Brent Kemnitz speaks at 10:30

[pogo]

I am SO glad Brent is still a part of this and love his enthusiasm for his role in going forward and his vision of his link to the past and moving forward. This interview I hope is archived.

[tru2thaduce]

I now know why we still have Brent on staff.This is exactly what I needed to hear today.Nothing but respect for Gene and positive energy for the future of Shocker baseball!!

[pogo]

I'll side with the good doc. I'm going out and buy season tickets. I let the others lapse two years ago but if Brent is this enthused after what has gone one this year and this week I'm all in again.

[shocks771]

This is exactly what I was saying yesterday when I said I'm excited for Shocker baseball for the first time since 2008. I love that Brent said he just wants the best guy for the job whether he has WSU ties or not. I'm pumped and can't wait to see who our new coach is!!

[1972Shocker]

Initially, I wasn't real sure about whether retaining Brent was a smart thing or not. But in our particular circumstances that has very few, if any, precedents and after hearing Brent this morning I'm beginning to think it was a smart move.

Hopefully, Brent's continued involvement and positive attitude will allow for the healing with those fans and former players who are upset to begin ASAP and to occur ASAP.

I think it also makes bringing in someone like Kevin Hooper much more of a possibility. I could live with Hooper, Kemnitz and Standiford as our coaching staff and I think such a triumvirate woud go a long way to helping re-unify Shocker nation as far as Shocker baseball goes.

[vancedave56]

IMO he was "aware" of being retained...really for him to stay - good chance the "new guy" was for it - mutual interest.

[MadaboutWu]

I was glad yesterday to hear BK was staying on as I thought having some continuity even going in a new direction would help retain players and recruits. Good to hear about the interview. Can anyone provide some details of what was said?

[pogo]

I thought BK was outstanding in his view of what he brings to the table and how excited he is to be a part of the next phase. He was very realistic in how he sees his role with the next head coach and the need to find the best coach whether its from the Shocker family or nation wide. This is really what I needed to see some positive signs about what has gone on and am excited about the future.

[SPEShockAlum]

Archived yet? Sorry I missed it.

[jpshocker]

It has been suggested to me by others far more in the know than myself that there may not be a lot of love loss here. If you were part of a program that had seen the highest of highs but was no longer competing at the level it once did I would assume you'd be excited for change too if you didn't feel you were part of the problem. I think Brent is handling this perfectly and I also think there is reason for excitement with his continued involvement. Brent is great at his job, a lifer at WSU and will only help this process along. And after all, isn't he really just saying the same things that many of us who were ready for Gene to move on were thinking all along? I don't see it as salesmanship. I think he is calling it the way he truly sees it. I for one was good with the change and now I'd say I'm even excited again.

[Ricardo del Rio]

All things considered from the past couple of days... weird. Not as in bad, just weird. There's possibly some salesmanship going on here from some angle.

Not possibly, certainly.
Not some angle, multiple angles.
Not all salesmanship, some spin.

I am glad the Coach Kemnitz is staying, but I am wondering how it will work out with the new coach.

Like some others, I believe there may be an undisclosed coach in waiting.

[GoShockers89]

.

[1972Shocker]

Archived yet? Sorry I missed it.

I think it is usually a few hours before he podcasts are available. Probably sometime this afternoon.

[ABC]

I thought there were three key things from Kemnitz's appearance:

1. His positive energy, regardless of whether it was spin, angling or whatever.
2. He said the coaching search should not be handicapped by limiting it to the "family" or making sure it was outside of the family.
3. That this is the most excited he's been about WSU baseball in several years. That comment was made at the beginning and really caught my attention.

[RoyalShock]

It has been suggested to me by others far more in the know than myself that there may not be a lot of love loss here. If you were part of a program that had seen the highest of highs but was no longer competing at the level it once did I would assume you'd be excited for change too if you didn't feel you were part of the problem. I think Brent is handling this perfectly and I also think there is reason for excitement with his continued involvement. Brent is great at his job, a lifer at WSU and will only help this process along. And after all, isn't he really just saying the same things that many of us who were ready for Gene to move on were thinking all along? I don't see it as salesmanship. I think he is calling it the way he truly sees it. I for one was good with the change and now I'd say I'm even excited again.

This pretty much sums up how I'm interpreting the whole situation. I think Brent was seeing what most of us were seeing but couldn't say or do anything about it, and understandably so.