April Fools Day, 1999

[rambone 78]

The really sad take on all of this, is that even with the botched Harrick affair, URI could still have hired an excellent coach to succeed JH.

There were several very good candidates. But as we older fans know all too well, Carothers and Petro were swayed by Jerry's promise to bring Lamar back, along with the fact that many players threatened to leave if JD wasn't hired. He was their "buddy".

Actual coaching ability played no part in the decision. Lamar was actually even on the sham "search" committee.

And I still remember hearing about the boosters cheering Jerry at a meeting just before they hired him.

"Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! …...you would have thought you were at a showing of the moronic Jerry Springer TV show.

That decision turned out even more moronic than anyone thought possible.

[Taylor Swift]

Rambone I can tell you this. It wasn't Petro who pulled the offer it was Carothers. Carothers didn't like the fact that Harrick was becoming bigger than the school. Petro at the time wasn't allowed to any big decisions without Carothers signing off on them.

Remember Carothers was the guy who dried the campus out.

I've always blamed Carothers for all of URIs failures during my time in Kingston and now I can add this to that list. He has to be the worst thing to happen to URI ever. I remember the day he announced he was leaving, one of the best days of my college career. Made better only by hiring Dooley.

Agreed!! Carothers’s wife is still a Dean on campus so I still feel like his “presence” is there.

[rambone 78]

Carothers was spooked by the entire Harrick deal and subsequent JD failure, and his influence on hiring a "safe" choice in Baron meant mediocrity became the order of the day.

And then he compounded the issue by giving Baron the guaranteed CFL deal, when VaTech considered hiring him away.

[RhowdyRam02]

Rambone I can tell you this. It wasn't Petro who pulled the offer it was Carothers. Carothers didn't like the fact that Harrick was becoming bigger than the school. Petro at the time wasn't allowed to any big decisions without Carothers signing off on them.

Remember Carothers was the guy who dried the campus out.

I've always blamed Carothers for all of URIs failures during my time in Kingston and now I can add this to that list. He has to be the worst thing to happen to URI ever. I remember the day he announced he was leaving, one of the best days of my college career. Made better only by hiring Dooley.

I'm no Carothers fan, but the first half of his presidency was good and probably necessary. When listening to old timers talk about URI it strikes me that while it seems like a tremendous amount of fun it also seems like we weren't a real university back then, more just a fancy drinking club. The university needed to be changed and improved academically and in a time of budget cuts he fought hard, to the point in the late 90's where the board of governors wasn't going to give him another contract and the students had a protest in the library. If his presidency ended there I think he would be remembered in a very positive light.

Unfortunately it didn't end there. He was eventually given another contract and he stopped being an advocate for the university on the state level, content to effect what he could that wouldn't attract attention, often with negative results while he accrued time for his pension. It actually is a really good parallel to how he treated men's basketball. He started off as someone willing to take bold action but at the first sign of struggle he completely turtled

[Taylor Swift]

I don't know about you but some of URI still seems like a fancy drinking club. Darties.

[phipsiGD'11]

I don't know about you but some of URI still seems like a fancy drinking club. Darties.

Exhibit A: Green Lane in Eastward Look the first nice weekend of ever Spring.

[Taylor Swift]

I don't know about you but some of URI still seems like a fancy drinking club. Darties.

Exhibit A: Green Lane in Eastward Look the first nice weekend of ever Spring.

So right now is lit

[RF1]

I don't know how I missed bringing this thread back yesterday. Some good Rod comments. 21 years now.

[URI96]

I'm still not ready to talk about this day

[Rhody72]

Petro wanted no part of hiring JD.

[Blue Man]

I know some guy named Jay Wright was looking for the next place after Hofstra around this time...

[steviep123]

I know some guy named Jay Wright was looking for the next place after Hofstra around this time...

I remember him or someone thinking at the time that Wright wanted bigger. I’ll see if I can find it later.

[theblueram]

Petro wanted no part of hiring JD.

But then he did. He was a jackass.

[Rhody72]

Petro wanted no part of hiring JD.

But then he did. He was a jackass.

Petro was on his way out when JD was hired. Bob Beagle headed the search committee and he reported to Carothers who made the call. At the end Petro lobbied for Mike Deane, So you are wrong - Petro did not make this hiring decision.

[theblueram]

Petro wanted no part of hiring JD.

But then he did. He was a jackass.

Petro was on his way out when JD was hired. Bob Beagle headed the search committee and he reported to Carothers who made the call. At the end Petro lobbied for Mike Deane, So you are wrong - Petro did not make this hiring decision.

Who was the AD when he was hired?

[steviep123]

I know some guy named Jay Wright was looking for the next place after Hofstra around this time...

I remember him or someone thinking at the time that Wright wanted bigger. I’ll see if I can find it later.

I can't find any article or anything, but I'm certain I remember, maybe on espn, some talking head suggesting Jay Wright as a possibility at URI, but the other person said, Wright would skip that level. I don't remember the specifics, but I remember the thoughts by the people. I don't think Wright (unfortunately) was a serious consideration to replace Harrick. I still think to this day if we turn it over to someone like Larry Farmer, or really, reasonable head coach instead of Jerry Duh, we don't fall into that abyss followed by years of mediocrity.

[rambone 78]

I lobbied for Farmer.

What I didn't know was just how unqualified JD was.

Any of our assistants at the time would have made far better HC's.

[ramster]

But then he did. He was a jackass.

Petro was on his way out when JD was hired. Bob Beagle headed the search committee and he reported to Carothers who made the call. At the end Petro lobbied for Mike Deane, So you are wrong - Petro did not make this hiring decision.

Who was the AD when he was hired?

Ron Petro was. He was AD for 12 years until replaced by Tom McElroy mid 2004.

The hiring of Jerry D was based on a committee of which Lamar Odom was a member.

[Rhody72]

Post-Harrick, the AD did not have the final say on who was hired - it was Carothers and Beagle. In later years Carothers called the JD hiring the worst personnel hiring he had ever made.

[RF1]

This infamous day in URI hoops history was 22 years ago today.

[RF1]

Reading through the posts of this old thread makes me miss Rod.

[Blue Man]

We could've had Jay Wright...

[Rhody74]

Ugh .... this thread again.

[rhodyruckus]

I dread this bump every year.

[Rhodyhooopz]

can this be deleted forever. this day was one of the worst days of my life. So much went on that day that just sucked and pushed URI hoops back 15 years.

[ramster]

or at least stop bumping it every April 1. Nobody is interested.

[RhowdyRam02]

Or you could not read the thread that is very clearly labelled

[ramster]

But you still have to open it

[Rhody15]

But you still have to open it

Simply click the “mark topics read” button at the top of the page and all the threads will be marked like you already opened them.

[Taylor Swift]

I came here to say, "not this thread again".

[reef]

Same thoughts as well , let’s hope nobody remembers to bump this thread 4/1/22

[bpaz11]

Whenever this thread comes up I always cringe but then I come in and read it from the start. Rod's insight on all this is invaluable. Tells us way more than was ever reported at the time. Not only about that day but how the Ryan Center came about. It's really unfortunate Harrick didn't stay for a few more years just to see what that incoming class would have accomplished with him at the helm. It's probably unreasonable to think he would have stayed many more years but even just 2 or 3 more would have been fun to see and would have blocked the horrible Jerry D years.

[ramster]

But you still have to open it

Simply click the “mark topics read” button at the top of the page and all the threads will be marked like you already opened them.

But what if I don't want all threads to be marked like I had already opened them? Can I choose threads like this one to not show with new messages? or is it all or none?

[Rhody15]

But you still have to open it

Simply click the “mark topics read” button at the top of the page and all the threads will be marked like you already opened them.

But what if I don't want all threads to be marked like I had already opened them? Can I choose threads like this one to not show with new messages? or is it all or none?

Just open all the threads you want to read, don’t open the thread/threads you don’t want to see, then just click “mark topics read” so it’ll only be the ones you don’t want click and read.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Let’s not forget who brought Jerry Duh to URI in the first place.

[theblueram]

Let’s not forget who brought Jerry Duh to URI in the first place.

Has he ever donated a dime to URI?

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

Whenever this thread comes up I always cringe but then I come in and read it from the start. Rod's insight on all this is invaluable. Tells us way more than was ever reported at the time. Not only about that day but how the Ryan Center came about. It's really unfortunate Harrick didn't stay for a few more years just to see what that incoming class would have accomplished with him at the helm. It's probably unreasonable to think he would have stayed many more years but even just 2 or 3 more would have been fun to see and would have blocked the horrible Jerry D years.

If Harrick stayed, my guess is that URI would've gotten the death penalty or been in the same type of hole that Baylor was in with Dave Bliss. Harrick was the kind of guy that would look you in the face, lie to you, and then you'd still walk away feeling like he was as good guy.

[RhowdyRam02]

Whenever this thread comes up I always cringe but then I come in and read it from the start. Rod's insight on all this is invaluable. Tells us way more than was ever reported at the time. Not only about that day but how the Ryan Center came about. It's really unfortunate Harrick didn't stay for a few more years just to see what that incoming class would have accomplished with him at the helm. It's probably unreasonable to think he would have stayed many more years but even just 2 or 3 more would have been fun to see and would have blocked the horrible Jerry D years.

If Harrick stayed, my guess is that URI would've gotten the death penalty or been in the same type of hole that Baylor was in with Dave Bliss. Harrick was the kind of guy that would look you in the face, lie to you, and then you'd still walk away feeling like he was as good guy.

April Fools Joke or is my sarcasm meter off, because this can't possibly be a real take?

[RF1]

The sad reality for me is that this day was the end of the best run in URI basketball history in my lifetime. The thirteen seasons from 1987 to 1999 were a great time for Ram fans. The coaching trio of Tom Penders, Al Skinner, and Jim Harrick had much success.

URI BASKETABLL 1987-1999

NCAA Tournament
Five appearances (1988, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999)
Six wins (Missouri, Syracuse, Purdue, Murray St, Kansas, Valpo)
1998 Elite-8
1988 Sweet-16

NIT Tournament
Three appearances (1987, 1992, 1996)
Four wins (Vanderbilt, Boston College, Marist, Charleston)

A-10 Tournament
1999 A-10 Championship
Played in four finals

[RF1]

It is now 23 years later. Let us hope that we are today at the beginning of a new era of success in Kingston similar to the chapter that came to a close in 1999.

[Blue Man]

It is now 23 years later. Let us hope that we are today at the beginning of a new era of success in Kingston similar to the chapter that came to a close in 1999.

Well it's the first time URI committed to athletics, so I would say these days are long gone.

[ElmCityRhody]

i remember vividly following the projo message board w my dial in modem while this was going down

it is wild - i can close my eyes and see myself in my old bedroom exactly as if it was yesterday.

i think we all have similar memories and can recall the same thing

[Rhody74]

Ancient history.

[Billyboy78]

St. Patrick's Day will now always be better than April Fools Day.

[OBRAM]

I think we are in a new era, we don't wish we had a Ryan Center, we have one. The Ryan Center was a dream in 1996 that more than likely would nver come true.

[Rhodyhooopz]

Don't Don't Don't I can't even looking at the name of this thread sends me to a deep dark place. beside my mothers passing this may have been the worst day of my life.

[steviep123]

Not today my friends, not today.

[RF1]

24 years ago today.

[Rhodysk]

The day most Rhody fans want to forget.
Never was there ever a day where your emotions were on a roller coaster.

[jcru]

Fun Fact:

Rod wasn't even a member of the Projo board when this day took place, nor the day Jerry D was hired.

He signed up almost immediately after Jerry D was hired though, and just started tearing everyone a new a hole. I didn't know who he was but he was angry as all get out. He was fighting mad. Obviously, some older folk that were members there on Projo did know who he was though.

I remember thinking afterwards, if only you had been on the site before he got hired, maybe you could have convinced them not to hire him. Maybe they still would have hired him in the end, but Rod could have put up a good defense why they shouldn't. I even told him that a few times.