After a month-long search, Sydney Johnson's possible hire would make him one of the youngest head-coaching hires in program history and within today's Ivy League. At this point, one of the most intriguing things about Johnson is how little we know about him -- his coaching philosophy, his recruiting connections from Georgetown, his sideline personality. We'd really like readers to start a dialogue on Johnson's potential as a head coach and the future of the men's basketball team in general in the wake of last year's often-painful campaign. Please use our Comments feature at the bottom of this post. We at the Prince will throw in our thoughts and clarify details wherever we can.
For the full story on Johnson's potential hire, which we first reported Wednesday night, click here. We'll keep the details coming as we get them, both through Sideline Dispatches and in print the next couple of days. We're really looking forward to discussing Johnson with all the current players, as well as his teammates from his day as a Tiger star.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sydney Johnson '97 offered men's basketball head coaching position
Friday, March 23, 2007
Any seniors trying to avoid a career in banking?
Try this job opening on for size.
- "CPR and first aid certifications are required subsequent to date of hire." Do we even have to insert a punchline here?
Speculation over possible new coaches
Another post from senior writer Jennifer Hart.
It’s March. That means it’s time for the country’s sports fans to live and breathe college basketball. It’s a time for commentary (read: wild speculation) on who will win which games in the NCAA tournament. It’s the time to enter brackets into pools on the off chance you might win some cash. It's also the time, however, when coaching staffs turn over: firings, hirings and resignations create a whole new round of speculation and commentary on the wild world of NCAA basketball.
At Princeton, we're at the center of speculation in many ways. Athletic Director Gary Walters is the chairman of the NCAA Tournament Selection committee. Not to mention the fact that our head coach suddenly resigned on Tuesday to take a job at the University of Denver.
Names are being bandied around the Princeton basketball community. Will Northwestern’s head coach Bill Carmody — who went 92-25 in his four seasons at Princeton — make a triumphant return? Northwestern’s athletic department says no.
Another pair of options is Sydney Johnson ’97 and Robert Burke. Both are currently assistants at Georgetown under John Thompson III ’88. Scott took over for Thompson when he left to coach the Hoyas, taking the Princeton Offense to the nation's capital three years ago. Now Georgetown is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament who many have picked to win the national title.
What about current Princeton assistant Mike Brennan ’94? Current players think he’d be a great choice.
“I love Coach Brennan,” junior Noah Savage said.
The team, however, isn’t terribly worried about who will take over. They also don’t necessarily care if it’s kept in the Princeton family —- those coaches and former players who attended the Pete Carril school of basketball coaching and believe in the Princeton Offense.
Some outside commentators believe a move away from the much vaunted Princeton offense might be called for.
In any event, the search is underway and speculation is sure to run rampant as it progresses and until a successor is named. When Thompson left, the succession was clear: Scott would take over the program, like the prodigal son returning home. Today the field is cluttered by a plethora of names and a team with only fleeting similarities to the one Scott took control of three seasons ago.
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