Baseball coaching question

[C N I Dawg]

When Cohen hired Henderson I felt like we got a good hire. He seemed to do pretty well with the staff considering the way the situation went sideways with injuries. In the new coaching search will Henderson be considered for Head coach or is his heart in being a pitching coach? If the players respond well to him does he get a look at being the coach? Just curious. I'll hang up and listen.

[Coach34]

Henderson is 100% a candidate

[fader2103]

We would be idiots not to atleast view him as a viable candidate. Former SEC COY and SEC champion I do believe.

[C N I Dawg]

From what I observe the players seem to like him. Is he more of a players coach, a disciplinarian or a good mix of both? I can't tell from the sample size so far.

[preachermatt83]

He is a candidate but he will not get the job. There is a reason he was fired at UK

[preachermatt83]

Josh holliday is a name gaining a lot of steam

[Coach34]

He is a candidate but he will not get the job. There is a reason he was fired at UK

dont count out long time friendships. Hendo has as good of a chance as anyone.

[preachermatt83]

dont count out long time friendships. Hendo has as good of a chance as anyone.

Gosh I hope not. It seems like if he had any intention of hiring henderson he would have done it last time.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

I would be disappointed in our athletic leadership if Henderson was not a candidate. He deserves consideration. It doesn't mean he gets the job, or even deserves the job. But he deserves a chance to be on the list with the other candidates.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Josh holliday is a name gaining a lot of steam

Hollidays are Ok State royalty and the dude was probably born in Stillwater

Stranger things have happened thou

[maroonmania]

His biggest drawback is his age. Dude is right at 60 years old. Does he have the energy required to run our baseball program and recruit at the level needed to win a NC? Polk II certainly didn't. We could certainly have a nice program with him but I don't see him having the energy and intensity needed to win championships. Even if he were to end up getting the job he would likely only have a 4 to 5 year window.

[preachermatt83]

Hollidays are Ok State royalty and the dude was probably born in Stillwater

Stranger things have happened thou

Yup and when he played there his dad was the coach there... he's okie st born and bred .. still doesn't mean our guys are not willing to throw some bait and see if he nibbles.

[Coach34]

Gosh I hope not. It seems like if he had any intention of hiring henderson he would have done it last time.

Cann was a huge name in college baseball circles when we hired him- if he had said no- Hendo was probably our HC in 2017. He may get his shot this time. It will depend on this season and the interest Cohen gets from his targets.

[Martianlander]

Henderson has a season long interview.

[basedog]

Agree 34, Henderson is also a good recruiter.

[Cooterpoot]

If Henderson is hired, I’m done because we aren’t serious about winning championships. Hell, our staff hasn’t even been that good since he arrived.

[The Federalist Engineer]

If Henderson is hired, I’m done because we aren’t serious about winning championships. Hell, our staff hasn’t even been that good since he arrived.

He didn’t get a staff when he arrived. He got a disaster of injured players. We pitched three position players last year.

This year is a sort of return to normalcy but still lots of damaged goods out there

[preachermatt83]

Mississippi State deserves far better at HC than a 60 year old that got fired at Kentucky

[mparkerfd20]

If Henderson is hired, I’m done because we aren’t serious about winning championships. Hell, our staff hasn’t even been that good since he arrived.

I rarely ever agree with you, but we're walking the same line on this one.

[AlSwearengen]

60 yr old coach that was fired by Kentucky? That is not an inspiring hire. I hope cannizaro’s Dick falls off.

[Todd4State]

If we hire Henderson it would be the most un-Cohen hire so far and it only makes sense if Henderson wins the NC this year or everyone else turned us down. I doubt it happens though.

I suspect Cohen will kick the tires on the big names first, then go to the up and comers with high upside like Tony Vitiello. After that he'll probably start into the guys with MSU ties.

I bet we end up with someone like Jay Johnson at Arizona at worst. He fits the profile of what Cohen seems to want and I don't think he's tied down to Arizona.

[Todd4State]

He didn’t get a staff when he arrived. He got a disaster of injured players. We pitched three position players last year.

This year is a sort of return to normalcy but still lots of damaged goods out there

This is actually even more abnormal than last year.

[Leeshouldveflanked]

If Cohen hires Henderson, we need a new AD.

[smootness]

Nick Mingione just had a better year in Year 1 at UK than Henderson had in 8. Henderson made 2 NCAA Tournaments in 8 years, never got out of the regional.

No thank you.

[basedog]

No one has said give the job to Henderson, what was said he is a candidate, he may not want the job. Bottom line let the season play out as I have said and let's see who is available and more important who wants the job.

Bashing Henderson right now isn't a cool thing, the man has gone about his job quietly and seems to be all in as a "team coach".

Lastly, I will say the staff is still recruiting as I have a "kin" who is a undergraduate that committed to AC a few months ago and he is still being recruited.

[5049]

Nick Mingione just had a better year in Year 1 at UK than Henderson had in 8. Henderson made 2 NCAA Tournaments in 8 years, never got out of the regional.

No thank you.

Are you seriously not going to give Henderson any credit for what Mingione did there last year?

Anybody who closely watches MSU baseball knows how big of a nimrod Mingione really is

[basedog]

Are you seriously not going to give Henderson any credit for what Mingione did there last year?

Anybody who closely watches MSU baseball knows how big of a nimrod Mingione really is

Not only that but obviously Henderson left him with lots of talent.

[mparkerfd20]

I'd say odds are extremely high that Nick Mingione will be our coach next year.

[Coach34]

I’m not saying that it’s Henderson’s job or that he is the lead candidate- I’m saying he is a good candidate. Henderson has been SEC Coach of the Year and the pitching coach for Team USA. People in baseball respect his coaching

Corbin, McDonnell, and other coaches from Top 15 programs aren’t coming to State- they already have a good job. So it’s either going to be Henderson who proved he still is a really good coach or it’s going to be a younger coach with a short resume.

[smootness]

Are you seriously not going to give Henderson any credit for what Mingione did there last year?

Anybody who closely watches MSU baseball knows how big of a nimrod Mingione really is

And that 'nimrod' had a better year than any Henderson ever did. That should say something.

[5049]

I?m not saying that it?s Henderson?s job or that he is the lead candidate- I?m saying he is a good candidate. Henderson has been SEC Coach of the Year and the pitching coach for Team USA. People in baseball respect his coaching

Corbin, McDonnell, and other coaches from Top 15 programs aren?t coming to State- they already have a good job. So it?s either going to be Henderson who proved he still is a really good coach or it?s going to be a younger coach with a short resume.

We will swing for McDonnell, because if he's ever going to be poached, now is the time

[Tbonewannabe]

We will swing for McDonnell, because if he's ever going to be poached, now is the time

It would also be a bonus that would piss off UM fans.

[msbulldog]

No one has said give the job to Henderson, what was said he is a candidate, he may not want the job. Bottom line let the season play out as I have said and let's see who is available and more important who wants the job.

Bashing Henderson right now isn't a cool thing, the man has gone about his job quietly and seems to be all in as a "team coach".

Lastly, I will say the staff is still recruiting as I have a "kin" who is a undergraduate that committed to AC a few months ago and he is still being recruited.

Nothing like common sense. Rep given.

[Coach34]

We will swing for McDonnell, because if he's ever going to be poached, now is the time

He's been to the CWS 3 of the last 5 years. He's not leaving Louisville.

[basedog]

Msu baseball isn't the top program in the SEC, Lsu, Sc, Fl and Vandy are better right now. Now before some get close to the edge we are a top 15-20 program. Cann set the expectation really high but now we are just trying to survive this season and start a new program again, can you say John Cohen! He got us going again with finishing #2 in the country.

34 is correct, we will look at some high profile candidates but don't be surprise if it isn't another up and coming Coach. The Sec isn't a easy conference to win with all of the competition year in year out!

HailState

[Saltydog]

to struggle. This is a 30 win team, tops.

[5049]

He's been to the CWS 3 of the last 5 years. He's not leaving Louisville.

His boss just got fired, there is instability all over that place at the moment

[Johnson85]

If we hire Henderson it would be the most un-Cohen hire so far and it only makes sense if Henderson wins the NC this year or everyone else turned us down. I doubt it happens though.

I suspect Cohen will kick the tires on the big names first, then go to the up and comers with high upside like Tony Vitiello. After that he'll probably start into the guys with MSU ties.

I bet we end up with someone like Jay Johnson at Arizona at worst. He fits the profile of what Cohen seems to want and I don't think he's tied down to Arizona.

^^^THIS^^^ It would definitely be a change of direction for Cohen, but he also has a relationship with Henderson, so who knows.

I think Henderson would be a very solid hire but disappointing nonetheless. With Cohen's baseball knowledge, I would probably rather him roll the dice on an up and comer and go for the home run rather than playing it safe.

[Coach34]

His boss just got fired, there is instability all over that place at the moment

Instability how? They will hire a new AD
Their Football coach is staying put
McDonnell will stay put. He has as much stability as a coach could have. He has a top 10 program in the country that he built. He's not going to leave that for a lesser job. And yes- in 2018- Louisville > Miss State

[Cooterpoot]

Msu baseball isn't the top program in the SEC, Lsu, Sc, Fl and Vandy are better right now. Now before some get close to the edge we are a top 15-20 program. Cann set the expectation really high but now we are just trying to survive this season and start a new program again, can you say John Cohen! He got us going again with finishing #2 in the country.

34 is correct, we will look at some high profile candidates but don't be surprise if it isn't another up and coming Coach. The Sec isn't a easy conference to win with all of the competition year in year out!

HailState

Cann didn't set anything high. He didn't improve our program one bit.

[preachermatt83]

Nick Mingione just had a better year in Year 1 at UK than Henderson had in 8. Henderson made 2 NCAA Tournaments in 8 years, never got out of the regional.

No thank you.

Truth

[preachermatt83]

I'd say odds are extremely high that Nick Mingione will be our coach next year.

They certainly are .. realistic candidates are mingione, butch, jay johnson, Corbin, and Tadlock. Any of those would be outstanding hires imo.

[preachermatt83]

If we hire Henderson it would be the most un-Cohen hire so far and it only makes sense if Henderson wins the NC this year or everyone else turned us down. I doubt it happens though.

I suspect Cohen will kick the tires on the big names first, then go to the up and comers with high upside like Tony Vitiello. After that he'll probably start into the guys with MSU ties.

I bet we end up with someone like Jay Johnson at Arizona at worst. He fits the profile of what Cohen seems to want and I don't think he's tied down to Arizona.

And he only makes 350k at Arizona.

[Cooterpoot]

If Butch or Mingione get hired, it'll be because everybody turned us down. Then, we'll all realize our program isn't what a lot of State fans thought. We'll carry on about our support and attendance and stadium but this is where we find out where our program stands IMO. If we can't get a coach with proven success, then our program isn't top 15, maybe not top 20.

[preachermatt83]

If Butch or Mingione get hired, it'll be because everybody turned us down. Then, we'll all realize our program isn't what a lot of State fans thought. We'll carry on about our support and attendance and stadium but this is where we find out where our program stands IMO. If we can't get a coach with proven success, then our program isn't top 15, maybe not top 20.

What butch and mingione is doing at auburn and kentucky is both outstanding

[bobcat91]

Tadlock, Johnson, Calvi and Vitello all fit the Cohen profile. I believe he will make Mingione tell him no first. No mistakes or screwups on this hire. Cannizarro was a rock star hire, but unfortunately acted like one as well. I appreciate Henderson and can see him getting a position in administration, but there is no way on earth we hire him as HC. Just isnt happening.

[preachermatt83]

Tadlock, Johnson, Calvi and Vitello all fit the Cohen profile. I believe he will make Mingione tell him no first. No mistakes or screwups on this hire. Cannizarro was a rock star hire, but unfortunately acted like one as well. I appreciate Henderson and can see him getting a position in administration, but there is no way on earth we hire him as HC. Just isnt happening.

I lean this way too. If I was forced to bet I'd bet on the next coach being one of three people Butch, Mingione, or Johnson.

[Cooterpoot]

What butch and mingione is doing at auburn and kentucky is both outstanding

Mingione hasn't even had to play with his players yet. Butch faded. I'm not completely against Butch, but Mingione I wouldn't want. Lots of folks don't care for Mingione. I wouldn't want either to be the primary guy. They're both secondary guys to me or our program is simply a high-mid level SEC program at best. Basically, I'm tired of hearing how great we are and then settling. I wasn't a huge Cann fan when we hired him, but I was willing to see what Cohen could do. It blew up. Do better this time.

[I seen it dawg]

Cann didn't set anything high. He didn't improve our program one bit.

You?re blinded a little by anger it seems...recruiting is definitely improved in 1 class.

[preachermatt83]

Mingione hasn't even had to play with his players yet. Butch faded. I'm not completely against Butch, but Mingione I wouldn't want. Lots of folks don't care for Mingione. I wouldn't want either to be the primary guy. They're both secondary guys to me or our program is simply a high-mid level SEC program at best. Basically, I'm tired of hearing how great we are and then settling. I wasn't a huge Cann fan when we hired him, but I was willing to see what Cohen could do. It blew up. Do better this time.

Who do you recommend?

[Cooterpoot]

You?re blinded a little by anger it seems...recruiting is definitely improved in 1 class.

It's not better than what Cohen did when he first arrived at State and he didn't have a championship series in the CWS to lean on. I haven't seen us sign a bunch of guys that were drafted high because Cann "knew how to judge signablity" as many said he would. I mean, we've had a number of highly rated classes in the past. I don't see what he's done as any better.

[Cooterpoot]

Who do you recommend?

Anyone with a proven track record. Don't give me guys with just a year or two under their belts, or like last time, no HC experience. I get that baseball jobs are a little different, but do what you've got to do to get a great coach. Prove that we're willing to make our program as good as the support we've got. That's the bottom line for me.

[I seen it dawg]

I’m finally past my rage of ****ing Cann not being mature enough to handle things. Kinda.

I am still behind the rationale of the hire and will be moving forward. The rationale of getting a real energetic guy with either a MLB connection tree if younger or a more established guy if he’s got a proven track record of getting guys pro contracts. Kids coming now are more than ever focused on a contract and we need someone for recruiting that caters to that.

I loved the hire. Not one human could have predicted he would do what he did. And not every great young coach is a ****ing idiot with his Johnson.

[War Machine Dawg]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.

[Todd4State]

I’m finally past my rage of ****ing Cann not being mature enough to handle things. Kinda.

I am still behind the rationale of the hire and will be moving forward. The rationale of getting a real energetic guy with either a MLB connection tree if younger or a more established guy if he’s got a proven track record of getting guys pro contracts. Kids coming now are more than ever focused on a contract and we need someone for recruiting that caters to that.

I loved the hire. Not one human could have predicted he would do what he did. And not every great young coach is a ****ing idiot with his Johnson.

Exactly. MSU fans are bad sometimes about wanting to do a complete 180 from the last coach but sometimes that's not always the best thing to do. We need to go with the same formula but with a more ethical coach. Otherwise we will be left behind again just like 2001.

[Todd4State]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.

And like I said I'm sure no one feels worse about this whole situation than Cohen. You know he's going to want to make it right.

[I seen it dawg]

Oh and no ****ing Mingione. And ****ing no ****ing way even more on butch.

[5049]

Instability how? They will hire a new AD
Their Football coach is staying put
McDonnell will stay put. He has as much stability as a coach could have. He has a top 10 program in the country that he built. He's not going to leave that for a lesser job. And yes- in 2018- Louisville > Miss State
Never argued with any of that. I simply said that if us (or anyone) was ever going to get McD, it'd be right now

I know some Louisville fans, their whole department is smoldering pile of dung at the moment

[ScottH]

Oh and no ****ing Mingione. And ****ing no ****ing way even more on butch.

In spades.

[bobcat91]

All you guys are saying no to this guy or that. Give me your list. And don't go B'S like McDowell or Schlossnegal because they arent leaving their programs for us.

[ScoobaDawg]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.


To add to this... If we hire another Assistant Coach to be our Head Coach... I'll likely be disappointed.
But I will give Cohen some leeway, I was pissed about us getting Cann instead of an already proven Head Coach but retracted that quickly after the season started. To pull that quality of an assistant to be out next HC..and someone we could all seen staying and winning here over the next 10 years easily.. was a very impressive hire in the time frame and specifically during fall ball.

[C N I Dawg]

Ok, so don't you think Cohen learned his lesson with Cann by ignoring the rumor buzz? This time I think he will do his do dillegence perhaps like Tulane did by taking a pass on Cann. He would be foolish to not do so and would have egg on his face for years to come. I think this time he will do a little digging and this search will be ongoing all season long. Let's all channell some positive energy towards Henderson so that the MState brand of baseball remains strong and relevant going forward. We need to be as attractive as possible to the big names that Cohen is fishing for. Am I right in my thinking here?

[TNDawg35]

I believe it was Gabe Gross on SECN say the other day we are a top 10 program and have no trouble finishing a good coach.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

Henderson is probably a pretty good coach, I don't think he's a great coach though. I would be disappointed.

Players that played for Mingione didn't think very highly of him as a coach

[Coach34]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.

Those guys coach at programs as good or better than us- thats not happening

[BuckyIsAB****]

Those guys coach at programs as good or better than us- thats not happening

Louisville baseball does not compete with MState baseball my dude.

You could argue McDonnell made UL baseball not the other way around. I think he'd come here for the right price. Him and Tim Tadlock

[preachermatt83]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.

I think the problem with that is that u are naming guys who are at programs that are just about as good as ours. I agree we are a top program... but so are those teams.

[preachermatt83]

Let me say it this way: If we hire Henderson, Butch, or Mingione with FOUR MONTHS to conduct our search, I'll be extremely disappointed. We're a Top 10-15 baseball, maybe higher. After the cluster17 that is the Cann Error, we need to make a statement and hire a badass coach. Go get MacDonnel or Schlossnagle. Throw the bank at O'Connor. Whatever we do, make a splash that says who we are and where we intend to go.

And I don't know why anyone would be against hiring butch or mingione. Both are outstanding coaches that are winning where they are.

[preachermatt83]

Oh and no ****ing Mingione. And ****ing no ****ing way even more on butch.

You are one of the best posters on here and I really do respect your opinion so I am asking genuinely... why not either of those two? Both win and both recruit great!!

[preachermatt83]

To add to this... If we hire another Assistant Coach to be our Head Coach... I'll likely be disappointed.
But I will give Cohen some leeway, I was pissed about us getting Cann instead of an already proven Head Coach but retracted that quickly after the season started. To pull that quality of an assistant to be out next HC..and someone we could all seen staying and winning here over the next 10 years easily.. was a very impressive hire in the time frame and specifically during fall ball.



I agree.

[preachermatt83]

Those guys coach at programs as good or better than us- thats not happening

Yup

[Coach34]

Louisville baseball does not compete with MState baseball my dude.

You could argue McDonnell made UL baseball not the other way around. I think he'd come here for the right price. Him and Tim Tadlock

you have lost your mind

Louisville has had more baseball success than us in the last 5 years than we have had in the last 20. We aren't half the program Louisville is right now

State has 2 CWS berths in the last 19 ****ing years. Some of you people need to wake up

[The Federalist Engineer]

I am curious about the poster that used to say: “people dont realize who we hired as a coach” or something like this

Did you mean Cann was going to be a spectacular catastrophe for MSU and how did you know

[Todd4State]

To add to this... If we hire another Assistant Coach to be our Head Coach... I'll likely be disappointed.
But I will give Cohen some leeway, I was pissed about us getting Cann instead of an already proven Head Coach but retracted that quickly after the season started. To pull that quality of an assistant to be out next HC..and someone we could all seen staying and winning here over the next 10 years easily.. was a very impressive hire in the time frame and specifically during fall ball.

Exactly and the time frame is the key here. Cann's lack of head coaching experience was my concern as well until he ended that with how he performed last year. I thought that Cohen maybe should have gone with Henderson as an interim last year and then did a proper search but Cann looked legit and I was satisfied. Now we're essentially doing the same thing we probably should have done in the first place. But hey! We got a SR out of it!

[Todd4State]

Ok, so don't you think Cohen learned his lesson with Cann by ignoring the rumor buzz? This time I think he will do his do dillegence perhaps like Tulane did by taking a pass on Cann. He would be foolish to not do so and would have egg on his face for years to come. I think this time he will do a little digging and this search will be ongoing all season long. Let's all channell some positive energy towards Henderson so that the MState brand of baseball remains strong and relevant going forward. We need to be as attractive as possible to the big names that Cohen is fishing for. Am I right in my thinking here?

How do you know Cohen didn't do his due diligence? You're assuming that Tulane took a pass on him because of his past transgressions allegedly but that may not have been the case. Even if Cann had skeletons in his closet most people don't take it to the obsession level that he did. Most people can have sidepieces and still run a baseball practice and know if someone is up in the bullpen or not. That is VERY key as to why Cann was let go.

No one is "bashing" Henderson for saying he isn't the right guy for the job. MSU baseball is what it is and not one candidate is going to care what we say about Henderson.

[Todd4State]

you have lost your mind

Louisville has had more baseball success than us in the last 5 years than we have had in the last 20. We aren't half the program Louisville is right now

State has 2 CWS berths in the last 19 ****ing years. Some of you people need to wake up

We may not have been a top whatever number you want program over however many years you chose- but we still have a top 10 fanbase and top 10 resources. Much like Alabama before Saban. And programs that have top 10 resources can do what Alabama did to get Saban- overpay if necessary.

[Coach34]

We may not have been a top whatever number you want program over however many years you chose- but we still have a top 10 fanbase and top 10 resources. Much like Alabama before Saban. And programs that have top 10 resources can do what Alabama did to get Saban- overpay if necessary.

We are a top 20 program. And I'm proud of that. But it's not 1990 anymore. Louisville's program is better than ours and for anybody to think we would steal their coach is dumb.

[Todd4State]

All you guys are saying no to this guy or that. Give me your list. And don't go B'S like McDowell or Schlossnegal because they arent leaving their programs for us.

I don't have a list because I trust that Cohen will get us someone good. And there are several people on the list that would be good.

I do have tiers though:

Tier 1 Elite coaches- we may not get one but I think Cohen will at least gauge interest. I could see MSU offering at least 2 million if we feel the coach is qualified.

Tim Corbin- Cohen actually asked him before Cann. I highly suspect he will get asked again. Given the state of our program and the fact that the timing is better it honestly wouldn't surprise me at all if we got him.
Schlossnagle- Knows Gautreau well and Cann for that matter. Is probably very familiar with our program.
McDonnell- AD there in turmoil makes it worth talking to him. Will always be a basketball school.
Jay Johnson- Arizona- took his team to Omaha finals and is not paid very much at a school that is not as baseball centered at MSU. Cohen may have recommended him to Byrne so there could be some familiarity. Could be a fairly reasonable hire.
Tim Tadlock- I know a lot of people mention him but he doesn't seem to fit the profile to me. Texas Tech alum from Texas who is known for finding grinders and diamonds in the rough.
Kevin O'Sullivan- Just to **** with Stricklin.

Tier 2- Up and comers:

Tony Vitiello- Tennessee. Is getting SEC experience and is a great recruiter.
Mark Calvi- South Alabama. Former South Carolina pitching coach has made South Alabama into a strong mid major.
Scott Brown- Vanderbilt pitching coach. Knows the Vandy program and has gotten some good pitchers to campus past draft.
Craig Bell- Florida assistant/hitting coach. Lots of scouting and MLB connections.

Tier 3- the Cohen tree!

Butch, Mingione, Lane Burroughs, Brad Bohannon, and Henderson in no particular order.

[Todd4State]

We are a top 20 program. And I'm proud of that. But it's not 1990 anymore. Louisville's program is better than ours and for anybody to think we would steal their coach is dumb.

We may not get him- but I have no problem trying.

[BuckyIsAB****]

you have lost your mind

Louisville has had more baseball success than us in the last 5 years than we have had in the last 20. We aren't half the program Louisville is right now

State has 2 CWS berths in the last 19 ****ing years. Some of you people need to wake up

You cant have it both ways. In football we cant compete, recruit bc of history/facillites/some other excuse. Even tho we've done well in recent years better than some blue bloods.

Baseball we are a blue blood but we cant get a top line coach to leave a place with less CWS trips, less tourney trips, lesser fanbase, lesser stadium etc.

[preachermatt83]

I don't have a list because I trust that Cohen will get us someone good. And there are several people on the list that would be good.

I do have tiers though:

Tier 1 Elite coaches- we may not get one but I think Cohen will at least gauge interest. I could see MSU offering at least 2 million if we feel the coach is qualified.

Tim Corbin- Cohen actually asked him before Cann. I highly suspect he will get asked again. Given the state of our program and the fact that the timing is better it honestly wouldn't surprise me at all if we got him.
Schlossnagle- Knows Gautreau well and Cann for that matter. Is probably very familiar with our program.
McDonnell- AD there in turmoil makes it worth talking to him. Will always be a basketball school.
Jay Johnson- Arizona- took his team to Omaha finals and is not paid very much at a school that is not as baseball centered at MSU. Cohen may have recommended him to Byrne so there could be some familiarity. Could be a fairly reasonable hire.
Tim Tadlock- I know a lot of people mention him but he doesn't seem to fit the profile to me. Texas Tech alum from Texas who is known for finding grinders and diamonds in the rough.
Kevin O'Sullivan- Just to **** with Stricklin.

Tier 2- Up and comers:

Tony Vitiello- Tennessee. Is getting SEC experience and is a great recruiter.
Mark Calvi- South Alabama. Former South Carolina pitching coach has made South Alabama into a strong mid major.
Scott Brown- Vanderbilt pitching coach. Knows the Vandy program and has gotten some good pitchers to campus past draft.
Craig Bell- Florida assistant/hitting coach. Lots of scouting and MLB connections.

Tier 3- the Cohen tree!

Butch, Mingione, Lane Burroughs, Brad Bohannon, and Henderson in no particular order.

I'd much rather have Butch or mingione than anyone in that 2nd tier. As a matter of fact I'd be very very unhappy with anyone in that 2nd tier.

[maroonmania]

You cant have it both ways. In football we cant compete, recruit bc of history/facillites/some other excuse. Even tho we've done well in recent years better than some blue bloods.

Baseball we are a blue blood but we cant get a top line coach to leave a place with less CWS trips, less tourney trips, lesser fanbase, lesser stadium etc.

Exactly, if we are just judging programs by how much hardware they've won recently we might not even be a Top 30 program. What makes us a highly attractive place to coach is the facilities, fan support, tradition and administrative support. I don't personally know how many Louisville fans give a crap about Louisville no matter what success McDonnell's had lately. You never really know what drives any individual coach but being at a place that LOVES its baseball might be a major factor for a coach especially if his current administration is not very stable or he isn't keen on his current bosses.

[Coach34]

You cant have it both ways. In football we cant compete, recruit bc of history/facillites/some other excuse. Even tho we've done well in recent years better than some blue bloods.

Baseball we are a blue blood but we cant get a top line coach to leave a place with less CWS trips, less tourney trips, lesser fanbase, lesser stadium etc.

nobody wants it both ways. Our baseball program is not as good as Lousville's program. Nobody cant make the case that it is. We arent getting their coach and you are stupid if you think he would leave them for us

Just like I wouldnt expect Michigan's or Clemson's coach to leave them to coach at State in football. Thats crazy

[BuckyIsAB****]

nobody wants it both ways. Our baseball program is not as good as Lousville's program. Nobody cant make the case that it is. We arent getting their coach and you are stupid if you think he would leave them for us

Just like I wouldnt expect Michigan's or Clemson's coach to leave them to coach at State in football. Thats crazy

I think he would. We would pay more, better stadium, better facilities. Higher ceiling.

Not gonna argue about Michigans (even though we are better than them right now IMO) or Clemsons coach coming here bc we have no advantages over them, tougher conference, smaller stadium basically what we are to UL baseball

[Coach34]

I think he would. We would pay more, better stadium, better facilities. Higher ceiling.

No. Just no

Louisville will pay what we do.
Their stadium is great
We dont have a higher ceiling- they have 3 CWS appearances to in 5 years to our 2 in the last 19 years

Louisville > Miss State

[BuckyIsAB****]

No. Just no

Louisville will pay what we do.
Their stadium is great
We dont have a higher ceiling- they have 3 CWS appearances to in 5 years to our 2 in the last 19 years

Louisville > Miss State

No they wont. We should make them either way.
Their stadium may be great but its not ours.
We have 9 CWS appearances. Just won a tougher conference(arguably) 2 years ago.

My argument>>>urs***

[preachermatt83]

No they wont. We should make them either way.
Their stadium may be great but its not ours.
We have 9 CWS appearances. Just won a tougher conference(arguably) 2 years ago.

My argument>>>urs***

He already makes over 2mil a year. We were paying Cann 800k. Cohen was only making 1mil. We ain't paying 2+mil period.

[Coach34]

No they wont. We should make them either way.
Their stadium may be great but its not ours.
We have 9 CWS appearances. Just won a tougher conference(arguably) 2 years ago.

My argument>>>urs***

We have 4 CWS in the last 28 years- Louisville has 4 in the last 11 years

We arent Louisville. Louisville > State

[BuckyIsAB****]

He already makes over 2mil a year. We were paying Cann 800k. Cohen was only making 1mil. We ain't paying 2+mil period.

If we wanna act like we have big dicks we should pay like it

[BuckyIsAB****]

We have 4 CWS in the last 28 years- Louisville has 4 in the last 11 years

We arent Louisville. Louisville > State

How many of those were before McDonnell

[Coach34]

http://www.thecardinalconnect.com/dan-mcdonnell-given-new-10-year-contract-worth-1-million-annually/#.WpYWV6jwbIU

[AlSwearengen]

McDonell made Louisville what they are. I imagine he sees it as something that he built and it is his and I doubt he would want to leave his “baby”. Unless there are other behind the scenes factors that are making him unhappy, I doubt he would leave.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Like I said, if we wanna act like we have big dicks, we should pay like it. Im not saying McDonell or bust, Im just saying get a proven winner.

At some point you have to figure out who you are and what price you're willing to pay to win. Players and coaches both

[Coach34]

Like I said, if we wanna act like we have big dicks, we should pay like it. Im not saying McDonell or bust, Im just saying get a proven winner.

At some point you have to figure out who you are and what price you're willing to pay to win. Players and coaches both

We arent going to drag a coach away from a Top 15 program- thats just reality. Our dick isnt that big

[preachermatt83]

I was wrong... McDonnell only makes 1 mil with bonuses making his total salary around 1.3mil. Still it would take 2mil to get him and we ain't paying that for anybody weather we should or not.

[preachermatt83]

We arent going to drag a coach away from a Top 15 program- thats just reality. Our dick isnt that big

Correct. We are a top 15 program and that's something to really be proud of..however the guys some of y'all are mentioning are also at top 15 programs... why would they leave??

[preachermatt83]

If you want a coach from a major program that can win your best hope is for jay Johnson.

[Coach34]

I was wrong... McDonnell only makes 1 mil with bonuses making his total salary around 1.3mil. Still it would take 2mil to get him and we ain't paying that for anybody weather we should or not.

It would take 2MM to even entice McDonnell- and considering we have never paid a baseball coach 1MM- aint no way we are doing that. We are gonna hire some younger guy from a lesser school thats 35-38 years old and pay them 6-700K. Or let Hendo roll for 3-4 years and bring in a coach in waiting.

[BuckyIsAB****]

It would take 2MM to even entice McDonnell- and considering we have never paid a baseball coach 1MM- aint no way we are doing that. We are gonna hire some younger guy from a lesser school thats 35-38 years old and pay them 6-700K. Or let Hendo roll for 3-4 years and bring in a coach in waiting.

That would be extremely disappointing if the latter happened

[Todd4State]

I'd much rather have Butch or mingione than anyone in that 2nd tier. As a matter of fact I'd be very very unhappy with anyone in that 2nd tier.

The people on the second tier are just as qualified as Cann was and have a much higher upside than Butch or Mingione.

[I seen it dawg]

You are one of the best posters on here and I really do respect your opinion so I am asking genuinely... why not either of those two? Both win and both recruit great!!

Our pitchers underachieved with Butch and he is soft. He didn?t do a bad job recruiting but didn?t make them great.

Mingione is a ****ing class clown. Did he recruit all these upper classmen?

[I seen it dawg]

I am curious about the poster that used to say: ?people dont realize who we hired as a coach? or something like this

Did you mean Cann was going to be a spectacular catastrophe for MSU and how did you know

And every ****ing thing he did, outside of ****ing the office road whore and it causing him to lose his mind, was stellar and had us headed to multiple national championships. As i said in another post not one human could have predicted he would do what he did, not one.

[Homedawg]

Let's look at it this way, from a football perspective, ga, tenn, fla and lsu all made football hires in the last two years and the best anyone did was hire a head coach from a state. Yes, smart appears to be a hit, but they didn't steal a quality head coach from someone. It's hard to do. We will hire a good coach. We are a top 15 ish job. Thats it. Deal with it. And no, McDonnell ain't coming here. Zero chance. If he even thought about it, he's an idiot.

[Cooterpoot]

Based on what I?m seeing, fans are expecting a good hire. A proven hire. They?re tired of the talk of a great program. LFL has been blown up. We just spent a gazillion dollars for the ?taj mahal? and our young up and cumming coach made us look like a fool. We got embarrassed by our rivals to open the season and just lost to a damn junior college basically.
Cohen can?t afford to screw this up.

[preachermatt83]

Our pitchers underachieved with Butch and he is soft. He didn?t do a bad job recruiting but didn?t make them great.

Mingione is a ****ing class clown. Did he recruit all these upper classmen?

It would be fair to ask if Cohen may have been part of the problem concerning our pitching "underachieving" (which I don't believe is a completely accurate description). The reason I say this is because at Auburn his pitchers have been outstanding

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

Henderson is probably a pretty good coach, I don't think he's a great coach though. I would be disappointed.

Players that played for Mingione didn't think very highly of him as a coach

I heard this about Mingione two season's ago. I didn't ask why the players didn't like playing for him cause I didn't want to seem nosey and I was tiring to keep up with the game but the person I had this conversation with was close with a few of the players on the team and still is.

[preachermatt83]

I heard this about Mingione two season's ago. I didn't ask why the players didn't like playing for him cause I didn't want to seem nosey and I was tiring to keep up with the game but the person I had this conversation with was close with a few of the players on the team and still is.

The players at UK seem to love him.

[Pit Bull]

Josh holliday is a name gaining a lot of steam

Who's he?

[preachermatt83]

Who's he?

HC at OK State. Coached under Corbin at vandy. He's an alum of OKST and has really deep roots there but I've heard his name mentioned more than once in relation to our search lately.

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

I was surprised to hear our players didn't like CNM when he was here but the person I spoke with about this was dead serious and had no reason to bullshit me. I saw he was called a nimrod on an earlier post. Maybe someone that's close to the team can shed some light on this.

[preachermatt83]

Also, mingione did something in one year that nobody has ever done at Kentucky.... went to a super regional

[Randolph Dupree]

I met Cann right after the first of the year in 2017 and was able to spend several hours with him. When I got home that night I told my wife that I felt like he really loved Baseball and knew the game well but outside of that he was a total meat head. No encounter since that day ever changed my mind. Cann also did some shady stuff when he cleaned house last year. Some of the players that were ‘let go’ weren’t exactly done so the right way (I.e. they were led to believe they were in good standing and then forced to make a life altering decision on very little notice). Not only this, but there was some roster mismanagement too (we have at least one former player still on campus that is still on scholarship due to a Cannizaro oversite). Bottom line is that Cann had off field issues that didn’t involve a faulty zipper and it may be a blessing that he is gone after year one. Looking forward, Mingione would be a poor hire, and I would question Cohen’s decision making if we end up with Henderson (FWIW I’m not sure Henderson wants to be the head guy). Look for Cohen to move on somebody that is willing to keep most or all of the current staff though (I don’t have any intel on this, just a feeling based on observation).

[AlSwearengen]

Randolph’s post seems pretty legit. I’ve seen some pics of Cann from when he was at LSU (not that long ago) and he wasn’t nearly as bowed up as he is now. It is a good thing they don’t test coaches for roids. I wonder if that didn’t push him over the edge when it came to the office road whore as Iseenit calls her.

Another thing that was surprising to me was how big of a goof ball Cann came off as. I was surprised b/c all we ever heard was how the players loved him so much. He seemed kind of nerdy to me but whatever.

[MoonShot]

I was surprised to hear our players didn't like CNM when he was here but the person I spoke with about this was dead serious and had no reason to bullshit me. I saw he was called a nimrod on an earlier post. Maybe someone that's close to the team can shed some light on this.

Truth is, all you'll see in the media is that they do love whomever is coaching. That's what they have to say. Minge wasn't respected by the players but parents loved him. He was good at telling you what you wanted to hear and always upbeat. I think the players saw a different person on the field. Cann was loved when he arrived last year. By the end of last season you had some really good guys that didn't care for him. Cann was in it for himself naturally and it didn't take the players long to figure that out. My personal thoughts are we lost a few good players due to a guy that didn't know how to manage what he had very well. He talked the talk to the media and fans but when it came to coaching/teaching, he didn't have the time. It's pretty obvious now that Cann wasn't ready to be a head coach because he couldn't manage himself. Let alone a ball club.

[Todd4State]

Cohen told the Clarion-Ledger today that we are going to try to hire someone with experience.

[preachermatt83]

Cohen told the Clarion-Ledger today that we are going to try to hire someone with experience.

If it's not jay Johnson, mingione, or butch I will be shocked.

[Coach34]

If it's Butch I'll be very underwhelmed

[Ari Gold]

If it’s Butch or Mingione we better have gotten turned down by a lot of other guys . Which we won’t .

[AlSwearengen]

Do we need to send suggestions to Cohen?

[BuckyIsAB****]

If it’s Butch or Mingione we better have gotten turned down by a lot of other guys . Which we won’t .

We're not good enough!! Our dick isnt that big**

Make other schools pay up or lose their guy. Its simple. We are too nice

[TNDawg35]

We're not good enough!! Our dick isnt that big**

Make other schools pay up or lose their guy. Its simple. We are too nice

THIS!!! Money talks... Throw the bank at a big name. We wanna play with the big boys and go to Omaha 4 straight like TCU or the Ville, pay some big ass money and get the big name... We got a $55 million stadium for god sakes.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Salary survey for professional Milb and MLB baseball coaches

- major league coaches make between $5M and $0.750M
- basically joe maddon makes $5M and the rest make punk money compared to elite college coaches
- mike Matheny makes 750k to coach the cardinals and is KiND OF my neighbor- embarrassing
- AAA managers make $100K
- A managers make $45K

Im being crazy but why don?t we go after Mike Matheny or other pro guys. This appears like a bad-ass arbitrage opportunity. MLB treats coaches like expendable baby sitters and College Baseball worships them like super respected uncles

Corbin couldnt be a bullpen hand in MLB, but could make 2M at MSU! Im going to tell Mrs Matheny

[Todd4State]

Salary survey for professional Milb and MLB baseball coaches

- major league coaches make between $5M and $0.750M
- basically joe maddon makes $5M and the rest make punk money compared to elite college coaches
- mike Matheny makes 750k to coach the cardinals and is KiND OF my neighbor- embarrassing
- AAA managers make $100K
- A managers make $45K

Im being crazy but why don?t we go after Mike Matheny or other pro guys. This appears like a bad-ass arbitrage opportunity. MLB treats coaches like expendable baby sitters and College Baseball worships them like super respected uncles

Corbin couldn?t be a bullpen hand in MLB, but could make 2M at MSU! I?m going to tell Mrs Matheny

Well, by the same token Schlossnagle, probably Corbin, and McDonnell make more than Mike Matheny too. And let's be honest- the Cardinals are getting what they paid for plus he needs to perform with this new coaching staff or he could be fired.

The problem with going after pro guys is sometimes they don't recruit very well. Some of them think that the fact that they managed the Cardinals or whoever will get recruits to just sign up without much effort and it just doesn't work that way. See Don Kessinger at Ole Miss.

[The Federalist Engineer]

It’s a different game for sure and you have to get the right person for the recruiting variable

But that’s why you get Boras Corp guys as assistants, like Jake G

The pitch to elite kids is that you are getting actual pro-development in college and would be an honest pitch from a true pro coach versus “Goof Troop” Miningone or Sleazy Paul Manieri

[Todd4State]

It’s a different game for sure and you have to get the right person for the recruiting variable

But that’s why you get Boras Corp guys as assistants, like Jake G

The pitch to elite kids is that you are getting actual pro-development in college and would be an honest pitch from a true pro coach versus “Goof Troop” Miningone or Sleazy Paul Manieri

I agree. The scouts "get it" more than someone that just coaches in pro ball normally. Probably because part of their job is recruiting to a degree. But like you said, they have experience is pro baseball too and they know that side of it as well because scouting minor leaguers is part of their job as well.