If he does end up getting hired as the next head coach at Rutgers, Eddie Jordan must begin work immediately to establish strong recruiting ties from New York to Washington, D.C.
Jordan is a D.C. native who already has strong ties in the nation’s capital, and he must build on that to include the fertile New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia recruiting corridor. Once that is taken care of over the course of time, the next Rutgers coach probably needs to recruit effectively in the Midwest going forward as well.
“I think people are going to like his background,” Jay Gomes of NJHoops.com told SNY.tv. “The fact that he went to Rutgers, went to the NBA, coached in the NBA, coached a lot of great players in the NBA, so he can help kids get to that level. He’s got to hire a staff that knows the right people who will help him get the right kids.”
With Rutgers poised to enter the Big Ten in 2014 after one season in the American Athletic Conference, the new coach will have to land players who can compete against the Indianas, Michigans and Michigan States of the world.
Recruiting has always presented huge obstacles at Rutgers, which hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991.
Consider that in the past several years alone, the Garden State produced Kyrie Irving (Duke), Dexter Strickland (North Carolina), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Tray Woodall (Pitt), Tyler Ennis (Syracuse), Tyler Roberson (Syracuse), Michael Young (Pittsburgh), Reggie Cameron (Georgetown) and Karl Towns Jr. (Kentucky) — to name just a few — and none of those players seriously considered staying home at Rutgers.
Mike Rosario, a McDonald’s All-American at St. Anthony, picked Rutgers in 2008 under then-coach Fred Hill, only to transfer after two years to Florida. Gregory Echenique picked Rutgers coming out of St. Benedict’s, but transferred to Creighton.
Former coach Mike Rice landed an impressive class in 2011 that included guards Eli Carter, Myles Mack and Jerome Seagears and big men Kadeem Jack and Derrick Randall, but Seagears has already announced his plans to transfer and Malick Kone and Vincent Garrett are also on the way out. Others could follow.
Jordan, or whoever the next coach is, must begin by focusing on the talented members of the Class of 2015 in New Jersey — guard Isaiah Briscoe of St. Benedict’s Prep, wing Malachi Richardson of Roselle Catholic and forward Moustapha Diagne of Pope John — as well as the vaunted freshmen group of Tyus Battle of Gill St. Bernard’s, Bryce Aiken of Pope John, Temple Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep and former St. Ben’s big man Rodney Miller.
George Briscoe, Isaiah’s father, said he has already explained to his son who the 58-year-old Jordan is. The MVP of the East Regional in 1976, he was drafted No. 33 overall in 1977 and spent the bulk of his career with the Nets and Lakers. He later coached the Kings, Wizards and 76ers.
“I just told him when Eddie Jordan played in the league he wasn’t the most talented but he got it done,” George said. “He’s a good example of what hard work can do. He was a Rutgers great.”
Syracuse, Arizona and Florida are the top three suitors for Isaiah Briscoe, his father said, but George likes the idea of Rutgers hiring Jordan.
“It’s definitely a class act bringing in a former player and someone with experience,” George said. “Going into the Big Ten that will definitely keep my interest in Rutgers absolutely. Eddie Jordan being a former guard and bringing that type of wisdom and knowledge to Rutgers.”
Obviously, in New Jersey, Jordan must work to establish relationships with St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley, St. Benedict’s coach Mark Taylor, Patrick School coach Chris Chavannes and Hudson Catholic coach Nick Mariniello, as well as the leaders of key AAU programs like the Playaz Basketball Club and Sports U.
“He just needs to do a good job of staying involved with New Jersey kids and really building solid relationships with the coaches,” Pope John coach Jason Hasson told SNY.tv. “Rutgers is a great school but kids won’t go to the school alone without a solid relationship with the head coach. That starts by being seen in the gym a lot right away and then by starting and keeping dialogue going throughout the recruiting process. I think now that they are going to the Big Ten, that they offer something that no one else in New Jersey can but without trust and comfort level in the recruiting process players won’t go there.”
He added of Rice: “Mike Rice offered them both [Aiken and Diagne] scholarships but there wasn’t much communication after that.”
Roselle Catholic coach Dave Boff added: “I think Coach Jordan needs to do what any new coach needs to do which is begin to develop relationships with the players and coaches in the area that he wants to recruit…and that will give him the best chance to be successful. Since he was not on the old staff I don’t feel he needs to worry about what went on in the past. He needs to just take what’s going on in the future and pitch that to the players he wants to recruit.”
What Jordan has going for him already are strong ties to the D.C. area, having coached at Archbishop Carroll High School and with the powerful DC Assault AAU program during the 2011-12 season. Current Rutgers interim coach David Cox also coached with DC Assault, and Jordan (or whoever the new coach is) must decide whether to keep Cox, who has the support of many of the current players.
“[Jordan] is a D.C. native,” DeMatha Catholic coach Mike Jones told SNY.tv. “He’s coached here recently. He coached some high school basketball here [in 2011-12]. He’s very well-connected, very well-respected by the coaches in the area, both AAU and high school. He has great relationships on both sides.
“I don’t think he’d have any problems whatsover being able to recruit in this area.”
Jones said he believed Rutgers was building some momentum under Rice before the videotape scandal broke, and that this next hire is critical in order to rebuild the program going into the Big Ten.
“You can make an argument for Coach Rice being one or two players away,” Jones said. “They were getting more respect and they were headed in the right direction. Obviously, that dynamic has changed.
“I think that’s what makes this hire now so important because you do have somewhat of a solid foundation. You’re moving to the Big Ten, there is some momentum.
“Obviously, you have to navigate through this mess right now, but if you can navigate through it relatively well, you can build on it.”
