UPDATE: Thomas Officially Accepts Job
This is almost too good to be true. Isiah Thomas appears poised to take the head coaching job of Florida International. This, despite no experience in coaching or recruiting in college basketball.For those unsure of where FIU is, it is right in Miami. A place where a few New Yorkers have been known to migrate. If this happens, you have to imagine there will be a contingent of Knicks fans that will attend FIU games now just to chant "Fire Isiah!" and worse for old times sake.
Thomas has been trying to get any relevant job since his exile from the Knicks. He recently tried to get involved with the LA Clippers. Last year, he tried to float his name for the Indiana coaching job. Shockingly, no one has been too interested in hiring a guy who has been inept in the front office, lost a sexual harassment civil suit, and was at best an average coach.
Despite all of Thomas' shortcomings, the job is apparently his if he wants it.
Thomas would be taking over a program in the Sun Belt Conference, joining other league coaches trying to rehab their, including Mike Jarvis at Florida Atlantaic and ex-LSU coach John Brady at Arkansas State. Once the conference of up-and-coming coaches -- well, at least at Western Kentucky and South Alabama -- it seems to have become the place of repair and recover.The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because university officials have not authorized anyone to reveal search details, said FIU was "very hopeful" that a deal could be closed with Thomas on Tuesday morning. He would replace Sergio Rouco, who was ousted after five consecutive losing seasons, including a 13-20 campaign this year.If Thomas accepts, he would be introduced in Miami on Wednesday.
The parallels of having Jarvis at FAU and Thomas possibly taking the job at FIU are just tremendous. Jarvis killed St. John's basketball program perhaps even worse than the way Thomas ran the Knicks into the ground. To have them working rivals in the same conference. Perfect.
