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Ray Giacoletti Retires


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To say Ford doesn't listen to his assistants is just stupid talk. He is very receptive to his coach's on the bench and always looking to his aids for their thoughts during the game. He didn't do anything without Van Macon's approval when he was here and he needs another guy like that. My point was if we need help right now it would be better served with an x and o guy vs a recruiter. 

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1 hour ago, billiken_roy said:

at least been better.   i say find a recruiter.   at least keep up the trend of bringing in good players. 

whats to say he listened too much and the bills record was worse? and they would have won more games if he ignored the asst coach altogether

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If you are looking for someone who can recruit out East, here is a long shot who could pay big dividends-Anthony Drejaj. One of my all time favorite Billikens. Anthony has been HC  4A (larger schools) Linden HS now I believe over a decade. He has a very impressive resume. State Champs 2014, 16, & 17.  Also prepping at Seton Hall Prep probably very familiar with the very strong No NJ Catholic League- St Anthony's, Bergan Catholic, St Benedicts, etc.. Northern New Jersey is loaded. Plus he has international playing experience. 

 

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25 minutes ago, MusicCityBilliken said:

If you are looking for someone who can recruit out East, here is a long shot who could pay big dividends-Anthony Drejaj. One of my all time favorite Billikens. Anthony has been HC  4A (larger schools) Linden HS now I believe over a decade. He has a very impressive resume. State Champs 2014, 16, & 17.  Also prepping at Seton Hall Prep probably very familiar with the very strong No NJ Catholic League- St Anthony's, Bergan Catholic, St Benedicts, etc.. Northern New Jersey is loaded. Plus he has international playing experience. 

 

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I loved Drejaj as a Billiken. I could see his having great success as a head coach, hopefully for SLU someday.

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28 minutes ago, Marlow said:

I loved Drejaj as a Billiken. I could see his having great success as a head coach, hopefully for SLU someday.

Playing the toughest schedule he could get in a rebuilding year, is so typical Anthony Drejaj.

 

Looking at his resume-he has what it takes for HC job. Just needs some college assistant OTJ experience.

Also when he played at SLU, I have not met one person that did not love Drejaj. He had that "Billy Martin" kind of moxie.

It would be great to see him on the Bills bench next season.  

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I would be perfectly fine with Conklin.  Here are my reasons:

1.  The guys who played under Majerus were so well versed in the intricacies of the game that they were, basically, able to coach themselves for a year and a half.  I think he learned Xs and Os very well during his time here.

2. What he didn't learn under Majerus, I think he has picked up over his long international career playing for several programs.  The diversity of systems he saw in his playing days works in favor of his being able to translate his vision as a coach.

3. He could coach our bigs.

4. He could teach the Conklin Summer.  Letting our guys know what it takes to make the leap to the next level is valuable information to pass along.

5.  He could recruit Australia and New Zealand with some serious credibility.  How many teams can say they have an assistant coach who played extensively in Australia?  He can sell kids on knowing the subtle differences between the way the game is played in Australia and how it it is played on the college level in the US.

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I tried to lump these ideas together for aggregation purposes. I got rid of guys who were just hired at other programs like Marcus Wilson and Butch Pierre, but kept most of the ones mentioned above and added a few.

Former Players: Brian Conklin, Kevin Lisch (AC - Sydney Kings), Anthony Drejaj (HC - Linden HS), Danny Brown (HC - University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis), Corey Frazier (BBE, Overtime Elite, skill & development coach), Jamall Walker (AC - Grand Canyon), Larry Hughes (LHBA), Justin Tatum (HC - CBC), Erwin Claggett (HC - SLUH), Anthony Bonner (minister), Drew Diener (HC - Rockhurst)

Former A10 coaches: Ashley Howard, Matt McCall, Jamion Christian

Former Ford assistants: James Dickey (retired after OSU), Tim Maloney (HS), Steve Middleton (HS), Adam Ginsburg (AC - NYU), James Altman (AC - NYU)

St. Louis area ties: Bob Sundvold (HC - UMSL), Jay Spoonhour, Jon Harris

Retired/inactive coaches: Cuonzo Martin, Jim Christian, Bruce Weber, Kevin Stallings, Pat Baldwin

Coaches on staff elsewhere: Barry Hinson (analyst - Oklahoma State), Matt Fraschilla (AC - Harvard), Joe Pierre, III (AC - Liberty)

Did I miss anyone? Who else should we add who hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread?

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2 hours ago, cgeldmacher said:

I would be perfectly fine with Conklin.  Here are my reasons:

1.  The guys who played under Majerus were so well versed in the intricacies of the game that they were, basically, able to coach themselves for a year and a half.  I think he learned Xs and Os very well during his time here.

2. What he didn't learn under Majerus, I think he has picked up over his long international career playing for several programs.  The diversity of systems he saw in his playing days works in favor of his being able to translate his vision as a coach.

3. He could coach our bigs.

4. He could teach the Conklin Summer.  Letting our guys know what it takes to make the leap to the next level is valuable information to pass along.

5.  He could recruit Australia and New Zealand with some serious credibility.  How many teams can say they have an assistant coach who played extensively in Australia?  He can sell kids on knowing the subtle differences between the way the game is played in Australia and how it it is played on the college level in the US.

Playing Devil's Advocate, how many former Majerus players are successful coaches (head or assistant) at the D1 level?  Jensen seemed like a good AC & then jumped to NBA / G-League coaching.  Anyone else?  Just because you learned under a great coach doesn't mean you'll be a great coach yourself.

How do we actually know that Conklin could coach our bigs and/or teach the Conklin summer?  Sure he is a big himself and Conklin summer originator, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can coach others to do those things.  There are a ton of big men out there who aren't very good coaches and the Conklin summer is probably more about the student athlete having the drive (and being healthy) than any external factor.

On #5, I'm not sure how much having played in Australia & NZ means he can recruit there.  It may help marginally with an Aussie or NZ recruit, but SLU has shown zero interest / ability to recruit there since Majerus left.  During his playing career, Conklin likely wasn't establishing relationships with Aussie or NZ HS or youth coaches unless guys on his team have since gone route.

I like the idea of Conklin.  I'd would be thrilled if he came here & had a lot of success.  At the same time, I think there are valid concerns about his ability to step into a coaching gig with no prior experience.

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14 minutes ago, RUBillsFan said:

Playing Devil's Advocate, how many former Majerus players are successful coaches (head or assistant) at the D1 level?  Jensen seemed like a good AC & then jumped to NBA / G-League coaching.  Anyone else?  Just because you learned under a great coach doesn't mean you'll be a great coach yourself.

How do we actually know that Conklin could coach our bigs and/or teach the Conklin summer?  Sure he is a big himself and Conklin summer originator, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can coach others to do those things.  There are a ton of big men out there who aren't very good coaches and the Conklin summer is probably more about the student athlete having the drive (and being healthy) than any external factor.

On #5, I'm not sure how much having played in Australia & NZ means he can recruit there.  It may help marginally with an Aussie or NZ recruit, but SLU has shown zero interest / ability to recruit there since Majerus left.  During his playing career, Conklin likely wasn't establishing relationships with Aussie or NZ HS or youth coaches unless guys on his team have since gone route.

I like the idea of Conklin.  I'd would be thrilled if he came here & had a lot of success.  At the same time, I think there are valid concerns about his ability to step into a coaching gig with no prior experience.

You raise some excellent points.  There are lots of former players who have played under excellent head coaches.  That doesn't automatically translate into them being able to handle all the responsibilities of a coach. 

It really comes down to need.  We've already got a bunch of young guys on the coaching staff.  Does adding another young guy with lots of enthusiasm, alpha characteristics but no coaching experience fill a need?

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7 hours ago, Pistol said:

I tried to lump these ideas together for aggregation purposes. I got rid of guys who were just hired at other programs like Marcus Wilson and Butch Pierre, but kept most of the ones mentioned above and added a few.

Former Players: Brian Conklin, Kevin Lisch (AC - Sydney Kings), Anthony Drejaj (HC - Linden HS), Danny Brown (HC - University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis), Corey Frazier (BBE, Overtime Elite, skill & development coach), Jamall Walker (AC - Grand Canyon), Larry Hughes (LHBA), Justin Tatum (HC - CBC), Erwin Claggett (HC - SLUH), Anthony Bonner (minister), Drew Diener (HC - Rockhurst)

Former A10 coaches: Ashley Howard, Matt McCall, Jamion Christian

Former Ford assistants: James Dickey (retired after OSU), Tim Maloney (HS), Steve Middleton (HS), Adam Ginsburg (AC - NYU), James Altman (AC - NYU)

St. Louis area ties: Bob Sundvold (HC - UMSL)

Retired/inactive coaches: Cuonzo Martin, Jim Christian, Bruce Weber

Coaches on staff elsewhere: Barry Hinson (analyst - Oklahoma State), Matt Fraschilla (AC - Harvard)

Did I miss anyone? Who else should we add who hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread?

Some others potentially worth an honorable mention:

St. Louis area ties: Jay Spoonhour, Jon Harris

Retired/inactive Coaches: Dan Muller, Frank Haith, Pat Baldwin, Kevin Stallings (also has STL ties)

Coaches on staff elsewhere: Michael Fly (just hired as Director of Scouting & Analytics - Missouri), Paul Lusk (Assistant Coach - Purdue, maybe out of reach)

 

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8 hours ago, Compton said:

Some others potentially worth an honorable mention:

St. Louis area ties: Jay Spoonhour, Jon Harris

Retired/inactive Coaches: Dan Muller, Frank Haith, Pat Baldwin, Kevin Stallings (also has STL ties)

Coaches on staff elsewhere: Michael Fly (just hired as Director of Scouting & Analytics - Missouri), Paul Lusk (Assistant Coach - Purdue, maybe out of reach)

 

Haith is headed to Memphis 

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12 hours ago, Compton said:

Some others potentially worth an honorable mention:

St. Louis area ties: Jay Spoonhour, Jon Harris

Retired/inactive Coaches: Dan Muller, Frank Haith, Pat Baldwin, Kevin Stallings (also has STL ties)

Coaches on staff elsewhere: Michael Fly (just hired as Director of Scouting & Analytics - Missouri), Paul Lusk (Assistant Coach - Purdue, maybe out of reach)

Thanks, added those - except Muller (who swears he's retired), Haith (just hired at Memphis), Fly (just hired at Mizzou), and Lusk (I just think getting a power conference AC to take a non-power conference AC job isn't realistic without special circumstances).

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1 hour ago, Pistol said:

Thanks, added those - except Muller (who swears he's retired), Haith (just hired at Memphis), Fly (just hired at Mizzou), and Lusk (I just think getting a power conference AC to take a non-power conference AC job isn't realistic without special circumstances).

Davell Roby.

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On 6/13/2022 at 3:25 PM, RUBillsFan said:

Playing Devil's Advocate, how many former Majerus players are successful coaches (head or assistant) at the D1 level?  Jensen seemed like a good AC & then jumped to NBA / G-League coaching.  Anyone else?  Just because you learned under a great coach doesn't mean you'll be a great coach yourself.

How do we actually know that Conklin could coach our bigs and/or teach the Conklin summer?  Sure he is a big himself and Conklin summer originator, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can coach others to do those things.  There are a ton of big men out there who aren't very good coaches and the Conklin summer is probably more about the student athlete having the drive (and being healthy) than any external factor.

On #5, I'm not sure how much having played in Australia & NZ means he can recruit there.  It may help marginally with an Aussie or NZ recruit, but SLU has shown zero interest / ability to recruit there since Majerus left.  During his playing career, Conklin likely wasn't establishing relationships with Aussie or NZ HS or youth coaches unless guys on his team have since gone route.

I like the idea of Conklin.  I'd would be thrilled if he came here & had a lot of success.  At the same time, I think there are valid concerns about his ability to step into a coaching gig with no prior experience.

I do not necessarily disagree with any of your points.  Just because you played for Majerus doesn't mean you know how to coach like Majerus, but being in a Majerus system and experiencing how he went about winning, in my mind, gives you a slight leg up if you later decide to coach.  Having been the guy who did the "Conklin Summer" doesn't mean you know how to show a player how to do it or motivate the player to do it, but he would have credibility when talking about how it changed him over some other coach trying to motivate a player to do the same thing.  Playing in Australia doesn't mean you would be able to recruit Australia, but he would have an advantage over other ACs that do not know the basketball landscape in Australia and did not live there for many years.

If Ford doesn't care about the age or coaching experience of the next guy he brings in, and he doesn't seem to have cared all that much about experience when hiring Stuen and Forte, then I like the idea of Conklin.  If he prefers an older much more experienced coach that can be responsible for the X's and O's, then I would go a different route.

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On the same note, if Bruce Weber is comfortable with calling it a career as a head coach, but still wants to be on a staff in  a role like Giacoletti had, he would be my choice.  I think he brings experience and the ability to recruit St. Louis.  I know we already do well in St. Louis, but more sway in the area never hurts.

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12 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

If Ford doesn't care about the age or coaching experience of the next guy he brings in, and he doesn't seem to have cared all that much about experience when hiring Stuen and Forte, then I like the idea of Conklin.  If he prefers an older much more experienced coach that can be responsible for the X's and O's, then I would go a different route.

There's obviously a spot for young blood on the coaching staff. But it doesn't make sense to have half the coaches be relative novices. Ford, recruiter in chief (Tate), promising young talent (Forte), experience and Xs and Os (?), seems to be the recent and reasonable model.

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13 minutes ago, Compton said:

There's obviously a spot for young blood on the coaching staff. But it doesn't make sense to have half the coaches be relative novices. Ford, recruiter in chief (Tate), promising young talent (Forte), experience and Xs and Os (?), seems to be the recent and reasonable model.

I agree. Our top assistant is a recruiter, who offers very little input during games. Forte has little to say and if we bring in a rookie he will be silent. Ford leaned on Coach G hard during games and our staff will be incomplete if we add another young coach. 
 
That being said, I don’t see Ford hiring a Majerus player over one of his favorite players. Roby gets the nod if we go with a former Billiken. 

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6 hours ago, brianstl said:

So Chris Lowery took a non recruiting position at MO State.

Recruiting is time consuming and almost a year round travel job.  For a coach with a family it isn't a fun gig.  Many more veteran coaches are going this route to limit their travel.

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I say no on Weber.

His performed well with recruits that were borderline college students and wored at schools that encouraged this recruiting tactic.  Think Bob Huggins lite.  Does that type of player fit into SLU?  Not in many instances.

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