FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sfury]

Regarding money: Let's at least hope they pay Gary enough so he can give up his gig coaching the throwers on the track team. "Sorry guys, can't make spring practice. Got a show this oaf how to toss a shot put."

[Retired Old Rat]

Wasn't he the guy already recruiting the players SJU has now that couldn't make plays?

He also recruited the guys from the late '90s and early '00s.   

He will now be recruiting as the head coach.  That's a big difference.  I think (hope?) he will also have offensive and defensive coordinators who consider recruiting part of their jobs.  Jimmy did not recruit and I sense Jerry was more interested in recruiting baseball players.

[MadRedFan]

I'm skeptical to a degree.  My issue is if it is true that recruiting has fallen off, why would you hire the recruiting coordinator? (one answer of course is that your first choice withdrew)

On the other hand, we can assume now there'll be a new recruiting coordinator, who'll bring a fresh approach, and there'll be a head coach who is not grampa's age (I apologize for saying this, I love John, and I know it's heresy), so maybe things will pick up.

Good questions tho about other changes - Haugen and Jimmy stay?

[chewey]

Majorly disappointed that they didn't hire Grant.  If the program's been falling off the last 3 years, why does it make sense to hire from within?  I think we may be in for a STU-esqe stage of mediocrity as when they had Don Roney and Mal Scanlan both of whom, I believe, had been assistant coaches.  Probably burned bridges with Grant and Ramler.  I'm sure Gary's a good coach but recruiting, which he's been in charge of, has fallen off massively and I think Grant would have sparked much more enthusiasm and would have done some different things with recruiting.  Too bad.

I agree with pretty much everything here, Chewey (although very smart guys on this board like Johnnie ESQ really made me think about other possibilities). Like I told someone, Larry Kehres has been a longtime assistant too. That turned out all right. Then again, so had Roney. But Scanlan, I think, was the longtime, highly successful coach at Cretin-Derham Hall before taking over as head coach at St. Thomas, which does show it's not easy being great at one level and taking it to the other.

But yeah, I wanted Grant or Ramler. But a lot of people who know more than me have a lot of trust in Fasching, so I look forward to great successes.

Great tweet from Reusse, regarding Grant withdrawing:

St. John's always has run a cheap football program. Gag did it w/ mirrors, but now that giant has risen in St. Paul, that's impossible.

Good points.  I did not know that Scanlan had been at CDH.  What concerns me in Hemaseth's statement is the stuff about FB being part of the total SJU experience, etc., etc.  While that is certainly true I get the feeling that the real emphasis on remaining competitive is beig understated, perhaps purposely.  While any respectable school is not going to state explicitly that football is all we're about and we're going to spend massive $$$ accordingly, I think all of the language in the public statement about FB being part of the broader community and part of the overall SJU academic experience is somewhat telling.  Grant may have indicated that he needed this or that and more coaches and more $$$$ to keep SJU competitive with STU, etc. and he may have been told that such a commitment was not realistic or something.  Too bad he withdrew.  SJU can't have an open checkbook but it's clear that they need to spend a lot more money on athletics.  If the last 3 years worth of sub-par (at least for SJU standards) football seasons doesn't accentuate that reality for the administration, I don't know what would.  I'm sure Jimmy has forgotten more about FB than I'll ever know and he's always been very nice and cordial to me, a contemporary at SJU when he attended there, I get the impression that he has a much different personality from John and may rub some players differently than John.

[CobberHawkeye]

Great tweet from Reusse, regarding Grant withdrawing:

St. John's always has run a cheap football program. Gag did it w/ mirrors, but now that giant has risen in St. Paul, that's impossible.

Listening to the radio discussion, Reusse mentioned that Grant wanted to expand the roster of assistant coaches, a point on which the administration balked.

[sfury]

It's pretty funny that Gagliardi's predecessor -- Johnny Blood McNally -- complained about how cheap St. John's was (a classic Gagliardi story). His longtime presumed successor, Grant, might have expressed similar complaints. In between those two, Gagliardi won 465 games at the school. Christ, we might have been underrating how impressive that record was.

[AO]

Congrats to Gary!  I'm uber excited to see what 2013 brings!!!    (Hopefully, a departure for Jimmy)

Is there any reason to believe Gary doesn't get along with Jimmy?

[DoubleO]

I'm skeptical to a degree.  My issue is if it is true that recruiting has fallen off, why would you hire the recruiting coordinator? (one answer of course is that your first choice withdrew)

On the other hand, we can assume now there'll be a new recruiting coordinator, who'll bring a fresh approach, and there'll be a head coach who is not grampa's age (I apologize for saying this, I love John, and I know it's heresy), so maybe things will pick up.

Good questions tho about other changes - Haugen and Jimmy stay?

I think your skepticism is completely normal. I can tell you I wasn't exactly doing cartwheels when I learned that UST had hired the HC from Mac and clearly that has proven to be the right decision. Trust that the guys that are/were making the decision know what's best for SJU and let the chips fall where they may.

That said, as solid of a choice as Caruso has been, equally as critical the UST's recent success if not more so was the administration's commitment to lend the resources needed to turn things around in St. Paul. I fear that if the SJU administration does not make the same commitment then Fasching doesn't have a chance to succeed. I have to imagine the SJU administration is well aware of the above stated fact.

[Johns Knees]

Congrats to Gary!  I'm uber excited to see what 2013 brings!!!    (Hopefully, a departure for Jimmy)

I've seen this anti-Jimmy sentiment a lot on here. I'm curious as to why. The last couple of years, the offense hasn't been the problem. The defense has been the reason for the decline.

I know Jimmy rubs a lot of people the wrong way (I've heard ex-players bitch about him), but he seems like an above average offensive coordinator. Do you think the Xs and Os are the problem on offense, or is it a lack of talent (which is Fasching's fault to an extent, no?).

I would agree that Jimmy probably doesn't do enough to recruit players. And that he rubs some guys the wrong way. But from an Xs and Os perspective, I think he does a decent job.

[Retired Old Rat]

Tweet from Frank:  Gary Fasching's hiring as head coach obviously opens up his position on the coaching staff and AD Tom Stock said there will also be a "small additional FTE increase."

That's not encouraging.

[sfury]

Tweet from Frank:  Gary Fasching's hiring as head coach obviously opens up his position on the coaching staff and AD Tom Stock said there will also be a "small additional FTE increase."

That's not encouraging.

What is FTE?

[Retired Old Rat]

Full Time Equivalent (as in headcount)

[AO]

Tweet from Frank:  Gary Fasching's hiring as head coach obviously opens up his position on the coaching staff and AD Tom Stock said there will also be a "small additional FTE increase."

That's not encouraging.

What is FTE?

Full Time Equivalent---Meaning they could hire new coaches, but will likely just give out raises.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

My inner Tommie is beaming brightly. We dodge the bullet of seeing a fireball recruiter, dynamic offensive innovator (Ramler) take the helm at SJU and we dodged the positive local media hype and alumni enthusiasm that would have followed a Grant hiring (as least short term). So basically  MOTS (more of the same), unless AD Stock has some budget increases for assistants/recruiting up his sleeve. 

Inner Tommie is hoping Jimmy G stays on the direct the offensive struggles but I see him returning to the business world.

What happens with Haugen? and who runs the offense? are two questions at this point unanswered.

[Retired Old Rat]

Was hoping Gary would have a stronger statement to open.

Did mention JV and intra squad games.  Good.

Changes in recruiting process:  Helpful to be head coach when off campus recruiting, title means a lot.  Improve on assistants recruiting.

Question from Mark Lewandowski about coaching changes.  Will sit down with everyone, has a few ideas.  Looking at some restructuring.

Question from Mark Lewandowski re. scheduling open dates for fall 2013.  No solid idea at this point.

Fr. Wilfred wants to know if the monks will still get free seats.  Gary reassures him they will.