Who Replaces Gene?

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

This dude says Pat Murphy would be an intriguing choice

http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/wichita-state-fires-college-baseball-titan-gene-stephenson/

[1979Shocker]

Mike Pelfrey works out at Wichita State during the Major League Baseball offseason and feels such a bond with his hometown school that he has expressed interest in coaching there when his career ends.

Now Pelfrey, who pitches for the Minnesota Twins, is prepared to say no to any future job offer and to any further involvement with the program he grew up watching and the one for which he starred from 2003-05.

Pelfrey was one of several former Shockers who offered support for Gene Stephenson, who was fired Tuesday after 36 years as WSU’s coach. Pelfrey said hiring an outsider to replace Stephenson could cause a mutiny among former players, including him.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/04/283...#storylink=cpy

[shockfan89_]

There are some very concerning quotes in that article. I don't know how much former players give to the university but it sounds like some of them might now re-evaluate.

[ISASO]

Gene was an outsider when he was hired. The players are blindly loyal. Gene isn't the only baseball coach on the planet.

[ShockerFever]

Is it standard for normal athletic directors to not say a word during a coaching fire? No comment as he was walking to his car today. Instead of a statement in front of TV cameras, a generic, bland, and really rather insulting statement is sent to the media in letter form? That just sours me a bit and makes the AD look like a scardy cat. I mean, don't you have the balls to answer to the media why a decision has been made? The generic "it's time to move into a different direction" jargon is BS. I really wanna know specific reasons, as I'm sure Gene does. Apparently, he was told the same thing. I don't think a legend deserves that. If he's fired, fine. He's fired. But give a better reason than some bullshit generic response.

I'm also a bit appalled after seeing the KAKE interview with Susan Peters that Gene stated he would take a pay cut or even pay the university to stay as coach. Didn't some people get irritated simply based on salary? Well, he was willing to take a hit.

I really hope there is a dynamite splash of a hiring that produces big time results within the next 3 years or there's gonna be some serious hell to pay with the current athletic director.

The future is murky. I hope it clears.

[BostonWu]

There's another former WSU 2nd baseman that no one has mentioned on here. I've heard two former players from the glory days say he would be a good choice.

[shockfan89_]

And why wouldn't you at least consult with Gene on his replacement? You have one of the greatest college baseball minds of all time on payroll and you are going to conduct a national search without even asking who he thinks would be a good replacement?

[BostonWu]

Gene was an outsider when he was hired. The players are blindly loyal. Gene isn't the only baseball coach on the planet.

Not disagreeing about blind loyalty but in fairness any hire in 1977 would be an outsider.

[Trigger]

People just need to respect what Gene did for the program and just move forward from here. He did an absolutely amazing job. Very few could have done what he did. Hopefully they start completely fresh with coaches outside the circle, Brent excluded from that of course.

[RoyalShock]

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/04/283...#storylink=cpy

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm already getting tired of reading "he earned the right to go out on his own terms". Sorry, he burned that option up when he left for OU. When he came back, it was a virtual clean slate in my view. What does two super-regionals earn you?

[ShockerFever]

People just need to respect what Gene did for the program and just move forward from here. He did an absolutely amazing job. Very few could have done what he did. Hopefully they start completely fresh with coaches outside the circle, Brent excluded from that of course.

I agree with this.

I want the best possible candidate for the job that will get WSU back to the places it has been and wants to go. I don't want to hire somebody just for the sake of them being tied to the university. That move can backfire quickly.

Hibbs, for example, while is a great former coach for WSU, is not who I would want coming in. I think we have much more at stake than somebody with that kind of resume, no offense. How old is the guy anyway? Doesn't everybody want a young, hungry son-of-a-gun?

[vancedave56]

Hibbs is 52 - not a young, inexperienced coach by any means. Hooper is 37; Standiford is 48 - that's a few varying ages to choose from - of course we want the "best" coach we can get.

[vancedave56]

How old was Gene when he started here - 31?

[GoShockers89]

For comparison purposes, Dan Heefner is 35 and has taken Dallas Baptist to 4 at large bids and 1 super regional as an independent. There are good candidates out there.

[WSUwatcher]

Gene was an outsider when he was hired. The players are blindly loyal. Gene isn't the only baseball coach on the planet.

Huh? "...an outsider when he was hired?" Are you sure you aren't Dofo hijacking ISASO's ID?

When Gene was hired, after the program had been out of business for half a decade plus, there WERE no insiders. Who would you have dredged up -- Don Lock?