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Long was a high school coach. He was in over his head at the collegiate level. He was only added to the staff to get a commitment from Trina Frierson. The last I saw he wasn't even coaching basketball anymore.Originally Posted by Blue Dawg
Chris Long began the decline. Something happened after his first year that broke the Techsters. I don't know enough about what went on at that time to answer what it was, but something happened.
I know what you mean. It's like someone going to med school and failing out. Clearly over their head.
Or maybe there is more to the story than your opinion of Long and my opinion of you.
I think I might argue that the decline goes back even before it's being set here. Granted, it was gradual, but it really started when Sonja Hogg left. There probably was no way to keep her and keep both Leon and her happy, but the talent level was never the same again. Those teams in the early 80s were more talented than anyone they played, and they had a great "x" and "o" coach. Later, Leon was able to get the most out of not quite as good talent, but we would always need great coaching to beat teams like Tenn (and later UConn).
After Hogg left, the team tended to do as well as the chief recruiter -- good when Nell was here, not bad with Curry, dwindling after that. Granted we were still nationally competitive when Leon stepped down the first time, but we weren't at the quality of the early 80s teams even then. Keep Sheila Lambert in the fold (by keeping Kim) and we might have held on a few more years.
The fall was fairly inevitable, though. The difference in money between the P5 schools and us is just too great to overcome when they start investing in winning.
This!
I would have hired Mulkey. If she had stayed we would still be good.
Last edited by Cal&Ken; 12-23-2015 at 05:41 PM.
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Well that's interesting.
Freud would be proud....
. I figured someone would not resist-can't get it corrected with my phone-you weren't the one I thought would find it. 😀😀😀😀😀
I'd have to say, there's no way we'd be national contenders every year like we were back in the 80's and 90's. There's too much money and competition now to stay at that level with our resources. However the level where we are at now is unacceptable and definitely was preventable. There's no reason we shouldn't be a Butler of women's basketball. Our program at least should make the tournament every year and make a deep run every few years.
So what would I do to prevent the decline? In hindsight, give Kim Mulkey what she wants. She would have stayed for much longer than Budke did. She possibly would still be coaching here now.
ARE YOU PEOPLE DENSE!??????????
"give" pigtails what she wanted? We did! She back-stabbed and betrayed Tech. She's a bitch!
NO WAY was she staying at Tech. Short of some ridiculous contract, like a $billion a year, there was NOTHING anyone could have done to keep her here. Now, here's what I think happened, she was wishy-washy about following Barmore as HC. I think she wanted to, didn't want to, maybe she was afraid she wouldn't be as successful and didn't want that blemish on her career. But, the bottom line was she strung everyone, including Barmore, along for years, and then when the time came, she cut bait and ran away. Had she been any kind of decent person she would have confided in Barmore several years earlier, jumped ship to another school, and allowed Bamore time to groom someone else to take over.
pigtails chose Tech to play at because, according to her, LSU and her hometown SLU, programs weren't prominent on the national scene at that time. She would have gladly played at LSU (her words) had that program been a Top 10 team. Well, you say, so what! lots of players choose to go to powerhouses. Yep, true. But then most appreciate it afterwards and are loyal to their alma maters.
Anyway, none of that matters now. Here's the important point to focus on, no way was pigtails going to follow Barmore as HC. No way! So stop the nonsense crap of "we should have given her...." blah, blah, blah. It wouldn't have mattered.
dawg80 didn't read the book.
propaganda
We agree......... She was very bitter and it showed even with her treatment of her own father. We gave her a 4 year offer with an option for a 5th, which was the rule up until lsu changed it the next year. D.R. could have treated her better, although, she had already showed out by cleaning her things out of her office and losing a great recruit (Beard) a year before that. She was too scared to follow Barmore and got angry with D.R. There was fault on both sides, but she was not going to stay.
Well, there ya go, Champ110 agrees. I rest my case.
Except to add....I was a HUGE fan and supporter of pigtails. We all were. I was at the Tech vs. SLU football game in Hammond in 1984 (we won 17-9), and was shocked, dismayed even, by the rampant and disparaging remarks made about her by locals. At the time I chalked it up to sour grapes, SLU fans mad she didn't play for the Lady Lions. But, the comments made by some near me, went way beyond just disappointment about where she played her college ball. It got personal.....whoa! Pigtails was "working the crowd" that night, signing autographs, speaking with fans...and as she did, it provoked the gossip I heard. Decorum prevents me posting some of the stuff I heard about her.
Then, many years later, when I was dabbling in coaching girls' basketball I happened to speak to a former high school coach who had played against Hammond High when pigtails was there. Again, very unkind remarks. Not the kind of things you hear about opposing players just because they were good and beat your team in a game.
Good riddance...
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