If You Believe in Meritocracies, Hendo Probably Needs to be Named Head Coach

[ShotgunDawg]

I've been pretty adamant that Henderson should not be the head coach. I don't believe in his recruiting or player development, and I think what he's mostly done is expertly manage a crappy situation. I don't believe he's the long term answer.

However, more than my baseball beliefs, I am an absolute believer in meritocracies and the world should reward people that earn it. At some point, whether you think they are talented or not, people earn jobs and deserve the carrot.

Additionally, at some point what people have earned becomes so clear that by not hiring them, you are sending a terrible message to the industry about how you operate.

I have no clue how successful Gary would be as our permanent head coach and I am skeptical, but we are either at or close to point that even the skeptic in me agrees that he's probably earned the position.

In some ways Gary is MSU. Hard working, genuine, and an underdog. The guy represents the blue collar meritocracy that our school and State are built upon.

Perhaps we should embrace that. Matt Luke won the Egg Bowl. Henderson has us on the cusp of a natty.

[5049]

He's done just as much as Polk ever did, postseason wise

[msstate7]

If we can get schloss, McDonnell, tadlock, or Corbin, we should take them. After that everyone is somewhat an unknown imo. I think we could do much worse than hiring Henderson, getting him an up and comer pitching coach and giving Gautreau/brown a nice raise. Pretty amazing job by Henderson, Gautreau, and Brown... esp considering we down a coach

[shoeless joe]

I'm not 100% sold yet but it's about to the point where there's no other choice. And you hit on one reason why...whether or not we care how the media reacts there would definitely be a reaction on the negative side within the coaching realm.

Let me say that IF we go that route we'd hafta make sure to keep the staff intact and go get a pitching guy. Let Hendo be the figurehead. But it's getting to the point where it's similar to cutting a position player that doesn't have the measurables but keeps on producing good results.

[lefty96]

I've been pretty adamant that Henderson should not be the head coach. I don't believe in his recruiting or player development, and I think what he's mostly done is expertly manage a crappy situation. I don't believe he's the long term answer.

However, more than my baseball beliefs, I am an absolute believer in meritocracies and the world should reward people that earn it. At some point, whether you think they are talented or not, people earn jobs and deserve the carrot.

Additionally, at some point what people have earned becomes so clear that by not hiring them, you are sending a terrible message to the industry about how you operate.

I have no clue how successful Gary would be as our permanent head coach and I am skeptical, but we are either at or close to point that even the skeptic in me agrees that he's probably earned the position.

In some ways Gary is MSU. Hard working, genuine, and an underdog. The guy represents the blue collar meritocracy that our school and State are built upon.

Perhaps we should embrace that. Matt Luke won the Egg Bowl. Henderson has us on the cusp of a natty.

I don't see how we can not hire him. How do you not retain a guy after a CWS run? I agree w/ all the points in not keeping him, but. . .

[BB30]

Lets win the whole thing this year and then I could honestly care less for a couple of years ha.

[Liverpooldawg]

He just made the Final Four. If he isn't offered the job you talk about a bad look. It would be beyond bad.

[5049]

Lets win the whole thing this year and then I could honestly care less for a couple of years ha.

TRUTH

[tireddawg]

Not me. I want to build on this, have top 5 recruiting classes in a row, and consecutive CWS appearances. I want to be a blue blood. I trust Cohen will get it right & will have my support whatever decision he makes.

[smootness]

He has earned it. But that doesn't matter. We don't need to hire the coach who has earned it based on what he's done in the past, we need to hire the coach who gives us our best shot going forward. Who cares if he earned it or what message people try to draw from it? That doesn't win us any games next year.

[Johnson85]

I don't see how we can not hire him. How do you not retain a guy after a CWS run? I agree w/ all the points in not keeping him, but. . .

Not that I'm against hiring him, but you don't hire him because of a post season run. What is happening this year is the culmination of a lot of years of recruiting and coaching and building. I think people have gone overboard in not giving Henderson credit, but it is absolutely possible that Henderson is just a good coach that is benefiting from good player leadership and abilities. And Cohen may have the opportunity to hire a great coach.

That said, I think Henderson is going to get the job now. If Cohen wasn't willing to announce a hire before the season is over, that makes me think he was willing to give henderson the job. And if he was willing to give Henderson the job, I suspect that means this post season has essentially been an interview that will push him over the finish line. And I'm fine with that. As much as Cohen knew about Henderson based on his time at UK and MSU, if Cohen thinks enough of Henderson that Henderson was legitimately an option prior to this post season run, then I think the post season run should allay any concerns people have based on his results at UK.

[Cooterpoot]

All the haters might as well get ready to bend over and take a banana because Gary is about to be the man after we win this SOB.

[smootness]

He just made the Final Four. If he isn't offered the job you talk about a bad look. It would be beyond bad.

No, it wouldn't. State fans are way too scared of this. I've heard tons of State fans say it and haven't yet heard one single non-State fan say it.

[Liverpooldawg]

No, it wouldn't. State fans are way too scared of this. I've heard tons of State fans say it and haven't yet heard one single non-State fan say it.

I've heard tons of non-state fans say it. The only ones that aren't are the MSU people who made up tiger mind early on about Henderson and refuse to change it.

[confucius say]

You hire the best coach/staff you can hire. If that is Hindu/JG, do it. If not, don't.

[BB30]

You hire the best coach/staff you can hire. If that is Hindu/JG, do it. If not, don't.

At this point how many coaches that we would realistically be in the run for have a better resume than Hendo/JG combo? Seems like every coach with CWS experience has passed on the job.

[smootness]

I've heard tons of non-state fans say it. The only ones that aren't are the MSU people who made up tiger mind early on about Henderson and refuse to change it.

Who really cares if they consider it a bad look? They'll forget about it within a week. Cohen's job is to hire the best person for the job, not to concern himself with the various ways in which people might interpret the way he went about it.

[Pit Bull]

If we have to resort to some lower D-1 HC or Asst. coach below the ones normally mentioned on here the past month or so, then I would rather stick with continuity and keep the entire coaching staff as it is now. The boys seem to like the current coaches and that means a whole lot. It would have to be Corbin, McDonnell, Casey or some one really top notch for me to say thanks but no thanks to Hendoo. It looks like most of the top notch coaches are staying put, so to me, I would stick with Henderson. Hendoo has coached at Florida, Oregon St., Kentucky, and now MSU. So he's pretty much seen it all. And I think it will be much easier to recruit at MSU vs KY. If we get a new coach, think about it....Mangum and others will have played for a different coach every year they were at MSU. That's not good, IMO.

[confucius say]

At this point how many coaches that we would realistically be in the run for have a better resume than Hendo/JG combo? Seems like every coach with CWS experience has passed on the job.

I don't know. Because I don't know which coaches are in still in the running for the job.

[craigmid]

Hire Henderson as head coach, but also hire a big up and comer as associate head.