Column: Tigers hire will set tone

By: Justin Feil
   It was difficult to get anything out of Princeton University, Georgetown University, Gary Walters, Sydney Johnson or anyone else remotely connected with to the report of Johnson’s PU men’s basketball head coaching candidacy before 5 p.m. Thursday.
   All we know is what Walters’ athletics director office is releasing: "The search is still ongoing."
   Soon enough, Princeton fans will know everything they need to know. Who, why and how he was hired. The real important information isn’t that, but how the tenure of the 28th Tiger men’s basketball coach is set.
   The tone of the introduction will go a long way.
   Recall the tone when John Thompson III took over in 2000. It was late in the year, Sept. 7, when he was named. Having lost five potential starters — including All-Ivy center Chris Young somewhat unexpectedly — Walters acknowledged that progress would be slow. He tried to lower expectations, tried to protect his new coach, a coach with five years of collegiate experience. The PU faithful were rewarded with one of the most satisfying Ivy League titles in Princeton history.
   Contrast that to the tone of Joe Scott’s hiring four years later. Thompson had managed to sustain the level of success that had been established by Pete Carril and then Bill Carmody. Scott was commended for being one of the best coaches in the nation. In inheriting an Ivy champion team that lost just one senior, much was expected of him and Scott did not hide from the expectations.
   Scott talked of pushing Princeton to an unprecedented level. He talked less of having to struggle so mightily at first to reach that point. The Tigers instead reached new lows in Scott’s three seasons.
   The Tigers need to set the right tone with their new coach, whether it’s Johnson or not. The bar is pretty low when PU fans look at the present, but the weight of expectations of this program are huge — still today. No Tiger fan is willing to accept sub-.500 Ivy finishes as a regular occurrence.
   It’s a tricky dynamic. Walters will have to preach the patience he did with Thompson, though the Tigers return plenty of experience from last season’s team. Of course, no one on that team has won an Ivy title, or finished better than second place, so expecting an Ivy title next year isn’t something PU should focus on immediately, even if it is the ultimate goal.
   How the new coach sets the tone with his players is the other key. Thompson never focused on the big picture, never promised Ivy crowns though he did deliver them. The win-one-at-a-time approach worked for the Tigers then.
   How players react to the hiring sets another sort of tone. There were grumblings about Scott’s hard-nosed style among the players even at the press conference to announce his hiring. While administrators and fans drooled over Scott’s coaching ability, several of the players wore concerned looks. The Tigers’ tone toward their new coach will set in motion the preparations for next year.
   After a month-long wait, it appears that the search has wound down. The tone of the hire, however, is just unfolding.