Tweet
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...01/1002/SPORTS
Nagy not planning to leave
SDSU men's coach has had tough season
CHRIS SOLARI
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 02/27/06, 2:55 am
Scott Nagy's impromptu, heartfelt address was barely audible over the Frost Arena speakers, competing with thousands of South Dakota State University fans chanting his name.
As Nagy walked off the court after his team beat rival North Dakota State on Feb. 18th, he seemed more like a triumphant gladiator exiting the arena than a coach who thought his job was on the line.
The speech by the 11th-year men's basketball coach had all the traits of a goodbye as well as a thank you. But Nagy said he's not going anywhere, even though the Jackrabbits are nearing the end of a second season filled with off-court issues and Division I defeats.
"I'm not worried about my job," Nagy said Friday as the team prepared for its game at Texas-Pan American. "Not at all."
Athletic director Fred Oien would not comment on what will happen with Nagy's job next season. Coaches' contracts, like all other state college employees, are renewed on a year-to-year basis.
"South Dakota State does not discuss employment issues. There's no reason to for any conjecture," Oien said. "We don't have public debate about anything."
Talk surfaced earlier this month that Nagy would not be back at SDSU next season after the suspension of two players, who are being investigated for an alleged sexual assault. Nagy openly wondered about his job security after the Jacks' victory over Southwest Minnesota State, a day after the school announced the suspensions.
With two road games left, SDSU is 9-18 this season and 19-36 in its first two seasons at the Division I level.
Sophomore forward Michael Loney said he hadn't heard any rumors but stuck behind Nagy.
"I say he's been been more supportive (the last few months)," Loney said. "Everything's weighing on everybody. It's been a tough year."
Nagy had 20-plus wins in eight of his first nine seasons, including five straight years before the program moved to Division I. The 39-year-old is 229-95 in his tenure at SDSU, his only head coaching job.
If the Jacks don't win one of their last two games - both on the road - it will be the third season since 1950 in which they finish with less than 10 wins. The last time was Coach Jim Thorson's 8-20 season 20 years ago, which was also SDSU's last losing campaign until the 10-18 debut in Division I a year ago.
Nagy said his outward speculation about his job after the Southwest win came from finishing an emotional game. Having a personality that is "probably a little bit too honest," he said, breeds that kind of frank analysis and brutal self-criticism - such as saying after losses this year that he was "outcoached" or that he "couldn't motivate" his players any longer.
"I expect a lot from me. I expect a lot from other people," Nagy said. "Sometimes it wears people out, I understand that. But I've always been that way.
"I don't just want to go, 'Oh well, we lost people to injury, or, 'Whatever happens, happens.' That's ridiculous - it leaves too much room for excuses for not doing your best."
Plenty of misfortune and problems have befallen Nagy the last four years, which is an entire cycle for recruiting in college basketball:
2002-03: SDSU lost four starters to injury during the season, yet still finished 24-7 and one point away from going to the Division II Elite Eight.
2003-04: After redshirting the previous season, forward Matt Jones sat out half of the campaign with an illness. Freshman forward Jake Wenig also left the team midseason, but the Jackrabbits finished 27-7 and made it to the NCAA D-II regional final. After the season, guard Marquise Richardson was convicted of first-degree robbery in Brookings and sentenced to three years in state prison.
2004-05: Jones was forced to quit basketball entirely and senior guard Andy Moeller transferred to Minnesota State-Mankato before SDSU's first foray into Division I. Sophomore forward Joe Green left after the season, in which the Jackrabbits managed just one win in 16 games against D-I opponents
2005-06: Sophomore Steve Holdren, the team's second-leading scorer a year earlier, blew out his ACL five games into this season. Then, earlier this month, forward Andre Gilbert and center Mohamed Berte were suspended because of the ongoing investigation into the alleged sexual assault. That left Nagy with seven active players, only two of them forwards, and forced him to add four football players to the Jacks' roster with nine games left.
SDSU has no seniors on its roster this year.
"The past three years, if you look at the players we've lost and if you look at so many things not in our control, it has nothing to do with the move (to Division I)," Nagy said. "We just have to believe there's a lot we can learn from it. When we get back to being deeper, where we don't have to worry about injuries and other things, I think we'll be better coaches because of it."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.
Nagy not planning to leave
SDSU men's coach has had tough season
CHRIS SOLARI
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 02/27/06, 2:55 am
Scott Nagy's impromptu, heartfelt address was barely audible over the Frost Arena speakers, competing with thousands of South Dakota State University fans chanting his name.
As Nagy walked off the court after his team beat rival North Dakota State on Feb. 18th, he seemed more like a triumphant gladiator exiting the arena than a coach who thought his job was on the line.
The speech by the 11th-year men's basketball coach had all the traits of a goodbye as well as a thank you. But Nagy said he's not going anywhere, even though the Jackrabbits are nearing the end of a second season filled with off-court issues and Division I defeats.
"I'm not worried about my job," Nagy said Friday as the team prepared for its game at Texas-Pan American. "Not at all."
Athletic director Fred Oien would not comment on what will happen with Nagy's job next season. Coaches' contracts, like all other state college employees, are renewed on a year-to-year basis.
"South Dakota State does not discuss employment issues. There's no reason to for any conjecture," Oien said. "We don't have public debate about anything."
Talk surfaced earlier this month that Nagy would not be back at SDSU next season after the suspension of two players, who are being investigated for an alleged sexual assault. Nagy openly wondered about his job security after the Jacks' victory over Southwest Minnesota State, a day after the school announced the suspensions.
With two road games left, SDSU is 9-18 this season and 19-36 in its first two seasons at the Division I level.
Sophomore forward Michael Loney said he hadn't heard any rumors but stuck behind Nagy.
"I say he's been been more supportive (the last few months)," Loney said. "Everything's weighing on everybody. It's been a tough year."
Nagy had 20-plus wins in eight of his first nine seasons, including five straight years before the program moved to Division I. The 39-year-old is 229-95 in his tenure at SDSU, his only head coaching job.
If the Jacks don't win one of their last two games - both on the road - it will be the third season since 1950 in which they finish with less than 10 wins. The last time was Coach Jim Thorson's 8-20 season 20 years ago, which was also SDSU's last losing campaign until the 10-18 debut in Division I a year ago.
Nagy said his outward speculation about his job after the Southwest win came from finishing an emotional game. Having a personality that is "probably a little bit too honest," he said, breeds that kind of frank analysis and brutal self-criticism - such as saying after losses this year that he was "outcoached" or that he "couldn't motivate" his players any longer.
"I expect a lot from me. I expect a lot from other people," Nagy said. "Sometimes it wears people out, I understand that. But I've always been that way.
"I don't just want to go, 'Oh well, we lost people to injury, or, 'Whatever happens, happens.' That's ridiculous - it leaves too much room for excuses for not doing your best."
Plenty of misfortune and problems have befallen Nagy the last four years, which is an entire cycle for recruiting in college basketball:
2002-03: SDSU lost four starters to injury during the season, yet still finished 24-7 and one point away from going to the Division II Elite Eight.
2003-04: After redshirting the previous season, forward Matt Jones sat out half of the campaign with an illness. Freshman forward Jake Wenig also left the team midseason, but the Jackrabbits finished 27-7 and made it to the NCAA D-II regional final. After the season, guard Marquise Richardson was convicted of first-degree robbery in Brookings and sentenced to three years in state prison.
2004-05: Jones was forced to quit basketball entirely and senior guard Andy Moeller transferred to Minnesota State-Mankato before SDSU's first foray into Division I. Sophomore forward Joe Green left after the season, in which the Jackrabbits managed just one win in 16 games against D-I opponents
2005-06: Sophomore Steve Holdren, the team's second-leading scorer a year earlier, blew out his ACL five games into this season. Then, earlier this month, forward Andre Gilbert and center Mohamed Berte were suspended because of the ongoing investigation into the alleged sexual assault. That left Nagy with seven active players, only two of them forwards, and forced him to add four football players to the Jacks' roster with nine games left.
SDSU has no seniors on its roster this year.
"The past three years, if you look at the players we've lost and if you look at so many things not in our control, it has nothing to do with the move (to Division I)," Nagy said. "We just have to believe there's a lot we can learn from it. When we get back to being deeper, where we don't have to worry about injuries and other things, I think we'll be better coaches because of it."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.
Comment