Coaching

[ShockTalk]

Mackay- Oklahoma- good program - would use this as a stepping stone like Walton did but if he can win, who cares?
D'Amour - Mizzou- good program- he is not ready for prime time as a head man though
Glasco - Georgia- ditto MacKay
Pendleton - Colo State - you want to bring in an assistant from a team that won 29 games to replace a head coach that won 30? Dont see that happening.
Ogee - New Mex - ditto Pendleton

Not knowing squat about college softball, I did read through the bios, looked at their current programs, and probably agree with you for the most part.

I'm not sure about how you have Glasco pegged, however. The guy's in his 50s and is at his first D1 school. Just doesn't appear to be on any particular fast track to bigger programs and may have a different life style agenda.

Pendleton going back to Colo St to assist again doesn't sound to encouraging and (with my limited knowledge) Ogee appears to be going in reverse as an assistant - Washington to Nebraska to UNM.

[1B29]

Right Under Your Nose.

There is a coach that will be available next year that has more experience than all listed.

[Quick Pitch]

First of all, I think Pooch is a great guy, but if we did get a new coach, I would like to see one with ties to the midwest (prefer Kansas or Oklahoma) that way they are more likely to have long term interest in WSU.

[Shoxtastic]

There is a coach that will be available next year that has more experience than all listed.

Care to enlighten the rest of us as to who that is?

WSU is likely not to be a destination job. It's just the simple economics of the smaller sports (see Walton, tennis, etc.). I'd rather have a coach motivated to make this program a winner so she/he can move on rather than someone looking to make Wichita their home.

And if you think D'Amour isn't ready for a head coaching gig, you're dead wrong. He has been a major cog in Missouri's resurgence.

[Quick Pitch]

I think we can have both, a winner and someone who wants this to be home.
As for D'Amour, there is one reason for Mizzou success: That would be Ehren Earlywine. They have been "surging" since the day he stepped into the head job. You could give Ehren Larry, Mo and Curly as assistants and he would still win.
Pete D'Amour is not ready for a head job. He is lacking in the people skills / personality dept. to handle it. I am not saying that he is not a nice guy, but he gets very frazzled easily.

[1B29]

Shoxtastic. I think our baseball coach has set a very good example of wanting to stay and building a renoun program known throughout the country. Plus he wins with local kids within a three or four state area. Wichita can be a National Contender with the right coach. Why not ask the AD to put winning a priority here instead of like most softball programs just being satisfied with .500 seasons and keeping the program out of the news so he don't have to answer any questions.

[Quick Pitch]

Exactly, Gene has ties to Oklahoma so this was a good fit for him. Not far from family.

[Shoxtastic]

Tim Walton had ties to Oklahoma too. In the smaller sports, when someone comes calling with a "double-your-salary" proposal, it's difficult not to jump. Even Gene jumped for a day. This just simply is not going to be a destination job. If you want the results that Walton provided, you take the risk of losing them by the first program that comes calling with a much larger checkbook, a much nicer facility and another important key, a much better climate for softball.

Still waiting to see who the mystery candidate is 1B29?

[Quick Pitch]

The only ties Walton had to Oklahoma is that he played and coached there. His roots are in California where he grew up and his family still lives there.

[Shoxtastic]

Incorrect. His wife is a former ORU basketball player and has family in Oklahoma, that's a pretty large tie if you ask me. Florida wasn't the first courter for Coach Walton, it was just the best. Good to see them and Missouri back in the World Series.

[Quick Pitch]

The difference is that when Walton came to WSU he made it clear to everyone that he wanted to turn the program around and use this as a stepping stone. Gene Stephenson on the other hand made it clear that he wanted to build a program where he could stay.
Yes Walton "turned it around" but there is a big difference between that and "building a program" If you simply turn it around, then you are only as good as your next coach because there has been no "tradition" built to sustain a pipeline of high level recruits coming in.
If Gene left, players would still want to play here because of the tradition.

[1B29]

Your exactly right. Howvever, there is a couple of more than qualified coaches willing to make the same sacrifice that Gene made if it ever opens. They have been program builders. They want to make a difference. They will stay.

[SpanglerFan316]

Your exactly right. Howvever, there is a couple of more than qualified coaches willing to make the same sacrifice that Gene made if it ever opens. They have been program builders. They want to make a difference. They will stay.

Is one of them named Gregg Marshall? :D

[1B29]

No.

[SpanglerFan316]

Well, I would like HCGM to be "a program builder ... who want to make a difference ... (and) will stay." :D