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RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

western-101 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:00:05 GMT

[quote]western-101 (12/7/2007)

I have a suggestion for the next WIU head basketball coach:

JIM MOLINARI.

He spent 11 years at Bradley getting them to the post season 6 times. At NIU he went 42-17 and won the MidCon title in 1991. Resume also includes assistant coach Minnesota/interm head coach. NBA scout, and currently he is an assistant at Ball State.

Jim Molinari is ripe for the picking in my oppinion. He lived for many years in the Peoria area and his kids grew up there. I bet for the right job and right pay he would be happy to come back to Central/Western Illinois.

We clearly have to take a different course of action than what we have been doing. It is time to shake things up.[/quote]

I knew the administration would come through for me!

Look out NCAA here come the Leathernecks!

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:32:05 GMT

Maybe he's ready, maybe he's not. We just went that route with a D-1 Asst. that everyone thought would lead WIU back to respectability didn't we ? I still have not been convinced that going with the Juco Coach who could bring his best 2 -3 players with him ( as long as they are students with no pending arrest warrants on them ) would be best and quickest route back to being a winning program. Look at centenary. Beat good old Bobby Knight's team at texas tech and most thought they would still be worse than us this year and moving back to D-2. They brought in a solid Juco Coach who brought his 3 best players and " Shazam" they may be in the upper echelon of summit League this season.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU BB 31 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:27:38 GMT

Eric Buescher - current Bradley assistant. Son of former Peoria Central and Bradley coaching legend Chuck Buescher. Eric was once the head coach at VIT High School. Has plenty of contacts throughout the state and has been to the Sweet 16 with Coach Les.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU712 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:42:52 GMT

Does anyone know if WESTERN could stay 1-AA in football but drop down to Division 2 for other sports ?????

With SIU-E moving from Division 2 to Division 1, there would be a spot opening up in the conference that SIU-E is in now. Perhaps we should take a look at it.

WESTERN does not seem able to compete at the Division 1 level in men's basketball.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU712 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:46:11 GMT

It all goes back to leadership--plain and simple. Over the next 6 months we will get to see just what kind of leader Tim Van Alstine is.

So far, his improving the sports facilities has been a definite plus. But the lack of aggressive sports marketing and promoting has been a disappointment.

I imagine that it will be difficult to recruit a new coach once they see that aging Western Hall. Western Hall has never been a good basketball facility going back to when it was built in the early 1960's. The design of the building was poorly planned.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

Leatherface — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:01:28 GMT

On vacation! I'll just say I agree to bringing in a good juco coach-and anyone he can bring with him.PROVIDED, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PERSONAL BAGGAGE! Recruit with character and skills. There's plenty of these guys out there.

Back to the beach.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

Neckfansince71 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:00:48 GMT

Funny, I know Jim Molinari personally, found him always to be very cordial, intelligent, and determined. He has a great defensive mind, a mechanical offensive scheme. DT did not seem like that bad of a choice back 5. He had the connections, the enthusiasm, the youth, the type of kid that you thought would come into Macomb hitting on all cylinders, have a couple of winning seasons, and then move on to the next level. He looked like a thoroughbred and turned out to be someone who could recruit but not coach. So where is our next head coach hiding right now? What will he have to offer. And better yet, what will WIU have to offer him? New facility??? More money?

I am not sure why some of you are so critical of this years ball club?? Its a rebuilding year for the 4th straight time, you can't take a couple of junco transfers and some young kids out into the D1 country called the Summit League or really any where else for that matter and expect success when the coach can't coach. No ticket sales, no hype, no crowd, what did you expect, almost as if TV is letting all the air out of the bag before trying to inflate it once again. I expect some type of MidAmerican connection this time around!!!! You can put headbands on a pig and it is still a pig. You can take the headbands off and it is still a pig. A MidAmerican #1 assistant, young like DT but with good coaching ability and the energy to sell the program to the people. He's hiding somewhere???? Oh, I guess next year will be another rebuilding year for the Necks! Thank goodness there will be a different builder.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU712 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:31:49 GMT

I agree with the comment a while back about Jack Margenthaler and how he promoted the men's basketball program.

Coach Patterson (football), Coach Thomas (men's basketball), and Coach Crane (women's basketball) could all learn from Coach Margenthaler.

WESTERN coaches should be out there meeting the public--both in the community and on campus. Those coaches should be speaking to community groups such as Kiwanis, Rotary, etc as well as campus groups such as fraternities/sororities and residence halls. They need to be promoting their program to the Macomb and Campus community.

I don't think that this is being done right now.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:58:53 GMT

We have 2 examples in our Summit League this season at So. Utah & Centenary. Granted So. Utah is not a good example as this is a retread coach returning to where he coached once before, but Centenary has surprised BIG already this year with 1 major upset with a Juco Coach bring couple of his best players with him. Few years ago WIU missed out on hiring a Coach from Southeastern that turned a down trodden S'west Mo. State program around quickly with some of his Juco recruits. I remember first year he Coached the bears, that Burlington chartered 3 bus loads of fans in support of their former coach. By the way, Charlie Spoonhour had success there, St. Louis U., and finished up at UNLV. I would still take Spoon as our coach at his advanced age if want to try a retread.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

western-101 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:48:44 GMT

BBfan, good banter.

I am impressed with your knowledge of Bradley and ICC. I see you acknowledge Molinari may not be your route but, not the devil either.

I was serious about wanting a good answer to our problem. Every states College heirarchy is set up differently, as it is, Illinois is not a "major" power in D-1 NJCAA. California seems to be pretty strong as does Texas, as do many other states.

So ICC is not D-1 NJCAA, they used to be, before it all was restructured. Anyway, I acknowledge that my example is really not the most sought after program nor are the athletes there so very highley recruited for NCAA D-1.

I liked my suggestion very much (for head coach and new direction).

I was hopeing you would expand on your position by giving examples of D-1 programs that have had a resurgence of competitive prowess based upon recruitment of JUCO leadership and talent tandom.

Not trying to be a smarty, it is your idea to go JUCO. If that is indeed the route to go....it needs to be sold.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:31:51 GMT

Finally, some good counter discussion to get this board going. Some good points you bring up for sure. Molinaro would not be a bad choice if we want to go the retread route. Yes, Tubby Smith would have been hard to pass over at Minnesota. I have some relatives who are Bradley fans and they had nothing good to say about Molinaro. Hated his style of play (boring is the main word used). I want Victories, but would WIU win any fans back with boring b-ball even if win some in couple years because let's face facts..... We're not going to win next year either, regardless of who is brought into this mess called WIU Men's B-Ball. Reason I say go Juco route is because a lot of these kids will be very loyal to the Coach who gave them a chance when they either couldn't or weren't pursued by D-1 out of high school. We need the energy and enthusiasm that a young coach could inject into our program like Jack Margenthaler did when he came to transition WIU from D-2 to D-1. Jack beat the bushes of local communities speaking at Lions Club, Elks, Lodge, Women's Club, PTA, etc. to drum up some fans. There were a lot of banks who were given free tickets to bring fans in. The Nauvoo State Bank use to bring a charter bus load over. Good discussion. Let's continue. You have not convinced me yet that juco is not route to go. By the way, your example of ICC would most definitely not be a choice. Tony Wysinger has brought in talent, but has left me unimpressed with his coaching capabilities and they are D-2. Must be a D-1 Juco Coach who is use to dealing with Scholarships and recruitment of top talent.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

western-101 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:17:28 GMT

Molinari, in fact, was fired as head BB Coach at Bradley after compiling a 9-20 record his last season there. I thought it was really a bum deal for him at the time. He was very highley regarded in the Missouri Valley coaching fraternity. However, I can hardley argue with the success Jimmy Les has brought to the Braves program.

Universities are very fickle about there D-1 basketball programs. Good coaches get fired all the time. After all if a school does not go to the NCAA you can't fire the kids, but you can fire the coach.

Jim Molinari has a good resume. He has shown he is a winner.

You can't blame Molinari for the mess he inherited as interm at Minnesota. Also, it is pretty hard to argue with Minnesota deciding to go with Tubby Smith over Molinari. That is a given. I ask this, are we so dellusional to think that because Jim was passed over at a Big Ten school for Tubby Smith that he is beneath the standards of heading up a team in the mighty Summit League?

I would be interrested to hear more about the strategy of recruiting leadership and talent from the ranks of a top tier JUCO program. I would love to be convinced that that would work. After all, what we all really want is a winning program to bring WESTERN back to the realm of respectability, in WHATEVER manner it is done.

I have significant reservations that the JUCO strategy would bear fruit. Hypothetically speaking, Lets say we use JUCO Illinois Central College as an example (yes I know they are NJCAA D-II not D-I but are very good). So does the coach inform his team that they have been called up to the "big leagues" and board the ICC Cougars on the bus bound for Macomb where camp is set up and the boys don WESTERN jerseys and take the court as our D-1 team?

If the best in JUCO is better than the run of the mill oferings of the D-1 Summit league, then the state of basketball affairs for our league and Western is truley dismal.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:13:13 GMT

Retread past his prime. He was ran out of Bradley by "lynch mob mentality" wasn't he ? Minnesota thought so highly of his interim job he did for them last year that they never even really considered him for Head job. I'll say it again. NO MORE RETREADS or D-1 Assts. Bring in the young D-1 Juco Coach who has 3 stud players to bring with him. Shortens the losing streak by 3 years and gets you winning in 2. Next juco coach will continue winning streak after this coach leaves for better job in 3 years.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU712 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:11:52 GMT

I agree about Jim Molinari. That would really energize the WESTERN basketball program.

Dr Van Alstine made a mistake 5 years ago by choosing Derek Thomas over Murry Bartow (they were the 2 finalists).

Now he has a chance to remedy that situation.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

western-101 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:30:42 GMT

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

wiu13 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:24:24 GMT

you get loud crowds by winning games against schools your size or bigger not NAIA and D3 schools. At least DT can beat them. I thought he should have been fired long ago, i have no clue why van alstien has kept him so long, its like he enjoys losing.

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

WIU712 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:03:00 GMT

I am actually hoping that this may be an exciting season after all. We will know more after our first conference game on Saturday vs IUPUI.

We will need our "home court" advantage (loud crowd) to win this game!

RE: Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:32:02 GMT

After all the talk on this board and other forums, can not believe no one else feels the way i expressed or has an opinion. I guess everyone is happy with state of WIU Men's basketball after all. My mistake. Sorry I brought topic up. We'll let it drop then.

Let's Start Search for New Coach Now

B-Ball Fan — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:14:37 GMT

Since Derek already sounds like a Coach who knows he will be gone at end of season, why not start our search now instead of later ? I say bring in an upstart Juco Coach from a very strong D-1 program who would bring his top 3 stud players with him. With only 3 Seniors on this year's team, and none signed early or on the horizon, this would work perfectly wouldn't it ? If we select the right Juco coach, we only need to give him 3 Year Contract, because he'll be gone to a bigger and better D-1 job within 3 years won't he ? Or... we could go same old route as the past and bring in retreads or " Top D-1 Asst." ( Sound familiar) and get same old results and 3 more losing seasons. I'm tired of 7, soon to be 8 losing seasons in a row. The few of us who still attend are too. Come on Tim and WIU, step up and make a difference. With that said, I truly believe Derek will land on his feet as at a top D-1 program as the Recruiter. Maybe with some more seasoning, he may succeed as head coach somewhere else. I truly think his down fall at WIU was fact WIU did not have any funds available for him to be able to hire a quality "x" and "o" coach for game management.