LaSalle hires Giannini

In the continuing effort to move beyond the Aussie situation… :lol:

From the Daily Word from Andy Katz:

[b]La Salle expects word from Dunphy

Monday, Aug. 2: La Salle should know within a day or two whether Penn’s Fran Dunphy is interested in pursuing the vacant head coaching job. Dunphy, a La Salle alumnus, is the top candidate for the job but probably needs to know whether he ultimately could become the athletic director. If Dunphy doesn’t move, then Maine’s John Giannini has a legit shot to land the job. Giannini has spoken with the La Salle administration and is awaiting word on Dunphy’s candidacy.[/b]

Link: ESPN.com

LaSalle still waiting…

[b]La Salle waiting on Dunphy? Penn’s coach is believed to be the front-runner for the men’s basketball job. But he may stay put.

By Mike Jensen
Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer
August 3, 2004

La Salle appears to be close to naming a men’s basketball coach. The school is believed to be waiting right now to see whether Penn coach Fran Dunphy is interested in moving back to his alma mater.

If Dunphy stays put, according to a source familiar with the search, the school may turn to Maine coach John Giannini, the former Rowan coach who interviewed for the La Salle job in 1991.

According to several sources, La Salle contacted Dunphy late last week. On vacation this week, Dunphy did not return a phone call. It is not known how far any discussions with La Salle have advanced. If Dunphy took the job, he would be the first man to be the head coach at two Big Five schools. One friend of Dunphy’s who said he had seen him in recent days - but had not discussed La Salle with him - said Dunphy is tired right now after a month in which he was contacted by Ohio State for a possible head-coaching job, after which he spent many days on the road recruiting.

After forcing former coach Billy Hahn to resign, La Salle apparently has contacted only current Division I head coaches for the opening. Former Explorers assistant Joe Mihalich and Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon both told La Salle they were not interested in being candidates.[/b]

Link: Philly.com?

With Hahn at the helm of LaSalle, I would have written that down the Explorers as pretty much a guaranteed W for the Niners once we enter A-10 play, a la Southern Miss in C-USA. Don’t know that would be the case if Dunphy were able to duplicate his success at Penn if he does indeed move across town to his alma mater.

GO NINERS!!!

Now that Dunphy is out of the picture for the LaSalle position – and proving that there is someone out there who could drag out a decision longer than Thad Matta did – it looks like the poor A-10 sister of Philly will look to Maine for their next head coach.

[b]Maine’s Giannini is La Salle’s new focus for basketball coach

Philadelphia Inquirer
August 17, 2004

La Salle apparently is targeting Maine coach John Giannini in its search for a men’s basketball coach.

After several days of telling reporters that La Salle had not contacted Maine to request permission to talk to Giannini, a Maine spokesman yesterday changed his answer, saying that the school’s athletic director, Patrick Nero, would have no comment.

La Salle is expected to move quickly now that Penn coach Fran Dunphy has bowed out.

Giannini was expected to be a prime target for the Explorers if Dunphy did not take the job. It is not known whether Giannini is the only coach the Explorers are interested in right now. Giannini could not be reached yesterday for comment.

A former coach at Rowan, Giannini interviewed for the head job at La Salle in 2001. The head coach at Maine since 1996, Giannini, 41, was a graduate assistant at Illinois before he coached Rowan for seven seasons. He won 81.6 percent of his games and reached the Division III Final Four in 1993, 1995 and 1996. The Black Bears made it to the America East title game last season.[/b]

Link: Philly.com

In the continuing saga of future A-10 mate LaSalle, the Explorers have interviewed Maine’s John Giannini and Brown’s Glen Miller for the head coach position.

ESPN.com: The Explorers are hoping to find a city tie

What??? :o You mean Calipari is not interested? He’s always interseted in moving on to a better program… not to mention it will be a beter conference too.

B) B) B)

Do we really have to start following the news of programs like this now? I guess the A-10 reality is setting in…

BL, my rationale in posting about EVERY program in the A-10 is that I want to know how serious they are in their commitment to athletics. At one time LaSalle had a decent program, but certainly not of late. The push to get Dunphy to leave Penn and return to his alma mater was a step in the right direction.

[b]BL, my rationale in posting about EVERY program in the A-10 is that I want to know how serious they are in their commitment to athletics. At one time LaSalle had a decent program, but certainly not of late. The push to get Dunphy to leave Penn and return to his alma mater was a step in the right direction. [/b]

Yeah, I understand your rationale. I’m one of the ones not thrilled about the A10 jump, no matter how much I rationalize it to myself.

And I know, I know…it was the best move we could make. St Joes and Xavier had great seasons…but when you read up on a program like LaSalle’s, it just brings me crashing back to reality. There are some shi++y a$$ teams in the A10. Period.

Finally, LaSalle gets their guy…

[b]La Salle finds a coach: Maine’s John Giannini

By Mike Jensen
Philadelphia Inquirer
August 22, 2004

La Salle’s month-long search for a head men’s basketball coach is over. Maine coach John Giannini will be named the coach at La Salle tomorrow, according to a source familiar with the school’s coaching search.

Giannini, who coached Rowan to the 1996 NCAA Division III national title, was at Maine for the last eight seasons. He had been La Salle’s primary target since talks ended with Penn coach Fran Dunphy a week ago.

At Maine, Giannini, who could not be reached for comment, had a 125-111 record and coached the school to its first two 20-win seasons. The Black Bears never made it through the America East Conference tournament to the NCAAs, but they reached the conference final twice in the last three years. Over the last six years, Maine had more victories than any other America East school.[/b]

Link to entire story La Salle finds a coach: Maine’s John Giannini
[NOTE: same deal as with Observer - have to register, etc.]

ESPN.com: Maine coach to replace Hahn

BTW, Bobblin, not going to argue that the A-10 has some real stinkers. Sort of like C-USA… :rolleyes:

The first “voluntary” defection at LaSalle has occured with the coaching change. If we maintain our series with East Carolina for the immediate future (which I think may have been one of the conditions of our leaving C-USA), then we’ll see this guy in 2006-07.

Reflector.com: ECU hoops adds Bell to lineup