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Dan-I did not use a FEW expletives. I used ONE. I actually called Lovett's leaving after spring training & after we had taken him off the street when he was unemployed, Chicken Shit! This sort of thing is usually not done at this time of the year. However, as we are learning with these vagabond coaches, there is nothing sacred anymore. I do apologize for using such a vulgar expression.
No apology needed. However, I thought you referred to him as a "chicken shit" twice in your first post!Originally Posted by MICKEYS14
I'm an asshole! What's your excuse?
Re: Bates new defensive coach
Randy Bates returns for his fifth season at Louisiana Tech. This past season Bates coached a Tech linebacking corps that proved to be one of the strengths of the Bulldogs defense, led by second team All-WAC honorees Antonio Crow and Byron Santiago.
Bates is no stranger to coaching Tech’s secondary, having coached the cornerbacks in 2002 when he tutored second team All-Western Athletic Conference selection Willie Sheppard and sophomore Corey Brazil, who finished second on the team and ninth in the WAC in tackles along with recording a team-high 12 pass breakups.
Bates mentored the entire Tech secondary in 2000 and 2001 before taking over just the cornerbacks in 2002. During those three seasons, Bates’ group accounted for 20 pass breakups in 2000, an incredible 56 pass breakups in 2001 and 23 pass breakups in 2002 (cornerbacks only).
In 2001 Bates guided the Tech secondary to one of its finest seasons in recent memory as the Bulldogs ranked No. 11 in the nation in interceptions with 19 and No. 13 in turnovers gained with 30.
A number of Bates’ secondary products have earned post-season awards as former rover Bobby Gray earned All-America accolades as well as first team All-WAC and first team All-Louisiana honors after recording 106 tackles, five pass breakups and four fumble recoveries in 2001. Arguably one of the top stories of the 2001 season was the marked improvement by the Bulldog cornerbacks as senior Jason Olford and Sheppard ranked nationally in passes defensed. Olford led the WAC in interceptions with five and passes defensed with 21 while Sheppard recorded two interceptions and 18 passes defensed on the season.
In 2000, Bates’ secondary ranked No. 30 in the nation in pass defense.
Off the field, Bates has also been very instrumental since his arrival at Tech in promoting reading and learning among area elementary schools. On a yearly basis, Bates and a number of the Bulldog student-athletes visit area elementary schools to promote the value of education.
Prior to coming to Ruston, Bates served as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Kent State University for two seasons. During his days at Kent State, Bates coached Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison and Edmonton Eskimo Yves Dossous. The New Concord, Ohio, native was also responsible for coordinating all 12 coaches in off-campus recruiting.
Prior to joining the Kent State staff, Bates coached for six years at the University of New Hampshire (1992-1997), serving as the linebackers coach and video coordinator. During his tenure at UNH, three of their teams were Yankee Conference Northern Division champs while Bates also coached three of the top 10 tackles leaders in the school’s history.
In 1994, New Hampshire went undefeated, won the Yankee Conference championship, was ranked No. 12 nationally in Division I-AA and reached the NCAA playoffs. Bates was the linebacker coach for two seasons and the defensive backs coach for one season at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1989 through 1992. From 1984 through 1988, he was the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Division II St. Joseph’s College (Ind.)
The 44-year-old started his coaching career as an offensive line coach at Muskingum College in 1982 before becoming the offensive graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) University from 1983 through 1984.
Bates earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Ohio State University in 1983 and his master’s degree in education from Miami (OH) in 1985 and is also a retired naval lieutenant.
He is married to the former Tracey Huerkamp from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the couple has three children: Samantha, Alexandra and Olivia.
I see that you must not have ever coached kids before. If you are always trashing the kids and yelling what they are doing wrong, then you can really damage their enthusiasm. What helps kids out is "constructive criticizism". I don't think that there is a better tool in the world than that. Any other suggestions?
I would personally say that this very much is a Democracy. If 8-10 players came out and said that they wouldn't play for Tech with Lovett as DC, then you bet your ass he'd be gone quicker than Road Runner with an ACME rocket chasing him down. The admin... as bad as they are... realize that the players do have a voice also.
Plus just imagine if a few recruits were able to talk to a few of the upset players. Recruiting isn't only about the coaches and the staff. The players attitude is just about the best recruiting tool that you can get!! (except for some players taking recruits to strip bars.. sorry Colorado.. ratted you out!)
I personally loved seeing Rose last year jumping on a kid just to give him a high five, and tell him what a great play they just made. He seemed like the most excited guy on the field! I also saw him going to pick up a kid's spirits after making a bonehead mistake... he (to me) is an example of how coaches AND PARENTS should be from Little League to the Pros. Gaining people's respect can go ALOOONG way for you. As an Umpire, (Little League and a Men's Baseball league here in S'port) I see every type of coach that is out there. The best ones are the ones that are excited to be there, excited to get their kids to learn... the uptight ones just get tossed from the game by me.... hehehe. You see that the kids have a passion, and they support each other.
There's my ranting for today as well.... maybe... hehe
Good post DOC. It is a new world out there these days. But some things never should change.
If the guy was so bad, then how in the world could he have landed similar positions at Ole Miss, Auburn, and Clemson??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lovett's D's help defeat us more than once or twice while he was at Auburn and Clemson?
As for coaching, yes I have coached young kids and do still coach but on a level where it means something. Your comparison of Little League and Old men's baseball leagues to major college football is laughable. It's obivous to me you've never coached on any level where your job depends on whether you win enough games or not. I totally agree that coaches should use "constructive criticism" more than ranting when correcting a kid but sometimes you have no control over what other assistant coaches will do. Coaches like Bear Bryant and Lombardi weren't well-liked by their players but they did command respect and got their players to play hard on every down.
VERY TRUE. That is the KEY to this whole discussion that I think a lot of people are overlooking. That key being that the players, for whatever reason, DID NOT respect Lovett. It does not matter how good of an X's and O's coach someone is, or how much of a disciplinarian they are, or how nice they are, or how much of a hard-ass they are, if their players don't respect them they will NEVER be able to achieve good results.
I never had the *ahem* pleasure LOL of meeting him, but from what I know, a certain person who is a part of the football "atmosphere" at Tech greeted him in the hallway once and he failed to respond... at all... and walked off. After I heard about that, I didn't have a desire to meet him and wasn't sad to see him go...
Anyway, I am off to bed... will try to get on every few weeks and chat with y'all. I am getting pumped for September! It's getting closer by the minuteYAY!
Kat
Yea... it didn't help that they have superior bugdets, bigger and faster players, and about 175 more asst coaches than us.
You can compare every sport together... coaching is coaching, players are players, and respect for coaches should be the same everywhere.. on every level. Jon Gruden might be the best example of a "hard ass coach", but he's also right there with the players, teaching them, correcting them, ENCOURAGing them. I can't think of anyone else off the top of my head.
And of course I haven't coached yet.. i'm only 24!!!!!! Been umpiring for 8 years though. I not only officiate, I help the kids out, teach them, encourage them, and tell them little things to make them feel good. A smile and simple "Good hit", "Nice play" things like that make those kids smile and want to play hard. So no, I haven't coached yet, but I do have great expirence with players of all ages. I enjoy the 11-12 year olds the best, and I work everything.... some LSUS games when I was 21 and 22 years old... (must mean I'm pretty good at what I do).. an Adult Men's League in the Ark-LA-Techs area.. (teams are out of Ruston, Minden, S'port\Bossier, Texarkana) So i've seen every style and approach to coaching.. I can only tell you what I see. If you see something different then that, I can respectfully disagree with you.. like I do now. BRING IT!
Great hire. You will not find another coach that cares about his players more than he does. People will be asking themselves why he wasn't hired as DC before now.
Are you Coach Bates?
“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”
Lou Holtz - Football Coach
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson
"Bring back the rotary phone so we don't have to press 1 for English."
www.casadice.com
Is it just me or does Bates look like that guy on "Fargo"?
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