Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

Story from 2016...

Waters.. who was hired instead of Wright when he got his dream job at Nova.. won some fun games here.

And I think Pike has what it takes.. but was starting in a deep hole... but one has to wonder "what if" at times like this.

Now lets go get some 3-point shooters or MAKE THEM.. every guy on the team should be shooting 3s.. and deep ones.. from now until October.

 

[Kbee3]

Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

Story from 2016...

Waters.. who was hired instead of Wright when he got his dream job at Nova.. won some fun games here.

And I think Pike has what it takes.. but was starting in a deep hole... but one has to wonder "what if" at times like this.

Now lets go get some 3-point shooters or MAKE THEM.. every guy on the team should be shooting 3s.. and deep ones.. from now until October.

The first guy off of the bench for 'Nova was better than any Rutgers guy.
I wish we had managed to secure Wright, but he was always gonna end up at 'Nova.

 

[Scangg]

Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

Story from 2016...

Waters.. who was hired instead of Wright when he got his dream job at Nova.. won some fun games here.

And I think Pike has what it takes.. but was starting in a deep hole... but one has to wonder "what if" at times like this.

Now lets go get some 3-point shooters or MAKE THEM.. every guy on the team should be shooting 3s.. and deep ones.. from now until October.

The first guy off of the bench for 'Nova was better than any Rutgers guy.
I wish we had managed to secure Wright, but he was always gonna end up at 'Nova.

The first guy off the bench for Nova was the MVP of the championship game though. Ballerrrrr

 

[rufan4ever]

Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

Story from 2016...

Waters.. who was hired instead of Wright when he got his dream job at Nova.. won some fun games here.

And I think Pike has what it takes.. but was starting in a deep hole... but one has to wonder "what if" at times like this.

Now lets go get some 3-point shooters or MAKE THEM.. every guy on the team should be shooting 3s.. and deep ones.. from now until October.

Hypothetical question...
If Jay Wright did get the Rutger's job, would he have succeeded here?
I am not so sure.
He would have still inherited the same infrastructure making recruiting difficult.
After five years he too might have been out the door.

 

[hbbsm713_rivals]

Just like a couple posters said already, he wouldn’t be here today. Any success and he would’ve bolted the first chance he had. Out of all the “what-ifs,” this one doesn’t bother me.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

I always say every situation is different so it's hard to know for sure. There are a handful of coaches that can win just about anywhere but you see many times coaches that win in one location can't replicate it in another.

I think he probably would have done a nice job for us but I don't think championship level like what he's done at Villanova. At the same time who would've expected what he's done at Nova to happen when he got hired. I'd think almost no one.

 

[ruman]

I didn’t know that

 

[We Are RU]

The first guy off the bench for Nova was the MVP of the championship game though. Ballerrrrr

Just (not that it’s bad) a 3 star player out of high school which is encouraging because it shows that we can get players who can turn out to be big-time players.

 

[knight82]

Never had any intention of coming here. Played us like a fiddle. Got nova to fire Lappas when they thought he might come hefe.

 

[MGSA99]

There’s a word for this thread: ENVY.

 

[RUnTeX]

Interesting to think back through the journeys both programs have been on going back to the 2004 NIT when Rutgers with Waters beat Nova with Wright (granted, home game at the RAC) on their way to the final against Michigan.

 

[derleider]

Hypothetical question...
If Jay Wright did get the Rutger's job, would he have succeeded here?
I am not so sure.
He would have still inherited the same infrastructure making recruiting difficult.
After five years he too might have been out the door.

Gary Waters ALMOST succeeded here, so yeah, I think a better coach and recruiter would have gotten it done. I dont know that he would have been a final four level coach here and he might have bounced at some point.

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

And to think he may have been fired if he didn't make the tournament in his 4th season there. Made the final four in his 8th season and won championships in his 15th and 17th seasons at Nova.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ther-villanova-wildcats-national-championship

That's why every time a new coach is hired, we have to be patient. And I get it, many of you have waited far too long. But you never know, we might be firing the next Jay Wright.

 

[MGSA99]

The last few firings have been no-brainers. Waters was the last one that might have been a head-scratcher.

 

[Rutgers25]

And to think he may have been fired if he didn't make the tournament in his 4th season there. Made the final four in his 8th season and won championships in his 15th and 17th seasons at Nova.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ther-villanova-wildcats-national-championship

That's why every time a new coach is hired, we have to be patient. And I get it, many of you have waited far too long. But you never know, we might be firing the next Jay Wright.

True, but he was recruiting at a high level from day 1. Pike has to show more signs of that. How he fills the 3 open spots will be critical

 

[bac2therac]

problem is if Jay bolted for another job which he likely would...Fred Hill would have been hired.

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

And to think he may have been fired if he didn't make the tournament in his 4th season there. Made the final four in his 8th season and won championships in his 15th and 17th seasons at Nova.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ther-villanova-wildcats-national-championship

That's why every time a new coach is hired, we have to be patient. And I get it, many of you have waited far too long. But you never know, we might be firing the next Jay Wright.

True, but he was recruiting at a high level from day 1. Pike has to show more signs of that. How he fills the 3 open spots will be critical

Yes but that phone card scandal could've doomed him. He was lucky to avoid sanctions.

And I agree about Pike but I trust he'll fill those spots with the right guys. He's been solid so far.

 

[RUnTeX]

Yes but that phone card scandal could've doomed him. He was lucky to avoid sanctions.

Agree with this.

 

[RU_WL]

So was Beliene. He wanted to be offered the job before setting foot on campus for an interview. Mulcahy refused. Beliene never made it to campus.

Jay Wright was almost a Scarlet Knight coach.

Story from 2016...

Waters.. who was hired instead of Wright when he got his dream job at Nova.. won some fun games here.

And I think Pike has what it takes.. but was starting in a deep hole... but one has to wonder "what if" at times like this.

Now lets go get some 3-point shooters or MAKE THEM.. every guy on the team should be shooting 3s.. and deep ones.. from now until October.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

So was Beliene. He wanted to be offered the job before setting foot on campus for an interview. Mulcahy refused. Beliene never made it to campus.

I thought his wife didn't like it here or didn't want to come so that's why it never went anywhere.

 

[Friend of 112]

I thought his wife didn't like it here or didn't want to come so that's why it never went anywhere.

Are you thinking Mario Cristobal in FB?

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Are you thinking Mario Cristobal in FB?

Nope I know later after posting that someone might think I was talking about Cristobal. No I mean Beilein. Cristobal was almost a done deal and the wife nixed it. My impression was that Beilein was never really interested because his wife wasn't interested in the area or what not I'm not sure.

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

Are you thinking Mario Cristobal in FB?

Nope I know later after posting that someone might think I was talking about Cristobal. No I mean Beilein. Cristobal was almost a done deal and the wife nixed it. My impression was that Beilein was never really interested because his wife wasn't interested in the area or what not I'm not sure.

Well it just so happens that Wright's wife was a Nova cheerleader. Didn't hurt us but it made Villanova much more appealing.

 

[RU82]

Recruiting experts at the time believed he would have brought Foye, Ray, Sumpter, and Frazier with him to RU had he taken the job. That would have gotten him off and running. And I doubt that we could have held on to Jay for more than 4 or 5 years.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Any successful head coaches from the Jay Wright tree?

 

[Mr. Magoo1]

Hypothetical question...
If Jay Wright did get the Rutger's job, would he have succeeded here?
I am not so sure.
He would have still inherited the same infrastructure making recruiting difficult.
After five years he too might have been out the door.

I doubt he would have succeeded here. Rutgers administration has ignored the basketball program for almost three decades. Admission to the Big East did not help like it was expected to and Wright would have probably been a casualty just like the other coaches we’ve had.

Jay Wright wasn’t always the hotshot coach he is now. He grew with a program that prioritized basketball and slowly built off their 80s and 90s success. Wright would have atrophied at Rutgers just like the RAC has.