While the results were definitely worse for Nee than Ferry, I thought the hiring of Ferry was worse. Nee brought Nebraska to five NCAA tournaments and won an NIT. His one year in between at Robert Morris was miserable, but I looked at that as more to do with the program than the coach. In hindsight, he was over the hill, and therefore a bad hire, but at the time I didn't think it was bad. Certainly I wished we had done better, but I was optimistic for his tenure.

Ferry did have a couple good years at LIU, but they came after eight mediocre years. I never bought in to him being the up and comer he was built up to be. He did clear the very low hurdle of being more successful than Nee, but coming after Everhart (especially since he was fired) he was a major disappointment.

This seems right. Does anybody have any insight as to why this didn't happen?

coffee wrote:

Not hiring Jarett Durham was inexcusable with the carousel of futility we had.

DuqBlue wrote:

PhoenixRising2 wrote:

DuqBlue wrote:

Great post. The only coaches that I can recall being fired with leaving the program better than when they found it were Carroll & Everhardt.

Dambrot is the first coach to retire and not be fired and I cant recall the last coach. I don’t know DU history before Rice.

Even though he may not have lived up to all of what was promised, he markedly improved the program. And fulfilled his biggest promise. Ending the drought and winning a tournament game.

I think that the program really turned around with his hiring of Dru. I am quite comfortable with Dambrot’s tenure on whole. Of course, in late January I would have had an entirely different answer to that question. Two months made a world of difference.

The last coach to retire was Red Manning in 1974.  His assistant, John Cinacola, took over the program.
The last assistant coach to be promoted to head coach was Mike Rice; this took place in 1978 after John Cinacola was fired.
 

Wasn’t Darelle Porter promoted from being an assistant coach of the Dukes?   

1974.  Wow.  We were a coaches graveyard.  That is in the past.   I want don’t ever want Dru to leave but if he does I want it be to because of all the success he had a Duquesne and a big school comes calling.

Thanks!  I stand corrected. In 1998, assistant coach Darelle Porter was named head coach replacing Scott Edgar. I have really tried to wipe this dark period from my mind. I would not say that Darelle was promoted; it was more like he was the last coach standing. Duquesne didn’t have money in the budget to pay a coach anywhere near the going salary in the A10; but Darelle took the job anyway since it was a huge raise for him. It went about as well as could be expected - in 3 seasons, Porter was 23-64, a .264 winning percentage (holding the Dukes record for futility).

"A Fish Rots from the Head" (Down)


I posted that phrase on the 1st- Duquesne Basketball message board, that came before the "Voyforum" board,, that proceeded this present day message forum. Yes, this present message board is the 3rd version of a Duquesne Basketball message board. I made that statement " A Fish Rots From The Head"  ( circa 1987) as a critic of Duqusene- AD Brian Colleary (1985 to 1989}. I don't know the exact date of when I posted but I remember taking 6-months for anyone to see and respond to that post. We're going back to the Stone Age of the internet ....basically "Inventing Fire" ...LOL... So I'm not surprised by the fact that it took someone almost year to reply to my message.

Googled it...... "By 1985 many upper level professionals were sending e-mail. For example, government and military employees, students and academic professionals were common users, though "general internet access" would not be commercially available till 1992-1993.

Bottom line- This statement holds true then, as it does today. "  A Fish Rots From Head" (Down).
When your leader the AD and above him the president of the University are not dedicated to elevating the program and do not see the potential good that successful basketball program would provide the University... then thats a BIG PORBLEM !!!!  Harper and Gormley had the foresight and vision of what a successful basketballl program could and would look like and mean to the university. Harper hired Dambrot... and well the rest is now Duquesne University folklore and history.

As far as the coach hires.... Ferry, Nee were the worst, with Ferry slightly worse than Nee...Also to this day... I think RE got a raw deal on how he was handled and never was given a real legit chance to suceed ..... between the shooting and loosing TJ McConnell etc,..

To this day, I don't know what all transpired that led to RE leaving ....If someone knows....about what really happened ???  Please post your thoughts.....

Go Dukes
 

Last edited by CalDuke (4/01/2024 1:32 am)

CLK wrote:

CalDuke, that would be the "Inside The Web" forum.  That was our first message board,  That forum went belly up and we moved to the Voy message board.  Voy was the wild west as it offered little administrative controls and we closed that site. The forum then moved to the Rivals "On The Bluff" message board.  That site went dark and with the new generation of message boards we moved here.  So, this site is actually the 4th version of The Duquesne Message Board.

Thanks for everything you have done when it comes to this community CLK. Can't say it enough.
 

I remember moving away from Pittsburgh in 1999 & being thrilled to find the original forum/board. About a year later,some of the radio broadcasts started being available online. Those 2 things were a lifeline for displaced Dukes fans even in those darkest days for the program.

PSN Exclusive: One On One With Duquesne MBB's Dru Joyce III - Pittsburgh Sports Now

Zac interviews out new coach.