Lady Vols Softball

#4,552
#4,552
tim said:
The classes are ranked but look at what they’ve missed or overlooked. That tells me they are poor at recruiting the best local talent. Local as in 300 miles around Knoxville. Same with any sport. If you’re recruiting well but missing kids in your back yard, something is off
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You can get majority of the roster 2.5 hours away
 
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#4,553
#4,553
OriginalCoach said:
If the Weeklys need leadership from the AD to run their program, they aren’t doing what they are supposed to. Does White need to run the FB program? Maybe he needs to provide guidance to Coach Harper and Barnes? As for budget, UT came in with around $800K ahead after expenses. Not bad considering pandemic effects on budget. Quit with the excuses. Mississippi State is still in it. KY as well. I bet their AD’s aren’t involved because their coaches are.
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OK, you make good points and I can appreciate your point of view. So, for the sake of further discussion, let's have it your way (or, if this isn't you, the way some here are wanting): AD White meets with Karen and afterward says he is going to make a change and there will be a coaching search. Within days, many or most of the current players will hit the transfer portal and many if not most of the committed recruits will de-commit. Now you don't have a roster for next season. And the national softball press goes bananas and dumps all over UT. The Softball world is aghast, and White is vilified by the press and Weekly fans. The fan base is split and refuses to endorse any new coach, saying the Weekly's were railroaded after a run in which they made the NCAA tourney every year. The national sports press piles on and likens it to the Schiano affair. The new coach will have to recruit out of the B team in the transfer portal, and it might be years til the new coach makes the ncaa's. What then?
 
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#4,555
#4,555
youcancallmeAl said:
OK, you make good points and I can appreciate your point of view. So, for the sake of further discussion, let's have it your way (or, if this isn't you, the way some here are wanting): AD White meets with Karen and afterward says he is going to make a change and there will be a coaching search. Within days, many or most of the current players will hit the transfer portal and many if not most of the committed recruits will de-commit. Now you don't have a roster for next season. And the national softball press goes bananas and dumps all over UT. The Softball world is aghast, and White is vilified by the press and Weekly fans. The fan base is split and refuses to endorse any new coach, saying the Weekly's were railroaded after a run in which they made the NCAA tourney every year. The national sports press piles on and likens it to the Schiano affair. The new coach will have to recruit out of the B team in the transfer portal, and it might be years til the new coach makes the ncaa's. What then?
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So much to unpack here with this bad take. The fan base is already split and has been for awhile. I’m going to guess most players on the roster would welcome a change and not go into the portal. Also an Sec team doesn’t recruit B teams out of the portal. We saw this when mike white left Oregon for Texas, Oregon hires the right coach and they are back on track.
 
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#4,556
#4,556
Agee with the responses on here that the Weekly's have earned the right to retire but if the AD really wanted to make a HC change they can be given a very nice suggested 'retirement' package to step down and still look good doing it. Also agree with FAN 1111 above that if the right good coach is hired I don't think you would see lot portal transfers. It could be win/win for the Weekly's and the program if done right. Heck they gave Fulmer a big buyout to leave the FB program and save face after the Pruitt debacle that he didn't deserve. The Weekly's would deserve theirs.
 
#4,557
#4,557
youcancallmeAl said:
OK, you make good points and I can appreciate your point of view. So, for the sake of further discussion, let's have it your way (or, if this isn't you, the way some here are wanting): AD White meets with Karen and afterward says he is going to make a change and there will be a coaching search. Within days, many or most of the current players will hit the transfer portal and many if not most of the committed recruits will de-commit. Now you don't have a roster for next season. And the national softball press goes bananas and dumps all over UT. The Softball world is aghast, and White is vilified by the press and Weekly fans. The fan base is split and refuses to endorse any new coach, saying the Weekly's were railroaded after a run in which they made the NCAA tourney every year. The national sports press piles on and likens it to the Schiano affair. The new coach will have to recruit out of the B team in the transfer portal, and it might be years til the new coach makes the ncaa's. What then?
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Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting change. Let’s says this scenario plays out and a change is made (I don’t endorse a change) and we lose players on the roster now. Same roster that dropped a regional as the host and players de-commit. What’s the issue? Now we have more spots open, transfer portal now becomes more selective with more inquiring and potentially having a roster that has the states Top kids staying home under a new staff. I’m playing the what we are doing isn’t working card, so either keep doing it or have a self reflection. Not sure you grasp the Schiano debacle to bring that into play here.
 
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#4,558
#4,558
OrangeBeachVol said:
Agee with the responses on here that the Weekly's have earned the right to retire but if the AD really wanted to make a HC change they can be given a very nice suggested 'retirement' package to step down and still look good doing it. Also agree with FAN 1111 above that if the right good coach is hired I don't think you would see lot portal transfers. It could be win/win for the Weekly's and the program if done right. Heck they gave Fulmer a big buyout to leave the FB program and save face after the Pruitt debacle that he didn't deserve. The Weekly's would deserve theirs.
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Ralph is stepping away, just a matter of when it’ll be announced. I’ve been under the impression Karen will be back, but Ralph’s health could be her out.
 
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#4,564
#4,564
Majors said:
Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting change. Let’s says this scenario plays out and a change is made (I don’t endorse a change) and we lose players on the roster now. Same roster that dropped a regional as the host and players de-commit. What’s the issue? Now we have more spots open, transfer portal now becomes more selective with more inquiring and potentially having a roster that has the states Top kids staying home under a new staff. I’m playing the what we are doing isn’t working card, so either keep doing it or have a self reflection. Not sure you grasp the Schiano debacle to bring that into play here.
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OK, I hear your POV, and I'm not saying I know you're wrong. I'm playing devil's advocate as much as promoting a point of view. I could continue the debate and argue point by point, but I won't. My overall point is one so often made: Be careful for what you wish - you just might get it.

Schiano - the national sports press keeps repeating that we should have hired him, and pummel us relentlessly with that narrative every time we have a coaching change. If we fired Weekly, I can just see them accusing us of keeping a dysfunctional sports administration going and using that on top of Schiano to just pile on and bludgeon us with it.
 
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#4,565
#4,565
youcancallmeAl said:
OK, I hear your POV, and I'm not saying I know you're wrong. I'm playing devil's advocate as much as promoting a point of view. I could continue the debate and argue point by point, but I won't. My overall point is one so often made: Be careful for what you wish - you just might get it.

Schiano - the national sports press keeps repeating that we should have hired him, and pummel us relentlessly with that narrative every time we have a coaching change. If we fired Weekly, I can just see them accusing us of keeping a dysfunctional sports administration going and using that on top of Schiano to just pile on and bludgeon us with it.
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If Karen leaves in the next year or so, it’s under her terms. The national media unfortunately isn’t worried too much about Lady Vols softball in comparison to football and the how Schiano Sunday took place.
 
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#4,566
#4,566
youcancallmeAl said:
OK, I hear your POV, and I'm not saying I know you're wrong. I'm playing devil's advocate as much as promoting a point of view. I could continue the debate and argue point by point, but I won't. My overall point is one so often made: Be careful for what you wish - you just might get it.

Schiano - the national sports press keeps repeating that we should have hired him, and pummel us relentlessly with that narrative every time we have a coaching change. If we fired Weekly, I can just see them accusing us of keeping a dysfunctional sports administration going and using that on top of Schiano to just pile on and bludgeon us with it.
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No dysfunctional AD running this show. Forget Schiano. Forget the Finebaums and Cowherds of the world. If a change is made, a change is made. I seriously doubt the Weeklys are going anywhere. But they certainly need to get back to whatever got them here because continued seasons like this probably sends them packing. And not at their choosing. Which would be a shame. I’m critical because I believe we are more than what we have been witnessing with the softball program. Besides the LVBB team, it’s been the only other bright spot (besides the occasional Men’s BB) we’ve had the past several years.
 
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#4,567
#4,567
SouthKnoxVOL said:
The Weeklys should have won 2 national championships with Abbott at the helmet but they did not....and at that moment I knew they would never win one here.
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What I remember most of the championship games with Abbott pitching, was Ralph having his eyes closes, as if he could not stand to watch what was happening...The TV announcer pointed it out several times....Those games, with Abbott in the circle, were the high water marks of the Weekly's reign here...Seems like a hundred years ago.
 
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#4,569
#4,569
TomHoot said:
Some posters here forget that coaches don’t play softball. Players do. They want to do well. They try hard. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. This weekend, they ran out of steam. Put yourself in the place of a JMU fan. Saturday afternoon, their team couldn’t hit Rogers either. It was just that one 3-player sequence: hit batsman, walk, home run. That was the difference. It was a close game. Later. Liberty just took advantage of an injured, tired pitcher. Series over.

There is no reason to throw over two Hall of Fame coaches with a proven track record. They were still 16th in the nation in a field of 300 teams. They produce teams which win consistently. Careful what you wish for. Or did you want football coach Phil Fulmer gone, too? That didn’t work out so well.

The LVs have pitching troubles. Those began with the unexpected departure of Caylan Arnold, then Rogers’ injury. Turner was thrown in the deep end. One or two prospects didn’t work out. Maybe the transfer portal is the answer. Maybe that new six foot pitcher will be effective. Maybe Bender can learn another pitch. Rogers’ index finger will probably be a chronic problem. If they want her at full strength for the playoffs, they need a reliable second starter. Second base is a problem. The coaches seemed to have lost confidence in Parsons, but she partially redeemed herself in post-season. Maybe she can get her confidence and consistency back. Maybe Fox can improve her hitting; she is a fine fielder. Or maybe someone new. But otherwise, they seem in good shape. They need to replace LF and 3rd base, at the least. But defense continues to be a strong point, especially if Morgan and Ayala return. And, without putting too find a point on it, the LVs are all in shape, unlike some of the opposing players we saw this weekend. That gives them endurance, flexibility, defensive ability and adds a base-stealing capability. Credit the Weeklys for recruiting and conditioning such players.

So don’t despair for the LVs. They should be fine. And never forget how good their SEC competition is. If a team is ranked 16th and can still only muster a 50-50 record, that says something about how tough their schedule is.
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So maybe next year? Or the year after? Basically every problem you listed can be tied to our coaches. But I’m glad they’re in good physical shape. They look good when they commit errors In the infield. They look good when they make mental mistakes on the base line. They look good when they watch strikes pass by in clutch situations. They look good sprinting from the outfield to cover a bad throw to second, or first, or third. Seen them all to many times this year. I’m tired of it. I don’t blame the girls, they play to the level of coaching they receive.
 
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#4,572
#4,572
youcancallmeAl said:
And the national softball press goes bananas and dumps all over UT. The Softball world is aghast, and White is vilified by the press and Weekly fans.

The national sports press piles on and likens it to the Schiano affair.
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Nobody should care what the 'press' has to say. The national softball world, including other fanbases, college coaches, travel ball and HS coaches, know the Weeklys aren't good coaches. They are frequently referred to as the Weaklings in conversations. They've been a laughing stock of the college softball world going back to the Abbott days when they couldn't win with Monica, due to their inability to win big games and develop players through the years, players transferring (we were the worst 'good' program in that department for many years and have a long history of losing starters and losing players for reasons that aren't related to playing time issues) and allegations of player treatment. Honestly the only thing they've been good at over the years is recruiting. Trust me, the softball world wouldn't be "aghast" if they were let go and they wouldn't be dumping on UT. If anything, they would probably be worried that Tennessee would make an elite hire -- which, given UT's track record in that department, I'd say they would be able to soundly sleep at night knowing that wouldn't happen.

I'm not sure why you think the national press cares about college softball, either. Outside of some random talking head on ESPN saying something about it, I don't see anyone caring.
 
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#4,573
#4,573
Majors said:
Ralph is stepping away, just a matter of when it’ll be announced. I’ve been under the impression Karen will be back, but Ralph’s health could be her out.
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Agree.
AD White could promote this to speed up the process, The Weekleys have had their chances and now it’s time to move on. This weekend was sickening.
 
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