Coach Fran McCaffery closes doors to Siena practice Sunday

November 4, 12:44 AMSiena Saints ExaminerGreg Hosmer

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Siena Head Coach Fran McCaffery closed practice indefinitely Sunday to the fans and the media.
Photo courtesy of sienasaints.cstv.com/

Coach Fan McCaffery closed practice to both the fans, and the media Sunday Nov. 1. McCaffery was unsatisfied with the Saints performance in a scrimmage against Princeton, and with time running out before the Saints open up at Tennessee State, McCaffery needs to get everybody on the same page.

McCaffery was interviewed on ESPN Radio's Sound off with Sinkoff, and had this to say. "This team needs focus and concentration, we have a lot of expectation, and if you are going to be able to achieve the level of expectation then you need to go to work and prepare every day."

The Siena Saints were in the minority of team's who actually open their doors to the public for practice. Coach McCaffery referred to the closing as indefinitely stating that he might not ever open practice up to the public again.

"It became a total distraction, it was too many people who were just kind of coming to check it out. They didn't know how to act, there was too much talking, and it had to be eliminated."

McCaffery noted that the closing was not due to the media. He expressed that he has never felt threatened by the media attending his practices, and that he trusts the people that cover the Saints.

"I don't want to get multitudes of people coming up and thinking it's a social hour."

As far as practice goes there is still a lot of things to be worked out. One of the biggest parts of the Saints recent success has been their bench. With last year Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth-man of the year Clarence Jackson joining the starters, he leaves big shoes to fill off of the bench.

"The young kids are really talented, but we have a fairly complicated system that has to be incorporated and they have to learn."

With only 9 days remaining until the Saints head to Nashville to open their season, coach Fran McCaffery needs as little distractions as possible to get his team ready for the season.