Leitao had some success in his first trip through Chicago from 2002-05, making an NCAA appearance and two NIT appearances. Leitao parlayed that into the Virginia job but was ousted after only four years.
This is a poor choice for DePaul and by default, the Big East. It's possible the Blue Demons have some success under him but realistically, this will be received as a mediocre hire and I'm not sure it'll motivate the program.
When we grew up, DePaul was a big deal. Legendary Ray Meyer built a national brand that saw itself on TV in lots of big games before every game was on TV. It's unrealistic to expect those days again but it isn't unrealistic to expect a program that is competitive. Even if they don't keep all the top talent home, there's enough talent within the upper Midwest for them to have good teams.
Maybe Bryce Drew and Bobby Hurley were never realistic choices. They can chose their next jobs selectively and DePaul is a lot of work and there has to be a question about the program's commitment. Even if this is true, exploring a top-young assistant would have been more desirable. Marquette chose that route and early indications are it was the right choice. Can you imagine rehiring Kevin O'Neill?
I hope DePaul at least becomes competitive but this isn't the way to go about it. Marquette fans should be happy the school has a commitment to a strong basketball program as should the other Big East schools.
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