As we continue to prepare for #SearchSzn, there is plenty of debate among the Syracuse Men’s Basketball fanbase. It’s the first time in over 50 years that there will be a true coaching search and many are saying that Syracuse needs a “slam hire” or risk falling further into irrelevance……but what’s a slam dunk hire look like?
We’ve seen the names people have tossed out and this isn’t a piece debating their pros and cons (those will come in time). I just want fans to stop for a second and think about
those names, but also what they mean when they say the Orange need to throw it down on this search?
Anyway, we all agree that Syracuse needs to get back to consistent NCAA Tournaments. After five seasons, any Head Coach who can reach March Madness right away would be successful. But what’s the threshold that fans want?
Are you content with a program that’s in the NCAA Tournament 80% of the time?
Would you trade off fewer appearances for deeper March runs and more Apology Tours? Say making the Dance 60-70% of the time but going further?
Or in your mind, are you looking for the regular season success. Top 25 rankings. Competing for ACC titles and playing more marquee games and living with being an upset victim in March?
Depending on your definition, I’d argue that Syracuse should be stepping in looking for a solid lay-up right now. Think of a Lawrence Moten cut to the rim ending with a strong lay-up, and if they connect on a Hakim Warrick slam great, but it’s more important to make the safe play and get the program back on the right track. Taking a big try at a poster and missing is going to make things worse even if the initial buzz makes people happy.
The short-term goal is to get back to being a NCAA Tournament team and fast. Once you get in the Big Dance, advancing is often determed by match-ups and a bit of luck. Syracuse needs to get a coach who can recruit and develop a team to be in contention. They will have resources, but not top-10 level resources, so you likely won’t jump from five years of no bids to a Final Four roster and that’s ok. You can’t get to the Final Four until you get into the Tournament and the program will need to take incremental steps forward.
This next hire doesn’t have to be the coach to bring the Orange “all the way back”. Syracuse (and fans) can’t panic if they hire someone who gets poached by a bigger school (or the NBA)- you know like a lot of you did when Doug Marrone got a NFL job. Schools like Syracuse need to forget about finding another Jim Boeheim in terms of landing a coach who stays for 20, 30, or even 40 years.
Whoever makes the call on the next person to lead the program shouldn’t be taking a big risk at this point. The program needs a smart, solid investment and if that coach gets the foundation set and moves on, you’ll be in a better position for the next hire. The Orange football program failed to do that when Marrone left and that set them further back on their rebuild. Of course, we can’t worry about two hires from now, the focus is on the present.
A present that has not brought a lot of hoops happiness to Orange fans. A present that needs to be put in the hands of someone who can get things back on track- even if their name isn’t at the top of everyone’s “best candidate list”. A present that gets people from longing to return to a Big East and instead gets them excited about competing with the top of the ACC. A present that doesn’t look like the last decade- even if it means cutting ties with the only era most of us know.
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Forget about the who, what would you consider success for a Syracuse Head Coach over the next five seasons?
