UL Basketball Coach ... NEXT

[zephyr]

No high school coaches. In fact, no assistants from other universities. Go after proven guys who've shown they can run a basketball program and not just coach on the court.

[Hammer58]

_ NO. We are looking on the women's side. I do have my name in with Carr & Associates (Great Company), Bill Carr will do you right. He will get the right list to Mr. Walker (I'm sure of that). Good Luck down there with the search.
Meredith and I enjoyed our time down there and WE ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE BUILT. We have now moved on.

Headragincajun _

Wish it could have worked out to get you back here, Coach. Good luck in the future.

[Turbine]

It is probably true that the "Best NCAA Coach" of the next 30 years is currently coaching at a High School somewhere right now.

It's just that UL cannot afford to be the guinea pig to find the diamond in the rough. UL needs to go with a proven commodity.

One that won't break the bank in more ways than one, namely he has succeeded on a budget smaller than he will have at UL.

[VObserver]

_ It is probably true that the "Best NCAA Coach" of the next 30 years is currently coaching at a High School somewhere right now.

It's just that UL cannot afford to be the guinea pig to find the diamond in the rough. UL needs to go with a proven commodity.

One that won't break the bank in more ways than one, namely he has succeeded on a budget smaller than he will have at UL. _

If history is a good teacher, the best NCAA coach of the next 30 years is on staff at UNC, Duke or Kansas. Coach K. cut his teeth under the tutelege of Bobby Knight at Army. Roy Williams is NCAA Royalty; played and coached at UNC under Dean Smith, who in turn was a disciple of Phog Allan at Kansas... who played at KU under Dr. Naismith.

History says that great NCAA coaches began as assistants at programs among the elite.

[CajunCanaille]

Anyone have any info as to how his interview went yesterday? Not sure if anyone would have that info but if you do please share.

[Cajunsmike]

_ Anyone have any info as to how his interview went yesterday? Not sure if anyone would have that info but if you do please share. _

There is no way that information will be made public.

[Parrott]

He didn't wear an Oklahoma State shirt to the Top 28 games Saturday. Just a plain white shirt.

igeaux.mobi

[CajunCanaille]

_ There is no way that information will be made public. _

I'm just asking if someone like Jay or JP or even a friend of his talked to him and maybe got his outlook on his chances or simply his impression of his interview. I think that information is definately obtainable. I really don't think there is any other information that will be available.

[FORMERCajinHS]

_ There are so many things to say but very little space and patience to say it....Well, first, your comments on Billy Kennedy completely discredit anything following them. Second, to even suggest that Jesse Evans should be brought back is a complete joke. Are you aware of what he did at San Francisco? To keep it short, he took a sebatical in the middle of the season with little reason as to why and no timeframe for which he would return given to his employer all the time while being paid...Again, in the middle of the season....Later, he was terminated because of this and San Francisco had to sue him to get their money back...The guy's a joke and there's a reason why he's not coaching. I have no problems with them letting him go to San francisco those years ago because they likely saw patterns developing that made them say no thanks. He won games but ran a program with little discipline, graduated few players and created an APR mess that Lee inherited. This program is ready to move on and like you said, they need someone to win, graduate players and keep this program's nose clean which is completely what Evans didn't do, except win of course.

You are correct on one thing. I think Robert did a poor job of recruiting local kids and keeping in touch with them. I've heard from several coaches that said they wish he had come around more to visit and take a look at kids, even if he didn't figure they'd have an opportunity at UL, keep in touch and show your face. That's what gets local coaches involved with your program and develops a level of respect. However, Evans fell off the wagon and hasn't gotten back on. You are right, we need to hire someone who will elevate the program as that is the goal on all fronts, I believe the early list of candidates has guys that all can do this. Be patient. _

First thing first, you are totally false about you are talking about, get the facts, its one thing to dislaike someone, but another thing to lie on someone. San Fransisco hired a new A.D and she wanted to go in another direction, she flasified claims and alleghations against Jessie Evans and made him take a leave of absent, now he is sueing Univ.of San Fransisco, please know the hell you are talking about. Robert was a poor decision for USL in the 1st place, he was half witted assistant coach from Opelousas,LA, he never made the top28 playoffs in his 3 years as head coach, so how in the world was he going to coach USL in the NCAA. He won with JESSIE EVANS players, Roberlt Lee created his own problems, stop blaming Jessie, maybe you guys dont want him abck, thats fine, but stop butchering his character as if he was all bad, when he was winning you all was on the band wagon. You all are all still bitter because he left unexpectantly. Thats life, and now you happy you get a chance to finally bash him, if he was at another university winning, and wanted to come back, you all would be swinging on his you know what! Begging him to come back and take over and did what you did years ago. You are are so wrong on so many levels its pathetic. Maybe Jessie Evans isnt the right hire now today, but he is a helluva lot better than Robert Lee, Jessie should have fired his AZZ when hr got the job the first time, he kept the man gave him an opportunity, and look what happen, Robert wouldnt even defend him, he acts as if Jessie owed his something. If I was Jessie I wouldnt want to come back to such a backstabbing area way of life. The man was successful, he won, he got into the NCAA tourney. Now you guys remember Butch Pierrie, many years ago, he left, he tried to steal USL best players, and was to never be hired by USL, and now all of a sudden he the best man for the job. You seem to have forgiven him, why not Jessie? Look I am a alumni, I hate saying that on this board, because its embarressing to display such ignorance and unforgiveness about a man, who had success, he won, he put people in the seats, he recruited good talent. Who says he recruited thugs, well lets just say this, Robert Lee, was on the staff, he recruited Robert Jupiter,Blaine Harmon, Robert Jones,and hoist of others,Jessie took them of the strength of his assistants, and now you want to blame Jessie for the APR, that was left behind, where was Robert Lee? Bobby Champagne, Paul Johnson, and all of the other assistants that came in. This is a joke, he should at least be given an interview, and if the current adminstration doesnt want him so be it, but not for us to judge the man, and write wrong truths about him on here, because we cant admit we are still bitter at one of the best and winningnest head coaches left before the winning got real good, and it made us mad as hell!

[FORMERCajinHS]

First thing first, you are totally wrong about what you keep posting, please get the facts, its one thing to dislike someone, but another thing to lie on someone. Univerity of San Fransisco hired a new A.D and she wanted to go in another direction, she flasified claims and alleghations against Jessie Evans and made him take a leave of absent, please know what the hell you are talking about. Robert was a poor decision for USL in the 1st place, he was half witted assistant coach from Opelousas,LA, he never made the top28 playoffs in his 3 years as head coach, so how in the world was he going to coach USL into the NCAA. He won with JESSIE EVANS players, Robert Lee created his own problems, stop blaming Jessie, maybe you guys dont want him back, thats fine, but stop butchering the man's character as if he was all bad, when he was winning you all was on the band wagon. You all are all still bitter because he left unexpectantly. Thats life, and now you happy you get a chance to finally bash him, if he was at another university, winning, and wanted to come back, you all would be swinging on his you know what! Begging him to come back and take over and do what you did years ago. You are are so wrong on so many levels its pathetic. Maybe Jessie Evans isnt the right hire now today, but he is a helluva lot better than Robert Lee, Jessie should have fired his AZZ when he got the job the first time, he kept the man gave him an opportunity, and look what happen, Robert wouldnt even defend him, he acts as if Jessie owed his something. If I was Jessie I wouldnt want to come back to such a backstabbing area way of life. The man was successful, he won, he got into the NCAA tourney. Now you guys remember Butch Pierrie, many years ago, he left, he tried to steal USL best players, and was to never be hired by USL, and now all of a sudden he the best man for the job. You seem to have forgiven him, why not Jessie? Look I am a alumni, I hate saying that on this board, because its embarressing to display such ignorance and unforgiveness about a man, who had success, he won, he put people in the seats, he recruited good talent. Who says he recruited thugs, well lets just say this, Robert Lee, was on the staff, he recruited Robert Jupiter,Blaine Harmon, Robert Jones,and hoist of others,Jessie took them of the strength of his assistants, and now you want to blame Jessie for the APR, that was left behind, where was Robert Lee? Bobby Champagne, Paul Johnson, and all of the other assistants that came in. This is a joke, he should at least be given an interview, and if the current adminstration doesnt want him so be it, but not for us to judge the man, and write wrong truths about him on here, because we cant admit we are still bitter at one of the best and winningnest head coaches left before the winning got real good, and it made us mad as hell!

[Damon]

What in God's Holy Name are you blathering about?

[BrockMeaux]

Am I getting it right that you're suggesting that Jessie Evans should be given an interview for the open position? And that we're mad because Jessie left for what he thought was greener pastures at San Fransisco?



Evans was a better on-the-court coach than Lee and his win-loss record demonstrates that. He had better players, but he got them and won on the backs of JUCOs, transfers, and generally troubled players who either couldn't get it done in the classroom or just didn't care because that's the way Jessie ran the show; all he cared about was what happened on the court. He left because the getting was good. He had a position at a school in a bigger conference and had he stayed, he was going to get killed with new APR standards so he capitalized on his NCAA success while he could. I don't blame him for leaving, but you asked where his assistants were while all this was going on; one of them was Robert Lee, and while I was ultimately disappointed by his W/L record during his tenure, he cleaned up the absolute pile of garbage that Evans left behind. It's a shame that most of us are forced to look at a lot of the Evans era in those terms, because there were a lot of great guys that came here and were great players, guys like Brian Hamilton and Chris Cameron and Dwayne Mitchell, but for every one of those guys there were two who had to sit out the first half of every season getting eligible for the Spring academically. Say what you want about Lee, but he held his players accountable for their work in the classroom and that's something that I'll always be grateful as a fan and alumni of the university. He made sure that there was a "student" component to the role of STUDENT athlete.

And no, Jessie Evans shouldn't be given an interview. I don't have anything personal against the man, but as they always say, you can't go home again. Everybody's moved on, let somebody else come in and get a chance to mold the program in their image. Whoever he is, he'll be off to a better start than Lee got because Lee got the program through academic issues and NCAA probation and the new basketball coach won't have that cloud over his head, and that's something all Cajun fans should thank Lee for.