bravetime - I am sure you were around back then and are aware of as many of the facts as most...
nobody here knows everything but what's widely agreed is that both JL and Wayne McClain were seriously considered - and, although it's not widely known, Wayne was actually offered a spot on the coaching staff once before....under Coach Molinari when Rob Judson left and Pat Donahue was still with Mo.
Anyway both were seriously considered, both were good candidates, many of the other candidates withdrew when they sensed some problems among the members of the selection committee or when they were interrogated & asked questions that they felt were presumptive & inappropriate...
leaving just two candidates, and the committee went with Jim Les - reportedly the tipping point being they felt he would do a better job with raising the funds that were desperately needed to upgrade the 60+-year old facilities.
The local media played a large part in fanning the flames of resentment about who was hired - and carried their crusade several years into Coach Les' tenure at Bradley...as if it is their job to do way more than report what is current - and that they must continue to drag up old, old arguments for the sake of their agenda.
Anyway, many said WM would get other college head coaching jobs, but we never saw that happen - had he been selected as head coach in 2002 - I personally have no doubt that the same disgruntled fans that egg on the PJS writers & same media-types that do the hit pieces and fans who amass 400 page threads on message boards, would have eventually turned on Wayne McClain and run him out of town as they have to each of our past several head coaches.
But, both have done well for themselves since that selection fiasco, both are/were exceptionally fine people, fine families, and I really doubt that bringing this topic back up for further discussion right now serves any great purpose.
