Devastating loss for a program that went from the cellar of all of Division 1 to a perennial Horizon league contender under Gates’s watch. Such is life for a mid major.

Jim Christian to CSU?

Disappointed for CSU but not surprising. He took an ailing program and made it a regular contender. Curious to see if they can sustain it. I think their oversized arena is no longer threatened with destruction because the Cavs’ D-League team is going to use it. Their rent will pay for upkeep that CSU could not justify otherwise. So they have assets, but Cleveland stubbornly has refused to embrace CSU with the exception of the flash in the pan Sweet Sixteen season in 1986. This is a pro sports/Bucknut city through and through.

Cleveland is just a pro sports town. Nothing wrong with that really. Like Boston and Pittsburgh. Need top 5 teams or Doug Flutie for the masses to pay attention. And, OSU dominates up there as well.

Agree. We should play in a preseason tourney at the Q.

I think the love of O$U comes in large part thanks to the ineptitude of the pro teams. The thirst for a winner is strong, and gathering around ever Saturday to watch the Buckeyes annihilate Minnesota or Indiana or whatever is cathartic for a lot of people here. I think "at least Ohio State won" is the official Monday morning consolation of Cleveland sports.

As for Cleveland State, it suffers the same problem all mid-majors do: They're not seen as "big time" by students, alumni or locals. Playing in a conference with IUPUI, Oakland (not California), etc. is the same problem as playing in a conference with a bunch of directional schools.

Last and certainly not least, CSU is a young university that until quite recently was mostly a commuter school with a lot of non-traditional students. They're working to change that and making great progress (often at the expense of Akron) but there's a long way to go.

Surprised it didn't go to an assistant, particularly Dru Joyce III.