Moving Forward

U

utfannforlife

1,000+ Posts
Before we talk about the future, let me just elaborate on how extremely classy GG is. I got a txt message this afternoon about 12:30pm from Duncanville coach Cathy Self-Morgan telling me that she had spoken to Gail and was informed of her decision to step down. So not only did she tell her incoming recruits and their families she also called their head coaches. How extremely classy!

Now moving forward, it is my opinion that the new coach must have a few things. First, championship experience in some form. Doesn't matter if it's in the form of conference championship experience or nationonal championship experience, they just need to be a proven winner. And they must have a TON of personality, Capible of rivaling those of Blair and Mulkey. They also must have southern roots, no one can recruit in Texas if they've never spent an extended amount of time in the south. Because no one can talk to southern people like other southern people, plain and simple. They have to be able to glad-hand and politic which isn't an easy thing to do.

With that being said my short list includes in this order:

Jeff Waltz (lousiville)
Nikki Caldwell (LSU)
Brenda Frese (Maryland)
Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky)
Holly Warlick (Tenn)
Dawn Staley (USC)

Dark Horse:
Melanie Balcomb (Vandy)
 
Balcomb was a favorite of many of the players on the team five years ago when GG was hired. Several of those players had been recruited by her and thought highly of her integrity and coaching style. I hope CP gives her another look.
 
I don't recall her name being tossed about the first time around, doesn't mean you aren't correct though. But im going to be honest, after further research I really don't want to hear any name other than walz of lousiville. He skyrocketed their attendance in just his first year from 2,482 to 8,382. And last season they sold out louisvilles 22,000 arena twice. And 6 times this year. That's flat out phenomenal
 
I saw a name on another post that I forgot to mention and that is one of Former LSU's pokey chatman, souther routes? Check. Proven winner? Check. Ton of personality? Check. Her and Mulkey actually have a history of animosity, I'd love to see that twice a year!!!
 
utfan,
as per usual you take one step forward and two steps back with me every time you post. Good initial list. But really....Pokey????
wtf.gif
Do we need that baggage? I don't even know where that whole fiasco ended up but we are building a program from scratch we don't need an outside the box hire.

I read the Louisville coach's resume. I didn't realize he was at Nebraska for a number of years. He knows Big 12 country. Even better that he has built a fan base. We should hire him for 750,00 with incentives to become a million dollar coach if he starts winning championships. I know this will probably never play out but is my opinion. Between people calling for Geno, Mulkey and now Pokey these next weeks are going to take 20 years off my life.
 
Walz sounds like we really need to take a good look at him. As mentioned, he is familiar with the Big 12 and seems to be an outstanding recruiter. Certainly would be on any short list I would put together.
 
Waltz....

ain't

gonna

happen...

What about Kamie Ethridge? (Guess not Big Time Record...but then again, we went that route last time...)

Or let's see...hmm....Gary Blair might consider it....really, sounds like a stretch, but he loves Texas...

Well, we'll see...

Nikki Caldwell (LSU) is a good choice...

Staley? She had two of her best players leave her program, so something is off there...

I am sad it didn't work out here for Gail, she really was a proven winner..but it is for sure that the "good ol' girl" stuff at Texas was her undoing...

hookem.gif
 
Tempest, baggage? That like all things is in the past, the former student athlete she supposedly had a relationship with was two years removed from the program and a competent adult. Was it "morally questionable" a tad bit, but let's not forget she was not forced out. She chose to step aside as to not impede that teams run to the final four. LSU was willing to work through that, it's not like she did something unforgivable. And winning is only thing that heals faster than time. She is an excellent motivator and kids always give 100% for her. Even her Wnba players like tamera young and Erin thorn heralded her as one of the best coaches they've ever played for. If she can come in and win and make the program elite again then trust me, all will be forgiven.

And as far as staley goes, you mentioned that she had two of her beat kids leave there. Had you ever been to south Carolina? Not exactly a kid friendly place to be.

Also Bbv, you said waltz wouldn't happen but with no explaination as to why not. We can double what he makes now, and if he can recruit girls to louisville then surely he can get them to Austin. The only difference between his upstart and gg is that she won with less talented kids and coach waltz got a top 10 recruiting class in his first year. He hasn't established Louisville to the level of an elite job so I think Texas could certainly lure him here, better pay, better recruiting base, better facilities, and more respect. Because lets face it, winning in lville and winning at Texas are in two different stratospheres.
 
I think the Lady Horns have had enough of the proven championship winners. Wasn't that why GG was hired in the first place? Go out and find a hotshot up and comer. It has to be someone who has a fire in their gut to win.
 
Tex If a coach is going to be negative on the recruiting trail there is always something to use against someone. Bottom line is that the kids now a days are different from us growing up, these kids just want to WIN. And if Pokey could do that, the kids would come PERIOD. Luckily, the majority of the coaches in this league that we actually compete against (OU, BU and A&M) are more on the classy side and have enough accolades to their credit that they dont have to resort to under handed tactics to recruit against us.

And IMO I dont believe CP to be against hiring a man if he is indeed the best person for the job. I dont think GG was hired because she was a woman, she was hired beceause she was among the top 3 coaches in the country at the time of her hire. She hired Elliot and has enjoyed great success, and she even made a run at the UNC male soccer coach before hiring Kelly, so I have the utmost confidence that she will hire the best person for the job no matter the gender. And to me that is clearly Walz who is young, energetic and capible of building us into a national power for a long time to come.

And Alex please ask your question because im oh so curious
 
I dont think (especially in womens athletics) that the lesbian stigma is what it used to be. Because It was and still is very much known that Jody was one herself. she was never outward about it, and it may negitively impact a recruit or two but from being around players on the daily basis I can actually say that winning is above all now.

I just wonder where "she would never hire a male" came from on this board? Her job is dictated by success, you think one would risk that just for gender? Thats hard to believe.
 
My revised, and longer, list….which includes both some that I don’t really believe would happen, (but maybe you make them say no), and some that I do not think would be near a first choice, in the lower half of the list……not in any perfect order, but in the ballpark…..

Jeff Waltz (Louisville)
Brenda Frese (Maryland)
Nikki Caldwell (LSU)
Melanie Balcomb (Vanderbilt)
Suzie Merchant (Michigan State)
MaChelle Joseph (Georgia Tech)
Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky)
Holly Warlick (Tennessee)
Nell Fortner (Auburn)
Vic Schaefer (A&MMississippi State)
Matt Bollant (Green Bay Wisconsin)
Kelly Graves (Gonzaga)
Charli Turner Thorne (Arizona State)
Sue Semrau (Florida State)
Sharon Versyp (Purdue)
Pokie Chapman (Chicago Sky)
Dawn Staley (USC)
Kamie Ethridge (Kansas State)
Karen Aston (North Texas)
 
Mulkey make $1.1M at Baylor (only $50K more than Coach G). Pat Summit makes a shade over $2M. If we offered to double Mulkey's salary to come to Texas, with a proviso that her salary will never be less than the highest paid Division I women's basketball coach, would she really turn us down? Does she love Waco move than an extra million bucks? Heck, with the extra cash, she could buy a mansion in Castle Heights and spend her weekends in Waco if that's the way she rolls.
 
Jeff Waltz (Louisville) yes
Brenda Frese (Maryland) yes
Nikki Caldwell (LSU) yes
Melanie Balcomb (Vanderbilt) maybe
Suzie Merchant (Michigan State) no
MaChelle Joseph (Georgia Tech) no
Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky) yes
Holly Warlick (Tennessee) no
Nell Fortner (Auburn) no
Vic Schaefer (A&MMississippi State) no
Matt Bollant (Green Bay Wisconsin) no
Kelly Graves (Gonzaga) no
Charli Turner Thorne (Arizona State) no
Sue Semrau (Florida State) maybe
Sharon Versyp (Purdue) no
Pokie Chapman (Chicago Sky) no
Dawn Staley (USC) maybe
Kamie Ethridge (Kansas State) no
Karen Aston (North Texas) maybe
 
We still need to hold our standards high.
Go for Top Coaches
Kentucky
Louisville

We really do need a change!
The next coaches would be
Georgetown, S.Carolina, Miami, Maryland,LSU
Hookem'
 
The Lubbock contingent is offering their current coach at a bargain rate....please take her they say! They seem to feel Curry has failed even moreso than GG.
 
Jeff Waltz (Louisville) yes yes yes
Brenda Frese (Maryland) yes
Nikki Caldwell (LSU) yes
Melanie Balcomb (Vanderbilt) yes, but bottom of my list
Suzie Merchant (Michigan State) no, not enough success
MaChelle Joseph (Georgia Tech) no, this year is her first sweet 16 in 12 years
Matthew Mitchell (Kentucky) yes
Holly Warlick (Tennessee) yes
Nell Fortner (Auburn) absolutely not
Vic Schaefer (A&MMississippi State) yes, but contingent upon his personality. Never met or heard him talk
Matt Bollant (Green Bay Wisconsin) no
Kelly Graves (Gonzaga) no
Charli Turner Thorne (Arizona State) no
Sue Semrau (Florida State) no
Sharon Versyp (Purdue) no
Pokie Chapman (Chicago Sky) yes
Dawn Staley (USC) yes
Kamie Ethridge (Kansas State) no
Karen Aston (North Texas) yes/ last on my list though
 
Seems to be a lot of agreement about the top candidates. There are few of the others past those 10 that I would be OK with if it came to that. But, really if we had to go to anything outside the first five choices there would be some concern. The question is if the search committee has the same top candidates.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top