Boston College fired men's basketball coach Jim Christian on Monday, bringing an end to a chapter that saw Christian go 78-132 (.378) in seven seasons at the school. With a much-coveted ACC position now open, we sized up the realities around BC's place in the rugged league, the model programs the Eagles could try to emulate, and the most realistic candidates who could find their way to Chestnut Hill.
Why did Jim Christian fail at Boston College?
To start, it's a difficult job, the worst in the league. And Christian was taking over in a tough stretch for the Eagles, after four years of zero NCAA tournament appearances under Steve Donahue. He didn't recruit at a high enough level during his time in Chestnut Hill, and when he did get high-caliber ACC players -- Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman -- he didn't build off that momentum. After the 2017-18 season, when the Eagles went to the NIT and won 19 games, there was some buzz they could be a factor the following season. But Robinson went pro, and BC regressed to the mean in 2018-19.
Who's the last coach to win anything meaningful at BC?
Al Skinner was wildly successful at Boston College compared to his two successors. Skinner went to seven NCAA tournaments in his final 10 seasons with the Eagles, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2006. They haven't been to a single NCAA tournament in the 11 years since Skinner was fired, and they're certainly not going there this season. In retrospect, firing Skinner despite that success was an awful decision.
What program should Boston College strive to emulate in college basketball?
I think the answer lies about an hour south of Boston: Providence. Ironically, the Friars are led by Ed Cooley, who spent nearly a decade as an assistant under Skinner at Boston College. As I mentioned earlier, BC is the worst job in the ACC, with the worst facilities, located in a city that focuses all its attention on professional sports. But it's also in an area that produces high-major talent on a consistent basis.
Providence has generated consistent success under Cooley by landing talented local recruits, and then mining the rest of the East Coast for under-the-radar prospects. Granted, Providence fits better in the Big East than Boston College fits in the ACC, but unless Boston College hires its version of Tony Bennett and becomes the Virginia of the Northeast, I think Providence is a good pick to emulate.
Let's start with the pipe-dream candidates -- give us some names BC fans are talking about who they probably won't get
John Beilein: The former Michigan and West Virginia (and Cleveland Cavaliers, unfortunately) head coach is going to be the name listed for every big job that opens this spring. He's unemployed and available, but it's also unclear how badly he wants to jump back into the college game. Beilein also just turned 68, so taking over a clear rebuild likely isn't all that attractive. He would also be very expensive.
Kevin Willard, Seton Hall: Willard's name always pops up when jobs open, in case he's pining to leave the Pirates. But he hasn't left yet, and I don't see Boston College as the job that makes him jump.
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State: Hurley could be interested in a move back to the East Coast, and he was reportedly intrigued by the vacancy at St. John's a couple of years back. But he received a new contract in the spring of 2019, and makes more than $2 million per year with the Sun Devils. I could see him being more interested in a DePaul vacancy, should that job open, or something similar.
Tommy Amaker, Harvard: It's worth a try, right? Amaker is obviously familiar with the area, has recruited high-academic kids better than BC has, and has won at least a share of the Ivy League title in seven of the past 10 seasons. But he has never shown an interest in leaving the Crimson.
Rick Pitino, Iona: No. Just stop. Pitino will undoubtedly be mentioned at some point due to his lengthy ties to Boston and its surrounding area, but it's not happening. Iona took a chance on him and it's paying off for the Gaels so far, but let's pump the brakes on a Pitino return to the ACC.
Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago: I think this is the guy Boston College would love to have. Moser is going to be the hottest mid-major name on this spring's carousel, and it's only a matter of time before he leaves the Ramblers. But I don't think it will be for Boston College. Moser is likely to prefer staying in the Midwest.
Who are the realistic candidates?
Howard Eisley, Michigan assistant: Eisley was a star at Boston College before playing 12 seasons in the NBA. He spent nearly a decade as an NBA assistant, and Juwan Howard hired him in 2019 as an assistant with the Wolverines. He has been linked to the job in the past, and his experience as a college coach can only help this time around.
Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure: Schmidt also played at Boston College and he's a Massachusetts native. He has been with the Bonnies since 2007, after six years at Robert Morris, and has led Bona to two NCAA tournament appearances. St. Bonaventure is one of the tougher jobs in America, but Schmidt has had consistent success there.
Frank Martin, South Carolina: Maybe this belongs in the first category, but I can see Martin sniffing around other high-major jobs this spring -- and Boston College makes more sense than it appears at first glance. Martin has some experience in the area due to his time as an assistant at Northeastern, and his wife, Anya, ran track at UMass. It's a name to watch, at least.
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's: An outside-the-box name, Bennett has received a little bit of buzz for this job the last few weeks. I think the regional fit is a bit of a question, given that Bennett was born in Arizona and has spent all but two years of his coaching career out West. But he has recruited effectively overseas and has led the Gaels to seven NCAA tournaments.
James Jones, Yale: There's been a lot of buzz about Jones as a potential candidate at Penn State, but Boston College could take a look at him as well. He's obviously familiar with the area and recruiting the Northeast, and he has won at least a share of the Ivy title in four of the past six seasons. His brother, Joe, is the head coach at Boston University.
Mike Rhoades, VCU: Rhoades has done a solid job at VCU, leading the Rams to the NCAA tournament in 2019, and he has them in the mix for another bid this season.
John Becker, Vermont: A Connecticut native, Becker has had huge success at Vermont, guiding the Catamounts to four straight conference titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. He will get a bigger job at some point, but BC has gone the mid-major head coach route the last two hires; would the Eagles do it again?
Bill Coen, Northeastern: Coen spent nearly a decade as an assistant at Boston College under Skinner and has led Northeastern to five 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances.
Dennis Gates, Cleveland State: This one is going to be mentioned, not only because Gates has done a tremendous job this season at Cleveland State, but because Gates' wife, Jocelyn, is a senior associate athletic director at BC. Gates is a rising star and will move up a level in the near future.
Which candidate could execute on the most practical long-term formula?
I think Boston College needs to think outside the box a little bit. The Eagles have gone the mid-major route the past two hires with Donahue and Christian, and neither came close to working out. Neither were all that familiar with the Boston area or had much experience recruiting high-major talent from the region.
Now, what does "outside the box" mean for Boston College? The Eagles could once again go with a mid-major coach, and most of the aforementioned names are from that level -- including Moser, who I think would be their top choice if interested. I actually think it should be the type of search that goes after a young, hungry high-major assistant. But that seems unlikely. I also think they could really pursue sitting high-major coaches looking to leave, although all of the ones listed might say no.
I think Eisley could end up being the guy. He doesn't have any head-coaching experience, but he has been on three different NBA benches and is now on the staff of one of the best teams in college basketball, learning from a coach who has shown the ability to translate from the NBA to college successfully. And he played at Boston College. It checks a lot of boxes. My second realistic choice would be Schmidt, due to his BC ties and winning experience in a really tough job.