archsimon
arm chair Grad Assistant
Posts: 244
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Post by archsimon on Jun 13, 2023 1:40:28 GMT -6
ACU ‘listened’ to me and hired Blair off my first list. Here’s who else I suggested way back when with some updates. I also remember seeing Jacey Smith at K-State. Wondering who else we can get on short notice.
Steve Green - Corpus (13-20/ 13-5)
Rachel Ferguson - Lipscomb (just joined North Carolina)
Alisa Blair - SFA (Texas Tech)
Keith Anderson - Texas State (24-7 / 14-2)
Sean Carter - Wichita (now HC at Idaho State)
Caitlin Nolan - UH (30-4 / 19-1)
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Post by Cap'n on Jun 14, 2023 7:15:48 GMT -6
Although my record as a faculty guest coach for volleyball is only 0-2, I am pleased to announce that I am tossing my cap in the ring for head volleyball coach.
Rode back from DFW airport last night with Zach Lassiter and when I told him, he laughed and laughed so I think he really likes the idea.
He said that it’s too good a deal for an up and coming young coach to pass up and that Alisa didn’t even ask ACU to match the offer. Unfortunately, this is going to be the new normal as we aggressively seek the best young D1 coaches. There aren’t enough Julie Goodenough’s and Keith Patterson’s out there, unfortunately.
Will the next power 5 target be coach McCarty?
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Post by acutrackfan on Jun 14, 2023 7:34:57 GMT -6
Looking at the VB schedule for this coming season shows that ACU is headed to Lubbock for the Tech tourney in the early season AND Tech is coming to Abilene to play ACU in VB as well. Working on the schedule for this year would have put the Tech coach in contact with Coach Blair quite a bit. The Tech coach let his 2 assistants go in March -- the Tech coach is on the hot seat to produce a big winner there ASAP. Coach Blair was assistant coach at SFA for 4 years and SFA is one of the VB powerhouses in Texas. Her one pedestrian HC season at ACU would not hurt her in the Tech coach's eyes.
It is interesting that ACU was not even given the opportunity to try and keep her at ACU. That might indicate to me that she had no interest in staying in Abilene.
I would be surprised if Coach McCarty is NOT being courted by the power 5 level schools. My fervent hope is that Coach McCarty is cut from the same cloth as his former boss, Dan Heefner, the HC at DBU. Heefner has been repeatedly approached by power 5 schools about a baseball job -- one Big 12 school tried to TRIPLE his pay to come to their school. Heefner loves DBU, loves the mission, and has stayed at the school. Coach McCarty appears to have a similar mission at ACU.
Speaking of DBU, I think they would be a great target for the WAC as a non-football playing school. They are D-2 in every sport other than baseball, but the transition costs would not be that great because they don't play football. And, it would give the WAC a presence in the Metroplex.
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Post by Cap'n on Jun 14, 2023 8:25:35 GMT -6
Looking at the VB schedule for this coming season shows that ACU is headed to Lubbock for the Tech tourney in the early season AND Tech is coming to Abilene to play ACU in VB as well. Working on the schedule for this year would have put the Tech coach in contact with Coach Blair quite a bit. The Tech coach let his 2 assistants go in March -- the Tech coach is on the hot seat to produce a big winner there ASAP. Coach Blair was assistant coach at SFA for 4 years and SFA is one of the VB powerhouses in Texas. Her one pedestrian HC season at ACU would not hurt her in the Tech coach's eyes. It is interesting that ACU was not even given the opportunity to try and keep her at ACU. That might indicate to me that she had no interest in staying in Abilene. I would be surprised if Coach McCarty is NOT being courted by the power 5 level schools. My fervent hope is that Coach McCarty is cut from the same cloth as his former boss, Dan Heefner, the HC at DBU. Heefner has been repeatedly approached by power 5 schools about a baseball job -- one Big 12 school tried to TRIPLE his pay to come to their school. Heefner loves DBU, loves the mission, and has stayed at the school. Coach McCarty appears to have a similar mission at ACU. Speaking of DBU, I think they would be a great target for the WAC as a non-football playing school. They are D-2 in every sport other than baseball, but the transition costs would not be that great because they don't play football. And, it would give the WAC a presence in the Metroplex. This. |
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Post by vbhasbeen on Jun 14, 2023 19:13:43 GMT -6
Looking at the VB schedule for this coming season shows that ACU is headed to Lubbock for the Tech tourney in the early season AND Tech is coming to Abilene to play ACU in VB as well. Working on the schedule for this year would have put the Tech coach in contact with Coach Blair quite a bit. The Tech coach let his 2 assistants go in March -- the Tech coach is on the hot seat to produce a big winner there ASAP. Coach Blair was assistant coach at SFA for 4 years and SFA is one of the VB powerhouses in Texas. Her one pedestrian HC season at ACU would not hurt her in the Tech coach's eyes. It is interesting that ACU was not even given the opportunity to try and keep her at ACU. That might indicate to me that she had no interest in staying in Abilene. I would be surprised if Coach McCarty is NOT being courted by the power 5 level schools. My fervent hope is that Coach McCarty is cut from the same cloth as his former boss, Dan Heefner, the HC at DBU. Heefner has been repeatedly approached by power 5 schools about a baseball job -- one Big 12 school tried to TRIPLE his pay to come to their school. Heefner loves DBU, loves the mission, and has stayed at the school. Coach McCarty appears to have a similar mission at ACU. Speaking of DBU, I think they would be a great target for the WAC as a non-football playing school. They are D-2 in every sport other than baseball, but the transition costs would not be that great because they don't play football. And, it would give the WAC a presence in the Metroplex. I had a brief conversation with Coach Blair as she was getting ready to head out. Made it seem like it wasn’t about leaving ACU or Abilene as much of just a special opportunity for her to work with a coach that she has known since she started volleyball at a young age. Which seems to add up. Graystone coached at WTAMU during the years that Blair was coming up in Amarillo. |
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Post by acutrackfan on Jun 14, 2023 19:19:28 GMT -6
Excellent point, hasbeen. For a majority of coaches, ACU will be a stepping-stone. I am not surprised a bit that Coach Blair accepted this opportunity.
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Post by bogeyman on Jun 14, 2023 20:11:28 GMT -6
I hope that is not true. We need commitments from coaches the same as from players to build competitive programs.
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Post by bucfan on Jun 15, 2023 8:14:18 GMT -6
We need to be careful in assuming that any coach that leaves was not happy at ACU or did not buy into the "ACU difference". Just like I can't blame a player who leaves to play for a larger, more prestigious program, I can't blame a coach that does the same. Sure I'm disappointed when it happens but I understand. How many of us if given the opportunity to advance our career would turn it down? It depends on the person. I was happy to work in my hometown high school and never had a desire to move up the ladder to "better" jobs. But that is me. Many others like change and the chance to pursue a higher paying or more prestigious position. I'm glad there are those like Coach Goodenough that got a taste of the big lights and decided that is not what they want. But I can't be upset at those that want a chance to see what happens. I've told my church that I would much rather have an up and coming youth minister or minister for a few years rather than one that no other church wants. Kind of the same with coaches. Finding good fits for ACU is probably much more important at ACU than it is at many other schools. This is especially true since many of our programs have their hands tied with smaller budgets than they really should have.
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Post by Outsider on Jun 15, 2023 8:22:36 GMT -6
Agree that being a stepping stone may be something that we are ok with occasionally, or temporarily, but it should never be an aspiration or long-term acceptance. Is this simply a budget issue accross the board? Is there something more? Besides winning, how do we become something more than a stepping stone? Is it just recognition and opportunity?
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Post by houstoncat on Jun 15, 2023 10:01:41 GMT -6
I think this is more of a question of hiring philosophy. Do you want a younger, less expensive, up-and-comer who is looking to prove themselves in the field with hopes of progressing? Or, do you want an older, perhaps more expensive, experienced coach looking for a second chance or a chance they never got? If we go young up-and-comer we expect these coaches to leave if they have done their job well. We never expected Golding to stick around after his success. We shouldn't expect anything different from any of our other coaches. Goodenough is an outlier in this regard. Now, a one-and-done year from a coach shouldn't be the norm, and certainly won't be. This was an opportunity hard to pass on. I don't think it is all that different from Grant McCasland leaving a few months after taking the coaching job at ACU. And honestly, if we are getting talented coaches sought after by others, we are doing something right as far as picking good candidates. I would encourage us to continue to do that even with the risk they leave.
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Post by Cap'n on Jun 27, 2023 12:04:31 GMT -6
The two finalists for the VB job were on campus the last couple of days. (Not at the same time)
Don’t have any names, unfortunately.
None of the recruits are leaving. Zach has been calling both returnees and recruits regularly during this process to keep them up-to-date.
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Post by acuprof on Jun 27, 2023 12:15:48 GMT -6
The two finalists for the VB job were on campus the last couple of days. (Not at the same time) Don’t have any names, unfortunately. None of the recruits are leaving. Zach has been calling both returnees and recruits regularly during this process to keep them up-to-date. Thanks Cap'n. Saw the one who is on campus today in the library this morning along with an asst coach. Don't know anything beyond that. |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jun 28, 2023 13:20:22 GMT -6
Hearing an announcement on the new VB Coach should come soon
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Post by acuprof on Jun 28, 2023 13:27:40 GMT -6
Hearing an announcement on the new VB Coach should come soon Is it the one on campus today? |
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Post by charliehorse on Jun 29, 2023 11:38:23 GMT -6
Hearing an announcement on the new VB Coach should come soon Hearing anything new as to when we might expect to hear who the next VB coach will be? |
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