Of the Media Types, Lappas must have edge

[Brad]

Just wasted some time looking at Lappas, Gillen and Jarvis...

Lappas credited with "turning around" the Manhattan program, and then a lot of postseason appearances with 'Nova after succeeding Rollie.  Left 'Nova over contract dispute...not sure what happened at UMass..

Gillen had some respectable years at Xavier (he gave Huggy some fits) with postseasons etc.  Flopped at Virginia.

Jarvis, a couple NCAAs with Boston U, one (?) with GW, and then allegedly ran St. John's into the ground...

So CSTV's Steve Lappas is the early leader of the "media-type" category in the race cautious saunter to become the next USF head coach.

[Guest BasketBull.]

UMass fires Lappas as men's basketball coach

By ADAM GORLICK, Associated Press Writer, The Associated [highlight]Press03/14/2005[/highlight]

LINK

[highlight]Steve Lappas, hired in 2001 to turn around the faltering Massachusetts basketball program, was fired Monday after four seasons in which the Minutemen compiled a 50-65 record.[/highlight]

"This isn't a real positive day, but one we felt was necessary," Athletic Director John McCutcheon said in announcing the decision.

The Minutemen improved to [highlight]16-12 this season after three straight losing seasons under Lappas.[/highlight] But UMass was eliminated in overtime by La Salle during the first-round of the Atlantic 10 tournament last week and failed to get an NIT bid.

With pressure mounting, UMass restructured Lappas' contract last year to add incentives based on attendance and the team's record.

A postseason bid would have given Lappas a bonus amounting to two years of his $185,000 annual base pay. But the school also included a clause allowing it to buy him out for half his annual salary.

[highlight]Lappas came to Massachusetts after nine years at Villanova, during which the Wildcats went to the NCAA tournament four times and the NIT three times.[/highlight] But his teams never made it beyond the second round of the NCAA tournament and he quit in 2001 after Villanova lost in the first round of the NIT.

Over a 17-year Division I coaching career that began at Manhattan in 1988, Lappas' teams have a combined 280-237 record.

He had declined to speculate on his future following his team's early departure from the league tourney. However, Lappas had made clear he felt that the young team with four sophomore starters had improved significantly over the season.

Home attendance rose slightly to an average of 3,869 from last season's average of 3,192. But the only time this season that the team came close to filling the 9,493-seat Mullins Center was when the Minutemen stunned defending NCAA champion Connecticut, 61-59.

The arena was sold out for every game during Massachusetts' winning seasons from 1992 through 1997.

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:Next!

[Brad]

Until another TV talking head announces interest, I still think Lappas leads the category...  

[Guest BasketBull.]

Let me tell 'ya about the NCAA coaching game:

1)$1,000,000-club coaches: The Big Boys, Future NBA lottery picks

They get it done. Period. But sometimes they can't cut it, bend the rules or go nuts and they are out ---and if bad enough, they sit on the sofa. If not so bad, they end up on TV.

Fouled out of 1 game: [moved to new school] Huggy Bear, Bobby Knight...

benched : [On TV] steve lavin, Rick Mejerus (well, his problem was that he missed his mom)...

suspended : [not working] Quin Snyder, Jim Harrick, nolan richardson...

Tranferred to smaller school: matt doherty...

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2) Wanna-be Stars: good coaches who want to move up to the million-dollar club

Leading scorer/go-to-guy on a good team: making bettween 250k-600k: Bobby Lutz, John Thompson III...

Juco star: excellent mid-major coach not making so much money. Great winning record, NCAA's... Remember our last coach?

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3) Average coaches

3-star high school recruit. (You never know how he will turn out): Pick any number of coaches in smaller conferences making under 200K a year.

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[highlight]If I had a choice, I'd go with a Leading Scorer. It's the safest move.[/highlight]

[Brad]

I am not advocating the TV type, just categorizing.

Tomorrow, I'll feature the "Mid-to-Low-Major Above .500/Went to NIT" category of potential applicants.  Someone has to compete with Brett.