Baseball Coaching Search 2019

[LifeTimeCajun]

Ron Guidry would be a great pitching coach

[CharlieK]

He's a great candidate, I never said he wasn't. My issue is with zeroing in on him and no one else. The time period of the search seems to suggest as much.

I don't think we have any indication that we zeroed in on only him. Maggard's history certainly doesn't suggest it.

Deggs seems to be a special case. He is someone who would be high on our list if there were no connection to the program. AND he has a special connection to one of the greatest teams we have had AND plays exactly the kind of ball fan love to see....I just can't see it as not the right call.

Plus we still don't know if it's even true. Maggard has been tricky in the past...

[Policarp]

Ron Guidry would be a great pitching coach

Ron Guidry IS a great pitching coach 🤟⚾️🤟⚾️🤟

[CajunAmos]

He's a great candidate, I never said he wasn't. My issue is with zeroing in on him and no one else. The time period of the search seems to suggest as much.

From what has been said and his previous hires, I don't think Dr. Maggard is the type of administrator that would zero in on one person without evaluating all of the possible applicants that have expressed an interest.

[RaginDave]

Actually 3 out of 5, but still point remains. Also won the conference tournament 2x which Pierce never won in his 3 years.

I meant 3 out of the last 4. But yes, it was 3 out of 5 total.

[CajunPilot1]

Ron Guidry would be a great pitching coach

While I really like this idea, Guidry is 68 years old. I'd imagine he is enjoying retirement.

[Rainman66]

Cannot disagree with anything you say. The only issue I have is I don't think we are allowing anyone else to knock our socks off by focusing on him alone. Brent Pry-Billy Napier comes to mind. Not a similar situation at all, but the foundation is there. A coach with ties that we all wanted, versus what we got which was honestly a much more impressive hire. Once again, not saying Deggs isn't the guy, he's a great coach, but we aren't letting anyone else take a shot and to me that's a huge disservice.

First and foremost, I trust Dr. Maggard. As callous as it may sound, and I posted this before Robe's passing, Dr. Maggard had to know the situation was dire after the first heart attack and as AD he had to start some kind of contingency planning, never hoping to use it. That was a little over 3 weeks ago.

Add that to the fact that unlike the football search, this happened after most of the offseason moves had been made, with regards to high level positions. Napier wasn't so much a function of a national search, as it was the timing of ASU hiring Herm Edwards.

Lastly, I do think this hire is supremely different from football and softball. You definitely needed major course changes in both programs ... for different reasons. Can baseball improve, of course, but it doesn't need the massive overhaul the others did.

I know you like Deggs a lot and aren't questioning his abilities. Curious, would you have the same reservations in the timing of the hire if it was Gautreau or someone not mentioned that came from a P5 institution?

[talktomewillis]

Let me clarify something about JT and Deggs.

JT had left A&M voluntarily to come back to Louisiana. His marriage had dissolved and he wanted to be near his kids. He was not in college coaching when Tony hired him to replace Deggs. There is no way JT would have gone to Huntsville with Deggs if offered because of his family situation.

Don't read more into Deggs not hiring JT than there is. What there is is right above this sentence.

[TuffGuy84]

I think that sentiment is dangerous, and it's why softball's paradigm shift away from Lotief was so successful. There is ALWAYS more than one way to skin a cat. Tradition is important, but it should never stand in the way of change that is much needed. Being stuck in tradition was one of the reasons the baseball program was languishing.

Robe passing tragically or not, the program needs to progress. If Deggs is the right guy to bring the program back to where it needs to be and beyond, so be it. If we get stuck in the same situation we have been in because we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings concerning who to succeed Robe, we have done a much bigger disservice to Robe's memory.

Not really. If in 2-3 years deggs isnt up to snuff (which I doubt) then you move on and get an aggressive winner and change the tradition. Robe was a fixture of the program, deggs has the resume and the character to carry his torch. Also, important to note that apparently michael lotief was a sack of ____, robe had impeccable character, so the comparison is apples to pork chops.

[marine dude]

So which one of you is going hideout at Lafayette regional airport for that arrival from Conroe? Lol

[TheRealZeebart]

Sorry guys.. A new name has popped up in the search. Dr Maggard will interview him tomorrow.

His name? Smoke Laval.

You heard it here first.

Z

[talktomewillis]

Sorry guys.. A new name has popped up in the search. Dr Maggard will interview him tomorrow.

His name? Smoke Laval.

You heard it here first.

Z

doggone you. I was getting ready to write a story.

I hate getting scooped.