Win or lose no chatter.............

[Deleted]

I guess this pretty much sums up how tired we all are with this season and the regime as a whole.

How appropriate the season ends in March and there will be a new coach chosen in the spring, a time for rebirth. I look forward to next season with renewed interest and the hope to get back on track.

Cheers!

[MTS]

Hang in there..10 more days and then we can start the next period in Siena basketball. It will be an entertaining offseason...coach dismissed, new coach hired, potential player movement and maybe a new conference. Will be better than the season that's for sure!

[Tony]

Last stage of fandom--- apathy .. and that should be the scary part to Siena- once fans stop caring. It’s a long road back. We get I’m not sure the team is improving..or it’s not the Franciscan way or all MAAC teams go through this from our AD

[siena70]

All teams don't go through this. Only teams which have weak, shortsighted , and "tell them what they want to hear" adminisrations. Our only power is to stay vocal and vote with our pocketbooks.
Ultimately, loss of $ speaks louder than words.

[siena70]

Siena RPI is now at 300. With a probable loss to Iona, we would have to beat Marist in the PIG.

I don't know what the 2005 team's RPI was, but this could be the lowest ranked team in Siena history.

Fr. Kevin and D'Arg have no shame. Another Franciscan value??

[Tony]

Mar 2, 2013 8:10:23 GMT -5 siena70 said:

Siena RPI is now at 300. With a probable loss to Iona, we would have to beat Marist in the PIG.

I don't know what the 2005 team's RPI was, but this could be the lowest ranked team in Siena history.

Fr. Kevin and D'Arg have no shame. Another Franciscan value??

whats done is done Siena70..whats important now is what Siena does going forward.

[brian]

Final RPI in 2005 was 297.

Mitch may have another record.

[SaintsFan]

Another to add to the pile...

First time in 12 years that Siena lost on senior night per the TU

[saints22]

Mar 2, 2013 8:10:23 GMT -5 siena70 said:

Fr. Kevin and D'Arg have no shame. Another Franciscan value??

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I couldn't disagree with you more. As far as I'm concerned, both Fr. Kevin and John are completely committed to having as good a basketball program at Siena as is possible, given the resources available to the school, and the desire to do it "the right way".

We all get that hiring Mitch has turned out to be a disaster. I wouldn't have hired him, but I can see why someone else would. John wouldn't have hired him either, if the final decision had been up to him. And I honestly believe that Fr. Kevin may have felt that he didn't have much of a choice given the strong support that Mitch received from several Board of Trustees members with whom he was friendly. But that's over with. Time to move on.

You will not find a stronger advocate and fan of Siena basketball than Fr. Kevin. He fully understands the negative impacts that the past three seasons have had on the basketball program and the Siena basketball community. He is as unhappy and as disappointed as anyone about the way Mitch has mismanaged the program. He has tried to be positive and supportive throughout, while ultimately coming to the conclusion that a change will have to be made.

I know that Fr. Kevin (Mullen) was not the president when Fran was hired (Fr. Kevin Mackin was). But Fran would tell you that, during his five years at Siena, when the basketball program had more success than at any other time in it's Division I history, Fr. Kevin Mullen and John D'Argenio were as instrumental as anyone in achieving that success. They ensured that everything possible was done to give the Fran the resources he needed to put an outstanding product on the court. Mitch had those same resources and support available to him, but was not able to continue the program's winning ways. Interesting, but I don't recall Fr. Kevin or John getting much criticism when the program won three consecutive MAAC Championships, and was in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

One thing that I hope we will all be able to agree on is that we want a winning basketball team led by a highly competent, capable and charismatic coach. I am confident that Fr. Kevin and John will give us that again in the very near future.

[siena77]

Well said, 22. I wouldn't agree 100% with each aspect of what you said--and I wish they would have pulled the trigger after Year 1, when this outcome was pretty apparent--I think (and hope) they'll move aggressively now to right the ship: a winning coach and a better conference.

[indian82]

22 - Well said. I hope Fr. Mullen is as committed to the program as you say. Not sure what that necessarily means to hard-core BB fans as he has wider responsibilities to the school as he should. But as a fan and alumnus I do hope they do their due diligence to find a coach that will bring some enthusiasm back to a once-proud program.

[Tony]

Saints22 I agree with most of what you say—I’ll disagree with a few things I get tired of the ‘excuse” given the resources available to the school, and the desire to do it "the right way". It insinuates every other small D1 school somehow doesn’t do it the “right way”

Secondly I disagree about the Mitch hire-- if it was a trustee… why the hell is a trustee butting into a multimillion dollar operation like the Siena men’s basketball program. Does he /she have special expertise to hire a D1 coach. Do you think a trustee would butt in at Xavier- Butler- Richmond – Villanova, Georgetown? No it would be left to the professionals. Personally I think Fr Kevin heart was in the right spot and wanted a feel good story with Mitch , the search committee was a joke right off the bat, everyone knew Fr Kevin was going to give the job to Mitch – mistakes were made—and unfortunately for Siena these type mistakes are made on a pretty regular basis. After the mistake of hiring Mitch was made--- he should have been terminated after first year ( that in my mind was biggest mistake Siena made) . I’m willing to keep an open mind , Let’s hope those involved are really dedicated to giving Siena fans the best basketball possible given their “resources” and are just not interested in sucking as much money as possible from fan base( and it sometimes feels that way) You can’t say Siena’s goal is to “compete” for MAAC championship every year when you are raising the price of season tickets..and then say every MAAC school goes through this when you fall on your face the way Mitch did. I would have liked John to say—we are not happy with situation our goal is to compete for MAAC championship every year and Mitch will be evaluated at end of season

Siena needs to run the men’s program like a true business ( and no they don’t have to drop their pants to do so) it will be very telling in the coming weeks- what happens with head coach and conference realignment – actions speak much louder than words

[mjs72]

Didn't the search committee get input from former players and area notables such as John Murray and John Cahill? With the strong endorsement of Fran and RyRo the players, Mitch's past HC history was ignored. No, it didn't work out but the venom on the board towards Fr. Kevin and D'Arg is misguided. They didn't take the "cheap" way out. As I recall, there was not a lot of competition for the opening for the reasons discussed on this board such as the expectations and the cupboard really being bard. Looking at the field at the time the Mitch decision was made, nothing about Coen, Warren or Neubarer jump out to me.

[Tony]

Mar 2, 2013 11:12:43 GMT -5 mjs72 said:

Didn't the search committee get input from former players and area notables such as John Murray and John Cahill? With the strong endorsement of Fran and RyRo the players, Mitch's past HC history was ignored. No, it didn't work out but the venom on the board towards Fr. Kevin and D'Arg is misguided. They didn't take the "cheap" way out. As I recall, there was not a lot of competition for the opening for the reasons discussed on this board such as the expectations and the cupboard really being bard. Looking at the field at the time the Mitch decision was made, nothing about Coen, Warren or Neubarer jump out to me.

a few things... nobody said Siena went 'cheap" ( at least I didn't say that ) applicants were sparse because everyone knew Mitch was getting job. Deck was always stacked in Mitch's favor... and like I've said a million times I didn't agree with decision but I think most understood reason why Mitch was hired in interest of continuity. But if you are going to gamble on a man with Mitch's prior record he sure as hell better be on a short leash... Mitch had several meltdowns on sidelines his 1st year - he took a team picked 2nd and finished in PiG -Mitch didn't do any of the things he said he would do when hired-- attendance started dropping Mitch 1st year =- it was apparent after 1st year he wasn't the man to lead Siena... rather than admit their mistake and terminate Mitch Siena let it linger..as anyone in business will tell you it never gets better when you let a bad hire linger,, and I dont want to hear you couldn't fire him after one year-- he wasn't a new coach.. he was a man who had just posted his 6th straight losing season.Siena could have easily justified firing Mitch after year 1. By not terminating Mitch after first year-- Siena hemorrhaged money in the form of lost sales... and as Saints22 says at a school with limited resources-- who is responsible for that?

[bigsaintg]

And you have to like how security went right aftre the guy in SEction 119 to take his orange "Bye Mitch" sign.