This is the kind of stuff that makes me afraid Ray will never get it done at MSU...

[dawgs]

You are really spinning that rick ray resume. There's literally dozens of assistants with better resumes.

[engie]

You are really spinning that rick ray resume. There's literally dozens of assistants with better resumes.

Yeah -- one of the main candidates everyone wanted already lost to Ray last year.

And let's go ahead and assume that any assistant in the country was gonna jump at the chance to take over our dumpster fire -- where they weren't going to be supported regardless...

How many times do I have to ask you to define your position before you actually do it?

[dawgs]

Also I never advocated cutting bait right now. I have said that there are really no indications of things getting better. And I understand the segment of fans that are ready to cut bait for the reasons I listed and some of the reasons they've listed. It's just the way I view the situation. Once ray proves to be an expert in identifying undervalued talent and developing said talent into high caliber sec basketball players, I'll buy in, but until then, to get pissed at folks for either questioning him or already fed up with him is being is just being at the other end of the spectrum.

[dawgs]

Yeah -- one of the main candidates everyone wanted already lost to Ray last year.

And let's go ahead and assume that any assistant in the country was gonna jump at the chance to take over our dumpster fire -- where they weren't going to be supported regardless...

How many times do I have to ask you to define your position before you actually do it?

I would rather have a proven d2 HC than an assistant that bounced around mediocre programs and recruiting mediocre talent.

I just absolutely refuse we are apparently the biggest dumpster fire in the history of MBB that couldn't even pry away a proven HC by doubling or tripling his salary. Think about how many major conference programs have hired HCs in the last couple of years and find the others that pulled a hire this far out of their ass.

Even Baylor pulled a guy with HC experience in the middle of their MURDER ordeal and pending major ncaa violations that nearly death penalty'd them.

But yeah, we are the worst dumpster fire and that explains everything.

[maroonmania]

Gosh, didn't mean to stir up a major summer debate on Rick Ray. I actually think Ray is a good floor coach and seems to be a sharp dude. But right now I just don't see him recruiting at a near high enough level for us to get back to an NCAA tournament. I mean the best players we have in Ware, Sword and Thomas are Stansbury recruits. Part of the problem though is also our administration if they are tying Ray's hands and insisting we do things the right way. Basketball recruiting, especially in the South, is just a very unsavory business and if we aren't willing to play the games others are then I guess we will just have to all accept a mediocre or less basketball program. People always talked around the fact that Stans was doing shady things in recruiting to get some of the players he did but all I know is we never had any NCAA problems in the entire 14 years he ran our program. If he would have been willing to surround himself with better assistant coaches that knew Xs and Os and could gel a team on and off the court rather than a staff of just recruiters he would still be our head coach.

[Coach34]

Ray was about the 7th guy we offered the job to. It is what it is. People kept turning us down, and it wasnt because Stands could win 20 games at State

[TrueMaroon]

Ray was about the 7th guy we offered the job to. It is what it is. People kept turning us down, and it wasnt because Stands could win 20 games at State

After reading this, it doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies thinking about Scott Stricklin leading another big 3 HC search.

[HailState39110]

That's what pisses me off about the hire and Stricklin running a search. Jay Jacobs told the media he wasn't going to let Pearl give him no for an answer. I wish our AD was more cut throat and not so passive on situations like this

[Dawg61]

That's what pisses me off about the hire and Stricklin running a search. Jay Jacobs told the media he wasn't going to let Pearl give him no for an answer. I wish our AD was more cut throat and not so passive on situations like this

Joe Dean Jr. would make an excellent AD for MSU

Bio http://www.scacsports.com/informatio.../bios/dean_joe

[Coach34]

That's what pisses me off about the hire and Stricklin running a search. Jay Jacobs told the media he wasn't going to let Pearl give him no for an answer. I wish our AD was more cut throat and not so passive on situations like this

I dont think anyone was pleased with the way the search was done. Anyone

[thf24]

After reading this, it doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies thinking about Scott Stricklin leading another big 3 HC search.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that Stricklin would have made a better hire two years ago if the state of the program didn't have both hands and a foot tied behind his back.

[Goat from MSU]

But who else beside Ray that you heard of that would have taken the job ,I can not blame Ray for taking the money . I have a feeling there is something missing from Ray and this upcoming season will make or break him.

I dont think anyone was pleased with the way the search was done. Anyone

[Dawg61]

I don't think it's a stretch to say that Stricklin would have made a better hire two years ago if the state of the program didn't have both hands and a foot tied behind his back.

Stricklin didn't have to make the hire rushed like. He missed on a few and then panicked and rushed the decision. Why? Just be cool bro and we'd be fine. Waiting an extra month to make the right hire would of saved us a damn 5 year mess.

[Dawg61]

Please stop acting like MSU is East Mississippi Community College. There's 500 candidates across USA that would take a million dollar SEC men's head basketball coaching job. Ray was perfect in Stricklin's eyes for what he wanted accomplished and winning wasn't on the top 5 things in his mind he wanted done. Till he finishes the football stadium and new ballpark we are not getting a new basketball coach.

[Goat from MSU]

Please stop acting like MSU is East Mississippi Community College. There's 500 candidates across USA that would take a million dollar SEC men's head basketball coaching job. Ray was perfect in Stricklin's eyes for what he wanted accomplished and winning wasn't on the top 5 things in his mind he wanted done. Till he finishes the football stadium and new ballpark we are not getting a new basketball coach.

If we have to wait on that ,then we have a problem now. Turd No.1 will be laid when Newman passes on us .Turd 2 thru 10 will be next season.If we give him a season 4 well .....we would be bordering on getting the dumbass gold medal.

[maroonmania]

I don't think it's a stretch to say that Stricklin would have made a better hire two years ago if the state of the program didn't have both hands and a foot tied behind his back.

I think that the "state of our program" excuse on the hire has been WAY overplayed. I know our program had some issues behind the scenes but nothing a few rules being laid down and short term house cleaning couldn't quickly correct. And no, we might not could have gotten the high end mid-major coaches because those guys, if they've proven themselves, are looking to move into high end D1 jobs but that doesn't mean we couldn't have gotten a high quality candidate. I actually think the restrictions our AD and administration wanted to put on the new coach coming in on how the program would be run probably scared off a lot more candidates than the dreaded "state of the program". I'm sure a LOT of coaches didn't want to take the job if you are going to handcuff them in trying to be successful in getting the players needed. I probably would have passed too.

[smootness]

The Rick Ray hire was lauded by a whole lot of people in basketball. But to fans, the fact that no one had heard of him means he's not a good coach, which then means we made a terrible hire, which then means Stricklin must not have cared about winning, which then means Stricklin is a horrible AD and has to go.

In reality, if we have some success this year, then perhaps you were all entirely wrong about every single bit of that.

[Dawg61]

Or you just need to see the house completely burned to the ground before you'll say there's a fire.

[drunkernhelldawg]

I think that the "state of our program" excuse on the hire has been WAY overplayed. I know our program had some issues behind the scenes but nothing a few rules being laid down and short term house cleaning couldn't quickly correct. And no, we might not could have gotten the high end mid-major coaches because those guys, if they've proven themselves, are looking to move into high end D1 jobs but that doesn't mean we couldn't have gotten a high quality candidate. I actually think the restrictions our AD and administration wanted to put on the new coach coming in on how the program would be run probably scared off a lot more candidates than the dreaded "state of the program". I'm sure a LOT of coaches didn't want to take the job if you are going to handcuff them in trying to be successful in getting the players needed. I probably would have passed too.

Nobody worth a damn will take a "head" anything job if he can't actually call the shots. Don't ever do it unless you want to spend your sleepless nights in the fetal position.

[smootness]

Or you just need to see the house completely burned to the ground before you'll say there's a fire.

There was already a fire burning when Ray was hired. His approach seems to be to let it burn all the way to the ground so you can build it up the way you want it. Some wanted him to put it out and try to repair what was left of the house.

We'll see if he was right, but it's definitely too early still to make a judgement on that.