At the earliest

#1
fryeguy93

fryeguy93

Rufus X. Sarsaparilli
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
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#1
We will not hear anything about Raleigh's job until June 1 or 2 due to SEC Tournament, NCAA bid announcement and Memorial Day Holiday.

I would hope that Mike would listen to the fans' anger but I think he will listen to the fans' silence more.

Attendance, despite millions of renovations sucks. It will only be worse next season without significant changes.

A new coach (especially one with a track record of success and a good presser) will be given the benefit of a doubt.

In the winter, CTR can not do what he has done the last two seasons and claim inevitable success. The fans will laugh at him.

8th Place is NOT good enough. In the unfortunate event that Todd returns, he must finish in the top half of the conference. That infers that Vols need to be ranked by the end of the year.

There must be no dugout drama!
 
#2
#2
fryeguy93 said:
We will not hear anything about Raleigh's job until June 1 or 2 due to SEC Tournament, NCAA bid announcement and Memorial Day Holiday.

I would hope that Mike would listen to the fans' anger but I think he will listen to the fans' silence more.

Attendance, despite millions of renovations sucks. It will only be worse next season without significant changes.

A new coach (especially one with a track record of success and a good presser) will be given the benefit of a doubt.

In the winter, CTR can not do what he has done the last two seasons and claim inevitable success. The fans will laugh at him.

8th Place is NOT good enough. In the unfortunate event that Todd returns, he must finish in the top half of the conference. That infers that Vols need to be ranked by the end of the year.

There must be no dugout drama!
Click to expand...

Jimmy Himes reported on 104.5 in Nashville that M.H. said Raleigh will be back next year no matter what. I think they both should be gone. IMO-GBO
 
#4
#4
Sadly I'm pretty sure he'll be back, which means you can already pretty much write off next season. Fan support will be rock bottom, and by th end of the season home games will be lucky to have 500 fans show up.
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#5
#5
He hasn't done anything for the program.....he needs to go....along with his buddy MH
 
#6
#6
Word on the street is that Big Jim is saying he is gone.

I am hearing we might get Rick Honeycutt or atleast that there is some mutual interest.

This is just what I have heard over the weekend.
Click to expand...

Per a poster on TOS.
 
#7
#7
MH hinted earlier in the season that raleigh would be gone if baseball didn't step it up...then baseball starting winning only to falter....my guess TR is gone
 
#9
#9
gvillvol said:
Rick Honeycutt would be an awesome coach!! That would be good news!!
Click to expand...

I like Rick personally. He is an alumnus who always participated in alumni events and fundraisers.

HOWEVER, he is woefully unqualified to be a college baseball coach in the current environment.

His only qualification, other than being likable, is that he played college baseball when the sport and its administration was VERY different than it is today.

Mark Conner was slightly more qualified than Honeycutt with only pro experience. Look how that turned out.

Todd Raleigh was and is more qualified than Honeycutt, Phil Garner and Alan Cockrell.

I'm sorry to say that but it's true with ZERO doubts.

I appreciate how Vol Fans love their former players but hiring them just based on that is a disaster waiting to happen.

If we hire Cockrell, Garner or Honeycutt tomorrow, I would feel worse (without doubt) than when we hire the current bozo.

You guys that suggest these names have no idea how difficult it is is to coach college baseball. It is (without a doubt) the hardest collegiate sport to manage.

Scholarship restrictions.
JUCO transfers
Gametime interfering with classtime.
APRs
Weather
recruiting
Interfering helicopter parents
scheduling
travel
3 year and often 2-year draftees
draft of high school and juco recruits
limited practice time
fundraising

All before you even consider managing a game.

You can't just drop a pro coach into that situation and expect him to succeed.

Todd Raleigh couldn't handle it and he's been coaching college ball for 12 years.

I'm sorry and you will hate me for saying all this but there is nothing but truth in what I write.

Tennessee MUST hire a proven college coach or assistant at a Top-5 program. and the fans have to stop living in the "Alumni Dream World"
 
#11
#11
fryeguy93 said:
I like Rick personally. He is an alumnus who always participated in alumni events and fundraisers.

HOWEVER, he is woefully unqualified to be a college baseball coach in the current environment.

His only qualification, other than being likable, is that he played college baseball when the sport and its administration was VERY different than it is today.

Mark Conner was slightly more qualified than Honeycutt with only pro experience. Look how that turned out.

Todd Raleigh was and is more qualified than Honeycutt, Phil Garner and Alan Cockrell.

I'm sorry to say that but it's true with ZERO doubts.

I appreciate how Vol Fans love their former players but hiring them just based on that is a disaster waiting to happen.

If we hire Cockrell, Garner or Honeycutt tomorrow, I would feel worse (without doubt) than when we hire the current bozo.

You guys that suggest these names have no idea how difficult it is is to coach college baseball. It is (without a doubt) the hardest collegiate sport to manage.

Scholarship restrictions.
JUCO transfers
Gametime interfering with classtime.
APRs
Weather
recruiting
Interfering helicopter parents
scheduling
travel
3 year and often 2-year draftees
draft of high school and juco recruits
limited practice time
fundraising

All before you even consider managing a game.

You can't just drop a pro coach into that situation and expect him to succeed.

Todd Raleigh couldn't handle it and he's been coaching college ball for 12 years.

I'm sorry and you will hate me for saying all this but there is nothing but truth in what I write.

Tennessee MUST hire a proven college coach or assistant at a Top-5 program. and the fans have to stop living in the "Alumni Dream World"
Click to expand...

No hate here...maybe we are just wanting CTR gone so bad that anyone looks good. You might be right about Honeycutt not being the right guy but I disagree that Raleigh is more qualified. CTR is a psycho...he can't motivate and he doesn't have the respect of his players. He hires asst. coaches that will just do what he says--not ones that actually know what they are doing. If Honeycutt, or any other candidate, was smart enough to put together a group of qualified coaches, and he was able to motivate and improve his players, he could develop a winning program. Just my opinion...
 
#12
#12
I agree with Frye on finding a proven head coach or an assistant coach from a high level program. Although I agree a coach from a top 5 program would be great it would never happen. We're not even a top 5 job in our own conference. Before the CTR hire I made the case for two relatively unknown coaches: Kevin O'Sullivan from Clemson and John Pawslowski from College of Charleston. Low and behold in the same amount of time CTR has had their programs are now 1-2 in the SEC (UF & Auburn). Here's three suggestions that I have based on what I've seen following college baseball pretty extensively.

1) Gary Gilmore Coastal Carolina. Has produced a conisistent winner in his 12 years and taken it to another level the last 5 years. Plays a great OOC schedule every year which is evident by the 12-6 record vs the top 50 RPI this year. Currently #3 in the RPI. What really impresses me is the fact that only 6 of his players are from SC/NC, he has really recruited nationwide and has players from RI, OK, FL and 5 guys from VA (an area we should have a good chance of recruiting based on proximity).

2) Dan McDonnell Louisville. Top 10 program the last 4 years and a probable national seed this year. CWS appearance as recently as 2007. Has a stronghold on Louisville HS players. If he could tap into Ballard & Male in Louisville for us, along with Farragut in Knoxville he could build a great core.

3) Chris Finwood WKU. I'm partial to this one being from Bowling Green and having the opportunity to see his teams the last 3 years while being in grad school. Team has struggled down the stretch this year to finish 8th in the Sun Belt (#5 conference) but this is a team that lost 6 draft picks including the Sun Belt player and pitcher of the year, so it was expected to be a down year. Yet he managed to get and keep this team in the top 25 for half the season, reaching as high as 17. Beat the likes of Baylor, TXAM, UT, Vandy, UK twice, and was competitive with UofL twice, losing by a total of 4 runs. Has made a regional the last two years and came within 1 run of beating Ole Miss in Oxford, to reach the Super Regionals last year. Plus has a 2005 UT grad in Chris Meyers as his pitching coach who tutored last years pitcher of the year and this years probable pitcher of the year. Back to back pitchers of the year speaks volumes to me. Same as McDonnell, Finwood owns Apollo HS out of Owensboro one of the best HS programs in the state and does really well in middle TN. Getting some of those same guys could bode really well for building a foundation.

Just my suggestions feel free to debate.
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#13
#13
Whatever happened to the 6 or so guys who came to these boards defending Raleigh's record of almost success at Western Carolina?

Where did they go?
 
#14
#14
bowlinggreenvol said:
I agree with Frye on finding a proven head coach or an assistant coach from a high level program. Although I agree a coach from a top 5 program would be great it would never happen. We're not even a top 5 job in our own conference. Before the CTR hire I made the case for two relatively unknown coaches: Kevin O'Sullivan from Clemson and John Pawslowski from College of Charleston. Low and behold in the same amount of time CTR has had their programs are now 1-2 in the SEC (UF & Auburn). Here's three suggestions that I have based on what I've seen following college baseball pretty extensively.

1) Gary Gilmore Coastal Carolina. Has produced a conisistent winner in his 12 years and taken it to another level the last 5 years. Plays a great OOC schedule every year which is evident by the 12-6 record vs the top 50 RPI this year. Currently #3 in the RPI. What really impresses me is the fact that only 6 of his players are from SC/NC, he has really recruited nationwide and has players from RI, OK, FL and 5 guys from VA (an area we should have a good chance of recruiting based on proximity).

2) Dan McDonnell Louisville. Top 10 program the last 4 years and a probable national seed this year. CWS appearance as recently as 2007. Has a stronghold on Louisville HS players. If he could tap into Ballard & Male in Louisville for us, along with Farragut in Knoxville he could build a great core.

3) Chris Finwood WKU. I'm partial to this one being from Bowling Green and having the opportunity to see his teams the last 3 years while being in grad school. Team has struggled down the stretch this year to finish 8th in the Sun Belt (#5 conference) but this is a team that lost 6 draft picks including the Sun Belt player and pitcher of the year, so it was expected to be a down year. Yet he managed to get and keep this team in the top 25 for half the season, reaching as high as 17. Beat the likes of Baylor, TXAM, UT, Vandy, UK twice, and was competitive with UofL twice, losing by a total of 4 runs. Has made a regional the last two years and came within 1 run of beating Ole Miss in Oxford, to reach the Super Regionals last year. Plus has a 2005 UT grad in Chris Meyers as his pitching coach who tutored last years pitcher of the year and this years probable pitcher of the year. Back to back pitchers of the year speaks volumes to me. Same as McDonnell, Finwood owns Apollo HS out of Owensboro one of the best HS programs in the state and does really well in middle TN. Getting some of those same guys could bode really well for building a foundation.

Just my suggestions feel free to debate.
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Click to expand...

Was it Gilmore or Pawslowski that was slightly on the radar in 07? I was in Charleston around the search time and remember reading articles about UT showing interest in one but I forgot which it was....
 
#15
#15
fryeguy93 said:
Whatever happened to the 6 or so guys who came to these boards defending Raleigh's record of almost success at Western Carolina?

Where did they go?
Click to expand...

I remember them; both here at one of TOS. I don't think I've seen them in about 2 years now.
 
#17
#17
Dan McDonnell has SEC coaching experience as an assistant and has done a great job as the head man at Louisville. I hope we go after and get him.
 
#18
#18
I can't defend Raleigh, but I think his attitude and approach doesn't work with Tennessee. When he was at Western Carolina, he had the kids who felt like they were under-appreicated and were the 'underdogs.' So he could treat them in a way and coach them in a way that doesn't work at UT. UT players are more players that were treated like the best in their respective high schools and travel teams. They never had a chip on their shoulder and expect things to be handled to them. That's the way the SEC is with any program, not just UT. I think Tennessee needs to look into a coach who has experience at a top-level conference (ACC/SEC/PAC 10) versus mid-level coaches from the SoCon/SunBelt. The top-level conference coaches know how to deal with attitudes that Raleigh wasn't accustom to at WCU.
 
#19
#19
I know he's affiliated with Tennessee baseball, but hearing John Wilkerson talk about the baseball team on Sportstalk is hilarious....him and the annoying Monday race car guy were talking about how the Vols showed a lot of improvement this year....wake up men...3 years and no postseason play at all....TR hasn't and won't get the job done here....they were talking about how NEXT year will be the big year for the program....the race car guy was saying that they could be in the top half of the SEC next year....LMAO
 
#20
#20
One of these next few days I'm gonna call up and rip into Raleigh...it'll be great to hear Wilkerson's response
 
#21
#21
TNVols58 said:
I know he's affiliated with Tennessee baseball, but hearing John Wilkerson talk about the baseball team on Sportstalk is hilarious....him and the annoying Monday race car guy were talking about how the Vols showed a lot of improvement this year....wake up men...3 years and no postseason play at all....TR hasn't and won't get the job done here....they were talking about how NEXT year will be the big year for the program....the race car guy was saying that they could be in the top half of the SEC next year....LMAO
Click to expand...

Technically they did improve, but it's like bragging you finished in next to last place instead of last place. The level of improvement wasn't enough. The start of the SEC schedule was awful; the positive part of the season (turning around the SEC season and getting into Hoover contention) was cancelled out by the flop at the end.

To me, losing their way out of the SECT should outweigh them getting to 7th place. It really doesn't matter if you're in 7th place with 5 games to go if you can't close it out.

This kind of "improvement" shouldn't be something celebrated at UT, and shouldn't be tolerated. It would be one thing if Raliegh had already taken this team to the postseason and "earned" a bad season but this was his best season yet and it still resulted in failure.
 
#22
#22
It was AWESOME hearing Raleigh brag about how the team was tied with 4 other teams for 7th (after the AU series) after the last Bama game....is that what we strive for at Tennessee?
 
#23
#23
I asked the Rivals College Baseball writer on a chat if he thought Raleigh was gone and here was his response:

"One would think Tennessee would make a change, but you never really know until it happens. In terms of names, I think the Vols would be smart to take hard looks at Dave Serrano and Pat Murphy. Both coaches have Tennessee ties."

If we could get Serrano or Murphy it would be amazing...you'd think Raleigh would be shown the door already if those names were in play...I'll guess Hamilton will wait to see if the Vols somehow sneak into the NCAA Tournament (won't happen but it's the right thing to do on Hamilton's part)
 
#24
#24
tigervol9802 said:
Was it Gilmore or Pawslowski that was slightly on the radar in 07? I was in Charleston around the search time and remember reading articles about UT showing interest in one but I forgot which it was....
Click to expand...

Pawslowski was at CofC in 2007 and took the Auburn job. Gilmore's been at Coastal in Conway for 12-13 years I believe.
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#25
#25
blueraiderfan07 said:
I think Tennessee needs to look into a coach who has experience at a top-level conference (ACC/SEC/PAC 10) versus mid-level coaches from the SoCon/SunBelt. The top-level conference coaches know how to deal with attitudes that Raleigh wasn't accustom to at WCU.
Click to expand...

I agree to an extent, but you have to realize that many of these coaches played/coached as assistants at top level schools, unlike Raleigh who has never been above WCU. McDonnell from UofL came from Ole Miss, so he has experience at an SEC and Big East institution. Finwood at WKU served as associate HC and recruiting coordinator for 5 years at Auburn prior to taking the WKU job. Once again he has SEC experience, and he has Matt Myers on staff who played at UT and was a GA at Auburn with him. Of those ones I mentioned I believe both of these guys have the necessary experience and familiarity with big time college baseball and specifically the SEC.
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