St. John's University Athletics
Quotes: Mike Anderson Introductory Press Conference
St. John’s Athletic Director Mike Cragg
On hiring Head Coach Mike Anderson…
“We were committed to finding the best coach in America to represent St. John’s and to be where our goals are, that is to be a BIG EAST Championship program and to compete for national championships. We are in the kid business and what that means for St. John’s could be different from what it means at another school. For St. John’s it means we need a coach who is committed to [the players] and works hard. This has been an amazing journey and we are very proud that we have found the best coach in Coach Anderson.”
St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Anderson
On Athletic Director Mike Cragg…
“You got a guy that is relentless. I just got a call Wednesday and look I am up here right now and I am going to be the Head Coach of St. John’s.”
On winning his first NIT Championship at MSG…
“I was part of an NIT Championship team that played here in Madison Square Garden in 1981 and beat Syracuse in the championship game. I played for a little team called Tulsa University, coached by Nolan Richardson. It was my first year playing major college basketball and now you flash forward to where we are today and I am having a press conference where I won my first college championship as a player.”
On his goal as head coach…
“My goal as a head coach is to win a championship and in order to do that you have to have a vision of what it will take. I really feel that the place for that to happen is St. John’s. We are in the Mecca of college basketball, Madison Square Garden. For all the New Yorkers and all the St. John’s alumni, for the administration, for the students and for the faculty, I want you know you got a guy here who is going to leave it all on the floor. You are going to have kids who represent this University in a first class manor on and off the floor.”
On the future of this program…
“What Chris [Mullin] did with this team last year, they won 21 games, I watched from a far. What I want to do is have an opportunity to come in and continue to take this program to another level. There is a core here and my job is to come in and evaluate and see what we have here and add some more pieces to it.”
On what you can expect from this team…
“When you come to Madison Square Garden, when you come to Carnessecca Arena, you are going to see a team that is going to be really entertaining. They are going to guard, they are going to defend, they are going to be one of the top assist teams in the country, and they are going to be one of the top turnover teams in the country. They will be one of the best scoring teams and field goal teams. It’s going to be a team that has depth, these guys are going to get the chance to showcase their God given ability.”
On the fans enjoyment…
“For the fans it is going to be exciting, when you come into that arena for two hours it is going to be sheer entertainment. If you go to the bathroom for a break, you are going to miss something. I can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and really just go to work.”
On a family atmosphere…
“I am big on families, my players are my family. This coach cares about them. I always tell their parents, you send me a young boy and I am going to send you back a man who is going to be a productive citizen. It has nothing to do with basketball, basketball will take care of itself. That is something they enjoy doing. They will be at my house and my wife, she will fix food for them because that’s what family does. Family breaks bread together. I will look out for their best interest. I will push them to be the best they can be. You can’t win on the floor until you get it right off the floor.”
On his role as a coach…
“I know how to win, that’s not bragging, I just know how to win. The good lord brought these guys here and they have a package in them but my job as a coach is to get it out of them. This coach here will look out for their best interest.”
On Mustapha Heron, LJ Figueroa and Eli Wright being there…
“I think the fact that [Mustapha Heron, LJ Figueroa and Eli Wright] are here, they care about this program. I want them to be a part of what we are doing and to me that process starts right now, but I think that is a big statement for those guys to be here.”
On recruiting players…
“I want it to be known that we want the best players in our state. We are going to build relationships and we are going to recruit players that fit what we are doing both on and off the floor. I think my resume speaks for itself, I think people have had the opportunity to watch me and watch my team’s development, but it all comes back to the relationship. I want to be open and have an opportunity to build some relationships. I want the best players to come to St. John’s. St. John’s is New York’s team.”
On building up the program…
“I am ready to go to work. I am ready to roll my sleeves up and get this thing to where it is one of the better programs. I want to build a program, I don’t want a two-year wonder, and I want to build a program the right way. When you do it the right way it spans over time and continues to attract.”
On what this team will give the fans…
“When you walk through Madison Square Garden, and maybe I am old school, I think there is so much to offer here. I can sense the fans here are thirsting, they are hungry for really good basketball and people want to be entertained. It’s not just going to be entertaining, we are talking about winning basketball.”
On the BIG EAST…
“When you think of the tradition and the history I think of this league. The BIG EAST does a great job at really marketing. These are basketball universities and when basketball is a priority it is the show.”
On hiring Head Coach Mike Anderson…
“We were committed to finding the best coach in America to represent St. John’s and to be where our goals are, that is to be a BIG EAST Championship program and to compete for national championships. We are in the kid business and what that means for St. John’s could be different from what it means at another school. For St. John’s it means we need a coach who is committed to [the players] and works hard. This has been an amazing journey and we are very proud that we have found the best coach in Coach Anderson.”
St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Anderson
On Athletic Director Mike Cragg…
“You got a guy that is relentless. I just got a call Wednesday and look I am up here right now and I am going to be the Head Coach of St. John’s.”
On winning his first NIT Championship at MSG…
“I was part of an NIT Championship team that played here in Madison Square Garden in 1981 and beat Syracuse in the championship game. I played for a little team called Tulsa University, coached by Nolan Richardson. It was my first year playing major college basketball and now you flash forward to where we are today and I am having a press conference where I won my first college championship as a player.”
On his goal as head coach…
“My goal as a head coach is to win a championship and in order to do that you have to have a vision of what it will take. I really feel that the place for that to happen is St. John’s. We are in the Mecca of college basketball, Madison Square Garden. For all the New Yorkers and all the St. John’s alumni, for the administration, for the students and for the faculty, I want you know you got a guy here who is going to leave it all on the floor. You are going to have kids who represent this University in a first class manor on and off the floor.”
On the future of this program…
“What Chris [Mullin] did with this team last year, they won 21 games, I watched from a far. What I want to do is have an opportunity to come in and continue to take this program to another level. There is a core here and my job is to come in and evaluate and see what we have here and add some more pieces to it.”
On what you can expect from this team…
“When you come to Madison Square Garden, when you come to Carnessecca Arena, you are going to see a team that is going to be really entertaining. They are going to guard, they are going to defend, they are going to be one of the top assist teams in the country, and they are going to be one of the top turnover teams in the country. They will be one of the best scoring teams and field goal teams. It’s going to be a team that has depth, these guys are going to get the chance to showcase their God given ability.”
On the fans enjoyment…
“For the fans it is going to be exciting, when you come into that arena for two hours it is going to be sheer entertainment. If you go to the bathroom for a break, you are going to miss something. I can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and really just go to work.”
On a family atmosphere…
“I am big on families, my players are my family. This coach cares about them. I always tell their parents, you send me a young boy and I am going to send you back a man who is going to be a productive citizen. It has nothing to do with basketball, basketball will take care of itself. That is something they enjoy doing. They will be at my house and my wife, she will fix food for them because that’s what family does. Family breaks bread together. I will look out for their best interest. I will push them to be the best they can be. You can’t win on the floor until you get it right off the floor.”
On his role as a coach…
“I know how to win, that’s not bragging, I just know how to win. The good lord brought these guys here and they have a package in them but my job as a coach is to get it out of them. This coach here will look out for their best interest.”
On Mustapha Heron, LJ Figueroa and Eli Wright being there…
“I think the fact that [Mustapha Heron, LJ Figueroa and Eli Wright] are here, they care about this program. I want them to be a part of what we are doing and to me that process starts right now, but I think that is a big statement for those guys to be here.”
On recruiting players…
“I want it to be known that we want the best players in our state. We are going to build relationships and we are going to recruit players that fit what we are doing both on and off the floor. I think my resume speaks for itself, I think people have had the opportunity to watch me and watch my team’s development, but it all comes back to the relationship. I want to be open and have an opportunity to build some relationships. I want the best players to come to St. John’s. St. John’s is New York’s team.”
On building up the program…
“I am ready to go to work. I am ready to roll my sleeves up and get this thing to where it is one of the better programs. I want to build a program, I don’t want a two-year wonder, and I want to build a program the right way. When you do it the right way it spans over time and continues to attract.”
On what this team will give the fans…
“When you walk through Madison Square Garden, and maybe I am old school, I think there is so much to offer here. I can sense the fans here are thirsting, they are hungry for really good basketball and people want to be entertained. It’s not just going to be entertaining, we are talking about winning basketball.”
On the BIG EAST…
“When you think of the tradition and the history I think of this league. The BIG EAST does a great job at really marketing. These are basketball universities and when basketball is a priority it is the show.”