850TheBuzz: Coaching Search Winners and Losers

General NCS Basketball NCS Football72

A nice entry from 850TheBuzz.

Replacing coaches in college sports in this area is equal to a presidential election. It warrants front page attention and constant chatter on the radio because who gets hired determines the direction of a program like no other event. It’s time to look back on the searches and the coverage, wrapping up the story so we can move on to actual football in 2007. So who emerged from the aftermath looking like the smartest guy in the room, and who took a few hits? Find out after the jump.

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General NCS Basketball NCS Football

72 Responses to 850TheBuzz: Coaching Search Winners and Losers

  1. packbackr04 12/12/2006 at 2:26 PM #

    fred, it is a little sad to think it would take something like that to get the “loyal” fans to come “out of the woodwork”
    for all the griping we do about being 2nd fiddle to unx and dook, at least their fans show up in droves. even if they are playing fordham or st copias of uh….

    caddyshak anyone? “Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in, and, youve got the stock market beat. But a man worth while, is the man who can smile, when his shorts arent too tight in the seat… hahaha ok pooky, do the honors”

  2. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/12/2006 at 2:28 PM #

    Because Sendek sucked the life out of the basketball program. When I speak with current students they could care less about basketball. The last regime removed all history and life out of NC State basketball. You can’t expect the casual fan to suddenly embrace Lowe’s fledgling program. Those of us old enough to remember Lowe/Towe are excited but almost none of the students on campus where even born in 1983 and many of alumni over the last 15 years may not even know State has a basketball team. It is going to take a lot of effort to rebuild what was lost after the V era. It won’t happen overnight unless some magic occurs on the court.

    The best way I felt this can be done is to have the Reynolds game be a freebie to all but since I doubt that would ever happen pass out tixs to students all week. Pass out 12,000 free student tixs, bring in a comedian or some other entertainment before tip or show Borat on a screen before the game. Make it an event.

    Frankly the vast majority of students could care less about going to an NC State basketball game. It is good news that I’ve heard that after nearly 10 years they are finally running a bus from campus to the RBC Center to help on campus students get to the games. Of course that should of been in place the day they opened the ESA.

    Not only does the Herb factor come into play but the fact that the university has been pushing the football program for the last 6 or 7 years the basketball program has been forced into the shadows.

  3. redfred2 12/12/2006 at 3:43 PM #

    04

    Caddy Shack quotes are always appropriate when speaking of NC State.
    But as far fan support goes right now, and even with a team that’s playing above and beyond all expectations, the RBC=Kenan Stadium, in that respect.

    t-t-t

    You know I have preached on and on about the loss of Wolfpack Basketball tradition and history. But I never really thought about how long it would affect the NCSU students themselves. You are right though. Even though Sidney Lowe has this team doing more than we ever dreamed of, and RIGHT NOW, it is going to take some time to get many people believing in Wolfpack basketball. That’s either again, or for their very first time, as would be the case with the current student body. That’s a hard pill to swallow.

    THE COACH has his players way out in front and believing it already though, and that’s all we can possibly ask for.

    Maybe some pre-season hype from the sports info dept would have helped to build more excitement on campus? Nah, like 4ever said, it’s just not right to formally introduce a coach from another sport, or even talk about him, during football season. ???

  4. redfred2 12/12/2006 at 3:48 PM #

    Where is Barry Saunders on this? I’m thinking the handling of the recent TOB hire, versus the absolute quiet after Lowe’s hire, would be a story that’s right up his alley.

  5. whitefang 12/12/2006 at 4:10 PM #

    I think the attendance will come around, but it will take some time because the “suck the life” out comments are (sadly) at least somewhat true. Plus we have a big arena to fill (unlike Duke), RBC is a hike from the campus, we are no longer mentioned in the same sentence as our ACC bros in the neighborhood (temporarily I believe), we have to “compete” with the TV bball schedule, and it will take a while for the students to give up the other stuff they can do and get excited about State bball again. Hell the students have a lot of options for their entertainment besides bball. I am ashamed to say while I was at State I missed a lot of games in Reynolds in the mid and late 70’s when we were one of the “big dogs” cause the game was on TV and there was plenty of beer at the fraternity house. Now there is a game on TV every nite and even more options for the students.
    I am confident it will come back with the effort that Lowe and his team are showing.

  6. Dan 12/12/2006 at 4:27 PM #

    I’m tired of this being blamed on the students almost exclusively. That is BS. Yeah, the students aren’t getting there, but neither is anyone else.

    The student section is the baseline and the end-zone floors. There are way more empty seats to be seen at other places. Its a tiny percentage of the seating capacity. Take out the students, and you basically have the hockey seating. Those seats arent getting filled. What is worse is that tickets have been 10-15 bucks for the recent games. WTF?

  7. Trout 12/12/2006 at 4:31 PM #

    “But, USC is no small private school. They have 33,000 students and are in some ways a defacto public school in how they serve the LA community.

    BC is 25,000…”

    BC has 14,500 total students. By comparison, NC State is now around 30,000. BC has around 145,000 alumni, while NC State has 155,000 alumni.

  8. PackBacker001 12/12/2006 at 4:37 PM #

    I’m no longer a student, but I have been to several games this season with some. The problem is that BBall has been so painful to watch over the last few years that it just hurts to sit there. During the Michigan game every single one of my friends expected us to lose. As soon as we were 21 up, they started taking bets on how long it would take to lose the lead, and how many points we would lose by. And let’s not even get into the drinking game we have for the historic scoring droughts and 3-point misses. It’s going to take some time to get everyone back…not all are a glutton for punishment like I am (I even sat through 2005’s Clemson football game until 0:00 in the 4th).

  9. BladenWolf 12/12/2006 at 4:45 PM #

    DIXIE Wolf- How about this one…

    Tom Reed + Bo Rein + Mike O’Cain = Tom O’Brien?

  10. MadWolf92 12/12/2006 at 4:48 PM #

    Hey, that works well!

  11. lush 12/12/2006 at 4:54 PM #

    “Its like getting a girl to sleep with you again after you had her once but went limp noodle on her in mid romp. Why would she want that disppointment again”

    Sad but true and absolutely hilarious.

  12. choppack1 12/12/2006 at 5:00 PM #

    I buy some of that argument, but not all of it.
    I really think a couple of things about NC State have changed:
    1) We are more of a football school now – My finest memories from college weren’t the b’ball games, but the football games. That’s when I was able to get together w/ throngs of my buddies, do the block seating, do the tailgating et al. (To give perspective, I was at State from 88-92.) Also, as football fans, we understand that there are 12-15 of these things, and most of the early ones don’t matter.
    2) The RBC vs. Reynolds – I can’t remember it, but I think you’d rarely see a sell-out when we play Savannah State. The big difference is that Reynolds was special even when we stunk for moderate to big games. The RBC is neat when it’s rocking, but in order for it to be rocking, we appear to need big games.

    But where we lost a lot w/ Reynolds vs. the RBC was convenience. When I was in school, all I had to do to was walk to Reynolds. I could get there quickly from my dorm, then later my apartments, from class or the library. The ease of use created more of an affinity for those games. It was something I did whenever I had the time and it was easy to do. I’m not sure if that’s the case any longer.

    3) Overall Excitement – Right now, at UNC-Ch, they’d sell-out against almost anyone. That’s because their fans are excited about all of the freshman and the thought of being a dominant force. As much as I like what Sid has done for the team, we’ve seen all of the players before, and we’re not exactly dominant, or in a national sense – special.

    4) Economics/Time Management – As we’ve become more of a football-oriented school, the expendable time and funds that would have been utilized for b’ball are now being spent for football. If we start stinking in football or become extra special in b’ball – this paves the way for more folks going to games that don’t matter.

    When you look at all the stuff above, I’m not sure if we’ll ever get back to the way Reynolds was. I suspect the RBC will be half full whenever we play Sisters of the Poor.

    If we’re going to be really good, I think you’ll see us sell out Reynolds no matter who we play though.

  13. redfred2 12/12/2006 at 5:07 PM #

    Dan

    WTF is right.

    I don’t think anyone is really blaming it on the students, but it is a sad state of affairs when even they, don’t show up for the games. People can still say all they want to about the recent past, the five NCAA trips and all, but what we’re witnessing now is that all of that was without soul and there was no real pride evolving in the NC State basketball program to carry over from season to season. People were built up, only to be let down in the same manner, over and over again. They are somewhat understandably shying away from that right now.

    We’re finally on the right track. If people will just come and watch this team play in person, they’ll see that this is something that they can really sink their teeth into, and get behind, win or lose. This team as a whole, is putting forth effort like we haven’t witnessed in a decade in a half and it is much more fun to be right there in the RBC, watching basketball, than at any other time in history of the Wolfpack playing there.

  14. packbackr04 12/12/2006 at 5:07 PM #

    everyone on this years team has a special place in my heart for sticking by us even though plenty of them had opportunites to go elsewhere. (thanks Dungaree Lee) i am eternally grateful to this group and will and have been trying to get to every game i can. It wont be long before Sid has roy and K with their pants around their knees and grabbing at their ankles! GO PACK!

  15. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/12/2006 at 5:14 PM #

    Dan: I’m not blaming the students I’m pointing out the facts. The students that are not NC State basketball fanatics, like the casual fan living in and around Raleigh got sick of State basketball after about the 3rd year of Lester. With the exception of a few (and I mean few) high moments during Sendek’s tenure you have a 15 year span where people could care less and less about NC State basketball. You can’t just go out and hire Lowe and expect everyone to start spending money on that money pit again or to pack up the car and drive from campus to the RBC.

    We hope that Lowe’s results will come fast and bring back the fans but until this happens State needs to market the program. The void of really anything positive coming from the program since the 1989 ACC Championship requires except graduating players (wtfc) will take a while to overcome.

    I thought packbacker001 comments on drinking games around the scoring droughts, missed 3’s and betting on how much we lose by is a very accurate picture of what many NC State alumni as well as current students think about NC State basketball.

    Since 1990 State has graduated about (just estimating) 40,000 students that have no idea what winning basketball at State is. It is no surprise the place is empty because many of these people don’t go to games. Look around you at the games you will find a very high percentage of white hair in the RBC. Go to a Cane’s game and you will see very little white hair on the men and the fluffy well sprayed ball of hair on the women.

  16. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/12/2006 at 5:29 PM #

    Choppack1 you make some good points. When speaking of prospects of the ESA, I remember Gary Dornberg saying once that people thought Carter Stadium was a mistake and that we would never be able to fill it. They where proved to be wrong. The one thing that you missed about the arena size is the number of additional alumni as well as the growth in the city of Raleigh. These two factors over the last 15 years should make up the difference in the size of the arena.

  17. redfred2 12/12/2006 at 5:36 PM #

    chop

    A FB game is an all day affair and the atmosphere and events surrounding any football game have always been better than BB. You must be too young to know anything but the most recent short lived success on the grid iron, but one thing you are mistaken about is that NCSU is not, never has been, a football school. You were just fooled, or suckered, into believing that, along with so many others lately.

    Reclaiming every bit of NC State’s past football glory isn’t too much of a stretch at all. There’s nothing there to really write home about anyway. But in basketball, ah now, that’s quite a different story.

  18. packpigskinfan23 12/12/2006 at 5:38 PM #

    there is VERY little promotion of the games on campus. Even the Technican dosnt stay on top of it…

    the comments on the drinking games and the pain it is to watch your team lose is pretty acurate as well.

    its not JUST the students… but it is sad.

    Cant wait to see this ship get turned around!!!!

  19. redfred2 12/12/2006 at 5:45 PM #

    WELLL, if those Aholes who get paid and whose job it is to promote this stuff would get up off of their seats and do something every once in awhile, things would definitely be different RIGHT NOW. They can’t though, and apparently there is no one around in Raleigh, with any imagination or any idea of how to do it anyway.

  20. choppack1 12/12/2006 at 6:08 PM #

    “Choppack1 you make some good points. When speaking of prospects of the ESA, I remember Gary Dornberg saying once that people thought Carter Stadium was a mistake and that we would never be able to fill it. They where proved to be wrong. The one thing that you missed about the arena size is the number of additional alumni as well as the growth in the city of Raleigh. These two factors over the last 15 years should make up the difference in the size of the arena.”

    That’s an interesting perspective and a valid point. However, I think what’s critical is that we have some success against our rivals and put a better product on the floor, because the NCAA trips and solid teams just aren’t doing it.

    I’ll stand by my statement that we are now a football school – meaning that the vast majority of folks who attend follow wolfpack sports are spending their hard-on dollars on Saturday’s in the fall rather than the entire week of a winter month.

    This doesn’t mean that were never a basketball school or that we can’t become one again. It just means that right now, I think State folks get more geeked up about football than basketball.

    And given the challenges of getting there, I’m not sure you’ll ever see the atmoshpere we saw in the big barn again. That doesn’t mean that the RBC can’t be special in its own right, but unless our football goes in the tank and our b’ball goes through the roof, I know who is getting the most of my time.

    And I only say that because as I get older, I love football more and more – I look forward to every game. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get excited about us playing Savanahh State (especially if it’s our 8th game.) Plenty of my college friends go to football games on a regular basis from around the state, much fewer attend basketball games. Hopefully, that will change w/ Sidney Lowe – but I think we need to understand that just being “good” or even “above average” isn’t good enough to do this in our current environment.

  21. Woof Wolf 12/12/2006 at 6:32 PM #

    There as not many of us fanatics out here as some of us would like to believe. We know how exciting this team has been because most of us have seen most of the game either live or on TV. Then we talk about it here and try to get everyone more excited. But even as excited as some of us are about the the new staff and the effort we are seeing, there are reasons that we all can’t be at all of the games. For example, I would love to be at every game but I live 350 miles away.

    The vast majority of the fans heard from the mass media that we were going to be the worst team in the league. I don’t know what kind of pub we are getting from TV up there, but I visit the Raleigh and Charlotte papers everyday. I haven’t seen anything there that would convince anyone that we are going to be better.

    These early games hardly ever play to full houses. A lot of season ticket holders don’t show up. There are some who live an hour or two away and a Savannah State game that wasn’t in the package on a week night, just doesn’t seem worth it.

    A large number of the high rollers are only casual fans. They come to the really big games when it is fashionable to be there. The other tickets they give to customers, employees or poor relatives. Based on the current perception of our program, they are probably pretty hard to give away.

    Others of you have clearly defined the student attitude, so I won’t go there. It pains me everytime time I turn of the TV and I see empty seats, but it’s gonig to take a little time to get the old excitement back. Talking about it here is ‘preaching to the choir.’

    We need to spread the word, get to as many games as we can and bring as many people as we can. The rest of it is up to Sidney and the boys. In a couple of years the scalpers will be making money on us again.

  22. legacyman 12/12/2006 at 6:44 PM #

    I don’t believe the “Heritage” game has ever been sold out. It is always against a lesser opponent and is in the old building located on campus(great for students) but with horrible parking and traffic patterns. The last game in Reynolds was years ago and I have honored that…last game I will attend there.

    The “H” game is for those who don’t have tickets to the RBC as it is a good chance to see the Wolfpack play. Doesn’t mean that RBC ticketholders don’t attend but in a general admission setting with terrible traffic flow and cramped, sweaty seats(during a hot, close game) there is no incentive to attend for someone who has spent thousands of dollars to have the rights to RBC seats and then hundreds/thousands for season tickets.

    The RBC center is our home now and fans should go there in large numbers. I don’t think there is any general let down among the real fans…they will support the team and fill their seats regardless…notice the last ten years prior to Sidney. Will any venue be 100% full for every game…not usually, regardless of the year. When Sidney has a chance to build his team with a full roster and with players of his preferred skill set then we will finally have a team that we can be proud of and support.

    My family will be in our seats regardless of the number of wins this year for we know great things are one or two years in the future…we can still do some good stuff this year and knocking off a big rival would taste pretty good.

  23. DIXIE Wolf 12/12/2006 at 7:14 PM #

    BladenWolf, you’ve got it my friend! Forgive me. I was a business major before accredidation (sp?) and am not the sharpest knife in the block. It’s hard trying to keep up with all you EE, CE, and ME, etc., whizbangs.

  24. Wolfpack4ever 12/12/2006 at 8:37 PM #

    “like 4ever said, it’s just not right to formally introduce a coach from another sport,”

    To have had a “formal introduction” of a coach who had been on board for 4 months would have been worse than “not right” it would have been ludicrous.

    On the other hand introducing TOB at the Savanah State game in the more initimate setting of Reynolds the day that his hiring was announced was entirely appropriate and absolutely the thing to do.

    Timing is of utmost importance in promotion. The timing was off in the case a “formal introduction” of Sid at what was at the time, a big conference football game, while the timing was perfect for an introduction of TOB. (Sid was on the Jumbotron with Kaye Yow promoting their joint pre-season venture.) In person down on the field, I don’t see.

    rf2 Your comment seems more driven by resentment than any pertinence to the conversation that is occurring on this thread. I have fun batting it back and forth with you but isn’t this a little stale?

  25. Woof Wolf 12/12/2006 at 8:44 PM #

    Based on what I’ve read on here rf2 is 40 or maybe 30. 4ever is about 67 or 68. Now, who is stale?

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