Boston College Fires Al Skinner, Lavin to St. John’s [Updated 3 pm]
Boston College basketball coach Al Skinner has been fired, according to sources at Boston College. A press conference is scheduled for noon today.
We will have much more later. For the moment, Eagle in Atlanta has put together his initial list of potential candidates (faster than Lee Fowler was able to find a single telephone number four years ago). Some interesting thoughts & names there.
The rising mid-major stars: This group seems to be where Gene is headed. I don’t love the idea. Plenty of mid-major coaches have not transitioned to the next level. But, who knows, we may find the next super star.
In other coaching search news, it appears ESPN’s Steve Lavin will take the job at St. John’s. According to multiple news outlets, including Lavin’s own ESPN, the talks between St. John’s and Lavin’s folks heated up last night and into the early part of today. Here’s a report from FanHouse.
UTEP made a coaching move today, hiring former USC head coach Tim Floyd. Floyd left USC after the OJ Mayo allegations last year. Here’s a story.
Lastly, in what could potentially be the biggest offseason move of them all, Tom Izzo and Tubby Smith have both been rumored to be in the sights of the University of Oregon. Either coach would be a splash and would get people in Eugene excited. Izzo told ESPN he hasn’t been contacted about the job and is happy in East Lansing, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Same goes with Smith. Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon is also in the mix to lead the Ducks. Phil Knight’s checkbook must be burning a hole in his pocket. Read more about Oregon’s coaching search here.
64 Responses to “Boston College Fires Al Skinner, Lavin to St. John’s [Updated 3 pm]”
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HOW DARE THEY?
Lee Fowler weeps.
DeFilippo doesn’t mess around. Already has his short list….
Wonder how long the national media will say that BC will wish they had not done this?
They must be upset he didn’t get the St. Johns job…they wouldn’t have had to pay him anything.
The national media will be bashing BC fans at every possible opportunity for years to come because of this…right? After all, Skinner was way more successful at BC than HWSNBN was at State, and unlike State BC is a stepping stone job.
skinner always appeared to me as a decent coach. people can go on and on about how certain coaches should get fired but i don’t think this is a good move. the only thing going for bc is they are in the ACC.. that’s about it. even if they were to land a decent coach, i don’t think bc will ever be much to talk about in basketball. i just don’t see the controversy or any type of justification that warrants “firing” skinner. of all the hc jobs in the ACC, bc is probably the 12th best! i wish skinner the best of luck! bc sucks!!
didn’t see this one coming. i always thought highly of Skinner. i know another school’s alumni would have loved for their coach to have taken the St. John’s job. this school’s athletic director faked joy when he decided to staty-no basis for that-just my thoughts.
I think Skinner lands on his feet, while once again, DeFillippo lands on his face.
DeFillippo appears to have at least a ready made list and a plan…Why can’t NCSU have a press conference announcing that our failed AD has been fired!
Crazy Gene should totally hire Tyrese Rice. One of us! ONE OF US!!!!!
I agree totally with Alpha, this is a really stupid move.
How dare BC get rid of a coach that they (the fans / customers) were unhappy with the job performance. They need to understand that when a coach is hired they stay until you have years upon years of unsuccessful seasons at which time the fans have to have an uprising before any change is made.
Is there any evidence the AD doesn’t know what he’s doing?
I mean, football ended up being OK first w/ Jags, then w/ Spaz.
I think the BC feelings on Skinner are somewhat similar to the feelings on HWSBN – since it had been a LONG time since he’d accomplished anything of note.
He does appear to have very low tolerance for job-surfing.
To be frank, I believe this is the least desirable job in the ACC. That has to be taken into account here.
It is close but I’d say Miami is the least desirable over BC.
Nah. In Miami, you can at least find your way to the beach.
The Miami job is very similar. But at least they have South Beach as a selling point. BC just has bitter cold and indifferent Massholes all around.
I don’t think that this is the least desirable job. Possibly from the standpoint of us in NC and the south it is. But if you get someone who can recruit from the northeast and NY, etc., I see this as a good job. I would say that BC would be as good if not better than say Clemson, FSU, Miami, Va Tech, maybe some others.
BC has to be the worst job- crappy arena, lack of fan support, very little media attention, lack of tradition/history, in a conference where they seem like outsiders with no real rivals or connection to the other schools.
We could use a new assistant.
He’d be an upgrade at head coach, though only a small one.
Who in the world would want to work for Gene DiFillipo? Considering another job means termination. WOW!
He is like the anti-Fowler.
WolftownVA81, that’s an outstanding idea. Roy hired former FSU coach Steve Robinson and I think he’s a great addition to their staff. Larry Hunter was more instrumental in HWSNBN’s last 5 years thatn HWSNBN was. SL could use someone with former D1 head coaching experience. But, I’m sure Skinner will find a gig somewhere else and do just fine.
BC has to be the worst job- crappy arena, lack of fan support
We gripe about playing in a hockey arena, but at least we share our arena with an NHL team and play in an arena that is up to that standard. Chances are we do not have the amenities we have without it, and without starting a derailing discussion, I am convinced that a top level NC State team that doesn’t play the Weave and Heave on offense will make that area a dreaded place for visitors to tread. The problem with the RBC is not the building or its fans, it is the uninspiring hoops played there since it opened.
As for fan support, they have some, but their fan support has a sense of entitlement that lives under the delusion that they are Notre Dame. Sure, that means that they are mostly a football school, but BC’s fans seriously consider their team to be one that should be in the top 10 in both hoops and basketball (and also hockey.)
We could use a new assistant.
My thoughts exactly. Skinner’s better teams played some withering defense, and we could certainly use that here.
DiFillipo must be the inverse of Fowler. He just gets off on firing people.
it’s funny that some of you are have the exact same thoughts of skinner being an assistant here. i think that would be awesome. and precision defense is exactly what we need.