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Giannini out at La Salle after 14 seasons

03/23/2018, 3:15pm EDT
By Josh Verlin

John Giannini (above) was let go by La Salle after 14 years on Friday. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The Dr. John Giannini era at La Salle is over.

After 14 seasons under the former Rowan and Maine head coach, the Explorers' men's basketball team will be under new leadership soon, as the athletic department parted ways with a coach who had led the program to heights it hadn't seen in a half-century but was unable to sustain that momentum.

The news was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Jensen and Mike Sielski and confirmed shortly afterwards by the school.

"John is a great guy, always with the best interests of his student-athletes at heart, and he did his very best to advance the men's basketball program at La Salle," Bill Bradshaw, La Salle's athletic director, said in a statement. "We wish John and his family nothing but the best, and he will be remembered for his contributions to La Salle, on and off the court."

Giannini, who grew up outside of Chicago, came to La Salle in 2004 after an eight-year run at Maine, which followed up a D-III national championship at Rowan in 1996.

It took Giannini eight years to get La Salle to a 20-win season, winning 21 in 2011-12, and then broke through the next year into the Sweet 16, with a group led by Ramon Galloway, Tyreek Duren, Jerrell Wright and Ty Garland, most famous for his "Southwest Philly Floater" over Ole Miss in the Round of 32.

But the Explorers haven't come close to that level of success since, winning 15, 17, 9, 15 and 13 games in the five years since. Several of those years were marred by injuries and yet-to-be-eligible transfers, but this season had none of those excuses.

La Salle had five scholarship seniors on the roster, including four players in the starting lineup in their fifth year of college, but couldn't find consistency on the court en route to a 13-18 (7-11 Atlantic 10) season, with a loss in the league quarterfinals.

Over his 14 seasons, Giannini led La Salle to a 212-226 (.484) record.

"I am truly blessed to have the relationships, challenges, and achievements that come from 29 years of being a head coach. In my time, I have witnessed hundreds of coaching changes involving many terrific coaches and schools," Giannini said in a release. "Today Bill Bradshaw and I mutually agreed that La Salle University could benefit from a new voice in leading the program. It is difficult to admit this, but I have given every effort possible for success and I have received nothing but support and encouragement from Bill and President Hanycz. Greater things may be accomplished for this storied program and great university with the approach of a new coach. I am forever grateful, especially to my loyal staff and dedicated student-athletes. I look forward to my next challenge and La Salle's future success."

Whoever takes over is going to have to deal with an almost entirely rehauled roster. B.J. Johnson (20.8 ppg/8.3 rpg), Amar Stukes (8.5 ppg/3.1 apg) and Tony Washington (7.7 ppg/6.3 rpg) have all exhausted their eligibility, while Pookie Powell (16.9 ppg/4.3 apg) will have to wait on a waiver to see if he can get one more year.

Barring transfers, La Salle will have rising juniors Isiah Deas (9.5 ppg/4.4 rpg) and Saul Phiri (6.2 ppg/4.8 rpg) plus an intriguing sophomore big man in Miles Brookins, who averaged 3.8 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 12.8 mpg as a true freshman.

Giannini and his staff did have signed an impressive four-man class, including center Osun Osunniyi (Putnam Science, Conn.), power forwards Ed Croswell (St. Joseph's Prep, Pa.) and Jared Kimbrough (Neptune, N.J.) and shooting guard Jack Clark (Cheltenham, Pa.), all of whom had signed binding National Letters of Intent, though often schools allow players to be released from those during a coaching change.


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