Isiah Thomas isn't exactly off to the best start at FIU

You remember that Florida International University hired Isiah Thomas a few weeks ago, right? Well as it turns out, Thomas might actually be making a few mistakes and angering some people at the same time -- imagine that.

In a superbly titled New York Post article, "Isiah Making Enemies In New FIU Job," Marc Berman explains the troubles that Thomas is having, even though he's been on the job for less than a month:

The former Knicks president/coach is being accused of tactless behavior in failing to personally phone three FIU recruits to inform them they were no longer wanted despite scholarship offers from the past regime.

Wolfson High coach Greg Rosebrock threatened to close the door for Thomas to recruit at his Jacksonville school because of how his player, Chris Rozier, was treated.

"From Jacksonville, to Orlando to Pensacola, there's a lot of coaches in Florida not happy with him right now," Rosebrock told The Post. "He's not making friends here. I understand not wanting him but place a phone call and do it in a professional way."

As it turns out, Thomas "did not call the kids because he was under the impression he would be under NCAA violation. Thomas just took his compliance tests and thought he was not allowed to speak to high school students."

How's that for on-the-job training? Not only is Thomas breaking commitments from FIU, but he's angering several high school coaches in the very state that he's coaching and trying to recruit in.

I can't say I'm terribly shocked by this development, but apparently Thomas wasn't interested in using all of the resources at his disposal. And on that note, Eamonn Brennan of Yahoo! Sports's The Dagger has some advice for Thomas: "Caution is great, man, but FIU has a compliance department, right? Give them a visit. Sit down for a chat. Figure out what you can and can't do, and then get back out there and start building those bridges again."

Or maybe this whole thing will only snowball because, you know, Isiah Thomas is now running a college basketball program.

FIU hires Thomas; one question: why?

For some strange reason, Florida International University decided that hiring Isiah Thomas to coach its basketball team would be a good idea.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though, doesn't really agree with the decision -- at all:

He’s been hired as the basketball coach at Florida International University, and Thomas can make history here. This job gives Thomas the chance to obliterate programs in the NBA, CBA and now, NCAA.

Already, Thomas is talking about how he’s always wanted to coach college basketball, about how taking a job in the Sun Belt Conference was about a challenge, a choice. He isn’t going to FIU because he wants to, but because there’s nothing else for him. Beyond his professional failures, his behavior has made it impossible for a franchise to sell him politically in a public job.

"He feels like he’s toxic in the NBA right now," a longtime Thomas associate said. "He thinks this is the only way to get back in the basketball world."

Ouch. But is Wojnarowski wrong? In a word, no.

FIU certainly isn't the greatest basketball school of all time, but how does hiring Thomas send the message of trying to build a better program? First of all, Thomas isn't a good coach; his career record as a head coach in the NBA is 187-223, and as the coach of just the Knicks, Thomas was 56-108. He didn't develop any talent, and players started to tune him out as his tenure as coach went on.

Besides coaching poorly, Thomas was absolutely terrible at identifying talent. He made horrible trades, signed bad players to big money, and didn't do anything that made it seem like he should be in control of any basketball program on any level. And that's not even considering Thomas's embarrassing off-the-court distractions.

Sure, college basketball is much different than pro ball, but if Thomas can't coach or recruit well, what is he going to do? Apparently he'll work for free, that's what:

At his introductory news conference at FIU on Wednesday, Thomas said his salary the first year from the Golden Panthers will be donated back to the school's athletic department.

Thomas was fired by the New York Knicks last year. The team still owes him around $12 million for the final two years of his deal there.

So it's not much of a great gesture then, though it couldn't hurt his reputation at this point. If he lasts more than a season or two at FIU, I'll be shocked.