New Assistant: Dan Engelstad [Official]

[djorange1989]

Hemming and hawing about what a former mid/low majors coach record is probably isn't the best way to judge this hire. Pitino has Steve Masiello on the bench with him and like our guy he was under .500 in the MAAC.

The funny thing is people here would have been fine hiring Mike Boynton who was barely over .500 at a high major with legit talent on his roster. The guy who had worse talent probably is a better coach of basketball than a guy who collected talent and didn't win sht.

Exactly! The guy had a great record at his first college head coaching gig. That didn’t translate to a good record at MSM. At the same time, not having a good head coaching record at MSM doesn’t mean he won’t be a good lead assistant/recruiter either. Red is the head coach.

 

[SuFTW]

Or it could be viewed that leffew would only come here if we hired his coach. I would say that is the prevailing theory that comes to mind. Too much of a coincidence.

Hire a full time coach to get a player for one year? I don’t think so.

 

[two3zone]

Appreciate this, but here are more facts.

- Ultimately, the goal is to compete for a national title. Despite us winning only once, having a top 4 seed makes you a legitimate contender most years. We have not been a top 4 seed since the 2014 tournament.
- There have been exactly 1 team to win the championship as an 8 seed or worse. We have been a #8 seed or better exactly once in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments (2019 - 8 seed).
- There have been exactly 7 teams to make the final four as a 10 or 11 seed since the field expanded since 1985. That's 7 times in nearly 40 years. Not very likely.
- Prior to 2014-15 (again, 10 season span), we had 10 seasons of 10+ losses in 40 years -- since 1983-84. From 2014-15 to present, we have had 10 loss seasons each year.
- Additionally, our winning percentage each of those years was sub .650 every single time - including sub .600 6 times. In the 10 years that we had 10 losses in that 40 year span, our winning percentage was: .750, .737, .600, .686, .657, .639, .636, .594, .667, .688. Meaning just ONCE -- 1996-97, when Winfred Walton (RIP) was ineligible and we had a historically young team - did we not have a .600+ winning percentage. That has happened SIX times in 10 years.

It has been a decade of mediocrity. And historic mediocrity at that. If you are telling us that Jim Boeheim was responsible for this, and we should temper expectations of consistent winning at that level, I would retort "Why?". We are resourced to win at a high level.

The demise is not exaggerated. We have been historically bad comparative to our program's history. And we have been average at best for a decade in a league that has, for the most part, been relatively mediocre as well.

I am hopeful Autry gets this rolling. But do not downplay how bad the last 10 years have been. 2-3 runs in the NCAA Tournament don't change anything.

 

[two3zone]

Hire a full time coach to get a player for one year? I don’t think so.

Happens quite a bit.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Hire a full time coach to get a player for one year? I don’t think so.

Don't be surprised if Engel moves on after 1-2 years. We can and should expect to do a lot better than this.

 

[SuFTW]

Happens quite a bit.

I know it may happen at times, but I don’t think we have reached that level of desperation.

 

[two3zone]

I know it may happen at times, but I don’t think we have reached that level of desperation.

I don't disagree and you'd think it would be a higher caliber player.

 

[Domedog84]

Don't be surprised if Engel moves on after 1-2 years. We can and should expect to do a lot better than this.

Are you talking about the coach or the player? I agree that we should never hire a coach for a player at Leffew's level. I think he is a nice player, but that would be crazy.

Why is hiring Engelstad such a bad move? Who would be better? Do you think a head coach with a great record would become an assistant? This is how it works.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We aren’t hiring this guy just to get Leffew. C’mon.

 

[CousCuse]

Don't be surprised if Engel moves on after 1-2 years. We can and should expect to do a lot better than this.

He must have really flailed when you interviewed him.

 

[Cusedad2X]

We aren’t hiring this guy just to get Leffew. C’mon.

The nay sayers with the deliver one player/one year narrative may want to look at the 2026 Top 20 SG Jordan Smith's list of offers. That may be another very useful connection for our new assistant coach.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Don't be surprised if Engel moves on after 1-2 years. We can and should expect to do a lot better than this.

Name them.

 

[SuFTW]

The nay sayers with the deliver one player/one year narrative may want to look at the 2026 Top 20 SG Jordan Smith's list of offers. That may be another very useful connection for our new assistant coach.

? Just because he was offered by Mt St Mary’s? Is there more of a connection than that?

Because we already have these connections:

“Smith is a sophomore at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., a program where Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was an assistant coach a while back.

On the AAU circuit, Smith is a part of the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league. Team Takeover is an excellent grassroots basketball program where both Autry and ‘Cuse assistant coach Brenden Straughn previously served as assistants.”

Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Jordan Smith Jr., top-10 prospect, plans to visit ‘Cuse

Jordan Smith Jr., a highly touted prospect out of the talent-rich Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, says he will visit Syracuse basketball at some point. Smi

insidetheloudhouse.com

 

[RF2044]

Respectfully disagree. You never take for granted or dismiss runs in March Madness. Yes, some of those regular seasons were subpar compared to Cuse/JB history and JB let the program decline on his watch, especially when it came to roster construction, but post season success and March Madness is ultimately what matters. Every program is trying to have success in March and make Final Fours.

Of course it matters.

Who's taking anything for granted? I was in Chicago when we knocked off Gonzaga / UVa, and in Houston later than year for the F4. I was in Detroit when we knocked off higher seed Michigan State Tyus Battle's sophomore year. Those games were amazing and exciting, highlights of the last 10 years, really.

So certainly, postseason performance matters -- but it isn't the ONLY thing that matters. Suggesting so is a rationalization that sweeps systemic issues that were evident throughout that 8 year decline under the rug, because they're unpleasant to acknowledge in real time.

And even if we take at face value that the postseason is all that matters, then the fact that we missed postseason play 3 out of JB's last 4 years [and 4 out of the last 5 overall now, and 6 out of the last 10] should be a big problem for anyone advocating the viewpoint that March Madness is the end all be all.

Instead of ignoring that the foundation was eroding and inhibiting the program's ability to participate in March Madness.

 

[Cusedad2X]

? Just because he was offered by Mt St Mary’s? Is there more of a connection than that?

Because we already have these connections:

“Smith is a sophomore at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., a program where Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was an assistant coach a while back.

On the AAU circuit, Smith is a part of the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league. Team Takeover is an excellent grassroots basketball program where both Autry and ‘Cuse assistant coach Brenden Straughn previously served as assistants.”

Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Jordan Smith Jr., top-10 prospect, plans to visit ‘Cuse

Jordan Smith Jr., a highly touted prospect out of the talent-rich Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, says he will visit Syracuse basketball at some point. Smi

insidetheloudhouse.com

Understood, we all know our previously existing DMV connections. No inside knowledge...But, it surely can't hurt if recruit and new coach also know each other.

 

[ar inj]

Don't be surprised if Engel moves on after 1-2 years. We can and should expect to do a lot better than this.

Define better. Give me three names that you, who are not a decision maker, would, have hired. And how do you know if they had any interest in coming to SU. Please do not forget to provide empirical evidence has to why and how your choice would, w/o any doubt or reservation, have been a better choice.

 

[djorange1989]

Define better. Give me three names that you, who are not a decision maker, would, have hired. And how do you know if they had any interest in coming to SU. Please do not forget to provide empirical evidence has to why and how your choice would, w/o any doubt or reservation, have been a better choice.

Here are his top 3:

Franco’s cousin
Franco’s accountant
Franco himself

Not necessarily in that order

 

[FrancoPizza]

Name them.

I’d take that Murray guy from UConn. Whatever he makes double it.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’d take that Murray guy from UConn. Whatever he makes double it.

And they match whatever it takes for a lateral move. That guys only move is to be a HC.

 

[djorange1989]

And they match whatever it takes for a lateral move. That guys only move is to be a HC.

Your use of reality and logic will not go over well..

 

[jncuse]

102 Schools that have been in Top 25 Regular Season Polls on or after January 1, since 2015

Alabama
Arizona
Arizona St
Arkansas
Auburn
Baylor
Boise St
Buffalo
Butler
BYU
California
Cincinnati
Clemson
College of Charleston
Colorado
Colorado St
Creighton
Davidson
Dayton
Drake
Duke
Florida
Florida Atlantic
Florida St
Gonzaga
Houston
Illinois
Indiana
Indiana St
Iowa
Iowa St
James Madison
Kansas
Kansas St
Kentucky
Louisville
Loyola
LSU
Marquette
Maryland
Memphis
Michigan
Michigan St
Miami
Middle Tennessee St
Minnesota
Miss St
Missouri
Murray St
NC St
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
Northwestern
Northern Iowa
Notre Dame
Old Dominion
Ohio St
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St
Ole Miss
Oregon
Penn St
Pitt
Providence
Purdue
Rhode Island
Richmond
Rutgers
St. Louis
St. Mary's
San Diego St
Seton Hall
SMU
South Carolina
South Florida
St John's
TCU
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
UCF
UCLA
UConn
UNC
USC
Utah
Utah St
VCU
Villanova
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Washington
Washington St
West Virginia
Wichita St
Wisconsin
Wofford
Wyoming
Xavier
* Furman Dec 17, Georgetown Dec 21

P6 Schools not on the above list
Boston College
Depaul
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Oregon St
Stanford
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest

 

[Domedog84]

And they match whatever it takes for a lateral move. That guys only move is to be a HC.

And then maybe after he flames out at a MAAC school we can hire him and people will complain.

 

[djorange1989]

I’d take that Murray guy from UConn. Whatever he makes double it.

Are you the guy who calls into a sports talk radio show and suggests the Yankees need to get off their butts and trade a .150 hitting Single A shortstop to the Dodgers for Ohtani?

 

[FrancoPizza]

Are you talking about the coach or the player? I agree that we should never hire a coach for a player at Leffew's level. I think he is a nice player, but that would be crazy.

Why is hiring Engelstad such a bad move?

How about the fact that nobody has a good bead on why he was hired in the first place? Several other asst coach names were dropped as logical, strategic hires and then we get this guy who - just coincidentally - coached leffew.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Anyone who thinks they know what type of assistant coach this guy will be is kidding themselves to the point of delusion.
You have no idea what is good at or what Red is going to ask him to do. You have no idea how well he communicates with young men. How can you seriously opine on his future success at SU? You have nothing to go on for this position.