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It isn't an offseason without speculation on coaches who are... on the hot seat.
This year, Jeff Goodman at ESPN has compiled a list of "coaches who need to make a run" that includes familiar Big East faces - Oliver Purnell, Seton Hall's Kevin Willard and St. John's Steve Lavin.
On Steve Lavin:
However, there have been two consecutive NIT appearances with a roster that many felt should have been a lock to go to the NCAAs. Lavin has only two years left on his six-year deal and could be out if this season's team underachieves.
Harsh words? Or true words?
All coaches feel the pressure to win, to produce, to meet expectations. It's a tough job corralling talent into a cohesive whole, talent that may not be the sum of its parts. St. John's fans will expect that a team with frour experienced seniors and a talented sophomore plus a dunamic defensive center as a junior will make a run.
We don't know how much pressure Lavin is actually under from the school, but expectations will certainly be high after the coach brought in some big men to replace the departed JaKarr Sampson, Orlando Sanchez and God`sGift Achiuwa.
Meanwhile, does DePaul, now with former St. John's commit Darrick Wood in the fold, have a chance to move up in the standings for once? The Blue Demons have been the last-place team in the Big East in each of the past four seasons.
Can Kevin Willard take his influx of talent - Isaiah Whitehead, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado, along with Michael Nzei, Desi Rodriguea and Ismael Sanogo - and get them to mature enough to get into the top half of the Big East?
Your thoughts? Are any Big East coaches missing from the list?