From Mitchell Rosenzweig:
A few thoughts
1) I find the SJU "adoption" of the BC football team to be quite silly. It is basically force-feeding something down the neck of the students and the alums. Trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. SJU folks should be able to root for (and against for that matter) any team that they want. A student from BelAir, Maryland may be a fan of the Terrapins. Whereas another from Scranton, PA may be a supporter of Penn State. Just silly and there is no real "synergy" there
2) Joe Scott: Any buzz as to his replacement? One rumor I saw had Duke assistant Steve Wojo as a front-runner. What are you hearing?
3) Wake Forest: Any updates on the Prosser rumor?
4) Michigan: Any updates on this job? Ernie Kent's name has been tossed around but he is somewhat busy these days. Another potential hire would be the Wright State guy. What about Lickliter? Would be an upgrade for each.
I must admit that I can't quite bring myself to care too much about the St. Joe's-BC link. I think it's interesting and a bit funny, and more power to the Hawks and their fans if it work. But I can't say I'll be covering BC football on here on a regular basis. Come football season, I suspect I'll be focusing on Temple, Villanova and Penn because those are the teams I can get to. Travel-wise, I covered some Penn football road games for the Inquirer last season, and I might do so again, but I have no idea at this point.
Then again, BC plays at Maryland November 10, and I can get to that. If a bunch of St. Joe's people go to that, it could be interesting, but it's over six months away so don't hold me to it.
Haven't heard the Wojciechowski rumor (and I don't blame you for not spelling the whole thing out, either), though his name often comes up for schools with strong academics. I suspect that Princeton will look in the family.
Northwestern's Bill Carmody, who led Princeton to a No. 8 ranking in the AP Poll in 1998 and the Ivy League's last NCAA Tournament win (over UNLV) in the same season, is the first name that has come to everyone's mind. He's done better than his predecessors in Evanston, but success there is certainly relative as the Wildcats are still the only Big Ten team never to have made the NCAA Tournament.
This story posted on the Chicago Daily Herald's website today has a statement from Northwestern denying that Carmody's leaving or even interested in the job. Then again, Carmody has 1.1 million reasons to stay, according to this story from the Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana. I also understand from people I've talked to that Carmody is doing better now at recruiting from the public leagues in Chicago, which certainly helps. It does show just what the Big Ten can do when the coach of the bottom-feeding team makes $1.1 million a year.
Brown's Craig Robinson, a former Ivy League Player of the Year with the Tigers, is another candidate for the Princeton job, though I doubt he'll leave Providence after only one season. Rhichmond's Chris Mooney is a third 'big name' as Princeton basketball goes, but even though the Spiders have struggled they showed a bit of promise late this season and I don't think he'd leave the A-10.
This story on Basketball-U.com has all the names one could think of. It's behind a paywall but I know I have some readers out there who subscribe to the site, and if you don't but you follow the Ivy or Patriot Leagues it's worth it. This blog post by a Princeton follower is free of charge and also details the above candidates, as well as a few more.
I've heard that rumor about Ernie Kent. Anyone who didn't, read this column in the Oregonian. Kent might want the Michigan job, but I have to think Oregon is one of the better jobs out there: being in the Pac-10, living near Portland and getting to work at MacArthur Court.
As for Skip Prosser, I did a quick look at some of the North Carolina media, but I didn't see anything and I haven't read anything about it before now. I realize Wake Forest has struggled a bit lately, but I think Prosser has earned the right to go on his own terms because he has done some great things with the Demon Deacons -- and not all that long ago.
