I don't know how many of the press conferences you've heard this year, but it seems clear to me Johnson really doesn't want to be coaching anywhere except Princeton unless it's an insane job like Kansas or something.

I think the risk of going to a place like Virginia, with no basketball history and high coaching turnover rate, only to end up looking for a job in the America East or Great West after 4 years isn't worth leaving a place that I'm sure he considers heaven on earth.

I don't really agree with that. Obviously the salary numbers need to be in line, but Coach Johnson can have a Princeton type job basically any time he wants. No, it won't be his alma mater, but it's not like he'd live in the unemployment line if he failed at UVA or other BCS type schools. So if you can get 3x your salary and 1x your salary at another school should the first school not work out, there's no real danger.

I was just a wee laddy when they were coaching, so I dunno what their attachment to Princeton was like; however, I'm guessing it was nothing like Johnson's.

Sparman, I'd guess Leitao is busy counting the 2.1 million dollar buy out that Virginia gave him. When he's ready to jump back into things, he will - his financial future secure.

This also ignores basic facts we all know about successful peers - when they have a skill mastered, they often move on to the next challenge. Radiohead coulda kept cranking out "The Bends" and had millions upon millions of fans paying for their albums, instead they wanted to try something different, and then something different again and in the process made only several million dollars instead of hundreds of million dollars (for you oldsters, sub in Beatles). Serial entrepreneurs leave jobs all the time to start the next new idea.

It's only been two years that Leitao's been out of it. If we conservatively put a VA salary at half a million more than Princeton - the dude woulda made 5.5-6 million more over 6 years than coaching at Princeton (I know we're mixing coaches here, but the point remains). And then I'm sure if he threw himself at Dartmouth or Columbia they'd thank their stars. We don't know the type of opportunities that Leitao has been offered since then, but it'd be financially irresponsible to not take the job.

The allure of Northwestern to Carmody is less clear

OF COURSE he takes a UVA job, OF COURSE he does.

I don't think Johnson would consider UVA because that would require going head to head against JT3 for the top DC area recruits.

Apparently Bill Carmody re-applied for the job in 2007 and Sydney Johnson got it over him and other people. At least, that's what someone wrote on Wikipedia, haha. I wonder if that's true.

Two numbers say it all.
Bradley average home attendance in 2010-11 (with a bad team): 9300
Princeton average home attendance (with a good team): 2300

If Coach Johnson hadn't played at Princeton, he probably wouldn't be around at this point. I have great respect for his allegiance to the school but, c'mon, 99 basketball people out of 100 would prefer the Bradley job.

BTW, when was the last time another program poached our coach?

There's also the looming concern of Gary Walters retiring. In a video on GoPrincetonTigers.tv he is giving a speech to the staff and Friends in Tampa and refers to the Kentucky game as one of "two bookends" to his career as A.D., and goes on to discuss the UCLA upset and coach search which took place during his first year. He never referred to the other bookend again, but it only added to my concerns that he may be leaving soon.

Someone else with the industry experience and deep understanding of what it means to play sports (specifically basketball) at Princeton will be hard to find.

Unfortunately he's already got America's dream job in Peoria.

...but couldn't Princeton counter with something competitive enough to keep their homegrown hero? Or do they feel that there are enough Princeton guys in the coaching pipeline that they didn't need to break the bank? If so I think that is extremely short-sighted.

Obviously, Princeton has the money. I just don't think it's realistic that Princeton, or any Ivy League school is going to be willing to match what a BCS or a committed mid-major is going to be willing to pay. The way the Ivy League looks at athletics is different. Princeton will always be Princeton regardless of what happens in basketball for 99.9% of the world. A school like Fairfield is going to get much more return on investment by spending on a coach and trying to make a name in basketball.
I'm not saying I like it, but if you root for Ivy League basketball, it's they way it is going to be.

Obviously, Princeton has the money. I just don't think it's realistic that Princeton, or any Ivy League school is going to be willing to match what a BCS or a committed mid-major is going to be willing to pay. The way the Ivy League looks at athletics is different. Princeton will always be Princeton regardless of what happens in basketball for 99.9% of the world. A school like Fairfield is going to get much more return on investment by spending on a coach and trying to make a name in basketball.
I'm not saying I like it, but if you root for Ivy League basketball, it's they way it is going to be.

I stopped giving unrestricted money years ago.

Andy Glockner @aglock
@NorthstarBball In my Harvard story this year, Sydney wasn't very subtle in suggesting that Princeton needed to match Harvard's new emphasis

I'm beginning to believe SJ is leaving at least in part to make a statement to Princeton/Ivy athletics.

Super high academic standards...good. No scholarships...fine. No transfers...whatever. But all three? Something's gotta give if you want to field a competitive team and give your players a great athletic experience. Combine that with a limited salary from a school with incredibly deep pockets, and it's not such a tough decision to move on.

Over the long haul, I'm not sure that Harvard maintains the commitment to basketball.

"We learned this afternoon that Sydney was going to take the job at Fairfield," Princeton Director of Athletics Gary Walters said. "We want to thank Sydney for his significant contributions at Princeton as the head coach of our basketball team. Obviously we're disappointed that he is not staying to carry on the tradition of Princeton basketball. But as a Princeton basketball alumnus, we wish him well as he takes another career step."

That's not passive aggressive. That's what every press release ever written has read.

If we want to avoid Joe Scott land, I'd go for Brian Earl. Scott seemed to be mimicking the tough love that Carril was famous for, and alienated his players. Brian Earl, as I recall, might have gone to Penn had Carril not retired.

I am so disgusted I cannot watch the National Championship game. Shame on Princeton if they didn't pay Sydney a competitive salary. Shame on Sydney for jumping on the first job that came up. Fairfield? Ridiculous! From your alma mater? Were all those humble words just a marketing strategy? The job wasn't done. The tears and hypocracy about commitment? What about loyalty to the kids you recruit? Disturbing on so many levels.

Obviously he was there a long time, but I recall people explaining that Dunphy was over $500K when he left Penn for Temple and a significant raise. Fair enough. I can understand if the Big 10, PAC 10, Big East or A10 come calling with the checkbook. I CAN'T understand if the MAAC comes calling...

when I look at the numbers and the other factors at Princeton, it is a minor league franchise that will not be able to hold a coach with major league ambitions.

That's the minimum.

And it's probably for the tetherball team.

But still, to have a number that low on an official printed document is embarrassing.

Don't a lot of teams around the country use the Princeton Tetherball offense?

Don't a lot of teams around the country use the Princeton Tetherball offense?

Your compilation proves your point; I stand corrected. But J-- S---- gets a lot of credit for Mavraides and Maddox.

So where does SJ go now?

Is Brennan next to go?

In other former coach news, a local radio report this AM said that JT3 is a candidate to coach at GW, which just fired its incumbent.