How would this hire be perceived publicly after they spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire this crack team search firm?

Have to think that $1mm salary that was supposed to be available to the next guy was bullshit. At least the ball state guy would have probably jumped at that making $250,000.

Hey, we could prob offer the iup guy $250,000 and he'd probably skip into taking the job.

I like the idea, but a tough way to start for a guy that young. 

I actually suggested Joe Lombardi after Ron Everhart was fired.  In retrospect, I doubt we would have done worse with him.

cjfitz21 wrote:

If you wanna take the D2 route I'd look at Patrick Beilein at Le Moyne. They had a pretty good year. He's only 33. Up and coming guy. 

Lombardi has extensive D1 experience as an assistant. Not only that, but he has a much longer track record than Beilein. This is no job for a kid like Beiliein.

Last edited by duq81 (3/24/2017 3:07 pm)

Dukes2012 wrote:

duq81 wrote:

cjfitz21 wrote:

If you wanna take the D2 route I'd look at Patrick Beilein at Le Moyne. They had a pretty good year. He's only 33. Up and coming guy. 

Lombardi has extensive D1 experience as an assistant. He'd likely stay here 10-12 years if he's successful. I've really warmed up to the idea.
 

My one worry with Lombardi is recruiting. It would be important for him to assemble a quality staff with D1 experience and recruiting ties.

Lombardi coached at Pitt, as well as at Bona, and LaSalle.
 

The current situation reminds me of Buzz Ridl who coached at Westminster.

Ridl took over for Timmons at PItt and managed to get Pitt to the NCAA tournament.  Ridl
finished at PItt with a 97-83 record.

Ridl and his assistant, Fran Webster, devised the very effective amoebe defense.

I don't think that a current version of that bit of history will happen again but, the point is, considering the state of the program now and the lack of viable options, Lombardi could become another version of  Ridl and might be the best hire.

levon1975 wrote:

I like the idea, but a tough way to start for a guy that young.

I actually suggested Joe Lombardi after Ron Everhart was fired. In retrospect, I doubt we would have done worse with him.

I would have no problem with Lombardi being hired now just as I'd have had no problem with hiring him 5 years ago.

 

Econ69 wrote:

The current situation reminds me of Buzz Ridl who coached at Westminster.

Ridl took over for Timmons at PItt and managed to get Pitt to the NCAA tournament.  Ridl
finished at PItt with a 97-83 record.

Ridl and his assistant, Fran Webster, devised the very effective amoebe defense.

I don't think that a current version of that bit of history will happen again but, the point is, considering the state of the program now and the lack of viable options, Lombardi could become another version of  Ridl and might be the best hire.

Boy, was Pitt awful when Ridl was hired. I think they won 4 games his first year, and lost to CMU. Not Central Michigan, Carnegie-Mellon. He turned it around though.

duqkurt wrote:

This is truly the most incompetent Athletic department ever assembled

Nah, they have plenty of company, including right up Forbes Ave.