Brent Kemnitz steps down

[Cdizzle]

Please. This is his livelyhood. There are plenty of stories of him out beating the bushes for recruits and on paper they have been good recruiting classes - unfortunately it hasn't worked out yet.

If Gene had shown more passion in his final years and had gotten out and beaten the bushes (or hired a young gun with passion) he might still be at WSU.

Well then maybe less passion is better, given that Gene's 'terrible results' the last couple years still far out-paced the current 'passion-infused' methods.

Lots of people aren't that passionate about their livelihoods. Especially people who aren't that successful at what they do, but seem to keep having a job doing it. Hmmm.

[ShockTalk]

Well then maybe less passion is better, given that Gene's 'terrible results' the last couple years still far out-paced the current 'passion-infused' methods.

Lots of people aren't that passionate about their livelihoods. Especially people who aren't that successful at what they do, but seem to keep having a job doing it. Hmmm.

I'm probably reading this all wrong and I'm missing a point you trying to make, but that sentence described Gene's last 5 years to me and some here wanted that to continue for as long as Gene wanted it to. Keep paying the half mill salary that was a lot larger than anyone else in the Valley, have a higher paid staff a lot larger than anyone else in the Valley, ignore personal baggage that other programs might not put up with that level of recent results, allow him to set back and make no changes to improve recruiting or the future of Shocker baseball while only expecting non-at-large teams, an occasional 1st place Valley season, and for the fans to consider themselves lucky that the team backs into an occasional regional without winning any regional games.

I'm not saying Gene's results were terrible, but they were way lower than a legend making that kind of money should have been. So, yes, I expected more from Gene. Maybe Butler making 3/5 the salary is just doing 3/5s the results. Maybe that means that neither was/is coming close to earning their keep along with Butler being a bad hire as he never has had success as a D-I head coach. So, shame on the AD for hiring Butler, but shame on Gene because he was extremely successful yet let it slip away into those last 5 years and showed no signs of changing.

[bleed yellow]

holy hell


he just said

"Quit beating him up on Shockernet"

Person 1: One of Wsu's coaches just quit.. Not good I take it?

Me: Wsu fielded it's worst ever baseball team this year, if that gives you any idea of what kind of problems they are having right now.

[OregonShocker]

I'm probably reading this all wrong and I'm missing a point you trying to make, but that sentence described Gene's last 5 years to me and some here wanted that to continue for as long as Gene wanted it to. Keep paying the half mill salary that was a lot larger than anyone else in the Valley, have a higher paid staff a lot larger than anyone else in the Valley, ignore personal baggage that other programs might not put up with that level of recent results, allow him to set back and make no changes to improve recruiting or the future of Shocker baseball while only expecting non-at-large teams, an occasional 1st place Valley season, and for the fans to consider themselves lucky that the team backs into an occasional regional without winning any regional games.

I'm not saying Gene's results were terrible, but they were way lower than a legend making that kind of money should have been. So, yes, I expected more from Gene. Maybe Butler making 3/5 the salary is just doing 3/5s the results. Maybe that means that neither was/is coming close to earning their keep along with Butler being a bad hire as he never has had success as a D-I head coach. So, shame on the AD for hiring Butler, but shame on Gene because he was extremely successful yet let it slip away into those last 5 years and showed no signs of changing.

All true, and I think the highlighted portion (mine) is what lots of folks forget.

[Cdizzle]

Was Stephenson appropriately compensated for 1982?

[ShockTalk]

Was Stephenson appropriately compensated for 1982?

Since Gene was here for another 25 years before moving on to OU, you would have to ask him that question as he never said money was at issue in him leaving.

That chapter in Gene Stephenson's career at WSU was at a completion and I'm not saying that with any ill will toward him leaving. I understood why he would leave for OU and that it was something special to him and his staff (not just moving on to move on).

With all this said, why would I think WSU owed him more? He didn't.

Upon quickly coming back, the slate was clean. He was paid Top 10 money, however, not for a moment do I think WSU or our fans expected him to have a Top 10 team year in, year out. Competitive, yes. Top 25, occasionally. Top 50, absolutely. He knew this just as well as he knew what extra effort it would take for him and his staff to accomplish it. He made that high salary for another 8 years, so, yes, I think WSU more than made up for any early shortcomings in salary given his shortcomings overall during many of those 8 years when compared to what he was earning.

[Ricardo del Rio]

This mess has been a giant CF since before Gene got fired, if Butler gets another year and there is not significant improvement. I would suggest that both Butler and Boatright need to go.

Just how long is interim?

Just wondering.

[shockerfanmas]

Just my opinion, but we have not had an AD that had a clue since Schaus left. I'm not anymore impressed with this Boatright dude than I was with Sexton.

[DUShock]

Just my opinion, but we have not had an AD that had a clue since Schaus left. I'm not anymore impressed with this Boatright dude than I was with Sexton.

Just thinking out loud, is it possible that the athletic department cannot afford a proven leader who has had success as an AD in the D-I realm? I would think that we could but maybe not, hence the semi-permanent interim?

[AndShock]

Gregg probably picks the AD.

[Cdizzle]

I've posted this elsewhere, but if I was a university president, and I was running a feasibility study to determine the scope and direction of my school's athletic department, I would be tempted to wait until the results of said study were available before determining what type of Athletic Director I thought would be the most successful for the school.

[double dribble]

Back to the original topic of Brent stepping down, we need a replacement, and the absolute best pitching coach in the mid-west is Steve Lienhard. I hope HCTB considers him for the job.

[Aargh]

Back to the original topic of Brent stepping down, we need a replacement, and the absolute best pitching coach in the mid-west is Steve Lienhard. I hope HCTB considers him for the job.

That pretty much guarantees it can't happen. It seems Butler will require a pitching coach who knows less about pitching than he does. He's already proven he can't work with a pitching coach who knows how to do the job.

[ShockTalk]

That pretty much guarantees it can't happen. It seems Butler will require a pitching coach who knows less about pitching than he does. He's already proven he can't work with a pitching coach who knows how to do the job.

Maybe he'll hire another volunteer assistant from Arkansas.

[Ricardo del Rio]

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article83040192.html

Footnote: Is there a worse website than Kansas.com for navigation?