Newlee's Return to Pocatello

[spudbowl]

I have been looking for more official media discussions of Newlee's exit from Pocatello in 2008 but I can only find this blog which was a class project. http://mc299sports.blogspot.com/2008/04/newlee-will-be-missed.html.

Nonetheless, the blog recounts what I remember that Newlee was unhappy with the bad locker rooms at Reed. I also remember that the then AD did not hoist a championship banner in Reed after the 2007 Big Sky championship. There might had been more but the current AD rectified these issues by remodeling locker rooms and having championship banners. The blog is also interesting because some of the comments speak of ISU as a "sinking ship" and in regard to women's bb, Seton has done as well or better than Newlee. The ship never sank.

In the end, I have no ill will for Newlee, he moved on to greener pastures of the WAC and he certainly did not expect to come back to the Big Sky or Reed as the head coach of Idaho. I will give him polite applause on Thursday. I enjoyed the Newlee years as a fan to say the least. With that said, go Bengals, beat the Vandals.

 

[PBP]

Jon like most people is a complicated guy. I covered some of his games for the Journal and the Times-News and personally he always treated me well…but then I didn’t have to play for him either.

I’ve been told by some of his former players he was very difficult at times, almost vindictive, in some of the things that he supposedly did. I know when some of his players, particularly some international kids didn’t pan out he did what he could to get them to leave the program. I also know that in Seton’s first year, some of Jon’s recruits weren’t the best as far as abiding the law and in the classroom which caused issues for Seton which he had to deal with. Two in particular caused issues and were either dismissed outright after some things came up or couldn't play because they weren't academically ineligible.

I know of one player who played very well for Seton, who started under Jon, who told me that if Jon had remained she was transferring. This player was very, very smart and she wouldn’t have made this type of decision without a lot of thought.

Like Brad and I said on the air Monday night, Jon was very successful at ISU, you can’t take anything away from him particularly the fact that he had to pick up the pieces of the Shirley Huyett disaster.

Regarding the comments Jon made on his way out the door, I know he told folks privately a lot of different things than he told the Journal. He ripped just about everyone when he left. Looking back, I think he probably wishes he did some things differently…but then I’m also sure the very last thing he expected was to someday have Idaho return to the conference and he’d have to come back to Reed Gym.

I expect (hope) that the fans will give him a nice round of applause Thursday night then root for ISU to win the game and that won’t be easy. Jon has an experienced, veteran, basically international team that is very good. Picked in the preseason polls either to finish third or fourth....and he’s been to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. (Although again in fairness, the WAC was ranked as the third worst women’s basketball conference in the nation the past two years…it really wasn’t that difficult winning it…) It’s going to be a big challenge for a young, untested ISU team making in many cases their first forays in the Big Sky.

Regarding Jon vs. Seton, here is what the numbers say for each coach’s first six years at ISU:

Jon Newlee:

*Spent six years at ISU
*Coached 175 games
*Overall record 93-82 .531 Conference record 54-34 .614
*Average season record at ISU: 15.5 wins / 13.6 losses
*Four winning seasons, two losing seasons out of six
*1 NCAA appearance, 3 WNIT appearances
*Five appearances in Big Sky postseason tournament
*Had chance to coach both Natalie Doma and Andrea Lightfoot (the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin
of ISU women’s basketball)
*Left program because of the “instability” in the athletic department according to Idaho State Journal.

Seton Sobolewski:

*Entering his seventh season at ISU
*Coached 197 games (as of the Idaho game on January 1)
*Record through first six full seasons 100-85 .541 Conference record 54-40 .574
*Average season record at ISU first six seasons: 16.6 wins / 14.1 losses
*Three winning seasons, one .500 season, two losing seasons out of six
*1 NCAA Appearance, 2 WNIT appearances
*Six appearances in Big Sky postseason tournament
*ISU has averaged 18.5 wins the past four full seasons. Best stretch in school history.

To me the difference between the two coaches is that last line. Seton has been able to do something that Jon, Ardie McInelly, Ted Anderson…nobody had been able to do before…CONSISTENTLY WIN. To average 18.5 wins a year, with the conference as tough as it is (especially with the additions of North Dakota and Southern Utah, which Jon never had to deal with) and the consistently tough non conference schedule Seton plays, for four straight seasons? That’s the mark of an excellent, exceptional coach.

Hope everyone comes out and enjoys the game tomorrow.

PBP

 

[spudbowl]

Thank you for that information PBP.

Here is the UI's write up on the game: http://www.govandals.com/ViewArticl...66&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=17100&ATCLID=209829892

 

[votb]

I had the opportunity to broadcast all six years that Jon coached. I saw him at his best and his worst. I'm disheartened that there's been a lot of stuff posted here that trashes him for leaving the way that he did. Jon had numerous reasons for leaving, and he may have said some things about ISU that weren't flattering when he did go, but I also know that some people have embellished or exaggerated when re-telling them because they were pissed he was going and leaving for U of I, which made them even more unhappy. Yes, Jon had some playe rs that didn't work out, and so has Bill Evans and Mike Kramer and Allison Gibson and so-on and so-forth. It happens. Even the players that stuck it our with him often disliked how tough he was. Sometimes personalities just clash and it's best for one to part.

I love Seton. I was on the search committee that hired him. His application was assigned to me to vet and either recommend or turn down. I feel great personal satisfaction in watching him be successful. He has sustained and built upon the winning tradition created by his predecessors. As much as we like him, he's had his rough spots, too. But there's no need to talk of those. He's a great coach, and the odds are that he will eventually move along, too. Robin Selvigs are one-in-hundreds, and ISU is a starting place...not typically one to retire from.

I hope Jon is given the respect he deserves, and that everybody remembers that he's a Vandal now.

GO BENGALS!

 

[Bengal Roar]

Mostly positive moments resonate with Idaho coach Jon Newlee when he thinks of his time coaching at Idaho State.

But to his chagrin, a negative moment that came at the end of his Bengals tenure also has a place. The subject, which he has never spoken about publicly before, irked him enough to leave Pocatello and take the Idaho job in 2008.

Newlee said he received a memo from Idaho State after his last season with the Bengals that stated his daughter, who was 1 and a half years old, would no longer be allowed on ISU-affiliated vehicles, including its bus and van.

It posed a problem for Newlee, a divorced father who has his daughter one month at a time. Newlee said he was unsuccessful when he tried to compromise with ISU.

“My daughter’s my No. 1 priority in my life. She has been since the day she was born,” Newlee said. “And if she wasn’t going to be allowed to do that, how am I supposed to do my job?” http://m.idahostatejournal.com/members/isu-women-s-bball-idaho-s-newlee-explains-why-he/article_e7312f48-9189-11e4-90d6-a7bb8b855a30.html?mode=jqm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Skippy]

There was a lot of turmoil in the ISU athletic department during that timeframe. I don't blame anybody for looking for a more stable situation. At the same time Jon's comments when he left probably didn't make him a lot of friends. But there was a good deal of truth in his comments that needed to be addressed. The good news is ISU is in a much better place these days.

 

[PBP]

Bengal Roar:

I read that today myself. If true that certainly would have a major impact on any decision making by an individual, especially a caring parent.

My first thought when I read the story was, that would have been very 'petty' on the part of ISU to do something like that but if it happened (remember in the same story Jeff, the acting A.D. at the time, said he never recalled anything along those lines taking place, that Jon left because of a better opportunity at that time in the WAC) insurance concerns might have had something to do with it.

It would be something if anything still existed to prove one way or another what actually took place but the odds of that being the case after six years is pretty small.

Like Brad said, Jon had some legitimate issues and complaints... the fact that they were solved by Jeff when he was named A.D. proved something was amiss. Jon did what he felt he needed to do at the time. His career has been successful and Seton's career has been very successful as well.

Should be a good game tonight.

PBP

 

[Bengal Roar]

For sure PBP. I was just linking what was in the paper today. I am sure that Tingey would have tried to fix that too. Either way we need to treat him like you and Jerr said. Good luck ISU.

 

[biobengal]

Maybe some of you guys can meet Newlee at the Pressbox after the game... :lol:

 

[spudbowl]

ISU totally dominated tonight's game. I wonder if Idaho needs to adjust to Big Sky play after playing in a weak WAC conference last year? The Idaho defense was not good at all tonight. Nice win. I am sure that Idaho will recover and be a good team in conference.

 

[PBP]

Had the chance to speak with Jon both before and after the game. Told Jon his hair was a little grayer and asked how his family was doing. He pointed out his daughter to me, she's nine now and is pretty tall for her age.

Anyway it was good to see him and I wished him well the rest of the year and a safe trip back home after Weber State.

Regarding the game, it was a dominating second half. Wished more folks were there to see it. Woods, Lemon, Anna Lee, Becca all had good well rounded games. The bench led by Bacovsin and Brown pitched in and that was needed because Hockstein didn't play again. This team is growing up little by little, protected the basketball extremely well tonight. Hit some big shots were needed. And it didn't hurt that Barr had maybe her worst game since she's been at UI, 2 for 15 with seven turnovers.

Salvatore losing her cool and picking up that technical which caused her to foul out didn't hurt either. You can't embarrass a referee right in front of them like that and not expect to get nailed for it. She's long and strong and a match-up problem so losing her so early in the second half helped ISU's cause.

Another difficult opponent comes in Saturday afternoon with Eastern, a team that has a "history" with ISU. ISU has won 19 of the last 24 meetings. Eastern has six players on the roster who redshirted so they are older and more experienced. Have multiple scoring threats led by Lexi Nelson.

Come on out if you can!!!

PBP

 

[donny]

votb, stfu.

who was the brains behind scheduling a night game against the rose bowl and sugar bowl? the semi-finals to the national championship game? should have been an afternoon game.

 

[votb]

Just LOL'd at Donny's post. Let 'er rip...it's okay if you don't agree with me, and I won't be telling you to shut up. I don't have any plans in the near future of shutting up, either.

In regards to the comments about Jon not being able to have a family member travel on team buses...I definitely remember being told of that rule coming into effect. It was explained to me that it was a state rule or something like that. It would be interesting to know if the U of I enforced it. I know that since then I've been on road trips where family members, and even fans have been allowed to travel on team buses. I wonder if the rule still exists, or if it ever really existed at all as a "state-enforced" rule, or if someone at ISU came up with it.

 

[PBP]

Jerry:

Well Jon's daughter was with him at the game last night sitting on the team bench so UI must be OK with her traveling with the team. I assume they flew to Boise or SLC to get to Pocatello.

I spoke to one of ISU's athletic department staff last night who was around when Jon left and asked if they knew of any such ruling and if so could it have been based on insurance concerns.

I was told that Jon left because of a number of reasons and while they didn't specifically remember anything along the lines of a university memo or guideline page being issued they did remember something along the lines being discussed about families and kids because the facilities director was bringing their children to games at Reed Gym and they were running around before hand. There were concerns over what might happen if one of the kids got hurt.

There does seem to be some circumstantial evidence that something along the lines of what Jon told the Journal may have been discussed or was about to take place.

PBP

 

[sasquatch]

Forget Newlee's return to Pocatello, how is his return to the Big Sky going for him? I saw they lost big again today, and sit at 2-5 (10th currently) in conference. Still a lot of basketball to be played, for sure, but I wonder if he misses the WAC yet?