aggie62
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Three Generations of Aggies
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Post by aggie62 on Apr 3, 2011 23:14:23 GMT -5
Let's face it gang. I doubt very seriously that Eaves will be fired. I think Coach Broadway and the football team will be given a couple of years to fill the seats in the stadium so we will have some money to hire a good basketball coach to fill the coliseum's with basketball fans. So, as bad as Eaves is, I don't expect a new basketball coach until 2013.
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bluehaze
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Post by bluehaze on Apr 4, 2011 6:19:00 GMT -5
Can we REALLY afford what it takes to be very good in both (football and basketball)? Right now, we aren't good in either...
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Post by 4XLAGGIE on Apr 4, 2011 10:16:44 GMT -5
There are three levels of Division I Basketball. Low Major, Mid Major and Major.
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aggie62
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Post by aggie62 on Apr 4, 2011 12:19:29 GMT -5
There are three levels of Division I Basketball. Low Major, Mid Major and Major. Which level are we now versus what we were when Coach Corbett had us in the NCAA playoffs year-after-year-after-year?
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Post by thefriscotxaggie on Apr 4, 2011 12:38:53 GMT -5
Unfortunalely low major then and know. Typical the MEAC and SWAC arer lowest rated conferences in D1, smaller budgets, and few wins aginst major d1.
But it just goes to show VCU is a true mid-major and they are competiting at the major level. There have been several low major teams that have made an impact - Hampton, Southern, Coppin, Valpreso, Belmont etc..
Even in our glory days we never had a quality win over a major.
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Post by 4XLAGGIE on Apr 4, 2011 14:08:26 GMT -5
There are three levels of Division I Basketball. Low Major, Mid Major and Major. Which level are we now versus what we were when Coach Corbett had us in the NCAA playoffs year-after-year-after-year?I believe we have always been a low major.
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Maxell
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Post by Maxell on Apr 4, 2011 16:02:42 GMT -5
Which level are we now versus what we were when Coach Corbett had us in the NCAA playoffs year-after-year-after-year? I believe we have always been a low major. But aren't those really made-up levels imposed by the media? It's really based on how much money you but into the program. Otherwise, what was Butler?
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Maxell
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Post by Maxell on Apr 4, 2011 16:03:57 GMT -5
Low Major means delusional.
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Post by neighborhoodsuperstar on Apr 4, 2011 18:48:42 GMT -5
You can also be low major in mindset....... Look at the Horizon League. There are teams like Youngstown State (9-21), Illinois-Chicago (7-24), and Wisc Green-Bay (14-18) in the Horizon League who have just as meager a chance of winning a 1st round game as a school in the MEAC does. Look at the Colonial Atheltic Association. Towson went 4-26. A&T beat UNC-Wilmington (13-18). Northeastern went 11-20. These teams are light years away from sniffing a Sweet 16. The point I'm making is this - you don't let your environment (the MEAC) determine how far or how high you wish to go. The question for Aggie Nation is how far do you want Aggie basketball (or other sports) to go? If you want Aggie basketball to be tops in the MEAC, the first thing we have to do is get rid of Eaves and find a coach who has the ability to win in the MEAC and beyond. THIS IS STEP ONE. If folks want STEP TWO (sweet 16 appearance) and STEP THREE (final four appearance)......you won't get it without addressing.......STEP ONE. I'm in my mid-30's. Before I die, I want to see A&T's women and men's basketball teams in the Final Four. God willing, he will bless me to be on this earth for at least another 50 years. However, if A&T takes the stagnant/conservative approach YEAR AFTER YEAR, such dreams will not be realized, even 50 yrs down the road. A&T has to first establish it truly wants to be good, and then great. We haven't even established we want to be MEAC/DI average. 1987-88: A&T went 26-3. Butler was 14-14. A&T would've wiped the floor with Butler 23 years ago. Over time, our vision became smaller....Butler's became greater. Right now, A&T is failing at not thinking big enough. I don't get the sense, from talking to previous athletic directors and in reading what folks on this and other boards say, that we truly believe we can do better.....I just don't. I fundamentally have a problem with this thinking, simply because I never have approached something important to where I've wanted to be average. We have to think better of ourselves and expect better from ourselves. WE SIMPLY DON'T, from an Aggie men's basketball perspective. There is simply no way anyone can tell me they were not utterly disappointed by the way Morgan St dismissed us in the MEAC tourney. THEY BEAT US LIKE WE WERE A REC LEAGUE TEAM......seeing this, how can anyone tell me (3 weeks later) that we're serious about improving Aggie basketball if Eaves is still our head coach? ? I've personally told Hilton what I'd donate to get Eaves out of here and find someone to move the Aggie basketball program forward. I know I'm not the only person willing to donate 4-5 figures to do whatever necessary to get Eaves out of here. However, we have got to get serious about how better we want to be. I've grown weary of complaining year after year, yet we continue to stand pat and see Groundhog's Day on an annual basis with our men's team. If folks truly care about wanting to see Aggie basketball win, you have to advocate first for a coaching change ---- POINT BLANK. Winning the MEAC, a first-round tourny game (NIT or MEAC) simply isn't possible with Eaves. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS STEP ONE..... Before I die, I want to see Aggie basketball go places no Aggie would have ever dreamed of....as of April 4, 2011. Does anyone think Butler ever thought it had a chance of making the Final Four out of the Horizon League 20 years ago....EVEN ONCE? These dudes are in the title game for 2 straight years, with Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue all within a 2 hour drive of their campus. Collectively A&T has to think bigger.....I'm not foolish to ask for an NCAA title in 10 years; but I'm sorry if I believe we can reach the sweet 16 in 20-25 years.....IF WE SET OUR GOALS TO DO IT.
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Post by Aggie Monster on Apr 4, 2011 19:22:15 GMT -5
Us being anything other than an "Low" Major doesn't just start and end with Eaves. Even when we were going to NCAA tournaments back to back the University(students and faculty) had a Low Major mentality. And its just not us. Its the MEAC as a whole. The entire MEAC is a Low Major.
Honestly I think it has more to do with our mentality as schools than anything else. We cant even sell out Corbett unless its NCCU or WSSU. What kind of mentality is that? Definitely not a Mid Major mentality.
Naborhood, I feel you, but you can bring whatever coach you want into Corbett and it want change that. You have to start with the culture. Butler averaged over 4000 per home game before they even made the final four. They have season ticket holders that didn't even go to the school. Our(the HBCU) culture doesn't breed that type of environment. I know, I know, why cant A&T be the first is what you will say? Where's my Aggie Pride? Just stating some facts that in order for us to get better the whole school, alumni, especially students, and conference mentality has to change.
It can happen, but it really needs to start with TWO great ADs and programs instead of just one. It would have to be A&T and NCCU. No other MEAC rivalry is big enough to start that type of movement.
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bluehaze
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Post by bluehaze on Apr 4, 2011 19:43:14 GMT -5
If we really want to see A&T in the Final Four we have a legitimate shot of doing that in Division II.
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Post by neighborhoodsuperstar on Apr 4, 2011 19:47:27 GMT -5
Aggie Monster, I promise you no one in Richmond thought VCU was going to the Final Four. Hell, as of Selection Sunday, folks didn't even think VCU was even going to get in. Luck does play a factor in a lot of this....
I respectfully disagree with you about the coach. You don't need 5700 people at Corbett at every game to win the MEAC or first round of the NCAA. Would it be nice - of course; but it is no prerequisite for future success.
I firmly believe folks don't come out to the games anymore because we give them no reason to. Aggie men's basketball is not a good product. Eaves is responsible for that. He doesn't put a product on the floor we can be proud of.
Sports, in general, is a "show-me something" environment. If the basketball program shows the students and the community that they are actually good, people will come to watch us. What have we really done that merits 5000+ folks coming to see us on a nightly basis???
Earl Hilton needs to first believe A&T can win big. Then he needs to find a coach who can help him reach initial steps of success. Folks ain't gonna flock Corbett to see a .500 team play on a nightly basis. We need winners to win. When A&T starts winning 20 games per season again, you won't have to worry about how many are coming to see us play.
We have to cultivate a winning environment. It starts with vision and hiring people who can help us reach that vision...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2011 20:49:51 GMT -5
Honestly, I would rather have multiple NCAA Tournament appearances & wins over multiple MEAC Football Regular Season titles.
I really feel that A&T's main Athletic priority aside from graduating 100% of our student athletes should be having a dominating Men's & Women's Basketball Team and to become the 3rd best Basketball program behind Duke & UNC.
We can spend less money on both sports to generate profits and increase our visibility of the entire university then the amount we have to spend on football to achieve the same results.
I would seriously suggest to our Athletic Administrators to hopefully decide that the funding and the increasing of support of Men's & Women's Basketball (bigger recruiting and assistant coaching budgets & the improvement of Corbett) one of our top priorities second to improving our overall Athletic APR and improving our Compliance Office.
I would say to let Eaves finish out at least the next full season with the support and increase of funding start with him. If he is still "Mr. .500" and isn't anywhere near sniffing the NCAA Tournament, then let him go. BUT we must be prepared to pay way more then we do now for our HC. Our next HC salary should be not along the lines of the MEAC average but along the lines of the CAA/A-10/Horizon League average.
And it won't even take that much more $$$ to fund the sport to be successful on the national level, not JUST the MEAC level. IMHO, after reading up on College Athletic Budgets for about the last 10-12 months, The Threshold to give us the chance to compete nationally is only $1.6 - $1.8 Million.
Our Men's HC salary should be around $235,000 - $250,000. Our Men's Basketball Recruiting Budget should be around $35 - $50 thousand/year.
And these will be excellent things for the AAF to help raise funds for and spearhead a possible Capital Campaign around.
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Post by neighborhoodsuperstar on Apr 4, 2011 22:04:09 GMT -5
wca, If you had a magic wand and gave Coach Eaves a $100K raise right now.....do you think it would translate into a 20-win season for 2012? I am in agreement that we have to pay our basketball head coach more ---- but Eaves ain't the one to pay it to. We'd be wasting money. Did you see what happened at VCU today? Shaka Smart was making $325K a year. As soon as he wins big......he's now making $1.25 million dollars/year. His salary QUADRUPLED..... 2 weeks ago, did anyone at VCU believe their head basketball coach would ever make over one million bucks a year....let alone deserve it? Let's keep it within the school. Folks were bellyaching about how A&T was broke and would never be able to afford a good football coach. Now we have Broadway at $232K per year. It's funny how money miraculously shows up at the table when there is someone across the table......WHO DESERVES IT.
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Post by DOOMS on Apr 5, 2011 8:02:47 GMT -5
Broadway hasn't won a game yet (and from what I'm hearing the wins will be few and far between for a few years).
The key isn't just giving the coach a raise. The key is adequate funding across the board. A coach shouldn't have to use his own money to recruit (Eaves does). You think Shaka Smart has to pay his own way to recruit and then hope for reimbursement? After a few years coaching at Ayantee y'all'd be calling him Shaka Dumb.
You can't consistently win in division I without money. And at an hbcu it takes even more of it than it takes at a pwc. A pwc can walk into any home in America and recruit a kid and have half a chance. Can an hbcu? NO. We have to give white kickers full rides and then they fail out after a year. I've seen like two white basketball players at hbcus. Correction: It was one, it was just the same guy at two different schools.
Say what you will, but we are a MINORITY. We're about to be outpaced by hispanics so we will be an even smaller part of the population. We're recruiting from a smaller part of the population with one hand tied behind our back. A recipe for failure.
That being typed, I was never sold on Eaves. I'm not of the belief that he can turn it around. That being typed, I'm not of the belief that the school has the tools or ability to allow any coach to make it past the first round, except for a lucky shot.
We're making an attempt to be successful on the d-1 level with not even enough money to taste the same success on the d-2 level. Therefore, we are getting what we deserve. The top-heavy salaries are not helping the coaches do their jobs, and are not helping us in the win column. Any smart business will have a salary as a fixed portion of the overall budget. Instead, we will overpay for a coach and not give him or her the tools needed to be consistently successful. And then complain about it. Shameful.
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