The 2004 Search for a Basketball Coach

[Cajun Express]

Originally posted by vatican
The more I read about the candidates we are considering (and I guess being black is a criteria)- -

Do not make foolish assumptions when weighing the correlation of those being interviewed. N. S. WANTS this to be the best hire he has ever made, and he won't stain his reputation to fill a quota.

[Doug]

Robert Lee
Butch Pierre
Glynn Cyprien
Robert Kirby

I want to know who you like the best, I saw the poll on who you like the least but to me that seems backwards. Here is what I like about each coach. Kirby was beat by Lee last year but was on a top ten team all last year and all this year. Pierre might get a game going with LSU. Cyprien final four this year. Lee comes to UL with no illusions.

[CajunChicken]

Anybody but Butch Pierre. Not that impressed with any of the candidates

[Cajun Express]

Butch cannot and won't deliver a home and home with the purple giant. Kirby and Lee have never been opponents as head coaches in 1A basketball, Cyprien is as unknown as anyone.

I agree that a negative poll seemed silly. In fact it is so out of the norm that I did not read it and voted "for the person" I felt would be the best choice.

[Jason]

I like Glynn Cyprien, don't know why, but then again I don't have to make that decision..

[CajunGuru]

CajunChicken, I can understand your backing coach Johnson. Heck, I don’t have anything negative to say about him either. But you obviously have been misinformed as well, or least under the wrong assumptions.

First on discipline, you can ask any present or former player and they will tell you that the hardest practices were the ones that coach Lee ran when coach Evans was absent for other coaching or personal reasons. He worked their butts off. As for class attendance and academic progress, coach Lee has already had meetings with the team and has told certain athletes that if he is indeed named head coach, they have until the end of summer semester to show academic progress or they are gone. As a matter of fact, if the NCAA changes the so-called 8/5 rules today, he has two more JC athletes he wants to sign.

The scheduling was delegated to coach Lee, but the buck stops with poor Jessie. It was Jessie’s policy of not being willing to play 2/1 to get good programs to come to the Cajun Dome. Jessie had the final say so on all contracts with other programs. The second problem is money for scheduling. The administration did not budget enough money to get more then one or two good programs to play in Lafayette a year. Why do you think Colorado, UNC-Charlotte and Providence did not return a visit to the Cajun Dome? Jessie and money. Jessie was willing to play them on the road to fill out the schedule, but not twice just to get one return game. Oh by the way, it was coach Lee that scheduled those games as well as Dayton and Houston. Coach Lee has already been on the phone with several good programs, including Tulsa and coach Felton at Georgia. He stated that he is willing to play 2/1 to get a return game in Lafayette. And the administration is working with Greg Davis right now to increase the percentage of income the university gets from home games.

As for recruiting, yes coach Johnson has played a major role in recruiting. But the last two recruits are coming because of coach Lee. He pushed them to sign after coach Evans left. He has two JC kids ready to come play here if the 8/5 rule is changed today by the NCAA and we are placing one kid in JC to return here in a couple of years.

Finally, I don’t know for sure if coach Lee can get the job done or not. But no person came promise you that any of the other candidates mentioned can do so as well. If we are going to offer the position to a minority coach, then we have one already in position that is just as qualified as the others mentioned. And one that has already started on scheduling and signed recruits. And a coach that has at least been interviewed for a head coaching position before this job opportunity. Something Glynn Cyprien and Butch Pierre cannot claim.

[Jason]

Originally posted by CAJUNGURU
If we are going to offer the position to a minority coach, then we have one already in position that is just as qualified as the others mentioned.

What the hell does that have to do with anything? You just said all the qualifications Lee has and then you have to mention the fact that he is a minority? I was really enjoying your points and understanding your feelings, but with that last paragraph you lost all of that. If he is as qualified as you say then race doesn't matter..

[RaginFan]

ditto

[vatican]

Dont speak about what you don't know. I am certain that Butch, Robert Kirby and Cyprien have established lists of JC/HS kids that would be available if they got the job. They have all interviewed for head coaching jobs before, and have done scheduling - give me a break...The key is that all 3 of those candidates have signed and coached NBA players as recruits and have been on staffs that have actually won games in the NCAA tournament. It is great to like Coach Lee and support him, but let's keep it real.

[Sasonn1]

Only qualification needed is being a minority. Good quality coaches with ties to the university, city, and state need not apply. Maybe the lawsuit that our last football coach has against the university is playing a huge role in the selection!