Just to be clear

[AZ BU Fan]

..... I will not believe that anyone other than Les will be back here next year coaching a hopefully fully healthy team back to at least the top 3 or 4 of the Valley. Case closed.

If JL can't coach a healthy BU team next year, to a better finish than his other 9 teams, fourth place, or maybe one place better - third place, why are some
wanting him to return next season?

To the woe is JL fans, BU has a potential MVC POY on the floor this season in a fifth year AW, a fifth year senior in DD who people claim is a great defender and slasher, a four year WE, a four year AT, two sophmores everyone was raving about when recruited (JP and DSE) and a freshman guard everyone was raving about when he signed (WL).

And the best this team can do is 3-13 in the MVC?

No depth the issue, well, three players on the bench JL raved about who are not major contributors, and, an unused scholarship.

Set the record aside, its the missed FT's, missed lay ups, lack of rebounding, lack of player understanding of the game plan, lack of player buy in to the game plan, lack of team leadership, poor shot selection, lack of another PG on the roster other than SM, poor shooting players, hot and cold defense...

This is what bothers me about the current team/program. This is not a rookie coach, this is the DEAN OF THE MVC COACHES running thie team/program.

If the "insiders" are correct, we will find out next year if JL is the right guy for the BU program.

If he has injuries to major players again next year, the guy is snakebit and find someone to coach who may have has better luck. Otherwise we may all be long gone by the time BU challenges for a League Title/Conference Tournament Title...

[bigjimmy]

I've gone back and forth on whether JL should be back as coach next year or not. Here's what JL has to show for his 9 years. 1 NCAA tournament and 3 other post season appearances. 5 out of 9 seasons with an overall winning record. 3 seasons with a winning record in the Valley. No seasons finishing in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the Valley. 2 out of 9 seasons playing in the play-in game in the Valley tournament. 1 MVC tournament finals apperance. With one more loss will clinch his all time worst record. Not contending for the Valley regular season championship in any of the 9 years is what's the moist unacceptably to me. Most coaches who have done that don't have a job. I know that we have had many of those 9 seasons, especially this year with SM and TB, where we've had key guys get hurt and miss many games. What does this all mean? While I don't like not contending for the Valley in any of those 9 years we have had 5 straight winning seasons until this year. Does 1 very poor year without 2 of your best players a good enough reason to let JL go. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Da Coach]

If JL can't coach a healthy BU team next year, to a better finish than his other 9 teams, fourth place, or maybe one place better - third place, why are some pining for him to stay another couple years?

AZ- I have not been able to find a single person anywhere who is "pining for him to stay another couple years?" Or is advocating anything more than bringing him back for just next year and reevaluating then. Are you sure you have seen this?

[BradleyJD]

AZ- I have not been able to find a single person anywhere who is "pining for him to stay another couple years?" Or is advocating anything more than bringing him back for just next year and reevaluating then. Are you sure you have seen this?

I think 9 years is ample time to evaluate job performance.

[Da Coach]

I think 9 years is ample time to evaluate job performance.

So was 8 years, and the administration and the majority of fans felt he should be retained last year. So the difference is you are making the judgement he should be fired based on this season, his first losing season in 6 years, in which he was forced to play without perhaps 2 All-MVC players. I think some reasonable fans would disagree.

[dogsrus]

So was 8 years, and the administration and the majority of fans felt he should be retained last year. So the difference is you are making the judgement he should be fired based on this season, his first losing season in 6 years, in which he was forced to play without perhaps 2 All-MVC players. I think some reasonable fans would disagree.

I'd like to see some data showing where the "majority of fans felt he should be retained." If thats your opinion fine but I don't think there is any proof to back that up.

In MY opinion it was about 60/40 saying it was time for a change but thats just through all those I talk to....I think the significant drop in attendance speaks as loud or louder then anything else.

[AZ BU Fan]

AZ- I have not been able to find a single person anywhere who is "pining for him to stay another couple years?" Or is advocating anything more than bringing him back for just next year and reevaluating then. Are you sure you have seen this?

DC

I have edited my less than factful post and removed the non fact based hyperbole!

Apparently no one is pining (at least publically) for JL to stay another couple years. Progress!

I swear on a stack of bibles to stay clean the rest of the season, and will submit to random posting fact checks on a regular basis......

I want to return to being "Fair and Balanced".

PS
The rest of the stuff in my post was all, blantantly, anti-JL, opinion!

[lefty]

So was 8 years, and the administration and the majority of fans felt he should be retained last year. So the difference is you are making the judgement he should be fired based on this season, his first losing season in 6 years, in which he was forced to play without perhaps 2 All-MVC players. I think some reasonable fans would disagree.

I have not chimed in on the fire or not situation...for many reasons. But I figured barring anything unethical that JL gets somewhat of a pass this year without TB and SM. I will say however when we were 0-11 that I was wondering what would happen if we went winless in the conference...how in the world could you keep a guy? Now I don't know...if we win 5? who knows. There are a few variables.

[srw]

I'd like to see some data showing where the "majority of fans felt he should be retained." If thats your opinion fine but I don't think there is any proof to back that up.

In MY opinion it was about 60/40 saying it was time for a change but thats just through all those I talk to....I think the significant drop in attendance speaks as loud or louder then anything else.

Great Post Dru

[Chico]

Good stuff guys....made me laugh after all this other stuff today!

I agree...the Packer part might be my best quality!

Agree. Now if I could just get you and Braveman to switch from the Reds to the White Sox.

[BradleyJD]

I'd like to see some data showing where the "majority of fans felt he should be retained." If thats your opinion fine but I don't think there is any proof to back that up.

In MY opinion it was about 60/40 saying it was time for a change but thats just through all those I talk to....I think the significant drop in attendance speaks as loud or louder then anything else.

I have to agree with you Dogs!

[BradleyJD]

So the difference is you are making the judgement he should be fired based on this season, his first losing season in 6 years, in which he was forced to play without perhaps 2 All-MVC players. I think some reasonable fans would disagree.

I didn't say here he should be fired. I said 9 years was evidence enough for a decision.

This year is just another line of facts and data to support what we have learned from the first 8 years.

[srw]

I didn't say here he should be fired. I said 9 years was evidence enough for a decision.

This year is just another line of facts and data to support what we have learned from the first 8 years.

This reasonable fan would say yes he should be let go.

[Da Coach]

I disagree. I think it is reasonable to feel he should be given another year. If he was completely responsible for the team underperforming then I would agree. But let's not be oblivious to the injury issues.

[squirrelgotdead]

Truthfully I think it is no less unreasonable to want to give JL next year than it would be to have given Molinari at least one more year. But it is unreasonable to grant one guy the exception when the other guy wasn't granted that. I believe consistency is an important part of reason.

However, in a results-driven business, sometimes when the progress is either not present or not clear, you aren't given benefit of the doubt. If you are not moving forward, even if you are treading water, you are falling behind.