(06-02-2014 03:41 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(06-01-2014 09:56 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  This is absolutely incredible. People who supposedly know something about intercollegiate athletics insisting the there is no resource gap between Rice and UT/aTm. I find that mind-boggling. I guess it's just further testament to the greatness of Wayne Graham that he's gotten this program to the point that anyone doubts that he's fighting with a shorter stick than is Augie.

When Ut spends five times as much on athletics, and that relationship has existed for years, there only two possibilities:
1) exactly zero of the funding difference goes to baseball, which is almost certainly untrue, or
2) the gap is not contrived, nor has it materialized all of a sudden.

Running a successful athletic program takes money--lots of it.

Ask someone who provided scouting video for UT, then ask who provided scouting video for Rice. Pretty simple example and there are other resource issues I am sure. Look I like the coaching staff, but the dollars allocated to the coaching staff, and the recruiting budget would be two more resources that UT>Rice. I am not saying that these directly lead to the losses this weekend, but you silly to ignore the differences.

I would add the ability to practice indoors when weather is bad. At the very least it would allow you to keep a normal schedule.

And if 13thOwl won't blow his own horn I will as the answer to his video question is 13thOwl himself.

From the Texas Tribune, 2012 UT assistant coach salaries were a high of $41467 and median of $37667. Can't find information on Rice salaries, of course.

Now maybe UT coaches are being comped Maserati's and corporate jets, but if not then they aren't exactly growing rich off their cut of UT's LHN revenue.

(06-02-2014 04:07 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  And 13thOwl won't blow his own horn I will as the answer to his video question is 13thOwl himself.

Ah! So the losses were HIS fault!

(06-02-2014 03:34 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(06-01-2014 09:21 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Congrats to the team and coaches on a hard-fought, well-played, and exciting season. Regarding Coach Graham's tendency to trust his pitchers late in games, we always remember the times it doesn't work out. But it does work out plenty and we just fail to register it when it does. Confirmation bias or something similar. And I think there is a character element to it as well. Coach Graham trusts his players to make plays, part of the reason he prefers to let the catchers call pitches. He is a baseball educator and sometimes letting a guy bear down at a key time, and showing him that you have that confidence in him, pays dividends, if not in baseball than in life.

Spoken well. I sometimes forget you played for Graham.

Thanks, but you need a pretty liberal interpretation of the italicized word to make that statement. I was, however, on the team, which afforded me some limited insights and observations.

(06-02-2014 04:22 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(06-02-2014 04:07 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  And 13thOwl won't blow his own horn I will as the answer to his video question is 13thOwl himself.

Ah! So the losses were HIS fault!

Guilty again. You just don't know what scarce is until you try to track down George Mason film...it wasn't from lack of effort, lack of talent perhaps...they truly need someone with some serious google/web fu to help them get video in the future.

Again, I don't believe anyone is debating the resource differences between UT and Rice...and in baseball it does show up in assistant coaching, trainer and staff (what little we have) salaries. Having said that, we have had in the past, and currently have, a terrific coaching staff. Resource shortfall was NOT the reason we lost this weekend. Rather, injuries and uncharacteristic defensive lapses were the reason for our demise. It's just gets tiring hearing the resource excuse each and every time we lose a big game.

WE are never going to have the resources (or the revenues) of a UT or LSU-- no kidding. However, in baseball at least, thanks in large part to the standard of excellent that The OG has established and sustained-- coupled with Dr. K rectifying the budget situation, RBI Club funding and the newly created Rice Baseball Endowment, Rice can still compete favorably with the big boys. Will we have all the bells and whistles that some of the other P5 programs can offer? No, but that should not adversely impact the quality of the team we can put on the field.

(06-02-2014 04:20 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  From the Texas Tribune, 2012 UT assistant coach salaries were a high of $41467 and median of $37667. Can't find information on Rice salaries, of course.

Now maybe UT coaches are being comped Maserati's and corporate jets, but if not then they aren't exactly growing rich off their cut of UT's LHN revenue.

I find it hard to think Tommy and Skip were making less than $50k. I am not saying your Google fu is not much stronger than my memory, but it was my recollection that the both made +125k, with country club membership, and car. I would not have anyway of knowing real numbers, but I do know people that were offered jobs as assistant coaches in that time frame and they were making more than that at Rice. YMMV

I would also like to say that I have not heard Graham complain to me or in passing about his current coaching staff. In fact in the fall he mentioned that he had exactly the guys he wanted.

(06-02-2014 04:26 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(06-02-2014 03:34 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(06-01-2014 09:21 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Congrats to the team and coaches on a hard-fought, well-played, and exciting season. Regarding Coach Graham's tendency to trust his pitchers late in games, we always remember the times it doesn't work out. But it does work out plenty and we just fail to register it when it does. Confirmation bias or something similar. And I think there is a character element to it as well. Coach Graham trusts his players to make plays, part of the reason he prefers to let the catchers call pitches. He is a baseball educator and sometimes letting a guy bear down at a key time, and showing him that you have that confidence in him, pays dividends, if not in baseball than in life.

Spoken well. I sometimes forget you played for Graham.

Thanks, but you need a pretty liberal interpretation of the italicized word to make that statement. I was, however, on the team, which afforded me some limited insights and observations.

Dude, you were remembered by the Section F crew after a few hints, I.e. Alaska...

(06-02-2014 04:37 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(06-02-2014 04:20 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  From the Texas Tribune, 2012 UT assistant coach salaries were a high of $41467 and median of $37667. Can't find information on Rice salaries, of course.

Now maybe UT coaches are being comped Maserati's and corporate jets, but if not then they aren't exactly growing rich off their cut of UT's LHN revenue.

I find it hard to think Tommy and Skip were making less than $50k. I am not saying your Google fu is not much stronger than my memory, but it was my recollection that the both made +125k, with country club membership, and car. I would not have anyway of knowing real numbers, but I do know people that were offered jobs as assistant coaches in that time frame and they were making more than that at Rice. YMMV

I would also like to say that I have not heard Graham complain to me or in passing about his current coaching staff. In fact in the fall he mentioned that he had exactly the guys he wanted.

That's what they make as public employees. They likely have private sources of income as well (like from camps). It's also likely that the ratio of Augie:Assistant pay differs greatly from public compensation to private compensation.

I remember reading a couple years ago a figure around 100K for Skip, so I don't think those #'s are accurate either..

UT coaches are government employees; their salaries are public record. Unless the Tribune is mistaken, or UT is falsifying records, those are indeed the numbers.

I also suspect that Rice's baseball assistants are relatively well-compensated, probably well above the Div I average. They are top-notch, yet they don't get hired away except to become head coaches.

Also, Reckling Park and its facilities are pretty nice - luxurious, actually, compared to Div I as a whole. Rice baseball may not match UT in spending, but isn't exactly dirt poor. To hear some of you talk, the team practices in a vacant lot using broom handles and scrounged foul balls from high school baseball games.

If the trib is reporting them they are definitely accurate for purpose of state funds.

(06-02-2014 04:47 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  UT coaches are government employees; their salaries are public record. Unless the Tribune is mistaken, or UT is falsifying records, those are indeed the numbers.

I also suspect that Rice's baseball assistants are relatively well-compensated, probably well above the Div I average. They are top-notch, yet they don't get hired away except to become head coaches.

Also, Reckling Park and its facilities are pretty nice - luxurious, actually, compared to Div I as a whole. Rice baseball may not match UT in spending, but isn't exactly dirt poor. To hear some of you talk, the team practices in a vacant lot using broom handles and scrounged foul balls from high school baseball games.

Frizzy, our assistant coaches are definitely NOT well above the D-I average.

Actually, I have to make a retraction. The UT salaries I quoted are incorrect. Numbers are wrong, never mind, google-fu fail.

(06-02-2014 04:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(06-02-2014 04:47 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  UT coaches are government employees; their salaries are public record. Unless the Tribune is mistaken, or UT is falsifying records, those are indeed the numbers.

I also suspect that Rice's baseball assistants are relatively well-compensated, probably well above the Div I average. They are top-notch, yet they don't get hired away except to become head coaches.

Also, Reckling Park and its facilities are pretty nice - luxurious, actually, compared to Div I as a whole. Rice baseball may not match UT in spending, but isn't exactly dirt poor. To hear some of you talk, the team practices in a vacant lot using broom handles and scrounged foul balls from high school baseball games.

Frizzy, our assistant coaches are definitely NOT well above the D-I average.

All of Division 1? Not just P5?

(06-02-2014 04:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, I don't believe anyone is debating the resource differences between UT and Rice...and in baseball it does show up in assistant coaching, trainer and staff (what little we have) salaries. Having said that, we have had in the past, and currently have, a terrific coaching staff. Resource shortfall was NOT the reason we lost this weekend. Rather, injuries and uncharacteristic defensive lapses were the reason for our demise. It's just gets tiring hearing the resource excuse each and every time we lose a big game.

WE are never going to have the resources (or the revenues) of a UT or LSU-- no kidding. However, in baseball at least, thanks in large part to the standard of excellent that The OG has established and sustained-- coupled with Dr. K rectifying the budget situation, RBI Club funding and the newly created Rice Baseball Endowment, Rice can still compete favorably with the big boys. Will we have all the bells and whistles that some of the other P5 programs can offer? No, but that should not adversely impact the quality of the team we can put on the field.

I believe the resources difference matters. I think this weekend showed the warts that were pretty well hidden all year. The tournament format tends to do that. If Rice had won the Saturday game...I think the attrition of healthy bodies is what did Rice in. This regional reminded me a lot of the regional a Rice played at Wichita State. People were hurt, out of position and Rice just ran out of pitching. Still had fun and watched good baseball all weekend in both regionals. Sadly, got rained on in both regionals.

BTW, they probably don't care but it was an honor to watch Rice play hurt and undermanned this weekend. It was never hopeless and there was always a way out of the danger. Rice just could never quite close it out. Big props to everyone for taking the ball. It was very gutsy and there are those of us who will remember. Thanks.

Unfortunately we had several games where an "Errorfest" occurred. In the CUSA tourney we had 6 against ODU but managed to overcome them so while our FA was quite high we did have instances where "when it rained it poured" E's.

(06-02-2014 04:47 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  UT coaches are government employees; their salaries are public record. Unless the Tribune is mistaken, or UT is falsifying records, those are indeed the numbers.

I also suspect that Rice's baseball assistants are relatively well-compensated, probably well above the Div I average. They are top-notch, yet they don't get hired away except to become head coaches.

Also, Reckling Park and its facilities are pretty nice - luxurious, actually, compared to Div I as a whole. Rice baseball may not match UT in spending, but isn't exactly dirt poor. To hear some of you talk, the team practices in a vacant lot using broom handles and scrounged foul balls from high school baseball games.

There are other forms of compensation. Perhaps camp money comes from some other entity than UT.

No one is saying that Rice is poor, at least not me. I am just saying that it is my experience in life that money usually helps in competitive situations.

Another example of having a large budget and perhaps indirect benefits - UT and the Big 12 (and the SEC) went to four umpires each game. That is a 33% increase in employment in a certain trade/profession. Maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't...

(06-02-2014 04:56 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Unfortunately we had several games where an "Errorfest" occurred. In the CUSA tourney we had 6 against ODU but managed to overcome them so while our FA was quite high we did have instances where "when it rained it poured" E's.

Do you think this may be directly/indirectly tied to the injury factor? All the pitchers that were sidelined had pretty spiffy k/9. Every k eliminated is another ball in play.