Is it time for a change?

[CajunCharlie]

.... I'd love for more of our fans to act like the fans west of us. That doesn't mean the *s that we all hate but the ones who won't accept less than the best. _

Get a "grip" Clutch. The ones who won't accept less than the best are the most obnoxious. I recall my last visit to an athletic event between the Cajuns and lsu. I swore never again would I tread on that campus to attend a Cajun-lsu athletic event. All because of their fans!!

We, I believe, all want to be the best, but I agree that some of us act like the neighbors to the east when things don't go according to one's thoughts, beliefs, and plans.

[Turbine]

There is always a standard. It usually falls to the lowest common denominator and in this case the standard was set years ago by what was expected in women’s basketball.

J Kelly Hall raised the standard, and in 2005 all 5 major sports won a piece of a conference championship. Something happened since then and the lowest common denominator has spread its wings broader than ever before.

Robichaux is so high above the current standard any talk of his leaving is foolish. As I was informed of the other day, this was his first losing season this Century.

Having noted that, I expect the 2009-10 athletic year to show signs of the standard being raised.

[Boomer]

_ My only fear was that coach Robichaux could make it through coaching his son.

It appears he will.

Without wanting to or without ill intent coaches kids always expose their dads weakness.

jmo _

and another good Robe 111 coming from Notre Dame!!!!

[RaginCajun77]

There should be NO sacred cows at UL. Not Robe, not anyone. The 2008-2009 athletic teams were abominations. Softball way underachieved, but If anyone should get a pass its the Lotiefs. I feel 100% sure that they will be back in the Top 10 next year. Next to softball, Football was our best sport. It brought us the most excitement this past year.
Softball returns to its lofty perch next year and football surprises all of us. Everything else, remains pretty crappy.

Z

I ask these questions of all of you:

• What are your expectations of UL athletics?
• Did all of our teams meet your expectations this athletic year?
• Are our current coaches the best men and women to aid in meeting expectations?
• How long should a coach be given to reach the expectations of the university and it's fans?
• Do you feel the sports programs at UL are heading in the right or wrong direction?
• What changes do we as fans need to make to aid in improving athletics?
• Are our expectations of our athletic teams too high?
• Do you feel your opinion of the current state of athletics at UL is valued by those in Martin Hall and on Reihardt Dr?

[Clutch0364]

_ I ask these questions of all of you:

• What are your expectations of UL athletics?
• Did all of our teams meet your expectations this athletic year?
• Are our current coaches the best men and women to aid in meeting expectations?
• How long should a coach be given to reach the expectations of the university and it's fans?
• Do you feel the sports programs at UL are heading in the right or wrong direction?
• What changes do we as fans need to make to aid in improving athletics?
• Are our expectations of our athletic teams too high?
• Do you feel your opinion of the current state of athletics at UL is valued by those in Martin Hall and on Reihardt Dr?

_

What are your expectations of UL athletics?
- To compete at the top in every sport (Example WKU)

Did all of our teams meet your expectations this athletic year?
- No team met expectations but I knew from the start that softball would have a hard time meeting expectations. Its hard to repeat what they did the previous year and Brignac was injured most of the year.

Are our current coaches the best men and women to aid in meeting expectations?
- Only the Lotiefs have proved that every year they will compete at the highest level. Robe is the 2nd coach I have the most confidence in but he needs to have a good year next season.

How long should a coach be given to reach the expectations of the university and it's fans?
- Until it is obvious that they cannot do their job. Unfortunately we do not cut coaches when it is obvious (Lee and Rogers)

Do you feel the sports programs at UL are heading in the right or wrong direction?
- No

What changes do we as fans need to make to aid in improving athletics?
- As fans I don't think we have to change much. The change needs to happen in the admin.

Are our expectations of our athletic teams too high?
- If they are then we probably shouldn't have athletics

Do you feel your opinion of the current state of athletics at UL is valued by those in Martin Hall and on Reihardt Dr?
- No they proved that a few months ago with the basketball debacle.

[ULtimateCajun]

I don't think a change at the top is needed. BUT if i'm not mistaken, Robe is the pitching coach correct? Maybe we need to try getting a pitching coach. Our pitching seems to be the downfall of our team. Starters and bullpen were inconsistent. We never had a dominent starter all season. Why not try having a pitching coach to come in and spend all of his time with the pitchers. Instead of having a head coach playing double duty. I could be way off base with this but just an idea.

[SacalaitSlammer]

_ That is the most stupid blog I have every seen on this website. SOme of you people remind me a WHOLE LOT LIKE THE THE FANS FROM 50 EAST OF US. WE CAN'T WIN EVERYTHING EVERY YEAR.

OH, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE RCAF? I HAVE, IT WILL HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO LET'S GET GOING. _

No, it's an interesting topic. All era's must come to an end, and I'm not implying for Robe to be fired this year. I just feel like he has done a great job at UL, but with the direction we are heading in, it does not look like we will go deep into the regionals/CWS appearance any time soon.

[ULtimateCajun]

_ No, it's an interesting topic. All era's must come to an end, and I'm not implying for Robe to be fired this year. I just feel like he has done a great job at UL, but with the direction we are heading in, it does not look like we will go deep into the regionals/CWS appearance any time soon. _

What direction are we heading in? Just two seasons ago we were a win away from going to a super regional.

[CajunFreak]

_ What are your expectations of UL athletics?
- To compete at the top in every sport (Example WKU)

Did all of our teams meet your expectations this athletic year?
- No team met expectations but I knew from the start that softball would have a hard time meeting expectations. Its hard to repeat what they did the previous year and Brignac was injured most of the year.

Are our current coaches the best men and women to aid in meeting expectations?
- Only the Lotiefs have proved that every year they will compete at the highest level. Robe is the 2nd coach I have the most confidence in but he needs to have a good year next season.

How long should a coach be given to reach the expectations of the university and it's fans?
- Until it is obvious that they cannot do their job. Unfortunately we do not cut coaches when it is obvious (Lee and Rogers)

Do you feel the sports programs at UL are heading in the right or wrong direction?
- No

What changes do we as fans need to make to aid in improving athletics?
- As fans I don't think we have to change much. The change needs to happen in the admin.

Are our expectations of our athletic teams too high?
- If they are then we probably shouldn't have athletics

Do you feel your opinion of the current state of athletics at UL is valued by those in Martin Hall and on Reihardt Dr?
- No they proved that a few months ago with the basketball debacle. _

WHAT HE SAID!!!

[SacalaitSlammer]

_ What direction are we heading in? Just two seasons ago we were a win away from going to a super regional. _

As is, Do you think we make it to the regionals next year?

[rgncjn12]

_ I don't think a change at the top is needed. BUT if i'm not mistaken, Robe is the pitching coach correct? Maybe we need to try getting a pitching coach. Our pitching seems to be the downfall of our team. Starters and bullpen were inconsistent. We never had a dominent starter all season. Why not try having a pitching coach to come in and spend all of his time with the pitchers. Instead of having a head coach playing double duty. I could be way off base with this but just an idea. _

Pitching is not the biggest problem. We had the best ERA in the Sunbelt again. Our problem is defense and long stretches of terrible hitting. We finished 10th in the Sunbelt in hitting and 7th in fielding. How many games did we have less the 5 hits? Way too many.

GEAUX UL!

[Cajun90]

While I don't think their needs to be a change at the top, why do we attack everyone who brings it up? I don't think it is a dumb a question as some people think. It seems that Robe is beyond being talked about...we should be able to question any coach who is not living up to potential.

I agree with what hammer mentioned in this thread...more needs to be done around the program. The weight program needs to be stepped up and maybe a few other things need to be looked at because obviously things have not worked to well as of late.

So what is potential??

That seems to be the question being tossed around so let's define it?

Since we went to one CWS does that mean that we have "potential" to keep that up?

What about our budget. We have a budget for Go-Cart racing should we expect to win the Indy 500?

Baseball was recently listed as a revenue generating sport by the NCAA joining the ranks of Football and men's basketball. Lots of teams are spending millions on their programs to improve them.

IF all we had to do was go hire a good cheap headcoach don't you think everyone would have done that by now?

The point is that if you study this game in depth what you will find is that UL is OVER achieving in baseball. We have far exceeded our potential for a long time. It wasn't because of our facilities, or money, it was because of coaching and kids on the field.

It isn't that Robe is beyond being talked about it is because that isn't our problem. It is almost impossible to find any college coach that hasn't hit a bad period with his teams in a fifteen year time period. It is also nearly impossible to find a coach with the credentials as ours.

So back to that potential thing. What is our potential? If you brought an outsider in and said look at our facilities, look at our budget, look at everything we have to offer. Where can we expect to finish on average in Div 1 baseball?

SideNote: Money is becoming a huge issue as noted by the NCAA designation of revenue generating sport. Nothing will keep us from seeing a downward spiral in baseball if we don't infuse some major money into this program in short manner. I'm not talking about getting on top I'm just talking about keeping up.

[Clutch0364]

_ So what is potential??

That seems to be the question being tossed around so let's define it?

Since we went to one CWS does that mean that we have "potential" to keep that up?

What about our budget. We have a budget for Go-Cart racing should we expect to win the Indy 500?

Baseball was recently listed as a revenue generating sport by the NCAA joining the ranks of Football and men's basketball. Lots of teams are spending millions on their programs to improve them.

IF all we had to do was go hire a good cheap headcoach don't you think everyone would have done that by now?

The point is that if you study this game in depth what you will find is that UL is OVER achieving in baseball. We have far exceeded our potential for a long time. It wasn't because of our facilities, or money, it was because of coaching and kids on the field.

It isn't that Robe is beyond being talked about it is because that isn't our problem. It is almost impossible to find any college coach that hasn't hit a bad period with his teams in a fifteen year time period. It is also nearly impossible to find a coach with the credentials as ours.

So back to that potential thing. What is our potential? If you brought an outsider in and said look at our facilities, look at our budget, look at everything we have to offer. Where can we expect to finish on average in Div 1 baseball?

SideNote: Money is becoming a huge issue as noted by the NCAA designation of revenue generating sport. Nothing will keep us from seeing a downward spiral in baseball if we don't infuse some major money into this program in short manner. I'm not talking about getting on top I'm just talking about keeping up. _

I think a regional every year is our potential. I am not one that thinks we have to go to the super regionals or get back to the CWS but I don't see anything that should stop us from being in regionals every year.

[Cajun90]

I think a regional every year is our potential. I am not one that thinks we have to go to the super regionals or get back to the CWS but I don't see anything that should stop us from being in regionals every year.

We will have to agree to disagree on our "potential".

Out of 302 current Div 1 teams only six teams have made a regional every year over the past ten years (through 2008). Ony thirteen teams in history have made more than ten consecutive regionals.

Since the era of the Super Regional (ten years now) only twenty two teams have made three or more Super Regionals. The Cajuns were within one game of joining that elite group two years ago but came up short.

Not a knock on our program but I just don't think we have the potential to be at a level where we reach a regional every year. Were talking Miami, Florida St., Texas, Clemson.

IF we put some money into our program I think we have the potential to possible reach a regional 2 out of every 3 years but would realistically love to see us in a regional every other year.

Keep in mind I'm not talking about what I wish we would do. I'm talking about what I realistically think this school can expect to do on the topside.

SideNote: MT looks to have gotten a pretty good regional draw and I don't think WKU did too bad either. Good luck to both these teams.

[Just1More]

I think Robe should make some changes... yes. He needs to take a little time and think about what kind of things got former players to take care of their business. Those kind of "changes" are definitely acceptable. And before anyone slams me... I do not think Robe is a fixture that cannot be changed out. I simply think UL is not above the man or his skills. The admin's apathy toward athletics for decades has also cost Robe. If you do not think so, you are not very intelligent.

When you need to run for a living and your left arm, right foot, and left knee are broken... you don't go scheduling surgery on a sore right arm. It could be that right arm is over-compensating for a body in complete disrepair. If we get the whole body healthy, I think Robe can still take us places in baseball. JMO