Baseball Coaching Hot Board

[confucius say]

We may can very well do better than lane.

But one thing he has that we need is toughness. We've become a soft program. I don't think lemonis is really a soft person, but foxhall I believe is and that is showing in our pitching staff.

[StarkVegasSteve]

We may can very well do better than lane.

But one thing he has that we need is toughness. We've become a soft program. I don't think lemonis is really a soft person, but foxhall I believe is and that is showing in our pitching staff.

Toughness is a personal mindset. You either have it or you don't. It's not something that can be taught. We've got some tough guys on our team. We just don't have anyone that will go jump down someone's ass. We don't have a Brent Rooker, Hunter Renfroe, or a Landon Sims who were just straight up ALPHAS. They had a quiet confidence until it was time to step up, but if they had to jump in someone's ass they would do it. Cohen's teams had that in spades. I mean those early teams would fight you. From the coaches down. We just don't have that anymore. Cohen's toughness just permeated the program. He fought for his guys and they fought for him. They didn't have to be taught how to do it, because Cohen knew what he wanted when he was recruiting guys.

Now I'm not advocating going out there and picking a fight with Vandy on Friday, mostly because it would probably just be a slap fest because I'm not real sure anyone on this current roster outside of like 5 people even know how to throw a punch.

[smootness]

Skeletons in the closet, national championships in the trophy cases. You have to decide what you're willing to accept. I've made my stance on it. And at the end it doesn't matter because I'm not the one making the decision. What I saw was a guy who took a team worse than we've had the last two years and took them within two games of Omaha. I mean we were pitching position players on the weekend and winning. No one, including me, is saying that Andy hasn't completely f'd his life up. Because he has. But hell, Hugh Freeze is back on the sidelines and he was doing the same and worse. I guess I'm willing to take that risk because I know what the reward is. Probably why I wouldn't be a good AD.

Good grief, man. His issues were already having an impact on the team. That kind of thing will take you down at some point, and it had already gotten in the way of him doing his job. You saw him coach baseball at State for one year. Anyone can do it for one year. He has proven he isn't someone you can trust to build a program, at any level. Why on earth would you want to hire the guy?

[StarkVegasSteve]

Good grief, man. His issues were already having an impact on the team. That kind of thing will take you down at some point, and it had already gotten in the way of him doing his job. You saw him coach baseball at State for one year. Anyone can do it for one year. He has proven he isn't someone you can trust to build a program, at any level. Why on earth would you want to hire the guy?

Toughness, Winning, Recruiting. Kind of a take your pic thing. If I have to put safeguards in to make sure his head is on straight then I figure that out. Again, none of that really matters because I am not the AD. So my opinion is just as valid as yours.

[smootness]

Toughness, Winning, Recruiting. Kind of a take your pic thing. If I have to put safeguards in to make sure his head is on straight then I figure that out. Again, none of that really matters because I am not the AD. So my opinion is just as valid as yours.

Lemonis won a ton his first 2 full years as coach and took us to heights we've never seen. Then the whole thing started unraveling. Why? Because he seems to lack the ability to truly build and sustain a program, which is what any head coach must do.

You saw one season of Cannizaro, and it was already unraveling before our very eyes. Yet you want that guy back? He's given you every indication he does not have the discipline, self-control, and leadership qualities necessary to build a program.

[confucius say]

Toughness is a personal mindset. You either have it or you don't. It's not something that can be taught. We've got some tough guys on our team. We just don't have anyone that will go jump down someone's ass. We don't have a Brent Rooker, Hunter Renfroe, or a Landon Sims who were just straight up ALPHAS. They had a quiet confidence until it was time to step up, but if they had to jump in someone's ass they would do it. Cohen's teams had that in spades. I mean those early teams would fight you. From the coaches down. We just don't have that anymore. Cohen's toughness just permeated the program. He fought for his guys and they fought for him. They didn't have to be taught how to do it, because Cohen knew what he wanted when he was recruiting guys.

Now I'm not advocating going out there and picking a fight with Vandy on Friday, mostly because it would probably just be a slap fest because I'm not real sure anyone on this current roster outside of like 5 people even know how to throw a punch.

Toughness can absolutely be brought out in certain kids. Now some kids don't need to have it brought out, they are just like that 24/7. But not all.

You can take the same group of kids and change leadership and see a difference in toughness. That's because toughness is largely mental. It happens every year. Heck, look at Jans vs Howland. Same kids.

[SPMT]

Toughness is a personal mindset. You either have it or you don't. It's not something that can be taught. We've got some tough guys on our team. We just don't have anyone that will go jump down someone's ass. We don't have a Brent Rooker, Hunter Renfroe, or a Landon Sims who were just straight up ALPHAS. They had a quiet confidence until it was time to step up, but if they had to jump in someone's ass they would do it. Cohen's teams had that in spades. I mean those early teams would fight you. From the coaches down. We just don't have that anymore. Cohen's toughness just permeated the program. He fought for his guys and they fought for him. They didn't have to be taught how to do it, because Cohen knew what he wanted when he was recruiting guys.

Now I'm not advocating going out there and picking a fight with Vandy on Friday, mostly because it would probably just be a slap fest because I'm not real sure anyone on this current roster outside of like 5 people even know how to throw a punch.

Maybe extreme toughness can?t be taught, but being tougher in general can 100% be taught. The level that gets to is up to the individual. One main way is overcoming some adversity, not quitting when things get hard. Best to learn at a young age, but can be improved on through life.

Cohen definitely instilled that.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Maybe extreme toughness can?t be taught, but being tougher in general can 100% be taught. The level that gets to is up to the individual. One main way is overcoming some adversity, not quitting when things get hard. Best to learn at a young age, but can be improved on through life.

BINGO. You hit the nail on the head. All of these kids have been the best players on their teams since they were 10 years old. Adversity really has never been a thing for them. They were miles better than 99% of the guys they played in high school and they were better than most of the kids they played against in travel ball. The last two years have been some of these kids first time to ever have a losing record since they started playing baseball. I'm just not sure we have guys who can overcome that adversity. I mean you look at our best teams and they all faced adversity at some point in their 3-4 years at State.

85- Get beat by UNO in 84 at home in the Regional Final.
13- Started off hot and then got two of three taken by UCA and started SEC play 3-6.
16- They had to wear the embarrassment of 2015 for an entire year
18 and 19- Went through enough adversity for 10 seasons but it toughened them
21- Got punched in the mouth by Arkansas early in the SEC slate and then got punched in the mouth and embarrassed in the SEC tournament

The difference in those teams and the last two years is that those teams stood up off the mat and started punching back. This team continually throws in the towel every time they are punched in the mouth.

[SPMT]

BINGO. You hit the nail on the head. All of these kids have been the best players on their teams since they were 10 years old. Adversity really has never been a thing for them. They were miles better than 99% of the guys they played in high school and they were better than most of the kids they played against in travel ball. The last two years have been some of these kids first time to ever have a losing record since they started playing baseball. I'm just not sure we have guys who can overcome that adversity. I mean you look at our best teams and they all faced adversity at some point in their 3-4 years at State.

85- Get beat by UNO in 84 at home in the Regional Final.
13- Started off hot and then got two of three taken by UCA and started SEC play 3-6.
16- They had to wear the embarrassment of 2015 for an entire year
18 and 19- Went through enough adversity for 10 seasons but it toughened them
21- Got punched in the mouth by Arkansas early in the SEC slate and then got punched in the mouth and embarrassed in the SEC tournament

The difference in those teams and the last two years is that those teams stood up off the mat and started punching back. This team continually throws in the towel every time they are punched in the mouth.

Yep. I?m sure we have a few hard asses but not enough. Certainly don?t seem to have it in the pitching side.

Need some Kobe Bryant?s, scherzer types.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yep. I?m sure we have a few hard asses but not enough. Certainly don?t seem to have it in the pitching side.

Need some Kobe Bryant?s, scherzer types.

Heck I would take a Houston Harding type at this point. He had some fire in him.

[Commercecomet24]

Yep. I?m sure we have a few hard asses but not enough. Certainly don?t seem to have it in the pitching side.

Need some Kobe Bryant?s, scherzer types.

I can tell you Dohm and Tapper both have the red a**. Both of those guys are tough as nails and all business, and you can include Cade with those two. The rest I can't vouch for but those 3 for sure.

[SPMT]

I can tell you Dohm and Tapper both have the red a**. Both of those guys are tough as nails and all business, and you can include Cade with those two. The rest I can't vouch for but those 3 for sure.

That?s good. We may just suck at talent evaluation in certain areas.

[Cooterpoot]

I haven't seen us quit. We left so many guys on base that's hard to say. That pitching group and coach situation is going to blow up.
But I'm going to keep saying we haven't recruited. From less than have the number of top recruits as LSU, Vandy, FL etc. to having the large majority of a couple classes leave. Our evaluation, development, and coaching has been bad.

[CoachT14]

I wouldn't put any of those lesser names ahead of him. La Tech is a dying athletics dept now that they're stuck in a terrible conference. He will do more with less. Many of those we aren't interest in and some aren't interested in us. There's a fit issue with several of those guys. Not that they're bad coaches. You can mark off Heefner and Butch and Calvi right off the bat. Interdonato, Dunn, Lee as well. Lee was an awful head coach by the way.
We're going to pull better than that list or mine I believe.

The guy with a 518 - 281 record isn't a bad coach. Lee had 1 bad season and the season he got fired they had a rash of injuries about halfway through the season and despite that, they still went 35-23 and 13-16 in conference. He's been to 7 regionals and a Super Regional. His best team was the covid year and it got shut down.

[PMDawg]

Toughness, Winning, Recruiting. Kind of a take your pic thing. If I have to put safeguards in to make sure his head is on straight then I figure that out. Again, none of that really matters because I am not the AD. So my opinion is just as valid as yours.

Last I heard, he couldn't even win at the HS level, and was let go. That doesn't scream that he's overcome his demons and is ready for another shot at the SEC to me.

[Cooterpoot]

The guy with a 518 - 281 record isn't a bad coach. Lee had 1 bad season and the season he got fired they had a rash of injuries about halfway through the season and despite that, they still went 35-23 and 13-16 in conference. He's been to 7 regionals and a Super Regional. His best team was the covid year and it got shut down.

He wasn't as good as the previous coaches. He got fired. He's a good assistant/hitting coach. We aren't hiring a guy that got fired last HC job.
I think we'll go for a few name guys and if that doesn't work, it's likely Lane or an assistant from a top program. I could see one Sunbelt coach in it. One or two G5 guys.

[CaptainObvious]

All this is moot. State isn?t firing Lemonis until and if his team finished near the bottom and doesn?t make Hoover. If he gets this team to Hoover, he probably gets another year.

Besides, Selmon might be like several of the fans on this board and think baseball is just a niche sport and that State has been wasting money on it all these years. He may be more of a Women?s sports guy.😳😳😳 and believe in spending more money there.

[StarkVegasSteve]

All this is moot. State isn?t firing Lemonis until and if his team finished near the bottom and doesn?t make Hoover. If he gets this team to Hoover, he probably gets another year.

Besides, Selmon might be like several of the fans on this board and think baseball is just a niche sport and that State has been wasting money on it all these years. He may be more of a Women?s sports guy.������ and believe in spending more money there.

If Lemonis makes it to Hoover he'll be back. Albeit with massive staff changes, but he'll be back. That won't be popular but it's the reality of it. Now, if he tanks and we finish 9-21 or worse I don't believe there's a way he can stay. The big baseball boosters will force that change.

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

Who are the big boosters for the program that aren't former players?

[Activated Alpha]

Who are the big boosters for the program that aren't former players?

Me. Now I don?t make a lot of money, but I feel like my opinion matters***