The rumors can finally stop. After a tumultuous year at Ball State University, men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson has officially resigned. Now, it's time for Ball State officials to look to the future of the program and find a suitable replacement for Thompson.
When Ball State first hired Thompson, people were impressed because he comes from a storied basketball pedigree. His father is a Hall of Fame coach who racked up a 596-239 record at Georgetown University while coaching stars like Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. His brother is following in their father's footsteps and has compiled a 42-23 record in two seasons at Georgetown. When Thompson was hired, the accomplishments of his family alone were enough to quell the protests of any naysayers.
Now that the athletics department is looking to hire a new coach for the second time in two years, officials need to realize a hire like Thompson isn't going to cut it. Coaching ability aside, Thompson simply did not fit the mold for a Mid-American Conference coach. In the MAC, it's not expected that a team, especially one that went 9-22 last season, has to go to the NCAA Tournament every year. It is expected, however, that a coach will make every effort to provide a positive public image while trying to push the team to improve on the previous year.
It's also vital to realize another rule of coaching in the MAC: sometimes, the most important aspect is how the coach interacts with the community. Wins, losses and tournament bids are surely important factors, but Thompson showed us that a poor relationship with the fans who think of the team as their own can cause more damage than any dismal record.
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins and the athletics department need to keep the idea of community in mind during the search for a new coach. This is not the time to hire a search firm and keep the process hidden from the fans. Now is the time to introduce the community to the potential coaches and let it decide who's worthy before the final decision is made.
If it's handled correctly, the hiring process will benefit from the input of the community so the incoming coach isn't chosen based on numbers alone. Fans don't expect the new hire to take Ball State to the Final Four, but there's no doubt they're not going to put up with another coach that makes it a point to keep the community at a distance.
With the help of fans, Collins can be sure to hire someone who's going to work to make the organization the best it can be - both in terms of success and community interaction.
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