5 Interesting Things PC’s AD Said About the Basketball Coaching Search

5 Interesting Things PC’s AD Said About the Basketball Coaching Search

On Monday afternoon, Providence College Athletic Director Steve Napolillo met with the media to discuss the hiring process for the next Providence College men's basketball coach.

Here are 5 major insights from Napolillo’s comments:

While names are swirling from the exciting — Bobby Hurley and Bryan Hodgson to the old and true like Herb Sendek, to the long shot candidates God Shamgod, Ryan Gomes, and Bobby Gonzalez — Napolillo has set the framework. 

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1) Experience in the New World Order

Napolillo made it clear that PC was looking for someone who had been the head coach of a program during the NIL era. 

Napolillo said:

[We] are looking for a coach to come in who can galvanize this community, who's a great coach, who's a CEO, who can build a program. Someone who realistically, over the last three years in this new landscape, has successfully built a program and been successful with their program.

 

2) Timing - Before Portal Opens?

Napolillo said:

Well, I think it's getting the right coach. Obviously is in the new landscape. The transfer portal opens the day after the final four. So you want to make sure you get a coach so that they can sit down with the current student-athletes who could stay.

So every single student athlete could be a free agent. So you want to give a new coach an opportunity to sit down with these young men and see if it's a win-win for both parties.

He added that he is meeting with the team at 3:30 PM today.

 

 

3) What Has He Learn Since the Hiring of Coach English

Napolillo said: 

Obviously, it's five years [as Athletic Director]. You grow in your positions, but I will say is the landscape was different then. You know, when I hired Coach English, we did not know what the rules or engagement were going to be. If you look at, you know, we've had great success. He did an incredible job of recruiting high school students. I think you've seen it across the country: the transfer portal has been a challenge for many programs, and that includes great coaches. You look at a lot of coaches who've had incredible success. The last three years have been a challenge. So that's why it's so important to look at it in this new landscape. When you're evaluating talent, putting a price on that talent, and getting to play as a team, it's really, really important in this hire.

 

 

4) No One Has Patience!

Napolillo said: 

Well, I think you hit it right on the head, that no one has patience. Everybody wants to win tomorrow. We're in an era where it's, you know, if you don't get a result or get an answer within two seconds on social media or at, at the local market, you get upset. And I think the, the days of building rosters, which we all loved are gone. You know, you, every single year you could have a brand new team, and that's just the reality of the landscape. That's what this new house settlement has brought on.  Every single year, every student athlete can go into the portal to reestablish their value, and you have to be prepared for that. You know, that's why it is something like I cherish Corey Floyd, who stayed four years to get his degree. How many more of those kids are going to be part of this landscape? I think I read that 22 kids across the country graduated from their institutions. That's really sad, but I can't focus on that.

Unfortunately, as athletic director, I have to hire a person who's going to put us in the best position. I want somebody who values education. That is really important. Providence College is a great institution. This is a great job. Like I have no problem saying, you know, you see coaches across the country, you see athletic directors. I think this is the best job on the market right now. No doubt when you put all the factors together, greatest fans, you pack in, even a challenging year, you still pack in the amp. You talk about facilities. I put this facility against everybody. We support revenue shear and NIL at the highest level, and we want to win, you know, Father Sicard, the board, the cabinet, they're all in, they know how much this, uh, program means to the institution, how it means to our alumni, to our students. So this, this, this really is the window to our institution and we want to make sure we're doing everything to be set successful moving forward.

 

 

5) When Did He Know It Was Over for English

Napolillo refused to comment on when the decision was made.

Napolillo said: 

Those are personal conversations. I mean, I would say any time you're working as an athletic director, you have continuous conversations with your coaches because they want to know where they stand and where you're moving forward. So those are personal conversations.