Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

I'm not stunned he is leaving, but more who he is leaving for. IMHO it's not much of an upgrade. I know AJ and Laurie are very close so it might be difficult to keep her here, but would love to see her take over the reins.

[Observer]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

WOW! I knew SDSU would have trouble keeping him but I, like you all, thought they would lose him to a major program, one that is more well known I guess. It will be interesting to see who they get to replace him. I feel for the girls and the ones just coming onto the team that thought they were getting him as a coach but I guess that is how it goes in college ball.

[JacksRule]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

AJ will have a bit of rebuilding to do at UWGB. The top 3 scorers this year were all seniors. As for getting our program where UWGB is, I think we are already there. AJ will have more challenges recruiting with 4 or 5 major universities in Wisconsin. It will be fun watching and speculating on who SDSU can attract for the job now.

[joeboo22]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

I don't know what to say it says that SDSU made an equal counter offer. Was he just not happy there? I wonder if the new coach will release the new recruits from there letter of intent. I'm shure there is plenty of qualified people out there I just don't know of any.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

When AJ says he thought it was right for him professionally to move now, I have to trust his judgment. He's shown pretty good judgment all along here. I wish him nothing but the best, and I know we'll find a quality coach to take his place and to build on all the good work AJ did while he was here.

[89rabbit]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

My take on the keys to this deal are highlighted.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...PORTS/70425041

Johnston leaves SDSU women's basketball team for Wisconsin-Green Bay

By Terry Vandrovec
tvandrovec@argusleader.com
Published: April 25, 2007

Just one month after leading the South Dakota State women’s basketball team to the quarterfinals of the WNIT, coach Aaron Johnston has accepted a multiple-year contract to become the head coach of the Wisconsin-Green Bay women's basketball program.

"The biggest thing was, as a college coac,h the only place that I know right now is South Dakota State," Johnston said Wednesday. "I just felt like for me professionally, it was time for a new perspective. For me in terms of thinking about how I coach, how I manage a staff, how I schedule, how I recruit, I just felt like a change was really needed from a standpoint of trying to grow as a coach."

The Phoenix went 29-4 last year and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, their 10th consecutive postseason bid, opening the door for Kevin Borseth to take over at Michigan.  .  .  .  (read more)


Best of luck to AJ.  We will be just fine everyone, this is part of the deal.


Go State!  

[joeboo22]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

I was thinking (ya ocationally I do that) that if he had 2-3 more successful seasons like this year and he would be a TOP notch canidate. I wonder if its not the Spurior view in that he did all he can at SDSU and if he has one bad year its disapointment than. Maybe Johnston believes he more of a rebuilding coach and that its best for him to be in the right situation and its right for SDSU to have a coach to take them to the next level. I'm just guessing though I'm kind of in shock generally with jobs that open this late the wish list isn't where you get your canidate from.

[JacksRule]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

Guess I was wrong about the $$$. Argus Leader say's SDSU offered AJ what UWGB did. I have to agree with others, going to UWGB seems to be no step up from SDSU in stature. Hmmmm

[Jacks02]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

This sucks.

Don't blame the guy for leaving but am disappointed in that I don't really see this as a very big step up.

Talk about emotional roller coaster for the women on the team. To go from the highest of highs for the couple of home games of the WNIT to losing your coaching staff a month later.

We had a heck of a team to look forward to next season. Hopefully the players all return and Oien can find a good coach to come in and lead them.

[2002jack]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

My take on the keys to this deal are highlighted.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...PORTS/70425041

Johnston leaves SDSU women's basketball team for Wisconsin-Green Bay

By Terry Vandrovec
tvandrovec@argusleader.com
Published: April 25, 2007

Just one month after leading the South Dakota State women’s basketball team to the quarterfinals of the WNIT, coach Aaron Johnston has accepted a multiple-year contract to become the head coach of the Wisconsin-Green Bay women's basketball program.

"The biggest thing was, as a college coac,h the only place that I know right now is South Dakota State," Johnston said Wednesday. "I just felt like for me professionally, it was time for a new perspective. For me in terms of thinking about how I coach, how I manage a staff, how I schedule, how I recruit, I just felt like a change was really needed from a standpoint of trying to grow as a coach."

The Phoenix went 29-4 last year and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, their 10th consecutive postseason bid, opening the door for Kevin Borseth to take over at Michigan.  .  .  .  (read more)


Best of luck to AJ.  We will be just fine everyone, this is part of the deal.


Go State!  

Sorry folks.  Our program is not comparable to UWGB.  10 straight postseason appearances, we have 1 WNIT appearence. UWGB is a highly respected Women's program, similar to Creighton/Butler/Gonzaga on the men's side.  

I think AJ left the program in excellent condition.  Thanks AJ.

[2002jack]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

Johnston was offered the job earlier this week. He declined to give terms – but said that SDSU made a counter offer that was just as good.

I'm not sure that means we offered the same amount. I don't think money is a factor with AJ anyway. He's a competitve person, who wants to challenge himself.

[darkerstill]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

[quote author=gatewayrabbit link=1174870818/30#36 date=1177538324][quote author=JacksRule link=1174870818/30#33 date=1177537517] :-/   The word is out. Seems AJ is headed to GreenBay. AJ shared his news with the team this afternoon. Good luck to AJ and I hope the Jacks can find a qualified replacement soon.

Hey moderators.  Isn't the rumor rule in place here.  Sources need to be named!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

I am never going to be a moderator, tell you that much.  Too many knotheads to deal with.

As for AJ, its small of me but I'm kind of pissed off.  I suspect he can deal with that.[/quote]


Why are you pissed? Its a no brainer. Great program. Great school. Second round apprearance in the NCAA tournament. Multi-million dollar renovation to basketball facilities. Again, without a doubt, a no brainer decision.

[JacksRule]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

If you are qualifying UWGB program by how many post season tourney's they have made, you would be right. However, if you are saying that UWGB has a better women's team than what we saw this year from SDSU, you would have a hard time convincing me that we are not where they are at in talent. UWGB has 9 teams in their conference. Only three, including GreenBay, had a winning record and one of them was just 16-15. The conference is not any stronger then the MidContinent Conference, in Women's basketball, and that is why UWGB has made 10 post season tourney's. If AJ can get there next year it will be a real achievement, since their 3 top scorers ended their careers this year. I would love for SDSU to play them in the near future.

[2002jack]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

If you are qualifying UWGB program by how many post season tourney's they have made, you would be right. However, if you are saying that UWGB has a better women's team than what we saw this year from SDSU, you would have a hard time convincing me that we are not where they are at in talent. UWGB has 9 teams in their conference. Only three, including GreenBay, had a winning record and one of them was just 16-15. The conference is not any stronger then the MidContinent Conference, in Women's basketball, and that is why UWGB has made 10 post season tourney's. If AJ can get there next year it will be a real achievement, since their 3 top scorers ended their careers this year. I would love for SDSU to play them in the near future.

I still don't see this as a lateral move, we will have to agree to disagree. 10 years in postseason play is impressive, no matter what conference.

I agree, the current teams at both Universities have comparable talent. They lost to Marquette (on the road) by 3 and beat Minnesota by 9 (neutrel). We lost to Marquette by 15 or so (at home) and beat Minnesota by 1 (road).

One season, doesn't put our program on an even keel with their program.

This sucks that we have to argue this. I was hoping this conversation would not take place for a few years.

[darkerstill]

Re: Coach Johnston Needs 5 Year Contract

If you are qualifying UWGB program by how many post season tourney's they have made, you would be right. However, if you are saying that UWGB has a better women's team than what we saw this year from SDSU, you would have a hard time convincing me that we are not where they are at in talent. UWGB has 9 teams in their conference. Only three, including GreenBay, had a winning record and one of them was just 16-15. The conference is not any stronger then the MidContinent Conference, in Women's basketball, and that is why UWGB has made 10 post season tourney's. If AJ can get there next year it will be a real achievement, since their 3 top scorers ended their careers this year. I would love for SDSU to play them in the near future.

I'm not qualifying there program by anything other than what a program is; coaching staff, facilities, administrative suuport, longterm success on the court, and in the classroom. AJ's comments make it sound like he wants new challenges, so losing three scorers from last year is maybe that. But he will do great with what he has. We lose our leading scorer this year and no one is panicking. Oh, and I would never look forward to playing a team coached by AJ. Just ask all those bigger, faster, better DI programs that we kicked the tar out of the past 3 years.