MOCS FIRE Basketball Coaches

[E.T.]

>

And I am mad as HELL !!!

This will be in the papers probably tomorrow.

[Velcro]

You don't look mad as hell... you look rather relaxed and peaceful.

[E.T.]

That's because I've been meditating on my hammock  8)

This better?

[Triple B]

If you hadn't left the country this never would have happened .........  8)

[smazza]

what do you expect

only usf allows underachieving and losing to go on year after year

[Triple B]

what do you expect

only usf allows underachieving and losing to go on year after year

This is so out of character for you. You feeling alright??

[E.T.]

what do you expect

...

I expect a school to retain a coaching staff when they have won(never a losing season) and graduated 40 out of 43 students since they have been here.

This move will seriously hurt FSC Basketball in many aspects.

>

Published Wednesday, March 8, 2006

LONGA, FOLI OUT AT FSC

'Mutual Agreement': Mocs, Basketball Coaches Part Ways

By Rick Brown

The Ledger

LAKELAND -- Florida Southern College will have new basketball coaches next season. Men's coach Tony Longa and women's coach Diane Foli will not return.

"After several discussions following the end of the basketball season, both head coaches and I agree that this is an appropriate time for a change in the leadership for both the men's and women's basketball programs at Florida Southern," said FSC Athletic Director Lois Webb on Tuesday. "This change in leadership is by mutual agreement between the athletic department and both head coaches."

The decisions, made late Monday, end both coaches' 13-year affiliations with the school, as assistants or head coaches.

Longa assistant coach Sean Hanrahan also will not return. Women's top assistant Mollie Khan and men's second assistant Donnie Arey were invited to stay at the school. Both were considering their options, according to Webb.

Longa, 40, started as an assistant under Gordon Gibbons before taking over at the start of the 2000-01 season. In six seasons, Longa accumulated a 125-52 record. Under his guidance, FSC won 20 games four times, had four appearances in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament championship game and three bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Mocs won the SSC regular-season title twice and the SSC Tournament twice.

Longa earned his 100th win on Dec. 16, 2004, matching Gibbons as the fastest coach in SSC history to reach that number (129 games) and his .706 winning percentage is the highest among current SSC coaches.

The last two years, however, saw the Mocs finish 17-11 in 2004-05 (tied for fourth in the conference with an 8-8 mark) and 16-12 this past season (sixth in the SSC at 7-9).

During that span, the Mocs have had major injuries to key personnel. SSC freshman of the Year Hurley Dunbar missed the 2004-05 season with an ACL injury, while an ankle injury hampered senior all-conference player Kenny Ebanyat for the first half of last season.

This year, the Mocs lost swingman Braxton Williams (ankle) before the start of the season. Transfer guard Mark Williams left the program before the season and sophomore guard Allen Gilberry (eye) was lost 10 games into the conference schedule. In three games, FSC played with eight players and ended the season with nine.

Still, Longa sounded upbeat when it was all over.

"I'm fine with everything," Longa said Tuesday. "I'm at peace with it. I think it's a good time for a change. We had a really good five years. This past season was tough not having all of our guys, but that's been the story of the last two seasons.

"The bottom line is wins and losses and we didn't win a lot of games in the last two years," he said. "If our team would have played better this year, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Longa said he expected the move because he was given a directive at the end of the 2004-05 season that he needed to win and win big this season. That is why, he said, he tried to bring in the six new transfers.

"We felt in order for us to get over the top, we had to bring in veteran, experienced junior college players," Longa said. "There was a perception we had a really bad season the year before. We were 17-11 and 8-8 in the league and we played five freshmen. That group was third in the country in field-goal percentage defense and eighth in points allowed. I thought the team had a really good season. But the perception was it wasn't a good year, which led to the directive.

"We tried something that didn't work," Longa said. "I am ultimately responsible for that. I was never really comfortable with it. The odds of it really, really working weren't that high. It was a different group of guys that we've had before. It's a tough price to pay."

Foli, 41, was an assistant under Norm Benn with the women's program before becoming head coach in the 1997-98 season.

In nine years as head coach, Foli was 170-93 overall, which included three regular-season SSC championships, two tournament championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

This past season was tough for the Lady Mocs. FSC entered the season having lost 75 percent of last year's scoring and 65 percent of its rebounding, and a four-time All-American, Lucresia West.

The result of the influx of six new players to the team was a 10-19 record and an eighth-place finish in the conference before FSC lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Foli, however, did not make excuses.

"I came to Florida Southern with class and dignity," Foli said Tuesday. "I have given the college 13 years of loyal service and worked extremely hard in that position for 13 years. Apparently, the administration wanted to make a change.

"I had a fantastic career here," she said. "I worked as hard as I could here. I'm going to go out the same way I came in."

Webb said she will begin a national search beginning today.

Webb did not say whether she delivered the coaches an ultimatum but did say the coaches knew they would be evaluated after the season. She also said the decision wasn't completely about wins and losses.

"Florida Southern is a program that achieves excellence across the board," Webb said. "Those are our expectations. One year of not having a good season is not reason for a change to be made. This mutual agreement in change is based on several years. We need to look at past seasons and graduation rates. All of those things are factors.

"They were aware of the expectations of having the best season possible," she said. "I think both coaches are disappointed but supportive of the decision. I think they are both good coaches. I just feel strongly we need a fresh start and a change in leadership is what we're doing."

While Foli said she would take some time off before deciding what to do, Longa said his coaching days are over and that he'll be attending FSC games next season as a member of the 6th Man Club.

Longa joked that he thought he had a job for life after getting the college "through the Gordon Gibbons' situation."

"With All-American Innocent Kere and Ronnie Clark leaving, we were the first rookie coaches to ever win the conference outright and the conference tournament in his first season," Longa said. "I thought I would get a lifetime contract after that.

"I'm disappointed I won't get a chance to coach Braxton and Will Graham next year," he said. "They have a chance to be really special players. I'm also going to miss working with the Lakeland community, fans and boosters. And I`m going to miss the support staff."

[E.T.]

My email to AD & 6th Man Club President:

To all concerned:

After reading today's remarks by Lois Webb in The Ledger, I may have decided "that this is an appropriate time for a change". I have been a fan and booster for Florida Southern College basketball for over 10 years. Last season my wife and I were 6th Man Club members along with being a Game Sponsor. This past season with our move to Brasil, we did not sponsor a game as Tony and Sean had plenty of game sponsors, but we obviously remained 6th Man Club members. We had planned to be game sponsors next season as we would have been settled here in Rio de Janeiro. My affiliation with Florida Southern College basketball may now be done with the firings of Coaches Tony Longa and Sean Hanrahan.

There is no way that this was a "mutual agreement between the athletic department and both head coaches" and nobody believes this lie. Although Coach Longa(and Diane Foli) showed nothing but class with their comments. Coaches Tony and Sean had a mission to complete and their plans were altered with the apparent ultimatum given at the end of last season.

This quote really bothers me: "Florida Southern is a program that achieves excellence across the board," Webb said. "Those are our expectations. One year of not having a good season is not reason for a change to be made. This mutual agreement in change is based on several years. We need to look at past seasons and graduation rates. All of those things are factors." I personally would like to know the reasons for the firings, and expect an answer to help with my decision in possibly canceling our 6th Man Club membership and game sponsorship for next and future seasons. If the past two "winning" seasons were not the reason, what was then?

Florida Southern College basketball is a winner on and off the court in large part because of Tony and Sean. Not sure if this will continue with the "change in the leadership". The change may have needed to be higher up the food chain ... if a change was truly required.

I am not sure of the fall out from this decision from other 6th Man Club members because of the personal friendships many have with Tony and Sean. It seems Florida Southern College doesn't realize the importance of family ... as this is a family broken up for no good reason given.

E.T. & Adriana Thomas

6th Man Club Members

Rio de Janeiro

[drdanny]

My email to AD & 6th Man Club President:

Did you ever hear anything?

[Brad]

Maybe Me, Myself and Ari launched a hire Huggins campaign at FSC...