Free Quebec wrote:

I listened to the podcast.

You guys deserve combat pay for listening that long to Doug Gottlieb.

If you're going to listen to one, spend the time on the second part.  Much more about his philosophy/style.

More praise for Caputo hiring, this time from the Wizards:

https://twitter.com/GW_MBB/status/1511744290099187784?s=20&t=fmeHFd4oG4_Fo9ktX7xTjQ

Being shown live on  YouTube.

If they open up questions to the public (or if any media members are reading this), I'd love for someone to ask Vogel to go into specifics about the type of resources that she promised to put into the program in her letter announcing the hire. I think the main fan demands are pretty well established at this point, so I think this would be a great opportunity to outline how exactly the university plans on providing additional support to the program.

Caputo's already on the road recruiting.  Spotted down at the Nike EYBL event in Orlando.

Zach Smart @ZSmart91458s 
Kevin Willard here in Orlando in his Maryland gear, Chris Caputo with GWU shirt on, Nolan Smith repping Louisville hoodie, one business where you need to adapt pretty quickly w/onward and upward mentality

Last edited by GW0509 (4/08/2022 5:47 pm)

Interview: https://www.localdvm.com/sports/dc-sports/george-washington-university/1-on-1-with-gw-mens-basketball-hc-chris-caputo/
 

I like the fact that Julie Caputo's career is in government affairs.  Probably a whole lot more convenient to work in this space from DC than Miami.  Not to say it can't be done from Miami (where she obviously was working) but if this offers any advantage towards the Caputos remaining in DC even if or when the Miami head coaching job opens up, I'll take it.

With all of the tumult this program has endured over the past 6 years, what we desperately need at this point is some stability.  If CC is the right guy to lead us, then we are going to need him for more than 3 or 4 years.  I think he checks a ton of correct boxes.  His background and experience is ideal for a program like ours.  He already strikes me as someone who is far more interested in winning games than winning press conferences.  He must convince high school recruits and potential transfers that he is not going anywhere so soon.  

CC has a legitimate chance to build practically from the ground up.  Like Jarvis taking the baton from Kuester or Hobbs grabbing it from Penders.  He has the chance to make a huge impact in a short time, like Hobbs and Lonergan did with both of their year 2 classes.

Staying at GW for less than 5 years will put us once again behind the eight ball.  Even if he has success in those 3 or 4 years, the job will still be perceived as a rebuild rather than as a successful program.  CC is our 5th head coach in 13 seasons.  That sort of thing matters.

Long Suffering Fan wrote:

Getting a little ahead of ourselves, no?   By the end of year 3, we were all hoping that a coching change would be made with regards to our last 2 coaches.   If CC can rebuild the program in 4 years to the extent thta it was at the peaks of Jarvis, Hobbs and Lonergan, more power to both Chris and the team....He can then seek the higher level coaching position and we will have been placed back on the map, with hopefully a stronger program to lure another quality coach.  But I am not ready to lose any sleep worrying if the assistant coach from Mason and Florida who never coached a game as head coach will be so successful here that he will leave us.   I am much more concerned with holding on to Freeman and seeing how Caputo does in the portal.

LSF, I imagine that most fans share your view, not mine.  Why worry about the future when there is so much to worry about right now?  I more than understand this.

While there is no way to predict the future with absolute certainty, one of the very few boxes that CC is not checking for me is his possible willingness to commit to this program long-term.  I get a different vibe than I did with ML or Jamion who  both struck me as guys who wanted to build this program for a while.  (Then again, the vibe I received from Hobbs was also a transient one and he stayed for 10 years, so who really knows?).  From all indications, CC was slated to take over for Larranaga once he retires.  Will this still be the case?

I also understand the thought that if CC were to turn things around and then leave GW after 3 or 4 seasons, this would be more than OK with many fans.  However, you'll have to trust me that if this is in fact how things play out, nobody here is going to feel very happy.  This would not be Jarvis who stayed close to a decade, really turned things around, and left GW for a bigger program/pay day where everyone said, "of course we understand this."  Given the revolving door that the head coaching position has been since KH was relieved of his duties, I feel strongly that we need a coach who is going to lead us for 6-8 years before moving on.  We need that level of stability and competence (again, assuming that CC is a success at GW).  

 

Caputo appears to be a Mets fan, per his twitter post.   Strike one against him.