Did we really just fire Gene Stephenson?

[shockmonster]

For a long time he had done what he wanted and now for the first time he had no control over the baseball program.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Oh my.

I lol'd

[engrshock]

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.

I would disagree with this statement. I travel quite a bit and WSU is known for its baseball and has been for many years as far as national relevance. A final four may get WSU noticed for basketball but the NIT and Sweet Sixteen did not bring WSU to national relevance in basketball.

[Metalkatz]

We keep hearing from all the Gene supporters and former players. But I dont think we will ever hear much from the majority of former players and fans who all agree Gene needed to move on. It's only the vocal minority right now. Plus no former player, I wouldnt think, would want to verbally bash his former coach...

[Shocker85]

I understand that 85, but in today's college baseball world, is it possible for WSU to go to CWS's in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021? I certainly hope so but realistically, is it possible?

No, I don't think it is very possible for a CWS run like the Shox enjoyed early in Gene's career in today's landscape. But I must say think it was impossible if Gene remained at the helm.

I honestly feel that Gene gave up on national prominence at WSU ever again when he entered the "OU Job For A Day" program. He said himself, "We've taken WSU as far as it can go." Maybe it is naive to think someone else can do better, but I am ready to find out.

I deeply respect and appreciate what was built by Gene and Brent here. I just did not want to see it driven over a cliff forever by them. This is an attractive program, IMO, due to facilities and tradition. Facilities and tradition were one of the things Schaus used to lure Marshall away from Winthrop. The same could happen for baseball as well.

It's done and I'm ready to move forward.

[lemuel777]

10 years ago I was saying GS needed to go. Amazingly he lasted ten more years. Now the program is where I had feared it would go. Looking forward to the future.

[shox1989]

I would disagree with this statement. I travel quite a bit and WSU is known for its baseball and has been for many years as far as national relevance. A final four may get WSU noticed for basketball but the NIT and Sweet Sixteen did not bring WSU to national relevance in basketball.

I agree with this statement totally. When I travel or visit relatives around the country, people see my WSU shirt and will say "good baseball school". Even when I am wearing a WSU basketball shirt. The final 4 may change this, but since it just happened I don't know yet. But the Sweet 16 and NIT did nothing to change the perspective that WSU is a good baseball school.

[RoyalShock]

I agree with this statement totally. When I travel or visit relatives around the country, people see my WSU shirt and will say "good baseball school". Even when I am wearing a WSU basketball shirt. The final 4 may change this, but since it just happened I don't know yet. But the Sweet 16 and NIT did nothing to change the perspective that WSU is a good baseball school.

How many of the people you speak of were under 40?

I would wager that outside of locals and older college baseball fans, a significantly higher percentage of under-40s know WSU for it's recent hardwood accomplishments.

[GoShockers89]

.

[pogo]

The reason the sweet 16 didn't do anything for WSU was the following year the program did a nose dive and then MT left. If there is some continuity to national exposure basketball will surpass baseball.

[1972Shocker]

It would be great if we could be known for both our baseball and basketball programs.

[AndShock]

In this thread, old guys who used to travel for work a lot back in the day assume things are the same as they were in 1995 or 2004.

This. @RoyalShock: was right too. No one knows about college baseball. I have NEVER met anyone who approached me and talked WSU baseball, it's always basketball. The people aren't always right (I've heard "didn't you guys make the Elite Eight a few years ago"?) I've been asked about

Turgeon before, I've been asked how the "new" coach is doing, I've heard people say "haven't you been solid the last couple of years?.

I can't remember how many times I've been asked about basketball, i can remember how many times about baseball: zero.

[WuDrWu]

No, I don't think it is very possible for a CWS run like the Shox enjoyed early in Gene's career in today's landscape. But I must say think it was impossible if Gene remained at the helm.

I also would argue that it's not very possible for ANY team in the country, not just WSU. Arizona missed the tourney this year. Texas has missed the last 2. EVERY team is going to find it next to impossible to go on that kind of a run.

[Rlh04d]

I also would argue that it's not very possible for ANY team in the country, not just WSU. Arizona missed the tourney this year. Texas has missed the last 2. EVERY team is going to find it next to impossible to go on that kind of a run.

Florida State hasn't missed a tournament since 1978. Of course, we can't ever win the damn title, either.

The run of CWS appearances is incredibly difficult to pull off, though.

[DUShock]

Regarding this entire discussion related to how Gene was treated my thoughts (not that anyone particularly cares) are this:

Even if I were to agree with Gene and his crowd that he is owed another year of mediocrity out of loyalty, and I don't believe this to be the case, I would say "The irony of ironies is that Gene actually received more loyalty from Wichita State and Eric Sexton than Gene showed his own wife and family over a much greater period of time". Onward and upward!

Go Shocks!