Time for a lesson from Sonja Hogg?

[FriscoDawg]

I seem to recall a Lady Techster game against Cheryl Miller and the USC Lady Trojans in the 1983 or '84 "timeframe". I had to sit in the nosebleed section. The TAC was packed that night.

That was opening night at the TAC and Cheryl Miller's 3rd career game at USC. USC also had Cynthia Cooper and the McGee twins on that team.

Tech did win over USC at home in 1985-86, but USC ended that Tech season at Long Beach in the West Regional final.

[dawg80]

Doing this from a fading memory, but, I seem to remember Techsters vs USC in the National Championship game when a bad call handed them the game. We were up by 1 point, closing seconds, desperation time for USC and Cheryl Miller drove the lane, pigtails set in her path and was called for a blocking foul when it was obviously a charge, and not even close as I remember it. Miller made the FTs and they won by 1 point. Was that the NC or maybe the West Regional Final as Frisco mentioned?

Anyway, that's how I remember it.

[jycww]

3 memories stand out to me concerning WBB and the Lady Techsters. I believe the head coach of SFA at the time was Sue Gunter. SFA and Tech had grown to be pretty big rivals in WBB at the time, and as soon as she walked out on the court, during pre-game warm-ups, the Tech back started playing "The Old Grey Mare Ain't What She Used to Be". The entire place erupted and even Coach Gunter started laughing.

If you wanted to attend the Lady Techsters game and sit on the bleachers by the floor, you were in line by 3:30 at the door. Many of us just took our books, likely pretended to do homework while sitting in the bleachers (once we were let in), and it was raucous from the very beginning. I remember my dad (who wasn't really a basketball fan and a friend of his) driving from Shreveport because being at a Lady Techster game at those times was really the place to be and they came to see what all the fuss was about.

And I believe it was against ODU, but the crowd was so loud that the refs would blow a whistle during the game and play would continue for up to 4 or so seconds because it was so loud......you literally couldn't hear the whistle. I remember my roommate making a sign that said "We may not have any All Americans, but at least we are all American" due to one of the girls from out of the country playing for ODU at the time.

Those were the days, never to be relived again likely. Of course, we will never know as long at current coaching staff remains.

[olddawgfan]

A memory I have was the Techster fans not sitting until the opponent scored. I believe it was a game in one of the Dial Soap tourneys we hosted a few times. The opponent was Tulane and I think Tech had about 20 points before Tulane finally scored. That score brought the biggest cheer of the game when we finally were able to sit down.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

It’s all just such a terrible shame of what was and was completely destroyed by one ignorant egotistical man’s failing. Reneau is singlehandedly responsible for exterminating the greatest Tech program. There ought to be a plaque in his honor in the president’s office of what not to do.

[The Historian]

It’s all just such a terrible shame of what was and was completely destroyed by one ignorant egotistical man’s failing. Reneau is singlehandedly responsible for exterminating the greatest Tech program. There ought to be a plaque in his honor in the president’s office of what not to do.

There are things that could be said about Reneau's tenture that would make everyone on this board both laugh and cry. From an athletics standpoint there were so many wrong turns. For advice he relied too much on others within the university who didn't know enough about athletics.

But......

Have you ever considered what happened might have been intentional on his part? And Oakes' part, as well?

Maybe they wanted her gone?

What happened to the program was going to happen, whether Kim was here or not.

[dawg80]

Good Lord, here we go again...it's all DR's fault. Yeah, right...

[DallasDog]

The real mistake... no matter how nice it was to be the best at something.. was not investing real money into the men's program in the 80's and early 90's. A program that danced every couple of years in that time frame, and consistently earning the NCAA credits from the men's dance and I don't think Tech struggles in the conference department like we have. I think football during that same time span would have pretty much performed the same.

KM may have slowed the decline of the program but it was going to happen no matter. I enjoyed every Techster game I have been to, but when you look at the resources available during that time and the ROI, we didn't make the right decision. College sports is a business and we consistently demonstrate the ability to make the wrong business decision.

I actually don't blame DR and JO for as mentioned above "probably wanting her gone" for various reasons and I think she wanted out. I do think he still made a wrong decision though i.e. MBB

[FriscoDawg]

It’s all just such a terrible shame of what was and was completely destroyed by one ignorant egotistical man’s failing. Reneau is singlehandedly responsible for exterminating the greatest Tech program. There ought to be a plaque in his honor in the president’s office of what not to do.

Instead he has a plaque in the Hall of Fame Room because his supporters continue to give him credit for the move to return to Division I-A which he would have prevented if he had been president when that move started.

I don't intend to set foot in that room again as long as that plaque is on the wall because it disgraces every other plaque in that room.

Mulkey 100% wanted out because she didn't want to follow Barmore and have the inevitable decline of the program pinned on her. Asking for something (5-year contact) when at the time it wasn't allowed was her exit strategy.