RETURN TO FANTASY ISLAND

No surprise that my recent commentary on Rob Lanier’s imminent departure from Siena bruised a few egos. Reading through the stack of emails, I now know how Colonel Nathan R. Jessep felt under cross-examination -- Apparently, some people can’t handle the truth.

There were a select few that actually find my conclusions to be accurate so I should have stated that “most,” but not all have lost touch with reality. The remainder -- of the couple hundred or so correspondences -- can best be described as comical.

One of my favorites was one that suggested that three former Lanier assistants left under “mysterious circumstances.” Mysterious? Jimmy Hoffa’s death was shrouded in mysterious circumstances, but the movement of assistant coaches is a little more common that some people in Albany realize.

For the record, one assistant left Siena to take a position with La Salle. Sorry to wreck your world, but the Atlantic 10 is a better conference then the MAAC. Another assistant left to become an NBA scout. It’s a mystery why you would leave Albany for the Association. Oh and that third coach left to pursue other endeavors. He is out of coaching completely.

Man, that is sinister stuff.

Another classic from the land of small men in white suits talked about the exodus of players from the program. Wow, I never knew that players actually transferred when there was a coaching change.

When Gary Waters replaced Kevin Bannon at Rutgers, one Scarlet Knight opted out. Not because Gary Waters is a bad guy, but because he isn’t Kevin Bannon. Ironically, Bobby Gonzalez and Manhattan may not have had their great run had Luis Flores not "transferred" out of Rutgers.

The fact is that player movement -- following a regime change -- is as common as the little guy ringing the bell.

Another white-suit special rambled on and on, but I loved his final remark. He wrote, “Speaking of mid majors, it’s a wonder I have not come across any of your articles on ESPN. Digest that for a moment.”

And he signed it, “Un-educated, Idiotic Siena Fan. That’s priceless.

Well friend, the world is full of professors but they aren’t all teaching at Oxford. The world is also full of sports fans, but a lot of them are obviously not very educated. While you think about that, climb the stairs and ring that bell.

One thing I failed to mention is that there are at least a couple of people that are tuned in to reality. Vice President, Father James Toal and Athletics Director John D'Argenio are both quality individuals and neither is a driving force behind the imminent fate of Lanier.

Unfortunately, the great majority is.

The mindset of the boosters, fans and media is a prime example of what is wrong with college athletics. Everybody but the coach is running the program and people who “think” they know the game are “convinced” that they should be a part of the decision-making process. I love people who feel a sense of entitlement.

It’s true that the Saints are suffering through a second straight tough season, but the program is just two years removed from postseason. Imagine if this mindset existed in Valparaiso (Indiana) or Burlington (Vermont)? Neither Homer Drew nor Tom Brennan enjoyed success in their first few years.

Brennan, who will retire at season’s end, works his trade just a few hours away from the greater Albany area. Not far in miles, but worlds away in reality.

Before Taylor Coppenrath enrolled at Vermont, the Catamounts had never won more than 16 games in the program’s 100-year history. Brennan is in his nineteenth season, but he didn’t have his first winning season until year five. In his first ten seasons he posted three winning records. It wasn’t until year seventeen that he took the program to the NCAA tournament.

Thank god the people in Burlington “get it.”

A final email I received came from one of CollegeInsider.com’s regular readers. His comments should serve as a wake-up for the disgruntled bell-ringers in Albany. He wrote, “… I knew Siena was in the northeast but I thought it was located in Western, New York.”

Unbelievable. It’s the capital of Basketball East and somebody didn’t know where it’s located.

When the bell rings the Cessna touches down near Loudonville, New York. It’s a mysterious and sinister place.


THE BIG ISLAND

Hawaii’s Riley Wallace only has to deal with half the nonsense that Lanier endures. In Honolulu the fans are more mild-mannered, more educated and they fully support the coach. By his own admission, Riley knows the fan-base doesn’t really care for his sidelined antics, but it’s not an issue. What is an issue is the never-ending media blitz.

Riley is a throwback-kind-of-guy and is not afraid to rock the boat. On too many occasions to count, he will tell a reporter, “That’s the dumbest question I have ever been asked.”

Last weekend following a win, Riley took it too a different level. In short, he told the media to “pucker up and kiss it.”

Nobody is calling for a regime change on the Island, but there has been continuous needling by the local authors. It’s more puzzling then it is offensive. Over the past five years, no team has won more games in the WAC then Hawaii and Wallace is second on the conference’s all-time win list, trailing only former UTEP coach Don Haskins.

Before their recent two-game sweep at home, the Warriors had five losses by a combined eleven points. As evenly matched as the teams are in the WAC, Riley’s bunch should be right in the mix when the conference tournament roles around.

Until then don’t be surprised if you hear another “Kiss my….”

Riley is a classic.


WELCOME TO HUNTSVILLE

From Fantasy Island and the Big Island to the real world… Welcome to Huntsville, TX where high school football is king, George W. Bush has a lot of supporters and the people “get it.” In particular, Sam Houston State Athletics Director, Bobby Williams

Williams is a guy that fully understands and appreciates what head coach Bob Marlin has done for the program. Don’t underestimate the Coach-AD relationship. Many coaches win in spite of a bad relationship, but when there is a good working arrangement success is almost guaranteed.

In this day an age of big contracts, Marlin doesn’t have a long-term deal at Sam Houston. In fact, since arriving he has never had a multi-year agreement. The institution functions on a one-year contract basis. But what he does have is a guy that “gets it.”

Unlike other places, the off-season renewal process is without drama and posturing. Williams knows full well that Marlin will likely not be at SHSU for much longer. Over the past few years Williams has been completely supportive of the possibility of another school luring Marlin away. He’s not faxing out Marlin’s resume, but he truly appreciates what Marlin has done for the program and wants to see him get all that he deserves.

Talk about a rarity.

SHSU basketball was a joke at best, prior to Marlin’s arrival in 1998. The program had never had a winning season, which Marlin quickly changed in his second season. In his six-plus seasons, the Bearkats have won more games then any other team in the Southland Conference (conference wins and total wins).

Last season the Bearkats finished 13-15, due in large part to the loss of all-conference performer Eddy Fobbs. This season Fobbs is healthy and the supporting cast is more experienced. As a team, the ‘Kats are shooting close to 49% from the field in league play. Defensively they are holding opponents to around 34% from the floor.

With such a wide-margin SHSU could turn the ball over twenty-five times a game and still win.

Thursday night SHSU dismantled Texas-San Antonio on the road, which improved their league mark to 6-2. The ‘Kats remain just one-half game off the pace in the Southland Conference. With eight games remaining until conference tourney time, Marlin’s group is poised to make a run at its third SLC regular season title and possibly a second NCAA tournament appearance.

Not bad for a coach that inherited a program that had never enjoyed a winning season.

Last year Marlin was a finalist for the University of Houston vacancy and there have been other interviews in recent years. It’s been a case of close, but not quite. Regardless of how this season concludes, search committees would be making a big mistake if they didn’t take a long, hard look at the head coach in Huntsville.

All things considered, he might be one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball. And there is no question that the Marlin-Williams tandem is a winner.