Our problem is keeping players in the program. NIU needs to be led by junior and senior players. Constantly turning over players and having your best players transfer will just lead to more mediocrity and losing seasons.

He’s going to be a player coach. Similar to Hammock. He’s 43 years old and should be able to relate to the players better than Montgomery did. Time will tell..... Building a basketball program relies heavily on recruiting, more so than football.

Seems like a good hire to me; we were a "basketball school" in 1971/72, my freshman year on campus. Perhaps coach Burno can bring some similar success back to NIU!

(03-06-2021 11:30 AM)NIU75 Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 10:47 AM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 10:38 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 10:29 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 10:02 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Why do they consider him a monster hire? Hopefully Xavier Silas will come on board as an assistant. If he wants the job so bad, he better put in that work!

Tbh, I've actually seen his name listed a few times as assistant coaches who were ready to be head coaches and next in line stuff so, just that tells me it was a big hire for NIU to get him as he seemed to have some national recognition.

I don't recall but a while back, I listed a few names of guys who had some ties to the area and were top assistants and, I think, I listed his name. I know the attention was all on Jon Scheyer when that initial conversation was happening (and whether or not he would take over at DePaul), so I don't recall if I actually listed Burno but I do recall seeing his name in the research (ie, Google search) I did.

HA! Apparently I was the first to bring up Burno!!!! (I honestly had no idea...)

Big Red Wrote:Another possibility could be Rashon Burno. He was a long-time assistant at DePaul (so...he might be in line to replace Leito if he gets the can). Burno also started his coaching career at Marmion Academy in Aurora.

Another local guy is Jon Scheyer who played HS ball at Glenbrook North.

I want that 300k Frazier paid for that coach search!!!!!!

NIU and STF should of used Big Red as a search agent. We could of kept the $300,000 in house.

Yeah, I'd be fine with a third of that.

(03-06-2021 12:24 PM)pantone1935 Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 11:54 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  This 2016 story gives some good insight as to character...
https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n.../81243678/

The people on this board need to pay particular attention to the following Burno quote. "People think you can get things done quickly.
That never happens." This was regarding the hoped turnaround of the ASU program. Good luck coach Burno.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With they way NIU operates, he's got a solid 10 years of leeway to turn the program around.

(03-06-2021 12:42 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Our problem is keeping players in the program. NIU needs to be led by junior and senior players. Constantly turning over players and having your best players transfer will just lead to more mediocrity and losing seasons.

This has not been the problem. Who are the best players that are transferring out?

The last one I can think of is Maric and he was a grad transfer. Not at all the same thing.

At worst, Monty was stuck replacing depth players who were transferring out year after year. Richie was an annoying transfer, I'll give you that, but he wasn't all that good as a freshman (but had potential..but wasn't a sure thing).

The rest of the vast majority of players to transfer out were of the calibre of Daow or Demogerontis. Even when Jaylen Key left he was not the same player he was before the injuries and he wasn't missed at all.

(03-06-2021 12:49 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  He’s going to be a player coach. Similar to Hammock. He’s 43 years old and should be able to relate to the players better than Montgomery did. Time will tell..... Building a basketball program relies heavily on recruiting, more so than football.

Wasn't Montgomery like 40 when they hired him?

I like the hire--strong recruiting and local ties is about all you can ask for with how deep of a hole the program is in.

We're due for something to go right.

(03-06-2021 01:48 PM)clcfball11 Wrote:  I like the hire--strong recruiting and local ties is about all you can ask for with how deep of a hole the program is in.

We're due for something to go right.

I do too. Hopefully this is a move that will pay off for a long time. Seems like it checks all the right boxes, for sure.

(03-06-2021 01:48 PM)clcfball11 Wrote:  I like the hire--strong recruiting and local ties is about all you can ask for with how deep of a hole the program is in.

We're due for something to go right.

I knew it would be him, I saw on flight tracker a Cessna 380 fly in last night to DeKalb International Airport from Tempe Municpal....man I’m funny!

Seems like a good hire

Seeing lots of positive comments about the hire. Let’s hope it works out well.

Is anyone here familiar with the style of basketball he played under as a player at DePaul and at his various coaching stops? Anyone have any idea or insight to the style of play he’ll likely be running at NIU?

https://twitter.com/ByPatForde/status/13...0462488579

Dang! Who ever said those search firms are a waste of money????

This looks like a great hire! Them search guys know what they're doing!

(03-06-2021 10:02 AM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 09:53 AM)HuskieDave Wrote:  https://twitter.com/bballscoop1/status/1...44227?s=21

https://hoopdirt.com/report-northern-ill...hon-burno/


https://thesundevils.com/sports/mens-bas...burno/4345

Why do they consider him a monster hire?

Who wouldn’t want Arizona State’s fingerprints all over your program?

(03-06-2021 12:49 PM)BDB5yp Wrote:  He’s going to be a player coach. Similar to Hammock. He’s 43 years old and should be able to relate to the players better than Montgomery did. Time will tell..... Building a basketball program relies heavily on recruiting, more so than football.

Monty is only 50.

(03-06-2021 01:44 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 12:42 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Our problem is keeping players in the program. NIU needs to be led by junior and senior players. Constantly turning over players and having your best players transfer will just lead to more mediocrity and losing seasons.

This has not been the problem. Who are the best players that are transferring out?

Jake Anderson who left NIU for Iowa State.

Abdel Nader who transferred and is now in the NBA. Marin Maric went to DePaul. Marshawn Wilson and Laytwan Porter leaving after their sophomore years.

We have trouble keeping our best players in the program. We need to keep players in the program and have them finish their careers at NIU.

(03-06-2021 10:10 AM)Big Red Wrote:  Hell, bring in Silas and Battle for AC positions.
And, while we're at it, see if Lux wants to join them.
I think that would satisfy everyone...;-)

Stop this Xavier Silas infatuation. His loyalty was only with Ricardo Patton, who was neither a good recruiter or Xs and Ox coach. Pretty certain Burno knows best what he needs in the way of staff. Monty had staff vacancies at times and Silas never pursued those chances.

Ahit, thought is was a typo, thought we got Doug Bruno from DePaul

(03-06-2021 04:54 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 01:44 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 12:42 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Our problem is keeping players in the program. NIU needs to be led by junior and senior players. Constantly turning over players and having your best players transfer will just lead to more mediocrity and losing seasons.

This has not been the problem. Who are the best players that are transferring out?

Jake Anderson who left NIU for Iowa State.

Abdel Nader who transferred and is now in the NBA. Marin Maric went to DePaul. Marshawn Wilson and Laytwan Porter leaving after their sophomore years.

We have trouble keeping our best players in the program. We need to keep players in the program and have them finish their careers at NIU.

Some stretches here, for sure.

Jake Anderson? Look man...when new coaches are hired, guys leave the program. It happens. Montgomery had just been hired and Iowa State poached Anderson from a team that had just gone 10-20 and only had one year of eligibility remaining who "led" the Huskies to 26 wins in 3 seasons.

Marin Maric? Maric graduated. He played 4 seasons at NIU and graduated and chose to go to DePaul for grad school. I will never fault a player for doing that.

Wilson and Porter? Please. Those two were in constant trouble, left the school and never played college basketball after that. The problem was bringing both of them into the program in the first place. Them leaving was a blessing.

So, this notion that Montgomery couldn't keep his good players in the program is a dude he didn't recruit who was on a team that won 26 games in 3 seasons, a guy who had already graduated from NIU and two guys who never even stepped on a college basketball court after they left.

Nice list.

Btw, the problem was never these guys leaving. The problem was having so many guys on the team leave who no one cared that they left in the first place.

(03-06-2021 05:10 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-06-2021 10:10 AM)Big Red Wrote:  Hell, bring in Silas and Battle for AC positions.
And, while we're at it, see if Lux wants to join them.
I think that would satisfy everyone...;-)

Stop this Xavier Silas infatuation. His loyalty was only with Ricardo Patton, who was neither a good recruiter or Xs and Ox coach. Pretty certain Burno knows best what he needs in the way of staff. Monty had staff vacancies at times and Silas never pursued those chances.

Clearly, by suggesting all three of those guys, which includes a guy who has shown zero interest in coaching at the college level and just retired from coaching to start his own business and be at home, was done sarcastically.

If that wasn't apparent...I'm not sure how I could have made it more so.