Steve Lappas

[HallLine69]

Never liked him even a bit when he was a coach.

But he killed it as color analyst on last night's broadcast. He is objective and brutally honest. Pulls no punches. Damned good job.

 

[Vegas pj]

Even questioned what's his name's sitting AD on the defensive end and putting him on offense in the ast couple of minutes of the game. I guess what's his name has confidence in AD's FT prowess late in the ame. what?

 

[jwc69]

Even questioned what's his name's sitting AD on the defensive end and putting him on offense in the ast couple of minutes of the game. I guess what's his name has confidence in AD's FT prowess late in the ame. what?

 

[jwc69]

yeah, just ask Villanova what they thought of him as a Head Coach. But then according to you anybody is better than Coach Willard. Please so tired of the continued Willard abuse. Just tiring and boring.

 

[HallX2]

Been drinking?

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Never liked him even a bit when he was a coach.

But he killed it as color analyst on last night's broadcast. He is objective and brutally honest. Pulls no punches. Damned good job.

he is fully retired into tv, has gotten better but yes above average game broadcast analyst

 

[ncaaball2]

yeah, just ask Villanova what they thought of him as a Head Coach. But then according to you anybody is better than Coach Willard. Please so tired of the continued Willard abuse. Just tiring and boring.

I liked him as a coach. He took over a depleted roster. His 1994 team broke through. His 1995 team won the big east tourney and was ranked as high as #9. His 1996 team was a top five team much if the year. His 1997 team was in the top five, but disappointed (still win the big east that year). He had a nice bounce back in 1999. His 2000 and 2001 teams were both top fifty teams and if it were a 68 team field back then would have danced (and he probably wouldn't have been fired).

Thing is, jay was a hot commodity, and Rollie knew that jay was the long term answer while lappas had appeared to have hit a bit of a wall (moreso recruiting than actually on the court).

Lappas also didn't interact as well with the student body and alumni as jay. Jay is better at shaking hands and kissing babies. Lappas was never seen on campus and the alumni events were far less frequent.

But to say lappas was a bad coach at nova would be incorrect. Most schools would be pretty satisfied with that type of nine year stretch.

Also, lappas is the only nova coach to not last a full decade and not at least make a final four. Jay has been there 15 years and has a final four. Rollie was there twenty years and won it all. Kraft was there a dozen years and went to the finals. Severance was there 35 years and made a final four.

Every nova coach since 1936 has had multiple top ten teams.

 

[hallwins]

Funny story - Severance continued to teach accounting in the eighties at Villanova. Friends in his class said that he would look out at the pavilion being constructed and say "look at that high school gym they're building, a high school gym." Villanova faces a lot of the same parking and zoning issues as Seton Hall and that's why the school couldn't build a larger complex.



Amazing that Jay Wright is there almost as long as Rollie.

 

[Halldan1]

FWIW, most here know I was and still am a very close friend of former SHU DOBO Steve Sauers. Steve knew Lappas well and always told me behind the scenes he was as funny and entertaining as anyone in the business.

 

[anon_4htvdezyfe7k9]

Lappas was going on and on about how ridiculous it is to be able to foul someone on an inbounds before the ball is inbounded without it being called an intentional foul. He also didn't seem to know if or when that rule was changed (admittedly I didn't either). He said the NCAA needs to fix the rule before the tournament starts, but idk if that's even possible.

I also recall one of the announcers last week saying something along the lines of it being impossible to be called for a foul without any time elapsing, so apparently they weren't up to speed on the rule either.

Anyone know what it is exactly and if/ when it was changed?

As far as the OP, agree that his commentary was refreshing.

 

[Vegas pj]

yeah, just ask Villanova what they thought of him as a Head Coach. But then according to you anybody is better than Coach Willard. Please so tired of the continued Willard abuse. Just tiring and boring.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.