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John Marinatto's Leadership Questioned by Some Basketball Coaches

Several Big East basketball coaches talked to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports about Big East commissioner John Marinatto. They did not want their identity revealed. This is in stark contrast to the situation in the Big XII when Oklahoma made it known that they wanted commissioner Dan Beebe fired if they were going to stay in the league. Beebe is now out and the league has tentatively survived.

One coach said anonymously about Marinatto:

I firmly believe we would manage this a lot better with a different leader. He's a good man, a good right-hand man. But I think he's in over his head.

Another coach said:

There's just no way it would have gotten to this point if Dave or Mike were still in charge.

That's a nice opinion and all (and it was shared by more than one coach), except for the inconvenient fact that three schools bolted with Mike Tranghese was in charge. In addition, during a recent radio interview Tranghese said he knew what was happening now would happen again when he retired. Part of the reason he retired is so he wouldn't have to go through realignment and rebuilding again.

At least one coach who talked to Goodman felt that realignment was inevitable:

I think eventually this would have happened anyway. Everyone wants to put it on Marinatto, but this is a league that's been built on instability.

If you are really of the opinion that the league needs a change at the top, say it and sign your name to it. What is it going to hurt at this point when there is an open mutiny in the conference right now with all the football schools looking for places to land?