duq81 wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

They finally mentioned our great legacy going back to Norm Nixon. Actually it stopped at Norm Nixon...

Actually, while Norm was great, we sucked while he was here too. We had one winning season with Nixon, a scintillating 14-11. We haven't actually been good since we went 20-5 in 1972. In the interim, we've had what I would call "nice teams", four times. Twice under Rice, and once each under RE, and Red Manning. Add to that 3 "decent" teams under RE, one under Carroll, and one under Satalin. That is it. In 43 years, 9 "acceptable" teams (no I don't count the 1977 team. They sucked, and got lucky when Keith Herron injured his ankle in the semis, and couldn't go in the Final.).
 

I think you understated this some.  In the last 37 years only one coach had consecutive winning seasons, and played for the A10 Championship, and he was fired!  The big question to me is how many more seasons will it take under Ferry to just get a winning season?
 

duq81 wrote:

CLK wrote:

duq81 wrote:

Actually, while Norm was great, we sucked while he was here too. We had one winning season with Nixon, a scintillating 14-11. We haven't actually been good since we went 20-5 in 1972. In the interim, we've had what I would call "nice teams", four times. Twice under Rice, and once each under RE, and Red Manning. Add to that 3 "decent" teams under RE, one under Carroll, and one under Satalin. That is it. In 43 years, 9 "acceptable" teams (no I don't count the 1977 team. They sucked, and got lucky when Keith Herron injured his ankle in the semis, and couldn't go in the Final.).
 

I think you understated this some.  In the last 37 years only one coach had consecutive winning seasons, and played for the A10 Championship, and he was fired!  The big question to me is how many more seasons will it take under Ferry to just get a winning season?
 

Mike Rice had consecutive winning seasons, and played for the league championship, and he was fired too. The point is how little we have done since Red retired. I appreciate what Ron did, but the fact that we consider his record great is an indicator of how bad we are, and have been. Jim Baron was run out of Rhode Island despite posting a vastly better record than Ron, and he came into a horrible situation at URI. This is not to bash Ron, it's more an indicator that the problems at DU are deep, and likely beyond just our coaches, when a very modest winning record is the high point for the program during a 40+ year period. This is the same program that once boasted of 55 winning seasons in 60 years. Yikes!

I'll always believe that the shooting is what kept RE from really getting the program rolling though. He really came in with tremendous energy, and his early recruiting looked like he was really going to get it done. Damn thugs!

When I was in school DU had the 5th best all time winning percentage in the nation.  Regrettably, the leadership of Fr Mac, Fr. Neste, and Dr. Murray and lack of funding killed the program. So I understand your point. I also not only appreciate what Ron did to raise the program from the dead to one game from the NCAA in his thrid year, but still maintain it was a horrible decision to not give him more time.  Nobody can prove to me that we would not be light years ahead of where we are now if Ron was given more time.  I don't want to hear about the turnover in his coaching staff or player turnover.  He had peanuts to hire assistants compared to what Ferry has.  No wonder some of his better assistants left for better jobs, and why he was forced to hire HS coaches.  Also, as for the player turnover Ferry has not had a good history of retaining players (we are so young excuse) and there will be more leaving after this dismal season.  This brick by brick BS from Ferry will fall apart after desperation to get better players sets in after this season.  

Last edited by CLK (1/03/2015 6:33 pm)

duq81 wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

They finally mentioned our great legacy going back to Norm Nixon. Actually it stopped at Norm Nixon...

Actually, while Norm was great, we sucked while he was here too. We had one winning season with Nixon, a scintillating 14-11. We haven't actually been good since we went 20-5 in 1972. In the interim, we've had what I would call "nice teams", four times. Twice under Rice, and once each under RE, and Red Manning. Add to that 3 "decent" teams under RE, one under Carroll, and one under Satalin. That is it. In 43 years, 9 "acceptable" teams (no I don't count the 1977 team. They sucked, and got lucky when Keith Herron injured his ankle in the semis, and couldn't go in the Final.).
 

'81 you are correct and 72-73 wa my senior year. I keep forgetting how average they were in the Nixon years. We were screwed as soon as Mickey Davis went to sit on the Condors bench..
 

Last edited by KenOTR73 (1/03/2015 7:19 pm)

[quote=duq81. This is the same program that once boasted of 55 winning seasons in 60 years. Yikes!

You know, much as I support the program, I look at that and have to say "Who the intercourse cares in this day and age?"  That's like old baseball fans talking about Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth.

Different game, didn't let blacks play in most schools. College hoop was an afterthought to most schools that mattered and before the tv money and March Madness.

And as others have pointed out or last bit of real glory and excellence was over 40 years ago and was done before the Norm Nixon era (the literal Nixon era if you will)!

No one on the national level cares about Dick Ricketts and Sihugo Green and most of the people who saw them play are dead!

55 out of 60 years when priests coached and there was a jump ball after each basket and no shot clock, doesn't mean anything anymore.