Adams returning to UTEP?

[1972Shocker]

Shouldn't Wichita State be qualifying for some volume discounts from the search firm. And we still have the possiblity of a search for a baseball coach coming up.

[ShockTalk]

An experienced option that is well respected as an X's and O's guy, but hasn't made a jump to a bigger school is Karl Smesko of FGCU.

He's dominated at that school, much like Marshall dominated at Winthrop.

Maybe Saal can pull the same magic on Smesko that Schaus pulled on Marshall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Smesko

Wow! He's got quite a record there. Really surprised a "big" school hasn't latched onto to him.

[1972Shocker]

This is a win win it appears. Finally a coaching vacancy that doesn't cost millions.

Seems like it. Smart move by HCKA. Perhaps a little bit fortunate on how things worked out at UTEP.

https://utepminers.com/news/2023/4/5/womens-basketball-utep-womens-basketball-coach-kevin-baker-resigns.aspx

She will have far more job security at least for a while moving forward with UTEP than she would have had she stayed at Wichita State where she would have been under pressure to produce in the final year of her contract in order to get a renewal offer.

[mjbaker84]

Wichita to El Paso (I know she was already there before) but ouch…

[Shockerman]

I wish we had the cash to build a smaller volleyball/women's basketball arena to help breath some life into those programs. We definitely have the space to do it. The women's basketball job here is definitely a tough one as it is kind of the forgotten sport on campus. It's also incredibly tough to build a program since the sport has 15 scholarships instead of 13 like the men. Especially when you take into account that there are fewer available DI caliber players overall, it allows the "have's" to really stockpile talent. Softball isn't a lot different and what Coach B has done there is nothing short of amazing. We have been the only non P5 ranked this season.

[SubGod22]

I wish we had the cash to build a smaller volleyball/women's basketball arena to help breath some life into those programs. We definitely have the space to do it. The women's basketball job here is definitely a tough one as it is kind of the forgotten sport on campus.

I'm not sure where we'd build it, but a 5-6k seat building would make for better environments for those games which couldn't hurt attendance. And as I've always said, if there's a big opponent/game where you felt the need to move the game to Koch, you could.

[Shock Top]

Build it where Fairmount Towers was

[1972Shocker]

I'm not sure where we'd build it, but a 5-6k seat building would make for better environments for those games which couldn't hurt attendance. And as I've always said, if there's a big opponent/game where you felt the need to move the game to Koch, you could.

That would definitely not hurt attendance. Probably doesn't even need to be that big. 3-4k seating would probably be more than enough. But the question is not that it couldn't hurt attendance but would it help attendance and that is petty unclear. A successful, entertaining team would be the biggest factor in that regard. So the question is would a smaller, dedicated arena help build a better team. Possible, I guess, but at this point time I see this as purely a dollars and sense decision. Would the dollars it would take to do that make sense in terms of financial payback. While this would be nice it will probably remain on your wish list for quite some time unless some wealthy donor decides they want to fund such a project. And you still have the issue of where to put it.

[1972Shocker]

UTEP's 2022-23 roster included 12 players. Looks like 4 are graduating/completing eligibility (2 starters and 2 key reserves). Keitha always seemed to prefer to use all 15 of her scholarships. So she has room to add 7 players to her roster at UTEP next year. The question is how many of those will be form the current Shocker roster or her incoming recruiting class. Jane Asinde, D.J. McCarty and Shamaryah Duncan would be the biggest losses from the current roster if they decide to go. She had in incoming recruiting class of 5 players signed. The best of that group was probably Salese Blow, a 5-11 high scoring guard out of Murphy, Texas (NE Dallas suburb). The other 4 were all foreign born players, 2 of which played at New Mexico College (juco) this year.
Also 8 of the 13 eligible to return Shocker roster players are foreign born as well. Not sure how that dynamic will impact roster turnover.

So it will be quite interesting to see how this all shakes out especially since whoever ADKS hires will be getting a late start and may not have much of a chance to re-recruit any of the current players or recruits that they might otherwise have an interest in. I think ADKS will make a good hire although he may have to think outside the box a bit on this one.. However, I'm not all that optimistic about the next couple of years but we'll see how this all goes down.

[SubGod22]

I say 5-6k because it wasn't all that long ago that volleyball was getting 5k+ to a number of matches and have averaged over 3500. Sell outs are nice, but not if it limits building a fan base. It's my big issue with Wilkins only holding like 900 or so.

As far as attendance, atmosphere plays a part in people wanting to go or enjoying games in person. At least for some people. Sitting in a 10k arena with 2-3k can feel a little lacking. Being in a 5k arena with those same 3k or so will create a better environment and help make things more exciting for fans as well as players. Especially if it's designed well and intensifies the sound and doesn't deaden it.

The WBB team could still play their game in front of all of the kids in CKA. And you hope some of those kids can convince the parents to take them to a game at the 5k arena.

Personally, I'd rather build something a little too big than a little too small and stunt potential growth. If VB finds its footing it can get back to those numbers. I believe there were years where VB may or may not have been in the black, but it was far from a financial drain on the department. I don't see why a good WBB team can't get close to those numbers at least. The best results I could find for WBB were around 2800 I think it was for an average. That was in the 29 win season under Jody Adams and if we could maintain success on a similar level (20+ wins) then WBB would develop a more consistent fan base and grow beyond that.

I did pull up a WSU map and it does appear that there may be enough space for such a facility where Fairmount used to be. I don't know about parking, but you could always use CKA parking and have people cross Hillside and 21st streets.

[Shock Top]

5k-6k would also make sense so you can host local/regional games and tournaments there as well as other sports like wrestling or gymnastics.

If they could build a tunnel to cross under 21st and Hillside, that could be a cleaver way to solve some of the parking questions.

[Shockm]

Adams came back home to WSU to do crap. This was supposedly returning home, and she was going to be the Savior. What a crock.

[1972Shocker]

Most of the Shocker top volleyball attendance seasons happened before all their matches became available on ESPN+. The top season was 2017 but that was the year we hosted a regional. We averaged 3,401 per home match that season including the 2 regional games. Back those 2 matches out and we averaged 2,700 that year. Our average home attendance for our top 10 years of attendance (2007 thru 2017 -- not including 2015) was around 2,700. We did have some great crowds for the UNI and Missouri State games back in the Valley days but so far we have not seemed to develop any comparable rivalries since joining the AAC. Even Tulsa does not draw that big of a crowd. Could that change? Yes, maybe, I don't know. I doubt if simply building a new arena would change that.

That said it probably does not cost all that much more make the capacity a little more than you think you need. But if you're going to build a 6,000 seat arena than just keep playing in Koch arena. I do think the could do a couple of things with Koch Arena to maybe make it more intimate and improve the setting. One thing would be to install curtains to "wall off" the upper bowl which I think they already have to some degree, although I don't know how that would impact the HVAC systems. Acquire a portable volleyball court. When the U.S. Men's and Women's national teams played in Wichita a number of years back they had their own floor laid out over the Koch Arena floor and it was great. Improved the watch-ability of the matches quite a bit IMHO.

I am not wild about putting it on the Fairmount Towers site. Could you replace the Heskett Center with an arena? Of course, then you have do something for an indoor track and field facility.

Nice to dream I guess, but pardon me if I don't hold my breath on this one. I could be wrong but I don't see it happening in the foreseeable future if at all. Maybe, if and when they finish the demolition and reconfiguration of Cessna Stadium and the planned softball improvements they can turn attention to this project. But by then who knows what the situation will be.

[ShockerInKC]

I wish we had the cash to build a smaller volleyball/women's basketball arena to help breath some life into those programs. We definitely have the space to do it. The women's basketball job here is definitely a tough one as it is kind of the forgotten sport on campus. It's also incredibly tough to build a program since the sport has 15 scholarships instead of 13 like the men. Especially when you take into account that there are fewer available DI caliber players overall, it allows the "have's" to really stockpile talent. Softball isn't a lot different and what Coach B has done there is nothing short of amazing. We have been the only non P5 ranked this season.

We just need some welfare money and a NFL QB to fund it.

[Shockerman]

If I'm ADKS, my first call is to Jory Collins of NDSU. He is from Kansas, had an amazing 8 year run at Emporia State, was an assistant at KU for a year and has turned around an NDSU program that has been dreadful since their move to DI. Probably couldn't get him unless we really stepped up his pay, but he is destined for big things.