And Dusquense Sucks Again (well more)

[CleXU]

Jeff Eisenberg‏@JeffEisenbergReply
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Some devastating transfers today with Trent Lockett leaving ASU and now T.J. McConnell (and two others) apparently bolting from Duquesne.

Rick Broering‏@musketeerreportReply

TJ McConnell, Mike Talley and Danny Herrera have all left the Duquesne basketball program. Follow Scout's A-10 expert @BWeixScout for more.

Title of the thread might have been a little harsh plus I butchered the spelling of their name but dissappointing, mostly about McConnell, if this is true. Not good news for the Dukes or the A10. Hopefully URI can turn things around because with Temple leaving the A10 does not need teams falling further into the bottom of college basketball.

[PMI]

Looks like the Dukes are going to be right back down there with Fordham where we were all used to them being for so long.

[smileyy]

I think it's spelled Dusuqsne.

[X-band '01]

Methinks next year's game isn't going to be played at Consol if Duquesne is going to look like a D-3 team next season.

[xavierj]

Ron everhart must be tough to play for. He has players transfer all of the time and usually it's his good players.

[RealDeal]

Ron everhart must be tough to play for. He has players transfer all of the time and usually it's his good players.

Amazing that Gary Griffin wanted to fire Miller and hire Ron.

[PMI]

Amazing that Gary Griffin wanted to fire Miller and hire Ron.

I'm amazed that anyone is amazed at Gary Griffin's irrationality at this point.

[coasterville95]

Wow, just when you started to think Duquense was finally turning the corner.

OK- so the corner turnng happend sometime after (during) Snuggie Night, and started to ramp up. They seemed to reach a peak last season. Recall they scheduled their big games at CONSOL, and at the time nobody expected the X/Dukes game at CONSOL to be that important in the leage standings.

Shame thay they may be sliding back into oblivion, right when we are poised to lose Temple. At least by the time that happens we should be welcoming Butler in, and perhaps Hurley will have Rhode Island turned around, and (long reach here) maybe just maybe St. Bonnies will turn a NCAA appearance into sustained success.

[jhelmes37]

Just hitting Twitter than Everhart is gone. Fired. Jeesh. That was quick.

[Masterofreality]

Back to full Dook-iness.

[X-band '01]

Duquesne and La Salle are like a teeter-totter; one of them HAS to suck ox balls when the other team is up and looks like they may be turning the corner.

I have a feeling something is going on behind the scenes if McConnell and other Dukes are looking to get out of Dodge.

[THRILLHOUSE]

The Duquesne President did not hold anything back: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/17993839/duquesne-president-details-reasons-for-firing-everhart-in-email-to-board

[Muskie73]

From the e-mail of the Duquense president re: Everhart...

he A10 conference itself is on the verge of a major improvement with the addition of new high quality university programs

Other than Butler, I wonder who else is in the mix?

[DC Muskie]

Well, I have to say, that's the sort of thing you want from a president.

[RealDeal]

We are very grateful to Ron for bringing our program out of a long moribund period, a skill he demonstrated at two previous universities and the very reason we hired him. However, as was the case in his two previous posts, he has stalled at a modest plateau with our program. It is clear that we will not be capable of moving to the next level of excellence with Ron at the helm. By next level, I mean annual contention for the top of the A10 conference, regular appearances in the NIT and periodic appearances in the NCAA tournaments. We reached the conclusion that this kind of performance was impossible under his leadership due to uneven recruiting, large turnovers among his student athletes and coaching staff, an overall average win-loss record and a losing record in the A10, poor performance in close games, the predictable collapse of our teams late in the season, and a general disorganization and lack of communication that is clear to those close to the program. The recent loss of TJ McConnell and other players from the team is part of an unfortunate pattern and an indication of the current decline in our program.

Strange. Why hire the guy then?

[LA Muskie]

We are very grateful to Ron for bringing our program out of a long moribund period, a skill he demonstrated at two previous universities and the very reason we hired him. However, as was the case in his two previous posts, he has stalled at a modest plateau with our program. It is clear that we will not be capable of moving to the next level of excellence with Ron at the helm. By next level, I mean annual contention for the top of the A10 conference, regular appearances in the NIT and periodic appearances in the NCAA tournaments. We reached the conclusion that this kind of performance was impossible under his leadership due to uneven recruiting, large turnovers among his student athletes and coaching staff, an overall average win-loss record and a losing record in the A10, poor performance in close games, the predictable collapse of our teams late in the season, and a general disorganization and lack of communication that is clear to those close to the program. The recent loss of TJ McConnell and other players from the team is part of an unfortunate pattern and an indication of the current decline in our program.

Strange. Why hire the guy then?

To go from Point A to Point D, you have to get to Points B and C first. As the university president recognized, Everhart is very good at going from A to B, but not particularly good at going from B to C (and beyond). He served his purpose. Now it's time to move on.

I think we can all relate with our own coaching lineage (albeit with less dramatic plateaus).

[LA Muskie]

From the e-mail of the Duquense president re: Everhart...

he A10 conference itself is on the verge of a major improvement with the addition of new high quality university programs

Other than Butler, I wonder who else is in the mix?

That was the first thing I wondered as well. I hope it's true. If we can't get rid of the bad programs (and I doubt we can), at least we can bolster the top end.

[GoMuskies]

Firing Everhart is crazy. They hit a plateau because it's a shitty job.

[xavierj]

The presidents statement sounds like something you would see on a message board.

[RealDeal]

To go from Point A to Point D, you have to get to Points B and C first. As the university president recognized, Everhart is very good at going from A to B, but not particularly good at going from B to C (and beyond). He served his purpose. Now it's time to move on.

I think we can all relate with our own coaching lineage (albeit with less dramatic plateaus).

Even if they were thinking that when they hired the guy, why say it? As a fan that looks like a Mike Brown approach to things, very half assed.

And I'm not following you on our coaching lineage, we never hired a guy we didn't think could take us to the top of the mountain, they did exceedingly well and left to bigger richer programs. How is that similar to firing a guy who couldn't take the program to the next level?

[LA Muskie]

Even if they were thinking that when they hired the guy, why say it? As a fan that looks like a Mike Brown approach to things, very half assed.

And I'm not following you on our coaching lineage, we never hired a guy we didn't think could take us to the top of the mountain, they did exceedingly well and left to bigger richer programs. How is that similar to firing a guy who couldn't take the program to the next level?

I don't think his email (sent to the Board of Trustees) was meant for public consumption. But I agree it is far more casual than one would expect for an email by a President to his bosses.

As for our coaching lineage, I didn't say it was exactly the same. But I think it is generally accepted that Gillen and Prosser, in particular, took the program about as far as either was capable of taking it.

I do, however, think both Matta and Miller left well before they hit their upside. (Frankly I think both could have taken us to a Final Four).

[coasterville95]

Welcome to the Electronic Age.

In the good old days, that letter from the President to the Board would have been a paper letter, probably hand deivered, and the details of which, would have reminaed private. If the school wanted details to reach the public, a finely crafted press release would have accompanied the letter. You know "We thank Coach for his years of service to the program, but we have come to a crossroads..."

Now, just about everything gets leaked. Conference realignments, coaching changes, new product announcements. Seems to make it very hard to keep a good secret anymore.

Speaking of not meant for public consumption, the line about the A10 adding new quality programs, note the plural.

So far, only one has been leaked, Butler. VCU, CSU, George Mason, whomever else are all merely wild speculation at this point. (At least at the fan level)

[Masterofreality]

The Duquesne President did not hold anything back: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/17993839/duquesne-president-details-reasons-for-firing-everhart-in-email-to-board

He sure didn't. Props to him.

It seems like one poster, not to be named but with the letters M-o-R in his name, said something to the effect that Dookcane was wasting their time with this retread from McNeese State/Northeastern 6 years ago...of course, Greg Amodio was not the AD at the time.

Well, it has played out as predicted. Greg is a sharp guy, though. He wants his own guy in there. I doubt that he'll screw it up, but if Everhart was only making $257,000 in that job, Dookcane had better step it up.

As X-Band earlier said. It is destiny that either LaSuck or Dookcane will be on the downside of the teeter-totter while one goes up a little. F-m, however, will always be the stone on the bottom.

[waggy]

I'm 99% sure Amodio hired him.

[THRILLHOUSE]

I'm 99% sure Amodio hired him.

Correct. Amodio became Duquesne AD in 2005 and Everhart was hired in 2006.

[Masterofreality]

Correct. Amodio became Duquesne AD in 2005 and Everhart was hired in 2006.

Wow, I stand corrected. I didn't think Amodio got that job until 2007.

If that's the case, I take it all back. Greg's an idiot!