I stood by Jill Bodensteiner J.D., director of athletics and university president Mark C. Reed’s, Ed.D., decision to fire Phil Martelli, regardless of the fact that they mishandled the announcement, calling the Hawk legend a “strategic asset” on the Day of Giving, St. Joe’s largest  annual marketing campaign.

Bodensteiner made a necessary business decision, an unpopular one, but one that needed to be made. But now, she has managed to irritate the greatest “strategic asset” that St. Joe’s  has: Jameer Nelson.

“The best math you can learn is how to calculate the future cost of current decisions,” Nelson tweeted on March 28, the day Bodensteiner announced St. Joe’s new head coach, former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Billy Lange. 

In a span of two days, Nelson angrily subtweeted her hiring decision, while soon after announcing that his son, Jameer Nelson Jr., will be reopening his recruitment process, citing a lack of familiarity within the program.

Nelson interviewed for the head coaching vacancy, and Bodensteiner told him no. And in doing so, she has succeeded in shredding the core athletic fabric of the university I love.

Nelson was not owed anything, but I do believe based on the candidate selected to fill the vacancy, Nelson was the right choice. Spurning him  will be an unwanted ripple effect throughout the university as a whole. 

Nelson was an excellent basketball mind with 14 years of NBA experience, including an All-Star appearance. More significantly, Nelson was at the forefront of the Hawks’ greatest season of all time. He averaged 19.3 points per game in the 2003-04 season and led St. Joe’s to an undefeated regular season.

Nelson knows what it takes to win at the highest level. He has played in multiple systems at the NBA level and has garnered respect amongst the basketball community.

Again, Bodensteiner made it about business, and now through his tweet, Nelson has done the same.

But let’s be real, because she’s right, basketball is an integral strategic asset for this university. I thought Bodensteiner fully understood the importance of basketball, but I’m unsure of that now.

Let me explain:

St. Joe’s has many recognizable alumni, but very few have any significance when it actually comes to attracting students to the university. Basketball is one of the few strategic resources that the university can leverage to market the school on a national level.

When applying to St. Joe’s, I cared about Phil Martelli, Delonte West, Jameer Nelson, Deandre Bembry and Langston Galloway. Basketball has, and will for the foreseeable future, move the needle more than any prominent alumni can.

Bodensteiner has decided to risk it all. If she hired Nelson, donations would have flooded in, student attendance during games would have shot up, and the program would get  national recognition, providing a priceless level of marketing exposure for St. Joe’s.

Instead, we have Lange, who does not move the needle. Martelli made seven NCAA tournament appearances, while Lange’s most successful head coaching college campaign was leading the Merchant Marine Academy to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 in his second of two seasons coaching there.

With Nelson, Bodensteiner had the opportunity to employ a local icon who would have upheaved the status quo of the program, but she wants to put her own stamp on the program.

However, our program identity does not have to be completely dismantled in the name of change. By isolating St. Joe’s strategic assets, Nelson and Martelli, we are entering a new era in St. Joe’s basketball, one of business over loyalty, and uncertainty over familiarity.