I had not read that until it was posted here. Thanks, hayride. I wonder if RG and SFT even knew most of that story when they hired LE? I know that's the kind of man I want in charge of one of the more visible representative groups for USM.

Better Boy wrote:

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I had not read that until it was posted here. Thanks, hayride. I wonder if RG and SFT even knew most of that story when they hired LE? I know that's the kind of man I want in charge of one of the more visible representative groups for USM.

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I'm sure they did. It would be hard for me to imagine that, desperate as we may believe ourselves to be for a good coach, it would not seriously cross the minds of both men that hiring a man with this history and then having that man repeat that history would be a disaster for the university, the athletic program, and themselves. I'm no fan of either man, but even I would find it hard to believe that there wasn't serious investigation, discussion, and a pretty strong assessment that the risk was minimal before the decision was made.

As for Eustacy. I'm also not (yet) a fan of Coach E. There are concerns for me -- I'm not sure how I feel yet about some of the things I read in print or hear in the media. But I also know that it often takes a while for a coach and a program to get in sync; I'm suspicious of the limitations of the media to present a complete picture; and I'm not there on the court in practices watching him interact with his players. The only way I'm going to resolve my ambivilance is over time --  

In terms of E's history -- he did a stupid thing. Several stupid things, at least partly related to his admitted alcoholism -- and we all know how alcohol can fuel behavior that even the alcoholic, sober, would not condone.

The coach has paid pretty heavily for that -- it isn't like he got off scot free. He lost his job, his family, a hell of a lot of money, his reputation and had to watch himself be humilated in the national media. He's got kids -- he'll never be able to completely explain that one to them.

Even if the hiring of Larry Eustacy was an act of crass desperation on the part of SFT and RG, it doesn't mitigate the fact that the guy just might deserve a second chance -- like most of us -- assuming that he has presented some pretty strong evidence that he's seriously mending his ways.

I think he might deserve that chance not because he is a good coach -- I don't know if he is or not. But because he is a human being and, in lieu of contrary evidence, as a human being he is not only subject to human frailty but a potential subject of human redemption.

Of course one can be redeemed and not return to the same life. But Eustacy's fall from grace was so public that you could hardly blame him if he wants to make sure that the coda on his life story is not "Eustacy got drunk and hasselled female undergraduates" but "Fallen Coach learns lesson the hard way -- beats his own demons."

I'm not sure that I can discern in this case actions so terrible (murder, rape, or graft on a high scale come to mind) or so dangerous that there isn't a reasonable risk for a program that wants to take it.

We have a program that wants to move up. Having determined they'd rather hire an established coach at the highest level possible rather than an up and comer, SFT and RG don't have many options. USM with our limited resources, is going to only be able to hire those type of folks if there are some serious flaws involved. These are exactly the kinds of situations in which redemption -- or spectacular failure . . .  are possible.

I think the jury is out on E's personal life. The place to take him to task is on the court.  Until we have evidence otherwise, I'd say continuing to resurrect a history we all know enough about isn't serving much purpose except to continue to humiliate a man who, as best as I can tell, is trying to get on with his life. Maybe we ought to let him in the hope that even if it doesn't work out on the court, we can applaud him a few years down the road for getting his life under control.

That itself is not a small victory -- and maybe that is something that USM might even take pride in. To have given a someone the opportunity to recover self respect, and public respect is not such a small thing.

Of course, this whole thing comes to naught if "E" falls back into his past. And that will be really sad for everybody.

I think the account presented in the article paints a picture that we may interpret now in reflexion. What I am about to write is based on my personal conversations with a former USM player who is no longer on the team.

When the 2004-2005 season began, it quickly became apparent that the USM basketball program was under a different style of management. Several players either quit or were asked to leave the team. Newspaper articles skirted some issues with the new coach. After a conversation with some friends, I decided to ask some probing questions of a basketball player I was acquainted with. I met him outside my building and asked him what was going on with the team. He told me he was no longer on the team as of the day before. I asked...why? He began to describe the team situation and it was immediately apparent why he was not still on the team. He began by talking about the negative comments made by Eustachy about his players. Apparently, players don't like it when their coach calls them out in the media. Then there were some verbal abuse issues. A feeling of chaos in practice and in games. I believe the quote was "He doesn't know what he's doing". Then there was a mention of Eustachy not playing bench players when the team was losing by 30 points. Players apparently do like it when they get an opportunity to compete in a game and have the opportunity to have fun, work hard, and earn a chance to play more. This guy was told to quit or he'd be kicked off the team.

Reading the article, there are signs of character traits that have nothing to do with alcoholism. "Eustachy arrives uninvited," "talks badly about his own team," "gets into disputes with students," among others, tells me a few things about the man. First, it's all about Eustachy. He arrives at the party uninvited. Who couldn't love LE? Second, it's not out the question that he's mean (or at least disrespectful). He talks badly about his own team. His players. The young people he interacts with every day. Third, he gets into disputes with students. He's aggressive with students. He is unprofessional. Keep in mind that this was a part of the "pattern" the reporter established, not just a one-time or two-time thing.

Since LE arrived at USM, he has repeated some of these mistakes. I agree that if SFT and RG knew all there is to know that they must have thought LE was reformed. I just don't think they really cared about that. They probably needed sobriety assurances, but that's probably about it. After all, the bad behavior was due to the alcohol, right? Recall that LE was hired in the worst period of USM history...the months surrounding Glamser & Stringer. USM's reputation was being drug through the mud nationwide. USM needed a coach with a pristine record to draw some positive PR. Then USM names Eustachy. Questions about PR implications arose. He's reformed, we were told.

Then LE begins to belittle players in the media. He appears out of control during games, cursing loudly on the sidelines. ESPN did not run a courtside microphone when USM played Memphis last year because of his language. He begins to dismiss players with good athletic ability and good academic and character reputations because they didn't "buy into" LE appropriately. He appears in public (and on TV) looking desheveled. This is a representative of the university!

The academic equivalent would be a professor who assigns arbitrary and capricious grades, berates students in class, constantly uses profanity in class, and comes to class in holey boxer shorts and a wife beater. That professor's definitely got a problem and everyone around him is laughing at him. LE was in that same boat. SFT and RG didn't pull the plug. He's continued some of his bad behavior this year.

I'm all for second chances. Just don't ask me to give everyone a second chance all the time. RG and SFT couldn't afford to take any risk following G&S. It was poor timing to hire LE. He seemed to be a poor fit. He still seems to be a poor fit. Give him time but take up some slack in the leash.