Stemmler and Ahearn could and would

>have helped club.

If Rick took the job, other than his health, what are these other negatives(plural)...and especially compared to Lavin.

[slufanskip]

His health. His age. He seems to be in the running for every opening in the country. Hell you can't even be sure he would finish out the year.

I know you are a fan of Rick ...

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H Waldman

Official Sponser of the Stemmler and Ahearn could and would have helped club.

[billiken_roy]

when lavin was at ucla and they came to st louis to play the billikens it was embarrassing how little control he had over his team. during timeouts, half the players didnt even come to the huddles. he was ranting on the sidelines about things that made no sense.

lavin would be a horrible choice. lavin is exactly where he needs to be.

[bg]

Roy, I know you have no love for Lavin. I'm simply pointing out the bottom line, and the bottom line looks pretty darned good.

He wasn't ready to be a head coach ten years ago. He MAY be ready now. I certainly think he's a much more viable candidate than Fraschilla. Fortunately for all of Billiken Nation, I'm not in a position where I'm asked to make that judgement, nor do I want to be.

[billiken_roy]

ucla is a job that should run itself. there is enough history there that bernie m could be in the ncaa tourney 3 out of 4 years coaching ucla.

lavin got that job because he was the toady that helped the administration torpedo harrick. there is a reason no one has approached him since.

[bg]

I'm not buying it. No job in D! runs itself anymore. Just look at Indiana and Kentucky for proof. And, if you point fingers at Lavin for working under Harrick, then you have to go after Romar, too.

I have enough admiration for Gene Keady to believe that he wouldn't have anyone on his staff without both a great deal of basketball knowledge and a lot of character.

[MusicCityBilliken]

I remember when Gene Bartow left UCLA say that playing in the shadows of Wooden was no easy task. He seemed damn glad to get out of LA and start a program from scratch at UAB.

Also, I always heard Romer and his buddy Gottfried from Alabama always supported Harrick.

[billiken_roy]

both indiana and kentucky are still top 25 teams every year. in the grand scheme of things that is running itself, considering they felt the coaches were so inept they forced them to make a move.

if lavin was so good, why did keady let him get away? because when he did, he was the limited earnings coach at ucla under harrick as romar and gottfried were his top assts. there was nothing that indicated harrick was any closer to leaving ucla than keady was to leaving purdue. i.e. there would have been no fast track to the top at ucla over purdue. so lavin wasnt putting himself in a better position by going to ucla to coach.

not sure what you are insinuating with the

"if you point fingers at Lavin for working under Harrick, then you have to go after Romar, too."

statement.

i was not insinuating lavin did anything wrong ethically. but it was my understanding that he was the guy that helped get the goods on harrick.

romar and gottfried were already gone to pepperdine and alabama by then.

[bg]

My quick read made me think you were connecting Lavin to Harrick's shenanigans. Sorry.

As gar as Lavin being the limited earnigs #####'t, I'm sure that "limited earnings" at a place like UCLA with camps et al provides one with a fairly comfortable existence.

I repeat, I'm not trying to make a case for hiring Lavin. I'm just surprised that his name hasn't come up more prominently, because it's clear to me that a good case COULD be made. It would certainly be viewed as a "home run hiring" from the national perspective.

[billiken_roy]

at that time the limited earnings was defined by the ncaa and they all made the same money or less.

that has since been changed and all programs can have three full time assistants and they have "director of basketball operations" hires to do that job now. but not when lavin was at ucla.

again, if lavin was a great hire, how come his name doesnt come up more often?

[Box and Won]

You just don't like coaches with slick hair.