Who Replaces Gene?

[shox1989]

My sources are telling me that Heefner has been offered, at around $400k. Reasons given: youth, MVC ties, and clean character (given recent WSU athletic related scandals). He isn't sold after Gene's firing, after making the tourney.

$400K? That sounds very high for a guy that has only been a coach for 6 years. Gene didn't get $400k until he had been at WSU for 30 years (not to mention after winning a national championship and having made several trips to Omaha). Surely your information is not correct.

[shox1989]

Consider the "source".

THIS indeed!

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Here are the coaches for this year's CWS and the jobs they held immediately before their current gig. For perspective:


Mike Fox (UNC)- NC Wesleyan HC
Pat Casey (Oregon State)- George Fox HC
Tracy Smith (Indiana)- Miami, OH HC (2 bids in 9 years)
Elliott Avent (NC State)- New Mexico State HC (0 bids in 8 years)
Dan McDonnell (Louisville)- Ole Miss Asst.
John Savage (UCLA)- UCI HC (1 bid in 3 years)
John Cohen (Mississippi State)- Kentucky HC (2 bids in 5 years)
Paul Mainieri (LSU)- Notre Dame HC (9 bids in 12 years, 1 CWS)



Mainieri is the only one of these that would have excited some on this board. And it took arguably the top baseball job in the country to lure him away.

I'd say the rest are doing pretty well without a pedigree.

There has been a lot of LSU fans talking about our situation. One guy, who is VERY close to Coach Maneiri indicated he was interested in the Shockers when Gene left for OU. He also added that Coach would have never taken a position where one of the spots on the staff were already filled, no matter how good they were.

That is a hickup we are going to see from a lot of current Head Coaches. Their assistants are a big part of the reason they are successful, and they will want to bring them with them.

[ShockTalk]

How about John Savage at UCLA? Currently making $185,000 base in LA. Recent contract is here:

At $185,000 in LA, that's a $132,000 equivalent in Wichita. He could live like a rockstar for $200k plus bonuses here, relative to what he's living like in California. And he's got CWS experience.

Their baseball stadium seats 1,820 people.

They averaged under 1,200 people in attendance in 2010.

Why not a guy like that? One that has CWS experience (took second in the country in 2010) that is under compensated, under supported, and under loved?

Sounds like a very worthy candidate to me.

West Coast guy through and through. Played at Nevada, assistant coach Nevada and USC, HC at Irvine, and UCLA. He has 1 player on his roster not from California and he's from Nevada. Are you sure this would be a worthy candidate for WSU?

I'm not good at all in reading contracts, but I believe the one referred to was through June 2012 and included the following:

Among other items, authority was granted to negotiate:
(1) an increase of up to 30 percent on the annual guaranteed compensation (defined as salary
and talent fees). This authority applies the 30 percent limit to the overall cumulative total
(before and after negotiation) for Guaranteed Compensation under the new and old
contract, and
(2) an increase of up to 15 percent on all incentives or bonuses. This authority applies the
15 percent limit to the overall cumulative total (before and after negotiation) for
Maximum Bonus under the new and old contracts.

I read this as he is probably making more than the base $185,000 and $40,000 in potential bonuses in 2012-13 and will probably increase again after June 2013.

I also believe Tennessee may be have an unhappy successful west coast guy who went for the money.

[Kung Wu]

West Coast guy through and through. Played at Nevada, assistant coach Nevada and USC, HC at Irvine, and UCLA. He has 1 player on his roster not from California and he's from Nevada. Are you sure this would be a worthy candidate for WSU?

I'm not good at all in reading contracts, but I believe the one referred to was through June 2012 and included the following:

Among other items, authority was granted to negotiate:
(1) an increase of up to 30 percent on the annual guaranteed compensation (defined as salary
and talent fees). This authority applies the 30 percent limit to the overall cumulative total
(before and after negotiation) for Guaranteed Compensation under the new and old
contract, and
(2) an increase of up to 15 percent on all incentives or bonuses. This authority applies the
15 percent limit to the overall cumulative total (before and after negotiation) for
Maximum Bonus under the new and old contracts.

I read this as he is probably making more than the base $185,000 and $40,000 in potential bonuses in 2012-13 and will probably increase again after June 2013.

I also believe Tennessee may be have an unhappy successful west coast guy who went for the money.

Yeah I noticed his strong West Coast ties. Whether he's the right fit or not is up to others to decide. But my point wasn't that we should recruit John Savage, so much as why aren't we looking at John Savage "type" guys. Guys that have serious CWS experience, are getting paid half of what we know we can offer (based on their ability to perform), want serious fan support, not sloppy left overs from football, have children to raise, etc.

[ShockTalk]

Yeah I noticed his strong West Coast ties. Whether he's the right fit or not is up to others to decide. But my point wasn't that we should recruit John Savage, so much as why aren't we looking at John Savage "type" guys. Guys that have serious CWS experience, are getting paid half of what we know we can offer (based on their ability to perform), want serious fan support, not sloppy left overs from football, have children to raise, etc.

Agree @Kung Wu:. Doc would know so much more than I, but who says we aren't? I also believe DSB has a very valid point regarding current bigger-time head coaches not wanting an already somewhat made coaching staff. Unless that coach was sure that one of his assistants (in this case, the pitching coach) would be taking over the former program or getting a HC gig elsewhere, he's probably not going to bite at WSU.

[SB Shock]

I am actually surprised how irrelevant shocker baseball has become - it took almost 12 hours from when a story of the Heffner interviewed by sexton was posted that it got even discussed. And this was reported after the fact. When we were looking for a basketball coach - there was much more information flowing from the media and message board rumors. It is really a non-story in this town. Nobody really cares except a handful of shockernetters one way or the other.

[Kung Wu]

Agree @Kung Wu:. Doc would know so much more than I, but who says we aren't?

Yeah, I don't know that we aren't. In fact, I have to assume that we are. It's just that the rumors in this thread indicate that we aren't feeling out the top notch guys. I hope that's not the case because Wichita has the potential to land those guys.

I also believe DSB has a very valid point regarding current bigger-time head coaches not wanting an already somewhat made coaching staff. Unless that coach was sure that one of his assistants (in this case, the pitching coach) would be taking over the former program or getting a HC gig elsewhere, he's probably not going to bite at WSU.

I also agree with this. Do we know for a fact that BK will be an assistant coach and not a DOBO from this point on? I have taken it only as rumor that BK would be anything other than DOBO as it would be quite unusual to force an assistant coach on a head coach. Now if the new head coach WANTS BK to be a pitching coach (and who wouldn't), that would be a completely different situation as it would be the head coach's choice. But until I see it reported otherwise that BK is anything but DOBO, I will assume he's not going to be an assistant. Or maybe it was reported and I missed it?

[Kung Wu]

I am actually surprised how irrelevant shocker baseball has become - it took almost 12 hours from when a story of the Heffner interviewed by sexton was posted that it got even discussed. And this was reported after the fact. When we were looking for a basketball coach - there was much more information flowing from the media and message board rumors. It is really a non-story in this town. Nobody really cares except a handful of shockernetters one way or the other.

Well it's not as big as basketball, sure. But friends of mine that never talk about WSU baseball are all mumbling about it with excitement. I think it's actually got a LOT of buzz going around town. Or maybe you meant nationally or something?

[Ricardo del Rio]

Here are the coaches for this year's CWS and the jobs they held immediately before their current gig. For perspective:


Mike Fox (UNC)- NC Wesleyan HC
Pat Casey (Oregon State)- George Fox HC
Tracy Smith (Indiana)- Miami, OH HC (2 bids in 9 years)
Elliott Avent (NC State)- New Mexico State HC (0 bids in 8 years)
Dan McDonnell (Louisville)- Ole Miss Asst.
John Savage (UCLA)- UCI HC (1 bid in 3 years)
John Cohen (Mississippi State)- Kentucky HC (2 bids in 5 years)
Paul Mainieri (LSU)- Notre Dame HC (9 bids in 12 years, 1 CWS)



Mainieri is the only one of these that would have excited some on this board. And it took arguably the top baseball job in the country to lure him away.

I'd say the rest are doing pretty well without a pedigree.

Excellent research!

[SB Shock]

This is what BA said about Heffner earlier this season

@aaronfitt: Extremely gifted young coach. At age 35. One of the fastest to 200. Dan Heefner's 200th career win as DBU defeats TCU 5-4

[mjbaker84]

Consider the "source".

haha!
good call!

I really like the the short info on the John Savage guy!

[jdmee]

I also agree with this. Do we know for a fact that BK will be an assistant coach and not a DOBO from this point on? I have taken it only as rumor that BK would be anything other than DOBO as it would be quite unusual to force an assistant coach on a head coach. Now if the new head coach WANTS BK to be a pitching coach (and who wouldn't), that would be a completely different situation as it would be the head coach's choice. But until I see it reported otherwise that BK is anything but DOBO, I will assume he's not going to be an assistant. Or maybe it was reported and I missed it?

http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/05/2834030/kemnitz-begins-work-as-sole-face.html

WSU fired Stephenson after 36 seasons on Tuesday. At the same time, athletic director Eric Sexton announced that Kemnitz, an assistant to Stephenson for 35 seasons, will remain on the coaching staff and receive a contract extension.

[DaShox]

I don't know if using Mike Cohen as an example is a good one. Yes he was a poor coach but he was the hand picked successor by the leaving Eddie Fogler. Obviously even someone that picks his own successor can screw it up big time much less the AD. Lets hope for great things and not piss and moan over worse case scenarios.

Mike Dart did that. That was not hand picked by Tom. That was a mafia style power play. I would agree Heefner has a Mike Cohen aroma. The only difference is the AD is in town on this one.

[DaShox]

$400K? That sounds very high for a guy that has only been a coach for 6 years. Gene didn't get $400k until he had been at WSU for 30 years (not to mention after winning a national championship and having made several trips to Omaha). Surely your information is not correct.

Check a couple pages back. I believe I dropped the $350-400K number. :)