Duquesne fires Jim Ferry
- Thread starter R-M-U-h-o-o-p-s-f-a-n
- Start date
A bit surprised. I expected him to get one more year.
Duquesne has destroyed the careers of a lot of coaches. Any quality coach Duquesne talks to is going to want to get a commitment to upgraded facilities. Duquesne is likely feeling some pressure since RMU is building a new events center. When Duquesne announces a new coach, I would expect they will also announce major upgrades to Palumbo.
Duquesne has destroyed the careers of a lot of coaches. Any quality coach Duquesne talks to is going to want to get a commitment to upgraded facilities. Duquesne is likely feeling some pressure since RMU is building a new events center. When Duquesne announces a new coach, I would expect they will also announce major upgrades to Palumbo.
There are a lot of good coaches that would take the Duquesne job. First, Jim Ferry's total compensation was about $650,000. There are, maybe, 175 schools in the Country that pay that high of a salary. About the same number of schools in D-1 pay less, many, a lot less. So a very successful coach at a program in the lower half of D-1, that is making $250.000 just might be attracted by a $400,000 salary increase. There are a lot of assistant coaches at top tier successful programs that want to be head coaches. There are only so many jobs available at the D-1 level. An Atlantic 10 program can be attractive to top assistants looking to be head coaches. Sure there is the problem that Duquesne is a consistent loser, but successful coaches, either from lower level conferences or top assistants from top programs tend to be very confident, competitive people who believe they can make the difference and turn a loser into a winner. As I mentioned before, I suspect part of the deal will be that Palumbo will get a major updating. St. Bonaventure's program was in worse shape than Duquesne's when Mark Schmidt took over, and he was able to turn the Bonnie's into a very competitive team in the A-10.
Ya the money is definitely a big factor & the chance to turn around a program & to get an even better job can be exciting too.
We'll see if they have an upgrade over Ferry or not...
Ferry is a good coach. He'll catch on somewhere. Duqs need to go all in on this hire. The upgrades will help, but you can make a good argument that this is one of the most difficult jobs in college basketball.
Being a bottom dweller in any league is tough but a smaller but multi bid league can make it even tougher.
You have to compete against even better teams & it isn't easy.
Thoughts on Mike Rice getting a chance their??
Personally I wouldn't mind if he still isn't coaching D-1 by the time Toole is done @ RMU. Then he could coach here again...
I will be interesting if we hear Toole's name for this job. I think you will and he might interview. More money, bigger conference and making upgrades to their facility. Plus their AD, Dave Harper, is a former RMC guy that on the original football staff.
I know that Toole loves Pittsburgh and wants to keep his family here.
Maybe and this a big MAYBE!!!..Toole entertains the Dukes, spends a few years there and gets them to compete and perhaps shock teams in the A10 tournament which catches the eye of Pitt.
I know that Toole loves Pittsburgh and wants to keep his family here.
Maybe and this a big MAYBE!!!..Toole entertains the Dukes, spends a few years there and gets them to compete and perhaps shock teams in the A10 tournament which catches the eye of Pitt.
Not sure that Toole would leave for one of RMU's top rivals but who knows.
The money could be enough lol
Toole is coming off two losing seasons. Duquesne just fired a coach who had been a successful head coach in the NEC. The last time Duquesne hired a coach from RMU, Danny Nee, it turned out to be a disaster for the Dukes' program. The AD at Duquesne is probably well aware of the roster turnover RMU has had in recent years. Toole's name may get mentioned, but I would consider him to be a longshot for that job. Maybe the Dukes will try to get former RMU coach Mark Schmidt. Schmidt turned around St Bonaventure, which is also in the A-10. I believe Mark's wife is from the Pittsburgh area. St Bonaventure is deep in the woods in the middle of no where. If Duquesne can put together the right compensation package, he may have a interest in moving back to Pittsburgh.
According to hoopdirt.com
I have now heard from multiple sources that former Rutgers head coach Mike Rice is in play at Duquesne. His father, Mike Rice, Sr. played at Duquesne, and later spent four seasons (1978-82) as the head coach there. The younger Rice has also been the head coach at Robert Morris, and an assistant at Pitt, St. Joe’s, Chicago State, Niagara, Marquette, and Fordham. More on this search as I hear it.
I have now heard from multiple sources that former Rutgers head coach Mike Rice is in play at Duquesne. His father, Mike Rice, Sr. played at Duquesne, and later spent four seasons (1978-82) as the head coach there. The younger Rice has also been the head coach at Robert Morris, and an assistant at Pitt, St. Joe’s, Chicago State, Niagara, Marquette, and Fordham. More on this search as I hear it.
He wouldn't be a bad hire for then by any means.
Guy can flat out coach...
Plus they need to take a risk like this to rebound their program.
Would be a solid hire for sure.
Hoopdirt.com is a pretty reliable source about college coaching changes and rumors. Duquesne is using a search firm to assist with the process, I suspect the search firm has spoken to Mike. At the end of the day, I would be shocked if Duquesne hires him. Yes, from strictly a coaching stand point, Mike could be a good choice, but from a P.R. standpoint it would be a big risk. The vast majority of Duquesne alumni and fans do not know Mike personally, they only know the wild man that was in the video clips a few years ago. I don't believe the Duquesne administration would be bold enough to take the risk.
As i said before, hope RMU would hire him if/ when Toole moves on.
Would Duquesne consider hiring the North Florida HC Matt Driscoll?? He's from Bellevue just outside of Pgh.
I mentioned before in a different thread, but I still think if Toole was to move on, I would be big supporter of bring Mike Rice back. He can flat out coach, and he truly seems to have learned his lesson from the Rutgers incident. I am not sure how many schools would be willing to take the PR hit, however, I think RMU would be the softest landing for him.
Yep agree entirely.
Coleman was the athletic director when Rice was here right?? He would still know Rice & RMU really didn't have any problems with Rice.
Rice may never coach in a mid major program or higher ever again. We now live in a society where the least amount of passion that can be perceived as rage is totally unacceptable. Who in this forum thinks that Bobby Knight would have lasted half as long as he did, if he started coaching in let's say 2013.
Mike Rice loves the game and coaches at a high level. The pedal is to the floor anytime he's near a court. He's good with kids now, add back the expectation to win and that 20yr old skilled athletes should listen or be coachable and you could see it all over again...a passionate coach trying to get an athletes attention when it's just not being absorbed and if there is any chance that can happen that's a PR hit no school is willing to take in today's instant gratification, my child's the best or don't yell at me, talk to me world we live in.
Rice could coach the Wilson letters off a basketball sadly he may never get a chance to in a D1 Program if any sort.
Mike Rice loves the game and coaches at a high level. The pedal is to the floor anytime he's near a court. He's good with kids now, add back the expectation to win and that 20yr old skilled athletes should listen or be coachable and you could see it all over again...a passionate coach trying to get an athletes attention when it's just not being absorbed and if there is any chance that can happen that's a PR hit no school is willing to take in today's instant gratification, my child's the best or don't yell at me, talk to me world we live in.
Rice could coach the Wilson letters off a basketball sadly he may never get a chance to in a D1 Program if any sort.
I hope he gets another chance @ RMU and he even may stick around a while just cuz we let him coach again.
He's probably a better coach than Toole even.
