If you care about winning....

[Brian96]

And what have we been successful in? A bowl win was great but you can't honestly say we've been successful the last several years in football. Men's and womens BB? Well that speaks for itself. Softball, one winning season in what, 10 years? We do have a great track program, I think. I'm not making excuses for him. Hell, they are 12-6 with a very young pitching staff. Did you realize Tech is not even paying for field paint this year? Said it was too expensive. That is just one of HUNDREDS of examples I could use of things that DO NOT happen anywhere else in DI athletics. You say we've been waiting for years? Last year was a disappointment no doubt. But it was just the year before that they won more games than any team had in several years.

I didn't say those programs are successful, but now that you mention it, a regular season WAC championship in WBB and post season play in football from brand new HCs certainly stacks up well against what Sim has done. And all of these programs do without basic things, too (remember football scrounging up donations for vitamins for the football players?).

I'm not calling for his head. As long as he keeps us out of trouble and makes a decent (middle of the pack or better) showing in the WAC, I say he's keeping the program in respectable company. But I do think you overreacted by flaming people who would dare to even discuss the possibility that Sim should be scrutinized. With the exception of your overreaction, the overwhelming response to dawg80's query has been that while last year was a disappointment, overall Sim has the program on even keel and has done nothing to warrant asking him to pack his bags. See, sometimes a little pot-stirring actually helps to reinforce support for the cause, especially if the cause is a stable one.

[DogsWin]

I would love to tell Dawg80 that he is wrong, but he is right. If we want to go to the postseason we have to AT LEAST QUALIFY for the WAC baseball tournament! We did fine (16-8) during the non-conference "preseason" last year with a veteran team. But we absolutely QUIT in WAC play, at least until we were basically guaranteed to not qualify for the tournament which we hosted! Another 7-23 WAC record or anything close to that and Sim should be shown the door (I think he would agree). There is no excuse for losing 13 consecutive conference games.

2008 LA Tech WAC Record 7 - 23:
@ Nevada 6-11 L
@ Nevada 3-14 L
@ Nevada 6-7 L
@ Nevada 4-6 L
SAN JOSE STATE 6-11 L
SAN JOSE STATE W 7-2
SAN JOSE STATE W 12-11
SAC STATE 2-17 L
SAC STATE 7-13 L
SAC STATE 4-6 L
@ Fresno State 5-14 L
@ Fresno State 8-9 L
@ Fresno State 1-11 L
@ Fresno State 0-8 L
@ San Jose State 1-11 L
@ San Jose State 3-8 L
@ San Jose State 2-3 L
@ San Jose State 2-4 L
HAWAI`I 7-13 L
HAWAI`I 4-8 L
HAWAI`I W 14-4
HAWAI`I W 10-9
NEVADA W 9-3
NEVADA 4-8 L
NEVADA 5-7 L
NEVADA 0-2 L
@ New Mexico State W 5-4
@ New Mexico State 11-14 L
@ New Mexico State W 7-6
@ New Mexico State 13-15 L

[glm47]

I stand by this post. How long has Sim been here?

Okay, a smash thru the WAC would be convincing! Let's see it happen.

It takes good pitching and defense to win in tournament play. Tech has not been good at either for quite awhile. The poor defense has to fall back on the coaching.

[Dawg06]

Sim has done a lot of good work off (but really on) the field. But last year was pathetic. Tech was predicted to finish 2nd the the WAC. Didn't we have 7 players drafted (most ever)? But then we finished dead last in the conference and didn't qualify for the tourney that Tech worked so hard to get in Ruston???? That's bad, and Sim should be held accountable for the collapse. That said, we knew this would be a rebuilding year. Doesn't Sim's contract end after next season? I think that Dooley should wait to evaluate him after next season. If he's had 3 consecutive losing seasons and no hype for the next, he's not the coach to get us over the hump and would need to go.

[Gooddawg]

I believe we are winning now with 17 or 18 freshman on the roster and many of them are playing regularly. We are 12-6 so far. I guess you guys want to hire Paul Mainieri right? By the way 2 out of the last 3 seasons have been winning seasons so it looks like we are winning unless I have missed something.

[aubunique]

I see all those freshmen playing and even pitching before the conference action begins and I see a coach getting ready for the conference season. It isn't so bad to have lost on Sunday as it would have been to pitch the upper classmen and neglect to get the young guys ready. When conference starts, everyone countsl You can't have warm bodies in the dugout who have never done anything but warm up! Sim may have done all the right stuff to get this team ready for the conference. Let's wait and see what happens!
Just enjoy!

[theprofessor]

I believe we are winning now with 17 or 18 freshman on the roster and many of them are playing regularly.

for the record, i like coach sim a lot. personally and professionally. however, the 17-18 frosh may fly with a new coach, but sim has been here for quite awhile. having a young team isn't an excuse. he's the one who's been recruiting the past few years and allowed this to happen, right?

[dawg80]

for the record, i like coach sim a lot. personally and professionally. however, the 17-18 frosh may fly with a new coach, but sim has been here for quite awhile. having a young team isn't an excuse. he's the one who's been recruiting the past few years and allowed this to happen, right?

A lot of people like Sim, on a personal level. But then, Bicknell is a great guy too. So is Chris Long, I'm sure. And, Sim has done some great things, especially in facility up-grades, for the program.

One BIG difference between Bick, Long, and Sim though... Bick and Long won WAC titles. 'nuff said.

[mentechsters]

A lot of people like Sim, on a personal level. But then, Bicknell is a great guy too. So is Chris Long, I'm sure. And, Sim has done some great things, especially in facility up-grades, for the program.

One BIG difference between Bick, Long, and Sim though... Bick and Long won WAC titles. 'nuff said.

Not trying to be nitpicky, but when did Long win a WAC title? Did he?

[champion110]

Not trying to be nitpicky, but when did Long win a WAC title? Did he?

Yes and was even WAC COY in his first year.

[Reckless Abandon]

I believe we are winning now with 17 or 18 freshman on the roster and many of them are playing regularly. We are 12-6 so far. I guess you guys want to hire Paul Mainieri right? By the way 2 out of the last 3 seasons have been winning seasons so it looks like we are winning unless I have missed something.

We did fine (16-8) during the non-conference "preseason" last year with a veteran team.

Gooddawg, I don't put a whole lot of weight in our non-conference record. Yes, we have a winning record so we need to wait and see what happens this year, but as DogsWin pointed out, we had a winning record last year before WAC play and we know how that ended. Basically, Sim should still be the coach currently, but I would say he is on my hot seat. It all depends on this year.

[FishingBack]

If we end up last in the conference 2 years in a row, after multiple years at the helm, would you keep that dude?

What if Dooley finished last in the WAC 2 years in a row? He'd freakin' fire himself.

[smarts]

Sims overall record is 162-200-1

[Gooddawg]

for the record, i like coach sim a lot. personally and professionally. however, the 17-18 frosh may fly with a new coach, but sim has been here for quite awhile. having a young team isn't an excuse. he's the one who's been recruiting the past few years and allowed this to happen, right?

I actually think Sim has done a great job recruiting. We start one FR in the field, 1B Alex Williams who has played pretty well so far. He has recruited some good looking FR to back up the seniors who are getting some experience this season behind our SRs. Smart moves so next year they will be ready to start and contribute and I am pretty sure we are going to like what we see out of Hughes, Threlkeld, etc. We are thin in the bullpen and had to use some true FR that might have otherwise not been put into some of these positions due to the injury to Richard mainly. The 17-18 FR are not really being counted on to win games for the most part and that is they way you want it so he has recruited well. Compare this to what DD has said about recruiting, you want to look a couple of years down the road and that is exactly what Sim and staff have done.

The topic was if you want to win fire Sim...well he has had 2 out of 3 winning seasons and we are winning this year with a pretty young team overall so my point is made. We are winning with Sim!

[Gooddawg]

Gooddawg, I don't put a whole lot of weight in our non-conference record. Yes, we have a winning record so we need to wait and see what happens this year, but as DogsWin pointed out, we had a winning record last year before WAC play and we know how that ended. Basically, Sim should still be the coach currently, but I would say he is on my hot seat. It all depends on this year.

You, me and everyone else WOULD put a whole lot of weight in our non-conference schedule if we weren't winning so how can we say it isn't that important when we are? You can't.