Fire Gene Stephenson

[1972Shocker]

It's a long damn time until late November (roughly 6 months) when basketball begins.

I'm fortunate in that I really enjoy the Volleyball season. I only have to wait until late August.

In fact, substantially more of my dollars have gone into Volleyball the last two seasons than into baseball. And that is likely to remain the case for the forseeable future.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

THANK YOU GENE!! It has been a wonderful run. You will not find a Shocker fan anywhere that doesn't appreciate and respect what you did for this program.

But you are a smart man, and I know you see where the program is headed. 15 years since we last made the CWS, 2 years with no post season.

The time has come for new blood. Its time to step back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Don't let pride keep you from stepping down, let pride HELP you!! We can't let the program fall any further. You put too much into it to let it fall completely into the abyss.

Yours respectfully,

A Shocker Fan

[KC Shox]

I guess I'm in the minority yet again. Although it wouldn't bother me to see a change in leadership, I do still feel Gene and company has what it takes to get this boat turned around.

I doubt any of you would say 3 years ago, Gene threw his hands up and said I quit. Or, he hit the wall and no longer knows the game of baseball. The big issue with this program is that we are not getting the players we are used to getting.

We aren't the only ones suffering multiple sub-par seasons. Our west coast brethren Long Beach State is one game over .500 this season and once again will miss the NCAA's just like us, unless they win their conference tourney which is still underway. San Diego, Nebraska, Pepperdine, Louisville, Kentucky, Houston, and Tulane have been pretty good programs this past decade and they are on the outside looking in like us too.

The only question that needs to be asked is how diligent and devoted Gene and company are when it comes to recruiting. I will give Gene the benefit of the doubt as I don't think in the sunset of his career, he wants to go out as a shell of his former self. None of us know what they are doing in terms of recruiting, I truly believe they are giving it their best shot, but as college baseball continues to grow, it is becoming more and more difficult for them to land the best players.

[shocksrbest]

THANK YOU GENE!! It has been a wonderful run. You will not find a Shocker fan anywhere that doesn't appreciate and respect what you did for this program.

I agree with this as well. Gene is the Bill Snyder of college baseball, and rightfully earned the respect of major conference coaches throughout the country. He was the first "northern" coach to have a team that would strike fear in the hearts of the southern powerhouses.

Unfortunately, those days are gone. We no longer strike fear in the hearts of teams from our own pathetic conference or the other lesser teams in the state we used to systematically trounce every time we played them.

While I applaud the past triumphs of this coaching staff and the pride it once brought to our community, it is time.

[ShockTalk]

Not that I haven't commented elsewhere, I've stayed quiet on this thread until now.

KC, I can't say (or just don't remember) if anyone was looking for Gene to hang it up 3 years ago or not, but several of us were concerned with the direction the program was headed 3 or 4 years ago. For my part, and some others, felt that new blood, energy, and fire needed to be added in the form of a replacement for Thomas. Someone who would go to further distances to recruit, one who was younger and possibly better able to relate to the players. One who had more recently been in their (current players) shoes and they could better identify with. Hopefully someone who could take over in a few years and continue Shocker baseball tradition into the future.

Well, that's past history and it didn't happen. Things have only gotten worse for this non-Big 6, cold-weather baseball program trying to hold on to its heritage. Unfortunately, this bigger problem will probably take a bigger solution. Gene is a stubborn man and I don't see him making adjustments, over the past few years or in the future. Besides this, maybe other things are just too much for him to overcome to be succeesful: 1) The Christensen incident, 2) The OU mess and his feeling he had topped out at WSU, and 3) As it was so well put, his "off field shenanigans".

However, the biggest barometer for me is not how many recent CWS we've been to recently or whether we are still a top 30 team. I agree the recruiting is tougher today, however, to succeed, a coach and his staff must be tougher and willing to do even more. Where I paricularly do not see this happening is how WSU has slipped to 3rd in Kansas and no longer able to dominate a weakened MVC. In fact, we're just trying to stay in the hunt within the Valley. You want to keep the Valley Tournament in Wichita? Then kick their butts at their place and keep their fans away.

For all the things (which I'm very grateful) that Gene and his staff have done, for all the experience and knowledge they bring to the field, for the fine facilities and great fan support, we are still drifting further and further down against pier teams. I hope I'm wrong, but a couple more years of this, we may just be left with our memories. To ADES: WSU baseball's fortunes, good or bad, will happen on YOUR watch, YOUR decsions.

[Dan]

Travis Wyckoff would be a good addtion if he's interested in getting back into coaching. Perhaps Kevin Hooper? So far I haven't seen anyone throw out possible replacements.

[ABC]

I am generally wtih KC Shox on this. Every program takes a dip every now and then. (Texas football this year) And our dip is at least still many games above .500.

I suppose the Chistensen thing might have hurt recruiting. But then again, we've had three major leaguers recruited since then (Dirks, Pelfrey and Gillespie)

I think the unbelievable success WSU baseball has had makes for a very, very high standard.

There is no way ADES will or should make a change at this point.

[ShockTalk]

ABC and KC Shox:

What's your feelings about replacing Thomas with new, younger blood that may take over some day?

[SB Shock]

ABC and KC Shox:

What's your feelings about replacing Thomas with new, younger blood that may take over some day?

It is more fantasy to think Gene is going to replace Thomas. It is not going to happen. 2nd, the issue surrounding this program are much bigger than replacing an assistant coach.

[ABC]

ABC and KC Shox:

What's your feelings about replacing Thomas with new, younger blood that may take over some day?

I've never had enough information about it.

I think the calls for Sexton to force GS to replace him are . . . kind of dumb.

It's Gene's call, not Sexton's.

I don't think I've read a specific reason JT should be replaced.

[shox1989]

I guess I'm in the minority yet again. Although it wouldn't bother me to see a change in leadership, I do still feel Gene and company has what it takes to get this boat turned around.

I doubt any of you would say 3 years ago, Gene threw his hands up and said I quit. Or, he hit the wall and no longer knows the game of baseball. The big issue with this program is that we are not getting the players we are used to getting.

We aren't the only ones suffering multiple sub-par seasons. Our west coast brethren Long Beach State is one game over .500 this season and once again will miss the NCAA's just like us, unless they win their conference tourney which is still underway. San Diego, Nebraska, Pepperdine, Louisville, Kentucky, Houston, and Tulane have been pretty good programs this past decade and they are on the outside looking in like us too.

The only question that needs to be asked is how diligent and devoted Gene and company are when it comes to recruiting. I will give Gene the benefit of the doubt as I don't think in the sunset of his career, he wants to go out as a shell of his former self. None of us know what they are doing in terms of recruiting, I truly believe they are giving it their best shot, but as college baseball continues to grow, it is becoming more and more difficult for them to land the best players.

I think KC Shox makes a lot of sense on this issue.

I get really scared when people talk about replacements. I just don't think we could realistic get a coach who could do any better. Gene has already proven himself as one of the best in the business. I am very scared that any replacement will have an even tougher time going against the BCS and southern teams than Gene has had.

Personally I think the best we can do is give the team and coaches our full support. We can complete the next phases of improvement to our stadium (especially the locker rooms). We can get a bigger and better scoreboard (much like the one Ku has would be really nice). We can improve Gene's recruiting budget and take off any restrictions on it.

I think those are the best things we can do right now to help the program.

[GoShockers89]

Nothing, and I mean nothing, pisses me off more than the "things are different now, and it's just too difficult to compete against bigger programs because the BCS is investing in baseball" argument.

Gene is not the same person or coach that he was fiteen years ago. The Gene of the 80s and 90s would rip 2011 Gene fifteen new buttholes for letting the program slip the way it has. Fire and determination has given way to disconnected pessimism which fails to motivate the kids on today's team.

But even if someone were to accept the bull crap argument that we're doomed to sub-BCS inferiority in the modern landscape, why is it acceptable for 36 non-BCS teams to finish above us in this season's RPI. This represents a solid average for how we've placed against that level of competition over the last THREE seasons.

How many of them have budgets as high as ours? Maybe 5?

How many of them match our attendance on a yearly basis, even when we suck eggs like we have lately? Maybe 2?

The return on investment from 2009-11 has been devastatingly awful. There is no debating this.

[1972Shocker]

That may very well be the best thing we can do, but we struggled to raise the money to complete the Phase I improvements (indoor practice facility and new turf).

If the sentiment of the majority who post on ShockerNet is a true indication (and it may not be) raising funds for additional improvements could be problematic.

My guess is the recurring revenue stream is trending pretty much in the same direction as the on the field performance over the past 3 years and I don't see a catalyst for that to change on the horizon.

[tripleshock]

Nothing, and I mean nothing, pisses me off more than the "things are different now, and it's just too difficult to compete against bigger programs because the BCS is investing in baseball" argument.

Gene is not the same person or coach that he was fiteen years ago. The Gene of the 80s and 90s would rip 2011 Gene fifteen new buttholes for letting the program slip the way it has. Fire and determination has given way to disconnected pessimism which fails to motivate the kids on today's team.

But even if someone were to accept the bull crap argument that we're doomed to sub-BCS inferiority in the modern landscape, why is it acceptable for 36 non-BCS teams to finish above us in this season's RPI. This represents a solid average for how we've placed against that level of competition over the last THREE seasons.

How many of them have budgets as high as ours? Maybe 5?

How many of them match our attendance on a yearly basis, even when we suck eggs like we have lately? Maybe 2?

The return on investment from 2009-11 has been devastatingly awful. There is no debating this.

This is spot on.



No excuses, that USED to be the Shocker way.

Now, it's: "well it's just too hard to compete nowadays", or "we don't have the recruiting budget", or any other number of B.S. reasons.

As stated above, we already have much more in the way of resources, facilities, and fan support than many, many programs that are now kicking our ass on a regular basis - (and making the post-season regularly, i might add).


In baseball, the old saying goes "you're only as good as your last at-bat".

Well, if that saying was applied to the Shocker program, clearly it means we suck.

Time to cut the crap. And we all now where it begins and ends.

Plain and simple - what we are lacking is good coaching and management of the program.

But if all you faithful fans are content to tolerate, make excuses for, and financially support a program that is clearly and obviously heading into several more years of declining performance, then good for you. No problem getting what you want.

[GoShockers89]

A small sample of salaries for head coaches who are twice as successful and make significantly less than Gene Stephenson:

Dave Serrano, Cal State Fullerton- $150,000
Tim Esmay, Arizona State- $175,000
Mitch Gaspard, Alabama- $225,000
Kevin O'Sullivan- Florida- $300,000
John Pawloski, Auburn- $300,000

I stress that this is a very, very small sample of the population.

Wanna argue that we can't attract a good candidate if we pay them what Gene makes?