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May 1, 2015
We are officially the most prestigious program in the Patriot League now. Our score is 43; Holy Cross and American are next at 41. Bucknell follows, at 33.
The Head Coach rounds begin now. The first two offers Graham receives--from Kent State and Western Michigan--aren't tempting. The third one is.
In a college basketball universe that begins in 2010, Virginia is not a powerhouse. In fact, the Hoos have the lowest prestige in the ACC. Their coach, Fabian McNew, has just retired, after leading the team to a 17-15 record. This is par for McNew's course; his teams won 18, 17, and 15 games in the previous three seasons, and they've never played in a postseason tournament.
The challenge of turning Virginia into a national championship contender would be a lot of fun...but that's another story I might want to tell someday. I reject all three offers and move on.
Illinois State, Virginia Commonwealth, and the Alabama-Birmingham team we beat in last year's NCAA tournament all make offers which I don't want to accept. Then comes an opportunity that is an acceptable one for our Pennsylvania-based coach.
Kentucky coach Columbus Hudson retired at the end of the season. The Wildcats hire 38-year-old Brooks Runyan, who's led Temple to a 57-13 record over the last two seasons and just took them to the Sweet Sixteen.
Temple's Prestige is 82. Villanova (92) and Pitt (91) are higher, but I doubt any other Pennsylvania program comes close. The Owls' budget is close to $600,000, while ours is about $350,000. Their recruiting class ranks in the middle of the Atlantic 10.
Although the Temple job is the kind Graham will want somewhere down the line, something tells me this isn't the right time for it. If Lafayette's fortunes take a turn for the worse, and Coach Sims' reputation goes with it, I might regret my decision. For now, however, I'm passing. Perhaps the opportunity might come my way again.
I decide to give all three assistants the raises they're seeking. I like the coaching team we've assembled here.
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