BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — We’ve seen this movie before:

The coach waits until after his team has been eliminated in the first round of the post-season by a higher seeded opponent

And until his landmark local recruit has completed his 4 year career at UD

He then suddenly announces that he is leaving Dayton to take over a struggling program in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference

Eight years ago it was Oliver Purnell.

Yesterday it was Brian Gregory.

And while the circumstances surrounding their departures are eerily similar, the atmosphere in Flyerland in the aftermath is decidedly different.

When OP hitched his horse and headed south, the overwhelming mood was one of thanks for having brought a moribund basketball program back to life locally and relevancy nationally.

At the time, I wrote:

“OP has been an outstanding coach who ran a clean program — class individual and an absolute credit to the university. We should all thank him and wish him well.

I never met Coach Purnell. I only admired his handiwork from 225 miles up I-75 and got to write about it occasionally here on UDPride.com. I appreciate all that he did to restore my pride in being a Flyer.”

Today the vocal minority that was the “Fire BG” crowd is rejoicing although, I’m still encamped in the “be careful what you wish for” school of thought.

Why?

UD just lost its head coach

Two of the Flyers’ prized recruits have hit the highway

2011 recruits LaDontae Henton and Percy Gibson now have an out-clause from their LOI, should they choose to exercise it

That’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on right there.

Unlike OP, I got to know BG a little bit. Had the opportunity to cover a few of the games in-person. Got to know some of the players.

So what do I think? I believe BG is in the same boat we are. The name of the ship we have all boarded?

“Uncertainty”

I wish BG good luck because I think he’s gonna need it. Maybe more than we do.

As Tim Wabler makes the decision that will shape the Flyer program for the next decade, ponder this:

You can count the number of Flyer head basketball coaches in the last sixty years on one hand:

Blackburn

Donoher

O’Brien

Purnell

Gregory

Five guys.

Six decades.

Few (if any) schools can make such a claim.

I’m gonna tell Tim Wabler the same thing that I wrote eight years ago when Ted Kissell faced the identical challenge:

Let’s go find the best basketball coach in America.

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
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