Giacoletti finalist at Drake

[SeattleUte]

http://www.spokesman.com/zags/blogs/sportslink/2013/mar/26/giacoletti-finalist-drake/

This seems to prove my theory that Boylen was a lot worse. You'll never see him a finalist at a school like Drake.

[DrumNFeather]

http://www.spokesman.com/zags/blogs/sportslink/2013/mar/26/giacoletti-finalist-drake/

This seems to prove my theory that Boylen was a lot worse. You'll never see him a finalist at a school like Drake.

Wasn't Boylen the top choice for the Arizona job when they thought that Sean Miller was turning them down?

[UtahsMrSports]

Wasn't Boylen the top choice for the Arizona job when they thought that Sean Miller was turning them down?

I remember that! Man, wouldnt that have been awesome if we had unloaded Jimbo on Arizona back then and not had to deal with the mess he left us in.

[UtahsMrSports]

http://www.spokesman.com/zags/blogs/sportslink/2013/mar/26/giacoletti-finalist-drake/

This seems to prove my theory that Boylen was a lot worse. You'll never see him a finalist at a school like Drake.

Good for Ray!

Isn't Drake where Chris Hines ended up?

[SeattleUte]

Wasn't Boylen the top choice for the Arizona job when they thought that Sean Miller was turning them down?

I don't believe Arizona ever would have hired him, or was really interested, but that was in 2009, before he'd wrecked our program.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Sooner or later, Giac has to come out from under the wing of Few, unless Few decides to step up to a big time program and takes Giac with him. Not sure what Giac is making as top assistant at Gonzaga, but given the rise and stature of the program in recent years, I'm guessing he's in the $400-600k range, maybe? Not a bad salary backing up Few on the bench of a highly successful program, as well as arguably one of the safest positions to be in, job security wise.

But how long does he want to do that for? I'm guessing he might be looking for a new challenge. Drake would seem to be a nice fit.

[Two Utes]

Sooner or later, Giac has to come out from under the wing of Few, unless Few decides to step up to a big time program and takes Giac with him. Not sure what Giac is making as top assistant at Gonzaga, but given the rise and stature of the program in recent years, I'm guessing he's in the $400-600k range, maybe? Not a bad salary backing up Few on the bench of a highly successful program, as well as arguably one of the safest positions to be in, job security wise.

But how long does he want to do that for? I'm guessing he might be looking for a new challenge. Drake would seem to be a nice fit.


No way is Giac making 400 to 600k. more like 250k at best.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

No way is Giac making 400 to 600k. more like 250k at best.

Which lends more credence to my point. He needs to spread his wings a little. A quarter mil/yr ain't too shabby. But he's gotta be getting bored by now.

[SeattleUte]

No way is Giac making 400 to 600k. more like 250k at best.

Yeah, I'd be shockd if he's earning 4-6. 250k seems high as well. Gonzaga is a poor little school and I doubt the basketball program is a cash cow, playing in that tiny gym, that micro conference, and out there in the sticks. Also, in basketball assistants are more fungible than in football, the head coach is the thing that really matters most. Asst. coaches don't matter unless they have some recruiting magic. Giac is not known as a great recruiter. He's not the reason Gonzaga has been successful.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Just looked it up.... Few makes approx $925k (not sure if this includes bonuses, shoe contract, etc.). If that's the case, you're right, Giac likely well south of the 400-600k I estimated.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Yeah, I'd be shockd if he's earning 4-6. 250k seems high as well. Gonzaga is a poor little school and I doubt the basketball program is a cash cow, playing in that tiny gym, that micro conference, and out there in the sticks. Also, in basketball assistants are more fungible than in football, the head coach is the thing that really matters most. Asst. coaches don't matter unless they have some recruiting magic. Giac is not known as a great recruiter. He's not the reason Gonzaga has been successful.

Which it makes it all the more remarkable he's been able to linger so long in Spokane. This is not the same argument as Chris Petersen at little ol' Boise. As you said, college football coaching salaries are waaaay different. Petersen I believe is pulling in a minimum 2 mil/year.

After this year's tournament debacle, I'd be surprised he sticks around, while his stock is sky high (regardless of the early exit).

[Jeromy in SLC]

I remember that! Man, wouldnt that have been awesome if we had unloaded Jimbo on Arizona back then and not had to deal with the mess he left us in.

At that point, it may not have mattered. Marshall Henderson was already signed, and the roster was getting rolled over with a large group of seniors leaving. Not to say a different coach may have been able to get more out of the likes of Hines, Glover, Cyphers, and Washburn. Just saying that based on the returning roster, the team was due to take a step backwards from the 08-09 team. But, at the time I remember being pretty nervous about him leaving. I thought he took Giac recruits, got them to play tougher, and be more successful than they would have under Giac (no way of knowing if that would have been the case, just my perception at the time).

[mpfunk]

Unless Giacoletti has changed substantially, I feel really sorry for Drake if they hire him. I remember the story from North Dakota when Ray Giacoletti was hired by Utah that was prophetic and predicted all of his downfalls at Utah. I seriously doubt that he will ever be a successful head coach. I wish him the best, but don't expect him to really do well anywhere.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

At that point, it may not have mattered. Marshall Henderson was already signed, and the roster was getting rolled over with a large group of seniors leaving. Not to say a different coach may have been able to get more out of the likes of Hines, Glover, Cyphers, and Washburn. Just saying that based on the returning roster, the team was due to take a step backwards from the 08-09 team. But, at the time I remember being pretty nervous about him leaving. I thought he took Giac recruits, got them to play tougher, and be more successful than they would have under Giac (no way of knowing if that would have been the case, just my perception at the time).

Was Henderson a Boylen recruit or a Giac recruit? I don't remember.

[mpfunk]

Was Henderson a Boylen recruit or a Giac recruit? I don't remember.

Boylen recruit. I don't think Giacoletti would make that bone headed of a decision.

[Jeromy in SLC]

Was Henderson a Boylen recruit or a Giac recruit? I don't remember.

Boylen, his 2009 class

[Rocker Ute]

Giac will be a disaster unless he picked up a ton under Few. Truth is, he may be a good basketball mind but isn't cut out for HC challenges. He was in way over his head at the U. The stories of practice and the locker room rival Scratch's under 6 soccer league coaching acumen.

I've seen some comparisons to him and Boylen as if he was somehow better, but that is like comparing cancer to heart disease.

[Applejack]

Giac will be a disaster unless he picked up a ton under Few. Truth is, he may be a good basketball mind but isn't cut out for HC challenges. He was in way over his head at the U. The stories of practice and the locker room rival Scratch's under 6 soccer league coaching acumen.

I've seen some comparisons to him and Boylen as if he was somehow better, but that is like comparing cancer to heart disease.

I haven't heard the locker room tales, but I always thought the main difference between Giac and Boylen was that Giac had some semblance of control over his team. Boylen let Marshall, Jiggy, or whoever else just play. Neither guy could coach a lick.

[Rocker Ute]

I haven't heard the locker room tales, but I always thought the main difference between Giac and Boylen was that Giac had some semblance of control over his team. Boylen let Marshall, Jiggy, or whoever else just play. Neither guy could coach a lick.

I might say that Boylen had the better basketball IQ, but less control. Giac may have had some control (if you can call it that, it may have just been not complete loss of control) but very low aptitude as a HC and much of that aptitude walked out the door with Randy Rahe.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

It appears the rumors are true....Giac to Drake.

[LA Ute]

It appears the rumors are true....Giac to Drake.

Well, good for him. He is a good guy and I hope he does well. Everyone deserves a chance a redemption. Didn't Majerus get fired at Marquette?

[SeattleUte]

Well, good for him. He is a good guy and I hope he does well. Everyone deserves a chance a redemption. Didn't Majerus get fired at Marquette?

No.

[LA Ute]

No.

I'm not comparing Maji and Giac, BTW. Big Rick was fairly successful at Marquette, and went 56-35. Things weren't working for him there, though, which led to him spending a single year as an NBA assistant before moving on to Ball State and becoming a superstar coach. Anyway, I wish Giac well.

[Two Utes]

No.

yeah he did.

[Applejack]

I might say that Boylen had the better basketball IQ, but less control. Giac may have had some control (if you can call it that, it may have just been not complete loss of control) but very low aptitude as a HC and much of that aptitude walked out the door with Randy Rahe.

Agreed. My most vivid memory of Giac's coaching chops came at the Santa Clara game where we were totally outclassed. I was sitting right behind the Utah (visitors) bench. Giac turned to his assistants late in the game and said "How do we get a stop?" They all just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. End of discussion.

[LA Ute]

Agreed. My most vivid memory of Giac's coaching chops came at the Santa Clara game where we were totally outclassed. I was sitting right behind the Utah (visitors) bench. Giac turned to his assistants late in the game and said "How do we get a stop?" They all just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. End of discussion.

I sat near the Utah bench several times during his tenure. It was always a slightly disturbing experience. Sometimes more than slightly.

[Rocker Ute]

I sat near the Utah bench several times during his tenure. It was always a slightly disturbing experience. Sometimes more than slightly.

One of his former players told me sometimes in a timeout he'd pull out his white board and write on it, 'PLAY HARDER.'

Great idea coach, and if it fails then what?

Hope he has come a long way from that.

[GarthUte]

Agreed. My most vivid memory of Giac's coaching chops came at the Santa Clara game where we were totally outclassed. I was sitting right behind the Utah (visitors) bench. Giac turned to his assistants late in the game and said "How do we get a stop?" They all just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. End of discussion.

In a number of discussions with Tim Drisdom, I've come away with the impression that Giac was the most incompetent coach Tim had played for. It's no surprise that what you witnessed happened.

[LA Ute]

In a number of discussions with Tim Drisdom, I've come away with the impression that Giac was the most incompetent coach Tim had played for. It's no surprise that what you witnessed happened.

I am going to sound like a Giac apologist if I keep this up; I really am not fan of Ray. Still, in fairness to him, I think we need to keep in mind that while he was at Utah he suffered from some pretty severe clinical depression. There is no doubt that affected his performance.

[Rocker Ute]

I am going to sound like a Giac apologist if I keep this up; I really am not fan of Ray. Still, in fairness to him, I think we need to keep in mind that while he was at Utah he suffered from some pretty severe clinical depression. There is no doubt that affected his performance.

I was not aware of that, and in light of that I take back everything I've ever said about him. Most people have no idea how crippling that can be, and so many people translate that as laziness, incompetency, etc and think they should just snap out of it.

I'm feeling kind of ashamed now of my harsh criticisms of Jim over the years. I hope he has great success at Drake.

[SoCalPat]

In a number of discussions with Tim Drisdom, I've come away with the impression that Giac was the most incompetent coach Tim had played for. It's no surprise that what you witnessed happened.

Well, you gotta consider the source. Drisdom saw his minutes eaten away by both Marc Jackson and Johnnie Bryant, two clearly superior players.

Drisdom was built to succeed under Majerus and not so much under Giacoletti. The opposite held true for Chaney and Markson.

[SoCalPat]

According to Johnnie Bryant, Giac got the job. Good for him. I wish him well in the Valley,save for against the Shox.

[mpfunk]

According to Johnnie Bryant, Giac got the job. Good for him. I wish him well in the Valley,save for against the Shox.

My sincere apologies to Drake.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[UBlender]

I am glad Giac is getting another shot and wish him the best. However, I would not expect this to end well for him and Drake. I am just not sure he is cut out to be a great head coach from a personality standpoint. He recruited much better at Utah than we gave him credit for at the time, but failed to effectively manage his personnel (failed might be an understatement). Also, Drake is a bottom feeder program in a pretty tough conference, so they have an uphill battle just to get in the top half of the MVC. At least he won't be saddled with big expectations.

[SeattleUte]

I am glad Giac is getting another shot and wish him the best. However, I would not expect this to end well for him and Drake. I am just not sure he is cut out to be a great head coach from a personality standpoint. He recruited much better at Utah than we gave him credit for at the time, but failed to effectively manage his personnel (failed might be an understatement). Also, Drake is a bottom feeder program in a pretty tough conference, so they have an uphill battle just to get in the top half of the MVC. At least he won't be saddled with big expectations.

Bite your tongue. Willie Wise came from Drake.

[FountainOfUte]

He recruited much better at Utah than we gave him credit for at the time...

I'm not some Giackyll with an endless pool of hate for the guy, but I DO wonder how much his recruiting success came because of an innate talent and ability to connect with kids, or rather Utah's (then) national reputation and/or the ghost of Majerus that may have preceded him into the living room of kids' homes. Do you think any blue-chipper from Australia would follow him to Drake these days? When he stepped into the head job, Utah's stock was about as high as it's ever been. I tend to believe he was cashing in on that more than anything else (with maybe a dash of Mark Few's residual pixie dust).

Anyway, good luck to Coach Giac. I never had anything against the guy, but hated to see Utah hoops look so mortal during his reign. If I had only known the horrors that were still to come....

[#1 Utefan]

I was not aware of that, and in light of that I take back everything I've ever said about him. Most people have no idea how crippling that can be, and so many people translate that as laziness, incompetency, etc and think they should just snap out of it.

I'm feeling kind of ashamed now of my harsh criticisms of Jim over the years. I hope he has great success at Drake.


I wasn't aware of this either. While I feel for the guy and think he is a decent person, I have to ask myself what may have triggered a severe depressive episode? Was it something personal or the pressures from the job at Utah? After Bogut's season, he may have realized he was in way over his head. Maybe the stress and realization that he couldn't handle things may have sent him over the ledge and into the funk you describe? That said, I don't think if he was otherwise a solid HC and knew his X's & O's, things would have gone down hill as fast and turned out as badly as they did.

Frankly, I am surprised Drake made this hire. Not only did he last last only three years at Utah, if he is prone to depression and has difficulty handling the day to day stress of recruiting, running a program, and winning enough to keep his job, he may be better off remaining an assistant. I don't know that Giac has the ability and acumen to be an effective head coach at the D1 level. Has his time back with Few changed that? For his and Drake's sake, I hope so.

There is nothing wrong with pulling in 200-250K a year and remaining an assistant under a successful coach where things are stable and the stresses minimized. Not sure why Giac himself would want to venture back into headcoaching given the potential impact on his health and his families quality of life. I wish him the best and hope he has learned a lot since his time at Utah. He will need it.

[LA Ute]

I wasn't aware of this either. While I feel for the guy and think he is a decent person, I have to ask myself what may have triggered a severe depressive episode? Was it something personal or the pressures from the job at Utah? After Bogut's season, he may have realized he was in way over his head. Maybe the stress and realization that he couldn't handle things may have sent him over the ledge and into the funk you describe? That said, I don't think if he was otherwise a solid HC and knew his X's & O's, things would have gone down hill as fast and turned out as badly as they did.

Frankly, I am surprised Drake made this hire. Not only did he last last only three years at Utah, if he is prone to depression and has difficulty handling the day to day stress of recruiting, running a program, and winning enough to keep his job, he may be better off remaining an assistant. I don't know that Giac has the ability and acumen to be an effective head coach at the D1 level. Has his time back with Few changed that? For his and Drake's sake, I hope so.

There is nothing wrong with pulling in 200-250K a year and remaining an assistant under a successful coach where things are stable and the stresses minimized. Not sure why Giac himself would want to venture back into headcoaching given the potential impact on his health and his families quality of life. I wish him the best and hope he has learned a lot since his time at Utah. He will need it.

It's hard to tell with depression. For example, it may have flared up and he had a tough time getting a medication regimen that would work. He may not have recognized it at first. It's such a quirky, individualized disorder. (I have close friends and family members who suffer from it.) I don't have enough information about Giac to have an opinion. I just think it's a factor that makes me want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[SoCalPat]

It's hard to tell with depression. For example, it may have flared up and he had a tough time getting a medication regimen that would work. He may not have recognized it at first. It's such a quirky, individualized disorder. (I have close friends and family members who suffer from it.) I don't have enough information about Giac to have an opinion. I just think it's a factor that makes me want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

This is a step in the right direction, as far as the fanbase as a whole is concerned. People should just stop commenting on Ray's fortunes elsewhere solely because of what happened at Utah.

He was respected enough to land two other Division I jobs, both before and after Utah. He was trusted enough by a previous colleague to be brought back on to a perenially ranked team.

To me, Ray is this generation's Tom Lovat. Possessors of a higher knowledge of their respective sports, yet thrust into a role that was possibly a step above their ability grade for the time. After failing at Utah, both went on to a long, prosperous career in their respective sports. Since Lovat won a Super Bowl with Green Bay, it would be silly to assume Giac is incapble of at least duplicating his success at Eastern Washington, or maybe even improving on it.

[#1 Utefan]

This is a step in the right direction, as far as the fanbase as a whole is concerned. People should just stop commenting on Ray's fortunes elsewhere solely because of what happened at Utah.

He was respected enough to land two other Division I jobs, both before and after Utah. He was trusted enough by a previous colleague to be brought back on to a perenially ranked team.

To me, Ray is this generation's Tom Lovat. Possessors of a higher knowledge of their respective sports, yet thrust into a role that was possibly a step above their ability grade for the time. After failing at Utah, both went on to a long, prosperous career in their respective sports. Since Lovat won a Super Bowl with Green Bay, it would be silly to assume Giac is incapble of at least duplicating his success at Eastern Washington, or maybe even improving on it.


With what transpired here at Utah, you don't really expect most of us to think of him with fond memories , do you? I hope he does find success but like I've said earlier, I have some serious doubts. I do think he is probably a decent assistant coach, I just don't know that he is cut out to be anything more than an average HC. I also don't put much weight on Few hiring him after getting fired since they were basically best friends before he came to Utah.

Calling his tenure at Eastern Washington a success may be a bit of a stretch as well. While he did okay, I remember looking at his record and questioning the hire even at the time. I'm not sure he did much better in North (or South, can't remember) Dakota before that either.

I'm not trying to pile on but just pointing out that there are legitimate reasons to question that Giac can be a truly successful HC. I hope he proves me wrong.

[Applejack]

Things ended badly.


At Drake, Giacoletti's teams got worse each season, just as at Utah (based on won-loss records). He resigned after 3+ seasons at Drake with a 32–69 record.

[SoCalPat]

Things ended badly.

Yeah, two years ago? What prompted this?

Ray actually broadcast games for some regional networks and ESPN3 last year. I'd be curious to listen to his commentary. He also says he's retired from coaching.

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20180104/reynolds-ray-giacoletti-back-in-game-in-broadcast-booth