Scotty-14
Sophomore
Posts: 156
Age: 31
Reg: 10-10-18
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03-05-23 06:54 PM - Post#353214
Road Warrior wrote a great outline of some of John Griffin's attributes that would make him a strong hire. I agree with all, but wanted to expand, as I see him as the clear-cut #1 Choice to make Bucknell Basketball Bucknell Basketball again.
1.Played in NCAA Tournaments at Bucknell
2.Coached in NCAA Tournaments at Bucknell
3. Developed talent at an unbelievably successful level. Does anyone remeber Stephen Brown's freshman year? Or Kimbal Mackenzie's? These guys went from acceptable PL backup guards to some of the most elite players at the Mid-Major level. I can confirm with certainty that John Griffin played a SIGNIFICANT part in the development of those players, and is largely the reason they are making money playing basketball today.
4.We played 12 guys from 2015-2019 and it WORKED!! We kept doing this after John left, and all of the sudden the wheels fell off. Why did this happen? Well, John was responsible for working with the guards and wings each and every day, and would implement things he saw from NBA games, other college games, our prior games etc into the structured workouts to start practice each day. What is a nice warm-up to practice for most teams, was a highly intentional, advanced skills work out that elevated the talent and confidence of our whole roster. John is very intense and passionate, but most importantly puts the time in to be educated and informed, which earns him the respect from the players.
5. John cares about the Student Section. One of the less talked about topics here (Probably because so much else has gone wrong), but something that has really bothered me for years. Back when John played, we had an amazing student section for every home game. A true home court advantage. The only coach on staff who had made any efforts to improve the student section was John. If he were running the program, the students would come back. Come back because he will put the time in to connect with them, and because we will win.
6. Players like playing for him, Coaches like coaching with him. His constant intensity can frustrate players at times, but I've never known a Bucknell player to look back on a season or career and not appreciate and John as a coach. He holds players to high standards, and expects their best. He sees the best version they can be of themselves, and tries his best to help them get there. Again, this goes back to his work ethic and knowledge. Passion and intensity is only great when it's paired with knowledge. He has all three. Furthermore, as intense as he is, he does not take things more seriously than they need to be taken, and thus knows how to work with other coaches. He doesn't demand perfection from those around him, and will never assert his power in order to belittle another coach or player. Clearly, this should be a given, but lately it seems many coaches around the country do not have this ability.
7. He's young and loyal. He won't build Bucknell back and leave. He's a guy that can be here for decades, despite consistent success. Bucknell is the best job in the Patriot League by a mile, and one of the stronger Mid-Major jobs in the country. John would not take this for granted, and would take pride in being the head of the program in his home state for many years to come.
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