[Hold My Own]

So how did Pennell get here? A year ago, he was a happy former college assistant who ran Arizona Premier, the basketball training facility he founded after he left the college game in 2004 following 14 years as an assistant at Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Arizona State. He coached a travel-ball team. He provided color commentary for radio broadcasts of Arizona State basketball games. He sang in the church choir.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/w ... index.html

Nothing about him being a Sunday School teacher, which will only help him

Do we have confirmed interest or is this just a Christian coach that would be a good fit?

[jcmanson]

I'm impressed with both Pennell and Dollar for the little bit I've looked into them.

[Hold My Own]

Dale wants to come back

I am cool with that. Dale would be a good choice.

Being new-ish here and also being lazy and not wanting to research the old posts, why did Mr. Layer leave in the first place?

making around 60k here and went and prob was makeing 300-500k

[jcmanson]

So how did Pennell get here? A year ago, he was a happy former college assistant who ran Arizona Premier, the basketball training facility he founded after he left the college game in 2004 following 14 years as an assistant at Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Arizona State. He coached a travel-ball team. He provided color commentary for radio broadcasts of Arizona State basketball games. He sang in the church choir.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/w ... index.html

Nothing about him being a Sunday School teacher, which will only help him

Do we have confirmed interest or is this just a Christian coach that would be a good fit?

I don't know of any confirmed interest.

[TIMSCAR20]

I played against Pennell when he was with the Spirit Express basketball team and I was a frosh or soph at Liberty. I remember the name well because he was killing us. He must have had 30 points that day. Then he addressed the crowd with a wonderful testimony and then they spent time with our team too. I didn't remember that until I recently googled him because I knew that name sounded familiar and our paths had crossed in the past.

[ToTheLeft]

I played against Pennell when he was with the Spirit Express basketball team and I was a frosh or soph at Liberty. I remember the name well because he was killing us. He must have had 30 points that day. Then he addressed the crowd with a wonderful testimony and then they spent time with our team too. I didn't remember that until I recently googled him because I knew that name sounded familiar and our paths had crossed in the past.

Get in touch with your boy then and ask him if he's interested. Haha.

[TIMSCAR20]

I am quite sure I didn't make the impression on him that he made on me

[ToTheLeft]

I am quite sure I didn't make the impression on him that he made on me

So you didn't pick his pocket and break away for an ETSU-like dunk?

[flameshaw]

Cameron $ would be my first choice, but really there are so many things even an avid fan is not privy to in the coaching/hiring process.

I do have faith in JB and am confident he will make a good decision. (Unless I don't agree with it, then I reserve the right to change my mind).

[TIMSCAR20]

I am quite sure I didn't make the impression on him that he made on me

So you didn't pick his pocket and break away for an ETSU-like dunk?

No but I am sure he had a few steals. Reading his bio though he played at a high level in college and was a few years older. When I was a few years out of college I played on a semi-pro team that played college basketball teams and I used to work those kids over good. I averaged 24 ppg and shot nearly 60% from the field. A 25 year old player that has played college basketball is really tough to handle for a college player. Anyway, I think Dale Layer or Russ Pennell would be good. If Liberty decides to go with someone in the Liberty basketball family, Stephon Leary, Julius Nwoso, Matt Hildebrand, John Jones and of course Jason Allison are all quality guys. I doubt any will get a serious look though as JB will probably want to hire a more high profile guy. If you want Loyalty though, this is your talent pool. The new coach would be best served to bring in one or 2 of these guys as assistants though IMHO.

[RagingTireFire]

I'd pick Dollar for no other reason than all the gratuitous "he's money" references that would appear on FF. Also, as per flameshaw, we could abbreviate his nickname to one keystroke. Well, two if you count the 'Shift' key.

[TIMSCAR20]

Normally I would be at the final 4 this time of year but going back to Michigan so soon after I was there in Feb was not appealing. Kinda wish I would have gone now to have some real in person conversations with coaches about the Liberty job.

[jcmanson]

I was a big Leary fan, but he has not done very well at all as the head man.

[JDUB]

I'd pick Dollar for no other reason than all the gratuitous "he's money" references that would appear on FF. Also, as per flameshaw, we could abbreviate his nickname to one keystroke. Well, two if you count the 'Shift' key.

posting from a BB you don't have to hit shift

[flameshaw]

I am quite sure I didn't make the impression on him that he made on me

So you didn't pick his pocket and break away for an ETSU-like dunk?

No but I am sure he had a few steals. Reading his bio though he played at a high level in college and was a few years older. When I was a few years out of college I played on a semi-pro team that played college basketball teams and I used to work those kids over good. I averaged 24 ppg and shot nearly 60% from the field. A 25 year old player that has played college basketball is really tough to handle for a college player. Anyway, I think Dale Layer or Russ Pennell would be good. If Liberty decides to go with someone in the Liberty basketball family, Stephon Leary, Julius Nwoso, Matt Hildebrand, John Jones and of course Jason Allison are all quality guys. I doubt any will get a serious look though as JB will probably want to hire a more high profile guy. If you want Loyalty though, this is your talent pool. The new coach would be best served to bring in one or 2 of these guys as assistants though IMHO.

+1

[jcmanson]

He was Anthony Grant's top assistant at VCU and one of the finalists for replacing Grant.

Prior to joining VCU, Pujol served as an assistant coach at Appalachian State after spending 13 years as a high school head coach in south Florida. Prior to his arrival at ASU, Pujol spent nine years as the head coach of Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, compiling an impressive 250-46 overall record. His team made five Florida state final four appearances, winning titles in 1999, 2003, and 2004. He garnered state coach of the year honors in each of his championship seasons.

Prior to joining the Northwest staff, Pujol served as the head coach of La Progresiva Presbyterian School for three years, advancing to the state finals and earning his first coach of the year citation in 1995.

http://www.vcuathletics.com/mbb/0708bios/pujol.php

[olldflame]

So you didn't pick his pocket and break away for an ETSU-like dunk?

No but I am sure he had a few steals. Reading his bio though he played at a high level in college and was a few years older. When I was a few years out of college I played on a semi-pro team that played college basketball teams and I used to work those kids over good. I averaged 24 ppg and shot nearly 60% from the field. A 25 year old player that has played college basketball is really tough to handle for a college player. Anyway, I think Dale Layer or Russ Pennell would be good. If Liberty decides to go with someone in the Liberty basketball family, Stephon Leary, Julius Nwoso, Matt Hildebrand, John Jones and of course Jason Allison are all quality guys. I doubt any will get a serious look though as JB will probably want to hire a more high profile guy. If you want Loyalty though, this is your talent pool. The new coach would be best served to bring in one or 2 of these guys as assistants though IMHO.

+1

I would LOVE to see Julius here as an assistant. Head coach would be a stretch. He has a long BB resume and a wealth of experience as a globe-trotting pro, but not much as a coach. As far as a pipeline to Nigerian talent is concerned, if it happened, great, but it would be secondary. Having been a part of their national team quite recently however, I feel confident that Juice is far more "connected" in that area than Ocun was.

[Schfourteenteen]

Buzz Peterson

[Rooster Cogburn]

You know, I have no idea if this could happen or not, but the thought of what I'm about to post appeals to me. So follow along.

LU is a younger school with a younger athletic program. Therefore we do not really have any Head Coach level guys floating around College Basketball right now who are former players. Yea, I know there are some former players who are or have been coaches (Scar, Leary, Hildo, Jason Allison, Julius, etc.), but no one with big time experience ready to step in as the HC.

We all want the program to grow and be more and more successful. We all want to eventually see LU win championships regularly (at whatever level). The way to do that is to hire highly experienced, highly talented coaches and recruiters with connections like Coach McKay. The problem is that right now none of these guys have any kind of family feeling about LU. We all thought RMK did (because he said so) but it turned out that the draw of lifetime friendships is stronger than the draw of 2 years in a Godly environment. So if we can’t keep a guy like Ritchie here with the draw of who we are as a school, then it will be difficult to keep anyone who is not truly an LU Guy.

The other option is to hire someone with less experience and fewer connections who is an LU alum. The problem is that it would take a ton of time to build with this kind of coach, and I don’t think any of us are willing to take that kind of step back.

So, I present my idea. I think Barber should go out fairly quickly and find another big time guy to lead us forward and keep the momentum going. Hopefully this saves some of the recruits and he can bring in some too if needed. We all need to accept the reality up front that this guy may not be here more than 2 or 3 years. This is the reality of being at the level and conference affiliation we currently are. This coach should come in and be able to hire his 2 top assistants as he wills. Then I think it would be good if JB would be able to require this coach to select 1 assistant from a list of LU alum coaches. OK stop throwing rocks and bear with me. Again I don’t know if this can work contractually, but I think it works to build a long term solution to possibly getting a long term coach. The assistant comes in and gets some real experience, and then maybe is ready by the time big time guy is ready to jump to the ACC.

OK Commence rock tossing! I’m Ready!

[Rooster Cogburn]

By the way info on Leary now: http://www.godustdevils.com/sports/m-ba ... hon00.html

[jcmanson]

I see a lot more VCU basketball than Liberty, unfortunately. My opinion from those on the inside at VCU, is that Pujol was the right guy for the job there. They were obsessed with getting someone from Florida again for some reason.

What do you know about his character/personal life? I can't find much on it.

[flamefan]

As a former vcu student with connections to their athletic dept and basketball team Pujol was not liked by the players. The players were telling the AD they did not want to play for him if he was hired and they would transfer. From what I have been told he was a master of riding grants coat tails and he's not that good of a college coach. That is what I know about Pujol.

[olldflame]

Dale wants to come back

I am cool with that. Dale would be a good choice.

Being new-ish here and also being lazy and not wanting to research the old posts, why did Mr. Layer leave in the first place?

Dale made a move that was clearly a career advance in all ways, from an assistant in the Big South to the Big East. More $$ and a much better opportunity for another head coaching opportunity.

[panfan01]

TDDance234, why do you think that the program would collapse if Lundy was hired ? He once got a standing ovation from your student body and spent a whole day with your revered founder.

[Hold My Own]

First off I dont think Lundy's off the court character is a great fit...is he a bad guy, no way but I just dont think he has a lifestyle we look for


I saw previously someone mentioned that we should get another big time hire...I couldnt disagree more...I want NOTHING to do with a big time hire, I want someone who's going to be here for at least 5 years and big time hires cant promise that unless they are close to 60 years of age