CDS Departing

[billmynatt]

Gilmore is genuinely happy where he is. He is an awesome guy. I was lucky enough to meet him this past year.

Yep. And Gilmore graduated from Coastal in 1980, which means he is 58/59ish years old. Don't know too many coaches who would want to make a move from his alma mater and a comfortable situation to the dog eat dog world of SEC baseball.

Like I said, I would be really surprised to see him leave CCU for any other school. He'll likely retire from there.

 

[bowlinggreenvol]

Photo by Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports
Hot Board: Tennessee baseball head coach

INSIDETENNESSEE STAFF
2:31 PM
Tennessee baseball will have a new leader in time for the 2018 season. But, who will it be? InsideTennessee takes a look at the hot board here.

Tennessee director of athletics John Currie has his first major hire at hand after the resignation of Dave Serrano on Wednesday.
What direction will he turn?

InsideTennessee takes a look here:
Likely to get a look

BRAD BOHANNON
Bohannon is currently an assistant coach at Auburn. If Currie goes the route of hiring an assistant, the 2015 national assistant coach of the year makes a lot of sense. Bohannon has enjoyed success at both Kentucky and now Auburn. With the recent success of hiring former assistants as head coaches in the SEC, Bohannon looks to have a great shot at the job.
BRAD BOHANNON BIO
MARK CALVI
Calvi is presently the head coach at South Alabama. The former South Carolina Assistant has made South Alabama a consistent winner since being named the head coach in the summer of 2011. The relentless recruiter might be exactly what the Vols need going forward.
MARK CALVI BIO
ALAN COCKRELL
Cockerel is the current hitting coach for the New York Yankees. The former Tennessee two-sport star will get a lot of support from loyal Tennessee fans. He has MLB experience but will the lack of college coaching experience hurt him in the question.
ALAN COCKRELL BIO
BRIAN GREEN
Green is the head coach at New Mexico State. Green has SEC experience at Kentucky until being named the head coach at New Mexico State in the summer of 2014 where he has quickly turned that program around. Green was the runner up for the Kentucky job last summer and will certainly be a candidate to follow closely.
BRIAN GREEN BIO
JOHN SZEFC
Current head coach at Maryland. Before being named the head coach for the Terps in the summer of 2012 he was an assistant coach at Kansas State, which means a connection to Currie. Expect Szefc to be firmly in the mix.
JOHN SZEFC BIO

Candidates that make sense

Craig Gibson - Mercer head coach — BIO
Cliff Godwin - East Carolina head coach — BIO
Chris Linwood - Old Dominion head coach — BIO
Mike McGuire - Morehead State head coach — BIO
Other names that will be mentioned are Chris Burke, Todd Helton, Gary Henderson and Ashley Lawson.

I don't know a Chris Linwood. I know a Chris Finwood who coaches ODU.

 

[Diamond Dore]

I've never heard anyone more gracious in concession.

Agreed. It was pure class. He had every opportunity to call out the lack of support and you could hear him hesitate when asked if it was possible to succeed at Tennessee in the current SEC landscape. But he said all the right things.

In some ways he almost sounded relieved, like a huge weight was off his shoulders. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him go coach somewhere else again in the near future and have success.

 

[bowlinggreenvol]

Chris Burke is polishing up the resume' and no doubt wants this job. It would be good to find someone that really understands what it takes to win in the SEC. I think have to control Tennessee in recruiting and get creative out of state, think going north.

IMO, UofL should be an aiming point. Not a top 5 or bust target, but as an example of what a state-funded, southern school on the northern periphery can accomplish even when competing against fellow southern schools. UofL has all the weather challenges, and more, that we have, they compete against another P5 school in their sparsely populated state all while dominating in a great baseball conference. UofL doesn't have a player on their roster from south of KY. It's amazing how they've found a way to slide right into the ACC and take over the reigns from Clemson, FSU, UM, UNC; power baseball schools. I can't imagine they're playing with a ton of extra grant money that everyone claims is Vandy's only ticket to competing.

 

[peddi631]

Apparently announced to his teams he's not returning at the end of the year

It's going to be interesting who Tennessee can attract.

Can't wait to hear the ignorant radio callers and such calling for guys with no collegiate coaching experience just because they no where Gus's is located.

Would like to see the team close out with a good weekend.

Easy for you elites to downgrade folks isn't it?

 

[RollerVol]

Gruden?

:question:...let me see...he has a home outside Knoxville and his wife was a UT cheerleader....yep, seems like a logical choice...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[RollerVol]

Easy for you elites to downgrade folks isn't it?

forgive them, even though, they know what they do...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[Backwards K]

If the AD search was any indication, the Vols will not consider Burke, Helton, or Cockrell. They will only want someone with Power 5 HC experience and success. Randy Mazey fits that qualification and has been at UT in the past. Not saying he would be my choice but he fits the qualifications that you would expect to be placed on this job.

 

[txbo]

Agreed. It was pure class. He had every opportunity to call out the lack of support and you could hear him hesitate when asked if it was possible to succeed at Tennessee in the current SEC landscape. But he said all the right things.

In some ways he almost sounded relieved, like a huge weight was off his shoulders. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him go coach somewhere else again in the near future and have success.

I think your right. I don't think we've had a coach in an sport that had as much desire to be at our University and our community. It's sad that he wasn't successful here.

 

[fryeguy93]

If the AD search was any indication, the Vols will not consider Burke, Helton, or Cockrell. They will only want someone with Power 5 HC experience and success. Randy Mazey fits that qualification and has been at UT in the past. Not saying he would be my choice but he fits the qualifications that you would expect to be placed on this job.

Mazey has a ton of baggage that will be hard to ignore, including a bizarre arrest from his time in Knoxville. Not sure an athletic department looking to get out of the negative limelight could risk a potential ticking bomb going off.

I have a bad feeling I'm going to be disappointed with the final hire, but I've told myself to "trust the process"

The only hire that UT has made since I've been following them that ever made me cringe was Todd Raleigh. That's a pretty good track record.

 

[MBVolFan]

Gary Gilmore at Coastal Carolina. CBB NC coach and an easy hire with a big pay raise for him.

Gary is a great guy. I would love to see him in Knoxville, but I don't think he would leave here. He is a part of this community and seems pretty happy here. Would be sweet though.

 

[GVF]

I don't see Bragga being in play but you never know. I know four guys who played [former and current] for him and he isn't liked by any of them. Good pitchers avoid TTU for a reason.

I don't personally know any Tennessee Tech players, but I live in Cookeville. Bragga has been here some time now. Very well liked in the community and university. Good man. Tech pitching can't be too aweful bad with a 40-17 record this year, and several players ranked moderate to high in national stats. If you think it is hard to win at UT, try operating consistently and successfully on Tech's baseball budget. we do have a failry decent complex for a mid-major average program.

Bragga started at TennTech in 2004. took over a hapless program. Just completed his 14th regular season.1st 4 years pretty dismal building it up. Last 10 years from 2008-2017 has been fairly successful.

2004-2007 = 72-135 .348 win %
2008-2014 = 320-239 .572 win %
2008-2014 = 4 out of 10 regular season OVC titles, 2 OVC tournament titles, 2 appearances in NCAA Regionals including this year. For 2017 they rank in Top 15 in 4 of 8 National Stats per BBA. HR (1), RPG (5), Hitting (9), and K/9 innings (12). Hard to find MLB players, cause i don't think there are any active or ever made it the bigs. Last draftee i know of was Dylan Bosheers in 2015. the Phillies assigned him to AA squad. The AA squad released him in 2016 and remains unsigned i think.

Bragga is a good OVC level coach. Doubt he would do much for UT in power conferences, or even be a mentionable for the job. But, you never know. Otherwise he would do well to be happy where he is. He has a lifetime job pretty much. tech doesn't produce much professional talent, but are competitive with what they attract. They actually have a sophomore from GA that is expected to be a future all-american. He was a little off this year.

Tech doesn't do much local recruiting and that hurts them in the area with reputation and such. There are some D1 level players locally if given the opportunity. Jackson County has had some really nice players the last few years that just don't get noticed. And they've won their HS district 5 of 7 years. And a baseball complex that puts most high schools and many smaller colleges to shame. Got a sophomore that can turn a gapper into a triple on a 325 foot fence. Every time. Can throw from deep center to third on a rope with heat and pitches easily in the 80's. And at roughly 130 pounds or so, hits the ball harder than many grown collegiate players. Another sophomore that is a great catcher, and has Greg Maddox style pitching and control, and I say that earnestly.

 

[zachpack]

I don't personally know any Tennessee Tech players, but I live in Cookeville. Bragga has been here some time now. Very well liked in the community and university. Good man. Tech pitching can't be too aweful bad with a 40-17 record this year, and several players ranked moderate to high in national stats. If you think it is hard to win at UT, try operating consistently and successfully on Tech's baseball budget. we do have a failry decent complex for a mid-major average program.

Bragga started at TennTech in 2004. took over a hapless program. Just completed his 14th regular season.1st 4 years pretty dismal building it up. Last 10 years from 2008-2017 has been fairly successful.

2004-2007 = 72-135 .348 win %
2008-2014 = 320-239 .572 win %
2008-2014 = 4 out of 10 regular season OVC titles, 2 OVC tournament titles, 2 appearances in NCAA Regionals including this year. For 2017 they rank in Top 15 in 4 of 8 National Stats per BBA. HR (1), RPG (5), Hitting (9), and K/9 innings (12). Hard to find MLB players, cause i don't think there are any active or ever made it the bigs. Last draftee i know of was Dylan Bosheers in 2015. the Phillies assigned him to AA squad. The AA squad released him in 2016 and remains unsigned i think.

Bragga is a good OVC level coach. Doubt he would do much for UT in power conferences, or even be a mentionable for the job. But, you never know. Otherwise he would do well to be happy where he is. He has a lifetime job pretty much. tech doesn't produce much professional talent, but are competitive with what they attract. They actually have a sophomore from GA that is expected to be a future all-american. He was a little off this year.

Tech doesn't do much local recruiting and that hurts them in the area with reputation and such. There are some D1 level players locally if given the opportunity. Jackson County has had some really nice players the last few years that just don't get noticed. And they've won their HS district 5 of 7 years. And a baseball complex that puts most high schools and many smaller colleges to shame. Got a sophomore that can turn a gapper into a triple on a 325 foot fence. Every time. Can throw from deep center to third on a rope with heat and pitches easily in the 80's. And at roughly 130 pounds or so, hits the ball harder than many grown collegiate players. Another sophomore that is a great catcher, and has Greg Maddox style pitching and control, and I say that earnestly.

Let's just say he does not win with pitching or developing pitchers. Check the scores...check the arms...CK the lack of pitchers being drafted

 

[GVF]

Let's just say he does not win with pitching or developing pitchers. Check the scores...check the arms...CK the lack of pitchers being drafted

completely agree there. They are way way down the national rankings in pitching stats. They had very good offense and hitting this year. Pitching was good enough to allow the bats to win the games. Some good pitchers as far as OVC play goes. But, nothing noteable on a national or draftable level. Some very good position players this year. Nothing against Bragga. He's where he should be. If his name comes up in the UT search as suggested in an above post, something is wrong with the search process.