Certainly we need to become winners again, but our program needs energy beyond winning. I want fire. I want the man to come out of his jacket with passion. Those who weren't around to witness Campanelli in action really don't know how JMU MBB was built.

From his book, "Lou spent nine years at JMU and never had a losing season. In 1985, he was hired to coach the University of California Golden Bears. He resurrected a sleepy program immediately, scoring the school’s first win over UCLA in 25 years and taking the Bears to the NIT. He not only challenged his players to succeed, but aimed his electric personality at the fans. More than once he turned around and yelled, “Cheer or go home…this isn’t an opera!” In 1990, Cal earned an NCAA bid for first time in three decades."

We need Coach B to have that delicate combination of commanding the most of people (fans, players, University), while making you want to invite him to dinner.

(03-22-2020 04:29 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  Certainly we need to become winners again, but our program needs energy beyond winning. I want fire. I want the man to come out of his jacket with passion. Those who weren't around to witness Campanelli in action really don't know how JMU MBB was built.

From his book, "Lou spent nine years at JMU and never had a losing season. In 1985, he was hired to coach the University of California Golden Bears. He resurrected a sleepy program immediately, scoring the school’s first win over UCLA in 25 years and taking the Bears to the NIT. He not only challenged his players to succeed, but aimed his electric personality at the fans. More than once he turned around and yelled, “Cheer or go home…this isn’t an opera!” In 1990, Cal earned an NCAA bid for first time in three decades."

We need Coach B to have that delicate combination of commanding the most of people (fans, players, University), while making you want to invite him to dinner.

If he turned around and yelled that opera thing this past season, he would have seen a bunch of old folks air-playing the violin.

https://www.whsv.com/content/sports/Byin...98491.html

Quote:"I don't want anybody to leave," said Byington, in reference to the current roster. "My goal is, everybody on the roster, to retain them. I don't want to get rid of anybody. I feel like there's a lot of talent that, if this group comes back, they could do great, great things."

Quote:"One of the things that drew me to the job at James Madison is understanding that there is a passionate fan base that loves James Madison," said Byington. "The City of Harrisonburg embraces it. So I want us to be one with the community. I want the program to be something they can be proud of. I want to play an exciting brand of basketball that brings the arena to be packed and to be a hot ticket in town.”

(03-22-2020 09:46 AM)jmufan2008 Wrote:  https://www.whsv.com/content/sports/Byin...98491.html

Quote:"I don't want anybody to leave," said Byington, in reference to the current roster. "My goal is, everybody on the roster, to retain them. I don't want to get rid of anybody. I feel like there's a lot of talent that, if this group comes back, they could do great, great things."

Quote:"One of the things that drew me to the job at James Madison is understanding that there is a passionate fan base that loves James Madison," said Byington. "The City of Harrisonburg embraces it. So I want us to be one with the community. I want the program to be something they can be proud of. I want to play an exciting brand of basketball that brings the arena to be packed and to be a hot ticket in town.”

Makes me more excited for Coach Byington and the team. Hope everyone stays even though Banks is in the Portal.

(03-21-2020 08:08 PM)jmufan2008 Wrote:  Thanks! Working the refs is something that maybe he just needs to find his footing with. That's a fine line to walk and can get really annoying really quickly. I hope he at least raises his voice and is animated with his players. We need a HC willing to push his players and get in their faces if they're being lazy or dumb.

I can only think he considers Bobby Cremins as one of his greatest mentors since he spent a good bit of his career as Cremins' top assistant. Given that, it further doesn't surprise me that he lays off the refs.

Cremins rarely barked at refs. But, it was effective when he did. ACC refs for 2 decades knew that if Bobby said anything to them then they likely screwed up or at minimum had been letting things go one-sided a bit too far over the course of a game. And this was during a time when Deano and Ratface were continually intimidating refs.

I agree with your comments 100%. You have to know how and when to make your point to refs. And, most refs (speaking from experience) react much better when you are respectful along with showing a tendency to coach your team instead of coaching the officials.

There is no best formula. Cremins was a "nice guy" but he held his players accountable, they ran through brick walls for him, and he won 3 ACC titles. Most important, he was being himself. Meaning, he wouldn't have been effective being a raging mad man on the sidelines ala Frank Martin or Bobby Knight. Doesn't mean those guys are wrong, just different personalities and methods. (btw, Martin is brutally tougher on his players than he is the refs)

If Byington is a "nice guy", I can live with that. Just win, babyyyy.

The more I read and see I am liking the hire.

Go Dukes

(03-22-2020 02:26 PM)nyduke Wrote:  The more I read and see I am liking the hire.

Go Dukes

Me too.

The transition with this health-related lockdown, however, is certainly throwing the hope for a quick and easy transition for a loop.

It’s imperative the new HC is able to meet face-to-face with the returning JMU players ASAP and address this latent attitude that seems to be festering under the surface, i.e. that some of our guys think they’re better than their 2-16 record and can do better than JMU.

While I would agree that the returning players should produce better results than a 2-16 last place finish, and that they have the athletic ability to be a winning team, I’m at a loss about a general lack of self-awareness and willingness to accept they needed a new coach. The grass is not greener. They’re receiving COA. They have a state-of-art arena to open. They have (and this is the most important thing they’ll miss out on if they transfer) a JMU diploma to finish.

The new HC is a winner. He’s proven it at every level he’s been connected to competitive basketball. From VA High School play through his college days in the CAA. I would think the returning players would welcome the fresh start and opportunity to turn-over a new page. Only time will tell if the current roster will buy in. For their own enlightened self-interest I hope they do.

(03-22-2020 07:14 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(03-22-2020 02:26 PM)nyduke Wrote:  The more I read and see I am liking the hire.

Go Dukes

Me too.

The transition with this health-related lockdown, however, is certainly throwing the hope for a quick and easy transition for a loop.

It’s imperative the new HC is able to meet face-to-face with the returning JMU players ASAP and address this latent attitude that seems to be festering under the surface, i.e. that some of our guys think they’re better than their 2-16 record and can do better than JMU.

While I would agree that the returning players should produce better results than a 2-16 last place finish, and that they have the athletic ability to be a winning team, I’m at a loss about a general lack of self-awareness and willingness to accept they needed a new coach. The grass is not greener. They’re receiving COA. They have a state-of-art arena to open. They have (and this is the most important thing they’ll miss out on if they transfer) a JMU diploma to finish.

The new HC is a winner. He’s proven it at every level he’s been connected to competitive basketball. From VA High School play through his college days in the CAA. I would think the returning players would welcome the fresh start and opportunity to turn-over a new page. Only time will tell if the current roster will buy in. For their own enlightened self-interest I hope they do.

Good post LH. I agree 100%. Byington has a solid resume. There isn’t anything negative on it and no reason to believe he can’t be successful at JMU. He is saying all the right things and based on people I know who know him, I believe he will also do the right things.

I am excited to support his efforts. I think he has much more upside potential as a HC than Brady did/does. Seems like he's the total package.

Most coaches across the nation are using face time to recruit kids and im sure coach Byington is all over it. We will be fine and I think most of the core guys will return. We will probably have 2 to 3 scholarships open up and thats a good thing.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/driv...19bf4.html

(03-24-2020 12:55 PM)Bawlmer Duke Wrote:  https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/driv...19bf4.html

Good read. This part makes me wonder if that will happen here as well or if he could maybe even use that relationship to swing a 2 for 1 with Clemson:

“It is funny to think how far he has come, how far I have come,” Brownell said. “I am not surprised in the least the coaching career he has had and I am sure he will do well at JMU. Mark has done it the right way. He has worked his way up the business. We always keep in touch. Our teams scrimmaged this year” as Georgia Southern played at Clemson back in the fall.

Some more big names on the schedule and especially in the AUBC is one thing a lot of us hoped could come along with a splash hire if we were able to pull one off. Would be great if Byington has a connection or two that helps with that. Clemson is also one that should currently be much more likely to result in a W than UVA... Although I really hope Byington can give UVA something to worry about in 2021.

The more I read about Byington and hear him speak the more I can see why JB and the committee felt he would be a good culture fit at JMU.

Brady was not a culture fit. Withers was not a culture fit either. Ultimately, Byington will be measured by his wins and post season success and not how well he fits with JMU and Harrisonburg/Rockingham County community but culture is important intangible aspect to the success of an athletic department and varsity program. Without a strong culture then the team will hit a ceiling and plague.

Good luck coach! Makes us proud of our basketball program again!

lots of nice messages wishing him well after tweeting his farewell to GSU

https://twitter.com/JMU_CoachB/status/12...3246065670

(03-24-2020 02:44 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  lots of nice messages wishing him well after tweeting his farewell to GSU

https://twitter.com/JMU_CoachB/status/12...3246065670

Have to say I'm impressed w/ the Georgia Southern fans. Very classy.

I hope Byington improves the schedule. Clemson would be good. I want to see the Hoyas on the schedule.

(03-24-2020 04:59 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  I hope Byington improves the schedule. Clemson would be good. I want to see the Hoyas on the schedule.

I'm okay with a couple years playing regionals, the High Point's, UNC-G's, and Radford's, we have to establish that we can win, by years 3 & 4 we'll need that upgrade.

(03-24-2020 04:27 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(03-24-2020 02:44 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  lots of nice messages wishing him well after tweeting his farewell to GSU

https://twitter.com/JMU_CoachB/status/12...3246065670

Have to say I'm impressed w/ the Georgia Southern fans. Very classy.

extremely classy - never seen anything like that!

https://espnrichmond.com/30831/jmus-mark...ary-march/

One thing Byington (or any other head coach who might have taken the job) has to think to himself - and I hope like hell he is thinking this way...

...what if I hit it big at JMU? I mean, BIG!

That is, a quicker-than-expected turnaround...followed by a signing class (and another) that makes people around the state, CAA, and mid-Atlantic take notice...followed by 2 or 3 CAAT titles in his first 4 years...and best of all, the new AUBC is packed. Not only will his stock for greener pastures and a huge payday be on the horizon, he will have JMU doing everything it can to keep him. He will be a head coach that is (already) "legendary" in JMU Athletics history only 5 years into his job and not even 50 years of age yet...perhaps because anybody under the age of 35 never had a first-hand chance to know/experience JMU MBB being really good and home games being an electric zoo.

The opportunity is there for the taking, Coach B. Do it.