Report of Jim Les firing

[Braves4Life]

If we lose Jim DeRose, then even soccer will be headed down the same path...

Has this been talked about? When does his contract expire?

[CubbieBear]

We've got a professional search committee, my friend. Relax. Glasser's a smart lady and she knows BU Basketball is the straw that stirs the Bradley drink. Let her lead and give her your support. We've had 9 years of ZERO MVC Championships with Les and longer if you factor in the Mo era. Let's face it, we've got nowhere to go but up after the past 20 years or so.

No question that this change has been a priority on her agenda for a long time (likely since right after she hired Cross). I have to believe she and Cross have some big donors on board to help ease the financial pain to make this buyout happen, and that she & Cross also have a short list ( maybe of one) of who they want to replace Les. It will cost BU some serious dough for sure, but I agree Braves4Life---we have no choice now but to toss our complete support behind her & Cross in this matter--and hope that they are doing the right thing--and if we don't get significantly better in the next 3 years or so---we can expect to see Glasser & Cross tossed under the bus

[Braves4Life]

....if we don't get significantly better in the next 3 years or so---we can expect to see Glasser & Cross tossed under the bus

And I'll be right there to help.

[shaunguth]

I'm so out of the loop hahaha. Would this info be released in the next few days or weeks, or should I just forget about it? lol

Same here! I was gone all last night and just now catching up!

[shaunguth]

We have heard the Cuonzo Martin example a hundred times, and I commend him for what he has done. But in the end, other than winning a regular season title with Barry's recruits, he did not accomplish anything more than Barry did there. And it may be too early to fully judge Martin, as things do not look so good next year. But for every case like Martin, there are multiple examples like Rick Majerus at St. Louis, Todd Lickliter at Iowa, Greg McDermott at Iowa State, Jim Whitesell at Loyola, and many more.

Don't forget the guy just down the road. Didn't he come from a high-profile school and coaching pedigree? How is he doing with his own recruits? Seems to me things have gotten worse there every year.

[Braves4Life]

yeah -- right -- I am sure each time you write your check for your season ticket maintenence -- that you write it to Bradley University general fund and think "I am proud to give to the university"...

That's totally separate and irrelevant from giving to Bradley, though. Many give to the Braves Club, maintenance, and the Bradley general fund. I give to 2 of the 3; if I lived within season ticket distance it would be 3 for 3. Some people choose to separate education from sports..... and that's OK.

[shaunguth]

Hey cool MSU got 1st place. They'll get an NIT home game out of it - great for them. Personally I'd rather enjoy a sweet 16 appearance.

Same here.....but hey, they won this crappy conference!

[Braves4Life]

Don't forget the guy just down the road. Didn't he come from a high-profile school and coaching pedigree? How is he doing with his own recruits? Seems to me things have gotten worse there every year.

Didn't he lose a lot last year? Let's see what he does over the next 2 years. So far they've been better than us. And, you know what? I could care less about the DeadBirds; I hope they keep losing. I'm only concerned about turning this slow decline of Bradley Basketball around.

[SaintLouBrave22]

Same here.....but hey, they won this crappy conference!

Yeah, and they would be the first in a very long time to not win the conference and make the NCAA's...

Shouldn't that mean it should be easier to win this so called crappy conference as you put it, and not finish dead last?


I agree with the sweet 16 but it would be nice to have conference titles as a benchmark, and I don't know about you but I'd like to have a vision of over a thousand BU fans packing the Scottrade Center on a Sunday afternoon in March, about ready to rush the floor because we're about to wrap up an Arch Madness championship!

[shaunguth]

That's fine. Just as JL did, you play with who shows up healthy. If they don't want to be here, move forward.

Obviously. I was just responding to someone saying most of them will decide to stick with their original decision. I hope that's the case, but I don't think it will be.

[shaunguth]

Didn't he lose a lot last year? Let's see what he does over the next 2 years. So far they've been better than us.

Yes....and now he has a fully healthy roster of his own recruits and how did that work out? Shouldn't he have recruited better to replace those players that were leaving the program?

[BUBalum05]

I understand being passionate about Bradley Basketball and the direction it is going, but why the vitriol and hatred toward JG and Dr Cross? They were hired by the Board of Trustees to make decisions like this on whether people are performing to BU expectations (I'll address expectations below). I don't understand the logic that if the next head coach doesn't succeed, then we must run out JG/DC and then run out the trustees for hiring them, where does it stop? Why don't we just dissolve the university if the next coach doesn't succeed. Get real people, change is inevitable, you can't stop it, so give it a chance.

I have lots of respect for JL and wish he would have received one more chance with SM/TB returning, but what if there is another rash of injuries next season, when does it stop to keep giving him one more chance? Just because JL is a great guy, BU alum, etc, that doesn't excuse that during his tenure here, the basketball team has underacheived--no MVC contention, declining attendance, etc. As Charlie Sheen put it best, it's all about "WINNING!" which BU has not done. The next guy might be worse, but nothing ventured, nothing gained...

I'm looking forward to turning the page in BU Basketball. JL had a good run and a fair chance, now let's trust this administration to find the next guy so we can give him the support he deserves.

[houstontxbrave]

I have read through most of these posts, on JL's firing, this evening and have a few thoughts as the parent of an athlete. My first thought is (and I say this with humor), do you people have a life outside of speculating every move made by BU, it's Athletic Dept., President G, the players and each other? I understand being passionate about your alma mater, and the money that alumni and the community bring in with their support, but you cross the line when you question the maturity of the current players and recruits, should they decide to go else where.

Those few of you who post on here, who have actually been recruited and played a college sport, understand the commitment a coach makes to you, and visa versa. This is a business, they are the employees and this affects them more so than any of you. They are young men, some still teenagers, and at this moment, they are more worried about their future at BU than your opinions! If you are worried about them leaving, how about showing them some encouragement and support?

First off thank you Jim Les for everything you have done at Bradley.

Between my Freshman and Sophomore years of college the baseball coach at the college I was recruited to attend left to take a different coaching job.

The emotions initially were everywhere from Im leaving to well lets see who the next coach is. The biggest thing the school did was have the assistant coach bridge that time and keep most together. Some guys did leave but most stayed. Most stayed because it was where you were going to school. You were used to the routine of school and were comfortable where you were attending.

I think several of the Bradley players will even today be very hurt by this decision, but in the end they will look at their situation and decide it is to much of a hassell to move somewhere else. If you are on track to graduate, like the school and if the program keeps atleast one guy around to keep everyone together I dont think a lot of guys will eventually leave.

But, if they do, just like where I went the next season happended. Guys get replaced and you move on. Everyone is replaceable and no one is above the program.

For what it is worth to me a young coach ie Jerrance Howard is who this program needs to pursue.

[shaunguth]

I think at this point I'll stick by the post I made a week ago.

IF a head coaching change were to be made, this is simply my opinion of what I expect to happen.....

DS - Expect "Peoria" to play for Bradley.

RA - Shocked if he plays for Bradley.

NW - Surprised if he plays for Bradley.

SH - Unsure, but I believe Yuba was a JL connection as much as a Bradley connection.

By the way, why does Dan on WMBD continue to call him Sean Smith?

[tornado]

Yuba will have a fine team next year and a juco All American that was once pledged to BU