Rennie Bailey leaving UL for LA-Tech

[NewsCopy]

(New LA-Tech basketball coach Kerry) Rupp did confirm the members of his staff, including former Tech standout and current Louisiana-Lafayette assistant Rennie Bailey. The former Malone teammate received an ovation before he spoke. "Sometimes when you talk about change, you're not sure what direction it's going to go," Bailey said. "But after speaking to Kerry and Karl a lot about the kind of person and coach Kerry is, what he stands for, I think the change is going to be a great change. "Like Dorothy said, there's no place like home." The rest of the story

[BrockMeaux]

That sucks.

[DaddyCajun]

_ That sucks. _

Yes and No. Yes that we lost him to Tech and/or period, in that we must now start looking and(not sure if he was our top recruiter/asst) but he may take a recruit or so with him.

Turnover every now and then sparks new life in a program. How much of a surprise this was to Lee is unknown to me. Fresh start with someone that may be better in one respect or another and maybe bring a big man with him possibly could be a good thing.

DaddyCajun

[BraveCajun]

_ Yes and No. Yes that we lost him to Tech and/or period, in that we must now start looking and(not sure if he was our top recruiter/asst) but he may take a recruit or so with him.

Turnover every now and then sparks new life in a program. How much of a surprise this was to Lee is unknown to me. Fresh start with someone that may be better in one respect or another and maybe bring a big man with him possibly could be a good thing.

DaddyCajun _

Isn't Elijah Millsap Bailey's nephew? I hope he decides to stay at UL. Especially
since La Tech did not want to recruit him out of high school.. But I bet they want him now.

[BirdofParadise]

_ Isn't Elijah Millsap Bailey's nephew? I hope he decides to stay at UL. Especially
since La Tech did not want to recruit him out of high school.. But I bet they want him now. _

No. Elijah Millsap is Coach Johnny Simmons' nephew.

[J-Town Cajun]

_ No. Elijah Millsap is Coach Johnny Simmons' nephew. _

Thank goodness. That was also my first thought. I wasn't sure which assistant coach was is uncle.

[BrockMeaux]

Yes and No. Yes that we lost him to Tech and/or period, in that we must now start looking and(not sure if he was our top recruiter/asst) but he may take a recruit or so with him.

Turnover every now and then sparks new life in a program. How much of a surprise this was to Lee is unknown to me. Fresh start with someone that may be better in one respect or another and maybe bring a big man with him possibly could be a good thing.

DaddyCajun

Could be, but my primary reasoning behind being unhappy with his departure is that he was clearly the guy that cracked the whip as far as students being in class and keeping up with grades. I'd see him at least 2-3 times a week going to his players' classes just to make sure they were there. Not to say that's not going to happen anymore because I know that education is Coach Lee's focal point, but there's always that underlying fear. He was fun to have conversations with, too.

[johnnylightnin]

_ Isn't Elijah Millsap Bailey's nephew? I hope he decides to stay at UL. Especially
since La Tech did not want to recruit him out of high school.. But I bet they want him now. _

Many Tech fans have wanted him since he was a Junior in High School. The old coaching staff let leak that they didn't think he was "WAC caliber", but the truth is, he had no interest in coming to Tech. So, instead of openly recruiting him and looking like we lost him to ULL, they just said we weren't recruiting him.

He wanted to make a name for himself APART from his brother. I can certainly understand that. I'm proud of him and glad that he's been so productive.

I'm also excited to have Rennie coming back to Ruston. I'm a fan of Simmons as well, but one is better than none.

[NewsCopy]

Rennie Bailey, the top assistant on head coach Robert Lee's men's basketball staff at UL for the past three seasons, has accepted a position as assistant coach at his alma mater Louisiana Tech. The Monroe News-Star reported on its Web site Saturday that Bailey will join the Tech staff of new Bulldog head coach Kerry Rupp. That staff will also include two-year LSU assistant coach Nikita Johnson as an assistant and Curtis Condie, head coach at Division II Texas A&M International last year, as director of basketball operations. Karl Malone, a former Tech standout and one of the top players in NBA history while with the Utah Jazz, will be associated with the staff in an unspecified role. Rupp has a long friendship with Malone and serves as director of Malone's basketball camp and children's foundation. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[levetsj]

Louisiana Tech assistant quits

Tuesday, October 7
The Associated Press

The men's basketball program at Louisiana Tech has a vacancy on its coaching staff.

Assistant coach Rennie Bailey resigned Tuesday but didn't say what prompted the move. Coach Kerry Rupp says he's started looking for a replacement.

Bailey was entering his second year as part of Rupp's staff after coming back to his alma mater last spring when Rupp was hired as the Bulldogs' coach.

Tech opens its season November 15 at Louisiana.

http://www.columbian.com/article/20081007/APS/810071014