Isiah Thomas can be disappointed, but he can’t be surprised he was fired
Apr 8, 2012, 5:30 PM EDT
AP Isiah Thomas went 26-65 in three years at the helm of Florida International.
He did it while pining for his old gig with the New York Knicks and possibly even contributing to the organization in an advisory role.
And he’s surprised that he got fired?
“I am deeply disappointed that I wasn’t given the time to finish the job of building FIU into one of the nation’s top basketball programs,” Thomas said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “The foundation for success had been laid and we were looking forward to having our breakout year, with another strong recruiting class.”
Building a basketball program is not an easy thing to do. It’s even more difficult when your full attention isn’t on the job at hand. I have no idea how much interest Thomas actually had in a consulting gig with the New York Knicks, but from the outside it looked like a lot. And that’s not a good look for a college head coach.
I will say this: Thomas did get some good things done off the court while at FIU. From the AP report:
17 of a possible 19 players will have graduated by the end of this academic year, his helping organize a charity game with NBA players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade during the lockout that raised $100,000 for scholarships for future FIU students and that the school started a collaboration with the University of California “to educate our athletes about the importance of academics.”
His players seemed to truly care about him as well, as they were quite disappointed with the decision made by the administration.
But the bottom line?
Thomas was losing, and from a public perspective, he appeared far too concerned with fixing the Knicks’ problems and not concerned enough with turning FIU around. Fair or not, that will get you let go.
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.
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- silverdeer - Apr 8, 2012 at 6:51 PM
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It is not surprising as it may seem. If I am the AD, I am wondering why he continued to dabble with the NBA stuff even though he had his own program to run. Combine that with a losing record, and when you look at the overall picture, you just have to wonder if he is fully dedicated to the program. As a long time Piston fan, I know that Isiah is as competitive as one gets, but the AD always would have that specter in the back of his mind.
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- larrybrown43 - Apr 8, 2012 at 7:49 PM
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Nice piece Rob. As I’ve grown older my views on winning at all costs has diminished considerably. I’m not Zeke fan but maybe he saw the big picture. His heart could very easily be in a few places and wins and loses are what coaches get measured by though. If only the record wasn’t so bad he may have gotten more time.
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- smokehouse56 - Apr 9, 2012 at 7:53 AM
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His kids were getting diplomas. He was recruiting top players. He should have been told to give up the NBA gig as a reason for continued employment. Does it seem here that the AD wants winning at all cost? Sure looks like it. Both parties suck here.
