Settle it with a Poll

[Dirtydawg]

Not that I know what Spoon is thinking, but I don't think that Ruston is a problem for her. Sure, it's not NY or LA, but it's not Russia either. She's proven to be capable of existing in either environment and everything's just a plane ride away. It might be different if there were other head coaching opportunities in NY or LA, but right now, Manhattan College (which was mentioned in another thread) is the only opening in either area with USC likely going with a coach with Pac-10 familiarity if they fired Trakh. Manhattan has a beautiful campus not too far from the NY Liberty's practice facility, but the only reason I could see that job being more attractive is if she absolutely wanted to be back in NY in which case, I don't see why she'd have come back to Ruston in the first place anyway. They play in an even smaller conference (MAAC) which is near irrelevant in WCBB besides Marist, would probably pay less money with a higher cost of living and have absolutely no prestige. Most people in NY probably don't even know they're a D1 team.

Then you also have the fact that NYC is not a college town at all. LA even less so. The only programs in the entire tri-state area that matter are UConn and Rutgers and neither job will be opening up any time soon. St. John's looks like they will likely focus on their MBB situation before fixing their WBB problems and is so irrelevant due to benign neglect it's not even funny. If they get 100 people at their non-UConn/Rutgers games, I'd be shocked. The only reason they might be attractive is because they're in the Big East, are in a recruiting hotbed and have a decent athletics history. But they have no history of supporting their WBB program.

Say all that to say that even Spoon, who is very aware of the high school/college environment in NY, has to know that even if she went to NY and turned around Fordham, Manhattan, Hofstra or any other area school, even she, as an NYC sports legened, would not be all that relevant because NY really doesn't get into college athletics. But turning around Louisiana Tech would create an entirely new legacy in not just Ruston, but WBB as a whole. So I don't see the NY thing being a threat unless the NY Liberty were hiring.

Good post. I agree, but I think 110 was hinting more at social and lifestyle reasons than relevancy of the programs.

[Dirtydawg]

Evidence? Does anybody have any evidence that she does indeed want the job? I'm not saying she doesn't want it, but I think it is worth considering.

Good points. The only thing I think anyone can use to support an argument that she wants to stay is to take comments from her press conferences that hint that she's looking to next year and the years beyond and comments about bringing the Techsters back to where they were and how much she loves the program and Tech and what they've done for her. Of course, one could argue that could just be "coaches speak", but really that's all we have to go by and trust that it means that she does want to be here.

[champion110]

Good points. The only thing I think anyone can use to support an argument that she wants to stay is to take comments from her press conferences that hint that she's looking to next year and the years beyond and comments about bringing the Techsters back to where they were and how much she loves the program and Tech and what they've done for her. Of course, one could argue that could just be "coaches speak", but really that's all we have to go by and trust that it means that she does want to be here.

I agree and think that she DOES want to stay. Everything she states has "we" in it, when she refers to her team and that goes for how good "we" are gonig to be next year after getting some more games in the WNIT. I am paraphrasing, but that is basically what she stated.

And, if there is any question of if Dooley wants her, I think that was answered when he stated that she is the type of person that he would want as an assitant FOOTBALL coach. He was joking around, but he was talking about her winning attitude.

This is strictly a game of "when" for me and, like I stated above, I think it will be when we can get the most press. The WBB world is focused on the tournament right now.

[champion110]

This is a great poll result. 65 votes for and 0 against. Can't get any better than that on this message forum.

[BuzDawg73]

In my email to her I specifically asked her if she wanted the job. I did not expect an answer to that, and I did not get one. The rest of her response was lovely.

[Brian96]

I think we are into a timing issue now. We want to get the most press out of this that we can. If we wait till the end of the NCAA tournament, there will be a dead time. That is when we could get the most national press out of hiring Spoon. Just a guess, though, and I have obviously been wrong in the past, since I thought it would be done right before the WAC tournament, then right before the WNIT tournament. :icon_wink:

Good points. We all know DD is pretty media savvy, so I bet that is exactly what is happening. Similarly, I do NOT think it was a coincidence that he canned Long several days before the "Pack the House Challenge."

[champion110]

Good points. We all know DD is pretty media savvy, so I bet that is exactly what is happening. Similarly, I do NOT think it was a coincidence that he canned Long several days before the "Pack the House Challenge."

Good point about pack the house.

[WWDog]

One of those is John (JJ) Marshall on KEEL.

He's a Tech grad and his son finished his playing days last year, yet he has been on a soap box for a week now saying, on local radio, how ridiculous it is for "the guys on the bulletin board" to think the Techsters will get back to a top 25 team. He and his brother Ben say the Techsters will NEVER get back to that point, mainly because we're not in a major conference.

If I could get a call in (hard to do because of all the commercials, which, thankfully, they take up about 75% of his talk show), I'd tell him that anybody could have said that about Baylor before KMR, or about UConn before Auriemma, or about Ball State before the Tenn game.

It's not just about the conference. In women's bb, it's also about the coach and Spoon is one that can get us back.

And if JJ's reading this, he can kiss my ass!

Then I guess that Mr. Marshall missed probably the most important thing he could have gotten out of his education from TECH. TECH has beaten the odds many times and will continue to do so because TECH believes we can. With the exception of a short era, TECH has always had a winning spirit and a can do attitude. Aside from the great education I got there, that is the reason I went to TECH. That is why we are hated and feared by other schools. TECH always goes for the gold and usually does it from an underdog position. Perhaps Mr. Marshall should reflect on what TECH has accomplished throughout the years and then look at his position. His position is not the TECH way!

[champion110]

So it is 83 in favor of Spoon as our next coach against Doc, who prefers to follow Baylor over the Lady Techsters, anyway. Yet, he continues to read, post, and vote in the Lady Techsters section.......... Maybe, I should find a link to Baylor and he can post there. :icon_wink:

[Abominable Gorilla]

One of those is John (JJ) Marshall on KEEL.

He's a Tech grad and his son finished his playing days last year, yet he has been on a soap box for a week now saying, on local radio, how ridiculous it is for "the guys on the bulletin board" to think the Techsters will get back to a top 25 team.

And if JJ's reading this, he can kiss my ass!

I always kind of thought it was a show of that guy's character the way "JJ's Crew" was so vulgar in their "support." I don't know him personally, but I also think I remember heavily disagreeing with one of his articles in the Techtalk. Wasn't he the one who called out the Tech football team for "giving up" because they had the three win season?

Then I guess that Mr. Marshall missed probably the most important thing he could have gotten out of his education from TECH. TECH has beaten the odds many times and will continue to do so because TECH believes we can. With the exception of a short era, TECH has always had a winning spirit and a can do attitude. Aside from the great education I got there, that is the reason I went to TECH. That is why we are hated and feared by other schools. TECH always goes for the gold and usually does it from an underdog position. Perhaps Mr. Marshall should reflect on what TECH has accomplished throughout the years and then look at his position. His position is not the TECH way!

Hating on Tech after you graduate is the in style thing to do.

[touchdown123]

We hear this crap everytime we fire a coach. It pretty disgusting. Remember everbody saying jb3 was the best we could do and we were stupid for firing him? They were completely wrong.

[ARKDAWG02]

If Spoon is the choice I'd say it'd be a good one but I wish Dooley would at least talk to Joe Foley from UALR just to see if he had any interest in the job. That guy is nothing but a winner no matter where he's been. Just look at what he'd done at UALR with very little fan base and interest and his success at Arkansas Tech was almost Barmore like.

[Dwayne From Minden]

John James doesn't hate on TECH -

And I think you would find that most TECH fans feel that the Techsters can no longer be relevant year in and year out on the national stage i.e. Final Fours...

Can they be competitive and make the tourney - yes

But the days of being a perennial NC contender are long gone...

[Dirtydawg]

John James doesn't hate on TECH -

And I think you would find that most TECH fans feel that the Techsters can no longer be relevant year in and year out on the national stage i.e. Final Fours...

Can they be competitive and make the tourney - yes

But the days of being a perennial NC contender are long gone...

I agree that the days of being a perennial NC contender are long gone, but I think that's the case with most schools even from the "major" conferences. I, however, do not think it's unreasonable to think we can be perennial sweet 16 and elite eight participants with an occasional Final 4 every 4 or 5 years with a decent chance at making the title game once in those 4 or 5 years.

[PawDawg]

I, however, do not think it's unreasonable to think we can be perennial sweet 16 and elite eight participants with an occasional Final 4 every 4 or 5 years with a decent chance at making the title game once in those 4 or 5 years.

Can't believe I'm actually posting or reading here, but wouldn't all of the above need to include a top 20 recruit every year or at least a top recruit out of Louisiana every year in order to accomplish these lofty goals?