New Coach and Biondi's Rep

[cheeseman]

I have hesitated to post this but after reading all the stuff in the Asst Coach thread I decided to share this info. I was talking with a friend of mine a few days ago who is connected to the local basketball and national coaching scene. You can trust me or not on this but he is a reliable source and that is all I will say about it. He told me that not only locally but nationally Biondi's reputation among coaches is not very good. He is not seen as someone who they can trust. This all started with the Spoon situation and only grew over rumors with Brad and Romar but has hit the national scene with a whirl when RM and Biondi got into it. He said that no experienced coach would be overly interested in the job unless they had no other options and then why would you want that guy. He said that any young and up and coming asst. would be wary of the situation and would probably only come if he saw it as a stepping stone for a brief time only. He also said that coaches generally want to work for the AD and not the president because they like having a buffer but clearly in SLU's case this has not been the situation. Now he did say for enough money or enough written assurances some quality coaches would be interested if the cupboard is not bare and he could win immediately. He did agree that the players here are a draw along with the a variety of other things but somehow the Biondi issue would have to be handled - how who knows but I guess if the big donors but enough of a squeeze on Biondi it could be done or the Board of Trustees - not sure if this would happen - would step in and muzzle Biondi. My hope is the money and the written stipulations in a contract to assure Biondi would not mettle in the situation could do it. The point here is that we are working from a deficiet - one some may not really understand - remember, a person's perception is their reality whether it is true or not.

[Clock_Tower]

I have hesitated to post this but after reading all the stuff in the Asst Coach thread I decided to share this info. I was talking with an friend of mine a few days ago who is connected to the local basketball and national coaching scene. You can trust me or not on this but he is a reliable source and that is all I will say about it. He told me that not only locally but nationally Biondi's reputation among coaches is not very good. He is not seen as someone who they can trust. This all started with the Spoon situation and only grew over rumors with Brad and Romar but has hit the national scene with a whirl when RM and Biondi got into it. He said that no experienced coach would be overly interested in the job unless they had no other options and then why would you want that guy. He said that any young and up and coming asst. would be wary of the situation and would probably only come if he saw it as a stepping stone for a brief time only. He also said that coaches generally want to work for the AD and not the president because they like having a buffer but clearly in SLU's case this has not been the situation. Now he did say for enough money or enough written assurances some quality coaches would be interested if the cupboard is not bare and he could win immediately. He did agree that the players here are a draw along with the a variety of other things but somehow the Biondi issue would have to be handled - how who knows but I guess if the big donors but enough of a squeeze on Biondi it could be done or the Board of Trustees - not sure if this would happen - would step in and muzzle Biondi. My hope is the money and the written stipulations in a contract to assure Biondi would not mettle in the situation could do it. The point here is that we are working from a deficient - one some may not really understand - remember, a person's perception is their reality whether it is true or not.

Cheese. I don't have the source that you have but I couldn't agree more with your post. Fr. Biondi is a bigger hindrance to the basketball program (and to the University as a whole) than most people realize. This has been the case for years. Hiring RM put the national spotlight on SLU. If RM couldn't win at SLU, then no one can win at SLU. Inheriting a bare cupboard with the exception of RL and TL, the late hire and lack of time to recruit the first year, SLU's academic standards, transfer/JUCO rules, the Situation, non-committed athletes, injury and bad luck, meddling by Fr. Biondi and his reversal of promises made... even RM has had trouble winning here at SLU. Everywhere RM has gone, he turned things around much sooner than here at SLU. Before SLU, RM never had a losing record. In his 4th year at SLU, RM had his first losing record. Despite the above, RM did turn SLU around. I seriously doubt if any other HC could have survived all the RM did and yet get our team to its #9 ranking. This is totally unbelieveable -- SLU at #9!! Still, even the most loyal and knowledgeable Billikens fans (most on this Board) had real questions about RM before the start of last year. Thank goodness that RM stayed as long as he did and thank goodness we made the Tourney and did as well as we did last year. Still, despite our pre-season rankings, it is hard to say that our Billikens have already achieved great things on the basketball court. Instead, it is more fair to say that we got rebuilt, that we had a break-through season last year and that we now ready to be good on the national stage. If we have a mediocre year, though, then we fall back to the pre-RM days... which include the embarrasment of Fr. Biondi running off Yow, Spoon and Levick. And with Fr. Biondi still at the helm, our future does not look so bright.

[Cowboy]

-wow cheese, this doesn't make the day any brighter

[TheA_Bomb]

So much doom and gloom.

I don't know your source and I don't doubt you on his connections. However, this is one man's opinion. Maybe it is based on some knowledge but it is a generalization. You can't just generalize such a large group of people. Pay check, good players, good conference, great facilities we can attract a talented coach with that.

[HusakAttack]

Wahhh wahhh wahhh. Holy Lord every single thread these days is about how much SLU blows in some way. Lets all just continue to b!tch about how much SLU sucks and how much the President and everyone involved with the school blows and how much the basketball program will never be good again.

If anyone has not read the board for the past few weeks, here is the summary:

SLU basketball is in it's worst state ever with zero hope for improvement.

Our school is crumbling as we speak and there is nothing good about it.

_________________________________________________________

Last time I checked applications, enrollment, and test scores are as high as they've ever been. Our bball team is coming off its best season in 60 years and is likely more talented this year.

If all of your lives are that miserable, go b!itch to your wife or boss about it. If you want to talk about crushing poon, winning bball games and how Jim Crews is going to win a national titty this year then let's do it.

[Bellevegas Bill]

Wahhh wahhh wahhh. Holy Lord every single thread these days is about how much SLU blows in some way. Lets all just continue to b!tch about how much SLU sucks and how much the President and everyone involved with the school blows and how much the basketball program will never be good again.

If anyone has not read the board for the past few weeks, here is the summary:

SLU basketball is in it's worst state ever with zero hope for improvement.

Our school is crumbling as we speak and there is nothing good about it.

_________________________________________________________

Last time I checked applications, enrollment, and test scores are as high as they've ever been. Our bball team is coming off its best season in 60 years and is likely more talented this year.

If all of your lives are that miserable, go b!itch to your wife or boss about it. If you want to talk about crushing poon, winning bball games and how Jim Crews is going to win a national titty this year then let's do it.

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS! All we have been doing here is complaining about SLU lately. From where I stand, in the business school, academics are great, our faculty is great, our school is great, and I have a bright future. Every university has their issues and works their way through it, what makes SLU any different? I know many faculty and students come to SLU because of the ideals we represent and our place in the community, that has not changed one bit. Biondi must be doing something right, because it is hard to say the school has not made great advancements while he has been President. Maybe he is past his prime, maybe he can help guide SLU to greater prestige... with how much he has done for our institution I find it hard to believe he will tear us down. And like you said, SLU has been growing annually for sometime now, including this Class of 2016, so something must be going right there.

As for the basketball team, let the kids play. I know a few of these guys and it'll be a great season, sure there may be some "hiccups" but we are going to do fine. Last I checked, our athletics now, university wide, are better now than they have been in a long time. Plus if Biondi does micromanage this team as much as we say he does, why would you think he would let them down. This program will become a great marketing tool for improving the entire university, Biondi and the administration should realize that (any marketing student would!).

[jjray]

I think your friend speaks truth Cheese. It's what I was saying in the other thread but was not aware it was already common knowledge in the national coaching community. I had assumed that a coaching candidate would have to do a little detective work to figure it out. Apparently wrong assumption.

[jimbofive]

I think your friend speaks truth Cheese. It's what I was saying in the other thread but was not aware it was already common knowledge in the national coaching community. I had assumed that a coaching candidate would have to do a little detective work to figure it out. Apparently wrong assumption.

i haven't looked into the http://www.firebiondi.com domain name availability and don't really care to. we should start something, though. should we go blogspot, tumblr, wordpress or YTMND? i always appreciate a good YTMND. though biondi's would be YBTMFTYAITTSTFDD (You've Been the Man for Thirty Years and it's Time to Step the Fuok Down, Diokhead).

http://picard.ytmnd.com/

[bonwich]

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS! All we have been doing here is complaining about SLU lately. From where I stand, in the business school, academics are great, our faculty is great, our school is great, and I have a bright future. Every university has their issues and works their way through it, what makes SLU any different? I know many faculty and students come to SLU because of the ideals we represent and our place in the community, that has not changed one bit. Biondi must be doing something right, because it is hard to say the school has not made great advancements while he has been President. Maybe he is past his prime, maybe he can help guide SLU to greater prestige... with how much he has done for our institution I find it hard to believe he will tear us down. And like you said, SLU has been growing annually for sometime now, including this Class of 2016, so something must be going right there.

As for the basketball team, let the kids play. I know a few of these guys and it'll be a great season, sure there may be some "hiccups" but we are going to do fine. Last I checked, our athletics now, university wide, are better now than they have been in a long time. Plus if Biondi does micromanage this team as much as we say he does, why would you think he would let them down. This program will become a great marketing tool for improving the entire university, Biondi and the administration should realize that (any marketing student would!).

[eastsidejoe]

i haven't looked into the http://www.firebiondi.com domain name availability and don't really care to. we should start something, though. should we go blogspot, tumblr, wordpress or YTMND? i always appreciate a good YTMND. though biondi's would be YBTMFTYAITTSTFDD (You've Been the Man for Thirty Years and it's Time to Step the Fuok Down, Diokhead).

http://picard.ytmnd.com/

I think that just about says it all Jimbo.

[jjray]

i haven't looked into the http://www.firebiondi.com domain name availability and don't really care to. we should start something, though. should we go blogspot, tumblr, wordpress or YTMND? i always appreciate a good YTMND. though biondi's would be YBTMFTYAITTSTFDD (You've Been the Man for Thirty Years and it's Time to Step the Fuok Down, Diokhead).

http://picard.ytmnd.com/

I was thinking a 'Downfall' parody. http://videxplorer.c...134843286026544

Hitler reacts to Biondi ... .

[MB73]

I have hesitated to post this but after reading all the stuff in the Asst Coach thread I decided to share this info. I was talking with a friend of mine a few days ago who is connected to the local basketball and national coaching scene. You can trust me or not on this but he is a reliable source and that is all I will say about it. He told me that not only locally but nationally Biondi's reputation among coaches is not very good. He is not seen as someone who they can trust. This all started with the Spoon situation and only grew over rumors with Brad and Romar but has hit the national scene with a whirl when RM and Biondi got into it. He said that no experienced coach would be overly interested in the job unless they had no other options and then why would you want that guy. He said that any young and up and coming asst. would be wary of the situation and would probably only come if he saw it as a stepping stone for a brief time only. He also said that coaches generally want to work for the AD and not the president because they like having a buffer but clearly in SLU's case this has not been the situation. Now he did say for enough money or enough written assurances some quality coaches would be interested if the cupboard is not bare and he could win immediately. He did agree that the players here are a draw along with the a variety of other things but somehow the Biondi issue would have to be handled - how who knows but I guess if the big donors but enough of a squeeze on Biondi it could be done or the Board of Trustees - not sure if this would happen - would step in and muzzle Biondi. My hope is the money and the written stipulations in a contract to assure Biondi would not mettle in the situation could do it. The point here is that we are working from a deficiet - one some may not really understand - remember, a person's perception is their reality whether it is true or not.

I have heard basicaly the same from well known local HS and AAU coaches... for a long time.

[Bobby Metzinger]

Biondi should not enter year 26 at the helm of SLU, Inc.

Reinert was prez for 25 years then stepped down into an Emeritus role. Biondi should follow suit.

[Taj79]

I have to believe every institution has issues like these .... I am sure there are folks at Notre Dame NOT happy with the move to the ACC; that there are West Virginia alums (is that an oxymoron?) not thrilled wiht moving to the Big Twelve or wherever they went; Texas A&Mers not happy about their move to the SEC and so on. And we have our Biondi moments. Then jjray takes cheese's comments and refers to it as "common knowledge in the national coaching community." I don't know if it's that widespread, but now that it's "in print" well, it must be true.

Any coach worth his salt is going to look at every aspect of a situation before he or she takes a job. I think they should. In our case, the job description will likely have "must be good with people, kids and an archaic and non-caring president." In print or not. Now, does this mean Fr. Larry has to go? I have no clue other than 25 years seems like a long enough time if for no other reason that some see such stability as stagnation. I don't deal with Larry so I don't know, don't really care and see it of no consequence to me if he stays or goes.

I will say that I fully believe cheese's evaluation but not because we are so unique, rather, because anyone looking at the job (any job for that matter) should do their due diligence. Besides, one guy is likely to say "Biondi sucks" while another may have a 180 degree different opinion. The only way you get someone truly committed to the program itself is to hire someone closely tied to the program. Former players come to mind. A coach local to the area. I always think back to the Grawer hire. He was the "man" for the job. Of course, Biondi nickle-and-dimed him to death, according to some.

And it will go on. Right now, live in the moment --- the 2012-13 season. Nothing else really matters because we don't control that destiny.

[Box and Won]

Will Biondi still be around for the university's bicentennial in 2018?

[3Bill]

Will Biondi still be around for the university's bicentennial in 2018?

That's his goal.

[eastsidejoe]

Will Biondi still be around for the university's bicentennial in 2018?

You can count on it. All the honor and glory.

[ACE]

I said it before, it seems we have to build a great program in spite of Biondi. Chaifetz got us RM, so if he stays committed, why can't we attract another excellent coach? Now without the good Doctor's involvement, we could be in real trouble. I hope to Dr. Chaifetz is attending a lot of games this coming season at his building. That would be a good sign. If Chaifetz and other alums want to back the program and commit to continuing a Top 25 caliber program, why would Biondi stand in the way? I'm expecting some interesting answers to my question...

[Box and Won]

You can count on it. All the honor and glory.

He'll be almost 80 by then, right?

[Deutschkind]

Will Biondi still be around for the university's bicentennial in 2018?

The funny thing is that I once had a class that had to go the archives for some reason. The archivist told us that before Biondi, the university considered some other date as the founding. I think it was in the 1830's. He gets here and changes it to 1818 (the founding of St. Louis Academy) and now we're the first university west of the Mississippi

[jjray]

The funny thing is that I once had a class that had to go the archives for some reason. The archivist told us that before Biondi, the university considered some other date as the founding. I think it was in the 1830's. He gets here and changes it to 1818 (the founding of St. Louis Academy) and now we're the first university west of the Mississippi

Powerful men not only make history, they change it retroactively!

[bonwich]

The funny thing is that I once had a class that had to go the archives for some reason. The archivist told us that before Biondi, the university considered some other date as the founding. I think it was in the 1830's. He gets here and changes it to 1818 (the founding of St. Louis Academy) and now we're the first university west of the Mississippi

That would be a lovely addition to the mythology of the Macchiavellian Father B., but it's an utter fabrication. The room now known as the St. Louis Room in Busch Center was formerly known as the Sesquicentennial Room. Built in 1967. Named as part of the subsequent celebration of the university's sesquiscentennial. The reader is left to find a dictionary and then do the math.

[Taj79]

Yeah -- I with bonowich on this one .... it was the "oldest university West of the Mississippi" when I first set foot on it in 1974. Ditto on the name of the room. Pretty soon, Biondi will have been the priest doing the exorcism as well.

[bonwich]

Pretty soon, Biondi will have been the priest doing the exorcism as well.

Naw, he was the kid.

[cheeseman]

I said it before, it seems we have to build a great program in spite of Biondi. Chaifetz got us RM, so if he stays committed, why can't we attract another excellent coach? Now without the good Doctor's involvement, we could be in real trouble. I hope to Dr. Chaifetz is attending a lot of games this coming season at his building. That would be a good sign. If Chaifetz and other alums want to back the program and commit to continuing a Top 25 caliber program, why would Biondi stand in the way? I'm expecting some interesting answers to my question...

You raise an interesting point - I will pay attention to who I see at games. To your question - why would Biondi stand in the way? -he will not want to give up control of the day to day things in any program at SLU. Let me ask you this - why would he take the charter flights away when the budget had already been approved and the money allocated? - same thing - if he did it once he will want to do it or something like it again.

By the way - when Spoon came he called Grawer and asked how Biondi was - Grawer was very generous and said he was fine but when Spoon got here he found otherwise so while other schools may have their own problems the real question is since ours is a known issue locally and nationally we better figure out how to dehorn Biondi somehow or we will be working with a thin pool.