Who Replaces Gene?

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

I think someone with Wichita connections makes sense.

[shockmonster]

I think to go outside the WSU/Wichita community for a head coach first (providing the three or four who are most qualified are interested) would be a mistake. I think that we have a few candidates who wouldn't see this job as a stepping stone who would do a great job. I also don't think you go to the NAIA level for a head coach. You have to look at who would be a great salesman, have enthusiasm, problem solving capabilities, loyalty to the Shockers and the city of Wichita, baseball cred., etc. While BK wouldn't be my first choice (without talking to him), he should get an interview if he wants one. Except for the OU thing, Brent has some great qualities to be a head coach and I wouldn't allow that fiasco to cloud my judgment on who would be the best head coach.

[Cdizzle]

If you're worried about people looking for the next big thing, that means the program is on an upward trend. Additional work for the AD to keep that person happy or find the next upward trending coach? Yup. It is apparently the path chosen over continuing with the status quo of highly paid, underperformance over the last 5 years at the very basic of levels, the MVC.

Going to the NCAA tournament 3 out of 6 years is enough for someone to be "moving up". That was Gene at his WORST, and apparently was not good enough, nor an "upward trend". Dangerous game. I'm hopeful, but worried.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Casey Walkup @CaseyWalkup 13h
@JeffreyParson @callison1410 Paul's story is right the only thing he left out was he has been offered a special assistant to the AD position
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Chris Allison @callison1410 13h
@CaseyWalkup @JeffreyParson the chance of that happening is slimmer than him becoming HCGM'S permanent ball boy. #noway
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Casey Walkup @CaseyWalkup 4h
@callison1410 the chances of what?
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Chris Allison @callison1410 4h
@CaseyWalkup being a Special Asst. to AD.
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7:26 AM - 4 Jun 13 · Details

Casey Walkup @CaseyWalkup 4h
@callison1410 No I am telling you Gene has been offered that title by Sexton, it's a matter of will he accept it.

[ShockTalk]

Going to the NCAA tournament 3 out of 6 years is enough for someone to be "moving up". That was Gene at his WORST, and apparently was not good enough, nor an "upward trend". Dangerous game. I'm hopeful, but worried.

Come on now diz. You added a year, plus failed to add that WSU finished 1st (tied) only once in the 5 years, with no chance of an at-large had they not won the Valley tourney those 2 years. Yes, that is a downward trend. If those 5 years are acceptable, much less upward trend, all this discussion is moot. You certainly don't need, nor should pay, a coach $500,000 plus to get those results in the Valley. The other Valley schools have proven that.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Excellent point, diz, which is why I think finding someone connected to Wichita may make sense. It carries no guarantee -- Randy Smithson would have coached Shocker basketball forever, but it soon became apparent that he was in over his head, and that's the other key thing: you need someone who can run the program at a high level.

1. Run a clean, academically sound program at a high level of play. (The academic aspect is important here, too. I remember being in Austin once -- I don't recall whether it was during Gustafson or Garrido -- when the paper made a big deal of having nine guys on the academic honor roll. For Gene & Co., that would have been an off semester, even back in the days when they were a dominant team.)

2. Having started down that path of success, settle into the community, stick around, and keep doing the same thing for a long time.

Those are the two key things WSU would like a coach to do. Unfortunately, lots of the people who can do #1 won't also do #2.

You make a great point about academic achievement.

Under Coach Stephenson, the baseball team always achieved at a high leverl in academics.

In my view, Coach Stephenson gets five gold stars in this metric.

[BenWSU]

Kinda like what KSU did with Snyder ? Only issue is how does a new coach do his job when his former boss is 2 doors down meddling with the program.

[WuDrWu]

You make a great point about academic achievement.

Under Coach Stephenson, the baseball team always achieved at a high level in academics.

In my view, Coach Stephenson gets five gold stars in this metric.

Indeed, and not enough praise for the program's continued excellence in this area. Far too often this is overlooked.

[1972Shocker]

Under Coach Stephenson, the baseball team always achieved at a high leverl in academics.

In my view, Coach Stephenson gets five gold stars in this metric.

RDR, I totally agree with you on this point. In fact, I will take it one step futher and say that I've been impressed with our entire athletic program in recent years when it comes to academic performance, but Gene's program has been very good in this regard for a very long time. I think this is important and appreciated by most fans.

I think, for the most part, that our athletes still fit the mold of student-athletes.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Kinda like what KSU did with Snyder ? Only issue is how does a new coach do his job when his former boss is 2 doors down meddling with the program.

thats what it sounds like.

[ShockTalk]

Excellent point, diz, which is why I think finding someone connected to Wichita may make sense. It carries no guarantee -- Randy Smithson would have coached Shocker basketball forever, but it soon became apparent that he was in over his head, and that's the other key thing: you need someone who can run the program at a high level.

1. Run a clean, academically sound program at a high level of play. (The academic aspect is important here, too. I remember being in Austin once -- I don't recall whether it was during Gustafson or Garrido -- when the paper made a big deal of having nine guys on the academic honor roll. For Gene & Co., that would have been an off semester, even back in the days when they were a dominant team.)

2. Having started down that path of success, settle into the community, stick around, and keep doing the same thing for a long time.

Those are the two key things WSU would like a coach to do. Unfortunately, lots of the people who can do #1 won't also do #2.

I think someone with Wichita connections makes sense.

I think to go outside the WSU/Wichita community for a head coach first (providing the three or four who are most qualified are interested) would be a mistake. I think that we have a few candidates who wouldn't see this job as a stepping stone who would do a great job. I also don't think you go to the NAIA level for a head coach. You have to look at who would be a great salesman, have enthusiasm, problem solving capabilities, loyalty to the Shockers and the city of Wichita, baseball cred., etc. While BK wouldn't be my first choice (without talking to him), he should get an interview if he wants one. Except for the OU thing, Brent has some great qualities to be a head coach and I wouldn't allow that fiasco to cloud my judgment on who would be the best head coach.

We have now come to the crossroads: 1) Do you hire a less D-I experienced coach from the Shocker family, who has shown success at the level/type of baseball they coach with the higher likelihood that they will stay long term and are first hand experienced with Stevenson's academic standards? 2) Or do you go for who you to believe is the best choice out there, who has quality D-I experience, who may have the highest likelihood of success, understands the academic standards of WSU program, but has no other ties to the community or school and therefore, a flight risk?

Both have their pluses and minuses. Just as, whichever is chosen will have their backers and detractors. Either way you go, it has the possibility to be a great choice or a bad one. What is most important, that whoever is hired, that Shocker Nation get behind this coach and give him the best possible chance of success. Understand that the turnaround may not happen overnight and reserve judgment on ADES until some time has passed to get a feel for how the selection has turned out.

[GoShockers89]

I hope we at least approach Golloway and Brad Hill so that, if nothing else, they can bleed their employers for an extra $300,000 and our neighbors can quit getting such a bargain. Both are excellent coaches who make about half what we paid Gene and produced twice the results over the last 5 years.

I'm also aware that Golloway is no fan of ours and would likely never accept such an offer.

[GoShockers89]

My short list for candidates I'd like to see interviewed:


Rob Walton
Mark Standiford
Brad Hill (every list needs a swing for the fences candidate)
Dan Heefner (Dallas Baptist HC)
Terry Rooney (UCF HC)
Erik Bakich (Michigan HC)


I would support Kevin Hooper as a coach but I am not wild about him as a candidate. He has never recruited before, anywhere, to anything. If we are going to keep this in the family I believe Standiford is a far superior choice- he has had quick success at the college level (albeit low-level) and has a great reputation among area kids/coaches that would take Hooper years to match.

Hoop is one of my all-time favorite players but probably the riskiest candidate we could possibly choose.

[49erFan]

Rumors are swirling here in Charlotte that Loren Hibbs may be offered the job. Any truth to those rumors?

http://www.charlotte49ers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=363419&SPID=44796&DB_LANG=C &DB_OEM_ID=23200&ATCLID=204861490&Q_SEASON=2012

[ABC]

I hope we at least approach Golloway and Brad Hill so that, if nothing else, they can bleed their employers for an extra $300,000 and our neighbors can quit getting such a bargain. Both are excellent coaches who make about half what we paid Gene and produced twice the results over the last 5 years.

I'm also aware that Golloway is no fan of ours and would likely never accept such an offer.

Golloway isn't a fan of ours, or of Gene?

IIRC, Golloway was the first to throw his hat in the ring for the WSU job when Gene accepted the OU job.