Quote :

"Steve Lavin makes over $500,000 dollars a year to coach the UCLA bruins. UCLA has not been ranked in the top 10, in the season ending poll, since 1997. In the past 6 years he has failed to win one Pac-10 Championship, the first time in UCLA history. He has the second worst winning percentage of any coach post Wooden, after inheriting a team that was one year removed from a National Championship, Walt Hazzard has the worst .621. He has not finished higher than third in the Pac-10 conference since he inherited Jim Harrick’s team his first year. He finished 6th last year in the Pac-10 the lowest ever at UCLA. He has lost the most games at Pauley Pavilion in 20 years. Steve Lavin has a chance to lose 20 games this year. He needs to win 5 games the rest of the regular season or 4 and win the pac-10 tourney to avoid the 20-loss mark. The most losses in one season, since John Wooden, are 14; and that is virtually a certainty. Steve Lavin will have the first losing season at UCLA in over 50 years. Steve Lavin has had at least one McDonald’s All-American on his team every year and at least 3 for the past 5 seasons and has yet to win a conference championship or make a final four. Steve Lavin has lost to some bad teams at Pauley Pavilion: Detroit, Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine, Gonzaga (before they were on the map) and this year alone to University San Diego and Northern Arizona. Steve Lavin’s teams have also been blown out of some games: 41 points by North Carolina, 36 points to Duke, 29 points to Pac-10 foes Arizona St., Cal, and Oregon, 26 points to Kentucky and 24 points to Iowa St."

4/21/2006 8:44:34 AM

I'll add this here too...
Lavin's fiance - Mary Ann Jarou - Hollywood Actress

4/21/2006 8:47:39 AM

how old is she, how old is he?

4/21/2006 8:51:12 AM

wow...lavin's doing something right. girl is HOT...

4/21/2006 8:54:52 AM

he's probably pretty good at recruting if he brings her along

4/21/2006 9:00:18 AM

yep, and she MUST wear that dress to games!

4/21/2006 9:08:36 AM

^i'd prefer she not wear the dress

4/21/2006 9:09:35 AM

That last year that he did so bad....didn't he finish the year strong and almost win the Pac-10 tournament championship??

I remember thinking it would be pretty funny if he made the tourney and made a run in the tourney and still had to leave because he already said he was stepping down earlier in the season.

4/21/2006 9:18:48 AM

Quote :

"http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/14393129.htm Wolfpack's attention turns to Lavin as coach Shrouded search still includes Whittenburg KEN TYSIAC ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com RALEIGH - Steve Lavin, who directed UCLA to five NCAA tournament regional semifinal appearances in seven years, has emerged as a likely candidate in N.C. State's search for a basketball coach. Information on N.C. State's coaching search has been sparse since April 11, when Memphis' John Calipari became the second coach (Texas' Rick Barnes was the other) to turn down a lucrative Wolfpack offer. Sources have said Lavin is a focus of N.C. State's search and considers the job intriguing because of the compelling conference affiliation, heritage, facilities and recruiting base. Other speculation about athletics director Lee Fowler's ultra-secretive search continued to focus on Fordham coach Dereck Whittenburg, Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery, West Virginia coach John Beilein and Nevada-Las Vegas coach Lon Kruger. Efforts to reach Whittenburg were unsuccessful, but he has repeatedly said he has not been contacted by N.C. State. Montgomery has said he does not want to return to college coaching, and on Monday, Golden State general manager Chris Mullin said Montgomery will coach the Warriors next season. Montgomery reportedly signed a four-year contract worth a total of $10 million in 2004 with the Warriors. Sources said interest in Beilein cooled because he has a buyout in his contract reportedly worth $3 million. A West Virginia spokesman said N.C. State had not contacted West Virginia officials about Beilein. Kruger told a Nevada television station this week he was happy at UNLV. Lavin has been a television analyst for ESPN the past three seasons and was 145-78 in seven seasons as UCLA's coach, as which he reached one regional final. Before that, he was an assistant on Jim Harrick's staff when the Bruins won the 1995 NCAA title. "He is a good coach," said fellow ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, "and he's been through it at the highest level, which makes him attractive. He's got a great personality and relates really well with players. This job would be right up his alley." Although ESPN's contracts often have buyout clauses, sources said that shouldn't be much of an obstacle for Lavin if he wants the N.C. State job."

[Edited on April 21, 2006 at 10:00 AM. Reason : /]

4/21/2006 9:59:18 AM

He went to 5 Sweet Sixteens in 6 years.

Yes, he finished 10-19 that last year and did make some noise in the Pac 10 tourney by beating #1 Arizona.

4/21/2006 10:03:25 AM

Lavin has already said he doesn't want to be considered

4/21/2006 10:09:23 AM

He started talking to us yesterday.

4/21/2006 10:12:55 AM

Why try and bring in a coach who says he doesn't want it? Calipari did the same thing and look what happened with him

4/21/2006 10:15:03 AM

Quote :

"Why try and bring in a coach who says he doesn't want it?"

Who said he doesn't want it? You should know you can't assume things in a coaching search.

4/21/2006 10:21:14 AM

Quote :

"He started talking to us yesterday."

according to who? Don't just say something dumb like "one of my sources".

4/21/2006 10:23:20 AM

Quote :

"according to who? Don't just say something dumb like "one of my sources"."

According to Jim

Look, he just did. Believe it.

4/21/2006 10:25:44 AM

I really wish we would just go ahead and get a damn coach already

4/21/2006 10:27:29 AM

Lavin said through ESPN, and also heard it on 850 the Buzz, that he didn't want to be considered, if/when that changed, it would be news to me

4/21/2006 10:28:09 AM

I hope i eat crowe on this...but I just don't buy it. "Sources" have been claiming everything the past few weeks. I'll believe it when i see it.

4/21/2006 10:31:30 AM

THen stop looking for scoops on it if you don't want to believe it til you see it.

4/21/2006 10:33:05 AM

^^You want to eat Russell?

[Edited on April 21, 2006 at 10:37 AM. Reason : l]

4/21/2006 10:37:25 AM

We have been talking to Lavin...and he's one of our top candidates right now.

4/21/2006 10:40:19 AM

^^ Sheryl

[Edited on April 21, 2006 at 10:41 AM. Reason : .]

4/21/2006 10:40:48 AM

Quote :

"I really wish we would just go ahead and get a damn coach already"

Quote :

"I really wish we would just go ahead and get a damn coach already"

4/21/2006 11:20:35 AM

Lavin is a 'name' and he brings 'excitement' and he will garner 'attention' and teh fanbase will be 'united' and he will get recruits to 'commit'.


For those reasons ill be happy if we get Lavin.


I'm not sure he's a terrific long term solution or if he'll 'win' a lot, but at this point Id be very satisfied to get Lavin.

4/21/2006 11:26:07 AM

lavin is the only coach in history to beat the #1 team in the nation 4 consecutive years.

he is also an awesome recruiter

4/21/2006 11:27:32 AM

we'd have the coach with the best hair and hottest girl

4/21/2006 11:27:46 AM

I'm not sure how much he will "unite" fans right away. He still has a lot of question marks that won't make a lot of State fans happy. But Among Lavin, Whittenberg, and Belein as the final 3...Lavin will probably unite them the most (although Whittenberg has a chance). A Belein hire would probably piss off the most people.

If he comes in and does well the first year...then the fans will be united. Right now I would be content with a Lavin hire. He's got a lot of potential in my opinion.

4/21/2006 11:28:55 AM

Ive been saying Id like Steve Lavin for a long time... but I dont think hes leaving his ESPN seat

4/21/2006 11:28:58 AM

^Why wouldn't he leave ESPN??

Those commentators don't get paid that much (well, compared to coaches at major universities). And if he has coaching in his blood...then he should take the job.

4/21/2006 11:33:26 AM

Unless ESPN is gonna pay him 2 mil, I don't see him staying

that ofcourse assumes he has the cahones to coach in the triangle

4/21/2006 11:34:37 AM

i know he'll be paid more, but to come to a college where everyone can stay up his ass all the time even when hes winning and criticize everything he does... im not sure hes down for that...

Plus who wouldnt want to hang out with Phat Rick?

[Edited on April 21, 2006 at 11:36 AM. Reason : >.<]

4/21/2006 11:35:43 AM

We could just take two ESPN guys with one shot.

Head Coach: Steve Lavin
Head Recruiting Coordinator: Rick Majerus

4/21/2006 11:43:37 AM

Whitt is the only b-list coach we can hire that will unite the fan base.


Cause at that point, we ran out of options, and had to settle for an unproven coach, so at least he's a State guy. That will work until we suck balls for 2 years then shit will hit the fan.

4/21/2006 11:45:05 AM

Quote :

"but to come to a college where everyone can stay up his ass all the time even when hes winning and criticize everything he does"

You mean "Any college that actually gives a damn about sports", of course.




I'd take Lavin just so I could stare at his hot-ass wife all game long in the RBC

4/21/2006 11:46:12 AM

Im not being racist i would like to raise a legit point..

Do we really want a Black Coach? I dont have a problem with it, as long as hes the best person for the job
But is that going to be a problem with the ignorant ass rednecks here

4/21/2006 11:47:17 AM

I dont hear too many people yelling nigger at the players when they fuck up, why the coach?

4/21/2006 11:50:29 AM

We havent shown that it wouldnt be a problem, but it could happen

I was just throwing it out there

4/21/2006 11:53:47 AM

it could happen anywhere. Just because we're ignorant rednecks doesnt mean we wont tolerate a black coach.

4/21/2006 11:55:37 AM

agreed

4/21/2006 11:56:18 AM

I dunno...

Our fanbase has always stuck up for shitty white players like MOD while bashing pretty good black players like Gavin Grant.


Either way i dont really want a black coach named derek whittenberg because i dont think he'd be any good.

4/21/2006 11:58:09 AM

I think our obvious next step would be to pursue Phil Jackson. How good is he at recruiting though?

4/21/2006 11:59:24 AM

Interesting...I don't think race would be a problem if the "black" coach had credentials and personality. Bring in recruits to be successful and grow better regularly...then we should be aight


III

4/21/2006 12:00:29 PM

yeah i dont think a black coach would be a problem if he had credentials.


But if we bring in a total unknown like Whittenburg and he struggles (which he would) he is not gonna get a fair shot.

4/21/2006 12:12:14 PM

Lavin osunds like a good guy & coach, but I believe D.W. would be a betta fit and help NCSU sonner than later, and be a long lasting coach. I am all in for D.W. now...but keep Lavin as a back up


III

4/21/2006 12:13:29 PM

he looks like calipari to me.

4/21/2006 12:15:57 PM

I TELL YOU WHAT STATE BETTER NOT GET FUCKING JOHN BELINE...THAT WILL PUT MY TEAM BACK IN THE GUTTER....THIS BULLSHIT IS STARTING TO GET ANNOYING...FUCK LEE FOWLER....

4/21/2006 12:18:41 PM

Plus Whittenburg has a legacy here at State....I hate to see that legacy tarnished with the struggles he will almost assuredly endure.

Ive heard people say Lavin is a west coast guy and probably will not come east for a coaching job...but doesnt he spend a good portion of his week in Rhode Island?

4/21/2006 12:18:57 PM

Quote :

" But if we bring in a total unknown like Whittenburg and he struggles (which he would) he is not gonna get a fair shot."

I think anyone would struggle now for the 1st year considering the time that is passing for recruiting and establishing routine, expectations etc...

But I don't D.W. struggling too much or long. He has NCSU history, been around a variety of players & ballers from different levels.


III

4/21/2006 12:22:30 PM

Lavin is better then Whittenberg.

But Haith would be preferred to both.

4/21/2006 12:55:00 PM