I doubt the same guys that were headed to play at Illinois would follow Groce to Duquesne.  If they are B1G caliber players they will simply go to another P-5 school.  Groce was successful at OU, but apparently struggled to get players out of the City of Chicago during his tenure at Illinois, and that is crucial to success at Illinois.  I read that the AAU coaches in Chicago froze him out because they didn't know him, and didn't like him being hired out of Ohio.  I assume they wanted the Illini to hire someone with some Chicago roots, or at least a working knowledge of the Chicago basketball landscape.  Remember that he turned down Duquesne once, many years ago, and I don't see him taking that chance now, after being fired.  He needs to go somewhere with a lower risk of failure.  If he fails again, he'll be selling insurance.

levon, I say this with respect, you are  really a "Debbie Downer" lately.  Lower risk of failure?  You realize Groce is unemployed now? Not that I want him, but with the money DU is offering I believe Harper will hire the right guy. If Groce is his man he will get him.  Harper knows what he is doing unlike the clowns that held the AD job before.

Not sure but I don't think this article from the PG today about the coaching search made it to this thread:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/duquesne/2017/03/14/Duquesne-coaching-search-jim-ferry-fired-king-rice-brian-gregory-matt-driscoll-mark-gottfried-mike-rice-brandin-knight/stories/201703140120

Steel city AJ wrote:

Ferry shouldn't have been fired. It will just be another 5 year job for someone who's trying to turn things around and they will be fired. This administration has no patience. Had no patience with RE. Ferry had two really good freshman and a good recruiting class coming in. It just took 4-5 years to finally get players. He should have got at least another year. The only player that will be here with the new coach will be Tarin Smith, Eric James and walk ons. JROB and rene will graduate and transfer or quit basketball. Spencer will transfer, Sanders will go play in the MAAC closer to NY. After they hire the new coach Smith will have graduated and will play his last year at another school. However this is old news

I would hire Mike Rice if i were the AD. He has a bad history but he understands what type of job duquesne is and will be looking to redeem himself. He might not even be interested in this job. Duquesne is one of the worst jobs in D1 coaching jobs. Mike is  Someone who can get tough kids because at duquesne you are not going to out recruit other schools in the A10. Thats one thing that 99.9% of the people on this board don't understand. Hiring a coach that was at a low major school will no be the move because they will be shell shocked once they find out how duquesne operates. These renovations aren't going to happen for another two-three years, try selling that to recruits that we will play at AJP for a year then goto PPG, then play at the convention center for a year...

Insanity= doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. 

 

4-25 in his last 29 A10 games. That will get you fired anywhere.
 

Mizzou just hired Cuonzo Martin. They were considered a leader for Keatts.

levon1975 wrote:

Duques102 wrote:

ElDuque wrote:

If you can't get the King, the prince just might be hungry for redemption.

I don't like Mike Rice solely for the baggage he brings. Could see it being a huge hurdle for recruiting and the media backlash would be rough, especially after seeing how they reaponded to a deserved firing.

Mike is a winner, first and foremost.  Duquesne is a Catholic School and it would be Christ-like to give him another chance to prove he has changed his approach.  I would certainly do my due diligence in vetting him fully as to his behavior after the incidents at Rutgers, but I would have no problem with interviewing Mike and giving him a fair shot to get back into coaching. 
Likewise, I would consider former GW coach Mike Lonergan.  He is an excellent basketball coach.  I've read a few accounts of his dismissal at GW and I wonder how much of it was due to his dispute with the AD.  The guy can coach, and the players certainly performed well for him during his time at GW. 

If I am the AD I would not take a chance on either of them. Too much risk. There are better options.
 

Whenever I hear stories of bad behavior by coaches I am reminded of my junior high basketball coach.  He was our phys ed teacher and he had served in the Marines in the South Pacific during WW2.  He had us do close order drills before each gym class.  I, and every other boy in my class, was called a "big baby" by him on numerous occasions.

During one of our basketball games, which we played in the afternoon in front of the entire student body and faculty, one of my classmates happened to throw 3 consecutive inbounds passes to the same player on the other team that resulted in easy layups.  Counting the first made basket they scored 8 points in about 8 seconds.

After the third turnover our coach then yelled at the top of his lungs, "If you throw the ball away again I'm going to shove a red hot poker up your @$$."  I remember sitting on the bench along with my teammates and all of us biting our lips so as not to laugh and be the next to have his wrath fall upon us. 

Every time we have a high school reunion that story is told and we all have a good laugh.  Times sure have changed.




 

indygjm wrote:

CLK wrote:

levon1975 wrote:

Mike is a winner, first and foremost.  Duquesne is a Catholic School and it would be Christ-like to give him another chance to prove he has changed his approach.  I would certainly do my due diligence in vetting him fully as to his behavior after the incidents at Rutgers, but I would have no problem with interviewing Mike and giving him a fair shot to get back into coaching. 
Likewise, I would consider former GW coach Mike Lonergan.  He is an excellent basketball coach.  I've read a few accounts of his dismissal at GW and I wonder how much of it was due to his dispute with the AD.  The guy can coach, and the players certainly performed well for him during his time at GW. 

If I am the AD I would not take a chance on either of them. Too much risk. There are better options.
 

Mike Rice's 3 year record in the NEC was .703.  When he stepped up to a more difficult conference, his 3 year record dropped to .464 and he imploded under the pressure.  No thank you.  Particularly if Duquesne is going to pay that rumored salary.
 

Selective stats here? Did he spend 3 years in both positions? No. Then not real stats. Rutgers improve with Rice, but Mike did have issues with the pressure.  Did you look up what Mike Rice has been doing since leaving Rutgers. I did. He's coaching and training top HS recruits. He kept in the game. At 47 years old, he is wiser, most likely learned by his mistakes,  and can most likely not only coach at the A-10 level, but in his present position, out recruit most other candidates and most likely will better  relate and  teach young recruits than any other candidate that we could possibly get to come to the bottom of the barrel  basketball program that Ferry created for us.  Open up your eyes man, Ferry drove us into the ground!! . No one wants to come here, really, except another Ferry, just for the money only, then just drive us deeper in the hole  while collecting our foolish money. But Mike Rice has the best reason to come here  and it's not for the money.. BUT, if we attract someone here  just for the money, then we will only get us another Ferry. Think about it.  If you were an up  and coming really good coach, would you come to DU?  I hope that big-time nation-wide search doesn't pull up another dud. My advise, find someone that would want to come here for a really good reason, and  not just for the money.   . 

 I originally tried to post this 2 hours after the official announcement of Ferry being let go. The underlying message is still valid to today as it was 3 days ago.

As a long suffering Duquesne Dukes fan since the last time we went to the Big Dance. I currently live in Davis California... as you know UCDavis is going to NCAA's for 1st time ever. If you want to see a coach that get's it done and actually knows how to coach a game making adjustments check out UC Davis Jim Les. This guy is a motivator a leader and a man  with conviction and drive. None of the qualities that I EVER saw in Ferry..

Now I know that I'm an observer from afar but can tell when I look in a man face can see a detect a look of bewilderment and confusion in a person’s face and eyes. During the game he has look like he is  perplexed.almost clueless as to what was happening before him. And when the team doesn’t win, his go to excuse is to throw the players under the bus. We are too young or were not fast enough or not big enough.  I never heard him  say one time  " this game is on me, I called the wrong play or  I did n't get these guys  properly prepared. Yet every time the TV would cut to the opposite team's coach you would see a person that was engaged in the moment. more involved with his players, extolling, encouraging. I don't know about you but that's the coach I would want to play for .  I never saw any of that from Ferry. Most of the time it was just a blank stare.  Ferry was not a leader in my mind. He may be a  nice guy but that alone is not enough.

What we need in our new  basketball head coach at Duquesne is a leader. Which brings me back to the Coach at UC Davis, Jim Les was former point guard  at Bradley played in the NBA ...Coached as Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA), Head Coach Bradley, before joining UC Davis in May 2011. Here's his bio  http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jim_les_752342.html

Also check out when they play NC-Central/ UC-Davis in the prelim game winner to face no 1 seed Kansas.  

I think this guy can be had , but it ain't going to be easy. It's going to take $$$$$

The only thing I beg and ask of Harper is not to be just give "lip-service" to making a Nationwide search and actually do it. He must do anything and everything he can do to keep our current recruits at Duquesne.  And to all the tightwads in the Administration.... it's time put up or shut up. This WILL BE  most likely the last time to straighten out the over 35 years of neglect and abuse that they have subjected the Duquesne University fan base, coaches and players. In my mind they have may have already destroyed the Duquesne Basketball  "Brand" that took the previous 70 years to create. Let's hope it's not too late to resuscitate “OUR” once proud program.

Last edited by CalDuke (3/16/2017 7:37 am)

I hope I got it right.
Harper wants from a team
    Defend and guard
    Efficient offense
   Rebound well
    Mental and physical toughness
A bit of insight on why Ferry was fired.



 

Harper's 4 or 5 things he expects from the new coach, as listed above, are a welcome relief - been waiting since Nee to hear this kind of common sense.  We at least know his essentials and for first time in long time have confidence in an admin & AD looking in right direction.

I know he's currently engaged looking for a new coach, but the media owes Mr. Harper an interview. I don't get the impression we are "the same old Duquesne" when I see Dr, Gormley rooting like a real fan at games, when Mr. Harper is engaging with alumni and fans, and when I hear at least one Board member supports the program.

I'd suspect more is going on behind the scenes.

As in we're working to restore credibility.

The firing of Ferry was the first step, I suspect.

Simms wrote:

Can we stop implying that no one will come to Duquesne?  None of you know this.  No one knows what candidates will accept the position until Harper announces our next coach.  Stop judging the job based upon past expectations.  1 million dollars over 5 years is enough money to retire indefinitely.  I think that plenty of coaches would jump at the opportunity, especially if we offered new facilities and a new administration.  If we hire Mike Rice, great, but until then, let's be patient and see.  We all have our choices, but I hope that regardless of who is chosen we rally behind them.  This includes retreads like Groce.  

Exactly right Simms, I think we are at the point where enough is moving in a positive direction that it simply won't be the "same old Duquesne" situation. People who take that stance clearly haven't done their research or are too lazy to look around and see what is going on with the program. I have a lot of optimism going forward and believe we will be competitive in terms of attracting a high level coach. As you mentioned, the $$$ that is rumored to be offered to the next guy is NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE.

You now are looking at a job opportunity with 7 figure pay, state of the art renovations on the horizon to your facilities, some established talent, an ad and president who have outwardly made it apparent they are committed to turning things around, and a beautiful campus in the heart of "the most livable city in the US". The arena with the renovations could create an intimate awesome atmosphere to watch a game with 4,500 screaming fans right on top of you. With an enrollment of 10,000 this is probably the perfect size anyway. Any team that is slightly competitive should sell games out and create a little exclusivity to attending games.

Life is about perception. You can take the tired old view, or you can see what is happenning right now and be excited.

Plus $$$ talks, and we are finally putting it where our mouth is.