(03-26-2012 05:08 PM)HuskieJ Wrote:  Did you not see the RPIs? She could have stayed here help recruit others of her caliber to come join her, but I guess that would be the hard way. All you need is a few to make a good team great. She would not win a National Championship at NIU, but she will not win one at MSU either. I stand by my statements. Can you really say that they have better facilites for Volleyball?

Agreed, MSU is a middling Big Ten program. If her goal is to win something, it won't happen at MSU, at least not while she's there. Regarding facilities, no idea, but here's what MSU's look like:

are you kidding? the volleyball RPI's can't possibly factor into an evaluation of an entire school and campus and life style. most on a board like this follow the huskies cuz they are alums of NIU....who wouldn't rather be an MSU alum and graduate? who wouldn't rather have a Big 10 experience on a big time campus with big time support? At MSU, the security clowns don't control the arena--the athletes can get in whenever they want--it is big time--the tail doesn't wag the dog. When they go to a bowl game, they really go to a bowl game--NIU ain't gonna see the Rose bowl anytime soon.

No doubt she would have stayed here had this self serving, unethical "coach" not undermined the head coach and put her selfish desires ahead of the program but, hell, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade---or in the case of MSU: limeade.....Good luck to her and may the badgers that gave aid and comfort to the disloyal, Judas turncoat assistant, burn in volleyball hell--mehopes she gets tagged with many a chester and that word of her antics eventually ruins her career. she has no business in the busines.

ENOUGH ALREADY! What’s wrong at NIU is illustrated on this board by posts like the ones by cagy cager, Howl-n-Prowl, HuskieJ, 17Huskies.

Early in this thread cagy cager says: “the traitors brought their backstabbing ways to the Dairy State and the All American is now a cheesehead. Ray survived and is better off without the Benedict Arnold couple. Will miss the star player, but programs are bigger than any one player....Huskie volleyball will be fine.”

Guess you were wrong about the “All American” being a cheesehead. How much are you willing to bet Huskie volleyball will be fine? In the nine seasons prior to Gooden, there was one sub-.500 record and five NCAA appearances. In 10 years under Gooden, half were sub-.500 and only three times in that span was NIU able to finish above third in the MAC West Division.

Then let’s consider the following two posts:

Howl-n-Prowl: "How many of those "problems" were unfounded and instigated by the C-word who used to coach there? Several players came out on Gooden's behalf. It appears that there was a toxic and divisive presence in the locker room undermining the head coach. Huskies be grateful that the malignant cyst was successfully removed. Let's move on. EDIT: With the possible exception of an official inquiry and sanctions attached to the program that hires the subversive C-word.”

Cagy cager: “Cagy Cager: “No doubt she would have stayed here had this self serving, unethical "coach" not undermined the head coach and put her selfish desires ahead of the program but, hell, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade---or in the case of MSU: limeade.....Good luck to her and may the badgers that gave aid and comfort to the disloyal, Judas turncoat assistant, burn in volleyball hell—me hopes she gets tagged with many a chester and that word of her antics eventually ruins her career. she has no business in the business.”

First and foremost, how many of those problems were "unfounded and instigated” by the assistant? How many were and what do you base that knowledge on? Where you ever in the locker room to see a toxic and divisive presence undermining the coach or is that just the side of the story you want to believe? You expect players remaining in the program not to come out on behalf of their coach for the next season? Exactly how was the “malignant cyst successfully removed” and who removed it. As per Cagy cager’s labels of “unethical, disloyal, Judas turncoat, burn-in volleyball hell has no business in the business” comments: who the hell are you to judge a good assistant or head coach?
Coley Pawlikowski and her husband are both Northern Illinois grads. As Coley Johnson, she won four letters in volleyball at NIU, was a three-year starter, and helped NIU win a MAC Tournament and make the NCAA in 2001 prior to her senior season playing for (drum roll) Ray Gooden. She met her future husband at NIU, they established a highly successful and respected club volleyball program that turns out Division I-calibre players. That’s part of why Gooden hired her.

Her and her husband came back to NIU to help their alma mater. While Cagy believes she “has no business in the business,” the American Volleyball Coaches Association twice (2009 and 2011) named her to its “Thirty Under 30” honor list to recognize the nation’s “rising volleyball coaches under the age of 30.” If she’s so horrendous, why don’t you question Gooden’s judgment in hiring her and employing her as the recruiting coordinator?
For the record, anyone on here bashing Pete Waite and his program is the biggest joke ever posted in Dog Pound history. Look at his record and how he put NIU on the collegiate volleyball map followed by the same type of success at Wisconsin. His record and career are completely clean and there never have been any ethical questions about his programs. But this board never lacks for posters ready to put down former Huskie coaches, assistants, administrators, and players.

HuskieJ “She could have stayed here help recruit others of her caliber to come join her, but I guess that would be the hard way. All you need is a few to make a good team great. She would not win a National Championship at NIU, but she will not win one at MSU either. I stand by my statements. Can you really say that they have better facilities for Volleyball?

Now NIU’s student-athletes must have a greater impact on recruiting than the head coach or the assistants? We had the kind of player that made a good team great, and apparently the head coach couldn’t convince her to stay. As to better facilities, look closely at the photo provided by UIHuskie, that is 5,017-capacity Jenison Field House, once the home to the Magic Johnson 1979 NCAA Championship Basketball program. Notice in the photo how there are no basketball court lines. It’s now primarily a “volleyball specific” arena: ala Huff Gym, homecourt to Illinois volleyball; ala the UW Fieldhouse, homecourt for Wisconsin volleyball.

17Huskies: As for the HuskieWire article, give me a break, she had issues with a coach? Wow! That is so rare, maybe he yelled sometimes at practice...evidently even with so many issues Gooden was still able to produce a darn good team, his job is perfectly safe for the time being.”

She had issues with the coach…so did three other players. Granted, none of them have her ability, but they were all recruited by Gooden and apparently Gooden turned them all off enough for them to ask for their releases. An All-America, two-time conference player of the year and three other teammates all ask for their release, plus two assistant coaches from an NCAA-qualifier feel compelled to leave and you don’t think it’s valid to believe something other than “yelling sometimes at practice” is in play? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, smells like a duck, it just might be a duck.


Beachboy asked “How do you suppose her parents feel?” Maybe better if they see how quickly the supposedly loyal, die-hard Huskie fans on the Dog Pound turned and berated their daughter. If she had a hard time making her initial college decision, how much do you suppose her parents influenced her into coming to NIU over other possibilities? Her mom expressed her pride in several articles after her daughter broke some of her records. Her mom and dad were, still are, and will always remain great Huskie athletes! Here’s hoping Wicinski’s father and other Geneva coaches (as well as other Upstate Eight Conference River or Valley Division coaches) don’t start thinking their athletes are not welcome in DeKalb.

HuskieBowWow has it right. Because it’s volleyball no one cares to take a close look at whether or not the program is really “progressing” under Gooden. After all, it’s just volleyball.

Pardon me for borrowing from the “Evening with Champions at Fattys” thread.
Niutwotwo posted: “It was a flop! not because of fattys or the coaches but because Niu fanbase sucks! I and a buddy and about 4 others were the only fans there. People talk about moving to a better conference, we have a d2 fanbase, get real people.”

Yeah, we’ve got a d2 fanbase with too many self-righteous, simple-minded folks who can’t help posting based on rumors, innuendo, and no regard for facts or the truth. Unlike the many other major D-I programs who have coaches moonlighting as DJs, Jeff Compher doesn’t have to look closer at this situation because it’s only volleyball and some of the Dog Pound experts already have done a thorough evaluation of Gooden’s program.

She went to an inferior program. No two ways about it.

(03-27-2012 12:17 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  [b]ENOUGH ALREADY! What’s wrong at NIU is illustrated on this board by posts like the ones by cagy cager, Howl-n-Prowl, HuskieJ, 17Huskies.

17Huskies: As for the HuskieWire article, give me a break, she had issues with a coach? Wow! That is so rare, maybe he yelled sometimes at practice...evidently even with so many issues Gooden was still able to produce a darn good team, his job is perfectly safe for the time being.”

[b]She had issues with the coach…so did three other players. Granted, none of them have her ability, but they were all recruited by Gooden and apparently Gooden turned them all off enough for them to ask for their releases. An All-America, two-time conference player of the year and three other teammates all ask for their release, plus two assistant coaches from an NCAA-qualifier feel compelled to leave and you don’t think it’s valid to believe something other than “yelling sometimes at practice” is in play? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, smells like a duck, it just might be a duck.

Wow, I'm the problem with NIU? That's news to me and the NIU admin I work with as a donor and supporter. Because I don't have the exact same opinion as you? Very nice, keep up the great work.

As for your response, you give Gooden 0 credit for her being an all-american? for producing the great team?

"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, smells like a duck, it just might be a duck."

Completely agree with the quote, which is why I saw good riddance to a "star" player that seems to have gotten too big of head and had her parents involved in this whole process. Donors pay money so that athletes can have scholarships (free $), I think we have a right to be annoyed when someone just throws that in the trash and goes elsewhere.

You may have a different opinion and side with the player, that's fine, so be it.

To say I'm the "problem with NIU", well, I'd love to meet you in person and discuss how I can better support NIU.

uiniu57 must be the assistant coach's mommy--pretty defensive. So with all you know, you don't address the fact that she was an ASSISTANT coach--who is hired by the coach, serves at the coach's leisure and whose primary responsibility is to support the coach and the program. When you disagree with your boss, the honorable thing to do is hash it out behind closed doors and if you still disagree, you leave--you do not form internal alliances with the players and divisively divide the team into "his girls" and "my girls".

the "duck" here is the one that did support the head coach, the volleyball program or NIU. she may have been going after the head coach's job and when she lost that power struggle, took her ball and went home, perhaps trying to take a huge part of the team with her. In the navy we call this mutiny and sailors are shot for such transgressions.

What happened in 2009 and 2011 has no bearing on who this assistant may have become. those that voted for these "awards" and lists have no idea about behavior that undermined a program--if they knew of such shenanigans, it is doubtful they would have lauded such behavior. It may have been that there was a time when the assistant believed it was in her best interest to make NIU volleyball the best program she should--and she contributed it to that until she may have decided she wanted different things and then she contributed to turmoil and the eventual transfer of the best player this school may have ever had. People change, their agendas change, and often true colors show through when the going gets rough.

Cooley's mom or UINIU57, do you deny that the kid was "encouraged" to transfer to wisconsin? Perhaps the player no longer wanted to be part of a mess wherein unconditional support of the head coach and program did not take precedance over individual strivings for accolades without an unwavering committment to do what is best for the program. It is NEVER best for the program to undermine the head coach.

So, UNINIU, are you still a huskie fan or are you now a badger fan? I am betting the latter.

As far as the kid, UI's picture of the packed volleyball venue at MSU says it all: this is a BIG TIME school and, regardless of RPI, offers far more to student athletes than NIU could ever offer.

uiniu: Why did you neg rep me for that post? I don't understand.

She had issues with the coach…so did three other players. Granted, none of them have her ability, but they were all recruited by Gooden and apparently Gooden turned them all off enough for them to ask for their releases. An All-America, two-time conference player of the year and three other teammates all ask for their release, plus two assistant coaches from an NCAA-qualifier feel compelled to leave and you don’t think it’s valid to believe something other than “yelling sometimes at practice” is in play? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, smells like a duck, it just might be a duck.


I think I've read every word posted on this issue, and I didn't see anything that said that the other players leaving the program had issues with Coach Gooden. Only one had a scholarship ( Dawson) and it was reported she was just homesick. The other two were walk-ons, and they were two of the seventeen players on the team last year. There would have been fifteen this year if everyone had stayed, so the writing on the wall was that not everyone was going get significant playing time. That could cause some players, especially those not on a scholly, to say it's not worth it and to move on. BTW, both Norris and Lubic played on the club team coached by the Pawlikowski's, so they might have felt that loss too.
As for Coach Gooden's overall record at NIU, he wasn't maintaining the standard set by predecessors Waite and Kress ( just two years), but his real test may be how he and the program recover from this episode.

Coaching update...

http://www.huskiewire.com/articles/2012/.../index.xml

Go worry about your new Bball coach. You have no idea what you are taking about. I do not need an Illness loser telling me what is wrong at NIU.

I see that we picked up a 2012 verbal from 6' 4" MB Lauren Zielinski from Marist. Great get for the program! She had committed to Georgia, but there was a coaching change there and new coach wanted to go in a different direction I guess. She missed her senior season with a torn labrum, so I hope that is all good for the the fall.
I wonder of one of the middles we have on the current roster is moving to OH? Makes sense to fill the gap created with LW transsfer.