Who Replaces Gene?

[Spaulding]

What nuggets will KSGO reveal today?

Depends on how many times they check Shockernet. Let me guess, their "source" will give them a hot new lead the Monte Lee from c of c is the next target.

[1972Shocker]

I haven't done any research on this guy yet, but he could very well be better than hiring a hitting coach from a team that can't hit.

I assume the hitting coach you are referring to is Todd Butler and that you are basing your seemingly uninformed opinion on the fact that the 2013 Arkansas team was a poor hitting team.

You're upset that Gene was fired after 5 poor years overall and even longer than that when you focus on hitting woes. Yet you turn around a judge another coach based on 1 year. Aren't you a fair minded guy?

Yes, I am a little concerned that Arkansas was such a poor hitting team in 2013. OTOH, they had 5 position players drafted after the 2012 season.

In looking over Butler's full resume it does look like he has had good success as a hitting coach.

From his bio: During Butler’s 20-year career as a NCAA Division I assistant or head coach, he has helped his teams to five College World Series appearances, 16 NCAA regionals, four NCAA super regionals, six conference tournament championships and his teams have been ranked No. 1 four times in his career. In addition, Butler has coached 31 All-Americans, 124 players drafted in the MLB Draft and 20 Major League players.

Granted he was not the head guy for the great majority of this time. But he certainly has been a cog in a log of success.

From his bio: On the field, Butler has also made a huge impact with the Razorbacks as his teams have produced five of the top 10 home run hitting clubs in program history. In Butler’s first season the Razorbacks belted 65 home runs which ranked sixth all-time. Since then, the 2007 team blasted 75 home runs in 64 games, the 2008 team hit 77 in 58 contests, the 2009 team hit 80 in 65 games, while the 2010 team belted 92 homers in 64 games, an average of 1.44 homers per game.

From his bio: Butler has constructed 10 recruiting classes that ranked among the nation’s top 10 including five in his seven years with the Razorbacks.

From his bio Re: 2012: The Razorback offense finished near the top of the SEC in several offensive categories during league play. Against the rugged SEC schedule, Arkansas was second in on base percentage (.355), second in runs scored (158), second in RBI (141), tied for second in doubles (55) and third in walks (113). Arkansas finished the 2012 season with 46 victories, the most wins in a season since 1990 and the sixth-highest single-season total in school history.

It's possible he also knows something about baserunning.

From his bio: Butler played his college ball at McNeese State and Oklahoma. A team captain for the Sooners in 1988, Butler still holds the OU single-season record for stolen bases with 46 steals in 1988

Now if you can dissect his entire resume and still conclude that Butler is not a qualified and quality candidate that's fine. I just don't see how a fair-minded observer could come to that conclusion.

Now does that mean he would be successful as a head coach at WSU or, if he is, that he won't just use the WSU job as a stepping stone? No it does not. There are no guarantees.

I think Todd Butler is a highly qualified candidate. My biggest concern is that he might use the WSU job as a stepping stone although he hasn't really jumped around all that much over the past 20 years.

If Todd Butler ends up being the new Shocker head man I can and will get behind him and hope that he has great success.

[Metalkatz]

What is there to do on the east side that you can't do on the west? Go to Cabela's and get them hunting gear?

Well its basically Bradley Fair vs New Market Square among others. New Market is the definition of national chains in a cheap "upscale" cookie cuter area. Bradley Fair has several higher end niche and some national chains. Bradley Fair has a much nicer feel to it, the area is just nice, come out for a jazz concert sometime. There is only one bowling alley on the west side and its a dump, East side is a little more dense, much more office and employment opportunities, much more to do off k-96 than 235, and the east side has a faster pace of life that I enjoy. Im not saying west side is bad, it is in my opinion very vanilla, heck we even put an offer on a house in auburn hills, but Im glad we didnt end up with it =)

[pinstripers]

Somebody is bragging about how upscale their neighborhood by comparing bowling alleys? This is good stuff.

[Metalkatz]

I wish downtown was bigger. The buildings there are pretty small compared to other cities about our size. We could do better, I wish Koch would have built a nice 40 story sky scraper downtown instead of that really wide 9 story building in ne wichita. I think having a vibrant downtown would be a positive.

[Metalkatz]

Somebody is bragging about how upscale their neighborhood by comparing bowling alleys? This is good stuff.

lol yup, just an example that stuck out in my head. The Alley and Northrock are both fine family entertainment in good areas, compared to west acres...

[1972Shocker]

First of all, I would like to respectfully request that those who desire to have an ongoing discussion of East side vs West side please take that to the Off-Topic Fourm. I don't see the need to clutter this important thread with that totally unrelated discussion. TIA

Towards the end of Sports Daily this morning Bob Lutz said that he does not believe ADES has reached out to Kevin Hooper in any way shape or form to this point. That is a little disappointing if true. However, I am not sure how long ADES has been in Orlando. Kevin has also been on the road since the middle of last week. Perhaps, if that is the case, that will change when ADES returns from Orlando.

[shockmonster]

lol yup, just an example that stuck out in my head. The Alley and Northrock are both fine family entertainment in good areas, compared to west acres...

This is an unfortunate discussion that makes no sense. I have found that my automobile takes me across town anywhere I want to go. It doesn't matter where I live. Property taxes are higher some places and lower others. To each his own.

[1979Shocker]

Depends on how many times they check Shockernet. Let me guess, their "source" will give them a hot new lead the Monte Lee from c of c is the next target.

Their last source worked out pretty well. When they get it right from the SID of DBU, that should be pretty accurate.

[Spaulding]

Their last source worked out pretty well. When they get it right from the SID of DBU, that should be pretty accurate.

They reported that an offer was made and turned down. The only thing I've seen from Dallas Baptist in writing that Heefner was staying at Dallas Baptist, not that an offer was made and turned down. It's very low risk for KGSO to go public with the "offer was made and turned down" fabrication because it will likely never come out publicly one way or another so they will likely never have to back track. My guess is that's why they decided to report this false information.

[pinstripers]

Whoever we end up with will be good. But it needs to be soon.

[SB Shock]

They reported that an offer was made and turned down. The only thing I've seen from Dallas Baptist in writing that Heefner was staying at Dallas Baptist, not that an offer was made and turned down. It's very low risk for KGSO to go public with the "offer was made and turned down" fabrication because it will likely never come out publicly one way or another so they will likely never have to back track. My guess is that's why they decided to report this false information.

It has been my experience that leaks/rumors happen because somebody wanted to happen - which I would surmise that somebody in the AD (maybe even Sexton himself) wanted to start prepping the public for Heefner hire. Hence the leaks to KGSO.

It also been my experience if you get a job offer (and pay increase) but you want to stay at your present employer the best thing is not to shout out to the world about it, but quietly go back to your employer and say here is the deal and usually something gets worked out.

Not sure what your real issue with KGSO is, but the bottomline they have been accurate and as collabrating evidence has emerged, it has not disproven anything they have said, but only reinforced. And right now they are really the only media source in this town doing any investigating reporting of this at all.

[Shox21]

They reported that an offer was made and turned down. The only thing I've seen from Dallas Baptist in writing that Heefner was staying at Dallas Baptist, not that an offer was made and turned down. It's very low risk for KGSO to go public with the "offer was made and turned down" fabrication because it will likely never come out publicly one way or another so they will likely never have to back track. My guess is that's why they decided to report this false information.

Who the blank cares (except apparently a few of you) whether an offer was made or not. If it was, it was apparently turned down. So be it. I don't care why, but some of you obviously do. Are you afraid it gives the perspective that WSU is not a good job and even a coach from a smaller school like Dallas Baptist could conceivably turn us down. WSU is a good job but it is not the king-of-all-kings job. Some of you act like if a job offer is made to someone, it should be an automatic that it is accepted. There are those of us who need to get over ourselves. Maybe WSU wasn't "spiritual" enough for him, maybe after reflecting on it he didn't want half of his assistant staff already chosen for him no matter for how long or short a period of time, maybe his ties to Texas are stronger than he originally thought, maybe his wife didn't like Wichita or didn't want to uproot his children, maybe, maybe, maybe. There could have been a dozen different reasons. The end result is that "the search goes on."

[Metalkatz]

This is an unfortunate discussion that makes no sense. I have found that my automobile takes me across town anywhere I want to go. It doesn't matter where I live. Property taxes are higher some places and lower others. To each his own.

With that kind of logic one could say thats the best thing about the midwest is the beaches....only a 20 hour drive away!

So to get back on track, the best place a perspective new coach should and will live is on the east side. Conversation complete. Thanks to all the west-siders for hating
;)

[BOBB]

Arguing about the best parts of Wichita is like arguing about whichTaco Tico is less likely to make you crap your pants,. My hometown and I love it, but the truth.