[kel varson]

Have they announced the new assistant. Maybe I missed somthing. If not I guess that will be coming soon???

[TIMSCAR20]

I don't think they have made a decision yet. My sources tell me that coach D met with a guy with Nigerian connections but I have not heard that they hired him. I haven't talked to Randy in a couple of weeks so I don't know how he is leaning but I gotta tell you that I think the best scenerio is to promote Jason Eaker who is already on staff and bring in Ryan Mantlo from the 2004 championship team. Ryan is very interested in the position and would be a great fit for Liberty Hoops. He would be the only guy on staff that actually went to Liberty and who actually played at Liberty. To me you need a guy like Mantlo in your program. They would have a very complimentary staff that would be well balanced:

-They have not 1 but 2 black coaches to relate to the inner city athelete
-They have a guy with big time recruiting experience in Alexis Sherrard who recruited ACC players at UVA.
-They have a guy who could run his own Program if need be in Zach Jones who has played pro ball, coached high school and college and has had successful campaigns (many) as a head coach.
-Jason would be the young single guy that wouldn't blink at putting in an 80 hour week and is young enough to relate to today's athlete but authoritative enough to not be perceived by the players as a push over.
-And finally Ryan as the operations guy would be your former Liberty Student/Athlete that will someday be a great coach but is learning the ropes and paying his dues but will work hard for you and appreciate the opportunity.

That is how I think it should happen but I am just an outsider in this process. Coach D does value my opinion but he has the ultimate decision.

They could also hire me . Just kidding of course!

[givemethemic]

Coach D didn't say anything about filling the postion last week and he will be out of town untill Saturday...

[PAmedic]

SCAR, just pull a Costanza where you go in everyday for the next week or so and act like you work there. Maybe it'll pan out for ya.

[TIMSCAR20]

That is funny Medic. I started a thread about that episode in another forum. It is the one where he works on the Penske file. He just sits in the office for 8 hours staring at the Penske file. That interview which caused all the confusion was funny. He left Costanza hanging in the middle of a sentence that said if he had the job or not to take care of an emergency so Costanza shows up for work! I actually think that would work for me in the Men's basketball office. I am in there so much during the season the past few years that some folks have mistaken me as a coach on staff...My coaching days are over though. You know how they say never say never? In this case I am making the exception. I will never coach again. Even though I really love the Flames, I don't want to care about who wins so much like you do when you are a coach. My perspective from press row is much nicer thank you very much.

[Hold My Own]

I have a name

[TIMSCAR20]

Do Tell HMO!!!

[Rocketfan]

I have interviewed Mantlo many times and i couldnt' agree more, if he gave half the effort he did on the court i can't see any draws backs to any of your points.

[PAmedic]

I have a name

why did I KNOW "Hollywood HMO" would chime in on this one!

[Libertine]

Sorry, but I don't have a real high opinion of Ryan Mantlo. Following the '04 season in the summer, he expressed an interest in playing football since he still had a year of eligibility left. He spoke to then-coach Karcher who discussed it w/ the staff and the general opinion was that if he showed half the effort on the football field as he showed on the basketball floor, we could find a spot on the field for him. So, in the fall of '04, we left a few other guys home and Mantlo was one of the 90 invited to August training camp, ostensibly as a DB.

The first day's schedule was as follows:
-- A light acclimitazation workout in the morning
-- Lunch
-- Team Picture
-- Weights
-- Dinner
-- Team Meeting

Mantlo disappeared before dinner. Two days later, someone finally tracked him down at his apartment and he confirmed that he was done. In his words, he "wasn't cut out to play football". Frankly, considering the rep that the men's b-ball team has in the weight room, I'm betting it was the idea of facing Kill Bill for an entire semester that did him in.

[LUconn]

I like Nigerians. They are tall. Raw, but tall.

[Hold My Own]

I dont understand what that has to do with basketball, we all know he doesnt "Love" football and he does "Love" basketball....so if we were to be talking about him coming in as a DB coach then we should scratch our heads but since it is for basketball it wouldnt be a bad idea even though he's a few years away from being ready....I think it says something to have players asking to come back to a program they went through

[Libertine]

I dont understand what that has to do with basketball, we all know he doesnt "Love" football and he does "Love" basketball....so if we were to be talking about him coming in as a DB coach then we should scratch our heads but since it is for basketball it wouldnt be a bad idea even though he's a few years away from being ready....I think it says something to have players asking to come back to a program they went through

My problem w/ Mantlo has nothing whatsoever to do w/ not wanting to play football. My problem is that he bailed on a commitment w/ no regard for anyone else. Someone else wasn't invited to camp so that he could be there and he had neither the courage nor the fortitude to either speak to a coach and inform them of his decision or to stick it out and at least give it a friggin' try.

It doesn't impress me at all when a player "wants to come back" after only one year. He'd be in a familiar, comfortable environment here and he'd be getting paid to be here. Who wouldn't want that? In my mind, it says a lot more about a guy if he's out getting it done somewhere else rather than trying to get back into the fold.

[TIMSCAR20]

Libertine, I respect what you are saying about the commitment and I even agree with you in terms of communication. You have to have a conversation with someone in that situation. I will say that Ryan has been out of school for 2 years not 1 and that he has expressed the desire to coach a while ago and if I am not mistaken, has coached in Colorado (not sure what school) already. Getting into coaching is not hard when you are a former player but it is difficult to find the right environment that will allow you to grow, make connections and move into a "real" position with actual money. At this level the job Mantlo is going for is not gonna exactly feed a family of 4. It is a foot in the door type of opportunity that networking and knowing people can provide with the idea of moving up or moving out as quickly as you are ready to do so. I think it would be good for the program....HMO did you share your inside info yet?

[Hold My Own]

Not yet, a few things have to happen before it's a go...I don't know if it was said or not but the only way Ryan would come back is if Jason gets moved up....still keeping my fingers crossed for a Nigerian coach with a pipeline

[Guest]

HMO I heard Peter Aluma wanted to come back as a coach, wouldn't that be a pipeline for you????

[Hold My Own]

Yeah, but the only problem there is Aluma is a different breed if you get what I'm saying, and I'm not quite sure the fit would be as good as some who have applied....but I wouldn't be disappointed if Aluma got it, just a little concerned, but nothing major

[Hold My Own]

Hopefully I'll have a name for you guys tomorrow or FIRST THING Monday


Guys, there are great things happening on this team, I really hope you guys can take time out to get to know these assistant coach's and see how great they are and not to mention these new additions we'll see on the court, hopefully LU's Best will post some more times for open gyms so you guys can get out there and watch them play


AND WHEN YOU DO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!!!! They would love to meet people who follow the Flames enough to get on a message board and talk about them (or just read you guests )

[LU'sbestmanger]

the guys play everyday from 4 to about 7 in lahaye. yea go check them out. the guys that are still around are larry franklin, smitty, hubburd, armon jones, lamont winters, and a couple of walkons. i hear Winters is something to talk about! this came from smitty who says that he's stronger and benching 235 now.