The AP story on Barry Rohrssen taking over at Manhattan.
“There were such great people at Pittsburgh and I miss those kids already,” Rohrssen said. “Recruiting in the Big East and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference have the same objective, just recruit good players who want to play at your school. Nothing changes.”
Gonzalez led Manhattan to a 129-77 record in seven seasons with two appearances in the NCAA tournament and two in the NIT. The Jaspers won two games in the NIT last month before losing at Old Dominion and finishing with a 20-11 record.
“Continuing what has gone on here means high standards,” Rohrssen said. “This school has had tremendous success and I hope to continue that.”
Three of the last four head coaches at Manhattan went on to jobs in the Big East: Steve Lappas, Fran Fraschilla and Gonzalez.
“Some very good coaches have used Manhattan as a steppingstone so we have earned that reputation as a mid-major program that provides opportunities for our coaches,” said Manhattan president Bro. Thomas J. Scanlan, FSC. “With New York City being such a big part of Manhattan College, Barry being a New Yorker was so important to us.”
You have to appreciate the candor of Manhattan. They don’t BS with expecting the coach to stay a long time. They hope he moves on to something bigger. It means they are winning.
It was also a good score for Manhattan that Rohrssen is well-liked by the local media.
The Jaspers’ job has become one of the best stepping-stone gigs in the country. But it takes a street-smart city kid who has strong ties to the high schools and the area’s powerful summer travel teams to max out its potential.
Rohrssen fits the profile.
Like Lappas, Fraschilla and Gonzalez, Rohrssen does not have any head coaching experience, so there will be a learning curve. But the formula has worked here before.
Rohrssen, though, actually steps into a situation with plenty of expectations.
Dereck Whittenburg had it easy by comparison. When he was hired, Fordham was coming off a two-win season.
Norm Roberts had it easy. St. John’s was coming off six wins, a Sexcapades scandal and a looming NCAA investigation.
Bobby Gonzalez has it easy. Even though Seton Hall went to the NCAA Tournament last season, there was more buzz at a silent monk retreat than in South Orange.
Barry Rohrssen doesn’t have it easy.
Not to mention the plans that are in the works for a 6000-seat facility jointly shared with Iona and Fordham in Mt. Vernon.
Rohrssen has already met with the players on the team. His first big job is to try and keep 3 top players.
Now, if he can only convince Jeff Xavier of the opposite.
Xavier, a sophomore guard from Pawtucket, R.I., who averaged 16.6 points this season, has a scholarship waiting for him at Providence if he’d like to transfer, sit out a season and play for his hometown Friars. The Big East might be too tough to turn down, but he is keeping all options open.
“Providence is my dream school, but I still haven’t made a final decision,” said Xavier, who will finish the semester on the Riverdale campus. “Nothing’s official.”
The same goes for the rest of the Jaspers’ Big Three – sophomores C.J. Anderson and Arturo Dubois. Anderson was the 2004-05 MAAC Rookie of the Year, but was declared academically ineligible after 16 games this season.
Keeping the talent already there is the big issue. Especially with only a few weeks left in the late signing period.
