Great Expectations – From the Bird's Nest

[Dad04]

The power conference schools are strong in non-revenue sports for the same reason they dominate football and basketball. Their athletic infrastructure is superior in most areas of nutrition, housing, transportation, academic support, training facilities, recruiting budgets, alumni networks.

That said, we now have a top 10 facility, the Indoor Center, now four regionals in a row, a rabid fan base that rivals most S-E-C clubs and maybe the best head coach in the business. A couple of Omaha appearances would cement our place on the totem for a generation.

[Just1More]

I like to compare budgets to teams we play, beat and consistently compete against on a yearly basis. Obviously on the high end would be the Tiggahs. $30 mil crib and $1 mil coach..

It's almost always the most relevant stat (funding). But there are going to be outliers. And I believe most of the programs that are not amongst the giants in funding... are programs that focus on baseball above any other sport... and they developed their legacy in a time that NCAA politics and money weren't as decisive as they are today. And we also know... unlike basketball... diamond sports are going to be best where there's warmer weather this time of year.

[CajunEXPRESS]

It's almost always the most relevant stat (funding). But there are going to be outliers. And I believe most of the programs that are not amongst the giants in funding... are programs that focus on baseball above any other sport... and they developed their legacy in a time that NCAA politics and money weren't as decisive as they are today. And we also know... unlike basketball... diamond sports are going to be best where there's warmer weather this time of year.

I'm the czar of basketball at UL, and I just raised Marlin's salary to three million a year, his assistants to the highest paid in the NCAA. I'm giving him six million a year to buy high RPI games in the CajunDome. Wrote a check for twenty million to build him a replica practice facility so we can get an eye to simulate the CajunDome shooting perspectives. Oh, yeah, charter him a jet so that he is not stranded in Christmas week at an airport in Memphis, Atlanta, or Houston. Oh, yes, just bought him a national tv deal.

Is he any better?

[Just1More]

The power conference schools are strong in non-revenue sports for the same reason they dominate football and basketball. Their athletic infrastructure is superior in most areas of nutrition, housing, transportation, academic support, training facilities, recruiting budgets, alumni networks.

That said, we now have a top 10 facility, the Indoor Center, now four regionals in a row, a rabid fan base that rivals most S-E-C clubs and maybe the best head coach in the business. A couple of Omaha appearances would cement our place on the totem for a generation.

True. And not being a member of a power conference makes us very unique in this regard. We owe so much to Robe it isn't even funny. Your last statement is so true. It is a massive goal. The cool thing is that Robe has the temperament to control a program in the post season like a boss. Getting to Omaha is a very difficult achievement, especially for a SBC program. But we have the boss to do it.

[Just1More]

I'm the czar of basketball at UL, and I just raised Marlin's salary to three million a year, his assistants to the highest paid in the NCAA. I'm giving him six million a year to buy high RPI games in the CajunDome. Wrote a check for twenty million to build him a replica practice facility so we can get an eye to simulate the CajunDome shooting perspectives. Oh, yeah, charter him a jet so that he is not stranded in Christmas week at an airport in Memphis, Atlanta, or Houston. Oh, yes, just bought him a national tv deal.

Is he any better?

What are you arguing? I was not evaluating our baseball program in the prior post. I was evaluating our competitors. In baseball and softball, we owe our success to our coaches. They have risen above our meager means and placed us among the elites.

Basketball, is a beast of another mother.

In answer to your question... without enabling thread drift... no. But in reality... what you "the money czar" just did for UL basketball... probably did just place Bob in a position to be great. You sling money around basketball... and you're probably going to put 5 studs on the floor that would make me look like a great basketball coach. Different beast from another mother. And that is not an endorsement of or an excuse for Coach Marlin.

My mention of football and/or basketball was to place baseball in it's proper perspective. I'd rather we focus strictly on baseball in this thread.

[CajunEXPRESS]

What I'm saying is money is indeed important, but more important is the leaders, aka head coaches.

Marlin would not be successful with more money, he isn't successful with his peers on a similar budget. As czar after I give him that money I'd expect multiple sweet sixteens, and better.

If I gave Robe and Lotief more money they'd blow it out the water as they have for decades. What I originally asked for is where specifically does Jay want our program to spend more money?

[Boomer]

I'm the czar of basketball at UL, and I just raised Marlin's salary to three million a year, his assistants to the highest paid in the NCAA. I'm giving him six million a year to buy high RPI games in the CajunDome. Wrote a check for twenty million to build him a replica practice facility so we can get an eye to simulate the CajunDome shooting perspectives. Oh, yeah, charter him a jet so that he is not stranded in Christmas week at an airport in Memphis, Atlanta, or Houston. Oh, yes, just bought him a national tv deal.

Is he any better?

[Boomer]

I am the head of UL sports and I call in coach Robe and telling him I am cutting his budget and giving more to basketball because they have beaten LTUR in recent times more than baseball has....the baseball budget at UL has a much better advantage than the basketball does......they have the huge budget difference advantage and are not doing better,,,,,,,,,,,,yea I am kidding but I think all can see the unreal number of variables that go into athletics and how one can use all kind of stats to twist things!!!

[jllanclos]

Honestly, I only want to spend money where there's vision.

Softball and baseball are chasing National Championships.

Why can't basektball do the same?

I recognize that a Natty in football isn't within the cards, but a regular NY6 appearance is, and that should be the aim. Not as a pipe dream, but as something that's realistically achievable with the right approach and culture.

Any of you doubt our baseball team has a legitimate shot at the National Championship this year? Any of you can say softball has no chance of OKC?

THAT'S the attitude I'm talking about.

We're small time in the others because we think like a small time program, and that's a coaching problem. We lack vision.

I want to be the National Freaking Champion. So if I fall short and reach a few Sweet 16's and Elite 8's and a Final Four or two? I can live with that.

We're not even seeing that in our program's vision.

[Cajun90]

Honestly, I only want to spend money where there's vision.

Softball and baseball are chasing National Championships.

Why can't basektball do the same?

I recognize that a Natty in football isn't within the cards, but a regular NY6 appearance is, and that should be the aim. Not as a pipe dream, but as something that's realistically achievable with the right approach and culture.

Any of you doubt our baseball team has a legitimate shot at the National Championship this year? Any of you can say softball has no chance of OKC?

THAT'S the attitude I'm talking about.

We're small time in the others because we think like a small time program, and that's a coaching problem. We lack vision.

I want to be the National Freaking Champion. So if I fall short and reach a few Sweet 16's and Elite 8's and a Final Four or two? I can live with that.

We're not even seeing that in our program's vision.

Sorry but that statement became untrue when we hired the new A.D. I am positive we now have vision.