Introducing, your next head coach of the Wichita State Shockers: Kevin Hooper

[C0|dB|00ded]

imagine reading that in your morning edition of the Eagle. What's your initial impression?

What effect does the hiring of Hoop have on season tickets, walk-up tickets, concessions, booster donations, etc.

Hooper is a ferocious coach who knows how to extract the maximum out of his players. He has little connection to the D1 baseball world though. Hoop would no doubt inherit a lot of solid players if he took over immediately so he would have time to build his recruiting ties.

Predict for me what happens to the Shocker baseball program if Hoop takes over. What are the order of events? What are your expectations regarding his efficacy as skipper of our beloved program?


T


...:cool:

[SB Shock]

Well you just angered the Weaxf Gawds, so this will never happen

[shockfan89_]

I would commit to 2 season tickets and an All-American club membership for the next 3 years.

[C0|dB|00ded]

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article1116871.html

He’s a winner, plain and simple. That’s a term thrown around too often, but with Hooper it fits. He reminds me of Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall in that way. And of Stephenson during his many glory years.

Hooper, 36, is family man who loves Wichita and WSU. He has no college coaching experience, and while that’s a legitimate concern, it shouldn’t be one that slams the door in his face. He recruits long and hard to fill the Wingnuts roster every season. And while that’s not going into the living room of a prospective college player and selling him and his parents on why Wichita State is the best place to be, it’s getting somebody to tell you “yes.”

Besides, all you have to do is talk to Hooper for five minutes before you’re sold on whatever it is he’s hawking. He’s passionate, but not fake.

The Shockers need a Shocker and Hooper is as Shocker as they come. He was touched by the baseball program as a player, as so many were, and when his time was finished in professional baseball he returned to his college baseball home.

Sometimes the best choice is the one right in front of your face. And while I applaud Wichita State’s spoken desire to conduct a national search for Stephenson’s replacement, I think the best candidate is in their backyard.

Out of the mouth of babes. I'm verklempt.

Hire the man gd'dammit!


T


...:cool:

[wyatt]

I haven’t attended a game since Gene left. I would become a regular at games again if this happened.

[WuDrWu]

Livin’ In the past......

[Cdizzle]

Livin’ In the past......

When the present sucks....

[C0|dB|00ded]

Livin’ In the past......

Please expound.


T


...:cool:

[SHOCKvalue]

Livin’ In the past......

Well... when that’s all you have left to hold on to with regards to Shocker baseball...

[ShockerFever]

Livin’ In the past......

How's the present and future looking?

[shelback]

Mark Standiford is the guy you would be wanting. College experience, connections to academy baseball, and a winner. Guy can coach and recruit WSU would be in the CWS within 3 years and he would get any player from Kansa he wants.

[WuShock16]

Mark Standiford is the guy you would be wanting. College experience, connections to academy baseball, and a winner. Guy can coach and recruit WSU would be in the CWS within 3 years and he would get any player from Kansa he wants.

Honest question. People mention him like he would be a sure-thing success. My question is this: if he is such a top-notch coach, why is he still coaching at Tabor? I would think there would be opportunities at the D-2 schools or even some smaller D1 schools.

I am not trying to be snarky. I really am
curious about that. What makes him different from, say, Randy Smithson?

[1972Shocker]

I like Mark as well and would not be opposed to him getting a shot but Kevin Hooper would be my No. 1 target. Be able to recruit Kansas is great but not enough in and of itself. Better be able to recruit Oklahoma and Texas as well and our other neighbors in Missouri, Colorado and Nebraska since our roster is usually only about 25-30% Kansas kids.

[GreatWhiteBuffalo]

Maybe he only wants WSU right now? Your question is a good one. Some guys just get happy where they are and want to see how far they can take it. Maybe he wants to stay there and win a Natty? Perhaps only Shockernetters know about him because of A) locality and B) history with the program. So many possibilities.

All that said, he's the guy I'd want.

[WuDrWu]

My point is simply this......If you keep looking to repeat the 90s you're going to always be disappointed and fail. I'm not saying the next coach of WSU baseball, whenever that may be, won't be tied to WSU's past, but I do not believe that person will be Kevin Hooper. I also promise you I'm as big a fan of Kevin Hooper as anyone here.

Carry on.

[Kung Wu]

My question is this: if he is such a top-notch coach, why is he still coaching at Tabor? I would think there would be opportunities at the D-2 schools or even some smaller D1 schools.

It's quite possible (and likely) he has refused D2 and/or D1 offers because he has family in the Wichita area and may just want to continue to "coach where he is loved". Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[ShockTalk]

My point is simply this......If you keep looking to repeat the 90s you're going to always be disappointed and fail. I'm not saying the next coach of WSU baseball, whenever that may be, won't be tied to WSU's past, but I do not believe that person will be Kevin Hooper. I also promise you I'm as big a fan of Kevin Hooper as anyone here.

Carry on.

Doc, I don't believe anyone is looking to repeat the 90's. However, do you believe that repeating 2000-2008 period, minus some of the league and league tourney championships due to the upgrade in conference, is possible? Certainly in the AAC one can get an at-large bid by finishing in the top 3 or 4 of the league, so being the top dog in the conference is not a necessity as it was in the MVC. While I don't expect an at-large every year, being in the AAC should be a help in our recruiting efforts. Shouldn't we expect to be competitive in the AAC? The "little guy" has not been totally closed out of getting to an occasional super-regional or even a CWS. Is it not reasonable to think we can have as good of chance as any other "little guy"? How is all this not achievable or a goal for this program?

[WuDrWu]

There seems to be a somewhat common belief that I, and anyone like me (if there's anyone left that thinks like me) are ok with the results.

I am not. I said MANY MANY TIMES over the previous 4 seasons that while everything I have said regarding WSU's positioning in the baseball world has changed, and why it's changed, is factual, it's not ok to finish 4th or 5th in the Valley after a couple of transitional seasons, maybe even 1.

I give a pass to 7th this season because A)the conference is great 1-8 B)first season in said great conference C)having attended pretty much every game at home at least and the tourney, I know we were about 5 at bats from a top half finish. It's close enough (ON THE WRONG SIDE ADMITTEDLY) for me at least to give a pass.

I think we're headed in the right direction. We're better. I like the young talent here and the talent coming in. I think RS will be a surprise next year. I like the depth of talent, if not the high end. I felt like if we could have gotten USF we had a good shot at UCONN, a GREAT shot at winning the 2nd UCONN game and a toss up against ECU at that point. I like the depth, but we need better top end talent. It takes time. I think we're headed forward. I'm not saying it's great, or good, or good enough, but I think it's in the right direction. And we're doing it the right way. And I think it will continue to get better. I'm not convinced it's great, or that it's a lock, and I accept that I could be wrong. But if we reset and start over I'm much more confident it will get a lot worse. No decision is going to be perfect.

And my biggest problem is with the hatred and belittling of the staff and total lack of support for the program. Everyone wants to *****, very few want to support. That annoys me to no end. It's a free country and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Including me. I do not think 7th is ok, but I explained why in totality I can give a pass now. I also understand coaches have to win. I think much of the other stuff is being too summarily dismissed by a lot of posters here, and that's my opinion.

We can and should do better. I think we're better off in the direction we've been going than most here. I get others disagree.

I don't think the list of "other" teams succeeding is particularly relevant. Like it or not, we're still now, and will always be a "northern school". Northern school national champions in my lifetime?

WSU.

I suppose you can add Oregon State twice. THAT'S IT. There's a reason for that. And it's valid and tough to overcome.

And I get we're talking about getting into the tourney, not winning National Championships. Again, we can and should do better. What happens is going to happen no matter what you or I talk about here. But if a change is made, and we lose most or all of our class (which we will) and several transfers (which we will) and next year we're something like 15-40 (which would be likely no matter who the new coach would be) I don't want to hear one person bitching about it, and I better see a whole bunch of people in seats unoccupied most of this season. Or this forum better be as quiet as the Track and Field one is.

[ShockTalk]

Thanks, Doc. I appreciate your response. Well thought out and little that I would disagree with enough to make it worthy of the time.

I would make one response as to my position on all this. Todd Butler wanted and got a very good paying, long, and no real buyout contract for having NO head coaching success. This is on both Butler and WSU's athletic department. My level of expectations are tied to the level of contract he wanted and the bind it could put us in (and has) if not successful. I would have been much more tolerant with a lesser contract (one could afford to be) and/or the hire had been someone in the WSU baseball tree. I think that is much tougher now. I believed a Hooper or Standiford would have been successful after a couple of years in the Valley and been able to take that success on to the AAC. I do have my reservations about that now, but if now hired with a reasonable contract, I would back them come hell or high water and am willing to take that chance.

Edit: Just not with my "support", but with my wallet and butt in seat.