Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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03-22-23 11:55 AM - Post#354891
In response to DoCtoR62
Congratulations to Jermaine Truax for conducting a thorough, professional search. No search committee and off-campus interviews assured there were no internal leaks, and at the end of the day, I believe he hired the best person for the Bucknell basketball program. There were several strong candidates, at least a few of whom could have been successful. However, given the current state of the program, I think he realized one stood out above the others to reenergize a deeply-caring fanbase. For an ahletic director who was not around when the program was at its peak, that's not as easy of a decision as it might seem. College athletics is littered with AD's who hire "their guy" to build "their legacy." I am so impressed that didn't feel the need to do that.
Agree 100%.
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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03-22-23 12:35 PM - Post#354894
In response to Bison137
I concur. Truax has certainly been criticized but deserves some praise here. I also feel John isn’t just the best person for this job right now, in many ways he is a safe choice. Aside from his real qualifications, he is a beloved player, alum, coach and a fan favorite to get this job. There really is no downside. If things do not end up working out, that’s just the way things go.
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Paulie777
PhD Student
Posts: 1767
Reg: 11-11-07
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John Griffin Hired as the Next Head Coach
03-22-23 01:55 PM - Post#354897
In response to MrPhillie
I concur as well. Truax easily could have gone another direction, picked a dud, and flushed himself out of a great AD job. Instead, he made the right choice and restored himself by this one great choice. Is that so hard to pick the right one? Even if we don't lead the league next year we have a viable, enthusiastic coach who will do his best to see Bucknell succeed. He'll work hard behind the scenes, and deliver a great winning product on court where us fans can cheer from the stands at him rooting the team on and the team itself. Flannery was great, Paulson was great but now let the demi-god John Griffin go to work!
Edited by Paulie777 on 03-22-23 01:58 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-22-23 08:01 PM - Post#354908
In response to bison75
Dom Hoffman on Twitter:
"Was fortunate enough to play for @JohnGriffinIII my senior year and joined the Bucknell staff after he left. His presence on campus and in the community is unmatched and this is a home run hire! Can’t wait to continue to cheer on the Bison!"
https://twitter.com/dom_hoff50/status/163 828115392...
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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John Griffin Hired as the Next Head Coach
03-22-23 08:07 PM - Post#354909
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
A Twitter account called "Coaching Changes" that describes itself as being run by "a diverse group of insiders":
"Griffin is a great hire. I expect him to recruit in his image, placing a premium on fiery competitors who take 0 [s***] and have never backed down in their lives.
One more thing I expect: Bucknell to win."
https://twitter.com/CoachingChanges/statu s/1638275...
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candyfan
Masters Student
Posts: 459
Reg: 01-10-10
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John Griffin Hired as the Next Head Coach
03-25-23 05:24 AM - Post#355047
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
Johnny G is a great hire, no question about it!
BUT, let's have a sober moment here:
1. Griffin comes in to a program that Nathan Davis destroyed via poor recruiting!
2. Griffin will still have the curse of PORTAL hanging over his head, unless the NCAA wakes up and reverses course in the name of sanity!
3. Griffin will still have the alleged or depending on your perspective, real obstruction of the Bucknell Faculty and/or the Bucknell Administration that prevents Bucknell from competing on a level field with the likes of a Colgate, among other foes, who participate in various "shananigans" in order to acquire players to win games!
John will be great, but even he may not be able to overcome such obstacles, which Woolum, Flannery and Paulsen, while at Bucknell, did not have to deal with.
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jkrun80
Postdoc
Posts: 3305
Age: 65
Reg: 05-07-12
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Re: John Griffin Hired as the Next Head Coach
03-25-23 08:03 AM - Post#355051
In response to candyfan
Johnny G is a great hire, no question about it!
BUT, let's have a sober moment here:
1. Griffin comes in to a program that Nathan Davis destroyed via poor recruiting!
I have to disagree on the recruiting point. I think the talent level of our recruits is comparable to other PL teams, with the exception of Colgate. Team chemistry, player development and player retention has been the problem. I think John G can turn all three of those things around.
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HoleinOne
Masters Student
Posts: 596
Loc: Bluffton, SC
Reg: 02-15-09
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03-25-23 08:13 AM - Post#355053
In response to jkrun80
I worked a number of years for a great manager whose mantra was to stay focused on what you could control and not let the other aspects of the job divert your attention. If Griffin and those of us in the alumni can change one thing - putting a process in place that makes it reasonable for Bucknell to hold onto and recruit 5th year players and therefore more transfers, we can at least look to having an even playing field in the Patriot League.
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DoCtoR62
Masters Student
Posts: 463
Reg: 05-18-08
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Re: John Griffin Hired as the Next Head Coach
03-25-23 08:52 AM - Post#355058
In response to candyfan
John will be great, but even he may not be able to overcome such obstacles, which Woolum, Flannery and Paulsen, while at Bucknell, did not have to deal with.
When Charlie Woollum took over the program, Bucknell played in a conference that included Temple (nationally-ranked at the time), St. Joe's and LaSalle among others; did not award athletic scholarships; and had admissions standards that were much more stringent than most every school on its schedule.
Pat Flannery was hired in 1994 in the early days of Patriot League, which was established as a non-scholarship league. During his first five years, Adonal Foyle showed up at Colgate, and the PL changed course and approved athletic merit aid. Holy Cross, Lehigh & Colgate quickly added scholarships, while Bucknell and Lafayette declined to do so. It took several years of lobbying and in-fighting until the Bucknell BoT adopted a new athletic aid policy.
So, to suggest the obstacles facing John Griffin are greater than Woollum & Flannery isn't quite right.
I'll also add that Flannery, who was Woollum's first ever recruit, was beloved when he took over the program as head coach, and that status was critical in the aforementioned lobbying for athletic aid (not to mention facilities upgrades, i.e., Sojka). Griffin, who was in Flannery's second class of scholarship recruits, also has favorite-son status and a passion for Bucknell similar to PF's. I'm confident that will only benefit the athletic department as it works with the administration to update policies, such as transfer, fifth-year, NIL, etc.
Edited by DoCtoR62 on 03-25-23 09:01 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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03-25-23 10:16 AM - Post#355060
In response to DoCtoR62
Agree with almost all of the above. However one correction: Colgate did not begin athletic scholarships until a full year after Bucknell did. The three who had basketball scholarships earlier and Bucknell we’re holy Cross, Lehigh, and American, who had them when they joined the league.
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bison63
Postdoc
Posts: 3857
Reg: 01-23-06
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03-25-23 11:54 AM - Post#355063
In response to Bison137
This is a very interesting discussion, and I, like everybody is thrilled with the hiring of John Griffin, of whom my first memory of is a behind the back pass to Donald Brown in THE Kansas game, which was played in the first year that March Madness ( and is it ever still, omg) was streamed allowing me to watch a grainy picture on my PC of a game that CBS was not televising in my area.
There is no question that the fifth year situation has in recent years put us in a hole vis-a-vis PL competitors. But is that really a problem once all of the COVID eligible fifth year players are gone? Imo, it is, but nothing like it is now. Ongoing it will pretty much apply only in cases of injury or illness that may have caused a player to lose a year.( correct me if I am wrong)
I am much more concerned about the transfer situation, which Griff will have to deal with, and which Coaches Woolum, Flannery and Paulsen did not. For some years in the past, if schools like Bucknell had any advantage over a power 5 school it was our players played for 4 years, while P5’s best players were one and done. But todays transfer rules make us a minor league for the big guys. So far when we have seen players transfer out, we could rationalize that it was because the team stunk because it was not well coached. Well as Cecilia Collins proves transferring out is not limited to poorly coached teams.
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-28-23 10:41 PM - Post#355264
In response to bison63
Nice interview with Griffin that gives some initial insights into how he envisions reshaping Bucknell basketball:
https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2023/03/buckne ll-k...
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-28-23 10:51 PM - Post#355265
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
The Wednesday, 4:30pm ET press conference to introduce Griffin as head coach will stream live on the Bucknell men's basketball Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BucknellMBB
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DoCtoR62
Masters Student
Posts: 463
Reg: 05-18-08
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03-29-23 02:49 PM - Post#355299
In response to Bison137
Agree with almost all of the above. However one correction: Colgate did not begin athletic scholarships until a full year after Bucknell did. The three who had basketball scholarships earlier and Bucknell we’re holy Cross, Lehigh, and American, who had them when they joined the league.
Looked this up and, of course, you are right 137. I know we lost a PL Rookie of the Year to Colgate in the early 2000's, and I thought it was a scholarship thing. Now, I'm thinking it was an admissions issue ... they got him in, and we did not. He wanted to come to Bucknell.
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-29-23 03:54 PM - Post#355305
In response to DoCtoR62
Excellent hype video for the Griffin era, and a reminder of how to watch today's 4:30 ET press conference:
https://twitter.com/Bucknell_MBB/status/1 641164804...
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-29-23 07:13 PM - Post#355316
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
You can watch the archived video of the press conference here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/d41d8cd9/john- grif...
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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03-29-23 08:04 PM - Post#355320
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
Watched the press conference after the fact, I didn’t get out of school until 4:30. I like what John had to say. I’m not 100% sold that Truax did not consider John’s standing in the Bucknell community and fan base in the decision-making process.
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-29-23 08:32 PM - Post#355324
In response to MrPhillie
"Defensively, we're going to be disruptive. I believe in making your opponent feel uncomfortable. We had that success when I was a player here, both in-league and in the NCAA tournament, and we'll have something similar in place where opponents feel like they're going to have to play their best basketball offensively to win.
..And I'll be in a defensive stance -- a lot."
I might be reading too much into this, but I wonder if Griffin was alluding to a return of the match-up zone many of us have wished for?
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BisonRoadWarrior
Professor
Posts: 5203
Loc: Where the Bison Roam
Reg: 08-16-06
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03-29-23 10:59 PM - Post#355338
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
Video of John Griffin welcome reception, with speech by Griffin:
https://youtu.be/gPzmYpzIwL4
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MrPhillie
Postdoc
Posts: 2757
Loc: NE PA
Reg: 07-14-08
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03-30-23 06:53 AM - Post#355341
In response to BisonRoadWarrior
Thanks for posting, BRW. I wish I could’ve been there but I’m stoked it was a great turnout.
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