It’s over
(Update, Friday 1:30-pm: BU has made the hiring official.)
Mike Raimbault’s one-season term as head coach of the Brandon Bobcats men’s basketball team has come to an end and Keith Vassell is your new head man. That’s five coaches in six seasons. Thank God for Barnaby Craddock and his two-year term, otherwise BU would be batting 1.000.
To address a couple of the comments that have been posted on this site in recent days, I hate to be this way but I have to agree with both the logic that this was a gong show and a refreshing change, as well.
In the end, however, I felt dirty about the whole thing.
While I agree that transparency, given BU’s track record of numerous coaches and almost as many faculty grievances, is not a bad thought in theory, I didn’t get the sense that BU’s intentions were totally altruistic. I didn’t feel like they were really showing the public the inner-workings of the hiring process, but rather covering their tracks for whomever they hired. This way they can always say “hey, you all saw it,” and not have to be concerned over any potential fallout with their selection.
That’s not to suggest that there will be, or was going to be, fallout over their decision, but by making it public they’ve cleared themselves of any thoughts or theories from outside the school that the operation wasn’t on the up-and-up.
But it also was a gong show. Having sat through each of the three presentations, I never got a sense that any of the presentations truly mattered. I didn’t think Thom Gillespie had a hope of getting the job — and that’s not a commentary on him at all, just the way the situation felt — and I thought Raimbault had to blow people away with his presentation. And, as it was, his presentation was far and away the best (a feeling backed up by a number of people), but in the end that didn’t matter either.
Add in the fact that one of the hiring committee members was not making their incredibly positive feelings for Vassell any secret, and you got the sense that the presentations were merely formality. You simply can’t have someone on a hiring committee outwardly and overtly talking up one of the candidates. It’s wholly unprofessional and a mind-boggling move from people supposedly in positions of prominence and esteem.
Once again, university administrations continue to blow my mind.
The Brandon Sun broke the story in Thursday’s editions and an announcement has yet to be made officially, nor has any sort of indication come from the university as to when they will announce it or how they plan to do so. BU has made a habit out of not doing press conferences after a media outlet has pulled the rug out from under them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they just shrug their shoulders and put out a press release.
I would love to say that the presentation process was a success, but I can’t say that whole-heartedly. And I’d love so say we can all feel better about Brandon University’s open and honest approach to hiring, but I can’t say that either.
I can’t say that when only one of those two words is actually accurate.
Two guys who love sports, almost more than women...
March 27th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
So how long will this one stick?
March 27th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Oh please. The first comment you make on a new hire for the Bobcats is that you think the whole thing was a set up? If the process had taken place behind closed doors with the same result, what would you be writing? Are you sure your own personal feelings aren’t at play here?
March 27th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hang on to yourself conspiracy-boy, I didn’t say it was set up, but it was most certainly made transparent BECAUSE of what has happened there in the past. There’s a big fat line that separates the two. And what ARE my personal feelings in this? I’d love to know. I can’t make a point that I thought the operation wasn’t honest? What is honest about a hiring committee member rallying for a candidate openly and publicly? That’s something we’re all supposed to feel good about? This was not an HONEST effort from the school, despite how they tried.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
would have been nice if a nice guy finished first for a change. they should have given mike a chance to prove himself. he seems to understand best the balance between academics and athletics. after all, it is ‘just’ a game. taken very seiously by many - but a fulfilling life long career for few.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Know Mike (not well), feel bad for him. Crappy way to ‘lose’ a job. But he’s a young kid with a good head on his shoulders. Good luck to Keith, talk about baptism by fire. And that’s the last of my comments…
March 28th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I think it is good hire for BU. May be hard for some to take, but over time it will be a good thing. Two years from now people will be able to truely judge whether or not this was a good decision. How did the Sun get the information for their Thursday article? With only the committee knowing who got the job and the job not even being accepted yet, how did the story get published? Must be a rat over at BU!
March 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
with being v. close to this situation i can say that i am PISSED off! this was not a fair procees WHAT SO EVER. anyone who was at the interviews could see how much mike was grilled at the question and answering period by both defaz and visintine.. and yet answered ALL questions more than adequetly. Hemmings was the same age as mike when he was given to a chance to lead the bobcats to glory. i also cannot belive how much of a gong show (trying to keep it clean) it was to have the defaz openly support and try to convice anyone he talked with to give support to vassel. dont get me wrong vassel could very well be the next best coach in the country.. BUT i am commenting on the process.. that, was not fair.
Raimbault was bar non (as suggested in larkins piece) to be the best and most prepared interview, and i agree. he was prepared.. knew what would be addressed (his ability to recruit and develop as a coach) and hit it right on the nose. vassel was not prepared.. he had a power point that looked like a average graded grade 10 student just threw together the night before a project was due. Also rainbault knew what was on his ppt’s and unlike vassel again he didnt need to read his own slide to know what was on there.
Most of vassels time was spent on him as a player, not on his coachign style and/or ability, the questions were not directed about him being a coach either (and not referring to the idiotic comments fans made at the open questioning proccess but committee members).
For these reasons i belive mike was not granted a fair chance, which is upsetting because he WILL be a great coach. as for Brandon U, i am not saying they made a terrible choice, nor am i saying that mr. Vassel is a bad person ( i have not had the chance to meet him yet) i WILL say that just because someone was a good player, that does not correlate to being a good coach.. case and point, Isiah Thomas.
good luck to bu and lets hope that the committee didnt drop the ball
March 28th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Just because someone was a good player, that does not correlate to being a poor coach either….seemed to work out alright for Dave Smart
March 28th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
we can battle all we want about the good player doesn’t make a good coach theory and you can provide examples of both, so let’s not get into exchanging names back and forth because that’s pointless. i believe BU will be just fine and will have another contending team very quickly. That doesn’t mean I agreed with the means to the end. That’s all.
Now, Mr. Grey Grantham… (where have I seen that name before), when you say “how did the Sun get information for their thursday article”, you’re talking about me. Not The Sun as some big organization, but the one reporter who works his ass off for stories and does it ethically and with sound journalistic principles. I don’t get my back up about much, but I do when someone questions how I do my job. There is no rat at BU. I have sources across the country and I use them. Don’t come on our web site here and make insinuations that I must have weaseled the information. I’m smarter than to have my sources so blatantly obvious.
March 28th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Like dave said”it’s over”. Whether or not the public hearing should be the basis for hiring is a moot point. I personally thought Mike’s presentation was great although I didn’t see Keith’s. However that’s beside the point and the job of hiring was made more difficult by the local guy aspect of the thing. I personally think Mike fell into a great situation last year and did an admirable job. However Vassal is not exactly chopped liver and promises to be a great recruiter (hopefully). Regardless BU has to live with the decision but it’s at least a better process than a coach quitting in June and ” oh my God what are we going to do now?” situation.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
sorry if I stepped on any toes with my pointless response to v.mad…….
Sadly any hiring process is subjective and can never be completely transparent. Let’s not confuse the process with conduct. From the reports it appeared that all three candidates were given the same opportunity during the process to present their ideas, philosophies and answer questions. If one candidate received more time or were exempted from an aspect of the presentation then the process is unfair. The athletic director’s promotion of a candidate may be reprehensible conduct but is that any different than an athletic director’s promotion of a candidate without any competition for the position. Just because the candidate you thought was best wasn’t successful doesn’t mean that the process was unfair, not when all candidates had the same opportunity.
March 29th, 2008 at 3:13 am
I respect Clef’s statements here. I am open to hearing anyone who doesn’t scream and yell on a message board just because they can….
I find it interesting that you went and said that it was the athletic director who promoted the candidate. Let me just say, I’m not about to disagree with you. However, whatever committee member might be the one to be playing favourites should keep their mouths shut and not give into where they’re leaning. It’s not an even playing field when you have people with votes flat out pulling for a candidate over the others.
An unfortunate incident here is that Keith has come into the position and there’s already a handful of people who assume the program is bound to be corrupt because of his connection and the history of BU. … I whole-heartedly wish Keith the best and look forward to covering this team. I also hope that he continues on what was a good track record of good kids and solid athletes that had been started in these past couple of years.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:43 am
i agree with Larkins on the whole “if you have a vote, keep your mouth shut” concept. that being said, there were at least four people on the committee who were openly campaigning for their candidate, and two of them were pro-Raimbault. warrants mentioning.
March 29th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Yes, but where I disagree here is that those people who were pro-Raimbault weren’t doing it in the public for everyone to see (to my knowledge). Surely you could figure out where each committee member was leaning, but for one committee member to be blatantly out in the open and championing his boy is what I have a problem with.