Thanks, Coach Crews

[gobillsgo]

In the midst of many celebratory posts over Crews' firing, I'd like to set aside a thread to thank him for the good memories. I agree that it was time to move on to a new chapter, but I will always think back to the good that preceded the last couple years of bad.

I don't think Crews accepted the assistant job from Rick with the anticipation that he would become a head coach. With that said, the success he had with some of Rick's guys, though the last two years have shown it was not all attributable him, was truly magical. I don't think there was a better choice to lead that particular team than him. I will forever remember those two successful years as being some of the best I have had as a SLU fan.

Thanks coach!

[Cowboy]

-this was classy, his presser...https://www.facebook.com/Atlantic10/videos/vb.38521606526/10153461403271527/?type=2&theater

[Bizziken]

In the midst of many celebratory posts over Crews' firing, I'd like to set aside a thread to thank him for the good memories. I agree that it was time to move on to a new chapter, but I will always think back to the good that preceded the last couple years of bad.

I don't think Crews accepted the assistant job from Rick with the anticipation that he would become a head coach. With that said, the success he had with some of Rick's guys, though the last two years have shown it was not all attributable him, was truly magical. I don't think there was a better choice to lead that particular team than him. I will forever remember those two successful years as being some of the best I have had as a SLU fan.

Thanks coach!

Well said...while I'm glad that we've moved on, he seemed like a decent guy.

[JettFlight5]

It wasn't Jim Crews the man that we were up in arms about. It was Jim Crews on the sidelines.

[Bizziken]

-this was classy, his presser...https://www.facebook.com/Atlantic10/videos/vb.38521606526/10153461403271527/?type=2&theater

Very classy press conference. Surprised by the emotion. Respect the guy...despite his terribleness as coach

[gobillsgo]

It wasn't Jim Crews the man that we were up in arms about. It was Jim Crews on the sidelines.

No doubt, but I'm not sure any coach in the country would've done as good a job as Crews those first two seasons. That team needed continuity during Rick's sickness, and ultimately his death, and Crews offered that.

Where he went wrong was his inability to consistently land recruits to maintain that success, and that has left us where we are today. Not that there is a lack of talent, but unlike Rick, Crews didn't seem to be able to identify and develop that talent.

[73Billiken]

Although it is time to move on, Crews was classy in winning and in defeat.

[DoctorB]

That presser was awesome, I'm proud to be a Billikens fan after a pretty lousy year. Kudos to Jim.

I think it's easy to forget how truly horrible it was back in those December days, after Rick passed. What a horrific period, and Coach Crews kept it together, somehow. It's a very tough day and I want to throw out my thanks as well -- though I'm sure he will likely never read this. Really just a class individual.

ps: love the lines from Rick: How are you? and how can I help you??

[jimbofive]

watching the presser now. solid dude, good composure. but gotdamn. maybe you and rick SHOULD HAVE talked ball during one of those 100+ dinners. if i'm eating dinner with gotdamn bill gates every night, i'm gonna get some computer advice here and there.

oh well, thanks, jim, see ya later.

[CBFan]

In the midst of many celebratory posts over Crews' firing, I'd like to set aside a thread to thank him for the good memories. I agree that it was time to move on to a new chapter, but I will always think back to the good that preceded the last couple years of bad.

I don't think Crews accepted the assistant job from Rick with the anticipation that he would become a head coach. With that said, the success he had with some of Rick's guys, though the last two years have shown it was not all attributable him, was truly magical. I don't think there was a better choice to lead that particular team than him. I will forever remember those two successful years as being some of the best I have had as a SLU fan.

Thanks coach!

Well said, I wish coach Crews well on his retirement.

[ACE]

Although it is time to move on, Crews was classy in winning and in defeat.

Classy exit by Crews and give May credit - seemed to be orchestrated well. I suspect if this was back in the Biondi-era, this would have dragged out for weeks... probably with some paperwork sitting on a desk too.

[moytoy12]

Classy exit by Crews and give May credit - seemed to be orchestrated well. I suspect if this was back in the Biondi-era, this would have dragged out for weeks... probably with some paperwork sitting on a desk too.

Per the twitters, May told Crews about 7-10 days ago.

[BigMouthBilliken]

Crews is a nice guy, down to earth, and was a good ambassador for the school. Unfortunately things didn't work out the past 2 years. Wish him the best of luck in the future but now the AD need not screw up this opportunity!

[HoosierPal]

That was strong. How many would have the courage and strength to attend a press conference immediately after it was announced you had been terminated from your job?

[billikenbill]

Thanks Coach!

[johnbj14]

That is one of the best press conferences I have ever seen. Incredibly classy.

[billikenfan05]

Crews is a nice guy, down to earth, and was a good ambassador for the school. Unfortunately things didn't work out the past 2 years. Wish him the best of luck in the future but now the AD need not screw up this opportunity!

It's true Majerus tipped May off to Lisa Stone but I think Stone is an example of May and the Athletic Department not around when it comes to hiring.

[GMan Alum]

That presser was awesome, I'm proud to be a Billikens fan after a pretty lousy year. Kudos to Jim.

I think it's easy to forget how truly horrible it was back in those December days, after Rick passed. What a horrific period, and Coach Crews kept it together, somehow. It's a very tough day and I want to throw out my thanks as well -- though I'm sure he will likely never read this. Really just a class individual.

ps: love the lines from Rick: How are you? and how can I help you??

+1000

[MusicCityBilliken]

Coach Crews is good guy. Classy till the end. I wish him well.

[Soderball]

How will Crews be remembered?

A solid, decent man who just couldn't hack it.

Great press conference, one that makes me proud to be a Billiken fan. Could have asked no more from Crews than to give this worthy tie up to his tenure here and his career in general.

The comments about the sweater and Knight made me choke up a little and very happy that this lousy team could grab at least one win in that tradition.

He's managed to make me feel the way I would have had he announced his end-of-season retirement in the mid-season. Great stuff. HoosierTroll and MB73, however hard they might try, can not detract from the great statements Crews makes here. It's time for us to move on, and Crews has given us closure on this era.

Let's go get some sweater vests to nail to our wall.

[TRN]

Thanks Coach Crews for the time and effort you gave to SLU, and lots of great memories your first few years.

[billiken class of 15]

"Success or failure does not determine your self-worth." I think we can all agree that for the most part, Crews failed during his time here, but I think we can also all agree that Jim Crews is a classy guy. Best of luck, Coach Crews.

[Pistol]

In the midst of many celebratory posts over Crews' firing, I'd like to set aside a thread to thank him for the good memories. I agree that it was time to move on to a new chapter, but I will always think back to the good that preceded the last couple years of bad.

I don't think Crews accepted the assistant job from Rick with the anticipation that he would become a head coach. With that said, the success he had with some of Rick's guys, though the last two years have shown it was not all attributable him, was truly magical. I don't think there was a better choice to lead that particular team than him. I will forever remember those two successful years as being some of the best I have had as a SLU fan.

Thanks coach!

This is all really well said. Crews was at the helm for two of the best seasons in SLU basketball history, and two of the three years of that great team.

Watching the press conference was tough, seeing him get emotional. He's had a week or so to prepare for it, but there's really no amount of thought or practice that can prepare you for telling the world you've been fired. It's easy for us to anonymously take shots at him here, and perhaps a bit too easy to remember that there's a human being in charge of this program.

However, the point in your post I bolded is an important one. This is a guy who seemed content to be retired from basketball, to the degree where he acknowledges he turned Majerus down the first time around, and he reluctantly came back in to coach with a long-time friend who he couldn't have known was just over a year from dying. So he did the thing anyone would do with that roster that had been coached by Majerus - he left them on autopilot for a season. That's hard to do for two years, and that senior year was bumpier than we acknowledged at the time because Jett was basically bailing us out at the end of every game during that incredible streak. That was just a special group.

But a five-year contract means you have to keep it going. We weren't going to have another record-setting season with the starting five graduating. But we needed some real talent behind them, and that's where Crews' main failure was. These guys just can't hack it at this level. And he couldn't coach them up the way Majerus could squeeze the most out of his players (the ones he wanted to keep, anyway).

I just think the game has passed Crews by. He didn't adapt to the game as it stands right now. He didn't get through to these kids, he didn't expand their individual skills, and he couldn't find a system through which they could succeed. To his credit, he takes the blame in his presser. He says by not doing a good job, he made other people's jobs harder; given the egos in college coaching, that's quite a thing to say.

So Crews, like pretty much every other SLU head coach, leaves behind a complicated legacy. He seems to have a pretty healthy perspective on his situation, and hopefully we remember him as more than just one thing.

[CBFan]

This is all really well said. Crews was at the helm for two of the best seasons in SLU basketball history, and two of the three years of that great team.

Watching the press conference was tough, seeing him get emotional. He's had a week or so to prepare for it, but there's really no amount of thought or practice that can prepare you for telling the world you've been fired. It's easy for us to anonymously take shots at him here, and perhaps a bit too easy to remember that there's a human being in charge of this program.

However, the point in your post I bolded is an important one. This is a guy who seemed content to be retired from basketball, to the degree where he acknowledges he turned Majerus down the first time around, and he reluctantly came back in to coach with a long-time friend who he couldn't have known was just over a year from dying. So he did the thing anyone would do with that roster that had been coached by Majerus - he left them on autopilot for a season. That's hard to do for two years, and that senior year was bumpier than we acknowledged at the time because Jett was basically bailing us out at the end of every game during that incredible streak. That was just a special group.

But a five-year contract means you have to keep it going. We weren't going to have another record-setting season with the starting five graduating. But we needed some real talent behind them, and that's where Crews' main failure was. These guys just can't hack it at this level. And he couldn't coach them up the way Majerus could squeeze the most out of his players (the ones he wanted to keep, anyway).

I just think the game has passed Crews by. He didn't adapt to the game as it stands right now. He didn't get through to these kids, he didn't expand their individual skills, and he couldn't find a system through which they could succeed. To his credit, he takes the blame in his presser. He says by not doing a good job, he made other people's jobs harder; given the egos in college coaching, that's quite a thing to say.

So Crews, like pretty much every other SLU head coach, leaves behind a complicated legacy. He seems to have a pretty healthy perspective on his situation, and hopefully we remember him as more than just one thing.

Good post well said.

[bonwich]

I met Crews three or four times during his time here. He was the kind of person who, when he talked to you, made you feel like he was paying attention and really interested in you, even if he was just meeting you or barely knew you.

I also agree with Dr. Pestello's "moral compass" comment. As I thought about it, Crews is the kind of guy who I hope will be the father-in-law when my daughter decides to get married.