Ball State University President Jo Ann Gora and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins made it clear they were hoping to make a big splash when hiring the next men's basketball coach. They scored perfect 10s across the board.
There was plenty of star power at the press conference Tuesday when Ball State officially announced that Ronny Thompson would be the next head coach.
Ronny's father, the legendary John Thompson, coached at Georgetown University for 27 years from 1972-1999. Big John's career record was 596-239. He won seven Big East Tournament championships, went to the Final Four three times, and lead his Hoyas to win the national championship in 1984. I guess that makes him legendary.
I had joked around with a few people that I was going to get a huge interview with John, thinking he wouldn't be there. I was shocked to find out he was, in fact, there. I will be the first to admit I was in awe of his presence. Ronny's brother, John Thompson III, who is the Georgetown head coach, was also there. Thompson III took the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 of this year's tournament.
When it was reported Monday night that Thompson would become the next head coach, I was skeptical. One of the things Collins said he was looking for was a coach with a lot of experience. Maybe it's my fault, but I took that as someone with a lot of experience as an assistant AND a head coach. He has 11 years as an assistant coach under his belt but no prior head coaching experience.
Another reason was that I sold myself on then University of North Carolina-Wilmington coach Brad Brownell. He was the first name to be rumored for the position, and he seemed to fit the mold of what Ball State was looking for. He had been an assistant coach, a head coach for four seasons at Wilmington and was from Indiana.
He played high school basketball at Evansville Harrison and was high school teammates with legendary (there's that word again) Indiana University player Calbert Cheaney.
Of course, to the shock of those who follow the men's basketball team, Brownell took the Wright State University job. There was speculation that Brownell was offered the BSU job. Wright State has nowhere near the history Ball State basketball does, and both schools were offering similar money.
Why he chose Wright State instead of BSU or staying at UNC-Wilmington, I don't know. In fact, I don't care anymore because I will now tell you I am drinking the Kool-Aid and driving the Ronny Thompson bandwagon.
Thompson said all the right things, and I believe him. He talked about how hard it was to maintain both athletic and academic excellence. Gora will not expect anything less from him, and he seems ready to do that. With George Mason University making the Final Four this year, it has set the bar higher for mid-majors. He said he wants to win a national championship here and will do everything he can to make that happen.
What kind of offense will fans see? Thompson says to expect an up-tempo offense, something similar to the "40 Minutes of Hell" that University of Arkansas basketball is accustomed to. At Georgetown, his brother runs the so-called "Princeton" offense, which is based on picks, backscreens and backdoor cuts. It's somewhat similar to former coach Tim Buckley's "Flex" offense in that it's slow and methodical, but that's something Ball State fans shouldn't expect to see.
Thompson's enthusiasm at the podium was obvious. He's ready to pick up this program and take it to the next level. He put an exclamation mark on it when he said, "I want to win, and I want to win big."
Preach on, Ronny. Preach on.
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