Right...was a kid promised a scholarship and then not get one?
Coaching Situation at albany
61 - 80 of 80 Posts
Joined
·
108 Posts
Albany/Killings wants you to think it was in the pregame hype circle… everything before this announcement pointed to a massive cover-up that implicated Benson. So I’m inclined to believe that I’d still the case
Joined
·
2,342 Posts
There has to be way more to this incident.
First, there is a big difference between DK's original claim of "accidental contact" vs. UA's finding of "inappropriate contact." What really happened in this hype-circle?
Second, UA makes it clear that the incident was not reported when it occurred (11/24/2021) and was subsequently investigated immediately when it was reported on 2/24/2022. The University clearly comes out looking like they had zero culpability in this event and took responsible actions when they were informed.
I still can't wrap my head around the contradiction that what DK did was inappropriate enough to warrant a serious penalty, yet less than termination. However this "physical contact" between a coach-player was so inappropriate that is was not reported by the 'victim' or witnesses for 2 months.
I feel for many UA fans because DK comes out looking very bad and has had to apologize. Whereas there is absolutely no public signs of any wrongdoing by the AD, despite the clumsy and opaque manner in which the entire situation was handled.
First, there is a big difference between DK's original claim of "accidental contact" vs. UA's finding of "inappropriate contact." What really happened in this hype-circle?
Second, UA makes it clear that the incident was not reported when it occurred (11/24/2021) and was subsequently investigated immediately when it was reported on 2/24/2022. The University clearly comes out looking like they had zero culpability in this event and took responsible actions when they were informed.
I still can't wrap my head around the contradiction that what DK did was inappropriate enough to warrant a serious penalty, yet less than termination. However this "physical contact" between a coach-player was so inappropriate that is was not reported by the 'victim' or witnesses for 2 months.
I feel for many UA fans because DK comes out looking very bad and has had to apologize. Whereas there is absolutely no public signs of any wrongdoing by the AD, despite the clumsy and opaque manner in which the entire situation was handled.
The thing that doesn't add up for me is that the investigation apparently began in late February. Coach Killings letter is dated April 2nd. Why wasn't the letter written back at the start of the investigation?
Whatever, though. Not my place to be sticking my nose in any further...
Whatever, though. Not my place to be sticking my nose in any further...
Joined
·
7,282 Posts
Looks like this situation has come back.
dailygazette.com
Former UAlbany men’s basketball player Fizulich sues coach Killings, athletic director Benson, university - The Daily Gazette
ALBANY — Former University at Albany men’s basketball player Luke Fizulich has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Great Danes head coach Dwayne Killings, athletic director Mark Benson and the university, stemming from a pre-game incident involving the player and coach in November 2021. File
dailygazette.com
Joined
·
3,518 Posts
Does anyone besides me, miss Will Brown?
No... program sucked for a long time and stopped producing. DK situation doesn't change that.
Not my school, but this is a good take. One situation being bad doesn't make the other one good.
Joined
·
3,518 Posts
Am I missing something? Albany had 5 tournament championships under Brown. He became one of the better end of season coaches in the league. I was always worried, as a UVM fan when the Cats met the Danes in the playoffs. I understand that more recently the team had not met expectations, but to say the program sucked for a long time seems pretty harsh.
I was disappointed when I heard that Brown's contract wasn't renewed, but I guess that's just me.
Everything in bold is true. But in my opinion, the Will Brown Experience had gotten stagnant and Albany seemed to be spinning its wheels for the better part of the last 5 years. They were starting to slip down the standings, and as much as "Postseason Albany" was a calling card of his for a number of years, they went out in the AE Quarters 5 out of his last 6 seasons.
Will Brown had some awesome years, built a big trophy case, and if there was an AE Hall of Fame he'd be in it. But from my vantage point (again, not following Albany day-to-day), the program seemed to have lost a bit of its luster without any real good ideas as to how to get it back. It didn't seem like he was "one year away" or anything like that.
Joined
·
34,712 Posts
Brown had a lot of success at Albany as first D1 coach in the AE and built some truly great teams/had some huge & memorable conference wins vs UVM, Stony Brook.
Albany was clearly descending as a program over a multi-year period towards the end of his tenure.
I think both of these things are true.
Albany was clearly descending as a program over a multi-year period towards the end of his tenure.
I think both of these things are true.
Joined
·
34,712 Posts
I'll also add, thus far it does not seem like Killings is the answer.
If Futzlich actually has the receipts that Killings was telling other coaches not to take him based on texts and or (if it gets to this point, making other coaches say so in sworn affidavits or whatever/how that process will work, I'm not a lawyer), he has a case to at least get some restitution for it. Probably so that it won't matter which schools told him no...and had very different reasons for doing so (as in, he probably isn't a D1 player to begin with).
The white kid making it a racial issue...will not win in the court of public opinion, and is certainly way harder to prove anyhow. It's also not what the case focus. Unless he's eyeing a career at Newsmax when he's done.
Killings hasn't been impressive thus far. Some of that seems slightly unlucky (injuries), plus his guys are young, and seem like they could be good in a year or two if healthy. At the same time, he comes off the same way a guy he worked under, Pat Chambers, came off to me: pretty phony. Also, seems like as a young head coach he is doing some learning on the job, with not good results (meaning he's not learning or not good at it). But, when you have friends in good places like Chambers did, you can weather a storm and eventually land on your feet, whatever the outcome may be.
The 2017 AE title game was the beginning of the end for Will Brown. He had UVM on the ropes, UVM actually showed resolve and came back to win. Next year, another solid season, but first round exit in the AE tourney. Then, Cremo and Nichols left, he had some bad recruiting classes that didn't live up to anything with a returning core that was average, and you get the last 3 seasons of his tenure, where it did not look like it was going to get better. I know he's doing all that Patroons stuff, but I think if he wanted another shot at college coaching, he could maybe get it...but, he'd probably also have to consider D2 and D3 as well (the latter might not be so bad especially if it's a solid school and you can get an AD role on top of it).
The white kid making it a racial issue...will not win in the court of public opinion, and is certainly way harder to prove anyhow. It's also not what the case focus. Unless he's eyeing a career at Newsmax when he's done.
Killings hasn't been impressive thus far. Some of that seems slightly unlucky (injuries), plus his guys are young, and seem like they could be good in a year or two if healthy. At the same time, he comes off the same way a guy he worked under, Pat Chambers, came off to me: pretty phony. Also, seems like as a young head coach he is doing some learning on the job, with not good results (meaning he's not learning or not good at it). But, when you have friends in good places like Chambers did, you can weather a storm and eventually land on your feet, whatever the outcome may be.
The 2017 AE title game was the beginning of the end for Will Brown. He had UVM on the ropes, UVM actually showed resolve and came back to win. Next year, another solid season, but first round exit in the AE tourney. Then, Cremo and Nichols left, he had some bad recruiting classes that didn't live up to anything with a returning core that was average, and you get the last 3 seasons of his tenure, where it did not look like it was going to get better. I know he's doing all that Patroons stuff, but I think if he wanted another shot at college coaching, he could maybe get it...but, he'd probably also have to consider D2 and D3 as well (the latter might not be so bad especially if it's a solid school and you can get an AD role on top of it).
Joined
·
1,974 Posts
Killings to be arraigned in Madison County, Kentucky Court on Monday, charged with 4th degree assault with no visible injury, a Class A misdemeanor.
dailygazette.com
UAlbany men's basketball coach Killings scheduled for arraignment Monday in Kentucky on charge stemming from November 2021 locker room incident - The Daily Gazette
UAlbany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in a Kentucky court on an assault charge stemming from the locker room incident in November 2021 that led to Killings serving a five-game suspension earlier this season and has resulted in the player involved in the i
dailygazette.com
Just when you're starting to think "OK, Killings has been sufficiently raked over the coals for this," hey look! More coals! What an ordeal.Killings to be arraigned in Madison County, Kentucky Court on Monday, charged with 4th degree assault with no visible injury, a Class A misdemeanor.
UAlbany men's basketball coach Killings scheduled for arraignment Monday in Kentucky on charge stemming from November 2021 locker room incident - The Daily Gazette
UAlbany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in a Kentucky court on an assault charge stemming from the locker room incident in November 2021 that led to Killings serving a five-game suspension earlier this season and has resulted in the player involved in the i
Joined
·
236 Posts
What did he actually do? Assault in hype circle? I would think that Boysi would know or have some idea.
Joined
·
924 Posts
The official story was that he was in the locker room and challenging the players to play with more anger, as they were playing "soft". They needed to get mad, be more aggressive. They hadn't won a game yet last season and DK was trying to get them hyped up. Apparently, in this situation he was pushing players saying "get angry!' When he pushed Fizulich it was apparently pretty hard and he hit the locker. UA had their first win of the season in that game. Luke played as much or more than I have seen a walk-on play before last year (Ketner last year and Jackson this year are both close if not more PT but that's irrelevant). Flash forward to February and Luke finds out that he probably isn't getting a scholarship for the 22-23 season and he flips out. His parents go to the administration about the incident several months earlier, which starts an investigation, which was going to get DK fired, but local community groups protested which saved his job. He got a 5 game suspension and had to donate $25k to local charities as a fine. At this point Luke sues the school and DK, which escalated the charges in Kentucky which is why he is being arraigned today.
That's the official story as far as I am aware of it. I could be missing details or wrong on others. With that being the story, I stand firmly behind DK, as I feel coaches need to challenge their players, I don't mind "contact with no visible signs of injury" from a coach in a pregame hype session, and I feel that this is a case of Fizulich looking for a payday because he didn't get his trophy for showing up.
All of that said, I could be missing details or things could be worse than what had been explained to me and maybe DK deserves to be fired and maybe Like deserves a payday, but with what I currently know, I just don't see it.
Joined
·
7,282 Posts
Sounds like US Soccer.
UAlbany basketball coach Killings pleads not guilty in alleged assault of player
University at Albany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings pleaded not guilty to an...
He plead not guilty.
Also, the NY suit that had the stuff saying that Futzlitch was discriminated (for lack of a better word) against because he was white was thrown out, predictably (don't know which lawyer thought that was a good idea...but then again, we do live in this society). I don't know if it was just that part of the suit, which was also claiming Killings badmouthed him to other schools so he couldn't transfer anywhere...which if that was able to go forward and there was proof of it, my sense is the school and Killings would have had to have come to a settlement.
I don't know that I'd say Killings did nothing wrong. I get what he thought he was doing, but also...gotta think shit like that through and be smarter. Whether it should cost him his job, I don't know. But once this is behind him he better start winning some basketball games because so far his tenure is a giant yikes.
Just an aside, if you're an old-timey Vermont who has stumbled into this thread and thought "Where have I heard this name before?" Luke Fizulich's uncle was Mark Fizulich, a St. Mike's HOF player in the mid/late 90s who died tragically of leukemia at age 32. His number is retired at SMC. In fact, that's a young Luke on the right helping unveil his banner at Ross Sports Center.
![Basketball Field house Shorts Basketball player Basketball court]()
61 - 80 of 80 Posts
