Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Tom Pecora relieved of his duties at Fordham

Tom Pecora era ends at Fordham after five years and a 44-106 record. (Photo courtesy of College Chalktalk)

After five years, Fordham has moved on from Tom Pecora.

The former Hofstra coach, who came to Rose Hill in 2010, was relieved of his duties this morning in a meeting with athletic director David Roach, just six days after the Rams' season ended with a loss in the Atlantic 10 Tournament to eventual champion VCU.

A national search, with the aid of a firm to assist in procuring candidates, will be conducted to find a replacement for Pecora, who posted a 44-106 record in five years at the helm, and departs with two years remaining on a contract that was extended by former athletic director Frank McLaughlin before his own exit.

A release on the university's website indicates both his record and student-athlete retention rate as chief reasons behind his dismissal. Despite recruiting talented pieces the likes of Branden Frazier, Mandell Thomas, Jon Severe and Eric Paschall in his tenure, Pecora still had as many as 63 percent of his recruits transfer out in the process. Fordham finished 10-21 this season.

More information on Fordham's coaching search will be posted as it becomes available.

9 comments:

  1. Very surprised to see Fordham act rationally and admit the Pecora failed. The usual Fordham response would be to double down on the losing hand and throw more money in the pot by retaining him.

    Now will Fordham tackle the true elephant in the room? Fordham does not belong in the A10. If the Rams want a successful D1 men's program, they need to make a change in conference.

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  2. I believe Fordham can compete in the A-10, given the right coach for the program. The players on the current
    roster will serve as an excellent basis for a winning next season.

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  3. Fordham has no business in the A10, they have proven it over the past 20 years. Not even john Wooden could win there in the A10

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  4. As the earlier poster said, Fordham can do well in the A10. It is the right conference for Fordham as long as a decent coach is hired. Fordham had 3 successive bad hires as coach during their time in the A10. They have to get it right this time. I think they are if they follow through with a national search firm rather than Frank M's rolodex.

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  5. Fordham has had 3 bad hires in a row at head coach. But that is only part of the problem.

    The institutional support for the investments demanded by A10 membership is simply not there. Hiring a competent coach is essential to success in any conference, but Fordham would have to commit to investing tens of millions in new practice and support facilities, and band aid improvements to the RHG to sustain success in the A10. A new basketball arena would be upwards of $100 million. Never going to happen; not any of it. Fordham doesn't have the money or the desire.

    You also have the Fordham "drag" to contend with. Two decades of men's basketball futility leaves a very deep imprint on a program. Fordham is to the A10 what the New Jersey Generals are to the Globetrotters; a drum that is to be beaten.

    Time for another change.

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    1. I completely agree about the lack of institutional support. I also believe a lack of desire is the bigger reason for not building a new arena, not the lack of money. If the lack of money was such an issue, I highly doubt Fordham would have relieved Pecora of his duties. Why? I'd assume Pecora is receiving a decent buyout, so if the school can afford to pay a guy to NOT coach at Fordham, a national search committee to find a new coach, and the new coach's salary, Fordham has money. Maybe he didn't receive a buyout...just an educated guess. Either way, Fordham has money, which it chooses not to spend. Tom Pecora was unfairly treated and is Fordham's scapegoat for much larger issues. Was he a bad in-game coach? Maybe. But answer this question...how can Bob Hill, Dereck Whittenburg, and Tom Pecora all win before coming to Fordham, then suddenly start losing? The issue isn't the coaches, it's the institution. In playing the hypothetical game, I believe the performance of Fordham over the next two years will not be much different than what Pecora could have accomplished. Not a smart financial decision.

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  6. A big issue with Fordham is the small gym. I would look to hire a coach with strong local ties and an uptempo style. Kids love to shoot and score. Putting a run and gun team in the small gym might lead to greater student and local excitement. Fordham has had some of the top rookies in the A10 the last few years, and to suggest the situation is hopeless is defeatist thinking that will lead to nowhere good. They've tried everything else. Pay Tim Cleuss or Bobby Hurley and get out of his way.

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    1. Neither Cluess nor Hurley would touch the Fordham job with a 10 foot pole. If either of them moves it will be a step up, which Fordham is not.

      Fordham has a toxic rep amount the coaching fraternity.

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  7. The talent is there to attract a good coach. The career killer phrase used by other coaches to describe the Fordham job was justified by Fordham administration decision to not give Derrick Whittenburg's assistants salary raises after recruiting best class they've had since joining A-10.

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