Mulkey The Next Texas Coach?

[Phil Elliott]

Having talked to her and understanding what she looks for and expects of UT coaches aside from excellence in their sport

Please do explain then why Connie Clark still has a job?

 

[BBV_Horn]

While this is true, we've got to honest about why that was that Gail all of a sudden "couldn't recruit" after 6 straight top 10 classes at Duke. She had some powerful coaches/influencers who were actively working against her and sandbagging her on the recruiting trail. Clarissa Davis comes to mind. Without that, we get both the Ogwumike sisters and Meghan Simmons. Hindsight is 20/20 but I don't think anyone can dispute the profound impact they would've had on the Texas program.

Know that I say this having heard directly "from the horses mouth" in both of those instances in particular.

True...her not being able to keep any coaches with Texas ties crippled us for 5 years...she is still an awesome coach and a lovely person, and I am so sorry she had to put up with the CRAP she got for her whole 5 years..I am sure she would have traded her salary for the ability to keep the Texas Coaches + WIN at Texas!

 

[BBV_Horn]

For whatever reason GG didn't produce for Texas. Yes, there appears to have been interference by some in the Texas Athletic Department (which finally is being addressed), but GG was still responsible for recruiting and producing.

If you aren't allowed to keep the coaches with deep ties in Texas Basketball, you can't really be held responsible..
it's like having one hand tied behind your back and your feet hobbled as you dribble up the court!

 

[BabHorn]

Nor was she responsible for career ending injuries/illnesses to her top players. And she still managed to beat Baylor.

 

[ViperHorn]

Please do explain then why Connie Clark still has a job?

and Angela Kelly.

 

[Scamp]

An utterly opposite story about Coach GG was discussed on a Big 12 fan board: she fired Jody's staff; she refused to do meet & greet sessions with fans; she didn't "get" Texas and didn't try to.

 

[brnkj]

If you aren't allowed to keep the coaches with deep ties in Texas Basketball, you can't really be held responsible..
it's like having one hand tied behind your back and your feet hobbled as you dribble up the court!

The perfect sacrificial lamb... take one of the top coaches in wbb and cut her recruiting legs out from under her... I've heard this for years, just never spoke on it. Apparently it was never intended for her to succeed and magnify JC's declining last few years.

 

[BabHorn]

she fired Jody's staff; she refused to do meet & greet sessions with fans; she didn't "get" Texas and didn't try to.

agree that none of the previous staff was retained. Disagree with the rest.

Especially about the meet and greet. She kept the post game meetings in the Lone Star Room. She was easy to talk to before and after her weekly show, before and after practices. Some were disappointed and angry that she did not keep all practices open although she did keep a limited number open. Those were provided to those fans that asked about them as Coach Aston does now with the times and dates of practices.

Personally, I found her and find Coach Aston to be a lot more approachable than Coach Conradt was. And, I am sure that a lot of people disagree with how approachable Coach Conradt was.

 

[hornhonker]

Personally glad the GG years are behind us. Whether it was frustration or just her personality, I saw GG behavior towards players that I thought was an anger management problem or, at the least, a really poor example. At the same time I heard staff bad-mouth GG to parents so wasn’t surprised to see changes. All in all, I’m glad we have moved on.

 

[brnkj]

It appears that the GG "era" was one big convoluted mess.

 

[WCBBNUT]

I don't wonder why my posts aren't well-received. It's a message board! Are ya'll serious? Stop trying to control the way people think, what people post, and how people respond. I'm not running for Senior Class President. Seriously, get real. Some of you act like you've invited folks to your dinner party and they insulted your chicken on a stick! This board is NOT your house. You do not make the rules. No one here has to agree with one thing on this board. It is our right to disagree. It is our right to agree. If you're uncomfortable with disagreement, that is NOT anyone else's problem. Perhaps YOU should consider starting a board where the only people who are allowed are those who agree with you or see things as you see them. Wow! I can assure you I am not going anywhere. Why can't we simply respect the diversity of thought and opinion? Seems reasonable to me.

Pot meet kettle. Telling a poster what you think of their comment because they told you what they thought of your comment. This thread

 

[WCBBNUT]

It appears that the GG "era" was one big convoluted mess.

She was my friend when she was here but I have lost touch with her. She could have burned the place to the ground on her way out based on what she had to endure, but instead took the high road and took full responsibility for not meeting expectations. She was and is a remarkable coach and person.

Bonus:

She knocked Baylor out of the B12 tournament with a 22 point second half comeback.

She swept Aggie in their final season in the B12.

Those two things alone were worth every penny we paid her.

 

[brnkj]

She was my friend when she was here but I have lost touch with her. She could have burned the place to the ground on her way out based on what she had to endure, but instead took the high road and took full responsibility for not meeting expectations. She was and is a remarkable coach and person.

Bonus:

She knocked Baylor out of the B12 tournament with a 22 point second half comeback.

She swept Aggie in their final season in the B12.

Those two things alone were worth every penny we paid her.

Please know that when I say convoluted it is NOT being critical of Coach G., but rather her UT "chain of command." I'm pretty sure there was a puppeteer act going on (if ya know what I mean).

 

[utfannforlife]

Personally glad the GG years are behind us. Whether it was frustration or just her personality, I saw GG behavior towards players that I thought was an anger management problem or, at the least, a really poor example. At the same time I heard staff bad-mouth GG to parents so wasn’t surprised to see changes. All in all, I’m glad we have moved on.

I always wonder why this is perceived differently from coach to coach. There doesn't seem to be one constant standard. For example, Pat Summitt was the most "in your face" coaches I have ever seen. But for some reason she is revered for it.

 

[WCBBNUT]

Please know that when I say convoluted it is NOT being critical of Coach G., but rather her UT "chain of command." I'm pretty sure there was a puppeteer act going on (if ya know what I mean).

Thanks and I agree.

 

[racerx5908]

I always wonder why this is perceived differently from coach to coach. There doesn't seem to be one constant standard. For example, Pat Summitt was the most "in your face" coaches I have ever seen. But for some reason she is revered for it.

Wins.

 

[WCBBNUT]

I always wonder why this is perceived differently from coach to coach. There doesn't seem to be one constant standard. For example, Pat Summitt was the most "in your face" coaches I have ever seen. But for some reason she is revered for it.

I think it is less about what we see courtside and more about the full program. Summit, Conradt and GG emphasized student and then athlete, knowing that basketball was not a final destination but rather a gateway to a successful life. GG had all her players reading biographies of world leaders and champions for instance.

Research some of the things former players say about Mulkey. Many like her and many don’t, but one thing is for sure - she cares about what you do on the court and not about what you might need off the court. Mulkey herself has not used the sport to expand her world experience. She doesn’t do that for her players either. What you see is what you get indeed. Glad we aren’t getting it.

 

[Karen]

If TX hires Geno we win a championship within 3 years.

Love him or hate him he's an excellent coach.

Some of y'all are super sensitive when it comes to mulkey and her comments. Mulkey shoots straight from the hip. You don't have to worry about what she's thinking. She's going to tell you. She's that person at work or in your family that says what everybody is thinking. I don't have any problems with her comments. She's not a great orator. She's a kick a$$, take names kind of coach. Love her or hate her, what you see is what you get with her.

In reference to the lawsuit alleging that 31 Baylor football players committed 52 rapes and were protected by the school, here are some choice Mulkey quotes, made to fans, at the arena:

"If somebody [is] around you, and they ever say, 'I will never send my daughter to Baylor,' you knock them right in the face."

"The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school in America. Period. Move on, find another story to write."

"I'm just tired of hearing it. I'm tired of people talking on a national scale that don't know what they're talking about. If they didn't sit in those meetings and they weren't a part of the investigation, you're repeating things that you've heard. It's over, it's done.”

"And I'm tired of hearing it. This is a great institution. The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school in America. Period. Move on, find another story to write."

Is this who you want at UT? She doesn't deserve to anywhere near young women.

 

[brnkj]

Kind of comical (not to mention delusional) that anyone would say every other university has done what Baylor has done... covering up rapes and, oh yeah, let's not forget that MURDER.

 

[SabreHorn]

brnkj,

Make that plural (murderS). How about dying today, paying off the family at breakfast, then cremating the body before the sun goes down and any investigation can take place?

 

[BBV_Horn]

She was my friend when she was here but I have lost touch with her. She could have burned the place to the ground on her way out based on what she had to endure, but instead took the high road and took full responsibility for not meeting expectations. She was and is a remarkable coach and person.

Bonus:

She knocked Baylor out of the B12 tournament with a 22 point second half comeback.

She swept Aggie in their final season in the B12.

Those two things alone were worth every penny we paid her.

ABSOLUTELY ON POINT!!!

 

[Hornzupp]

She was my friend when she was here but I have lost touch with her. She could have burned the place to the ground on her way out based on what she had to endure, but instead took the high road and took full responsibility for not meeting expectations. She was and is a remarkable coach and person.

Bonus:

She knocked Baylor out of the B12 tournament with a 22 point second half comeback.

She swept Aggie in their final season in the B12.

Those two things alone were worth every penny we paid her.

I know Gail Gestenkors - and by know, I mean am acquainted with her. Have had multiple interactions with her - we have some of the same friends. We, however, are NOT friends. We are friend-ly. She is a very kind and good person. What she was not, was a good fit for the Univ of Texas - by her own admission and not anybody's fault. She looked like the right fit. She thought she was. They thought she was. She wasn't. But c'mon. Nobody knows what ANY coach has to endure in their job - not really. And nobody knows the dirty little secrets a coach DOESN'T share about him/herself that might not paint them in the best light - and why they're inept at some aspects of their jobs.

It's always so disappointing when fans become a little cozy with a coach - thinking they're really "in the know". We're not. Ever. Not really - from either side. No shade to anyone but unless you were THERE, you do not know what happened. Period.

Opinion is one thing. Having every single detail of every single interaction a coach has in their coaching life would give you the kind of insight to know what Gail or any coach has to "endure". Everything else is just middle school cafeteria b.s. Coaches tend to not understand that their job is about more than just winning ball games - at least at the U of Texas, it is. I wish we would stop getting on these boards acting like we "know what happened" because we think we were friends with people. Hard for coaches to have random friends quite honestly. Glad Gail's found a new life and career - she seems to be thriving. Good for her.

 

[WCBBNUT]

I know Gail Gestenkors - and by know, I mean am acquainted with her. Have had multiple interactions with her - we have some of the same friends. We, however, are NOT friends. We are friend-ly. She is a very kind and good person. What she was not, was a good fit for the Univ of Texas - by her own admission and not anybody's fault. She looked like the right fit. She thought she was. They thought she was. She wasn't. But c'mon. Nobody knows what ANY coach has to endure in their job - not really. And nobody knows the dirty little secrets a coach DOESN'T share about him/herself that might not paint them in the best light - and why they're inept at some aspects of their jobs.

It's always so disappointing when fans become a little cozy with a coach - thinking they're really "in the know". We're not. Ever. Not really - from either side. No shade to anyone but unless you were THERE, you do not know what happened. Period.

Opinion is one thing. Having every single detail of every single interaction a coach has in their coaching life would give you the kind of insight to know what Gail or any coach has to "endure". Everything else is just middle school cafeteria b.s. Coaches tend to not understand that their job is about more than just winning ball games - at least at the U of Texas, it is. I wish we would stop getting on these boards acting like we "know what happened" because we think we were friends with people. Hard for coaches to have random friends quite honestly. Glad Gail's found a new life and career - she seems to be thriving. Good for her.

I don’t enjoy enjoy being called a liar. When I said we were friends, I actually meant we were friends. The only reason she and I are not still in touch is we both moved away from Austin about the same time. I could call her tomorrow and she would take my call. I saw her at the game this weekend and we exchanged hugs and quick updates. Knowing her does not make me special nor more important. It simply means I knew a little more than some others on here about what went on and how she felt about it. As I said above, she could have left the program pointing fingers and causing problems but she took the high road. I admire her for that.

In the future, please don’t accuse me of exaggerating my relationship with her. You have no idea who I am. I never talk about Gail on here until some fool comes along and claims she was a lousy coach or a bad recruiter etc. Then I simply set the record straight and move on.

PS. I wish this thread would die. Mulkey is not coming to UT. The dislike is mutual

 

[brnkj]

She could have burned the place to the ground on her way out based on what she had to endure

Maybe another prominent former coach of a UT women's sport will.

 

[UTSUgrad]

utfannforlife and Viperhorn --- Thank you for explaining as best you could what happened with Gail. It just never made sense to me on the face of it why players didn't want to play for her here, when they certainly flocked to Duke to be on her team.

Jody and GG also had the bad luck to be coaching during a generational change. Google "millennials" and you'll find numerous scholarly reports, studies and other data about how that generation views the world and how they want to be treated, managed and recognized. (You see the same changes in men's teams.) Coaches have to understand how to recruit this generation and their parents, and then how to coach them up. This generation has other interests and has no difficulty re-arranging its priorities. That's a generalization, of course, but the top coaches know how to speak to today's kids.

 

[UTSUgrad]

Jody and GG also had the bad luck to be coaching during a generational change. Google "millennials" and you'll find numerous scholarly reports, studies and other data about how that generation views the world and how they want to be treated, managed and recognized. (You see the same changes in men's teams.) Coaches have to understand how to recruit this generation and their parents, and then how to coach them up. This generation has other interests and has no difficulty re-arranging its priorities. That's a generalization, of course, but the top coaches know how to speak to today's kids.

(This may also be a problem for Texas Tech - can't build a winning program with only small town, West Texas players.)

 

[Hornzupp]

I don’t enjoy enjoy being called a liar. When I said we were friends, I actually meant we were friends. The only reason she and I are not still in touch is we both moved away from Austin about the same time. I could call her tomorrow and she would take my call. I saw her at the game this weekend and we exchanged hugs and quick updates. Knowing her does not make me special nor more important. It simply means I knew a little more than some others on here about what went on and how she felt about it. As I said above, she could have left the program pointing fingers and causing problems but she took the high road. I admire her for that.

In the future, please don’t accuse me of exaggerating my relationship with her. You have no idea who I am. I never talk about Gail on here until some fool comes along and claims she was a lousy coach or a bad recruiter etc. Then I simply set the record straight and move on.

PS. I wish this thread would die. Mulkey is not coming to UT. The dislike is mutual

There is NOTHING in my post that calls you a liar. At all. Period. In fact, you are not mentioned in my post at all. As the wife of a former coach I speak my truth just as you spoke yours. Even though I was there; I wasn't really "there" for all she endured or for that matter, made someone else endure. Nobody's perfect no matter how much we like, admire or love them. We are not there for every moment of a coach's tenure, period. We only know what they tell us happened, and what we "think" happened based on how we feel about the parties involved. And even then - we don't have all the facts. Sometimes me thinks the folks on this board protests too much. Oh well.

 

[Hornzupp]

The perfect sacrificial lamb... take one of the top coaches in wbb and cut her recruiting legs out from under her... I've heard this for years, just never spoke on it. Apparently it was never intended for her to succeed and magnify JC's declining last few years.

huh? Sacrificial lamb? GG CHOSE not to hire coaches with ties in Texas high schools - a move that is suicidal. She did that to herself. Ask her the next time you see her.