St. John's proving talent more important than coaching

[Sean Miller Fan]

I realize Chris Mullin is a Hall of Famer who obviously knows a ton about basketball but his first ever coaching job was taking over a downtrodden D1 program who has struggled for decades. The guy never coached anything before. Not HS, not AAU, not kids leagues, nothing. And I doubt he is a Brad Stevens savant. Mullin's secret: he got good players and didnt screw them up.

I dont enough is being a made about the job Mullin has done. People just assume because he is a HOFer, he should be a good coach but its not that easy......or maybe it is....just get good players (although that hasnt worked for Pat Chambers)

 

[DiehardPanther]

I realize Chris Mullin is a Hall of Famer who obviously knows a ton about basketball but his first ever coaching job was taking over a downtrodden D1 program who has struggled for decades. The guy never coached anything before. Not HS, not AAU, not kids leagues, nothing. And I doubt he is a Brad Stevens savant. Mullin's secret: he got good players and didnt screw them up.

I dont enough is being a made about the job Mullin has done. People just assume because he is a HOFer, he should be a good coach but its not that easy......or maybe it is....just get good players (although that hasnt worked for Pat Chambers)

https://nypost.com/2019/02/16/what-...top-nyc-talent/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Apparently the locals don’t think he is doing good enough.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

https://nypost.com/2019/02/16/what-...top-nyc-talent/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Apparently the locals don’t think he is doing good enough.

He isnt actually a coach sooooo......

 

[DiehardPanther]

He isnt actually a coach sooooo......

The article is being critical of his inability to land the elite kids from NYC. It goes against your point.

 

[H2P 2003]

I realize Chris Mullin is a Hall of Famer who obviously knows a ton about basketball but his first ever coaching job was taking over a downtrodden D1 program who has struggled for decades. The guy never coached anything before. Not HS, not AAU, not kids leagues, nothing. And I doubt he is a Brad Stevens savant. Mullin's secret: he got good players and didnt screw them up.

I dont enough is being a made about the job Mullin has done. People just assume because he is a HOFer, he should be a good coach but its not that easy......or maybe it is....just get good players (although that hasnt worked for Pat Chambers)

Then how do you explain Dixon winning a loaded with talent big east with one fringe NBA player in the roster, and a 6’4 PF?

 

[joeydavid]

College basketball is only about the coach. St. John's like every other program will rise and fall with ability of the head coach.

I realize Chris Mullin is a Hall of Famer who obviously knows a ton about basketball but his first ever coaching job was taking over a downtrodden D1 program who has struggled for decades. The guy never coached anything before. Not HS, not AAU, not kids leagues, nothing. And I doubt he is a Brad Stevens savant. Mullin's secret: he got good players and didnt screw them up.

I dont enough is being a made about the job Mullin has done. People just assume because he is a HOFer, he should be a good coach but its not that easy......or maybe it is....just get good players (although that hasnt worked for Pat Chambers)

 

[TD_6082]

Mullin isn't doing anything to write home about. This is his 4th season up there and they are hovering around .500 in conference play.

 

[McKee Place]

Then how do you explain Dixon winning a loaded with talent big east with one fringe NBA player in the roster, and a 6’4 PF?

It's already a different era than that. Our players were already tuning out JDs message by the end of his time with us. They weren't playing hard defense, they weren't rebounding, weren't passing intelligently like his early teams. Kids want the instant gratification more than even that short time ago. It doesn't help that their role models in the NBA pretty much ignore their coaches (increasingly true in all the major pro sports).

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The biggest thing that's helping out St. John's this year is that the Big East is down. Way, way down. They are 7-6 in conference games in a conference with two good teams. That actually isn't all that good.

But if you are a St. John's fan, here's the good news. They have five conference games left and none of them are against a good team. They should be favored in all five. But they aren't anywhere near good enough to win all five. In fact they play three more games against teams they've already played this year, and they lost all three of the first matchups.

 

[Franb]

I realize Chris Mullin is a Hall of Famer who obviously knows a ton about basketball but his first ever coaching job was taking over a downtrodden D1 program who has struggled for decades. The guy never coached anything before. Not HS, not AAU, not kids leagues, nothing. And I doubt he is a Brad Stevens savant. Mullin's secret: he got good players and didnt screw them up.

I dont enough is being a made about the job Mullin has done. People just assume because he is a HOFer, he should be a good coach but its not that easy......or maybe it is....just get good players (although that hasnt worked for Pat Chambers)

Steve Lavin was 92-72 in the five years before him, and he is 57-67. What talent are you referring to?

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

The 84 (I think that was the year) of the redmen lineup was as good a starting 5 in big east history. Mullen, Jackson, willie glass, berry and white dude with beard.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Steve Lavin was 92-72 in the five years before him, and he is 57-67. What talent are you referring to?

Smf gets obsessed with bad coaches.

First chambers now Mullin

 

[ameoba defense]

The 84 (I think that was the year) of the redmen lineup was as good a starting 5 in big east history. Mullen, Jackson, willie glass, berry and white dude with beard.

1985. Final Four team. Didn't win it though.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

white dude with beard

Bill Wennington

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Smf gets obsessed with bad coaches.

First chambers now Mullin

Chris Mullin is performing miracles and not enough people are talking about it.

 

[bethpageli]

Smf gets obsessed with bad coaches.

First chambers now Mullin

it seems he's obsessed with getting attention.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Smf gets obsessed with bad coaches.

First chambers now Mullin

Pot meet kettle.

I couldn’t resist.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Pot meet kettle.

I couldn’t resist.

Which bad coaches do I talk about?
Chambers, Mullen, Romar- the list is growing for him

 

[Fk_Pitt]

It's already a different era than that. Our players were already tuning out JDs message by the end of his time with us. They weren't playing hard defense, they weren't rebounding, weren't passing intelligently like his early teams. Kids want the instant gratification more than even that short time ago. It doesn't help that their role models in the NBA pretty much ignore their coaches (increasingly true in all the major pro sports).

Did players change that quickly on Dixon? I don’t think so. It’s more like he just had the wrong players.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Which bad coaches do I talk about?

Lighten up. It was a joke.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Lighten up. It was a joke.

I’m light.
It just didn’t make any Sense.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I’m light.
It just didn’t make any Sense.

My mistake was trying to poke a little fun with the guy with no sense of humor.

Of course you know the underlying reason for me doing so is all of our discussions regarding Tomlin. But he’s not a bad coach.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

My mistake was trying to poke a little fun with the guy with no sense of humor.

Of course you know the underlying reason for me doing so is all of our discussions regarding Tomlin. But he’s not a bad coach.

So as noted
It didn’t make sense so it wasn’t funny.

Which isn’t surprising .
You and word. Vomit Paul aren’t funny.
Funny takes wit, and at best you’re half way there.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

So as noted
It didn’t make sense so it wasn’t funny.

Which isn’t surprising .
You and word. Vomit Paul aren’t funny.
Funny takes wit, and at best you’re half way there.

Never said I was trying to be funny. Just trying to be a bit lighthearted with the boards angriest guy.

My mistake for even thinking I can do so. You’re only interested in arguments.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

So as noted
It didn’t make sense so it wasn’t funny.

Which isn’t surprising .
You and word. Vomit Paul aren’t funny.
Funny takes wit, and at best you’re half way there.

But let’s be clear...Paul’s funny.

 

[H2P 2003]

But let’s be clear...Paul’s funny.

No he isn’t.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Chris Mullin is performing miracles and not enough people are talking about it.

Because his team has a mediocre record in what is probably the worst Big East in decades?

Or is he doing something with a couple loaves of bread and a few fish that isn't being publicized?

 

[paulbl99]

So as noted
It didn’t make sense so it wasn’t funny.

Which isn’t surprising .
You and word. Vomit Paul aren’t funny.
Funny takes wit, and at best you’re half way there.

Not being completely confused takes half a clue....you’re not even close.
You live in confused and speak in FIGURE 8s.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Never said I was trying to be funny. Just trying to be a bit lighthearted with the boards angriest guy.

My mistake for even thinking I can do so. You’re only interested in arguments.

Lighten up. It was a joke.

I agree your jokes aren’t funny

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I agree your jokes aren’t funny

Yeah. Even if I would have expected large uncontrollable belly laughs from something that was so profoundly witty, which it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have expected them from you. But congrats to you for taking an innocuous post, and creating an argument. It’s what you do best.

Souf-the life of every party.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Yeah. Even if I would have expected large uncontrollable belly laughs from something that was so profoundly witty, which it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have expected them from you. But congrats to you for taking an innocuous post, and creating an argument. It’s what you do best.

Souf-the life of every party.

Only trying to make your mundane unfunny joke interesting.

My bad.
Should have left the wet fart linger for your benefit.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Chris Mullin is performing miracles and not enough people are talking about it.

He is 19-48 in the Big East. Mullin = Chambers

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Because his team has a mediocre record in what is probably the worst Big East in decades?

Yes! THIS!!! ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Miracle, I tell ya.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Capel is a better coach than Mullen (who I am rooting for simply because I like the guy and was a fan as a kid.)

So SMF has a "point" to this extent -- we should be excited about the fact that St. Johns has landed the same sort of borderline 3 to 4 star players that Pitt is now landing and has used that this year to build a team that went 12-1 non conference as well as beating ranked Marquette twice and Villanova once -- and is well positioned to return to the NCAA tournament (where they haven't won a game since 2002!)

Pitt is a much easier place to win than St. Johns. So landing the same type of recruits to a school with better infrastructure and better coaching shows promising times are on their way.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Capel is a better coach than Mullen (who I am rooting for simply because I like the guy and was a fan as a kid.)

So SMF has a "point" to this extent -- we should be excited about the fact that St. Johns has landed the same sort of borderline 3 to 4 star players that Pitt is now landing and has used that this year to build a team that went 12-1 non conference as well as beating ranked Marquette twice and Villanova once -- and is well positioned to return to the NCAA tournament (where they haven't won a game since 2002!)

Pitt is a much easier place to win than St. Johns. So landing the same type of recruits to a school with better infrastructure and better coaching shows promising times are on their way.

Everyone missed my point. Mullin isnt a coach. He got a borderline elite PG in Ponds and some 3/4 stars as you mention, rolled the balls out and is going to the NCAAT. Obviously, you need to be able to coach to achieve higher but Mullin just got some good players and is going to the dance. Bad year for Big East, sure, but he's going.

 

[TD_6082]

Then how do you explain Dixon winning a loaded with talent big east with one fringe NBA player in the roster, and a 6’4 PF?

He had a veteran team with talent that had played together.

Capel is a better coach than Mullen (who I am rooting for simply because I like the guy and was a fan as a kid.)

So SMF has a "point" to this extent -- we should be excited about the fact that St. Johns has landed the same sort of borderline 3 to 4 star players that Pitt is now landing and has used that this year to build a team that went 12-1 non conference as well as beating ranked Marquette twice and Villanova once -- and is well positioned to return to the NCAA tournament (where they haven't won a game since 2002!)

Pitt is a much easier place to win than St. Johns. So landing the same type of recruits to a school with better infrastructure and better coaching shows promising times are on their way.

It's harder to win though in the ACC.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

can someone explain to me what the OP is talking about? I just looked up St Johns hoops, this program is garbge. last 2 years, they were horrid. OK, this year they are improving, nice record then i look to see how they are doing in league play and it's quite average.

Now, they have some nice wins recently, 3 out of their last 4. is that what we are talking about, the wins against nova and Marquette? This is the small miracle we are discussing? a few nice wins the last 2 weeks, this is what we should be focused on and acknowledging?

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Everyone missed my point. Mullin isnt a coach. He got a borderline elite PG in Ponds and some 3/4 stars as you mention, rolled the balls out and is going to the NCAAT. Obviously, you need to be able to coach to achieve higher but Mullin just got some good players and is going to the dance. Bad year for Big East, sure, but he's going.

i like this mindset with sports. a lot of sports are losing entertainment value do to over-coaching. Colllege hoops is being micro managed by over zealous coaches. walsh introduced it to nfl in san fran in 1980 and it hasn't been the same.

IF mullin is bringing in talent and letting his players win or losing games, if he is setting up a system in which the players, NOT THE COACHES, determine on court success, i will be a huge Redmen Fan.

 

[Franb]

Everyone missed my point. Mullin isnt a coach. He got a borderline elite PG in Ponds and some 3/4 stars as you mention, rolled the balls out and is going to the NCAAT. Obviously, you need to be able to coach to achieve higher but Mullin just got some good players and is going to the dance. Bad year for Big East, sure, but he's going.

You keep claiming that Mullin isn't a coach. What evidence do you have of that, and how would you even begin to make that judgement? It seems that you are basing this on the fact that this is his first coaching job, but that does not mean that he is not coaching his team the same as any other coach would.

 

[Chescat]

He is 19-48 in the Big East. Mullin = Chambers

This board has done a number on him ever since he took over at St.John's'.
He took over a program that had gone downhill. He struggled for a few
years and had little or no talent. His best player at one point was Johnson
(I think that was his name) who transfered from Pitt.
He's a legend not only at St. John's but also in NYC Bball circles.
I grew up going to Bball games at Alumni Hall on that campus when they
were great. They're obviously not the same program. Getting the top NYC
kds to stay and go to school out in Queens ain't the same as it was back in their
great years. There's some reasons for this, not all basketbal related.
The university has changed demographically. It's no longer just a commuter
school for suburban middle class families from Catholic schools primarily
from Long Island. The nighborhood has gone downhill. St. John's is not
the magnet for NYC area students and players that it once was.
Right now they are 19-7. They knocked off ranked Villanova the other night, and
they've beaten a ranked Marquette team twice this season. He is now getting
much better players as is reflected in their won loss record. They're getting
there slowly. Part of coaching is recruiting, and it appears he's turned the corner on this. Given some of the a...holes who populate the college coaching ranks
in America, Mullin to many people is a breath of fresh air.
St John's hiring him would be equivalent to Pitt hiring Dan Marino. Can Marino
coach?....I have no idea, but may Pitt fans would have an orgasm over a hire like that. Saying Mullin can't coach is ludicrous IMO. Anyway, just my two cents.