New FIU Basketball coach

[KACajun]

Didn't know if anyone else heard about this info? It would make the UL vs. FIU match up in the dome next year pretty interesting...

[jllanclos]

_ Didn't know if anyone else heard about this info? It would make the UL vs. FIU match up in the dome next year pretty interesting... _

If he can't win with a billion+ dollar recuiting budget, I suspect he might struggle a little under the contraints of a Sun Belt recruiting budget!

[ULtimateCajun]

If this hire comes to happen, I'm calling it, FIU will be under NCAA investigation for rules violations within 2 years. This guy was an NBA great, but since then he has proved his character to be less than ideal as a GM or coach.

[Parrott]

If I'm FIU, I'd rather have Reggie Theus.

He is a proven recruiter and winner in the college game and was an all-star in the pros. He spent time at Louisville as an assistant before taking New Mexico State to the NCAA Tournament. He was with the Sacramento Kings before getting let go early this season because the Maloofs got impatient with a slow start.

Plus, Theus is still getting paid by the Kings, so money shouldn't be an issue.

[ULtimateCajun]

_ If I'm FIU, I'd rather have Reggie Theus.

He is a proven recruiter and winner in the college game and was an all-star in the pros. He spent time at Louisville as an assistant before taking New Mexico State to the NCAA Tournament. He was with the Sacramento Kings before getting let go early this season because the Maloofs got impatient with a slow start.

Plus, Theus is still getting paid by the Kings, so money shouldn't be an issue. _

That is a terrible idea, because if Theus goes to FIU, then WE can't get him after next season. ;-)

[CajunCanaille]

_ If I'm FIU, I'd rather have Reggie Theus.

He is a proven recruiter and winner in the college game and was an all-star in the pros. He spent time at Louisville as an assistant before taking New Mexico State to the NCAA Tournament. He was with the Sacramento Kings before getting let go early this season because the Maloofs got impatient with a slow start.

Plus, Theus is still getting paid by the Kings, so money shouldn't be an issue. _

Don't you think Thomas will also be a strong recruiter? His name alone will net him a few good young players. I think it would be a smart hier by FIU.

[Parrott]

Personally, I'm not a big Isiah Thomas fan. I believe he was a great player but has struggled to enjoy similar success as an executive and coach.

He's never been a college coach, not even an assistant. He's not a proven recruiter. Can he coach and relate with college players? Can he deal with the other responsibilities needed in the college game?

Throw in the issues he had off the floor in New York and recent sleeping pills situation in October, and I think you've got a disaster waiting to happen. But that's just my opinion.

The good news about both Theus and Thomas: Both are still getting paid by their former NBA team. So money shouldn't be an issue in either case, but I'd take Theus anyday.

[Parrott]

Pete Pelegrin from the Miami Herald just reported that Thomas will sign a contract Tuesday to take over at FIU, according to a source close to the situation.

I'm happy that Pete beat ESPN on that news.

[Zeebart21]

This is from Wikipedia, so you can certainly question the info if you so choose, but even if its only half right.....the guy is a knucklehead.


Post-NBA career

Toronto Raptors
After retiring Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and his future responsibilities. During his four-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and high-schooler Tracy McGrady.


broadcasting
After leaving the Raptors, Thomas became a television commentator (first as the lead game analyst with play-by-play man Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for NBA on NBC. Thomas also worked a three-man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.

CBA
Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. After his purchase of the CBA for $5 million, the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded, after Thomas rejected an offer from the NBA for $11 million to make it an official minor league of the NBA. Many CBA managers blamed Thomas for the league's failure, citing mismanagement and out-of-control spending on his part. Many such managers publicly declared that Thomas ran the league into the ground, possibly on purpose to eliminate the non-NBA-owned minor league in order to make room for the NBA-owned NBDL.

Indiana Pacers
From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the NBA Eastern Conference title. Thomas attempted to bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. Unfortunately the Pacers under Thomas were not able to stay at the elite level as they went through the transition from a veteran-dominated, playoff-experienced team. In his first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets who did happen to go to the NBA Finals in those years.

In his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided the Pacers to a 48-34 record in the regular season and coached the East squad at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. The game was also Michael Jordan's final All-Star game. Thomas was criticized for overplaying Jordan during the game as an attempt to make up for their past feud. As the third seed, the Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics. With blossoming talents such as Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, the perception existed that the Pacers' unfulfilled potential stemmed from Isiah Thomas' inexperience as a coach. In the off-season, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle.


Hall of Fame
In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, in his initial year of eligibility.


New York Knicks
On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts.

On June 22, 2006, the Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and owner James Dolan replaced him with Thomas under the condition that he show "evident progress" or be fired.

During the following season the Knicks became embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets, which Thomas allegedly instigated by ordering his players to commit a hard foul in the paint. However, he was not fined or suspended. NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he only relied on "definitive information" when handing out punishments. Later in the season, nine months after James Dolan demanded "evident progress", the Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" contract. After Thomas was granted the extension, the Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season.

During the 2007 Draft, Thomas made another trade by acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.
Thomas also compounded the Knicks' salary cap problems by signing fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to full mid-level exception contracts. Neither player has seen any significant playing time and both are often injured and when able to play are highly ineffective.

Despite the constant criticism that he received from Knicks fans, Thomas maintained that he had no intention of leaving until he turned the team around and he predicted that he would lead the Knicks to a championship, stating that his goal was to leave behind a "championship legacy" with the Knicks, just as he had done for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread skepticism.

On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Walsh would not comment definitively on whether or not Thomas would be retained in any capacity at the time of his hiring.

One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Isiah had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially 'reassigned' on April 18 "after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal. As part of the reassignment agreement Thomas was banned from having contact with any Knicks' players under the rationale that he could willingly or unwillingly undermine Donnie Walsh and the new head coach.


Controversy

Michael Jordan rivalry
In the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Thomas was joined on the Eastern Conference squad by star rookie Michael Jordan. Jordan wound up attempting nine shots, a relatively low number for a starting player. Afterward, Thomas and his fellow veteran East players were accused of having planned to "freeze out" Jordan from their offense by not passing him the ball, supposedly out of jealousy over the attention Jordan was receiving. No player involved has ever confirmed that the "freeze-out" occurred, but the story has been long reported, and has never been refuted by Jordan. Thomas has ridiculed the idea of him being the mastermind behind a supposed "freeze-out" as being "ludicrous" citing that he was a relatively young player on a team including Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Moses Malone.

In the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1991 NBA Playoffs, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for the fourth consecutive season in the playoffs. The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. The series was marked by a number of verbal, physical, and match-up problems. With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Thomas and eight of his teammates walked off the court, refusing to shake hands with the members of the Bulls.

In 1992 Thomas was passed over by the United States men's national basketball team (popularly known as the Dream Team). Rumors have swirled that Thomas was left off the team because Jordan did not want him as a teammate on account of their bitter rivalry, which had begun with the alleged "freeze-out" and had continued through their playoff battles.


Sexual harassment lawsuit
In October 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment by Anucha Browne Sanders. The matter came to trial in September 2007 and Thomas was determined to have made demeaning statements to Sanders, as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her. Madison Square Garden was ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11.6 million, one of the largest sexual harassment judgments in history.

"I'm innocent, I'm very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing" Thomas said after the decision. "I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case." Thomas admitted under oath that he did in fact call Sanders a "_____". During his testimony, Thomas also claimed it was appropriate to exchange hugs and kisses with co-workers.

Racism allegations
During Thomas's sexual harassment trial, Anucha Browne-Sanders testified that Thomas had told her he did not care about these "____ing white people" or these "____ing season ticket holders." Thomas denied these allegations.

After a heated 1987 playoff game against the Boston Celtics, Dennis Rodman said that Larry Bird was overrated because he was white in a league full of mostly black players. In response, Isiah said, "I think Larry is a very, very good basketball player. He's an exceptional talent, but I have to agree with Rodman. If he were black, he'd be just another good guy."

Drug overdose
On October 24, 2008, Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center near his New York City area home after taking an overdose of Lunesta, a form of sleep medication. According to Harrison, New York police, they were called to Thomas's house, where, finding him unconscious but breathing, they had him transported to the hospital. Police Chief David Hall stated that they "are calling this an accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill.” He was released from the hospital later that day.

In the opinion of Harrison Police Chief David Hall, Thomas tried to "cover up" the incident by claiming his 17-year old daughter required medical treatment when in actuality he was the patient. Referring to Thomas' 17-year-old daughter, Hall said, "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."

[Parrott]

Z, you just helped reinforce a lot of reasons why I wouldn't hire that guy for a college job.

Look, we all make mistakes. Isiah Thomas just isn't the kind of guy I would want coaching my son.

[Zeebart21]

_ Z, you just helped reinforce a lot of reasons why I wouldn't hire that guy for a college job.

Look, we all make mistakes. Isiah Thomas just isn't the kind of guy I would want coaching my son. _

He does seem to lack some mental stability....



Z

[raginsaints]

I hope they hire Isiah and I hope they have a watergirl.