I appreciate a level headed check on what we *are* doing, but we are limiting what we *can* do, especially with a coach that has proven she is a middle of the pack, 1st or 2nd round NCAA coach. Yeah we aren't going to go back to the path McLaughlin had us on, but we know that Suzi isn't going to get us much success. Grats on the regular season record moral victory, but at some point it's K-state0 to harp on that crap instead of looking at tournament results.
But besides that point, go horns, great to see Nub fans rooting so hard against them in ses 1 last night.
What the eff are you talking about man, this is exactly the path that McLaughlin had us on, Jim Moore too. This program, for better or worse, has been amazingly steady for three coaches over the last 20 seasons. It's ironic that you brought up Jim McLaughlin, do you know why he left? I do and I heard it right out of his mouth. He left a school with 5 straight NCAA appearances and at the time was undoubtedly the second best volleyball school in the Big 12 conference, to what was undoubtedly the worst in the Pac 10.
Yeah anyone who has followed VB knows why he left, this isn't insidery info. But you are 100% totally wrong about trajectory. His trajectory was not a mid level conference contender with a once in a decade conf title run. It's great that you bring up UW because it totally undercuts your point that K-State is on the same path now as what UW went on under McLauglin or even what McLaughlin was doing at K-State. His success was trending up, the team was looking up, and Fritz benefited from his players. If we take your position that UW was the worst, consider this, as you know, he has taken them to 3 PACs, 4 Final Fours, and a title (added bonus of 15 AAs and a NPOY in 2013). Instead we've got....1 conference title and a crap load of, to barrow Dax's phrase, cups of coffee at the dance with little else. So "steady" is one thing to call the program. Mired in average to slightly above average play is more accurate. Mclaughlin was building this program into something better and Fritz has taken it to a leveled-off trajectory that is nice for many, but disappointing for some. But this is the problem with K-State in many respects. We've been on the right path and had some unfortunate circumstances take us off course from really competing for titles (thinking WVB and MBB, hell 90s to 00s FB). But just because we have a "nice" program doesn't mean we should re-evaluate what the coach is actually doing to break through to that next level. We've been on the cusp of that in many sports, many times, and never put all the pieces together. At some point you have to break off a coach who is nice, and comforting to tucks, and push in a new direction, or you will always be the nice team, with nice facilities, and a nice record with little else.
Okay so you used all of those words to say that you don't know why he left. He left because even though Washington was a dead ass program at the time he felt like that program had a better chance of success. They had a bigger budget, better geography, and did not have Nebraska and Texas to butt heads with. In simpler language he felt he had plateaued and Washington offered a better chance for loftier successes.
I never said or hinted that K-State was on the same path as Washington, I'm not sure what you read that lead you to think that. And no Suzie's greatest successes did not come with McLaughlin's players. She was the lead assistant on his teams and of the five best players on that team I can say for a fact that three of them; Lauren Goering, Vali Hejjas, and Gabby Guerre were recruited by Suzie when she was the assistant recruiting them or the head coach. I'm fairly sure that Jeff Grove recruited Laura Downey as well. I have no idea about Lisa Martin although I'd bet she was also recruited by Suzie given that her and Lauren was from the same area.
I don't give a crap about how nice Suzie is or isn't, I don't owe her a damn thing. What I do care about is that she has a direct tie to all but one of our tournament appearances in the history of the school and the only conference championship. When you're running an olympic sport you don't fire one of the winningest coaches in the history of the sport in hopes that you may find someone that can possibly win a few more matches in December, that's patently dumb, so dumb in fact that I am not going to talk about this anymore. Suzie has as much of a chance of getting fired as I do in being her replacement. I've wasted too much time on this stupid crap.
This is a lot of words for a nothing post.
First you can say what you want about the plateau of K-State and why he left. That doesn't square with your claims about results and trajectory. Second half the players you mentioned were recruited under his watch. It's great they kept Suzie to keep continuity. No one is arguing against that. But 2003 had a lot of his players on it, so the point is fairly moot. You can't credit Frank's run without at least mentioning Huggins, and by your logic you dismiss that connection.
Third, I have no idea what you're talking about her being nice and owing anyone anything. I mean you jumped the shark here. The point about it being a "nice" program (go back and read how I used nice) is that it's just that, nice. Nothing to get too excited about, and a passing afterthought when the program is down (like it has been for 5 years). I'm sorry, I don't think bottom half is acceptable for K-State in this conference. If you do, fine. Getting a ticket to the NCAAs and getting beat the eff down (3-1, 3-0 at rough ridin' home, 3-0) is acceptable for you, and a lot of other fans, fine. It's not acceptable for me. For sure we can't change out Olympic coaches on a whim. And you must give them time to develop their players, their system, their recruiting strategies. Here is what we know. Undeniably we are in a downward trend with her at the helm. There have been some years where you have legit excuses (what was it, 2012 or 13 where half the team was dead from injuries for the year?) How much of a track record do you need before you make a move? It sucks when you have to put a coach out that has meant a lot to a program, but it is done often, and across all sports when there is a downward trend and little being done to correct it. You have a hard on for Suzie and that's fine. But you're letting your personal bias effect how you see this program. Would you keep a coach in an easier league (Nubs is gone after all) who is winning less in conference, going to the dance less, and when they do make it are getting destroyed (sometimes on the home court) over nearly a decade trend? Now no one is saying she is on the hot seat, but that doesn't change whether or not she should be feeling some heat.