PROVIDENCE, R.I. — As news of Bobby Gonzalez’s firing by Seton Hall made the rounds through the arena on the eve of today’s tipoff of the NCAA Tournament, his Big East brethren only could shake their heads and basically say it’s a tough business, but the business they chose.
Georgetown’s John Thompson III acknowledged the pressure of the Big East, which might soon see three coaches fired. And Villanova’s Jay Wright said that pressure to reach the Big Dance makes for some poor decisions.
“People still look at [the NIT] as a negative, which is a shame. So why do it when it’s still a negative? Let’s expand the NCAA Tournament, make it positive,” Wright said. “I think it’ll slow everybody down, give them more time. I think coaches would make better decisions because they felt like they had more time.”
Gonzalez made some horrible recruiting decisions, like bringing in Robert “Stix” Mitchell, who was arrested on Tuesday in South Orange, N.J., and charged with kidnapping (first degree); robbery (first degree); burglary (third degree) and weapons offenses (second and third degree).
“I don’t think he purposely went and got risky kids. I think he did what he thought was best for Seton Hall,” said Wright, for whom Gonzalez served as an assistant on the U.S. gold medal-winning 2005 University Games team.
“I think the world of him. He’s Gonzo, and he is what he is,” Wright added. “In our business, there’s not a lot of characters anymore, because it’s so demanding and there’s such a microscope on you. . . . It is what it is. Some people like it, some people don’t.”
Though Gonzalez’s risk-taking and tempestuous nature may have gotten him fired, Thompson channeled his inner Hyman Roth and said this is the business we have chosen.
“I heard that just as we were walking in,” Thompson III said. “You look at the Big East this year and so far we’ve lost three coaches with DePaul, [likely] St. John’s and now Seton Hall.
“That draws attention this time of year, because this is when it happens and this is when we have the big stage for you to ask those questions. It’s difficult, but that’s the life we lead.”
In the wake of Keon Lawrence’s assault by auto and Herb Pope sucker-punching Dark Cohadarevic in the groin in Tuesday’s loss, Gonzalez’s program had fallen into abysmal disarray.
brian.lewis@nypost.com