By
Denny O'Brien
©2010 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
Jeff Lebo probably isn’t
the resounding favorite among East Carolina fans to replace Mack
McCarthy. But they need to start warming to the idea that the former
Auburn coach could be manning the ECU bench for the next several
seasons.
Multiple sources close to
the search process have confirmed that ECU and Lebo spent much of the
weekend ironing out the details of a contract that would make him the
Pirates’ next basketball coach.
Should an agreement get
finalized soon, it would likely be one of the few (arguably the only)
polarizing decisions athletics director Terry Holland has made at ECU.
The overall opinion of
Lebo is both strong and divided.
There is one camp that no
doubt would focus negatively on the diploma that hangs on his wall. Lebo
was a backcourt star for UNC-Chapel Hill, and any association with the
“evil blue empire” is enough to turn many fans against his hiring.
On the other hand, it’s
also that type of basketball pedigree that would make some welcome Lebo
to Greenville with open arms.
Another group likely cares
less about Lebo’s educational ties and instead is focused on his most
recent track record as a head coach. At Auburn he posted a 96-93 record
in six seasons and reached the postseason only once, an NIT appearance
at the conclusion of the 2008-09 campaign.
The fact that Auburn and
East Carolina have similar athletics cultures — albeit while operating
in different budgetary worlds — certainly adds fuel to their argument.
You can understand that rationale to a degree, but you also can’t deny
that there are enormous competitive differences in conference
affiliation for both schools.
Then there is a faction of
fans who might find Lebo difficult to embrace because their top choice
isn’t the one who will be unveiled at the press conference. While there
is no shortage of fan favorites for the job, you can’t assume that
Holland didn’t make a run at a couple of them.
Lebo just appears to be
the one who ultimately met the academic and athletics standards Holland
established, not to mention the one who met those qualifications while
also showing a strong interest in the job.
In most cases, hiring
coaches is a no-win scenario for any athletics director. Kevin White
experienced that when he hired Charlie Weiss several years ago at Notre
Dame. There’s a good chance he’ll endure it again whenever Mike
Krzyzewski steps down at Duke.
That's generally the rule
— not the exception — as the examples of athletics directors getting
scrutinized over coaching hires extend far beyond that. It’s simply not
uncommon for an AD to get overwhelming disapproval over hiring decisions
in revenue sports.
Even so, fan approval
isn’t a true indicator of how well a coach will perform once he takes
over a program. Not by a mile. If that were the case, perhaps John
Thompson would still be at East Carolina and have guided the Pirates to
a BCS bowl by now.
Thompson's hiring was
embraced by most back in 2002 but the warm fuzzies didn't last long.
Unfortunately the balance between style and substance leaned almost
exclusively in favor of the former, as borne out by ECU’s overall record
during that period.
If that balance is the
opposite with Lebo, that could be good news for the Pirates.
Anyone who recalls his
playing career at North Carolina should remember that his game lacked
flash, but he more than compensated for it with results. Where Lebo
lacked in size, speed, and showmanship, he overcame it with
fundamentals, toughness, and a high basketball IQ.
Tough and smart are
desirable qualities in any coach, and in the end Lebo could turn out to
be a good fit for ECU. Right now we just don’t know.
But there is no denying
that his hiring would be met with disapproval by a noticeable number of
fans. For an AD who easily ranks as the most popular in ECU history,
that would be unfamiliar territory.
