In Defense Of Jay Jacobs

[AUChizad]

Yes, you read the title right.

To many here, that is worse than defending Hitler.

However, there are some misconceptions about Jacobs that need to be clarified.

Jay Jacobs DID NOT hire Jeff Lebo or Tom Slater. Lebo had been there 8 before Jacobs was hired, and Slater was there 6 months before.

All Jacobs has done is fire a bad baseball coach and replaced him with Pawloski, whom many consider to be one of the best in college ball. He also hired Nell Fortner for the women's team, who most would agree has done a phenomenal job. And of course, he hired Gene Chizik, whom most rational people would argue is working out pretty well so far as well.

He also oversaw the signing of the Under Armour deal that has brought in a lot of money for Auburn, and despite some hard-headed arguments here, played no small part in landing us the best available bowl over the five other teams that wanted it.

The only stigma that is perhaps justified is letting David Marsh resign. But even that is not necessarily a fault of Jacobs. Marsh moved on to accept the position of CEO/Head Elite Team Coach of Mecklenburg Aquatic Club, which trains the U.S. Olympians. It's not like he stepped down, or even laterally to coach at another school. He hired Richard Quick in his place, who had quite an impressive resume himself (12 NCs, 16 Olympic medals). Auburn won the national championship again during his second and final season before he passed away. He was replaced by his assistant, Australian Olympic record holder Brett Hawke. So it's not like he's completed bumblefucked the Swimming & Diving team.

Now, with all that being said, I hope he sees the obvious writing on the wall with Lebo. This is the year he's got to go. Anything prior to this would have been premature, but good God, this is record-breaking suckage. I guess we have to finish the season, only because no decent coach will leave in the middle, but it's obvious that Lebo is not ever going to get it done at Auburn. We need a fresh face in a fresh arena for the 2010-11 season.

[wreckingball]

Nice. Especially from the guy who basically 4chaned the shit out of JJ by posting his telephone # everywhere.

[Kaos]

Yes, you read the title right.

To many here, that is worse than defending Hitler.

However, there are some misconceptions about Jacobs that need to be clarified.

Jay Jacobs DID NOT hire Jeff Lebo or Tom Slater. Lebo had been there 8 before Jacobs was hired, and Slater was there 6 months before.

He let Slater drag on a year longer than it should.  Damage inflicted on the program.  But Slater had a blueprint, remember?  I do.

How long have we known Lebo couldn't get it done?  Rephrase -- how long have some of us been telling you it wasn't going to work?

All Jacobs has done is fire a bad baseball coach and replaced him with Pawloski, whom many consider to be one of the best in college ball. He also hired Nell Fortner for the women's team, who most would agree has done a phenomenal job. And of course, he hired Gene Chizik, whom most rational people would argue is working out pretty well so far as well.

Too early to plant the victory flag on either Chizik or Pawloski.  Neither has accomplished anything remotely close to Auburn standards (the good standards) yet. You don't get to determine rationality with your own irrational viewpoint.

Fortner?  One really good year.  Let's see some consistency now before we hoist Jay on our shoulders.

He also oversaw the signing of the Under Armour deal that has brought in a lot of money for Auburn, and despite some hard-headed arguments here, played no small part in landing us the best available bowl over the five other teams that wanted it.

Nikki and Al Borges say you can go phuk yourself.  

You don't know what part he played. Besides, Roger Schultz and Scott Whatthephukever from WNSP said no other SEC team wanted that bowl.  Surely they can be believed.

The only stigma that is perhaps justified is letting David Marsh resign. But even that is not necessarily a fault of Jacobs. Marsh moved on to accept the position of CEO/Head Elite Team Coach of Mecklenburg Aquatic Club, which trains the U.S. Olympians. It's not like he stepped down, or even laterally to coach at another school. He hired Richard Quick in his place, who had quite an impressive resume himself (12 NCs, 16 Olympic medals). Auburn won the national championship again during his second and final season before he passed away. He was replaced by his assistant, Australian Olympic record holder Brett Hawke. So it's not like he's completed bumblephuked the Swimming & Diving team.

From everything I've been told, he caused Marsh to resign.  Marsh intended to remain and retire at AU, but Jacobs did bumblephuk that.  

Swimming and diving was going well long before Jacobs got involved.  Big congrats for not completely blowing it.... I guess.

Now, with all that being said, I hope he sees the obvious writing on the wall with Lebo. This is the year he's got to go. Anything prior to this would have been premature, but good God, this is record-breaking suckage. I guess we have to finish the season, only because no decent coach will leave in the middle, but it's obvious that Lebo is not ever going to get it done at Auburn. We need a fresh face in a fresh arena for the 2010-11 season.

And you trust Jacobs to make this hire?  

Fred Hill is out there.  He went 8-44 in the Big East with Rutgers.  Everybody knows you can't win there.  

What about Jim Engles?  He led NJIT to a 1-30 record a year ago. He was 0-29 the year before that. IMPROVEMENT!!  Surely he's due.  NJIT is a coaching graveyard.  If you'd ever lived in Newark I'm sure you'd have stories about just how awful it is and how no coach could ever hope to win there.  I heard through a source that Engles definitely has a blueprint.  Definitely.  

Seriously, Sancho.  Since you're into lists, list the programs that are better off today than they were when Jacobs was hired.

* crickets *

[Thrilla]

Yeah, but at NJIT, they have smoothie parties.  Who needs basketball?



http://coffeesandsmoothies.blogspot.com/2009/02/aztec-party-with-smoothies-at-njit.html

[Kaos]

Yeah, but at NJIT, they have smoothie parties.  Who needs basketball?



http://coffeesandsmoothies.blogspot.com/2009/02/aztec-party-with-smoothies-at-njit.html

Second from the left is mine.  I call dibs.

[Godfather]

Second from the left is mine.  I call dibs.

My left or yours?

[GH2001]

He let Slater drag on a year longer than it should.  Damage inflicted on the program.  But Slater had a blueprint, remember?  I do.

How long have we known Lebo couldn't get it done?  Rephrase -- how long have some of us been telling you it wasn't going to work?

Too early to plant the victory flag on either Chizik or Pawloski.  Neither has accomplished anything remotely close to Auburn standards (the good standards) yet. You don't get to determine rationality with your own irrational viewpoint.

Fortner?  One really good year.  Let's see some consistency now before we hoist Jay on our shoulders.
 

Nikki and Al Borges say you can go phuk yourself.  

You don't know what part he played. Besides, Roger Schultz and Scott Whatthephukever from WNSP said no other SEC team wanted that bowl.  Surely they can be believed.
 

From everything I've been told, he caused Marsh to resign.  Marsh intended to remain and retire at AU, but Jacobs did bumblephuk that.  

Swimming and diving was going well long before Jacobs got involved.  Big congrats for not completely blowing it.... I guess.

And you trust Jacobs to make this hire?  

Fred Hill is out there.  He went 8-44 in the Big East with Rutgers.  Everybody knows you can't win there.  

What about Jim Engles?  He led NJIT to a 1-30 record a year ago. He was 0-29 the year before that. IMPROVEMENT!!  Surely he's due.  NJIT is a coaching graveyard.  If you'd ever lived in Newark I'm sure you'd have stories about just how awful it is and how no coach could ever hope to win there.  I heard through a source that Engles definitely has a blueprint.  Definitely.  

Seriously, Sancho.  Since you're into lists, list the programs that are better off today than they were when Jacobs was hired.

* crickets *

So real talk here K.....



Should we fir Lebo now?

If so, what is the holdup? Why is Jacobs not hitting the button?

Do you think we are evaluating what options are available on the market? I know the later the season goes on the more options become available as people step down, get fired, step up, etc.

Who would you list as the top 5 candidates right now if you were AD? (and dont even think about Bobby Knight or I'll kick you in the balls.) 

I like Lebo personally as I have spoken with him a few times in person, but the performance on the court is hard to ignore. He has pretty good talent this year, no excuses. I think the change needs to be made asap. When that decision is made, I wish him luck in the future - just didnt work out for him at AU for whatever reason. He would probably make a great coach again at a smaller school like where he came from before AU. Again - not a bad guy, just not the right guy for Auburn.

[BZ770]

What under armour does to your nuts

[Kaos]

So real talk here K.....



Should we fir Lebo now?

If so, what is the holdup? Why is Jacobs not hitting the button?

Do you think we are evaluating what options are available on the market? I know the later the season goes on the more options become available as people step down, get fired, step up, etc.

Who would you list as the top 5 candidates right now if you were AD? (and dont even think about Bobby Knight or I'll kick you in the balls.) 

I like Lebo personally as I have spoken with him a few times in person, but the performance on the court is hard to ignore. He has pretty good talent this year, no excuses. I think the change needs to be made asap. When that decision is made, I wish him luck in the future - just didnt work out for him at AU for whatever reason. He would probably make a great coach again at a smaller school like where he came from before AU. Again - not a bad guy, just not the right guy for Auburn.

Lebo should have been fired two years ago. 

Can't "hit the button" at the beginning of a new season, you just have to suck it up and suffer through.   If Auburn ends up with two or three SEC wins -- which is what I expect even though the SEC is as ready for taking as it has ever been -- then he could be gone or at least informed that he will not be retained by the middle of the SEC slate.

I think he'd make a good assistant coach somewhere. He just couldn't compete at Auburn. All he had were excuses.  I've said it a thousand times. It doesn't take five years to rebuild a basketball program.  You know what you've got after two.

I hear that the team is an emotional zero.  No passion, no intensity, no focus.  We have no offensive identity and get killed on the inside.  All we do is fire up threes.  If they hit, they hit.  If not, well we're in a world of shit.  That's not good at all.

As for who to hire, I haven't really researched it. I don't think Jacobs is smart enough to make a good hire unless he has help.

We may not have the gravitas to get people like this, but I like Mark Few at Gonzaga.  His teams play consistently hard, make the tournament and he's at a school with fewer students than the average Auburn freshman class. Would he take a reclamation project?  I don't know.

Wisconsin has a relatively stable basketball program.  Their guy, Bo Ryan, might be interested in a chance to compete in the talent-rich SEC. Again, is Auburn a more attractive position than Wisconsin?  It is to me, but would it be to him?

Beyond that, I don't really know without doing some looking.  As I have no confidence in Jacobs to make the call and less confidence in him to perform a competent search, I am just going to put it on ignore.  I hope they figure it out, because I like Frankie Sullivan and if you're going to have any kind of rapport with the players in the state, you can't waste a kid like that. 

[GH2001]

Few would be a good pick up. I agree with most of what you said above. I just see no emotion from the team.

Again - he just couldnt cut it at Auburn. Not sure why, just couldnt.

[Snaggletiger]

Bring back Sonny Smith.  Loved the guy.

[jadennis]

Few has turned down a lot of chances in the last 5 years (Indiana, Washington, Cal, Oregon, etc)....he's apparently content to stay at Gonzaga....and why not, he's built it to where he gets talent, he gets paid (somewhere between $750k and $1m), and he's ranked in the preseason every year now.  Plus, he's from Washington state, unlikely to leave for the south.

Ryan wouldn't leave Wisconsin for Auburn either.  Wisconsin is a regular in the polls and the NCAA tournament over the last 15 years.  Since Dick Bennett took over in the 95-96 season, they've been to the NCAA tournament 12 of the last 14 years, including the second round eight times, Sweet 16 four times, Elite 8 twice, and Final Four once.   

That's better than Auburn's entire basketball history, all in the last 14 years.

We're most likely to get someone like Lebo again (meaning someone successful from a smaller program) or steal an assistant and give them their first gig (like Wojo or Chris Collins from Duke's bench).  I don't see us stealing a coach worth having from another BCS school...unfortunately we're not terribly attractive (unless we throw tons of cash at them).

[ggraf71]

We're most likely to get someone like Lebo again (meaning someone successful from a smaller program) or steal an assistant and give them their first gig (like Wojo or Chris Collins from Duke's bench).  I don't see us stealing a coach worth having from another BCS school...unfortunately we're not terribly attractive (unless we throw tons of cash at them).

I think Barkley could be a good fit. Auburn isn't that far from Biloxi, and Victoryland is only a couple exits away.

How much does he make at TNT? Maybe he gives us a hometown discount.

Thoughts?

[AUChizad]

That would be the motherfuckin shit.

[Godfather]

That would be the motherfuckin shit.

It would make me interested to attend a game.

[Mr. Sensible]

I call dibs on the blonde.

[Kaos]

I call dibs on the blonde.

Perfect.  Would have been my second to last choice.

[Townhallsavoy]

Perfect.  Would have been my second to last choice.

Actually, I might have taken the lizard face brunette over the blonde.  All yours, Cynic. 

[AUChizad]

I have to commend Jacobs for realizing the right time to fire Lebo. It's easy to sit here and say he should have been gone earlier, but until this year, there really have been valid reasons to expect him to improve the following year.

It would have been the far easier thing to do to give him next year to "see what he can do with the new arena", and try to get as close to the 2013 to shave off as much of that half a mil we owe him a year up to that date as possible.

I was cautious to break out my pitchfork until this very season. Firing Lebo the day this abysmal season ended was perfect timing in my opinion.

Of course, we still has to see who he hires, and even then see how he plays out, but so far so good, Jay.

[Kaos]

I have to commend Jacobs for realizing the right time to fire Lebo. It's easy to sit here and say he should have been gone earlier, but until this year, there really have been valid reasons to expect him to improve the following year.

It would have been the far easier thing to do to give him next year to "see what he can do with the new arena", and try to get as close to the 2013 to shave off as much of that half a mil we owe him a year up to that date as possible.

I was cautious to break out my pitchfork until this very season. Firing Lebo the day this abysmal season ended was perfect timing in my opinion.

Of course, we still has to see who he hires, and even then see how he plays out, but so far so good, Jay.

Pfffft.

Three years too late.