You SHU and ND guys in this thread are dense. No one said Cluess is a bad coach, just that he may not have been the right guy for this rebuild. Pike took over a 4-win SB team and built the program. Hopefully he can do the same after taking over a 7 win team here.
Tim Cluess
- Thread starter MCKnight
- Start date
The Rutgers job was and I'm using that tense, not the most attractive coaching job. 25 years of mostly going downhill, the RAC falling apart and coaches who just couldn't get the ball rolling. The Rice debacle hit Rutgers harder than it would impact a lot of other schools. Eddie was the icing on the cake of bad decisions.
Now, we did a 180. Our president hired an athletic director who jumped in from day one with the message of changing the faces of our major programs and getting donors to believe.
Nothing against Tim Cluess and he did say the program is going in the right direction; but if he comparing Rutgers to opting to stay at Iona; that's a load of horse ****. He's won a lot of games at Iona but you are not getting much attention in the ranks of college basketball coaches at a school like that. Maybe Danny Hurley should have stayed at Wagner, right? I have nothing against longevity at smaller schools but you would think someone would have come after Cluess at this point? Maybe St. John's would have been a good spot?
Now, we did a 180. Our president hired an athletic director who jumped in from day one with the message of changing the faces of our major programs and getting donors to believe.
Nothing against Tim Cluess and he did say the program is going in the right direction; but if he comparing Rutgers to opting to stay at Iona; that's a load of horse ****. He's won a lot of games at Iona but you are not getting much attention in the ranks of college basketball coaches at a school like that. Maybe Danny Hurley should have stayed at Wagner, right? I have nothing against longevity at smaller schools but you would think someone would have come after Cluess at this point? Maybe St. John's would have been a good spot?
Pikiell and Cluess are both good coaches. Pikiell is the better fit here. I don't see Cluess style of play translating to wins on a regular basis in the B1G. I'm not knocking Cluess by saying that.
I also don't have a problem with what Cluess said about RU. Historically, the university has not supported men's basketball adequately. You can compare the facilities and money spent on the program between RU and its peers. RU is definitely on the lower end to put it mildly. However, I see reason for optimism with Hobbs, Pikiell, and the university getting more money from the B1G in the future.
I also don't have a problem with what Cluess said about RU. Historically, the university has not supported men's basketball adequately. You can compare the facilities and money spent on the program between RU and its peers. RU is definitely on the lower end to put it mildly. However, I see reason for optimism with Hobbs, Pikiell, and the university getting more money from the B1G in the future.
I think both are good coaches and sometimes the grass isn't greener over the hill. Some guys are happy where they are------nothing wrong with that.
Also believe that with coaching and most things in life there is no one right way of doing it.
How did the last RU NCAA team get it done ?
They won with transfers like Duncan and Hughes .
Also believe that with coaching and most things in life there is no one right way of doing it.
How did the last RU NCAA team get it done ?
They won with transfers like Duncan and Hughes .
Awfully smug. I'd bet you would take a few good transfers to jumpstart the road to the dance.
Have residual fondness for Iona because Jim Valvano coached there.
Valvano coached Iona in one of my favorite college games seen in-person. At MSG, Valvano's Iona upset Louisville.
Valvano coached Iona in one of my favorite college games seen in-person. At MSG, Valvano's Iona upset Louisville.
Even if you think that, no true leader or coach with half a brain would come out and publicly state that.
Losers mentality.
Losers mentality.
I dont care if the guy can coach or not...the quote was classless and sounded very insecure.
and as others have said, thrilled we have Pike and not Clueless.
and as others have said, thrilled we have Pike and not Clueless.
“I wasn’t going to leave Long Island for that."
had to ponder that statement - I mean - Iona is in New Rochelle - Westchester County ....
- ah but Cluess actually does live in Floral Park, N.Y. - on Long Island
- so back in 2010 when he made the move from LIU to Iona - he did not have to 'leave Long Island" - did not leave his lifelong home - just altered his commute
Cluess has Long Island woven through his heart - he is kind of a true 'lifer' - and while he might make the move for the 'can't refuse - ready to win - opportunity' it would seem that no matter what - it would exact a huge price on a personal level - and he knows it - and it would place him a real distance from his roots & extended family - and life experiences have played a strong role in framing his perspective
http://www.espn.com/new-york/story/_/id/7350224/iona-gaels-tim-cluess-keeps-brothers-memories-alive
almost get the sense that, now at age 58, the only step-up job that would be in sync with his deepest personal sentiments would be St Johns
- never knew this backstory - but now in thinking about it - it does not seem so much like he was bashing RU as much as he was sort of revealing how deeply tied he was to Long Island ... and how the threshold for him to depart may be very very high
Oh and to be clear - I think Pikiell was & is far and away the ideal choice - right mind set, insightful - and on & on just an excellent selection - given time & resources he will build the program to the point where the first thing people think when they think Rutgers Basketball is "Oh, they always play really really high quality games - sleep on them & you go home a loser"
had to ponder that statement - I mean - Iona is in New Rochelle - Westchester County ....
- ah but Cluess actually does live in Floral Park, N.Y. - on Long Island
- so back in 2010 when he made the move from LIU to Iona - he did not have to 'leave Long Island" - did not leave his lifelong home - just altered his commute
Cluess has Long Island woven through his heart - he is kind of a true 'lifer' - and while he might make the move for the 'can't refuse - ready to win - opportunity' it would seem that no matter what - it would exact a huge price on a personal level - and he knows it - and it would place him a real distance from his roots & extended family - and life experiences have played a strong role in framing his perspective
http://www.espn.com/new-york/story/_/id/7350224/iona-gaels-tim-cluess-keeps-brothers-memories-alive
almost get the sense that, now at age 58, the only step-up job that would be in sync with his deepest personal sentiments would be St Johns
- never knew this backstory - but now in thinking about it - it does not seem so much like he was bashing RU as much as he was sort of revealing how deeply tied he was to Long Island ... and how the threshold for him to depart may be very very high
Oh and to be clear - I think Pikiell was & is far and away the ideal choice - right mind set, insightful - and on & on just an excellent selection - given time & resources he will build the program to the point where the first thing people think when they think Rutgers Basketball is "Oh, they always play really really high quality games - sleep on them & you go home a loser"
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If Cluess was such a good coach how come his name is not mentioned for Job Openings ? He is 58 and still at Iona, so he is making a faction of what Steve Pikiell or Kevin Willard are making.
Why are we even discussing this guy? We defeated their team at MSG when they were supposed to be loaded and we were poor. I am so happy we have Pikiell tham Mr. Transfer. Iona runs up & down the court and score a lot but play very little defense. They also are in a much easier league so they fatten up their record.
Winner with a Joel Chandler Harris citation out of the blue! (That guy could hit the 3's!)
I don't think there is much arguing the fact that Rutgers is the most challenging rebuild in the country for any coach. You not only have to be a good coach and recruiter but you have to be able to handle the fact that you are going to lose in your first three years. And you have to have the energy to put in the endless hours. And you have to have the ability to convince both recruits and donors that this thing can get turned around. Pike seems to fit all those criteria. A lot of really really good coaches (Cluess included) wouldn't be able to.
A friend of mine who attended Fordham always referred to Iona as the Idiots on North Ave.
Jim Valvano used to joke that when he would go to a convention and meet somebody, he would put his hand out and say "Jim Valvano. Iona College". And the person would respond, "you must be rich if you own your own college".
Another reason I'm glad he's not here--would have been about 2 years until the "Clueless" jokes started
Rutgers might have improving infrastructure on the way and they can play some games in MSG, but the proof is in the people at Iona.
Hurley said as much the first time around, and it would be hard to argue that wasn't true, but he was very complimentary towards what Rutgers had put in place and was planning to the second time. He just had some promises to keep in Rhode Island and a good situation there at the time.