[UVM Hoop Cat]

Just a matter of when not if w/ Christian.

BC basketball has become so completely irrelevant, even so I have a hard time seeing how they hire a third consecutive mid-major coach for the job and not try a different path. That said, feel like someone like Bill Coen would have an inside track from mid-major candidates

 

[Catamaniac]

I'd be curious to see if Becker could succeed where so many have failed... Pikell is doing great at Rutgers, but he was given time and support from the administration.

 

[catpower]

The only way Becker lands BC is if they strike out on multiple people first, and I think there's a lot of people ahead of him based on just my own understanding of coaching changes, and based on exactly what UVM Hoop Cat said...they've failed too many times going to the mid-major well. Becker isn't really any different from Steve Donohue, and Jim Christian's entire success at the mid-major level was taking over for programs on solid footing already. Becker isn't Pikiell. He never had to do what Pikiell had to do at both Stony Brook and Rutgers either. BC has to find its Pikiell or at least someone with cache to get good players and win at the power 5 level, and Becker isn't it.

 

[VT Cats Fan]

The only way Becker lands BC is if they strike out on multiple people first, and I think there's a lot of people ahead of him based on just my own understanding of coaching changes, and based on exactly what UVM Hoop Cat said...they've failed too many times going to the mid-major well. Becker isn't really any different from Steve Donohue, and Jim Christian's entire success at the mid-major level was taking over for programs on solid footing already. Becker isn't Pikiell. He never had to do what Pikiell had to do at both Stony Brook and Rutgers either. BC has to find its Pikiell or at least someone with cache to get good players and win at the power 5 level, and Becker isn't it.

That certainly makes sense...someone has been pimping Becker for this job, before the job was available, that's why it got my attention.

It is kind of a strange hiring world when guys who have been successful in sustaining programs over multiple recruiting cycles, aren't as desirable as someone with good, not great results but has turned the tides for programs they've been at.

I don't really care that much what happens, but in Becker's defense, yes, UVM was good under Lonergan and the last few years of Brennan's tenure, but Becker put his stamp on the program pretty quickly. It wasn't just a continuation of what Lonergan had done and it was a far cry from the teams that Brennan assembled.

 

[GoCatsGo]

I'm not sure BC can even strikeout enough times to where it falls in Becker's lap, because before they get to him I'm sure they call Howard Eisley and I don't know why he wouldn't say yes.

Would Eisley succeed? Eh, maybe, but probably not because BC has been so blah for so long and even when the ACC is bad it's still very good. But I'm sure a lot of people would feel good about themselves hiring one of "their guys."

 

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Dana O’Neil and Adam Zagoria have articles out including Becker as a candidate.

I’ve lived here long enough now and have met enough BC-connected people that should know the inner workings of this one very soon.

 

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Could John Becker do as good or better job in a situation like Rutgers or something similar? My personal opinion is of course he could but the difference between Pikiell and Becker is Pikiell has Jim Calhoun/UConn in his corner and Becker doesn’t have anything like that.

 

[umainealum]

I feel like this is a very tough job nowadays. Anyway, here are some of the names being floated about already:

The first batch of rumored names have been put out by ESPN College Basketball insider Jeff Borzello.
Borzello said that the following names have been “floating around the last few weeks as potential replacements” -

• Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser
• Former Michigan coach John Beilein
• Michigan assistant coach Howard Eisley
• St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt
• VCU head coach Mike Rhoades
• Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett

 

[charliemike]

BC is a wood chipper of a coaching job.

 

[charliemike]

I bet they hire Beilein unless no one wants to play for him anymore.

 

[GoCatsGo]

I bet they hire Beilein unless no one wants to play for him anymore.

I know his name is going to get mentioned a lot of places because he's not currently employed, and thus by definition the most available candidate everywhere, but...man, if I'm John Beilein, and I'm 68 years old and my finances are in order, I'm not coming back to get my ass dragged at Boston College. Nobody loves coaching that much.

 

[UVM Hoop Cat]

BC is a wood chipper of a coaching job.

The best thing Christian did at BC was able to stay for 7 years when it was obvious it wasn’t going to work. Let’s say conservatively his net was 7M-I haven’t even seen the contract, they probably have to pay him more to fire him, so that’s likely a low estimate. With 9% annual return, also conservative, he’s at $630K gross/year without having to leave his couch or step in a gym ever again.

TL; DR Christian won at BC- just not basketball games.

 

[Catamaniac]

That certainly makes sense...someone has been pimping Becker for this job, before the job was available, that's why it got my attention.

It is kind of a strange hiring world when guys who have been successful in sustaining programs over multiple recruiting cycles, aren't as desirable as someone with good, not great results but has turned the tides for programs they've been at.

I don't really care that much what happens, but in Becker's defense, yes, UVM was good under Lonergan and the last few years of Brennan's tenure, but Becker put his stamp on the program pretty quickly. It wasn't just a continuation of what Lonergan had done and it was a far cry from the teams that Brennan assembled.

Becker wants out of Burlington? I think has a very good deal going in Vermont. BC seems like an unstable hole. Then again, if he can cash out after a few years, that might work for him.

 

[jfromvt]

The Boston Globe has a list of potential candidates, and Becker isn’t on the list. I don’t see any fit here. If he ever leaves, it’s probably an A10 job or Ivy/Patriot if he wants to live in a metro area. Don’t see a leap to Power 5 or Big East.

 

[Mr quint]

Moser is going to be a big enough commodity that if I’m him, I’m hanging out and waiting for a Big 10 or Big 12 job. Schmidt would seem like a great option to me, if he’s interested. Has recruited well and won a lot.

I haven’t seen him on any list, and he’s probably not feasible given the recency and nature of his departure, but I’ll throw it out there anyway. What about Pat Chambers? His former players seem almost uniform in their support after he left Penn State. Probably too big of a leap from a p.r. standpoint.

 

[GoCatsGo]

Moser is going to be a big enough commodity that if I’m him, I’m hanging out and waiting for a Big 10 or Big 12 job. Schmidt would seem like a great option to me, if he’s interested. Has recruited well and won a lot.

I haven’t seen him on any list, and he’s probably not feasible given the recency and nature of his departure, but I’ll throw it out there anyway. What about Pat Chambers? His former players seem almost uniform in their support after he left Penn State. Probably too big of a leap from a p.r. standpoint.

Schmidt is a BC alum, and this wouldn't be the first time he was not someone's first choice but ended up as a success. He was 82-90 at Robert Morris when the Bonnies hired him...after getting passed on by both Will Brown and Mike Lonergan, to just name two.

Also got his coaching career started as an assistant at St. Mike's, as a neat little tidbit.

 

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Becker wants out of Burlington? I think has a very good deal going in Vermont. BC seems like an unstable hole. Then again, if he can cash out after a few years, that might work for him.

I don't think you need to look at it like it's a binary outcome. UVM can be a great situation, but so can an ACC job in Boston that triples your income.

Moser is going to be a big enough commodity that if I’m him, I’m hanging out and waiting for a Big 10 or Big 12 job. Schmidt would seem like a great option to me, if he’s interested. Has recruited well and won a lot.

I haven’t seen him on any list, and he’s probably not feasible given the recency and nature of his departure, but I’ll throw it out there anyway. What about Pat Chambers? His former players seem almost uniform in their support after he left Penn State. Probably too big of a leap from a p.r. standpoint.

My guess is Chambers is done. Canceled coaches do not usually get second chances.

 

[catpower]

Here's the Globe article:

Here are the likely candidates to become BC men’s basketball coach - The Boston Globe

Athletic director Pat Kraft will search for a replacement for Jim Christian, who was fired Monday

www.bostonglobe.com

Mentions Schmidt, Amaker, Eisley, Moser and Dennis Gates from Cleveland State, whose wife is an assistant AD at BC. The latter would be funny for the blatant nepotism, but he does have Cleveland State on the heels of Wright State at 15-3 in the Horizon. The current BC AD had a stop at Loyola in his past, so I imagine that's where the Moser talk is coming from. But, I'd agree he's not coming to Boston. If he wanted to move up he could wait for DePaul to open without having to move, but also Minnesota and Iowa State probably are going to open up and he'd be tops on those lists.

I would also agree with the anonymous people behind coaching changes on this tweet too:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1361386487821062145

 

[Catamaniac]

BC should go with Schmidt. The question: Does Becker go hard after the St. Bonnies job?

 

[plash.ricrem]

I think this is the one that may be of interest to Becker...

Plausible, but will they be interested in him? Have gone the mid major coach route the last 2 openings without much to show for it, and sounds like there are other options with better BC / Boston ties if they want that route, like Mark Schmidt.