Did we really just fire Gene Stephenson?

[Shockingly]

Well said.

[Shockingly]

George Mason became a nationally relevant program after their 2 years of success too right? Done with you.

[shockerofandover0943]

While we can hope that this team grows next year, because it's young, this program has not shown a great ability to develop players lately. Coy took a step back, Gardner took a step back, we weren't able to develop enough pitching and couldn't hit enough to support our shortcomings in that department. I just don't have a lot of confidence at this point that Gene and Co. would have been able to turn this ship around. Could this firing been handled better? Yes, I think so. Do I think that there were obvious reasons to let Gene go? Yes, I think so.

[shockerofandover0943]

George Mason became a nationally relevant program after their 2 years of success too right? Done with you.

A Sweet 16 run, NIT Championship, and Final 4 in the last 8 years have garnered the university more national relevance than anything Wichita State baseball has done in a long time. I love the baseball team, and I dropped a decent amount of money on all-session passes to go watch us get handled in Manhattan last weekend, but I will not accept the current product.

[shox1989]

A Mike Pelfrey quote from an espn.com article:

"I remember watching video of that place when he got there and it was nothing," Pelfrey said. "I grew up in Wichita and that was the place to be and the place to go. When you think of Wichita State, you think of Gene Stephenson. To hear that they are turning their back on him is shameful.
"This guy is a legend and I don't agree with it. It's not right at all."

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...enson-36-years

[WuDrWu]

I'm going to stand up, 1 time, and say the following:

Eric Sexton absolutely made the right decision as an Athletic Director today. It's not close. His job is to do what's best for Wichita State and he did it. We get to be emotional, he does not.

We ALL wish it would have ended differently. But Gene chose through inaction to do it this way. He forced Eric's hand. If you for 1 minute think Eric wanted it to end like this, just look in his eyes. You'll see the pain, the pressure and the disappointment. He didn't want to do it, and he takes no pride in doing it. But he did it for WSU and it was the right move, no matter what anyone else says.

If you think Eric is wrong, I'm sorry, but you're wrong.

Now, the HARD part is the hiring of his replacement. Everyone will have ample opportunity to scrutinize Eric as this process unfolds. Nobody can comment yet because it hasn't happened. You may complain all you want later.

Yes, today sucks, but it had to happen.

[WuDrWu]

While we can hope that this team grows next year, because it's young, this program has not shown a great ability to develop players lately. Coy took a step back, Gardner took a step back, we weren't able to develop enough pitching and couldn't hit enough to support our shortcomings in that department. I just don't have a lot of confidence at this point that Gene and Co. would have been able to turn this ship around. Could this firing been handled better? Yes, I think so. Do I think that there were obvious reasons to let Gene go? Yes, I think so.

Excellent. They used to say that about KSU football back in the 80s. The good news is everyone is back....the bad news, everyone is back.

[jdmee]

...
The whole situation just sucks. I know a lot of people probably won't agree on me with this but I can kinda see why Veritas went crazy today. I just don't think it looks well on the outside and unfortunately, that is an important viewpoint to consider. We should never look bad or unprofessional. I just think Gene there all by himself and left to tell his fate was very tacky and distasteful. Some people think Gene can be described like that. Well, ok, but that means the university and AD should act the same way?

But we don't know the inside story. Was Gene given the choice Monday? Retire and go out with all the fan fair of a Legend that you deserve or we will have to let you go, your choice. Did Gene then come back and tell ES to fire him and take all the fan fair and stick it where the sun don't shine? We on this board don't know.

But yes this could have been handled in a more graceful way by both sides. This could have been handled at the beginning of the year. ES should have given these choices then. "Gene looking at the last few years it looks like after this year we will be going in a different direction. I know you and you will probably make this a year to never forget by returning to the CWS. If that happens I might have to come back in here at the end of the year begging and pleading, however most likely this is your last year. I would like to make this year celebrating your career. Is there a way I can get you to make a statement that you are going to retire at the end of the year so we can plan out all the celebrations? I'll let you sleep on it." or something along that line.

[molly jabali]

Everyone talks about HOW this could have been handled differently....I've seen a couple options, but I'd like to hear more. The one year victory lap mentioned before, to me, has disaster written all over it. But fire away....

[jcdshocker]

I'm going to stand up, 1 time, and say the following:

Eric Sexton absolutely made the right decision as an Athletic Director today. It's not close. His job is to do what's best for Wichita State and he did it. We get to be emotional, he does not.

We ALL wish it would have ended differently. But Gene chose through inaction to do it this way. He forced Eric's hand. If you for 1 minute think Eric wanted it to end like this, just look in his eyes. You'll see the pain, the pressure and the disappointment. He didn't want to do it, and he takes no pride in doing it. But he did it for WSU and it was the right move, no matter what anyone else says.

If you think Eric is wrong, I'm sorry, but you're wrong.

Now, the HARD part is the hiring of his replacement. Everyone will have ample opportunity to scrutinize Eric as this process unfolds. Nobody can comment yet because it hasn't happened. You may complain all you want later.

Yes, today sucks, but it had to happen.

Amen. I totally agree

[SHOXAAC]

Ungrateful.

That's all I can keep thinking of when I think about the idiots, and yes you are idiots, who called for and now have Gene's head on a platter. Gene was a victim of his own success. You win too consistently and then you don't do it for a few years and you've "lost it." You're all armchair qb's who are clueless. How many games have you managed? Hindsight jerks. How many players have you recruited? 35/36 years we watched our teams win at LEAST 35 games. Mike Pelfrey summed it up best in his comments to Jeff Lutz. "Pelfrey: 90 percent of schools in America would take WSU's level of success. It's unfortunate how spoiled fans have been because of Gene."

And spare me the same tired arguments you've been throwing around on here for years. I've been an avid reader, but now I'm a poster. Gene owed you nothing, he did immeasurable things for the school, the community, the city, and mostly for many many young men. The day you know more about baseball than Gene is the day you will be called to coach at WSU... News flash: NEVER HAPPENING. Cowards.

Well now you have what you want spoiled brats, just remember that when you walk into that beautiful stadium you and your band of hooligans overthrew the king of that castle.

I've never put my hand in an open flame, but vividly remember coaching my kids not to do it. But I guess I'm just an idiot. Have to go now, I see a cliff I have never fallen off of, but will obstruct my grand daughter from doing so.

[Kung Wu]

So this is what I have learned and observed:

Gene achieved LEGENDARY status during his tenure as Wichita State baseball coach.
Gene is PASSIONATE about coaching Wichita State baseball.
Three decades of baseball players became loyal to Gene for a rewarding college baseball experience.
Throngs of serious fans became loyal to Gene and Wichita State for remarkable accomplishments on the field.

Most athletes are more loyal to a coach than the University.
Most fans are more loyal to the University and the athletes, than to a coach.
Gene's success made it possible, for the longest time, for fans to become loyal to both.

Gene upset a large portion of his fan base when he left for OU and didn't speak in generic terms about his exit.
Gene began losing a majority of his fans when the self-fulfilling prophecy of not being able to win at WSU became true over the past six years.

As a head coach you should have assistants that keep you MOTIVATED to improve, or at the very least can offset your own weaknesses.
Gene became unwilling to make difficult changes to his staff and subsequently lost his FIRE, MOMENTUM, and recruiting SWAGGER.
Gene OSTRACIZED himself from multiple Athletic Directors, making it impossible for them to ASSIST him in making good decisions.

Those that embrace change are loyal to the University and the program overall first and foremost.
They are saddened by, and even second guess themselves over, the loss of a legend who can't, or won't, perform at the level he once did.

Those that are angry about the change are loyal to the legend that made the program what it is.
They deeply care about honoring Gene for his accomplishments, and don't care that the program has slidden out of national relevance.

And so it comes down to two very polarized camps:

The majority, the "Programmers", want first and foremost to see the program restore its national prominence.
The minority, the "Geners", want first and foremost for Gene to exit on his own terms.

It is impossible to have both.

[jdmee]

Everyone talks about HOW this could have been handled differently....I've seen a couple options, but I'd like to hear more. The one year victory lap mentioned before, to me, has disaster written all over it. But fire away....

I think that would have been the best way for us as fans. It would have been great to be able to have the last game of the season being a big celebration of the career of Gene. It would have been nice to be able to announce that Gene will be moving into an AD advisory position to complete his contract where he could have concentrated on the fund raising for Phase II, but is vacating the head coaching position. But I do agree that unless Gene would have agreed to this and to go gently into that good night it could become a disaster. The more I think about it the problem is Gene is not one to go out quietly.



EDIT** This would have been the dream way for this to have worked. Gene made it clear that he doesn't think his results the last few years were worthy of being released from his duties as a head coach. Sexton felt they were along with the business side of things.

If Gene did not want to give up his position and Sexton felt the need to make a change there was no way this was going to end any different.

[pinstripers]

it is

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

The thing is AD Sexton has his fingers on a much bugger pulse of ShockerNation than anyone here. Anyone who thinks a thread on an internet board got Gene fired is an idiot.

People spoke with their wallets. As @WuDrWu: said, this is a business. I had to fire a guy last week that I loved working for me, but didnt make business sense to keep based on MULTIPLE factors besides my feelings.

It is sad to see Gene go, but the future is bright. Look at Penn St. and Florida St. after they moved on in football. Everyone was sad to see them go, but the fans are back and stronger than ever supporting the new coaches.