Being The AD IV: What You See Is What You Get
 

PREFACE
So I've done a bit of research and just seems that FBCB doesn't lend itself well to the dynasty format as well as some other games. FOF just has legions of geeks attached to it, OOTP generates pretty accouterments and other games are what they are. FBCB is intensive, in-depth and presents more data than you can shake a stick at.

But it's just a stat dump fest unless you just want to tell a story and even then...I don't really feel like it works as well as I'd like because of how I end up playing these games. It's really a flaw in my lack of desire to coach games and so forth. Coach hiring is fun, but not interesting unless I want to write about hiring for like 20 schools and I just find that hard to keep up with and difficult to feign personal interest in.

Still, I can't stop playing.

So I'm going to attempt to tell a story.

INTRODUCTION
The City College of New York were once the toasts of college basketball in real life, before a scandal brought them down. In 1950, the school became the only school to win the NCAA and NIT in the same year. Of course, this feat can't be duplicated even if the Beavers were still a D1 team, rather than a D3 also-ran.

Using the same database I've been playing with since 1899, we're now in the year 1987. There are currently 397 schools in D1 and if you've read my dynasties before, it's just a matter of time before I add more.

CCNY is a new entrant for 1987. My idea was to find a school (and a coach, ideally) that would do what UCLA did to the NCAA back in the 1960s and 1970s. Except, I wanted to surpass that legacy all together by reeling off as many titles in a decade as possible.

In order to do this, the team would need a bit of assistance and I'd provide that in the form of stacked players at least until the school was able to recruit its own five-star recruits.

I wanted to see what it would take not just to build a superpower club. But to sustain a program at the highest levels over decades. From replacing coaches to recruiting kids to come to the school that doesn't settle for anything less than national titles, my goal was to bring college basketball excellence a la Duke, UNC, Kansas and UCLA to New York City in the form of a college program over a decade or two and see how long I could keep it going.

I don't think I'll ever coach the team and so, in theory, it's just like my other dynasties where I lead the program from afar. The difference here is, you already know going in that the signature program on the block -- ideally -- will be CCNY. Whether you're rooting for the Beavers or rooting against them, they're the entire focus of this dynasty and who will turn our attention to.


Here's how this will go down:

I'm in the midst of going through ten seasons with this team. Hopefully creating characters along the way and signature players of whom the team will revere as icons if all goes well. For all I know, the whole deal could get flubbed up and they could make 10 Final Fours or flame out year after year. Or win ten straight. No idea how this will look, because while I'm stacking the deck, the games and such are on autopilot.

Anyway, after a decade I'll report back with results and let you know how things went down at CCNY. Then from there, we'll do season-by-season reports of the team. You're either for the Beavers or against them.

Before UConn, Before U.C.L.A., There was Wayland Baptist

Now I realize the strangeness of melding real life contemporary history with a completely fictional one.

But there is a point.

Here's the current list of champions through nine years at CCNY.

Using UCLA's dominance as my base, I wanted to create a dominant legacy in a program that'd be hard to match. I wanted to develop a larger-than-life coach and see how the whole thing came together a period of decades after this legacy was built up to see if it could be sustained or whether it would be the sort of thing that would fade after decades.

After 154 straight wins heading into three straight national titles, the Beavers of CCNY are gunning for their 4th straight title and seventh title in ten years.

After three straight titles, head coach Freeman Young (Coach Free as he's known) bolted for Georgia State, offered a lucrative sum to turn the program which had become a powerhouse in the ACC into a championship winner.

After a year under former Young assistant Cornell Adcock during their last season as an independent before ascending to the all-Catholic Big East, the team languished and missed the NCAAs for the first time.

After one season, Adcock was fired and replaced with a player that consensus believed was "like a coach on the court." Connie Snell wasn't the best player on the Beavers, but he was a captain, one of them most vocal and a guy who the school believed that despite his age could continue to lead the program.

So at age 25, he was installed as the head coach and has led the program since 1991.

Now at age 31 and tied for the most titles by a coach in history with several others including his former head coach -- Freeman Young -- the two met in last year's national title game which went to CCNY.

In the 1997 Final Four, two Georgia schools are on opposite ends of the bracket. Georgia State will face off against 3rd seeded Fresno State in one semi-final, while three-time defending champ CCNY will take on UGA in the other semi, both of them #1 seeds.

CCNY hopes to complete their 4th straight undefeated season -- 163 wins in all.

My goal is for Connie Snell to become the John Wooden of his day. Revered as a young coach who manages to develop a dominant program over decades. From there, the story will just evolve and we'll see.

Only one program in NCAA history boasts more national championships now than CCNY and Marquette with seven. The program with eight titles standing alone above the rest is Syracuse.

Today, Syracuse hired the three-time title winning head coach Connie Snell away from CCNY, believing him to be the savior of their basketball program.

People in NYC are devastated. Another coach wins multiple titles in what they believe is the "greatest college program of all-time" and he leaves for someplace else.

Snell's reasoning? "I just needed a change. I've been here since I was 17 and I grew up rooting for Syracuse. This isn't me deciding that I don't love what we did here. I'll always be a Beaver in my heart. To win four national champions as a coach and three as a player -- there are no words -- but I need to craft my own path and I feel like I can do that in Syracuse."

This leaves the entire athletic department scrambling to maintain their dominance into a second decade, maintaining a 163-game winning streak.

HOW do you hire for a job like that? Where do you begin replacing a legend who you assumed would remain forever?

To understand the cultural impact of CCNY, understand that the ethos of the program dates back to the first season. There's still an open tryout each year, where talented players are scouted. This keeps New York City kids who might get overlooked a chance to shine in the process. Walk-ons don't feature in most top programs, but the administration at CCNY have intentionally used their program to elevate the insitution once again into national and global prominence.

No one knows what to make of things going forward. But things will have to go forward somehow.

Today, we begin the work of the future of CCNY.

Searching for their 4th coach in a decade, the perennial champs have a problem that few would mind having. How to maintain success in a competitive environment for another decade.

Here's the first ten years of D1 CCNY basketball


Our next job is to hire a coach who'll keep the job for a decade -- no matter what -- and see how he does. I won't provide any material advantages or support. I won't even be doing the scheduling. Just sim and save. That's it.

When has had unparalleled success, how can the game cope and handle that? What sort of decisions get made and what happens in the aftermath? Does the program retain it's legacy of excellence or does something else occur?

A look at the leagues, Part One
 

It might be helpful to know how the conferences are setup currently, so you have a sense of how things look.

A few decades ago, I got the idea to merge some of the conferences from the present-day setup to create a few superconferences.

Some of those still exist, some don't. But the names you'll recognize have a few more members. Let's take a look at the top conferences and their memberships. The following are all 5-star prestige conferences:




(That title Colorado won is still my title from Being The AD 2, btw.)

A Look At The Leagues, Part Two
 

Here are some of the histories of the other leagues either custom, created or just plain interesting.




Other programs I've added or moved to strange places:

The Four (Season One): Following recruits through their college search
 

Root Sports teamed up with SB Nation to come up with a feature called The Four, a documentary series where we'll follow four recruits through their college search and see where they ultimately land.

We'll get to hear from the athletes themselves about their search, what they're looking for and ultimately, check in with them on signing day to see where their search will end.

Stay tuned for this feature, coming soon in the dynasty.

Leading The Beavers: CCNY needs a new coach, you'll choose
 

The coaching search at the City College of New York has been narrowed down to four finalists. Rather than do the selecting myself, you the fan will be charged with chiming in to make the decision. I won't be moving forward until we figure out who will have the job, as we've discussed before he's going to have to keep the job for a decade no matter what happens -- no matter how good or bad he is -- and so, the pick will be a critical one.

It would be too easy to just show you ratings. So instead, we're going to introduce the candidates as if it were a real job interview. I'll present each one for you with a small capsule on each. Then you can post and make your points about what you think regarding the candidate you like best.

Think of yourself as a member of the selection committee to hire a coach to sustain the program. Each coach will be posted separately, sort of on purpose like a real job interview. Feel free to chime in whenever, ask questions and so forth.

Candidate #1: Dennis Simmons, Head Coach (Fresno State)
 

Coach Dennis Simmons is 48 years old. CCNY knows him pretty well, because his team lost to the Beavers in this past season's national championship game. After his run this past year, he's become the winningest coach in Bulldogs history. The fans love him and this past year, he logged his best recruit class ever -- ranked #15th in the nation and tops in the Western League.

During his interview, he stressed his commitment to both sides of the ball. He said that his priority was teaching the Xs and Os and that while he enjoyed meeting players and going on the road, that his passion was for being on the sidelines in the "heat of battle." He's an older, experienced coach which the administration believes would serve the program well after hiring two young guys. Here's his coaching history. His career record so far is 245-117.

Coaching Candidate #2: Seth Gilroy, Associate Head Coach CCNY
 

Seth Gilroy is 42 years old and has been with the CCNY program for two years now after starting his career as a coach in Nebraska. The Big Ten washout is no real problem for us, because the committee believes that continuity is king and that having been around our players, that Gilroy can provide them with the structure that's defined CCNY basketball.

As the program's lead scout the past two years, he feels equipped to handle the rough and tumble of the Big East and feels he understands the strengths and weaknesses of our players and thinks he's apt to deal with those challenges and use those to build a offensive and defensive scheme that works to fit the program.

He doesn't believe the win streak is a concern and has said that he sees the legacy the school has built up over the past decade as a boon, not something to be afraid of.

Coaching Candidate #3: Eliseo Pendley (Assistant Coach, Syracuse)
 

Coach Eliseo Pendley is currently an assistant on the staff at Syracuse. It seems ironic that we interviewed a Syracuse coach after they stole ours. But he says he applied the day he heard that Coach Snell would b leaving, because "even though he's light on experience, he feels that he's ready for a jump of this magnitude."

In his interview, he said that going from a Pac-16 program to the ACC, he's experienced the "fire" of major college basketball and that "I've had opportunities before at smaller schools. But I feel you get more from being an assistant at a major program where excellence is expected than going someplace where an NCAA bid would be a treat."

He came highly recommended by departed Coach Connie Snell, giving him the ultimate complement, "He reminds me of me. I hope you don't hire him, so I can work with him myself."

Pendley told us that he saw himself as a teacher, the sort of guy who could relate to players and maximize their potential on the court and that despite his age that he believed he was far along comparatively and that he sees the CCNY as a "dream job" and that it would be amazing to be able to someday say he was the Bernard Kratz of CCNY. Bernard Kratz is 3rd all-time in wins (1071) and won three titles at Ohio State (2) and Syracuse (1) during the 1920s and 30s.

Coaching Candidate #4: Andrew Draper (Head Coach, Marquette)
 

Our fourth and final candidate is Marquette Head Coach Andrew Draper. No stranger to Big East basketball fans, he took over the program there in 1990 after two years in the Big Ten at Ohio State and within three years had the Golden Eagles celebrating their 7th national championship in school history -- the first since 1965 -- making him an instant legend on campus.

During his interview, he told the committee that his interest in this job was about "new challenges" and "finding the opportunity on the biggest stage to do great things." Known as a tenacious recruiter during his assistant coach days, he says that right now he sees himself as a guy who can "lead by example."

He wouldn't consider this job unless it was "a destination to be his last" and it "the first and only job he's interviewed for since coming to Marquette and he thought that Coach Snell -- whom he considers a friend -- was "making a huge mistake leaving a place like [CCNY] where you could win titles forever."


Coach Draper is the final of our four candidates to interview. Having evaluated all of their credentials, do you see a guy who you favor most? I think each has their own unique advantages and disadvantages in this role and not one of them in my mind seems to be the definitive favorite.

Your thoughts?

"FOFC Sports News, this is Giacomo Portiere, here with Dick Vitel. We're here to discuss the finalists for the CCNY coaching job. And I really think there are only two real canidates."

"That's clear, 'Jack.' Eliseo Pendley? Give me a break, baby. Three years as a major college assistant and he wants one of the best jobs in the country. I just want to know what idiot made him a finalist, so I know who got paid off."

"And similarily, I don't think that Seth Gilroy is the man. sucks at Nebraska, so you give him the reigns at CCNY? Do you want more NIT apperences?!" No, the choices is between Andrew Draper and Dennis Simmons.

"Got to be Simmons, Baby! Draper only won with other people's players. Simmons can build, too. And he'll need to, without all that dirty NY crime money...."

(this program has been interrupted for a commercial break...)

Simmons, all the way. Although I'm curious to know the history of his recruiting classes...

FRESNO STATE
1991 - 35
1992 - 36
1993 - 267
1994 - 62
1995 - 36
1996 - 15

SAN FRANCISCO
1990 - 162
1989 - 230
1988 - 52
1987 - 80
1986 - 129

Four top-35 classes in 6 years assuages any concern I had. He's your man.

Multiple sources confirmed to me Sunday evening that University of California basketball coach Roy Wesley is in negotiations with the City College of New York to become its next basketball coach.




According to CCNY athletic and administration sources, Wesley met today with school Athletic Director D.C. Harris in Philadelphia. Following the meeting, negotiations commenced between the two parties for the CCNY basketball coaching job.

The 36-year old Wesley is 130-96 in seven years, four at Pepperdine before joining his alma mater three seasons ago in 1994. He took the Golden Bears to the NCAA tournament last year, but missed out this year after a 15-16 year. He's 20-24 in Pac-16 Conference play.

CCNY board members reportedly "love" Wesley's academic credentials and has been supported by faculty members of the selection committee, who have eschewed presumptive favorites Dennis Simmons of Fresno State and another "major Big East conference coach" who has yet to be named.

No word yet on when a formal announcement will be made, but my money is on Wesley. Boosters are apparently "livid" at the choice and have vowed to withdraw financial support. These are the same boosters which have propelled the Beavers into the Yankees of college basketball.

It seems they've been outvoted by the academic powers and the days of CCNY power basketball might be coming to an end. Or are they? Hard to say, but my sources tell me this is a done deal.

CCNY officials: "A decision will be announced tonight"
 

An athletic department source at the University of California confirmed to me this afternoon that Roy Wesley has informed Cal Athletic Director Anne Schmidt that he is departing the school for CCNY.

The agent for Wesley, Scooter Johnson commented today on WCBS 880 in New York today about negotiations between his client and the school amidst rumors that CCNY was interested in acquiring Wesley's services and exactly how it came about that he'd end up there when no one knew anything about it prior and he hadn't be reportedly one of the finalist candidates.


Johnson did not mention CCNY in his comments.

Last week, I reported "A head coach at a major program told me he was told by a coach CCNY had contacted about the job that Dennis Simmons will not be offered the job.” That led to the speculation that there was another candidate.

Breaking news: My sources report that CCNY will announce their coach tonight and that Wesley is in the NYC area and flew into Newark Liberty last night.

Portiere: I'll come with the tomatoes if they hire Roy Wesley
 

Giacomo Portiere, a leading sports journalist for the New York Tempo, called rumored CCNY hire Roy Wesley "a clockwork orange kind of choice, in the sense that it will terrorize our fans." Portiere promised spirited criticism if the move goes through. "Let's face it, this is a city school that belongs to all New Yorkers. Heiring a Cal egghead is nothing more than sticking it to all of the CCNY fans who ride in from Bed-Sty and the Bronx. I'll come with the tomatoes myself if they hire Wesley! Pick a winner or go home."

Draper. Simmons strikes me a bit too much as a Beach type who can coach but can't recruit very well.

"In the end, it came down to if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
 

CCNY NAMES DENNIS SIMMONS AS NEW HEAD COACH



NEW YORK -- In a search that often seemed more clandestine than the search for a new Pope, the City College of New York athletic director D.C. Harris appeared with a smile on his face and happily uttered the words, "we found the right guy."

Dennis Simmons, head coach of the national finalist Fresno State was hotly pursed by the Beavers, but when the 11th hour struck there were some doubts about whether he'd been offered the job or if Marquette head man Frank Draper had been given the nod.

"We had a really, really excellent search committee and great guys who I must commend for their attention to detail and the opportunity to interview them for this position. We didn't expect to be in this position, but we were and we felt it was critical to find a guy and find him soon. In the end, everyone felt the same and believed that Coach Simmons was the guy."

For his part, Simmons appeared weary but excited. "Look now, I left a hell of a program in Fresno. This wasn't an easy choice. Part of me felt like I was going to join the enemy and I had half a mind to hang up and tell them I'd see them next year in the final again and this time we'd win," he said alluding to his team's defeat at the hands of the Beavers who won their 163rd straight game en route to the 4th straight national championship and seventh in ten years, 91-81.

"But A.D. Harris was a convincing guy. He told me their vision and when I heard it, it made me think. Plus, what you all don't know is my daddy is a CCNY alumnus. First in our family to go to college. Met my mom here in New York City and they got married at City Hall. They moved to California before I was born. But in a way, this is a homecoming for me. He'd be really proud if he were alive right now.

Asked whether he was daunted by the win streak, the title streak and the expectations that had risen to deafening levels, he laughed. "Look, this is New York. People expect a winner. Period. The fans locally have embraced this squad and I'm hoping to find a way for them to embrace me. But when the two guys before you collected three rings apiece before skipping town; that's a hell of an act to follow."

So with that, the search ended. One of the final questions for D.C. Harris was whether internet reports via the web site "The Source" and via Twitter that erroneously reported that California coach Roy Wesley would be given the job. He laughed and said, "all I can tell you is that you can't believe everything you read. We've got our guy and we're really happy with how it all worked out for us. But out of respect for Coach Wesley -- who I don't even know -- we never talked to him and he never interviewed for this position.

It was later reported that Ron Wesley had left Cal for the head coaching position at the University of Miami.

For what it's worth, my vote was for Draper too. But the boosters were in my ear hard for Simmons. Draper winning a title on his own was compelling to me and he's a guy I don't think that would've left us. But...in the end, Simmons seemed to have the committee consensus and the boosters wanted him here; they thought he was a "New York" kind of coach.

I guess time will tell.

Thanks to you all for chiming in. In the interest of fun, here are the ratings of the four candidates:

Season 11: A new era at CCNY
 

Can you imagine the expectations in New York City right now? With CCNY riding 163-game win streak and gunning for their 5th straight national title, the team heads into a new year with a new coach. The rosters boasts only two guys who've ever started a game for the club, though it's experience laden with three seniors and six juniors.

Meanwhile, two coaches from our search have new jobs. Seth Gilroy left CCNY to take over the program at Baylor. Marquette head coach Andrew Draper will be taking over for Dennis Simmons at Fresno State. So we might be seeing him sooner or later.

We're going to dive right into this season, as I'm curious to see how his first year goes.

THE STREAK IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE STREAK

After going 5-0 to start the year, CCNY extended its winning streak to 168 games. And then, just like that, it was over. In a pedestrian matchup against Appalachian State, the Beavers were actually blown out by 20.

Suffice to say, this led the NY Post to call for the firing of Dennis Simmons. Cooler heads have prevailed.

For now.

I GUESS YOU DON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT

Ok, so the Beavers lost three games this year. But before you freak out, Dennis Simmons says, he reminds people that this club is battletested. "You think they haven't gone through stuff? These guys are bulletproof. What matters happens now, but what really happens matters in March and April and we'll be there."

After knocking off #1 Marquette to end the regular season, maybe the joke is on all of the critics.



Marquette got revenge in the Big East tournament final, winning 63-46.

1988 NCAA Tournament
 

I won't be recapping every season like this, but I did want to review it because it's so critical after the coach left that I wanted to reflect on it.

#1 Seeds

CCNY (East)
Colorado State (West)
Marquette (Midwest)
Louisville (Sout)

SECOND ROUND
CCNY 93, #16 Central Arkansas 65

THIRD ROUND
CCNY 75, #8 California 62

SWEET SIXTEEN
#5 Boston College 58, CCNY 44

Now that we're done with that, you should name the coach that was on our list who actually made it further in the tournament with CCNY this year.



FINAL FOUR
2 UCLA v. 1 Louisville 69-62
7 Charleston v. 5 Boston College 60-49

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
UCLA def. Boston College 86-78

UCLA wins their FIRST national championship.

We'll be back in nine years, to see how Coach Simmons managed to do.

Here's the status update five years into the Simmons era (aka, click and sim)

10-year review: CCNY in the Simmons Era
 

Has he been a success? Or a letdown? Ten years is a long time by any estimation, but he has managed a title during that time, too. There is some buzz that it might be time for a "different voice" to lead the squad at CCNY.

We still are looking at a 100 prestige program that consistently gets to the point in the tournament where things become fairly random. No reason to can him, in my eyes.

The Four: Season One
 

Welcome to Season One of "The Four" where we take a look at four prized recruits from around the country and follow their path to college basketball superstardom.

In this series, we'll follow the recruits and hear their stories as they make their decisions and then end up there on Signing Day when they decide what they're going to do.

Here are The Four:

The Four: Episode One
 

Andrew Higbee

I had a lot of people in my ear about where I should go play. I mean, it's hard making a decision about something as difficult as college and where you are gonna be. I want to be in a place where I can get better though and improve my game and get ready for the league hopefully. For me, it was all about being someplace I was comfortable and felt welcomed.

Spoiler

So, I'm gonna just stay close to home and play at Louisville

Dominic Ahn
It's kinda crazy being all inerested in schools and stuff. People didn't really start looking at my game until I was a junior. Now, I've got all of these really good basketball schools interested in me. My dad wants me to stay close to home and go to CCNY. My mom wants me to go to Northwestern. I like Drexel and St. Joe's 'cause they're close to home but not right in the city you know?

I haven't decided yet. I'm just gonna keep listening and do my senior year and I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Milton Mock
This whole thing went real fast. I don't even know what to think. A lot of schools told me a lot of things, though. I'm not sure. I couldda gone to Arizona or Stanford out in California. That was a crazzzy visit. Georgia State was dope too. Then I talked to South Florida. I didn't even know where that was until I went to the campus. But they treated me real different than the other schools. I don't even know how to put it, I just know it made me feel the most comfortable of any of the others.

Spoiler

So I'm gonna go to South Florida and be a Bull.

Michael Croteau
Basketball is my first love. I picked it up late though, because I didn't even make varsity until last year. So schools aren't really calling me like that. I have a few opportunities to walk-on at some places, but I've been making some videos on YouTube and stuff with my friends to hopefully get some schools interested in me. I don't really know what to think. I know I'm better than D3, but a lot of local D3s are calling me up. I don't want to stay around here, though. I know that much.

Worst case, I'll get an academic scholarship and try to walk-on at a school. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. But I'll let you guys know. Thanks for reading.

Dominic Ahn
I'm going to CCNY. My mom decided for me, she doesn't know they are really good at basketball, she just wanted me close to home.

Michael Crouteau
I GOT AN OFFER!!!!!!! Carlisle College in Pennsylvania offered me a SCHOLARSHIP. I'm so pumped and I can't wait to get to camp.

Last three seasons (2007-09)
 

61-year old Coach Dennis Simmons is 36th on the all-time coach wins list with 645 going into this season.

Checking in our 4 recruits three years later
 

Milton Mock ended up declaring for the draft that year and never played for USF.

2011-12 SEASON FINAL FOUR
 

It was (1-seed) Georgetown v. (3-seed) Alabama-Huntsville in one semi-final and (5-seed) Michigan v. (16-seed) Manhattan in the other.

The reason this is notable? Michigan's coach is former CCNY head man Connie Snell who was fired from Syracuse in 2006, went to UCLA for a year as an assistant and then spent the past four years at St. Joseph's before taking over at Michigan this season.

He was gunning for his 5th title.

In the other semi-final, Georgetown's head coach was former CCNY head man Freeman Young, Snell's collegiate coach and predecessor who also won three titles with the Beavers. Coach Young has been a few places since leaving CCNY for Georgia State in 1990. After taking the Panthers to the Final Four in 1996 and 1997, losing in the championship game in '95 and semis in 1996, he left for Boston College where in his first season, he led the Eagles to the national title game.

He was fired at BC in 2001 and left for Dayton where he was an assistant for one season before taking over as head coach and in 2006-07, he led the Flyers to the national title game. He left Dayton and spent the past two years at Vanderbilt before taking over at Georgetown.

Georgetown claimed the 2011-12 National title, giving Coach Young his 4th title matching his pupil Connie Snell for the most of any head coach in history.

I'm going to follow this with a list of the coaches with the most final fours, because now I'm curious to see the list.

Most Final Fours (that I could research) by coach