Majerus hired at SLU

[adam]

The ESPN story can be found here...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2851583


I've been a fan of Rick Majerus for quite a while. I think he's a great coach who really cares a lot about the kids he coaches. It will be interesting to see if he can turn around the St. Louis program and develop them into a national power like he did at Utah.

[dukemsu]

I love Majerus as a coach-I think he's the best X and O coach in college, bar none-but this move makes no sense. With all the jobs that were open this offseason, he was interested in St. Louis? No offense to the Billikens, but it seems that Michigan, West Virginia, etc....might have been a bigger stage for Rick. I know he lives in Milwaukee, maybe St. Louis' (relative) proximity plays a factor here.

But whatever. I'll miss him as an analyst but the college game is greater for having him involved.

dukemsu

[Channing]

this is the biggest hire for the Billikens since they hired Larry Hughes to play for them.

[Lavabe]

this is the biggest hire for the Billikens since they hired Larry Hughes to play for them.

Hire? My understanding, living in St. Louis at the time, was that Larry, from the recruiting hotspot (St. Louis) that gave us C'well, had a lot of family health issues:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/events/1998/tournament/men/spotlight/hughes.html

His brother, the big reason he stayed at St. Louis U. for the short time, has since died. At the time, the whole story affected a lot of sports fans in highly provincial St. Louis. I know the sports reporting at the time affected me.

Maybe in my move to Atlanta I missed out on an NCAA investigation or allegations? Hire? Please clarify. A link would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Lavabe

[Channing]

it was a joke playing on the sentiments that there is a perception that a small program just cant recruit a big time player like that without paying him.

[Cameron]

^I thought it was rather funny, personally.

[SilkyJ]

espn is losing their best college bball analyst, imho

[johnb]

He is an excellent analyst, but I do worry about his health. Not sure he's much healthier when he's announcing or retired, so I guess at least he is doing what he does best...

[throatybeard]

He is an excellent analyst, but I do worry about his health. Not sure he's much healthier when he's announcing or retired, so I guess at least he is doing what he does best...

I like this take. He died [shortly after] doing what he loved. Took SLU back to the tournament.

[Cameron]

Was this really almost six years ago? I remember this thread well, particularly the Larry Hughes joke (which I still find humorous, by the way).

I've been doing a ton of reading up on Majerus today and have added My Life on a Napkin to my Christmas list. It is a book I always meant to read but just never got around to it. Now is as good a time as ever, I suppose. I'm anxious to open it up and read more about the jovial basketball junkie I have always deeply admired.

Anyone here read it?