Bryan Maggard

I just realized that we haven’t made a tournament appearance in basketball, been to the regionals in baseball, or been to the supers in softball in Bryan Maggard’s tenure as AD. Does Dr. Maggard shoulder any of the blame for these streaks in your opinion or is it all inheriting bad circumstances and bad luck with Covid? Do you see any of these three streaks being broken this year?

Personally I really hope baseball and softball are headed in the right direction. Baseball has been discouraging but at least a long overdue staff change was finally made this offseason.

Basketball is just depressing. IMO if he fails to make a move at head coach this season that will be Dr. Maggard’s first colossal failure as AD. I’m done with blaming Marlin for the failure of that program. If you employ someone and every year they perform to the best of their abilities and every year they fall short of expectations and every year you keep them on, at some point, you are the problem.

We should hire Scott Farmer. Heard he was a great AD

Baseball and softball are just bad luck of the draw. This is the year that baseball SHOULD get its groove back depending on injuries. And softball has just gotten a few bad breaks even in regionals with questionable calls or just playing flat in crucial games. As far as basketball, Dr. Maggard saw the success of Marlin in 2018 and took a chance thinking he could continue that trend. Unfortunately, we all see that it was the complete opposite. At this point, I would think that a change should be coming very soon especially if we continue to play like we have been playing this season. Football-wise, the results speak for themselves.

Baseball has improved and are overcoming some crazy circumstances with the passing of Robe paired with Covid. Deggs has an opportunity to do something in the future.

Softball was the most impacted by Covid in terms of robbing them of a season. They were a shoe in for a top 8 seed for sure and darn good in 2019. Then either regular season or conference championships in each of Glasco's 4 years. Then regional finals in every appearance I think. They have been knocking at the door and have the #1 rated class starting this year (some site reported that.)

Football speaks for itself. The best we've ever been.

Even volleyball and soccer (although Keys is gone) are on the upswing.

Women's basketball won a regular season championship and made the NIT last year. They are doing well this year. Broadhead has won some secondary tournaments, beaten a few SEC teams and has earned a little breathing room.

Marlin and men's basketball has not earned any leeway. I've supported Marlin. I think he's a good coach, but 12 years is enough of a sample size. 204–151 record coming into this season and we have a losing record going into February. His best win is Georgia State in the 2014 Sun Belt tournament and then Iowa in 18'.

Maybe we’ve final got an AD that realizes football drives the ship which is why we’ve had top 25 teams, for the first time, 2 years in a row.

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Originally Posted by NillyBapier

Maybe we’ve final got an AD that realizes football drives the ship which is why we’ve had top 25 teams, for the first time, 2 years in a row.

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Dats right. Basketball will be turned around after Marlin is fired and softball and baseball will be just fine as they have been historically.

Well, we still have the same HC in baseball that MAT was having fits over last season, so we will see.

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Originally Posted by UL_Cajuns

Dats right. Basketball will be turned around after Marlin is fired and softball and baseball will be just fine as they have been historically.

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If football stays in the top 25-30 and MBB can start winning the conference we are Big 12 caliber athletics…..with the stadium and baseball adds we are there facility wise…..and yes, we need our attendance to be at an all time high or there about…..35k fb…7-8k basketball….baseball and softball to keep pace!

By the way, today is Dr. Maggard's birthday. He knows he has lots of challenges in the job right now.

Happy birthday Dr. Maggard. You’re doing an absolute banger of a job and we’re lucky to have you.

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Originally Posted by RedTails

Happy birthday Dr. Maggard. You’re doing an absolute banger of a job and we’re lucky to have you.

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Yep, very lucky indeed. Happy Birthday Dr Maggard

In my podcast with Coach Deggs, we talked about something I mentioned a year or two ago.

The number of at-large bids for baseball for teams outside the Power 5 have dwindled considerably. There used to be ten or so available in any given year. Now it's down to about five.

That is one of the reasons the SBC has become a one bid league.

The biggest reason for that is the Big 10. It wasn't that long ago it was a one bid league. Now it's 4-6 in any given year.

By the time the P5 gets its seat at the table there won't be much left.

CUSA was a super league last year. They sent four to the NCAA tournament. They are projected to do the same this year. If that happens, you'll see the SBC, American, Big West, ASUN and Southern Conferences fighting for the last two or three bids.

We can no longer judge our baseball coaches by at-large bids. It's no longer an apples to apples comparison.

It's never really about winning the tournament in the Sun Belt. Now, it becomes critical, as it's the only way you can assure you'll be in postseason.

I'll be reminding you of this later in the season, I'm sure.

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Originally Posted by JayWalker

In my podcast with Coach Deggs, we talked about something I mentioned a year or two ago.

The number of at-large bids for baseball for teams outside the Power 5 have dwindled considerably. There used to be ten or so available in any given year. Now it's down to about five.

That is one of the reasons the SBC has become a one bid league.

The biggest reason for that is the Big 10. It wasn't that long ago it was a one bid league. Now it's 4-6 in any given year.

By the time the P5 gets its seat at the table there won't be much left.

CUSA was a super league last year. They sent four to the NCAA tournament. They are projected to do the same this year. If that happens, you'll see the SBC, American, Big West, ASUN and Southern Conferences fighting for the last two or three bids.

We can no longer judge our baseball coaches by at-large bids. It's no longer an apples to apples comparison.

It's never really about winning the tournament in the Sun Belt. Now, it becomes critical, as it's the only way you can assure you'll be in postseason.

I'll be reminding you of this later in the season, I'm sure.

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You are correct Jay "We can no longer judge our baseball coaches by at-large bids. It's no longer an apples to apples comparison."

We will judge our baseball coach by actual NCAA tournament appearances and wins in the NCAA tournament even if it means that we have to win the SBC Baseball tournament. The expectation is that Deggs' Louisiana team will be in the NCAA tournament at the very least this year. He said it himself in the podcast "The goal is to get back to Omaha"

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Originally Posted by UL_Cajuns

You are correct Jay "We can no longer judge our baseball coaches by at-large bids. It's no longer an apples to apples comparison."

We will judge our baseball coach by actual NCAA tournament appearances and wins in the NCAA tournament even if it means that we have to win the SBC Baseball tournament. The expectation is that Deggs' Louisiana team will be in the NCAA tournament at the very least this year. He said it himself in the podcast "The goal is to get back to Omaha"

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That's always the goal. But now it's more difficult to get the journey started.

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Originally Posted by JayWalker

That's always the goal. But now it's more difficult to get the journey started.

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So we aren't to believe Sun Belt baseball can get back to the level that CUSA is now at? Especially with poaching 2 of their elite teams.

I can see the Cajuns getting an large still with the legit out of conference schedule this year, but we have to win those out of conference series.

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Originally Posted by UL_Cajuns

I can see the Cajuns getting an large still with the legit out of conference schedule this year, but we have to win those out of conference series.

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The out of conference schedule is definitely string enough to garner consideration for an at large bid IF you have success in those non conference games AND do well within your league. Jay mentioned the Big 10 now getting more bids. Just wait until the start of the season is pushed back. That will happen eventually and make it tougher for the mid major leagues. Still, that would be good for the game as it would make it more of a national game.

I call the "Out of Conference" schedule the "Independant" schedule.

The indelendant portion of the schedule is where a team can make a name for itself nationally.

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Originally Posted by Boomer

If football stays in the top 25-30 and MBB can start winning the conference we are Big 12 caliber athletics…..with the stadium and baseball adds we are there facility wise…..and yes, we need our attendance to be at an all time high or there about…..35k fb…7-8k basketball….baseball and softball to keep pace!

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MBB and WBB are light years away from Big XII caliber. 6 of 8 current Big XII MBB teams are in the Top 25 this week, as are 5 WBB teams.

Baseball and Football can be competitive in the Big XII now and Softball can be a perennial contender for the Big XII championship.

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Originally Posted by JayWalker

In my podcast with Coach Deggs, we talked about something I mentioned a year or two ago.

The number of at-large bids for baseball for teams outside the Power 5 have dwindled considerably. There used to be ten or so available in any given year. Now it's down to about five.

That is one of the reasons the SBC has become a one bid league.

The biggest reason for that is the Big 10. It wasn't that long ago it was a one bid league. Now it's 4-6 in any given year.

By the time the P5 gets its seat at the table there won't be much left.

CUSA was a super league last year. They sent four to the NCAA tournament. They are projected to do the same this year. If that happens, you'll see the SBC, American, Big West, ASUN and Southern Conferences fighting for the last two or three bids.

We can no longer judge our baseball coaches by at-large bids. It's no longer an apples to apples comparison.

It's never really about winning the tournament in the Sun Belt. Now, it becomes critical, as it's the only way you can assure you'll be in postseason.

I'll be reminding you of this later in the season, I'm sure.

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Jay, this is a bit off topic, but not really. I am of the opinion that the sports most likely to be impacted by the NIL are high profile non-headcount sports like Baseball and Softball.
Big money schools who take those sports seriously can now make those sports essentially headcount sports by giving every rostered player some combination of scholarship money and NIL money equivalent to a full scholarship. If that happens, schools like UL will quickly become non-competitive unless we can come up with revenue sources to match the efforts of the schools with virtually unlimited funds available.