BUFFALO, N.Y.-It was huge day at Canisius College. Jim Baron was introduced as the new men's basketball coach.
Baron returns to the region after spending the past 11 years at Rhode Island. Baron played and coached at St. Bonaventure. He has been the Atlantic Ten coach of the year four times and has coached at the Division I-A level for 25 years.
Baron signed a five year contract with Canisius. He succeeds Tom Parrotta who was let go after last season.
Baron said he fully intends to get the struggling men's basketball program turned around. "How long it takes I'm not great at forecasting but I tell you what. We're going to make it very competitive we're going to make it very exciting .Kids are going to enjoy what we're doing but they're going to understand they're representing a great institution like Canisius College."
Baron has turned around programs at St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island. "First of all I'm a program guy, we develop student athletes and I've had a tremendous record of graduating student athletes. We play a very aggressive up tempo style we like to press we like to run we like to score a lot of points it's very exciting but the players need to know the importance of getting themselves ready."
The Griffs are banking on him being able to turn their program around.