I've come to the conclusion

[TheDogFather]

that Rick Stansbury is the worst thing to happen to MSU sports in the history of our great land grant institution. The hate Rick Stansbury crusade has taken on political proportions. It is grown to the point where, uninformed casual readers, posters and fans alike are convinced that the reason we are where we are today is completely the fault of the ineptitude of Rick Stansbury. It doesn't really matter where we are, by the way, just that the reason we are is Rick Stansbury. And that it's bad.

Record ticket sales, record attendance, TV appearances, national media exposure, competitive performance, W's and L's and such have all been washed away by an overwhelming attempt to discredit Rick Stansbury. Personal attacks, selective memory and the alteration of the actual history of his coaching tenure can be found on this board with a simple search. His wife is hated, his kids are criticized for their proximity to the players, his staff are discounted. All of a sudden it is cool to hate Rick Stansbury.

Patronization aside, an ounce of respect might be appropriate. Now as almost to predict the future, there will be responses to me as those ill informed, hyperbole laden statements that are regularly thrown at Stansbury. And that's OK. After all this is an anonymous internet sports message board. But to preempt all of the negative responders, and to quote Carnac the Magnificent, "May a swarm of gay chiggers open a disco on your grandfather."

The end.

[blacklistedbully]

Actually, I'm with you. The man had major success before he shit-the-bed at the end. He and his family are die-hard supporters of MSU. Yes, he made bad choices at the end, perhaps in an effort to keep up with increased expectations. But he and his teams accomplished so much for such a long period of time. While I agree it was time for a change, I am thankful for what he did for us over his career.

[Pollodawg]

I am tired of hearing about the dude to be honest. I mean, damn, what else can be said.....

[Goat Holder]

Eh, just use the information you have to realize who the truly ignorant posters are and aren't. After that, it doesn't matter.

Facts: Rick Stansbury was a good coach who did good things at MSU. He helped put us on the map as an assistant, and helped keep us there and won us a few conference championships. He lost control at the end (for a myriad of reasons) and it got away from him, costing him his job. He left the position better than he found it. We are better off for having Rick Stansbury as our coach. The end.

[TheRef]

I am going to preface my reply with the fact that I supported Rick Stansbury throughout his whole tenure, including his last year as HC of the Mississippi State Men's Basketball program. Okay, now that I have that out of the way. Rick Stansbury had little control over his team during his tenure. Players, in the later years, used drugs routinely before games and showed little to no respect for him. The discipline showed as the season went on for his teams. Now am I saying that Rick Stansbury is a bad person? No. Was he a great recruiter? You're damn right. Was he a great coach? Not necessarily. He was definitely a product of his recruiting, which most of the time was high quality. Now let's take a look at his last few years as HC.

We all remember the Brawl in Paradise (Hawai'i) between Elgin Bailey and the prodigal son Renardo Sidney. Elgin was kicked off the team and Sidney went on to have a very lackluster career here. Stansbury did have some bright spots and bright players: Bost, Varnado, Powers, etc. But his teams as a whole never produced. No Sweet 16 appearances during his 14-year tenure at the helm. He may be the winningest head coach in MSU history, but he didn't nearly meet the expectations that his teams were presented with, and that can be placed solely on the shoulders of Rick Stansbury whether you want it to or not.

[coastdoglover]

You nailed it!

Eh, just use the information you have to realize who the truly ignorant posters are and aren't. After that, it doesn't matter.

Facts: Rick Stansbury was a good coach who did good things at MSU. He helped put us on the map as an assistant, and helped keep us there and won us a few conference championships. He lost control at the end (for a myriad of reasons) and it got away from him, costing him his job. He left the position better than he found it. We are better off for having Rick Stansbury as our coach. The end.

[Bo Darville]

I'm a huge Stansbury fan and I am extremely appreciative of what he did for our program. However, it was time for a change. He made some mistakes at the end (bost, sidney, etc.) that ultimately cost him his job. When you are involved in big-time athletics, you ultimately pay for your mistakes with your job. It comes with the territory. That is why these guys make the big bucks. I don't feel sorry for Rick, nor do I regret us making a change. That is life as a head coach in a BCS league. It just is. If he doesn't like it, he could have coached high school basketball for years and made $45,000 per year, with more job stability.

[Goat Holder]

But his teams as a whole never produced. No Sweet 16 appearances during his 14-year tenure at the helm.

This is a pet peeve of mine. Tournaments are there to determine a champ. If you don't win the championship, it doesn't matter how far you get in the tournament. Sure, you can take solace in a Final Four appearance or a College World Series appearance for example, but ultimately you didn't win the tournament. Plus the matchups vary. So to me, it's stupid to base someones accomplishments on how far they got in the tournament. Either they have the ch'ips or they don't. After that, it's regular season accomplishments. And Stans had some good ones. Plus actual tourney championships.

He may be the winningest head coach in MSU history, but he didn't nearly meet the expectations that his teams were presented with, and that can be placed solely on the shoulders of Rick Stansbury whether you want it to or not.

I don't know that your statement had the effect you wanted. I'll just leave that bold part out there for others to interpret.

[Bo Darville]

I am going to preface my reply with the fact that I supported Rick Stansbury throughout his whole tenure, including his last year as HC of the Mississippi State Men's Basketball program. Okay, now that I have that out of the way. Rick Stansbury had little control over his team during his tenure. Players, in the later years, used drugs routinely before games and showed little to no respect for him. The discipline showed as the season went on for his teams. Now am I saying that Rick Stansbury is a bad person? No. Was he a great recruiter? You're damn right. Was he a great coach? Not necessarily. He was definitely a product of his recruiting, which most of the time was high quality. Now let's take a look at his last few years as HC.

We all remember the Brawl in Paradise (Hawai'i) between Elgin Bailey and the prodigal son Renardo Sidney. Elgin was kicked off the team and Sidney went on to have a very lackluster career here. Stansbury did have some bright spots and bright players: Bost, Varnado, Powers, etc. But his teams as a whole never produced. No Sweet 16 appearances during his 14-year tenure at the helm. He may be the winningest head coach in MSU history, but he didn't nearly meet the expectations that his teams were presented with, and that can be placed solely on the shoulders of Rick Stansbury whether you want it to or not.

I was really enjoying your post until you mentioned Bost as a bright spot. Bost did more to damage the program than anyone. In no way does he compare to Powers and Varnado.

[Goat Holder]

I don't feel sorry for Rick, nor do I regret us making a change. That is life as a head coach in a BCS league. It just is. If he doesn't like it, he could have coached high school basketball for years and made $45,000 per year, with more job stability.

No doubt about that. I don't feel sorry for any coach in this day and age. I especially laugh when nimrods like Lou Holtz get to talking about how people should be loyal to coaches and they should go out on their own terms. That's not how the world works. Remove all the money from college football, and maybe he'd have a point. But not right now.

[Goat Holder]

I was really enjoying your post until you mentioned Bost as a bright spot. Bost did more to damage the program than anyone. In no way does he compare to Powers and Varnado.

Agreed, Bost was a shit head with a terrible attitude.

[Saltydog]

for that but he is EXACTLY the reason we are in the position we are now.........How can you say he's not????? He lost control of the players and his team......They no longer respected him and most of this was due to Sidney and Bost...........He let that fat tub of goo ruin him and the other players........Had Stans simply kicked his fat ass off the team, we wouldn't be discussing this today.......And "NO" I don't hate the man.........And was for you sir, "May a desert weirdo lower his figs into your mother's soup"

[smootness]

Stans did great things for State, and I'm glad he was our coach. It was time for him to go.

I would guess essentially 100% of the fanbase agrees with the 1st sentence, and most agree with the 2nd as well. Some don't, fine...but the opinion of Stans from both 'sides' in this debate is roughly the same...it's just that some feel he is being unfairly criticized, so they go to the extreme the other way and overly praise him. Then those that criticize him feel he's getting too much praise and go to the extreme in criticizing him again.

It's stupid. Let's just all agree that he did some great things and that most of his tenure as coach was awesome. And then we can agree to let it go...some think it was time for him to go, some don't, but he is, in fact, gone.

[Bo Darville]

No doubt about that. I don't feel sorry for any coach in this day and age. I especially laugh when nimrods like Lou Holtz get to talking about how people should be loyal to coaches and they should go out on their own terms. That's not how the world works. Remove all the money from college football, and maybe he'd have a point. But not right now.

That's it. Mullen/Ray/Cohen have tough jobs. Every move is dissected daily on boards like this. If you lose, you are fired. But they aren't making $50,000 a year either. They also get their contract paid out if they are fired. When you get paid the big bucks, a lot of crap comes with it.

[tcdog70]

that Rick Stansbury is the worst thing to happen to MSU sports in the history of our great land grant institution. The hate Rick Stansbury crusade has taken on political proportions. It is grown to the point where, uninformed casual readers, posters and fans alike are convinced that the reason we are where we are today is completely the fault of the ineptitude of Rick Stansbury. It doesn't really matter where we are, by the way, just that the reason we are is Rick Stansbury. And that it's bad.

Record ticket sales, record attendance, TV appearances, national media exposure, competitive performance, W's and L's and such have all been washed away by an overwhelming attempt to discredit Rick Stansbury. Personal attacks, selective memory and the alteration of the actual history of his coaching tenure can be found on this board with a simple search. His wife is hated, his kids are criticized for their proximity to the players, his staff are discounted. All of a sudden it is cool to hate Rick Stansbury.

Patronization aside, an ounce of respect might be appropriate. Now as almost to predict the future, there will be responses to me as those ill informed, hyperbole laden statements that are regularly thrown at Stansbury. And that's OK. After all this is an anonymous internet sports message board. But to preempt all of the negative responders, and to quote Carnac the Magnificent, "May a swarm of gay chiggers open a disco on your grandfather."

The end.

and the Choir said AMEN

[Goat Holder]

for that but he is EXACTLY the reason we are in the position we are now.........How can you say he's not????? He lost control of the players and his team......They no longer respected him and most of this was due to Sidney.........Sidney was the beginning of the end for Stans..........He let that fat tub of goo ruin him and the other players........Had Stans simply kicked his fat ass off the team, we wouldn't be discussing this today.......And "NO" I don't hate the man.........And was for you sir, "May a desert weirdo lower his figs into your mother's soup"

We'll never know until Ray's tenure plays out. It's a fact that Ray is playing with mainly Stans' players. Guess we'll just have to see if Ray out-does what Stans did over the next 2-3 years as those guys become upperclassmen.

[Political Hack]

I think even C34 would agree that he did some good things at State. It was just an argument about the best way to reach the next level and some people thought he wasn't the right person to do that. I think we owe the man a great deal of gratitude though and hope he will be appreciated and respected the next time he graces the Hump. It took a few years with Jackie before everyone was back on board. It will be that way with Stans too IMO.

My nuggets fear: The same thing doesn't happen to CDM. We've got a floor of six wins. We reach that, no one should ever yell for his head.

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

that Rick Stansbury is the worst thing to happen to MSU sports in the history of our great land grant institution. The hate Rick Stansbury crusade has taken on political proportions. It is grown to the point where, uninformed casual readers, posters and fans alike are convinced that the reason we are where we are today is completely the fault of the ineptitude of Rick Stansbury. It doesn't really matter where we are, by the way, just that the reason we are is Rick Stansbury. And that it's bad.

Record ticket sales, record attendance, TV appearances, national media exposure, competitive performance, W's and L's and such have all been washed away by an overwhelming attempt to discredit Rick Stansbury. Personal attacks, selective memory and the alteration of the actual history of his coaching tenure can be found on this board with a simple search. His wife is hated, his kids are criticized for their proximity to the players, his staff are discounted. All of a sudden it is cool to hate Rick Stansbury.

Patronization aside, an ounce of respect might be appropriate. Now as almost to predict the future, there will be responses to me as those ill informed, hyperbole laden statements that are regularly thrown at Stansbury. And that's OK. After all this is an anonymous internet sports message board. But to preempt all of the negative responders, and to quote Carnac the Magnificent, "May a swarm of gay chiggers open a disco on your grandfather."

The end.

You are correct in that Coach Stansbury did some really good things in his tenure at MSU and should not be run down. However, the reason for all the message board vitriole on the subject is simple: When our current team loses, the Stansbury diehards come out of the woodwork to proclaim at the top of their lungs "OMGZ WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET STANS GO SEE HOW MUCH WE SUCK!!!!!"; and when our current team wins, the opposite faction will scream "SEE I TOLD YOU SO!!!".

I have made a lot of posts on the subject in the past, but my main points have always been that people need to quit bashing the new coach because they are upset about the old coach being fired. If you believe that did not happen over and over on the boards in the past 18 months then you have been hiding under a rock somewhere. Now that we have won a little more, those posters have gone back into hiding and I agree with you that trashing the former coach is unnecessary.

Just wait though. Just as soon as we have a bad loss those same anti-Ray posts will be right back on all of the boards, prompting the defenses from the anti-stans side. It's not going to stop and both sides are to blame.

[Goat Holder]

I think even C34 would agree that he did some good things at State. It was just an argument about the best way to reach the next level and some people thought he wasn't the right person to do that. I think we owe the man a great deal of gratitude though and hope he will be appreciated and respected the next time he graces the Hump. It took a few years with Jackie before everyone was back on board. It will be that way with Stans too IMO.

My nuggets fear: The same thing doesn't happen to CDM. We've got a floor of six wins. We reach that, no one should ever yell for his head.

You bring up an interesting point......who's to say what that floor is? Who makes that call? Nobody else has ever matched what Stansbury has done. And don't say 1996......that was a hot run in the tourney.....Stans 2004 team was just as good and actually earned a higher seed. So who's to say there's somebody else out that would take our job that can do better?

[MadDawg]

My nuggets fear: The same thing doesn't happen to CDM. We've got a floor of six wins. We reach that, no one should ever yell for his head.

That's the thing though - this same mentality almost caught up with Mullen this year. Our fan base was very close to turning on him. You had fans openly campaigning to get him fired and hire a new coach. There were lists of potential new hires and even an heir apparent annointed. All while Mullen was in the process of navigating his team through a tough season filled with injuries. And as the chorus of "he's never beaten a top 20 team!" gets louder and louder each year, soon these guys will be re-writing the football history books too and Mullen will be relegated as a horrible coach who couldn't recruit and "wasted" the best talent we've ever seen at MSU. (Yes, I see the irony)