Rebuilding Again?
Brady
Well, it’s that time again. Rob was at JMU the last time the Dukes won the CAA and went to the Big Dance, but anyone from my class (’99) on down has never known anything better than what’s about to happen. The firing of a men’s hoops coach, the boring and disappointing “search committee,” the hiring of some new guy not even on anyone’s wishlist, and the inevitable positive buildup to accompany all of us convincing ourselves things can only get better while really knowing deep down we’ll be right back here 3-5 years from now.
In the aftermath of another quick, quiet Friday exit from the CAA tourney, we set the over/under on Coach Matt Brady’s firing at two weeks. After a weekend to think about it (and read the Boards), we’ll take the under and say Brady’s gone by Wednesday. By now, you probably know the particulars (one year left on his contract so they’ve really got to buy him out and fire his ass or extend him to avoid a lame-duck recruiting situation). The idea of extending Coach Brady just seems ridiculous at this point. We’ve been measured in our approach this year and have a great deal of respect for guys like @MarkRSelig who think Brady’s a better X’s and O’s guy than anyone JMU is likely to attract, has actually gotten the program on the right track and is closer to success than the record indicates. It’s also foolish, yes foolish, to not consider what might’ve been but for all the injuries this year.
Do plugs fall out afterwards?
But excuses and X’s and O’s aren’t going to be the death of Brady. Recruiting and an AD already on thin ice working for a new President will be the factors that finish him off. Putting everything else aside, the one thing we keep circling back to is the fact that Brady has struggled mightily in recruiting and retaining quality players. A lot of things go into this, but other than the first class he brought with him from Marist (potentially illegally – that’s a joke, settle down), every other major contributor brought into the program during his tenure (Bowles, Hitchens, Goins, Davis, et al) has been a transfer rather than a high school recruit). Transfers do count, plus the Convo, the lack of success, and the meteoric rise of other nearby CAA programs all factor in, but the only word for that recruiting record is “shabby.”
Next
If Brady gets canned, there will be ample opportunities for gnashing on potential replacements, but for those of you calling for “a big name” or “a shady guy who’s fallen from grace,” just get your head out of your ass. JMU will have to buy out Brady and the job’s just not that good. Those are facts. We think the potential for a rapid rise is there and of course we all love JMU, but the money, facilities, recent “tradition,” and the competition all make this a tough sell. I’ve got someone I like who falls somewhere between the two catergories I mention, but hey, we’re gonna need more material soon, so we’ll wait for all that.
Good News for the CAA!
With VCU thankfully holding off a huge rally from Mason and Drexel easily disposing of ODU in the semis today, a Drexel/VCU title game tomorrow night definitely sets up great for the conference as the loser in either case should have a great arguement for #twobids4CAA
Chuckled out loud a few times at your post! I still maintain my opinion that Brady should not be let go, and I’m still hopeful. I can’t stand the suspense, though, and I wish the administration would just do it or get off the pot. Their announcement can’t be any more distracting than the wait, and you know they have their minds made up at this point.
Agree. Pull the trigger already and lets move forward. You hit the nail on the head with recruiting. Does Brady even try to recruit in VA, MD, DC areas? You look at our roster and would think JMU was Akron given the Ohio presence on the roster. Brady is an improvement over Sherm Dillard and Dean Keaner but does not appear to be the answer. The fact is this program has been in the dumps ever since Lefty was forced out.
Not sure I can tolerate resetting the clock on another rebuild…the fact is, in the big picture, the team HAS improved year by year since the Keener era, and we’ve established a new “normal” for the program. Heck, even in what was a down year (maybe because of injuries) for this new normal, we still finished with the 8th seed and wore home whites.
The more I sleep on it, the more I lean towards giving him the benefit of the doubt that this year was about injuries (and Millen not working out).
The Marist teams that helped get Brady this job were good. I remember watching them play a few times. They had two really good guards that could score. Oh well, that was then. When you build through transfers, it can lead to a quick fix, but can also lead to bad chemistry. As I watched the UNCW team sprint into the locker room at halftime, I watched the JMU team walk. Not a fast walk. Just walk. That tells me that either the team is really tired, isn’t listening to the staff, or both.
I will officially start the Mike Rhodes for head coach push. He was the head coach at Randolph-Macon and then went to VCU’s staff when Smart came in. He interviewed for Towson’s job last year, so he wants a head coaching job.
And I know Brady hasn’t been fired yet, but this is a blog, so don’t be offended.
According to a Mark Selig Tweet, JMU is keeping Brady on board. No word on an extension at this time. Todd and I will see what other info we can find and post about it tonight.
Not sure about keeping Brady, but if they do got to extend him and lay it out what the expectations are and give a timeframe…..no more excuses.
I see it as a package deal….if Brady does not work out, I want Bourne’s job on the line as well. They can’t even get 2000 students to come out for a Tuesday 7pm game. The Women’s team out-draws the men’s team and for good reason, their is excitement around that team.