FredD, I can only hope that was sarcastic.

Mayhem, I realize we don't have much to say about GW Basketball right now but we really need to stop obsessing about all things "Mike Lonergan".

From what I know, he is living a very comfortable and satisfying life in "retirement" from basketball. I was told he agreed to work with a good friend in managing his hometown gym - originally was supposed to be temporary while he worked on the lawsuit because it provided medical insurance coverage for his family - he's enjoyed it so much I think he's still doing it.

I also heard he turned down overtures of being an asst coach to certain coaches at a few major programs (Mike Brey and an unnamed coach in a P-5 conf out West). I guess he had no interest.

Whatever he does in the future is anybody's guess. I thought for sure he would want to get back into coaching the last few years. Now, I'm not so sure.

Bottom line is he can't save us from this disaster of a program we have lived with since he left. Nobody could have guessed this program would be impacted because of what happened to him, not even JC when he took this job.

UMBC will choose either the MD asst or maybe the MSMU coach. Not a bad low major school to start a career at.

Mayhem, my "obsession" comments were directed at our 2 infamous board trolls (dumb and dumber). Your thread will stir up their obsession with ML and send them into a downward spiral.

I agree with you that IF ML gets back into coaching, it will be with a local team so his family will not be impacted by a move. I still think he would come back for an asst job at a local P5 school (MD and GT being the only 2 options that fit the criteria). If true, I was surprised he wouldn't bite the bullet and go work for his buddy Brey at ND for a year or 2. He could do what those in the military do, be a geographical bachelor and leave his family where they are.

If he was to take a low D-1 job, I think the only school he would consider would the the MSMU job due to his connections to that school - wife an alumnus? Previous said Coach Jim Phelan was a big influence/mentor.

Lets hope he doesn't end up anywhere around here - I don't want to have to play his team!

Understand what JJ is saying and he has provided a very realistic view of inside the Athletic Dept. And appreciate his clarification, without endorsing the language of the reference to other posters.
  Interest in a coach who left only 5 years ago and the last time we were a real overall threat,as well as our only national tournament championship,is quite appropriate here.
  Personally interested in Mike Jarvis and Bob Talent,as well as Hobbs, even Mojo,etc. We often hear about Pikiell here who was a GW assistant more than a decade ago.
   If the conversation veers into the past too much for most tastes,put it on Rewind. But let's not reflexively react negatively to an event,like a disputed firing of a coach we are still massively reeling from--as not worthy of discussion.
When we stop losing to the likes of William and Mary,UMBC, etc. and start being a top tier team,then it will be less relevant to the current situation, but still relevant to GW basketball history,which has always been fair game here.
  The Athletic Dept has done a masterful job of pretending Lonergan didn't exist, particularly during the Nero era. But even today,with not posting the NIT team trophy pick (or if they did,sure didn't see it on the recent anniversary) and we know why.
By the way,JC very admirably has not pretended ML doesn't exist and took a picture with him. He was able to handle it.
  We speculate on other college teams and coaches here all the time,including a thread active right now. But we're supposed to pretend ML didn't exist or we don't care about someone who turned down nearly $2 million a year, nearly triple his salary to stay at GW,which dismissed him shortly afterward?
  As a further point of relevance: we played UMBC  last season and have in the past. So we would certainly be interested in speculation on their coach,much as we have just been discussing their coach leaving.
  It's months to tipoff. Think if we keep it civil, we can discuss all things GW basketball-related,much less GW-related.

Last edited by jf (4/07/2021 5:26 pm)

Good points JF. I heard it was a lot more than $3 million - he was owed $3.4 million on the remainder of his salary and then consider his lawyers had access to Nero humping the young GW student like he was on the mechanical bull before GW negotiated a "non-disclosure" settlement. Our unsuccessful lawyers (dumb and dumber) can't stand the thought of him taking that kind of money away from GW. Then add the $1.2 million they paid Nero to leave without a fuss!

GW Alum Abroad wrote:

Why not mention other possible candidates pulled out my ass: Maurice Joseph, Karl Hobbs, John Keuster, Gerry Gimmelstob? OK, one of them might have a prior commitment. Who gets hired at UMBC should really be a discussion for the UMBC board, unless a current GW employee becomes a part of the conversation.

Don't think Gerry is up for coaching unfortunately as he passed away in 2017.

Gwmayhem - I think ML would like to coach again. Hopefully, he will be afforded that opportunity. He's served more than he should for bogus charges - and he is too good a coach not to be coaching. If UMBC was smart they'd dial up ML immediately and figure it out.

GWRising wrote:

GW Alum Abroad wrote:

Why not mention other possible candidates pulled out my ass: Maurice Joseph, Karl Hobbs, John Keuster, Gerry Gimmelstob? OK, one of them might have a prior commitment. Who gets hired at UMBC should really be a discussion for the UMBC board, unless a current GW employee becomes a part of the conversation.

Don't think Gerry is up for coaching unfortunately as he passed away in 2017.

That would be the one with a "prior commitment".

I'll bite. 

ML is a good fit for a smaller DI program at a private Catholic University.  Fordham could even be a landing spot--but the A-10 is probably out of reach.  I'm hoping to avoid barbs about Catholics tolerating abusers or a history on the failings of the Catholic Church, but the Catholic mission is about mercy and forgiveness.  Thus, a smaller Catholic school with some basketball interest and looking to elevate its program would be a nice fit--something analogous to Rick Pitino going to Iona. 

I have not been following the coaching carousel too closely, but schools like Loyola, MD, Canisius, Fairfield, Sacred Heart, Marist, and St. Peters are east coast examples.  It's a potential win-win for both coach and school and certainly a proving ground for ML to demonstrate that he is "reformed" and capable of advancing to a larger program.   

 

Last edited by Merrick (4/07/2021 8:51 pm)