I sure am excited about...

[thunderclap]

Stricklin hiring another basketball coach.

[engie]

Hope you don't have a short attention span then**

[mparkerfd20]

I'd rather we hire another AD and then let him hire a new BB coach. I wouldn't mind replacing both this year.

[TrueMaroon]

Stricklin hiring another basketball coach.

The last thing on earth that we need is Stricklin making another Big 3 hire. I would rather we build the Hunter Henry Center 2.0 than to have him hire another head coach.

I have more confidence that Ron Polk would successfully bring about change in the NCAA than Stricklin would be able to successfully navigate a big 3 hire.

[thedawg]

This is a legitimate question for the anti Strickland crowd. Other than the perceived botch of the basketball hire why do so many people have so little faith in him?

[bulldawg28]

Stricklin acts like an 80 year old AD. He doesn't bring excitement or passion. He should run for some type of office and not an AD he's politically correct in everything. I expect a young AD like himself to connect the old with the new and have a vision for the teams. He's boring with no edge.

[M.Fillmore]

Scott is extremely personable. Scott has an amazing ability to remember people's names. Scott is also vastly better than LT as an AD.

Scott also ain't Greg Byrne. Greg Byrne is really, really good.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

Scott is extremely personable. Scott has an amazing ability to remember people's names. Scott is also vastly better than LT as an AD.

Scott also ain't Greg Byrne. Greg Byrne is really, really good.

Ahh the legend of jesus byrne. The empty can rattles the most.

[Political Hack]

Ahh the legend of jesus byrne. The empty can rattles the most.

Ninja brought us the CWS and NYD bowls.

Strick brought us a 10 game losing streak and no hopes of making the highly coveted NIT.

Byrne may not have been the messiah but right now he's by far the best AD we've had in a long, long time if not ever.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

Cohen comes here no matter who our AD is. You know that. Dream job.

Mullen = Im not a fan but we have some sort of stability and now have depth. So, Ill give Byrne some credit here that he made a good hire. Not great but good.

Ray, I mean, the deck was stacked against him but he hasnt shown much. So far, a negative hire.

Strick did hire Vic....and he did fire stands.

Strick has done a good bit of good. Built on byrnes forward thinking. You guys act like these guys are on islands. Byrne and strick and a dozen other ADs call each other all time on decisions. they are always reaching out to each other for ideas and thoughts.

[rabbitthedawg]

Ninja brought us the CWS and NYD bowls.

Strick brought us a 10 game losing streak and no hopes of making the highly coveted NIT.

Byrne may not have been the messiah but right now he's by far the best AD we've had in a long, long time if not ever.

I would have to agree with you about Greg. He is one of those once in a lifetime hires!!

[Jacksondevildog]

When we don't sign Newman and we struggle again next year with very bleak crowds, the end of the third year will be the end of Ray. He will not get a 4th. People say, "Well, we are selling a lot of tickets. It doesn't matter what the attendance is." Bullshit. It does matter. No one gives a crap about basketball now. Its embarrassing. People will stop buying tickets and Papa Johns will stop donating pizza when there is no one there to eat the free pizza.

[thedawg]

Cohen comes here no matter who our AD is. You know that. Dream job.

Mullen = Im not a fan but we have some sort of stability and now have depth. So, Ill give Byrne some credit here that he made a good hire. Not great but good.

Ray, I mean, the deck was stacked against him but he hasnt shown much. So far, a negative hire.

Strick did hire Vic....and he did fire stands.

Strick has done a good bit of good. Built on byrnes forward thinking. You guys act like these guys are on islands. Byrne and strick and a dozen other ADs call each other all time on decisions. they are always reaching out to each other for ideas and thoughts.

Didnt he also make a hard choice in softball and now we really good?

So he has seemingly knocked it out of the park on a softball and womans basketball hire and the jury is still out on a mens basketball coach. It is fair to say right now that hire is trending negatively...

How does he do in areas not associated with hiring coaches? Im asking because I really have no idea

[Jacksondevildog]

True on all points, but most of our fans do not keep up with softball and women's hoops. Yes, he made two good hires, but our athletic department image is judged nationally (and by us) by 1.) Football 2.) Basketball 3.) Baseball

[Coach34]

We're gonna go about 18-12 and 8-10 in the SEC probably-somewhere around that and Ray will get another year for sure. Another year of maturity and a full roster will do wonders for this team.

[PassInterference]

I am excited about skull-cracking Mississippi Southern in a sold out, expanded DWS.

My request for pump-up music.

http://youtu.be/S0vGsyprO54

Wonder what it would cost for a custom version of this. Something with player names and Starkville in it.

I could see the stadium jumping with this. Hope its a night game.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

He does pretty well on a lot of things. I think his perception is that he just isnt cool. Byrne was. Scott is your typical penny loafer church guy. I think it is more about perception.

Id definately rather have beers with byrne. Im not sure strick even drinks. However, my point was, byrne wasnt some do no wrong messiah. He made mistakes.

[PassInterference]

I'm glad we had Byrne. It is hard to believe the guy before Byrne was Larry freakin Templeton. Templeton seems like a century ago. LT's leadership and vision was certainly stale by a century.

I think Byrne did a remarkable job of taking us from Templeton to pretty much where we are now in a short amount of time. There might have been a better AD we could have had, but if I did it again, I'd take Byrne ever time.

[bannedwayne]

This is a legitimate question for the anti Strickland crowd. Other than the perceived botch of the basketball hire why do so many people have so little faith in him?

Jumbotron fiasco seemed to be the reason for hating him in the fall, that and his refusal to hire Hud mid-season.

[Political Hack]

He does pretty well on a lot of things. I think his perception is that he just isnt cool. Byrne was. Scott is your typical penny loafer church guy. I think it is more about perception.

Id definately rather have beers with byrne. Im not sure strick even drinks. However, my point was, byrne wasnt some do no wrong messiah. He made mistakes.

no doubt about that. And on the flip side, I think Strick has done some good things. The Vic Dawgs are coming along well. Football is steady and next year should be about as good of a year coming into the season as we've ever had. Baseball is right where you'd want it to be. He's managed what was left for him well in most areas and the expansions seem to be mistake free, especially if he gets the Dude right. Ultimately, despite all the good decisions, ADs are judged on Wins and losses. Right now his only hire has us on our longest basketball losing streak that I can remember... That's not a good spot for your only hire to be in. ADs have good ones and bad and right now it's BAD BAD BAD in basketball.

[M.Fillmore]

Ahh the legend of jesus byrne. The empty can rattles the most.

This post should be pinned at the top of the board as the standard by which all stupid posts are judged.
Stunningly shallow.

[MadDawg]

We're gonna go about 18-12 and 8-10 in the SEC probably-somewhere around that and Ray will get another year for sure. Another year of maturity and a full roster will do wonders for this team.

That will certainly get Ray another year and do wonders for winning over the fanbase. Let's hope he can pull that off.

[ckDOG]

I don't keep up with SEC basketball very well. Are there any recent hires that have proved to be solid? I know most regarded the Frank Martin hire as solid and he sucks at Scarolina. Outside of that, I know nothing other than SEC is an abomination of major conference men's athletics.

[NCDawg]

I would have to agree with you about Greg. He is one of those once in a lifetime hires!!

If he was a "once in a lifetime hire", how come he couldn't talk Chris Peterson into becoming our coach when he went to Denver to interview him? I think Byrne was loved so much because he replaced an unloved AD, which had been with us for much too long.

[engie]

I don't keep up with SEC basketball very well. Are there any recent hires that have proved to be solid? I know most regarded the Frank Martin hire as solid and he sucks at Scarolina. Outside of that, I know nothing other than SEC is an abomination of major conference men's athletics.

No. You have to go all the way back to Calipari, which really isn't even a fair circumstance, to find a "new" coach that's truly been good in the SEC and the last 2 years, his ass has underperformed. This class he has now was supposed to be better than the Fab 5 -- talk about falling on your face.

- Frank Haith was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1. Won the Big12 Tourney at Mizzou and was a 2-seed in the tourney. Got eliminated by a 15 and hasn't fixed it since.
- Mike Andersen was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1 after leading Mizzou to success in the Big12. Has recruited well, but been a dumpster fire at Arkansas.
- Anthony Grant was thought to be a homerun hire out of VCU for Bama. He initially looked promising and has recruited very well, but has had a ton of attrition and is still a dumpster fire.
- Cuonzo Martin same thing.
- Jury is still out on Johnny Jones -- but he's recruiting lights out. That said, they were supposed to be a tournament team this year -- and they aren't that close.
- Frank Martin - getting 4 and 5* players -- still a dumpster fire.

Need I continue?

Yet our fans are DEAD SET that we've GOT TO FOLLOW THE EXACT SAME BLUEPRINT that these other programs are following -- that are never actually taking a step forward. Got to get a "hot" midmajor coach to come in, buy 4* and 5* players on the AAU trail, and that's the winning formula in the SEC according to our fans -- in spite of the fact that there are about 10 recent examples of that approach crashing and burning. Arkansas is on their 3rd or 4th "can't miss" coach since Nolan Richardson -- a program that is considered nationally prominent if not elite all-time -- and they CAN NOT FIGURE IT OUT.

[chef dixon]

Cohen comes here no matter who our AD is. You know that. Dream job.

Mullen = Im not a fan but we have some sort of stability and now have depth. So, Ill give Byrne some credit here that he made a good hire. Not great but good.

Ray, I mean, the deck was stacked against him but he hasnt shown much. So far, a negative hire.

Strick did hire Vic....and he did fire stands.

Strick has done a good bit of good. Built on byrnes forward thinking. You guys act like these guys are on islands. Byrne and strick and a dozen other ADs call each other all time on decisions. they are always reaching out to each other for ideas and thoughts.

If you don't think Mullen was a "great" hire, you hadn't been watching MSU football.

[NCDawg]

If you don't think Mullen was a "great" hire, you hadn't been watching MSU football.

I have been watching MSU football for a long time, and I agree with Ennis Del Mar. I think Mullen was a good hire, not a great hire, primarily because of his recruiting. I think he is a good coach, but we will consistently remain in the bottom half of the SEC because he is unable to bring in the top players to compete with the top tier teams in the SEC. This is especially true regarding his OL recruiting. Any SEC team that goes after an offensive lineman we are recruiting, we invariably lose out. I've seen it too many times.

[tcdog70]

No. You have to go all the way back to Calipari, which really isn't even a fair circumstance, to find a "new" coach that's truly been good in the SEC and the last 2 years, his ass has underperformed. This class he has now was supposed to be better than the Fab 5 -- talk about falling on your face.

- Frank Haith was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1. Won the Big12 Tourney at Mizzou and was a 2-seed in the tourney. Got eliminated by a 15 and hasn't fixed it since.
- Mike Andersen was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1 after leading Mizzou to success in the Big12. Has recruited well, but been a dumpster fire at Arkansas.
- Anthony Grant was thought to be a homerun hire out of VCU for Bama. He initially looked promising and has recruited very well, but has had a ton of attrition and is still a dumpster fire.
- Cuonzo Martin same thing.
- Jury is still out on Johnny Jones -- but he's recruiting lights out. That said, they were supposed to be a tournament team this year -- and they aren't that close.
- Frank Martin - getting 4 and 5* players -- still a dumpster fire.

Need I continue?

Yet our fans are DEAD SET that we've GOT TO FOLLOW THE EXACT SAME BLUEPRINT that these other programs are following -- that are never actually taking a step forward. Got to get a "hot" midmajor coach to come in, buy 4* and 5* players on the AAU trail, and that's the winning formula in the SEC according to our fans -- in spite of the fact that there are about 10 recent examples of that approach crashing and burning. Arkansas is on their 3rd or 4th "can't miss" coach since Nolan Richardson -- a program that is considered nationally prominent if not elite all-time -- and they CAN NOT FIGURE IT OUT.

You just made an excellent argument on why we should have kept Stansbury

[MadDawg]

No. You have to go all the way back to Calipari, which really isn't even a fair circumstance, to find a "new" coach that's truly been good in the SEC and the last 2 years, his ass has underperformed. This class he has now was supposed to be better than the Fab 5 -- talk about falling on your face.

- Frank Haith was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1. Won the Big12 Tourney at Mizzou and was a 2-seed in the tourney. Got eliminated by a 15 and hasn't fixed it since.
- Mike Andersen was thought to be a homerun hire in year 1 after leading Mizzou to success in the Big12. Has recruited well, but been a dumpster fire at Arkansas.
- Anthony Grant was thought to be a homerun hire out of VCU for Bama. He initially looked promising and has recruited very well, but has had a ton of attrition and is still a dumpster fire.
- Cuonzo Martin same thing.
- Jury is still out on Johnny Jones -- but he's recruiting lights out. That said, they were supposed to be a tournament team this year -- and they aren't that close.
- Frank Martin - getting 4 and 5* players -- still a dumpster fire.

Need I continue?

Yet our fans are DEAD SET that we've GOT TO FOLLOW THE EXACT SAME BLUEPRINT that these other programs are following -- that are never actually taking a step forward. Got to get a "hot" midmajor coach to come in, buy 4* and 5* players on the AAU trail, and that's the winning formula in the SEC according to our fans -- in spite of the fact that there are about 10 recent examples of that approach crashing and burning. Arkansas is on their 3rd or 4th "can't miss" coach since Nolan Richardson -- a program that is considered nationally prominent if not elite all-time -- and they CAN NOT FIGURE IT OUT.

You've listed several examples of how following the "exact same blueprint" has failed miserably at other schools. So the next logical question: Are there any schools that are following OUR blueprint and being succesful?

[smootness]

You've listed several examples of how following the "exact same blueprint" has failed miserably at other schools. So the next logical question: Are there any schools that are following OUR blueprint and being succesful?

Nobody's taken the same approach we did. Considering the recent run of new hires in the SEC, that may be a good thing. Which is engie's point.

Right now in the southeast, if you want to be successful, you absolutely have to be able to teach basketball. You can't just recruit, manage a program, put the right guys on the floor, and win. You have to be able to take a raw athlete, teach him how to play, and keep him in the program for a while.

Billy Donovan can do that. No one else can. Sure, if you recruit at the level Calipari does, you'll be pretty good...but as engie pointed out, even he isn't having the kind of success everyone expects.

I don't know that Ray is a good enough teacher to get it done. I do know that I like a lot of what I've seen from him; but the proof will ultimately be in the results. I like our approach, though.

[Coach34]

You just made an excellent argument on why we should have kept Stansbury

once aGAIN- Stands wasnt fired over wins/losses....he was fired for losing control of his program.

[DLGDawg]

Cohen comes here no matter who our AD is. You know that. Dream job.

.

JMO but I believe if it would have been any other AD, Raffo would be our coach.

[bulldawg28]

I have been watching MSU football for a long time, and I agree with Ennis Del Mar. I think Mullen was a good hire, not a great hire, primarily because of his recruiting. I think he is a good coach, but we will consistently remain in the bottom half of the SEC because he is unable to bring in the top players to compete with the top tier teams in the SEC. This is especially true regarding his OL recruiting. Any SEC team that goes after an offensive lineman we are recruiting, we invariably lose out. I've seen it too many times.


I dont know what you've seen but you haven't seen our OL cost us a game in a long time. Recruiting rankings are for fans it had no bearings on any game. We rarely have been out manned by any team currently nor will we going forward with Mullen.

[quickstrike2]

Byrne did replace a unloved AD that was terrible, so that helped him look really good fairly easily. He did make good hires with Mullen and Cohen. Both had name recognition and had been winners were they had been. Strick's first hire in the big 3 sports, was a relatively unknown assistant from Clemson. Just very risky on his part and fans will question his decision, cause it seems that was solely his gut feeling on hiring Ray. The judging period on Ray starts next year in year 3. We really don't know what we have right now.

[Dawg61]

I am excited about skull-cracking Mississippi Southern in a sold out, expanded DWS.

My request for pump-up music.

http://youtu.be/S0vGsyprO54

Wonder what it would cost for a custom version of this. Something with player names and Starkville in it.

I could see the stadium jumping with this. Hope its a night game.

http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/419/4193681/2366612-2529919625-laugh.gif

[smootness]

I think he is a good coach, but we will consistently remain in the bottom half of the SEC because he is unable to bring in the top players to compete with the top tier teams in the SEC.

I think this is just proving chef's point. If you think Mullen not recruiting better than half of the conference is more a reflection on him than on State, then you haven't paid a lot of attention to our history.

[gravedigger]

As long as he does exactly what he's told by Keenum, he can make all the hires he likes. Same for Brackey and his decisions.

Keenum runs this show gentlemen. Get used to it.

[mic]

Once again for the cheap seats.....
RR has been here 19 months. He came into a dumpster fire. Coach K wouldn't have won 12 games with what we had last year.
Yes he has to recruit better. Again he has been here 19 months. He will have a FULL roster next year. If he doesn't win more than he loses and we aren't competing and pushing an NIT bid then the leash will get tighter and the pressure will be put on to hire someone else and I will be cool with that.
And how many of you out there would have LOVED to get (including me) Andy Enfield from Fla GC.?? He has won 1 league game and they have lost 12 out of 13..
Frank Martin has won the same number league games in 2 years as RR has.. So if any school should be going ape shit crazy it should be USCe fans. Dude is getting PAID there..
And last you all know who went 5-13 his second year at MSU with a very talented roster..

[maroonmania]

JMO but I believe if it would have been any other AD, Raffo would be our coach.

Oh there is no doubt that Cohen would have taken the job under any AD. But the question is a good one, would Stricklin have had the stones to actually defy Polk and hire Stricklin? I think he maybe would have because of his relationship with Cohen while both were at KY but I certainly don't KNOW that he would have.

[HailState39110]

I'd rather we hire another AD and then let him hire a new BB coach. I wouldn't mind replacing both this year.

I like Strickland for marketing , fundraising , progressive forward thinking, etc. I do question his ability to be cut throat sometimes and the ability to make correct hires.
I always liked the way Ole miss hired Freeze with a search committee made up of former players ( Archie) and big alumni (Mike Glenn) . if Ray goes 4-14 in the league again next year A search committee would be a great way to make our next hire. I would trust a committee made up of Dampier, Shane Power, Joe Dean Jr, Richard Williams, and some big alumni like Fred Carl or Richard Adkerson rather than trust Stricklin

[bgdog]

But the question is a good one, would Stricklin have had the stones to actually defy Polk and hire Stricklin?

I know someone else will know better than me but wasn't he under a lot of pressure to not fire stansbury, didn't he basically tell a bunch of cigar boys to go **** themselves when he fired stansbury. That would indicate he would have had whatever it takes to defy that bitter old man

[smootness]

Yeah, Hugh Freeze was a home run hire**

I definitely don't want a bunch of ex-players hiring a coach, and I definitely don't want a coach then helping to hire his boss. Ole Miss went about things in a terrible way, and it will continue to unravel.

And bgdog is right...why do people think Stricklin doesn't have balls? What has he done that would make people think that? Firing a successful coach who still had support in order to hire someone he knew the fan base would question?

[HailState39110]

I'll keep your post handy When Stricklin hires the assistant coach at Iowa State next year

[Vandownbytheriver]

I'll tell you my personal reasons for not liking him. Byrne treated everyone exactly the same. From big time donors to the common guy. He always remembered your name after the first time you met him and if you had a concern, you didn't get a cued up copy and paste email response like you get from Stricklin, that is if you ever do get a response. He made a point to thank you for your support no matter how little it is perceived by others. Prime example of the differences. When Byrne was here, I attended several State games in Oxford. Any State fan that was in attendance, Byrne would walk up and thank them for their support of the team. The last time State played Ole Miss in softball in Oxford, we brought big crowds to all 3 games. Strick and Joe showed up midway through the second game. They came in and sat down on the second row and never lifted their heads from their phones. After 2 innings they got up and left without speaking to a soul. I know the guy is paid to handle athletics and his job isn't to glad hand the masses, but when you are at a rivals stadium and they are there supporting your team, speak to some damn people. He comes across as stand offish and that's why many don't care for him. That and he'd sell ads to Ole Miss on the jumbotron if they offered him enough money. He's all about that paper.

[Bubb Rubb]

I'll tell you my personal reasons for not liking him. Byrne treated everyone exactly the same. From big time donors to the common guy. He always remembered your name after the first time you met him and if you had a concern, you didn't get a cued up copy and paste email response like you get from Stricklin, that is if you ever do get a response. He made a point to thank you for your support no matter how little it is perceived by others. Prime example of the differences. When Byrne was here, I attended several State games in Oxford. Any State fan that was in attendance, Byrne would walk up and thank them for their support of the team. The last time State played Ole Miss in softball in Oxford, we brought big crowds to all 3 games. Strick and Joe showed up midway through the second game. They came in and sat down on the second row and never lifted their heads from their phones. After 2 innings they got up and left without speaking to a soul. I know the guy is paid to handle athletics and his job isn't to glad hand the masses, but when you are at a rivals stadium and they are there supporting your team, speak to some damn people. He comes across as stand offish and that's why many don't care for him. That and he'd sell ads to Ole Miss on the jumbotron if they offered him enough money. He's all about that paper.

Look, I'm not trying to compare Byrne and Stricklin. Byrne did a great job, and in my opinion, Stricklin is doing well enough. The jury is out on the basketball hire (although we all should be more patient and give Ray time - there are positive signs that the retards can't see). But I will tell you from first had experience that Stricklin does approach and "glad hand" the little guy. The last time we played against Houston on the road (Strick's first year as AD), he sat down with my group pre-game and talked to us for fifteen minutes. He's approached us at several road games. He comes off as a little phony to me because of his shit-eating southern baptist grin, but he is very nice, very approachable, and especially not stand-offish. It sounds like you have a personal agenda.

As far as the jumbotron goes, they will figure it out. The way we use ours is not too different from the way others use theirs. Scott has promised to fix it and I am sure that he will.

[Dawg61]

If he's all about that paper then Ray is doomed cause his season ticket numbers are about to go down the shitter. I don't care what obscure random fangraph Engie makes up err finds to say MSU bball is "fine just fine not losing money nothing to see here fellas, fellas, anyone there?"

[Vandownbytheriver]

Look, I'm not trying to compare Byrne and Stricklin. Byrne did a great job, and in my opinion, Stricklin is doing well enough. The jury is out on the basketball hire (although we all should be more patient and give Ray time - there are positive signs that the retards can't see). But I will tell you from first had experience that Stricklin does approach and "glad hand" the little guy. The last time we played against Houston on the road (Strick's first year as AD), he sat down with my group pre-game and talked to us for fifteen minutes. He's approached us at several road games. He comes off as a little phony to me because of his shit-eating southern baptist grin, but he is very nice, very approachable, and especially not stand-offish. It sounds like you have a personal agenda.

As far as the jumbotron goes, they will figure it out. The way we use ours is not too different from the way others use theirs. Scott has promised to fix it and I am sure that he will.

Personal agenda? Because I stated reasons why? I'm the last person who has any influence or agenda that anyone could give two shits about. I'm telling you about personal experiences I've had with the guy and others have as well. I got dog cussed by a parking attendant after a game once and got the, "Thank you for your input. I will look into the matter." email he sends to pretty much everyone. My brother got charged for the chairback seats and never received them. He emailed Strick and got the same kinda response. Maybe I've caught the dude on the wrong day or something, but the few times I've been around him, he's never seemed friendly. It's been a couple of years though, so it could have changed. He just comes across like you said as a crooked baptist preacher who wants you to call the 1-800 number to give him your life savings.

[sandwolf]

Stricklin does approach and "glad hand" the little guy.

This has been my experience as well. And "stand-offish" is definitely one of the last terms that comes to mind when describing his personality.

[sandwolf]

My brother got charged for the chairback seats and never received them. He emailed Strick and got the same kinda response.

Ok, this just doesn't compute with me.........why did your brother contact our Athletic Director about his ****ing chairback seats?

[GumpDawg]

I had the same experience as Farley with Strick, but let me emphasis I don't have an agenda before anyone jumps to that conclusion. Just stating what happened. I was sitting in the box at the SEC baseball tourney and Strick comes in. Goes around to some other state fans and chats it up. Finishes with them looks at me and walks the other way, and yes I was wearing a State shirt and hat. Who knows maybe he just didn't realize it.

I did meet Byrne on several occasions here in Montgomery. Spent 5-10 min with each person in the room no matter who they were. Great guy and Strick may be as well. I just haven't had a chance to meet him.

[Vandownbytheriver]

Ok, this just doesn't compute with me.........why did your brother contact our Athletic Director about his ****ing chairback seats?

I'm pretty sure he's was referred to him for some ****ing reason. See, I can say **** too.

[Vandownbytheriver]

I had the same experience as Farley with Strick, but let me emphasis I don't have an agenda before anyone jumps to that conclusion. Just stating what happened. I was sitting in the box at the SEC baseball tourney and Strick comes in. Goes around to some other state fans and chats it up. Finishes with them looks at me and walks the other way, and yes I was wearing a State shirt and hat. Who knows maybe he just didn't realize it.

I did meet Byrne on several occasions here in Montgomery. Spent 5-10 min with each person in the room no matter who they were. Great guy and Strick may be as well. I just haven't had a chance to meet him.

I don't know if it's so much that's he a rude guy as it is he's just an awkward mother ****er. If he doesn't know you he just doesn't seem like the type if guy to strike it up with.

[smootness]

I had the same experience as Farley with Strick, but let me emphasis I don't have an agenda before anyone jumps to that conclusion. Just stating what happened. I was sitting in the box at the SEC baseball tourney and Strick comes in. Goes around to some other state fans and chats it up. Finishes with them looks at me and walks the other way, and yes I was wearing a State shirt and hat. Who knows maybe he just didn't realize it.

I did meet Byrne on several occasions here in Montgomery. Spent 5-10 min with each person in the room no matter who they were. Great guy and Strick may be as well. I just haven't had a chance to meet him.

Maybe you just happened to be one of the fans Byrne greeted and weren't one of the ones Stricklin greeted? I find it hard to believe, assuming there were more than 10-12 people in the room, that Byrne spent over 2-3 hours just walking around talking to people.

They're people with jobs. They can't go talk to every single State fan they see. Everything I've heard about Stricklin is that he's great in this regard.

[SouthMsDawg]

I like Strickland for marketing , fundraising , progressive forward thinking, etc. I do question his ability to be cut throat sometimes and the ability to make correct hires.
I always liked the way Ole miss hired Freeze with a search committee made up of former players ( Archie) and big alumni (Mike Glenn) . if Ray goes 4-14 in the league again next year A search committee would be a great way to make our next hire. I would trust a committee made up of Dampier, Shane Power, Joe Dean Jr, Richard Williams, and some big alumni like Fred Carl or Richard Adkerson rather than trust Stricklin


I agree with this 100%

[bulldogcountry1]

Serious question - How many realistic options did Stricklin have when trying to hire a basketball coach? I don't think anyone can say it was an attractive position in the short term.

[GumpDawg]

Maybe you just happened to be one of the fans Byrne greeted and weren't one of the ones Stricklin greeted? I find it hard to believe, assuming there were more than 10-12 people in the room, that Byrne spent over 2-3 hours just walking around talking to people.

They're people with jobs. They can't go talk to every single State fan they see. Everything I've heard about Stricklin is that he's great in this regard.

I stated I had no agenda, but rather this was my personal experience so why question what happened? It is what it is, nothing more nothing less.