Jump to content

2018 Texas Softball


texasstrong12

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, FloridaHorn said:

Someone on UCS has heard the same Eriksen/Cat rumors as me. Hopefully we both have the same bad source. I am starting to get worried that this is the actual plan.>:(

That would be an epically bad hire.  Here's why:

  • That would be two pitching coaches on staff.  That would leave hitting and defense to one person, and that would be a tall order to fill.
  • Ken Eriksen has not recruited in years.  Because of his Team USA commitments he can't recruit, but even before that he didn't, he let his staff do it.  I still contend that the head coach here needs to be an elite recruiter.  Additionally, because of Team USA, he can only recruit from ASA sanctioned events, which means we would be cut off from pretty much all of the elite talent in the country.
  • Let's be honest, if it weren't for Team USA, Ken Eriksen wouldn't be on anyone's list, much less a job of this magnitude.  This hire would be made because of that title, and from what I'm hearing, he won't have that title after this summer anyway.

I would be thoroughly disgusted with this hire, and frankly, it wouldn't be any better than keeping Clark would have been...with the exception of getting Cat back on the Forty Acres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with your points. It's an awful hire. Unless you're pulling some weird ass "Director of Softball" shit where Cat is the head coach but KE is the Director of Softball. Granted, that's in my head because Washington just did that for their T&F program (husband-wife duo, wife is the "Director" and husband is the "head coach").  But that would be stupid too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken Eriksen may coach pitching, but that is not his preference. He had Mo Triner as his pitching coach for years at USF. He prefers to work with the hitters, which he is equally inept at. I believe that Gasso will takeover Team USA after this summer as well, but as you stated, it won't matter, as Eriksen is not a great recruiter anyways. He gets the majority of his kids at USF on academic money and Florida prepaid tuition. When he recruited my kid, the first question he asked was did we have Florida Prepaid (which we didn't, as we only moved here 7 years ago). To get elite kids, you must have a keen eye for talent, and great relationship with the elite travel programs, and money to offer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, FloridaHorn said:

yet another reason Eriksen won't come....The USF softball facility is as nice as any school in the country.

 

I am trying to speak it into existence.

Here's hoping our deep-pocketed softball fans are as plugged in as you guys. I hope CDC trial balloons some names to see who would help open up the checkbooks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, FloridaHorn said:

Ken Eriksen may coach pitching, but that is not his preference. He had Mo Triner as his pitching coach for years at USF. He prefers to work with the hitters, which he is equally inept at. I believe that Gasso will takeover Team USA after this summer as well, but as you stated, it won't matter, as Eriksen is not a great recruiter anyways.

I hadn't heard about his preference to work with hitters, and if that's so, then we really are getting Clark 2.0

Agree on Gasso...my sources (who are pretty good with Team USA) say that's exactly why you see her head coaching the B team this summer.  Maybe with her taking over we'll get back to being serious with who makes the tryouts and who gets picked.  Eriksen's personal vendettas with certain coaches and programs has kept several players off the list that are more than deserving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, mr. sunshine said:

Username starts out nice and then veers off a steep mountain road into a deep valley. Nearby villagers and their children gather and dance around the flaming wreckage 

Will not explain, but have my reasons for the username.  Unless I were to prove myself unworthy, please respect my choice.  Hook'em forever!!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's the USA Softball head so he doesn't recruit in the summers because he's doing national team stuff

He has not leveraged that job or facilities or a fertile Florida recruiting ground AT ALL into getting quality recruits

He's been to 1 WCWS and it took a lot of things to fall into place for that (regional host Florida dismissing 3 starters the day before the tournament; 4-seed Hofstra taking out UCLA in Westwood; getting to host a super regional)

He doesn't even recruit from the PGF circuit, which is where all the talent is. He only takes from ASA.

He sucks at even winning his own conference. 22 seasons, 13 NCAA tournaments. 2 Supers. 1 WCWS. Awful.

Edited by Js1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

Can we give the former ULL guy another look? 

Ok...then we might as well toss EE from Mizzou into the fray.  Why not? Those two treated/talked to players  the same way. Fierce competitors perhaps but not politically correct. They like to win which was the cause of their demise.  Earleywine is now employed as the athletic director for Jeff City Public Schools. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No she wasn't.

White can recruit and he can coach pitchers. Would probably mean no Cat coming to Austin unless he was going to give up part of the pitching coach job, which we couldn't even Connie to do.

Mike has had a lot of success without the benefit of a natural talent base in a tough conference.  Give him a talent base like Texas, with the ability to reach into California and cherry-pick from other places (his best players on the roster right now are from Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida and Pennsylvania).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike will have to hire a couple of dynamic assistants. The best players on his team weren't recruited directly by Mike White. all of those states you mentioned were in Jimmy Kolaitis' recruiting area. However, Mike White is a GREAT pitching coach. His teams always have really good pitching, and display great fundamentals. This is exciting news, if true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JK scouting the Midwest and Chelsea Spencer was from Cali, so he really drew assistants from areas he wanted to get kids from and it worked.  If this is the guy, I already trust he would make the right hires.

Edited by Js1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.registerguard.com/sports/20180620/oregon-ducks-softball-coach-might-have-texas-longhorns-attention

"According to sources close to the situation, Oregon coach Mike White and Texas have some mutual interest over the Longhorns’ vacant coaching position, but those sources added an offer had not been made as of Wednesday."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I'm confused because:

A) If Mike White - he's been hosting transfer candidates, including Amanda Sanchez out of Mizzou (infielder I would like to have in order to move MK Tedder to short and Sanchez could play 3B)

B) If Kenny G - he was apparently hosting Sam Show at Okie State, though I'd love to have her (however, rumors are she just wants to DP and not pitch anymore)

I know I said I'd take Kenny G (if the other option is KE) but I feel like his pitching hasn't been good enough to do much against OU/postseason.  Good pitching can shut down good hitting.  Mike White gets the nod from me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

J,

 

Remember that these coaches work for their current schools, until the moment they don't. They have to continue to recruit, up until the moment that they agree to take another job. Too much is made of.."it can't be so and so, because he was out recruiting in his current school colors this weekend." Coaches have to continue to make evaluations and connections, regardless of which school they work for. Hopefully, this will all be over today, and we can relax this weekend. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recruiting PSAs are one thing. For those PSAs who commit early, they can easily go somewhere else with plenty of time.

Recruiting one (or two) year transfers while having conversations with other schools on the side is.... gross.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Recruiting PSAs are one thing. For those PSAs who commit early, they can easily go somewhere else with plenty of time.

Recruiting one (or two) year transfers while having conversations with other schools on the side is.... gross.

 

Granted, I don't know what PSAs are, but when job hunting, don't you keep doing your current job at full force until you're hired by the next company?  

But I understand where you're coming from...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PSAs - prospective student-athletes (HS recruits).  PSAs know they're potentially verballing to a school where the coach may not be there by the time they arrive in 2-4 years.  Transfers are signing the paperwork to show up in 3 months and expect coach to be there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree it is "Gross", but I also know that it happens. It is important for all PSAs to ask the difficult questions during any visits. Doesn't mean the coach will be honest, but at least you will know what you are committing to.

Although it rarely happens, kids need to make their decisions based on the school and not the coach.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think at this point, the coach has to act as though they are going to be there.  If a coach stops recruiting because of interest in another gig, and then decides to stay, they have unnecessarily fucked over their program.  If they convince a talented transfer to sign, and then take another job at least they are leaving their old program a nice parting gift.  Intentionally misleading a recruit is absolutely gross.  Doing your job to the best of your ability until you take another is the only way to do it, in my opinion.  This could be fixed by allowing transfers a way out if the coach leaves before the next season begins.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, idigTexas said:

I think at this point, the coach has to act as though they are going to be there.  If a coach stops recruiting because of interest in another gig, and then decides to stay, they have unnecessarily fucked over their program.  If they convince a talented transfer to sign, and then take another job at least they are leaving their old program a nice parting gift.  Intentionally misleading a recruit is absolutely gross.  Doing your job to the best of your ability until you take another is the only way to do it, in my opinion.  This could be fixed by allowing transfers a way out if the coach leaves before the next season begins.   

I definitely agree with your last line.

Transfers should have an automatic clause that let's them out of their commitment to the school if the coach leaves. Same for any PSA who signed an NLI. But verbal commits know what they're getting into. That doesn't bother me.

PSAs should always commit to the school because there's no guarantee Coach is staying for the 2-4 years it takes them to get to campus or the 4 years they'll be there. But transfers are only looking for a place to play for 1-2 years, they're looking at the coach just as much as the school (and for grad transfers, being a 1 year rental, the coach is a big fucking deal).

Edited by Js1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Js1 said:

Recruiting PSAs are one thing. For those PSAs who commit early, they can easily go somewhere else with plenty of time.

Recruiting one (or two) year transfers while having conversations with other schools on the side is.... gross.

Don't want to be a ass, but you do not keep up with college athletics much do you. Not saying I like it, but that is the coach you want these days. This is not never never land.

Sorry, think I was kind of an ass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That did kind of come off asshole.

I know recruiting is gross. But there's a different level of grossness when you're hosting transfers who want to come for a year to play under you and you're looking to bolt to a better job.

It's not less gross than fucking 8th graders committing.  That's just dumb.  Those parents should be slapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Js1 said:

That did kind of come off asshole.

I know recruiting is gross. But there's a different level of grossness when you're hosting transfers who want to come for a year to play under you and you're looking to bolt to a better job.

It's not less gross than fucking 8th graders committing.  That's just dumb.  Those parents should be slapped.

Coaches and parents should be ashamed for committing that early. Florida has three 11 yr olds verballed already

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...