Ragin Dave's Thoughts on Cajun Coaches

[RaginDave]

Just sitting down and thinking here, no agenda just my .02!

Football--I would actually love to see Ricky come back, I think the fact that they previous 5 years before him we won 9 games and in the last 5 he has won 27 proves to me that he has taken us from embarrassment to mediocrity and deserves another season to see if he can get us over the hump, but anything less then 7-5 next year is when we cut him loose.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--TYRONE NIX (DC @ Ole Miss) or TERRY BOWDEN (HC @ North Alabama)

Men's Basketball--Cut our loses now at worst at seasons end, remove Lee and let the Assistant coaches finish the season, he is a huge embarrassment and things are not getting any better. Too much talent on this team not to compete year in and year out for the SBC championship.
NEW HEAD COACH SUGGESTION--BOBBY CHAMPAGNE (HC @ North Alabama)


Women's Basketball--Fire Rogers NOW!!!!!, there is only one replacement, this team went from embarrassment to overnight success, back to worse then embarrassment.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--DECK THE HALLS (J-KELLY HALL AND BRIDE), they are available and need to be coaching NOW before someone gets them.

Baseball--Robe's seat is warm, but not hot, give Coach Robe a chance to put this back together, I think he will and I like the state of the program overall, great attendence, upgraded facilities, consistantly good records
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--NO ONE

Softball--This seat is not even remotely warm, the Lotiefs are the best thing in Cajun Land as far as coaching goes, this team is the pride of the Cajun athletic program and every other program should take note!!!!!
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--NO ONE

Golf--Theo Sliman, this hire was questioned and laughed at by some, not me. I thought it was a great move, the recruiting has been strong and the outcomes, while we have had some ups and downs, have been overall successfull. I still think that Sliman was the right choice now and in the future.
NEW COACH SUGGESSTION--NO ONE

Men's Tennis--Mark Jeffrey is building a SBC championship contender, and could possibly have one of the best teams in Cajun land in a long time. This team is young and solid and Coach Jeffrey is doing a great job at the helm.
NEW COACH SUGGESSTION--NO ONE

Women's Tennis--Too early to tell for Coach Samera, but she comes from a great program and I think this program will be fine. They improved in season #1 and will continue to do so, she is a young coach and I think has the program in the right direction.
NEW COACH SUGGESSTION--NO ONE

Track--Again you want to talk about from the deldrums to average overnight and more to come, great job by Coach Mahoufz, he will continue to improve this program and we made the right decision in bringing him in.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--NO ONE

Cross Country--I think this program is improving, so I have to stick with Coach Lemaire, don't know much about the CC program, but I think it better now, then a few year ago.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--NO ONE

Volleyball--Not sure what happened here, I thought this program was on its way back to some level of success, but a few years in and I think Coach Mazeitis needs to be on the hot seat. I think this is her last season to prove we are moving in the right direction, or we have to go in another one.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--LSU ASSISTANT COACH Steve Loeswick, he was an assistant at Cornell and OU, where both teams were strong and was a 4 year starter at powerhouse USC

Soccer--Coach Weiland came from a program that was strong in NC, he built a powerhouse in a smaller division, but truely has not showed any kind of improvement since being here, it seems like the recruits are coming, but the results have been worse then mediocre. Not sure what is the problem, but a change needs to be made.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--ANYONE


just my .02

[Turbine]

When the team is hot the seat is cold, funny how that works.

Dave do you have a 5-5 for basketball?


igeaux.mobi

[RaginDave]

_ When the team is hot the seat is cold, funny how that works.

Dave do you have a 5-5 for basketball?


igeaux.mobi _

Tough decision, I actually think we are too deep, if that is possible, looking at the roster I think we can go as many as 11-13 deep, you can't do that in collge basketball, you need to rely on about 8 deep for the most part and have some roll players. I remember when we had a few players that could not shoot a lick, but were shutdown guys some players that come to mind are Shawn Griggs, Robert Thigpen, Tyrone Jones, Billy Jones, Immanuel Washington and Kareem Kandji to name a few. Not that these guys were bad offensive players, they just knew that when they were in the game they were there to play strong D. Right now we have 11-13 players looking to shoot first and one one plays great d, we have a bunch of average defenders.

Think about a couple of guys that are probably between #10-#14 on the dept chart on this team (Willie Lago, Corey Bloom and even to some extent Lamar Roberson and others, everyone looks to shoot first not play d or rebound or do the dirty work.

Shoot first guys
Grandigo, Daigle, Johnson, Bureau, Mccoy, Bloom, Gary, Roberson, Lago and Bloom. I just named 10 shoot first guys, can you name me to shutdown defenders on this team....I doubt it.

If I were to start 5 and then have a 2nd 5, this would be it (based on everyone being healthy, which I know is not an option, right now)

Grandigo
Daigle
Johnson
Wallace
Mitchell

Bureau
Gary
Mccoy
Batiste
Roberson

I big 8, would be Grandigo, Daigle, Johnson, Wallace, Mitchell, Bureau, Gary and Mccoy. While Wallace and Gary were out, I would replace them with Roberson and Andrews.

Go 8 deep, not 13. I have coached BB from the age of 14 - 40 at some level, even as an assistant on a traveling AAU team. I don't claim to be smarter then Coach Lee in BB knowledge, but I can tell you that even in little league you know your best players and you utilize them as you can. Then you make sure your roll players, take care of there roll. I had 2 kids in a U-8 league last year that could not score to save there life, they could not even touch the goal. Both players led the league in steels and forced turnovers. When they were on the court, I had 3 scorers with them. When they were off the court, I made sure that neither was on the bench together, it weakened my whole team.

I think Lee's biggest problem is how to rotate players in and out, which most coaches will agree, if you don't have a strong rotation of players that play well together, you will never succeed.

Okay, I guess that was my .04

[Turbine]

Wow great reply. I was asking about 5 years before Lee and Lee's last 5 years.


igeaux.mobi

[RaginDave]

_ Wow great reply. I was asking about 5 years before Lee and Lee's last 5 years.


igeaux.mobi _

Oh sorry,

Lets put it this way, Coach Lee's record coming into this season 5 years was 66-83, which included 20 wins in his first season with Evan's players.

The previous 7 seasons that Coach Evans was here the Cajuns were:
132-81

So put that in persective

Coach Evans average record was:
19-12

Coach Lee's average record is:
13-17

if you remove Coach Lee's first year with Jesse's talent:
11-18----OUCH!!!!!!

[CajunCanaille]

I stated this in another post.....I don't think we can fire Coach Lee mid-season for APR purposes. We are on the verge of getting 2 scholarships back which we depserately need. We will have to endure the storm this season.

[CajunRebel]

_ Just sitting down and thinking here, no agenda just my .02!

Football--I would actually love to see Ricky come back, I think the fact that they previous 5 years before him we won 9 games and in the last 5 he has won 27 proves to me that he has taken us from embarrassment to mediocrity and deserves another season to see if he can get us over the hump, but anything less then 7-5 next year is when we cut him loose.
NEW COACH SUGGESTION--TYRONE NIX (DC @ Ole Miss) or TERRY BOWDEN (HC @ North Alabama)

Please look at next year's schedule and tell me how we could possibly be 7-5. Nick Saban could come in and coach next year and there is no way we'd get anywhere near 7-5.

[CajunProud]

We could be in a situation where we have to hire 3 new coaches next year in the 3 highest profile sports.

Football - Bustle only has one year left on his contract, and while we have some talent, the schedule is not in our favor and I don't think we even get to 6 wins.

Mens Basketball - This is obviously Lee's last year.

Baseball - If I am not mistaken, this is Robe's last year on his contract and his youngest is a senior, who is supposed to be better than Justin. From what I have heard from people close to the program and based on Robe's comments at the end of last year, I think he will leave for a better, higher profile position. I truly believe that Robe is tired of all of the BS that he has to put up with around here, and he is burned out. He has had far and away the most successful men's program that UL has ever seen and yet he is still treated like a red headed step child. I would like to see him stay, but wouldn't blame him a bit if he left.

[Parrott]

Robe's contract runs through 2011.

[CajunProud]

_ Robe's contract runs through 2011. _

Thanks. That makes me feel a little better.

His youngest son is a senior this year though?

[Boomer]

Isn't baby Robe coming out of NDJC----no doubt as good as LSUE--kidding---Just think the guy should be our AD---No cut on the present but just am really impressed with this guys career!!!!

[RayneCajun]

_ Thanks. That makes me feel a little better.

His youngest son is a senior this year though? _

Robe's son is a junior this year. He graduates the same time Robe's contract is up. Kinda scary huh?!?!?