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[QUOTE="RF2044, post: 5283951, member: 40"]
Correction: I was adamant that we do due diligence, and identify / try to hire the best candidate that we could land.  And since the three internal candidates that were most discussed here were all flawed [Hopkins was failing / about to be fired by UW, and neither Red nor GMac had any experience nor any programs seeking to even hire them], by default it seemed like the best option would be to look outside the program.  I wasn't anti-guys within the program -- it's just that the available candidate pool who fit that criteria all sucked.

And why did I take that position?  Because the basketball program was already teetering on the precipice of irrelevancy in 2023, and a bad hire would set us back even more.

As stated earlier, JW opting to appease ex-players was a choice, not a mandate.  Two years later, we see how "engaged" a prominent ex-player like Derrick Coleman is, given what's unfolding on the court.  We've seen reports that the program is cash-strapped, and in dire straights financially -- so what exactly did appeasing boosters engaged with the program tangibly accomplish?

The "path with the least long term damage," as you put it, is actually the path that caused MORE damage -- to our product, to our brand, and to the quality of play on the court.  And now the NEXT coach will have an even bigger hole to dig their way out of to get SU basketball back on track.

I understand why JW did what he did as well.  But at the time, I believed it was a risky strategy.  And now that we see results, it seems increasingly like a bad move / poor decision.

Edit -- I agree 100% that JB put everyone involved -- the school, the ACs, the AD, etc. in a really bad position with his stubbornness.
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