AtlantaTiger

I think the problem most of us have with this team/coach is on the macro-level. Yes, maybe we win today. Maybe we even bury UNCW by 45 points. Everyone feels warm and fuzzy after a win. But the big-picture is that winning this game doesn’t translate to March.

This is bad form all around. I believe Pat’s preference for keeping it under wraps has more to do with knowing a collective groan would come from those who pay attention and not any supposed humility or focus on the next game. Those who signed off on this extension must 1. Sincerely believe that his record and “achievements” warrant this reward. Mediocrity is the goal and that goal has been achieved and/or exceeded. 2. Have zero belief that Towson is capable, worthy or in need of finding an upgrade at the head coaching position. 3. Think that all Pat needs is 4 more years to finally get it right and break through. Chance after chance after chance….. Let’s all remember this the next time someone from the school/athletic department reaches out requesting a donation. This honestly makes me furious.

I realize this is a useless and moot exercise to start playing the coaching name-game when we have our coach for the next several years BUT I do find it entertaining. Let me throw a name out there......Josh Pastner. Josh falls into that category of fast-rising superstars in the coaching ranks only to see his star fade in recent years. Tremendous success with Memphis and then fizzled a bit here in Atlanta with Tech. Could a case be made that GT's academic standards handcuffed him a bit with talent he could bring in? Maybe. I actually see him on occasion as we both belong to the same LifeTime Fitness. He looks ready to get back on the sidelines. A program like Towson could afford him the opportunity to recapture his coaching magic in a low-pressure environment and would give Towson a bit of a splashy-name hire. Would he bolt first chance he got for a bigger program? For sure. Could he help Towson find its basketball mojo? I'd be willing to give him a shot.

What honestly concerns me at this point is the idea that we somehow accidently stumble into the NCAA Tournament in one of these last remaining contract years with Skerry........and Towson hands him yet another multi-year contract. I believe that one NCAA appearance, at this point under Skerry, would almost be too little too late. One tourney appearance every 13-15 years under one coach shouldn't be good enough, even if that were to happen by some miracle. We need to raise the standard for success.

This is the least surprising result. This game was very “on-brand” for Skerry & Towson. Wash, rinse, repeat…. Obligatory Disclaimer: Pat Skerry is the nicest coach in college basketball. He is a pillar of the community. He graduated his players. He does sincerely do amazing work for great causes. He would probably be a really fun dude to have a beer with.

What is Arcadia University?

Have we ever had kids from Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana or Alabama before? Are we a “national” program now?? 😆 Go Tigers!

Let me take you back to early this summer when I was asking about this very idea of coaching philosophies and whether Skerry was married to his or would he ever change. Unfortunately, Pat is a finished product, he’s fully baked. He’s convinced HIS way is the best and only way and he is willing to die in that hill.

Having attended our championship game appearance in Frisco and seeing that NDSU team in-person and seeing a handful of MVC/Big Sky teams on TV over these last few years the one thing that stands out is how unbelievably disciplined these teams are. Their high level of play execution, commitment to detail and self discipline is extraordinary. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “sloppy” team from Montana, ND or SD. The players just seem more dedicated, more focused and better prepared than east coast teams. Is it the coaching? Is it the Midwest mindset/culture?

Would love if the Towson staff could do some quick homework on this kid in the coming days/weeks. I’ve seen him play in-person and believe he’s flying under the radar big-time. Throws the ball 55+ yards with ease. Tall, strong kid….traditional, pro-style QB. Huge growth potential. Only offer I know of is a DIII school. He should/could be playing at a much higher level. https://x.com/jacksonbd12?s=21&t=fR0BE-ZSjjxLQwcKb42n4w

Congrats to Albany! Go get ‘em.

Looks like Bob Chesney has the inside track on the JMU gig. That's a nice upgrade from Holy Cross, good for him.

You know what we (Towson) DID have in 1995?? A rubber/synthetic basketball court. Allow me to type that again. We were a "D1" program playing on some kind of rubber/synthetic basketball court. If I have our history correct, we were the last D1 program to install an actual/proper wood floor. But isn't that perfectly symbolic and on-brand for Towson athletics?? Towson has never been the most forward-thinking or ambitious school when it comes to athletics. At critical junctures, when smart decisions need to be made (hiring, firing, extensions, marketing, etc.), the decision-makers are usually asleep at the wheel. Our AD is still new enough that I think he gets a pass, but we need someone who can inject some life, attitude and swagger into our programs. A visionary leader who understands when a basketball coach hit his ceiling about 3 years ago.

Real question, how much is Skerry’s buy-out?

Marist's long time coach Jim Parady is retiring. I could see this being a good opportunity for Rob Ambrose. A low FCS program in a region he's familiar recruiting in. I doubt he's going to get many looks during this offseason hiring cycle from any big-boy programs for any significant positions. He should throw his hat in the ring for this one. Or maybe "my guy" at Slippery Rock would take this gig.

Unfortunately, there will be no "gravy train" conference upgrade for Towson. We've had to deal with years of inept leadership from both the University side as well as the conference side. Dull, passive and unimaginative Athletic Directors, indifferent University Presidents and horrific conference commissioners with dreadful media partnerships. Perhaps some programs can succeed in spite of one, bad university leadership OR bad conference leadership, but it's pretty hard to overcome both. Credit to the powers that be at Delaware for not standing on the sidelines (pun intended) and watching with their thumbs up their rear as other schools jockey for better situations. They were proactive, decisive and were able to harness the support of fans & alumni.

Truly an agonizing dose of reality. It’s like being in basketball purgatory. Just good enough to win a bunch of mostly meaningless games to avoid the basement of the conference, not good enough to get us to the next level of success. We’re stuck in the Twilight Zone.

I can't speak to Missoula, Newark or Fargo but I have been to Bozeman a couple of times and have been on campus and in its defense, it' a pretty cool town. Now, 7 months out of the year it's brutal weather and depending on your politics it's not everyone's cup-of-tea, but if you're into the outdoorsy lifestyle, it's hard to beat. Plus, the community does support the school's teams very strongly, because they're the only show in town.......besides Professional Bull Riding.

Personally very encouraged by Coach Shinnick’s first season. Now knowing what he has to work with in terms of his team’s talent & deficiencies he can better address their needs in the offseason. His energy and enthusiasm seems genuine and that’s refreshing. I’m curious to see if the entire staff comes back in tact or if he makes any changes among his assistants. Go Tigers!

Good for Bryant beating #10 FAU. Could a case be made that FAU didn’t deserve to be top-10? Sure. But it’s not a stretch to say they’re a legit top 25. And here we are at Towson STILL waiting for a signature win under Skerry.

I would take Wake -4.5 all day, every day against this current version of the Towson team.

Oddly enough, I was at that game too. My wife is a Dayton Flyer and we made the trip from Indianapolis, where we were living at that time, over to Dayton. Great atmosphere....lousy result. We were planning to make the trip over to Charleston this weekend but our kids' soccer schedules threw a wrench in that plan.

I am 100% supportive of Coach Shinnick and believe he'll ultimately be very successful at Towson. Having said that, let me take a minute to go back in time, about 9 or 10 months ago, to when the head coach search was on and the name I submitted for consideration was Slippery Rock HC Shawn Lutz. The Rock is 10-1 this season, and Lutz is now 68-18 at SRU. That is a .791 winning %. If I'm any northeast or mid-Atlantic FCS program who's going to be in the market for a new HC at the end of this season, he's the first guy I would call. I'm looking at you, Bucknell, Stony Brook, Robert Morris, etc. Shawn Lutz - Football Coach - Slippery Rock University Athletics (rockathletics.com)

I'm probably not going to be chiming-in too much this basketball season, at least not until mid-February. I'll certainly be paying attention but I just can't get too wrapped up in what happens week-to-week from November through January. The *ONLY* thing that matters in CAA hoops is the tournament. That's it and that's all. I don't care if we head into the tournament with a 30-1 record or a 16-15 record. We've seen over Skerry's career that heading into the tournament as a regular season champion hasn't made much of a difference in winning it. Just play your best basketball over the course of those 2-3 days. That's it. Do I have any confidence that Skerry has turned into some type of coaching savant and will finally figure out how to win the tournament? Absolutely not. Smart money says go against the Tigers in the CAA Tourney. Will I still be cheering like hell for TU basketball? Absolutely.

Now THIS should be interesting. Kudos to the program the athletics department for arranging this forum. Need to check my schedule to confirm my availability to attend!