(04-27-2010 07:35 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  As UAM. The thought that Newell got cross-ways with someone is simply no surprise.

Yes, I'm not even surprised by that part. The fact that all the Newell haters here kept taking about Newell getting run off here, and NOBODY ever gave a reason. To convince me, you've got to produce some evidence that he was the devil. Nobody ever did, and still haven't.

Having never even spoken to Newell when he was here, I've never defended his character(although the haters haven't produced any evidence against that either), I've defended his coaching, and the best the haters can come up with on that is, "he did it in the TAAC." I knew he had an ego, and I suspected that he had a temper. Even Shields has a pretty good temper. Remember New Orleans, South Alabama, and an incident in Jonesboro? In fact, even Chris Peterson has one, didn't he get ejected from a game on the road somewhere? I may be wrong, but I don't recall Newell being ejected, or having those problems with coaches and fans like Shields did. And I remember the opposing fans loved to ride Newell's ass. One of the games at Centenary, there signs all over the gym about Newell, and most of them were non-complementary. He seemed to love it.

(04-27-2010 08:03 AM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(04-27-2010 07:35 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  As UAM. The thought that Newell got cross-ways with someone is simply no surprise.

Yes, I'm not even surprised by that part. The fact that all the Newell haters here kept taking about Newell getting run off here, and NOBODY ever gave a reason. To convince me, you've got to produce some evidence that he was the devil. Nobody ever did, and still haven't.

Having never even spoken to Newell when he was here, I've never defended his character(although the haters haven't produced any evidence against that either), I've defended his coaching, and the best the haters can come up with on that is, "he did it in the TAAC." I knew he had an ego, and I suspected that he had a temper. Even Shields has a pretty good temper. Remember New Orleans, South Alabama, and an incident in Jonesboro? In fact, even Chris Peterson has one, didn't he get ejected from a game on the road somewhere? I may be wrong, but I don't recall Newell being ejected, or having those problems with coaches and fans like Shields did. And I remember the opposing fans loved to ride Newell's ***. One of the games at Centenary, there signs all over the gym about Newell, and most of them were non-complementary. He seemed to love it.

Looks like Mike is destined to be a "could have been". Sad a guy with his charisma and coaching ability didn't make it in the big time. He seemed to have all the necessary qualities. Sure played an exciting brand of basketball.

Looks like Mike is destined to be a "could have been". Sad a guy with his charisma and coaching ability didn't make it in the big time. He seemed to have all the necessary qualities. Sure played an exciting brand of basketball.
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Newell is a good x and o coach. As has been stated on this board many times, it takes more than x and 0s to be a good coach. His employment record indicates he does not possess all the qualities to make it to the big time. Ask any successful coach and they will say relationships with the players are just as important as game knowledge. Newell did not leave UALR on good terms, he did not leave Lamar on good terms and he did not leave UAM on good terms. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

A lot of what arkstfan says is true. Another factor was when Newell came to UALR he was given a blank check by the administration. The chancellor was transferring money from all over the campus to pay the bills in athletics. After three years, there was no money left anywhere. There was no money to hire instructors and no money for raises and many very good professors left the university soon after because of this.
UALR was in much the same shape as UCA is in now.

(04-27-2010 04:11 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Looks like Mike is destined to be a "could have been". Sad a guy with his charisma and coaching ability didn't make it in the big time. He seemed to have all the necessary qualities. Sure played an exciting brand of basketball.

Newell is a good x and o coach. As has been stated on this board many times, it takes more than x and 0s to be a good coach. His employment record indicates he does not possess all the qualities to make it to the big time. Ask any successful coach and they will say relationships with the players are just as important as game knowledge. Newell did not leave UALR on good terms, he did not leave Lamar on good terms and he did not leave UAM on good terms. Where there is smoke, there is fire.

A lot of what arkstfan says is true. Another factor was when Newell came to UALR he was given a blank check by the administration. The chancellor was transferring money from all over the campus to pay the bills in athletics. After three years, there was no money left anywhere. There was no money to hire instructors and no money for raises and many very good professors left the university soon after because of this.
UALR was in much the same shape as UCA is in now.
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You make some good points. It obviously not just "bad luck" that Newell couldn't get a DI job. Even after all his success at UALR, he couldn't do better than Lamar, a lateral move at best. I will be interested to see if Gillespie gets the Iowa State job (or another BCS level job). No doubt he is a good coach, but he definitely has some personal baggage.

The blank check was part of the problem but if memory serves UALR was experiencing decent enrollment growth and during that time period state funding was based on your four year average enrollment. In other words the state didn't fully pay your for your new students until they had already left campus. If a campus grew very much your expenses rose but revenue didn't fully rise for four years.

(04-27-2010 05:37 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The blank check was part of the problem but if memory serves UALR was experiencing decent enrollment growth and during that time period state funding was based on your four year average enrollment. In other words the state didn't fully pay your for your new students until they had already left campus. If a campus grew very much your expenses rose but revenue didn't fully rise for four years.

Funny you mention that. Chancellor Anderson when he was interviewed by Craig O'Neal abour the ladies successful season indicate enrollment went up when we went to the tournament in the 80s. So obviously Anderson feels that a good athletic program does have an impact on enrollment. I'm about to go to see if the link for the interview is still available. If so, I'll post it here.

(04-27-2010 07:16 PM)LR Alum Wrote:  

(04-27-2010 05:37 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The blank check was part of the problem but if memory serves UALR was experiencing decent enrollment growth and during that time period state funding was based on your four year average enrollment. In other words the state didn't fully pay your for your new students until they had already left campus. If a campus grew very much your expenses rose but revenue didn't fully rise for four years.

Funny you mention that. Chancellor Anderson when he was interviewed by Craig O'Neal abour the ladies successful season indicate enrollment went up when we went to the tournament in the 80s. So obviously Anderson feels that a good athletic program does have an impact on enrollment. I'm about to go to see if the link for the interview is still available. If so, I'll post it here.

Below is the link to the interview:

Chancellor Anderson Interview

Funny you mention that. Chancellor Anderson when he was interviewed by Craig O'Neal abour the ladies successful season indicate enrollment went up when we went to the tournament in the 80s. So obviously Anderson feels that a good athletic program does have an impact on enrollment. I'm about to go to see if the link for the interview is still available. If so, I'll post it here.
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Yes, enrollment at UALR spiked fall of 1986 and fall of 87. It was said the increase was a direct result of the NCAA and NIT success.

I don't know, I have been called crazy before, but seems to me UALR's enrollment fall of 86 was equal to or higher than UA's enrollment that fall.

Also at that time, UALR had secured private funding for an on-campus arena, labor was going to be donated. All UALR had to pay for was materials. But the plans were scrapped because the administration did not want to take a public relations hit for spending more money on athletics even though the money was not coming from the university. I believe it was going to be a 5,000 seat arena.