{"id":5317,"date":"2013-04-19T06:31:51","date_gmt":"2013-04-19T10:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=5317"},"modified":"2013-04-19T06:36:09","modified_gmt":"2013-04-19T10:36:09","slug":"the-matt-brady-contract-situation-is-beyond-ridiculous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=5317","title":{"rendered":"The Matt Brady Contract Situation Is Beyond Ridiculous"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>JMU’s basketball season has been over for weeks now. Other programs have fired coaches. Other programs have hired coaches. Most programs are now pressing hard for recruits and looking forward to next season. After leading JMU to a CAA title and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994, Matt Brady has been hitting the recruiting trail pretty hard himself. Last season he was somehow able to assemble a stellar recruiting class despite only having one year remaining on his contract. And as difficult as that must have been, it was probably easier than trying to sign a class with weeks or days left on his contract. That’s exactly the situation JMU Athletic Director Jeff Bourne has put Brady in this year, because the coach still doesn’t have a new contract.<\/p>\n

Devon Moore, A.J. Davis, Alioune Diouf, Gene Swindle, and Rayshawn Goins gave the Dukes plenty of senior experience last season. They’re all moving on however, so JMU has some holes to fill.\u00a0The early reports indicate that Coach Brady seems to have found a few diamonds in the rough, securing verbal commitments from a number of players. But verbals don’t mean much. The spring signing period started Wednesday and lasts through May 15 and none of JMU’s recruits have officially signed. There is nothing unusual about recruits not submitting their national letter of intent immediately after the signing period starts. It is unusual however to expect recruits to sign a letter of intent and send it in to a school that has no coach under contract for the following season.<\/p>\n

As a fan observing things from afar, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and freak out based on nothing other than rumors and speculation. In the absence of facts and real information, fans’ innocent musings get past around and sooner or later twisted into “insider info”. The most obvious example of this is with all things conference realignment related. But that’s not what we’re experiencing with the Brady contract situation. There have been virtually no rumors, because there is no wiggle room and just a few simple facts. JMU has a bunch of scholarships to offer, the spring signing period is here, and JMU has no coach under contract for next year. It sure seems like both parties are intent on signing a deal and they’ve left themselves with few options if things blow up now. The fact that the timing of things leaves both parties with dwindling alternative options for next year isn’t exactly the most comforting news for us fans though.<\/p>\n

I supposed there might be some way to spin this situation as a good thing. I can’t think of one though, so I’m all ears if one of you ultra-positive people can do it for me. I don’t want to panic and act like JMU basketball is about to go off a cliff. But pay the man. Matt Brady might not be the second coming of John Wooden, but he got JMU back to the dance and he definitely has the program pointed in the right direction. He pulled a rabbit out of his hat with last year’s recruits in a lame duck year. Let’s not make him overcome a more difficult recruiting situation this year. Get it done Mr. Bourne.<\/p>\n