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Brown To Pitt??? Maybe???


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Today's Daily News reports that Pitt's ace recruiter Barry Rohrssen was brought on campus by the new coach at St. John's to try to lure him away from Pitt. I think Brown is very close friends with the Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon.

 

If Rohrssen leaves Pitt would the Pitt coach go after Brown as his top assistant or associate head coach???? He probably could make alot more money at Pitt than Albany. That would be a selling point!

 

What do you think?? Wouldn't surprise me! Anybody have any opinion or info? I would think Brown would have to consider it?

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As an Associate head Coach or Top Assistant I would think Brown has to think about it, seriously. But......

 

from what I've heard Brown was very disappointed this year with Jamar out, not having Hughes and then Pipikis getting hurt. Brown has been very successful at every level so far and expects to be successful here. He really wants to turn this program around and prove his worth.

 

I'm glad I'm not in his shoes - if he's offered he has one tough decision to make but remember his wife's family is from the capital area and they are very happy living in this area.

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hasn't brown already been offered the top assistant position at Pitt once? ... didn't that occur several years ago prior to his arrival at albany? ... hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel that is now becoming a little brighter will keep him and his staff in albany for many seasons to come ... those high winning percenatges on his resume form previous programs may soon include similar numbers from his days in albany

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If my memory serves me cprrectly Brown originally was offered a low position on the Pitt staff by Ben Howland but it was Big East when Brown was offered the top spot at UA it was a no brainer to come to Albany.

 

When Dixon became Head Coach at Pitt he supposedly offered Brown good spot on his staff. Brown wanted to stay at Albany and build a team only to have Wilson go down, Hughes be a no show and Pipikis injured. Brown did get a game with Pitt because of his relationship with Dixon.

 

If this speculative offer now is true Brown is in a tough spot because if he turns it down the invitation may never be extended again and on paper UA is much improved next year but so are many of the AE teams, Vermont is loaded, BU is always very good, Hartford is restocked, Bing is very solid, UNH is better and Maine will be very talented.

 

A top assistant at Pitt is a high profile position.

 

I believe it's just rumor and Brown will turn the corner this year and the Danes will get better quickly and stay good once they get their.

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I have no idea how realistic the chances of Coach Brown leaving on a moment's notice are at this time, but sooner or later, and probably more than once, we are going to get caught in this domino effect of coaching changes. Just this week, in a matter of days the Princeton coach took the Georgetown job, the Air Force coach took the Princeton job and Air Force hired a new coach.

 

But, when UAlbany loses a coach ,for whatever reason, the replacement process takes forever between forming a search committee and posting notice of the job opening and interviews etc. In the Warner to Patterson transition, the process cost us an entire recruiting cycle, and whenever Coach Brown leaves, the same thing will happen. Isn't there a way to short-cut this? The excuse is that Civil Service Laws apply and you can't get around them; yet everyone else seems to know a way to do it much quicker. Any suggestions? Should the University or the SUNY system lobby to make these jobs exempt from Civil Service postings and searches?

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I hate to think Brown would leave with the team that he has assembled for next season. Supposedly the 5/8 is wiped away. I wonder if that will give us any more scholarships. He might be able to bring in even more help. I like the guy and think he can really coach. Next year he'll have the players!

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It's hard to believe Brown would wade through the misfourtunes of the past few years only to go now when things are looking up. Equally hard to believe he would go from head coach to assocaite or assistant. He has a chance now to make his mark as a head coach and then if he wants move up in conferences as a head coach(or of course stay here and build us into a national power).

Curious about the Prof elluding to bringing in another player. I'm assuming Hughes is not coming to Albany next year or ever but I have to wonder what kind of talent is available this late in the recruiting process if a scholarship became available. It seems it would be better to just hold it until next year unless they have someone terrific lined up.

As to the hiring process you are right on Statefan. That would be an excellent question for McElroy. I'm curious too about after Beeten left they hired Brown without going through that whole process. Hopefully they have found some way around it because it takes a long time to recover a lost recruiting year. When I think of the delay I think more of the time between Hicks and Beeten. It didn't seem that long to me between Warner and Patterson but maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

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When Beeten was fired, Brown was already on staff; a vacant position can be temporarily filled via promotion immediately, but a permanent hire, whether renegotiating a contract or hiring from the outside, probably has to be posted. Brown was coach for about six months before losing the interim tag.

 

Patterson was hired on May 6, less than 2 months after Warner was not renewed.

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UAalum72

 

In regard to Hirings - the State is ridiculous.

 

I think it's a whole different scenario in the State if you hire from within. Brown wasn't a new hire his was a promotion, that's the only way they could get it done. If I'm correct there is even a waiting period fill vacancies by promotion in the state.

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When you become a head coach, your measurement criteria changes - even if you are a coach at a mid or low major team. The criteria becomes wins. While I think Brown has done a very good job recruiting, he has not won anything so I am not sure he would even be a candidate for that position. That may change drastically next year when the team is much more competitive.

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he has not won anything so I am not sure he would even be a candidate for that position -reeder

 

I think your assumption about winning is valid but you have to remember the position being discussed is a recruiting position.

 

When Brown first was offered a spot at Pitt, Dixon the top assistant and got Brown involoved with Howland. He liked Brown because of his contacts in NYC which Brown had developed as a JC coach who stocked his team with city players.

 

Remember Jamar, Levi and Courtney are city kids. It has been rumored that Brown has had many other city kids interested but he just couldn't get them into "Harvard on the Hudson".

 

When Dixon was appointed Head Coach at Pitt it was rumored he contacted Brown so it wouldn't surprise me if Dixon has contacted Brown again.

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Brown's not going anywhere

 

Both Pittsburgh papers are going with the story:

 

Pitt administrators banked on assistant basketball coach Barry Rohrssen following his heart instead of his wallet.

He did, barely.

 

The Brooklyn-born Rohrssen has turned down more money from St. John's to remain Jamie Dixon's top lieutenant. The title now will be "associate head coach."

 

Rohrssen will remain in the city with the lower cost of living and with a nationally prominent basketball program, instead of one that has hit rock bottom and could be facing NCAA sanctions.

 

Makes sense.

 

As of Friday afternoon, however, Rohrssen was ready to bolt to become the associate head coach on Norm Roberts' new staff at St. John's.

 

Rohrssen said Pitt had not acted quickly enough or boldly enough to keep him, even though it was offering to make him the highest-paid assistant coach in the Big East.

 

St. John's was offering an annual salary of approximately $200,000. Pitt's offer fell between $170,000 and $180,000.

 

What made Rohrssen change his mind later that night?

 

"Jamie Dixon," Rohrssen said Saturday. "He just convinced me."

 

That, and the fact that St. John's wouldn't up its offer. The conversations went well into the night.

 

It was the second consecutive year that Rohrssen reached the brink of leaving. Last year, his bags literally were packed -- he was going to join Ben Howland at UCLA -- when Pitt hired Dixon and made Rohrssen a generous offer.

 

Rohrssen was given a raise in excess of $40,000, similar to this year's. It couldn't match the St. John's offer, but the lure of more cash failed to entice Rohrssen to leave a program he helped re-build, even if it meant going home.

 

If Rohrssen hopes to become a college head coach or an NBA assistant, working for a recognized and highly successful program is the logical route.

 

St. John's has reached the point of near invisibility, which is precisely why it wanted to hire Rohrssen. He was the key figure in bringing the likes of Carl Krauser and Chris Taft to Pitt.

 

Rohrssen yesterday praised the St. John's administration for what he perceives is a solid commitment to rebuilding its program.

 

He also praised the people of Pittsburgh.

 

"I'd like to thank the people of this city, our fans and students and the special friends I've made," he said. "They make me feel at home."

 

It was an excruciating decision. Rohrssen didn't believe it was fair to wait any longer.

 

"To weigh the personal advantages of each opportunity could become too long a process," he said.

 

It's good to see somebody make Pittsburgh their home instead of heeding the call of his birthplace. And to take less money in the process.

 

Rohrssen made the right call. Pitt will be better for it.

 

 

Joe Starkey is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Even if he is making $170,000 or whatever it is ... in Pittsburgh, that is a hell of a lot more money than in New York City. I don't know why this was even a debate for the man, to be perfectly honest. $170,000 vs. $200,000 .... I'd have to try to look up on a salary calculator what $170,000 in Pittsburgh is worth in NYC ... there is one on the internet that does it automatically ....

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