New answers

[BruinVol]

Wat? Seriously?! This is his 6th year.
UT fans and admin have shown extreme patience with both Serrano and Holly.

Neither have produced. Yet 6 isn't the year to rebuild your roster.

THe roster pretty much reset last year. When a Change wasn't made then that was a commitment to more patience imo.

 

[Backwards K]

Serrano has never made it past day one of the SEC Tournament. It'd be nice to at least make it to the double elimination phase of the Conference Tournament occasionally.

A change wasn't made last year because the Athletic Director position was being changed. Serrano may make it for another year with a 12th place SEC finish but he won't last two more years with that.

 

[Roustabout]

THe roster pretty much reset last year. When a Change wasn't made then that was a commitment to more patience imo.

I think that had more to do with the AD limbo with Hart leaving.

 

[ShowmeVols]

THe roster pretty much reset last year. When a Change wasn't made then that was a commitment to more patience imo.

The one-year extension ten months ago was a commitment to one year of patience.

 

[BruinVol]

The one-year extension ten months ago was a commitment to one year of patience.

And a wasted year is a change is made this year

 

[ShowmeVols]

And a wasted year is a change is made this year

Agreed. But that was last year's decision.

I said at the time that a one-year extension put him at a disadvantage on the recruiting trail because he couldn't guarantee recruits he'd be here when they get to campus.

I see the same choice for this year. Either offer him a new contract, saying they like the way he runs the program and believe he's building something good, or else fire him.

Splitting the difference with a 1-year extension just leaves him twisting in the wind for another year.

 

[Roustabout]

Agreed. But that was last year's decision.

I said at the time that a one-year extension put him at a disadvantage on the recruiting trail because he couldn't guarantee recruits he'd be here when they get to campus.

I see the same choice for this year. Either offer him a new contract, saying they like the way he runs the program and believe he's building something good, or else fire him.

Splitting the difference with a 1-year extension just leaves him twisting in the wind for another year.

Yup.
It was a bad, small minded decision. You don't double down.

I listened to his interview yesterday. Same crap. He said it all falls on him. Ok! I hope the admin holds him to those words.

 

[BruinVol]

8 days ago the vibe was so much different. Perhaps we should allow the season to play out before we make final decisions. Still have a high rpi and anything can happen

 

[appyvol]

8 days ago the vibe was so much different. Perhaps we should allow the season to play out before we make final decisions. Still have a high rpi and anything can happen

This. Let's win this series this weekend, get some momentum, and check back at the halfway point. .500 in Conference play is still very much an attainable goal.

 

[BruinVol]

This. Let's win this series this weekend, get some momentum, and check back at the halfway point. .500 in Conference play is still very much an attainable goal.

.500 the remaining SEC games might be good enough to make a regional.

 

[Backwards K]

8 days ago the vibe was so much different. Perhaps we should allow the season to play out before we make final decisions. Still have a high rpi and anything can happen

Who are you and what have you done with BruinVol?

 

[BruinVol]

Who are you and what have you done with BruinVol?

Lol.

I turned toward supporting CDS when the style changed and the fool Bergeron left town.

 

[6-4-3]

Agreed. But that was last year's decision.

I said at the time that a one-year extension put him at a disadvantage on the recruiting trail because he couldn't guarantee recruits he'd be here when they get to campus.

I see the same choice for this year. Either offer him a new contract, saying they like the way he runs the program and believe he's building something good, or else fire him.

Splitting the difference with a 1-year extension just leaves him twisting in the wind for another year.

Agree. It all depends on the new ADs focus I guess. CDS runs a clean program, players stay out of trouble, they graduate, and in 2016 I understand they won award for highest GPA for male team sport at UT. All of those factors will be considered I would imagine.

 

[Backwards K]

Bruin, like you, I want to believe but in the Serrano era, the Vols are 48-105 in SEC play and they have only won 11 of the 52 SEC weekend series. And, while baseball can change quickly if some of these young pitchers get hot, at this point, it looks like they will struggle to even approach 10 SEC wins this year.

 

[fryeguy93]

I'm beginning to believe that the Vols need to really think outside the proverbial box on this.

We have no disadvantages that schools like Coastal Carolina or Eastern Carolina have except a tougher conference.

If UTK can't give the grant-in-aid scholarships like Vanderbilt, UVA and UNC then what can we do overwhelm that disadvantage. How do we contradict history and geography?

Can UT strike a deal with Randy Boyd to build a phenomenal stadium that UT Baseball will use alone for several seasons and then share with the Smokies when the lease runs out? With that stadium could it include major-league quality facilities and tools that would make a recruit drool? In other words, can UT move the facilities arms race so prevalent in football to baseball?

No one can say that CDS has not definitely improved the product in his time at UT. The players are better, the coaching is better, the results are marginally better.

I'm not sure why but the common denominator in the last 6 seasons has been a lack of across-the-board mental toughness- especially on the mound.

The Vols have bested numerous out-of-conference opponents that were better than UGA this season. What about the weekend causes the team to tighten up to this extent?

On Sunday, we let a #3 starter on a less than mediocre team and tired bullpen limit a thus far very good batting team to 3 hits.

On Saturday, the pitching staff killed several dozen earthworms.

I'm at a loss. This team needs a sports psychologist

 

[TNSportsman]

I'm beginning to believe that the Vols need to really think outside the proverbial box on this.

We have no disadvantages that schools like Coastal Carolina or Eastern Carolina have except a tougher conference.

If UTK can't give the grant-in-aid scholarships like Vanderbilt, UVA and UNC then what can we do overwhelm that disadvantage. How do we contradict history and geography?

Can UT strike a deal with Randy Boyd to build a phenomenal stadium that UT Baseball will use alone for several seasons and then share with the Smokies when the lease runs out? With that stadium could it include major-league quality facilities and tools that would make a recruit drool? In other words, can UT move the facilities arms race so prevalent in football to baseball?

No one can say that CDS has not definitely improved the product in his time at UT. The players are better, the coaching is better, the results are marginally better.

I'm not sure why but the common denominator in the last 6 seasons has been a lack of across-the-board mental toughness- especially on the mound.

The Vols have bested numerous out-of-conference opponents that were better than UGA this season. What about the weekend causes the team to tighten up to this extent?

On Sunday, we let a #3 starter on a less than mediocre team and tired bullpen limit a thus far very good batting team to 3 hits.

On Saturday, the pitching staff killed several dozen earthworms.

I'm at a loss. This team needs a sports psychologist

Neither the coaching or the results are better/marginally better. In fact, the results are worse than the Todd Raleigh era.

 

[fryeguy93]

Neither the coaching or the results are better/marginally better. In fact, the results are worse than the Todd Raleigh era.

Let's be intellectually honest now. The Todd Raleigh era was the absolute low point of the program. Record, talent, coaching, attendance, perception, etc were lower in 2011 than they are in 2017. By intimating that the Vols are worse now than in 2011 is doing a disservice on just how hard Todd Raleigh sucked!

In the Todd Raleigh era we lost to nearly everyone. The midweek games were just as big of disasters as the weekend games. ETSU had a winning streak against UT and they stunk too. Add into this that UT has played a tougher out-of-conference schedule than Todd Raleigh did as well. We had a roster of players that were mostly Div. 2 in talent.

Raleigh never qualified for the SEC tournament.

The SEC was tough in Raleigh era but is insane right now. Florida had just fired McMahon and building under O'Sullivan. Miss State was taking on water. Vanderbilt had not reached their peak.

CDS has got marginally more wins against a tougher schedule.

That being said, it is not enough right now without a doubt.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

We've made the SECT because they expanded by 2 teams. We've basically barely gotten in each time too.

I'm not going to say CDS is as bad as TR plus I'll grant him having to clean up some of his mess, but I'm not going to act like he's been night and day better.

 

[99gator]

Let's be intellectually honest now. The Todd Raleigh era was the absolute low point of the program. Record, talent, coaching, attendance, perception, etc were lower in 2011 than they are in 2017. By intimating that the Vols are worse now than in 2011 is doing a disservice on just how hard Todd Raleigh sucked!

In the Todd Raleigh era we lost to nearly everyone. The midweek games were just as big of disasters as the weekend games. ETSU had a winning streak against UT and they stunk too. Add into this that UT has played a tougher out-of-conference schedule than Todd Raleigh did as well. We had a roster of players that were mostly Div. 2 in talent.

Raleigh never qualified for the SEC tournament.

The SEC was tough in Raleigh era but is insane right now. Florida had just fired McMahon and building under O'Sullivan. Miss State was taking on water. Vanderbilt had not reached their peak.

CDS has got marginally more wins against a tougher schedule.

That being said, it is not enough right now without a doubt.

I hate to be "that guy", but there is nothing you can point to that can be used as an objective measure to show that Serrano has been any better than Raleigh.

Serrano's record in SEC play is 49-107.

Raleigh's record in SEC play was 42-70.

Raleigh finished with no better than a 12-18 record in SEC play. Serrano has finished with no better than a 12-18 record in SEC play. Raleigh never made the postseason. Serrano has never made the postseason. The sad part is Delmonico went 13-15 in SEC play in his last season as coach. That's more SEC wins in a season than either Serrano or Raleigh and based on the record there were two games Tennessee must have had cancelled in 2007.

I would be willing to bet that pitching statistics, fielding statistics, and batting statistics aren't a heck of a lot different either.

But with another 1 and 1/3 SEC seasons more under his belt than Raleigh, Serrano has only 7 more SEC wins.

While not every school is great every year, almost all of the schools in the SEC have had a season in the last few years that put them in the tournament (do not ask me to explain the futility of Georgia baseball).

But, even Kentucky (as they are this season), has a productive year every now and then, makes some noise, and gets to the tournament.

Serrano's averaging less than 10 SEC wins a season. Based on their start and schedule, it would take a minor miracle to get to 10 SEC wins this season.

It was a hire that made sense. I can not blame anyone at UT for making the hire. But, it has been a complete failure and, from the outside, I don't see where the program is in a better place than when he found it. It may not be in a worse place. But, it ain't in a better one either.

 

[FGT]

No coach in the history of SEC baseball who has coached 150+ SEC games has a worse winning % than Coach Serrano. It's a shame.

In his post game interview following Saturday's game he mentioned two things this team is lacking on conference weekends...belief and trust. While the talent is young and or deficient in some areas of the team, the deficiency in the culture may be the biggest problem.

 

[vol66]

It was a hire that made sense. I can not blame anyone at UT for making the hire. But, it has been a complete failure and, from the outside, I don't see where the program is in a better place than when he found it. It may not be in a worse place. But, it ain't in a better one either.

I don't take issue with the thrust of your comments and I'm not defending the amount of losing that's gone on or suggesting that we just allow him to stay because he's a nice guy.

However, there were 3 programs in danger of not being allowed to participate in the post season due to academics when Dave Hart arrived and Baseball was one of them. In that regard, the program is better than what Serrano inherited.

The next person will find the program "cleaned up" in other areas as well, such as recruiting relationships and improved relationships with Team USA and summer league teams.

Not to mention involving Todd Helton this season, which is a pretty gutsy thing to do for a HC with CDS's record and being on a 1 year contract.

While the new video board and bull pens may not be bigger and better than the best of the SEC, it's AN improvement over the last 5 years at least.

That's not enough to save him, not saying it is at all.

If he can't turn it around, which would be fairly miraculous...this is the time to make the move. His son will be done which is much more humane than firing him last year without an AD and a son recovering from TJ surgery...that was not going to happen.

 

[Diamond Dore]

I'm beginning to believe that the Vols need to really think outside the proverbial box on this.

We have no disadvantages that schools like Coastal Carolina or Eastern Carolina have except a tougher conference.

If UTK can't give the grant-in-aid scholarships like Vanderbilt, UVA and UNC then what can we do overwhelm that disadvantage. How do we contradict history and geography?

Can UT strike a deal with Randy Boyd to build a phenomenal stadium that UT Baseball will use alone for several seasons and then share with the Smokies when the lease runs out? With that stadium could it include major-league quality facilities and tools that would make a recruit drool? In other words, can UT move the facilities arms race so prevalent in football to baseball?

Kentucky opens a new stadium next year at a cost of nearly $50 million dollars. Mississippi State has plans for a similar facility. Florida supposedly made facility promises to O'Sullivan when they signed him to a long term deal.

What you're talking about might just be the minimum to keep up if things keep going the way they have been.

 

[vol66]

Kentucky opens a new stadium next year at a cost of nearly $50 million dollars. Mississippi State has plans for a similar facility. Florida supposedly made facility promises to O'Sullivan when they signed him to a long term deal.

What you're talking about might just be the minimum to keep up if things keep going the way they have been.

Hammer meets head.

 

[fryeguy93]

Hammer meets head.

It would be hard to swallow with the money they spent the last 22 years on LNS.

But cutting a deal with Randy Boyd on sharing a downtown-area stadium may be the best option for improving facilities.

Lower Hudson/LNS could be converted as a baseball practice facility or site could be used for the badly needed indoor track facility. It's a bigger facility than Lee Stadium and perhaps be converted to softball use since they need more seats, be closer to campus and have a nicer local than wedged between RR and sewer treatment plant.

Right now, a new stadium and Tennessee's needs for baseball seem to be converging nicely time wise. The new stadium with all the amenities for fans and players would draw more. Would help with recruiting. Would help UT baseball possibly break even financially.

I have a feeling that CDS would find a job back on the west coast and flourish. Andy Lopez did better out west than in the SEC. Sometimes, despite experience and skills things just don't fit.

 

[Volsfriend]

I don't take issue with the thrust of your comments and I'm not defending the amount of losing that's gone on or suggesting that we just allow him to stay because he's a nice guy.

However, there were 3 programs in danger of not being allowed to participate in the post season due to academics when Dave Hart arrived and Baseball was one of them. In that regard, the program is better than what Serrano inherited.

The next person will find the program "cleaned up" in other areas as well, such as recruiting relationships and improved relationships with Team USA and summer league teams.

Not to mention involving Todd Helton this season, which is a pretty gutsy thing to do for a HC with CDS's record and being on a 1 year contract.

While the new video board and bull pens may not be bigger and better than the best of the SEC, it's AN improvement over the last 5 years at least.

That's not enough to save him, not saying it is at all.

If he can't turn it around, which would be fairly miraculous...this is the time to make the move. His son will be done which is much more humane than firing him last year without an AD and a son recovering from TJ surgery...that was not going to happen.

Academics was not on CDS. The lady that heads up that area for the team is the best and has earned 100% respect in that right. CDS has nothing to do with the teams academics. But nice try.

He is a coach not a teacher in the academic world.